Re: False Knowledge

Jim Balter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> > I would think that at the level of physics, regularities/signatures would
> > become apparent and once such was ascertained by RE (assuming they had the
> > tools), the sequence of such regularities leading to observed behaviors
> > would lead them to coin a term similar to our "program".
> 
> It's a powerful intuition that they would, but I think it's heavily
> colored by what we already know.

Of course, we can spot several underlying metaphysical assumptions in
the general claims that OmegaZero2003 and I have been sharing:
  1) Computation is universal!
  2) All mechanistic notions in all cultures are computational!
  3) C-T thesis is correct for all living beings!
  etc. etc.

Disregarding the general claims for the moment, let us come up with a
more concrete question. Will not these aliens build something like a
cola vending machine? And when they construct a theory of making
machines which have similar operational qualities, will not they have
invented computer science?

I think this is first and foremost a question in philosophy of
mathematics. How universal is mathematics? Is discovery of a set
theory unavoidable much like the discovery of gravitation is?
Possibly, but not easily put into a philosophical argument I suspect.

I believe that any civilization that will embark on number theory or
set theory will also invent computer science for the above mentioned
empirical reasons. The adaptation of computer science allows one to
build a powerful predictive apparatus about a wide array of machines
with equivalent mechanical capability.

That is exactly why FSM is a useful concept which is not limited to
describing the design of cola vending machines, but deals with a
universe of such machines and abstract relations concerning these
constructions!

Regards,

--
Eray Ozkural