Post by chun on Feb 14, 2015 7:59:03 GMT
Week 5
1. Do you think artificial intelligence will be a significant problem in the future?
I think that artificial intelligence will be a significant problem in the future. Since the invention of computer, it has already replaced a lot of physical tasks did by human before. For instance, we used to submit our homework by writing our answers on the sheet. Nowadays, we just submit our work through e-mail. As Nick Bostrom mentioned in his essay “Are you living in a computer simulation?”, we can say we are living in a computer simulation world when one of the following three propositions will turn out to be true (106).
1. The human species is very likely to go extinct before reaching a “posthuman” stage.
2. Any posthuman civilization is extremely unlikely to run a significant number of simulations of their evolutionary history.
3. We are almost certainly living in a computer simulation.
2. How has technology impacted your life?
Technology has greatly changed our life. Before the Internet is invented, we communicate with each other solely by phone. Nowadays, we can talk to anyone at anywhere and anytime by different apps. The instant messaging allows us to communicate with each other whenever we want. At the same time, however, it reduces the time we meet with each other. It is because we rely our communication on messaging. Through messaging, we may feel that we can talk whatever we want, or something that we won’t talk to a person directly.
Week 6
1. Why is Faqir Chand's experiences important in understanding the projective nature of religious visions and miracles?
In the book “The Unknowing Sage”, Faquir Chand had almost dead during the battle. From that experience, he understood that all the nature of religious visions and miracles are simply created by our brain, our illusion. Seeing God was probably the distraction that keeps us alive under extreme condition. He said that he was “ignorant of the truth” (31). There are so much unknown in the world. In the book, author has also stated a couple of examples, such as a woman was saved by Faqir from drowning. Yet, Faqir did not recall any miracles happened.
2. What is meant by the phrase, "philosophy done well is science; philosophy done poorly remains philosophy."
The belief of science is to keep testing the theory. Philosophy done well is science becasue philosophy keeps on testing our existence, or in other words, the reality of the world. We are trying to identify ourselves, finding the origins of the universe. Ironically, we have not yet figured out some basic questions - for instance who we are, why we are here etc. In the book “ Oceanic metaphor”, Albert Camus has thrown a philosophical question - “whether life is or is not worth living” (10). It reflects the statement of “philosophy done poorly remains philosophu”. It is because we have not solved the puzzle yet. When we understand and figure out who and where we are.
1. Do you think artificial intelligence will be a significant problem in the future?
I think that artificial intelligence will be a significant problem in the future. Since the invention of computer, it has already replaced a lot of physical tasks did by human before. For instance, we used to submit our homework by writing our answers on the sheet. Nowadays, we just submit our work through e-mail. As Nick Bostrom mentioned in his essay “Are you living in a computer simulation?”, we can say we are living in a computer simulation world when one of the following three propositions will turn out to be true (106).
1. The human species is very likely to go extinct before reaching a “posthuman” stage.
2. Any posthuman civilization is extremely unlikely to run a significant number of simulations of their evolutionary history.
3. We are almost certainly living in a computer simulation.
2. How has technology impacted your life?
Technology has greatly changed our life. Before the Internet is invented, we communicate with each other solely by phone. Nowadays, we can talk to anyone at anywhere and anytime by different apps. The instant messaging allows us to communicate with each other whenever we want. At the same time, however, it reduces the time we meet with each other. It is because we rely our communication on messaging. Through messaging, we may feel that we can talk whatever we want, or something that we won’t talk to a person directly.
Week 6
1. Why is Faqir Chand's experiences important in understanding the projective nature of religious visions and miracles?
In the book “The Unknowing Sage”, Faquir Chand had almost dead during the battle. From that experience, he understood that all the nature of religious visions and miracles are simply created by our brain, our illusion. Seeing God was probably the distraction that keeps us alive under extreme condition. He said that he was “ignorant of the truth” (31). There are so much unknown in the world. In the book, author has also stated a couple of examples, such as a woman was saved by Faqir from drowning. Yet, Faqir did not recall any miracles happened.
2. What is meant by the phrase, "philosophy done well is science; philosophy done poorly remains philosophy."
The belief of science is to keep testing the theory. Philosophy done well is science becasue philosophy keeps on testing our existence, or in other words, the reality of the world. We are trying to identify ourselves, finding the origins of the universe. Ironically, we have not yet figured out some basic questions - for instance who we are, why we are here etc. In the book “ Oceanic metaphor”, Albert Camus has thrown a philosophical question - “whether life is or is not worth living” (10). It reflects the statement of “philosophy done poorly remains philosophu”. It is because we have not solved the puzzle yet. When we understand and figure out who and where we are.