Earlier quoted context omitted.
Fantasy land type mindset.
What is so fantasy land about a DNA computer? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNA_computing
there's a reason why emerald cloud lab pivoted from dna-based computing to cloud lab services.
I'm scared about biological computing
231–240 of 271 posts
Re: I'm scared about biological computing
#232Yeah, we're totally fucked, there is no scientific theory that can tell you what is and isn't conscious. For all we know, my laptop, not running any LLM is conscious and always has been. Or my chair. Or a proton. This consciousness thing is a nasty problem for the scientific worldview.
... which is exactly how we know that LLMs are not conscious. We can't really explain consciousness. We can absolutely explain LLMs. The math is heavy and massive, but explainable. We can explain it layer-by-layer until we show that at its most basic level, it is still just a series of 0s and 1s.
LLM's are reducible to matrix multiplication in the same way that human cognition is reducible to physics. Reducibility does not imply understanding.
Re: I'm scared about biological computing
#233Re: I'm scared about biological computing
#234Earlier quoted context omitted.
as an unintentional and perhaps unethical vegetarian of many years who hasn't read this book: eating dead things gives me the creeps because it makes me consider my own death and consumption which is unappetizing
As a fellow ‘unethical’ vegetarian, eating dead animals just seems yucky. I imagine it’s a similar feeling to what most non-vegetarians feel when contemplating eating dog or cat meat.
exactly. welcome to downvote town
Re: I'm scared about biological computing
#235Biological computers are inevitable. We are the most compelling proof of concept of this that we have. Our entire civilization may be a prototype of one already. From my perspective, I belive things will happen in the following order; 1. AI will eventually take over all silicon chip design. Human designs pale in comparison. Moores Law, which currently indicates that humans are reaching the practical limitations of th…
I think one can extrapolate further. There will be two things intertwined together:
1. Thought will be liberated from the confines of mortal bodies. 2. Technology will be able to create and modify things on the molecular level, limited only by imagination (and the laws of physics of course).
Spirits will be roaming the cloud, developing in ways unseen before, and interfacing with the "real process" through whatever shapes suit the purpose.
Of course, learning from the treasure of design solution accumulated through the billions of years of biological evolution will be a large step towards this. Extending this heritage will be the next step.
Re: I'm scared about biological computing
#236Earlier quoted context omitted.
AFAIK vegans base their argument on the degree of consciousness a living being had and compromise on the least evil. Most meat eaters base it on closeness to said living thing. It'll be interesting to see if the veganism movement survives lab grown meat that is ethically produced.
It wouldn't continue in any real form. Maybe cholesterol conscious and devout buddhists will still try to adhere, but beyond that I don't see what the point would be. It would be like how Ozempic lead to a mysterious quieting of Body Positivity/Health at Every Size advocates. They were a vocal minority, there was much "debate" and cri de couer from many sides and now its all evaporated without a farewell or explicit…
There is already massive industry lobbying against lab grown meat, resulting in bans in states like Florida[0] accompanied with propaganda about "processed" vs "natural" food.
Were lab grown meat to be available today at a cost lower than regular meat, it is apparent that there would still be huge amounts of animal ag dollars spent on lobbying against and demonizing these things, and millions of people who would fall for the propaganda.
You can compare this to renewables now, even though they may be far cheaper per kwH, and the Trump admin's push to halt all renewable projects and do everything they can to prop up the viability of fossil fuels.
This means the vegan movement would need to continue to exist as does the environmental movement.
[0] https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/federal-appeals-court-uph...
Re: I'm scared about biological computing
#237Yeah, we're totally fucked, there is no scientific theory that can tell you what is and isn't conscious. For all we know, my laptop, not running any LLM is conscious and always has been. Or my chair. Or a proton. This consciousness thing is a nasty problem for the scientific worldview.
Everyone discusses "conscious" as though it were some agreed-upon term.
Life: Thing that takes in raw materials to reproduce itself exactly (or near enough that the process continues without an obvious limit).
Conscious: Whatever the current poster means. Literally.
Re: I'm scared about biological computing
#238Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't believe in souls at all. When you believe in souls then you need to believe on afterlife. You need to believe things that no one can proof, see, meassure,... When you believe anything has a soul you entered religion and be in the same room than people which believe on their invisible friends.
Awareness of where you are and how you live in the here and now defines your life, whether you believe in a soul or not. You will be confronted with choices, mistakes, and hopefully growth.
Yes, you can change the discussion to something completely different, but I don't see how that helps.
Re: I'm scared about biological computing
#239Earlier quoted context omitted.
At the end of the day vegans play the same game as meat eaters where some line is drawn. For meat eaters it is with livestock meats and for pescatarians that is no go, but fish are alright. And for vegans that is all off limits. Except of course the life we deem base enough to not care it is being eaten alive. Slaughter all the lettuce you want. There are no lettuce advocates. All this to say the moral arguments are…
This is not a good argument. Vegans base their line on a very easily defensible ability on behalf of the victim - sentience. If there’s no sentience, there’s nobody within to experience the pain and fear, and there is no victim. That said, even if you granted that every blade of grass and kernel of corn was fully as sentient as a human being, that would only strengthen the argument for veganism many times over as ani…
Once again it is a moral value judgement to put sentient life on such a pedestal above other life not blessed with such a mutation.
Re: I'm scared about biological computing
#240Earlier quoted context omitted.
At the end of the day vegans play the same game as meat eaters where some line is drawn. For meat eaters it is with livestock meats and for pescatarians that is no go, but fish are alright. And for vegans that is all off limits. Except of course the life we deem base enough to not care it is being eaten alive. Slaughter all the lettuce you want. There are no lettuce advocates. All this to say the moral arguments are…
Your mental hoops being on full display doesn't make them true. Nothing new or profound in these arguments and analogies, and stating them with this pretend wise tone just sounds childish.
Nothing of substance in this reply either then