3 ms·
One shower thought I've had is, what if something like an LLM could be conscious for the blink of an eye that it's processing information. Bare with me... I've
by gdubs 3y ago
One shower thought I've had is, what if something like an LLM could be conscious for the blink of an eye that it's processing information. Bare with me...
I've never really heard a satisfying explanation for what human consciousness is. Many scientists who study it say, "it's an illusion". But that remains an unsatisfying answer. It's like the childhood thought of, "how do I know you see the same 'blue' as I do?" Consciousness is something I subjectively experience, but I have no idea how I would measure it or validate its existence.
That gets you into some 'eastern' type thinking. Because if you practice any kind of deep meditation, or emptiness meditation, it gets you wondering – where does my sense of 'self' come from. And, am I really separate from everything else?
Which kind of brings things, in my shower-thought mind, to the idea that – perhaps we're being too 'western' about these questions; perhaps the whole universe is conscious? Perhaps things like multiplication matrices can be just as conscious as our chemically triggered neurons?
Anyway, no, none of this is 'scientific' – but, like I said, shower thoughts ...
- iknownothow 3y agoHere's something to add some fuel to your philosophical fire :) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_brain https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_brain
- Bilal_io 3y agoNot sure if you'd be interested in what Islam says about consciousness. But I can share a verse from the Quran. > ( 85 ) And they ask you, [O Muhammad], about the soul. Say, "The soul is of the affair of my Lord. And mankind have not been given of knowledge except a little." ( 86 ) And if We willed, We could surely do away with that which We revealed to you. Then you would not find for yourself concerning it an advocate against Us. Quran 17:85-86 In Islam the soul and consciousness are considered one. Even sleep is considered "small" death. The belief is oth the soul and body are created. And that the soul soul will be resurrected into a new body in the day of judgement. In chapter 19 "Marry": > ( 9 ) [An angel] said, "Thus [it will be]; your Lord says, 'It is easy for Me, for I created you before, while you were nothing.' " Quran 19:9 And from the same chapter: > ( 67 ) Does man not remember that We created him before, while he was nothing? QURAN 19:67