Path: news.net.uni-c.dk!howland.erols.net!surfnet.nl!newsfeed.wirehub.nl!news.cs.utwente.nl!newsfeed.iae.nl!news.tue.nl!not-for-mail From: "Marcel Hendrix" Newsgroups: comp.ai.neural-nets,comp.lang.apl,comp.lang.awk,comp.lang.beta,comp.lang.cobol,comp.lang.dylan,comp.lang.forth Subject: Re: Einstein's Riddle Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 09:43:41 +0100 Organization: Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands Lines: 42 Message-ID: <98pvb7$s05$1@news.tue.nl> References: <98njv5$rfh$1@localhost.localdomain> <3AAF9AB6.2E06BEBD@ix.netcom.com> <98o7mu$vcn$1@localhost.localdomain> <98pelj$oau@sol.sun.csd.unb.ca> NNTP-Posting-Host: pc52.emv.ele.tue.nl X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.2106.4 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.2106.4 Xref: news.net.uni-c.dk comp.ai.neural-nets:67601 comp.lang.apl:29420 comp.lang.awk:17198 comp.lang.beta:12780 comp.lang.cobol:102705 comp.lang.dylan:24203 comp.lang.forth:78610 Tony Fitzgerald wrote in message <98pelj$oau@sol.sun.csd.unb.ca>... > In article <98o7mu$vcn$1@localhost.localdomain>, wrote: >> In comp.lang.forth J Thomas wrote: >>: aph@redhat.invalid wrote: >>:> : I doubt that there's a unitary intelligence. Different brains are >>:> : good at solving different problems. We won't be ready to >>:> : understand the intelligence of oak trees >>:> There is no evidence that oak trees do anything related to cognitive >>:> processing. >>: We haven't found any evidence. >>Right. >>: We *won't* find any evidence unless we get a feel for what problems >>: they solve. >> So we'll probably never know. Never mind. > Actually, there is evidence that certain trees (don't know offhand > whether oaks were included) are capable of communication. When some > trees are under stress due to insect attack, they produce natural > insecticides. Since it diverts energy from more productive pursuits > such as growing roots or cambrium to produce insecticide, the tree > prefers not to do so. Is anything at all changed if we could resolve the question if oak trees, cows, pigs, dolphins and COBOL progams should be labelled as "intelligent?" Would the method be able to discern an idiotic/vegetable human being from a "freak" dolphin? Could we still pull the plug on a program that doesn't compute, without the help of our spiritual counsellors and/or going on national TV? -marcel