Rencently did a comprehension on computers and human beings and how computers should be given the propensity to err. The article mention computers having the ability to outperform humans in every department with their superior processing speed and other 'qualities'.
However, take a step out of the fast lane, and use your in my opinion underestimated processing unit in your skull. Are today's modern computers truely superior?. yes computers are capable of being programmed to do enormous mathematical calculations, having the ability to consider the possible moves of every chess piece in a chess game several turns ahead. it might apper that we are outclassed outfought and outthought by today's computers.
Lets take another perspective shall we, your brain has to merge information coming from over a million ( or possibly more ) sensors from your entire body ( courtesy of your skin ), as well as visual, audio, imput from your eyes and ears to decide upon a best course of action for something. It has to constantly maintain your body's stable equlibrium to allow you all to stand and move without falling over ( seems effortless right? ). In addition to sensing air pressure, processing communication, controlling your body functions etc.. to name a few. and these are the stuff it has to do 24/7 without stopping, i mean after all when u are lying on ur bed resting, you can still feel your clothes on you, sense the wind, breathe air right?. The best thing is, it almost never crashes :D. if it somehow crashes, then either A) you're dead, B) you're brain dead, or C) you're insane. How often do you see a computer crash, or got brought down by a virus.
The thing is we humans have our processing power directed at analysing a multitude of totally different inputs as well as generating our own output. As opposed to a chess computer, lets say, which have its entire focus diverted to winning the said game of chess. It does not care about its own survival, whether its ca catch a virus or not, whether there is a fault in its programming or not, does it have the capability to even care in the 1st place? i guess not.
maybe one day where we can clone a human brain and genetically engineer it so that all its energies would be directed towards a particular process, can we appreciate its true potential. for now though, i prefer to think that my brain reigns supreme over any computers :D
Cheers, below are some random facts i lifted from wikipedia
common misconceptions:
- Humans use only 10% or less of their brain: Even though many mysteries of brain function persist, every part of the brain has a known function
- New neurons cannot be created, they only die as one ages. In fact, new neurons can grow within the mature adult brain; this process is known as neurogenesis. Regardless of neuron growth or death, brain function and capabilities can be learned and developed throughout life.
- The brain cells do not duplicate at all after it has developed (around late childhood). Although most of the brain does not grow, the cells in the hypothalamus are still growing.The human brain loses 50,000 brain cells a day after you turn 30.
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3 comments:
Humans and computers will always have distinct differences in the way they process information.
I agree with paragraph 4 completely. There is indeed a test to differentiate between a "thought" machine and a mere "processing" machine. Its a Turing test if you are not aware of it.
I will not be surprised if computers of the future will be acquire the ability to "feel" and express their emotions. It just depends on how we humans program them. And they the program code must give them the ability to learn new skills and "feel" for others.
There are some humans who can direct their processing power into certain tasks. These "savants" have many advanced capabilities that can rival those of present-day computers. Yet at the same time, like computers, they usually tend to be autistic and are unable to accomplish other tasks that we view as "human".
So you see for now, its a zero-sum game. To get the best of both worlds, I envision the future where humans can have their brains connected to portable computers. These computers will conduct processes at high speed that most humans cannot. This leaves our minds to "focus" on more creative ideas and methods to express our thoughts.
And where did I get this from?? From Ghost in the Shell!!! Watch anime! It can broaden your view.
i dont like to fathom the thought of having my brain hooked up to a comp haha, not good. what happens if there are viruses and stuff, wouldnt want to end up insane would i? Actually i would rather we prefer to genetically engineer and clone brains... note: brains not humans, so all their power can be TOTALLY focused unto a particular task, without for e.g. caring for their own existence. haha, i am writing this with pretty minal knowledge of computers so if i got any of my assumptions wrong, do pardon :D
You are absolutely right in your worry about viruses. In GITS, it explores the many pros and cons in such a concept. One of which is viruses impairing our judgment or even taking control of us.
To combat this, everyone with a "cyberbrain" is equipped with a firewall and antivirus program. With regular updates, your "brain" can be assured of being safe. Its argued in that anime that the benefits that arise from having cyberbrains far surpass the detriments.
Advantages include, access to the Internet anytime anywhere, wireless communication with other humans,unlimited storage capacity due to external memory, fast calculations, simulating a situation without actually doing it(Matrix deja vu) and much more!
The technology for cloning a simple rorgan such as the liver or heart is not even existent. What more to say of a complex organ like a brain? I doubt that would be feasible in the near future.
And brains (in our heads) we see today cannot exist without nutrients and a suitable environment. This is hard to replicate.
Wouldn't it be far easier to create a super fast computer that does these tasks? And aren't computers this days capable of "focusing on a particular task" "without caring for their existence"?
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