RE: virus: MEME UPDATE: To Censor Or Not?
Dave Pape (davepape@dial.pipex.com)
Wed, 18 Dec 1996 21:38:24 GMT
At 01:58 18/12/96 -0500, John wrote:
>Dave wrote:
>> You hit my nail on the head. I was actually talking to my dad this
>> lunchtime (he was in the area and dropped by), and he said pretty
>> much the same thing. BUT he also reckons that Incompleteness in
>> computing systems implies... FREEWILL! Oh God! I'm changing my
>> surname, and I'll return to this when I've read a bit more
>> Hofstadter. If anyone else wants to dip in one way or the other
>> (Godel supporting/opposing existence of freewill)... please do.
>
>Don't worry: only 2/7 of my immediate family is not devoutly
>Roman Catholic. Maybe I'll change my name as well. Anyway...
>I'm afraid the arguments that try to make freewill follow from
>Godel are beyond me.
>
>My own thoughts on the subject are few, but I have wondered if:
>a deterministic self-aware system living in a quantum (uncertain)
>world, would be indistinguishable from a freewilled being living
>in a deterministic world. (That is only speculatory.)
>This might be similar to what you were saying originally,
>or perhaps to what your dad was saying over lunch.
Intriguing! Again, when I've half-inched the Laserjet from the burger
company, I'll study this posting and give you my considered opinion.
Generally, I'm going to have to take a partial chill on my verbosity in the
list, because CHANNEL 4 TV HAVE ASKED ME AND MY MATE RICH TO WRITE A PILOT
EPISODE FOR A COMEDY SERIES, YES, ONE IN THE NET ETC!!! But I still love you
all individually for different platonic reasons darlings. :)
The memetic equivalent of a G3 bullpup-design assault rifle blowing a full
clip at my opponent.
-Alex Williams
Phonecalls: 01494 461648 Phights: 10 Riverswood Gardens
High Wycombe
HP11 1H