Various web links I found to be of interest recently.
Why consciousness is more likely a property of life than of computation and why creating conscious, or even conscious-seeming AI, is a bad idea.
Computational functionalism - the claim that (algorithmic) computation
is sufficient for consciousness - is a very strong assumption that looks
increasingly shaky as the many and deep differences between brains and
(standard digital) computers come into view.
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For my money, we ought to be more worried about the accidental emergence
of consciousness in cerebral organoids (brain-like structures typically
grown from human embryonic stem cells) than in any new wave of LLM.
...
But there are good reasons why the situation with AI is likely
to be different. Our psychological biases are more likely to lead
to false positives than false negatives. Compared to non-human animals,
the apparent wonders of AI may be more similar to us in ways that
do not matter for consciousness, like linguistic ability, and less
similar in ways that do, like being alive.
Studies consistently find that intelligent people are more socially liberal.
Though the effect isn't huge, it shows up in practically every dataset.
Intelligent people are less racist, sexist and homophobic. They are less
religious and less nationalistic. And they're more likely to support
free speech, immigration, sexual freedom, abortion rights, gay marriage
and legalisation of marijuana.
...
I would say there are two main reasons why intelligence and liberalism
go together: one flattering, one less so. The flattering reason is that
intelligent people are more pro-social - probably because they're less
instinctual, more patient and better at perspective-taking.
The less flattering reason is that they're engaged in a cognitive error
(wrongly assuming that what works well for them works well for everyone).
What's more, these "gifted" dogs can learn the name of a new toy even if they first hear this word when the toy is out of sight - as long as their favorite human is looking at the spot where the toy is hidden. That's according to a new study in the journal Science.
Youtube video
This is a deep-dive into Table Tennis - a sport that might seem small and lacking compared to other sports at first glance. However in reality, the sport is a sophisticated synthesis of raw instinct, physical prowess and intelligence - making it the most complex sport in the entire world.
Meanwhile, fresh fighting broke out in recent weeks between Thailand and
Cambodia, and between Congolese forces and Rwanda-backed rebels.
And one conflict that Trump has claimed to end has never been a war at all.
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Issues ahead include disarming Hamas, creating and deploying an
international security force, determining Gaza's future governance and
further withdrawing Israeli forces from the devastated territory.
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The White House lists the conflict between Serbia and Kosovo as one that
Trump resolved. But there has been no threat of a war between the neighbors
during Trump's second term or any significant contribution from him this year
to improve relations.
On building a world that doesn’t make children stressed, anxious, and sad
The modern education system is probably the single biggest threat to the mental health of children. At the very least, the evidence for its negative effects is unambiguous: the same cannot be said for social media. Generally, we view COVID as an absolute scourge upon the mental health of young people. But when children stopped going to school, something interesting happened. Their suicide rates plummetted and remained low throughout the summer. In the fall — when most schools returned to in-person instruction — they started killing themselves again.
The Brooklyn four-piece - comprised of childhood friends Cameron Winter
(vocals, keyboards), Emily Green (guitar) and Max Bassin (drums) alongside
Dominic DiGesu (bass) - formed in high school,
and were set to split up before they went to college.
...
It finds Geese sounding a little like their influences
- The Velvet Underground, Captain Beefheart, Suicide,
The Strokes and Radiohead
- and a lot like something entirely new and original.
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