Humanity Essay
Humanity Essay
Cynthia Lee
University of Phoenix
Stephen D. Carter
PHL/443
08/13/2007
1. What role do metaphors play in helping people grasp the concept of Artificial Intelligence? Do you agree with the statement that the brain is a “meat machine”? What other metaphors might be applicable to the function of the human brain? Personally, I don’t think metaphors really have anything to do with a person grasping the concept of what Artificial Intelligence is. The use of a metaphor may aid in the comparison aspect of Artificial Intelligence versus Human Intelligence. The statement the brain is a “meat machine” is one I tend to disagree with. The brain is a wonderful organ in the human body, which is responsible for just about every vital activity necessary to survive. The human brain is not a meat machine the brain does not actually churn out information like a meat machine churns out meat. The brain is a well put together organ that consists of billions of nerve cells. A machine could never compare the magnificence of the human brain. Many studies have been done on patients with Alzheimer’s disease in the beginning stage, studies show patients that exercise their brains with daily activities such as word identification exercises, puzzles and simple brain teasers continue to retain mental capacity. Therefore the metaphor “use your brain or lose it” seems to be a true saying in this case. 2. In the article “First tentative steps,” Rodney Brooks is quoted as saying, “My belief is that we, people are machines. So in principle, I see no reason why we can’t build a robot that is as capable as a human being”. Compare that statement with the two remaining articles, other reading, articles, other readings you have done, and your own views. Discuss your position relative to the possibility of machines becoming equal to humans. A human being is a complicated being made up of many factors
Cynthia Lee
University of Phoenix
Stephen D. Carter
PHL/443
08/13/2007
1. What role do metaphors play in helping people grasp the concept of Artificial Intelligence? Do you agree with the statement that the brain is a “meat machine”? What other metaphors might be applicable to the function of the human brain? Personally, I don’t think metaphors really have anything to do with a person grasping the concept of what Artificial Intelligence is. The use of a metaphor may aid in the comparison aspect of Artificial Intelligence versus Human Intelligence. The statement the brain is a “meat machine” is one I tend to disagree with. The brain is a wonderful organ in the human body, which is responsible for just about every vital activity necessary to survive. The human brain is not a meat machine the brain does not actually churn out information like a meat machine churns out meat. The brain is a well put together organ that consists of billions of nerve cells. A machine could never compare the magnificence of the human brain. Many studies have been done on patients with Alzheimer’s disease in the beginning stage, studies show patients that exercise their brains with daily activities such as word identification exercises, puzzles and simple brain teasers continue to retain mental capacity. Therefore the metaphor “use your brain or lose it” seems to be a true saying in this case. 2. In the article “First tentative steps,” Rodney Brooks is quoted as saying, “My belief is that we, people are machines. So in principle, I see no reason why we can’t build a robot that is as capable as a human being”. Compare that statement with the two remaining articles, other reading, articles, other readings you have done, and your own views. Discuss your position relative to the possibility of machines becoming equal to humans. A human being is a complicated being made up of many factors