We are computers

[JSR]

Computers abide by rules. Every action performed by a computer is a reaction to what it is presented by and it's underlying rule set. If x, perform y and so forth. No matter how advanced computers have gotten, they are still consequential in their actions. They never perform actions they have not been "taught". While computers often do things that we find confusing and surprising, they are still behaving according to what have been decided by their human creators. The difference now is only how many factors that play a role. So many factors that it's getting very hard for us humans to predict their actions in many environments. Computers are unable to perform random actions, everything a computer does is according to its rules.

How are we humans different? Like a computer, our choices are based on what we are presented with (our environment) and our rule set (our genes). When you see a beautiful flower, there's a toxic reaction occuring in your brain. It's as simple as "If beautiful flower is presented - release serotonin", but the reaction is still consequential. Though there are so many variables in play (the butterfly effect), that we humans have no way of predicting them accurately. When presented with a choice, something similar happens. Your previous experiences (your exposure to the environment) and your personality (shaped by both your genes and your environments) decide the outcome. All the data is inputted, so the brain will make a logical (for your brain at least) decision. So the choice is not really made there and then, and not really made by you either. There's not a spinning wheel in your head landing at a random choice. It's a sequential resolution.

If you understand and agree with what I've said so far, what do you think? Is there no free will? Are we all following a predetermined path? Are the only reason for our wonder of new experiences because of our lacking ability to actually foresee them?

[vanpeebles]

p A R p

[Brad]

Hmmmm. An interesting question and one that I shall answer by playing some Wipeout.

[Charlie]

I believe man has free will. Not everybody loves flowers so not everybody is programmed to release seretonin when they see a flower, you might argue whether a person likes flowers or not they are still programmed or conditioned to like or not like flowers, but I don't think we're designed like that.

The best way I can explain why I think we have free will is to reflect on my own life: I won't bore you with the details but some years ago I made an effort to change my life, to move away from the things I saw as largely shallow and meaningless and strive towards what I considered wholesome, permanent, and beautiful. Now that felt like a very conscious decision on my part, a difficult decision, indeed it was a struggle, and I find it hard to believe that decision was programmed into me, that from the moment I was born that decision at that exact time was always going to happen. Human beings do run on a certain amount of logic, especially those raised in Western style cultures, but it's broken logic. Logic that seems logical when, largely, it is illogical. Indeed if we really were more like computers and ran on healthy servings of logic I dare say the world would be a much fairer and safer, albeit less vibrant and exciting, place to live.

[toythatkills]

Computers are us.

[EJG1980]

I'd say there is free will. As we grow older the decisions we take will become more and more based on previous experiences, but we have free will to choose how we react to something when it's first presented to us. As Charlie said too, we can act a certain way for many years, and then come to a point where we decide to change that aspect of our lives.

Also we have a fair amount of instinctual programming, get food, find shelter, meet good looking people for fun sexy times, but as humanity has progressed we have more and more broken with and gone against some of those instincts (usually the more destructive ones), which I think shows free will too.

A lot of our programming is self-programming, I think.

[kernow]

I tried reading it, I honestly did, then remembered I was on a videogame forum not dianetics uk or something.

[Malc]

29th August 1997...

[Spatial]

[Flabio]

Random fact: The term 'computer' used to actually refer to humans whose job was manually calculating gunnery tables for field artillery.

The modern machines were originally called 'mechanical computers' or 'electrical computers'.

So yeah, we were computers before our computers were computers.

[Solar]

Choices are free will, every human can make a choice.
A computer doesn't make choices, they follow instructions presented to it and are not "bound by rules" as you would put it, they are just simply not programmed to do any thing other than what they are told to do.

A computer will sit and wait for an instruction for all eternity, think you can get a human to do the same?

[JSR]

I'd say there is free will. As we grow older the decisions we take will become more and more based on previous experiences, but we have free will to choose how we react to something when it's first presented to us. As Charlie said too, we can act a certain way for many years, and then come to a point where we decide to change that aspect of our lives.

Just like computers. They are able to learn, adapt to their surroundings. When subjected to something alot, you get tired of it, you will have had enough. The tolerance level is - again - based on genes and previous experiences. Our personality and all our thoughts are after all biological. Whenever you have a thought, there is a reaction in your mind.

[Charlie]

Do you believe all life on earth, whether animal, plant or parastic, are computers?

[Flabio]

I'd like to see this mythical 'learning' computer. As would a lot of AI researchers no doubt.

[Guts]

Do you believe all life on earth, whether animal, plant or parastic, are computers?

Animals and plants live by their instincts which are build in their genes, so basically yes. They do what they are "programmed" to do.