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Ah, so Jerry Lettvin died. I took a couple of courses from him as an undergrad. He was quite a character. Here's a Jerry quote for you: "The brain is not a c
by ScottBurson 15y ago
Ah, so Jerry Lettvin died.
I took a couple of courses from him as an undergrad. He was quite a character. Here's a Jerry quote for you: "The brain is not a computer. The brain is a gland." I don't even know if he believed that, but he loved to stir controversy -- and announcing this at the MIT AI Lab c. 1982 certainly accomplished that!
I would say "RIP", but he probably already has his lab set up and is hard at work, wherever he is :-)
- nik61 15y agoI think he deserves to come back as an ant, so that would figure. Bad Karma should carry him a few steps down the food chain at least. The world is divided between those who see this kind of behaviour as lovable eccentricity and others who regard it as sabotage and a special kind of nastiness. I am of the latter, and see this "character" as a bad person because of his book-trick.
- deleted 15y ago[deleted]
- pjscott 15y agoDid you know him? I don't, and I would be hesitant to condemn his character based on a couple of brief anecdotes.
- djacobs 15y agoI'm not a 'hater' (per below), but I would suggest to you that 'probably' is most definitely the wrong modifier here.
- ScottBurson 15y agoCan you really not deal with encountering someone with different beliefs than your own? As someone with minority beliefs -- a small minority -- I deal with it every day. It's just a matter of respect.
- thangalin 15y agoHe is dead, and quite likely was an atheist. "Now I will have to say that the great Prof. Lettvin could hardly get himself bent out of shape just because some puny undergrad had come forward with a puny work product, but I was to learn that day what he might heap upon a bullshitter." Your heart is in the right place, but do not foul the memory of such a beautiful, insightful, and honourable individual with bullshit---metaphorical or otherwise.
- arbitrarywords 15y agoIt's not impossible to be an atheist and still be socially graceful.
- ScottBurson 15y agoI thought a hater or two might come out of the woodwork when I said that. You people are as arrogant and humorless as the worst fundamentalists. Jerry was neither arrogant nor humorless. You cannot persuade me that he would have the slightest objection to my innocent image of him in an afterlife.
- ScottBurson 15y agoAlso, read the first poem on this page: http://jerrylettvin.blogspot.com/search/label/Jerry%27s%20Writing http://jerrylettvin.blogspot.com/search/label/Jerry%27s%20Wr...
- khafra 15y agoI'm ok with your colorful counterfactual about his current disposition, the same way I'm fine reading a Sutra talking about reincarnation, or a Nasrudin story invoking Allah. I don't think belief should have anything to do with cultural acceptability; and I think the people objecting to your comment are rude--but I also think "you people" is a rude way to address them.
- ScottBurson 15y agoYou have a point. I spoke in anger.