Prometheus: 2000 year old programming code

#1

Post by zeynel » Sat, Oct 25, 2008, 2:07 PM UTC

Prometheus: 2000 year old programming code
science1.wordpress.com

Re: Prometheus: 2000 year old programming code

#2

Post by zeynel » Sat, Oct 25, 2008, 2:57 PM UTC

I just posted this to ask people here if it makes sense to talk about programming anything other than computers and if not what kind of science investigates this subjects. Thanks.

Re: Prometheus: 2000 year old programming code

#3

Post by Allocator2008 » Sat, Oct 25, 2008, 4:16 PM UTC

Skimming the article, it is sounding a little bit like "intelligent design", when it talks of "programming" humans.

In a sense, natural selection programs all organisms by allowing only the fit variations in a given generation to survive, promulgating the "fit genes" forward, but "design" or "program" are terms in this context to be used metaphorically. Natural Selection is itself an alogirthm: Variation + Selection + Inheritance = Evolution of new forms of life. So in this sense it is a "program" but only as a metaphor.

I have neither the time nor the patience to argue with an intelligent design advocate, anymore than I would spend time arguing with a flat earth advocate.

Re: Prometheus: 2000 year old programming code

#4

Post by zeynel » Sat, Oct 25, 2008, 7:47 PM UTC

#Skimming the article, it is sounding a #little bit like "intelligent design", #when it talks of "programming" humans.

Well, I am really disappointed that the article sounds like "intelligent design." That may be due to my inarticulateness. I have no intention of advocating "intelligent design."

I am just curious to know if there is an academic or scholarly field where people study programming outside of computers, more specifically, programming humans.

#In a sense, natural selection programs all #organisms by allowing only the fit variations #in a given generation to survive, promulgating #the "fit genes" forward, but "design" or "program" #are terms in this context to be used metaphorically.

But it seems to me that "natural selection" is a term that needs to be used metaphorically as well.

In the article, the Prometheus story is not metaphorical. It is a real story written by a real person. I am trying to understand if humans reading the Prometheus story can be considred to be programmed in analogy to computer programming.

So when I read a Sunday paper supplement about discounted items and I go buy one, am I being programmed? What is the scholarly field that studies such programming?