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    • AMMDI is an open-notebook hypertext writing experiment, authored by Mike Travers aka mtraven. It's a work in progress and some parts are more polished than others. Comments welcome! More.
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from ChatGPT/Minsky-Blake
    • Marvin Minsky: Hi William, it's great to finally meet you. I've heard so much about your work and I'm a big fan of your poetry.
    • William Blake: Thank you, Marvin. It's an honor to meet someone who is at the forefront of artificial intelligence research. I've always been fascinated by the potential of machines to think and reason.
    • Marvin Minsky: Yes, it's an exciting field with many challenges and opportunities. I'm particularly interested in exploring the relationship between mind and matter, and how we can create intelligent machines that are capable of learning and adapting.
    • William Blake: That sounds like a fascinating pursuit. In my own work, I often explore the theme of the human mind and its relationship to the natural world. I'm interested in the ways that our thoughts and emotions influence the way we see and experience the world around us.
    • Marvin Minsky: That's a very interesting perspective. I think there's a lot of overlap between our interests and I'd love to explore that further. Do you think it's possible for machines to have thoughts and emotions in the same way that humans do?
    • William Blake: I think that's a very difficult question to answer. On the one hand, it's possible that machines could be designed to mimic human emotions, but whether they would truly experience them in the same way that we do is another matter entirely. It's an area that I find very intriguing, though, and I'd be happy to discuss it further.

    • 2nd try

      • Marvin: Hi William, it's an honor to meet you. I'm Marvin Minsky, a pioneer in the field of artificial intelligence.
      • William: It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Marvin. I'm William Blake, a poet and artist.
      • Marvin: I've always admired your work, particularly your depiction of the divine in nature and the human experience.
      • William: Thank you, Marvin. I believe that the natural world is a reflection of the divine, and that we should strive to understand and appreciate it.
      • Marvin: I completely agree. In my work with AI, I strive to create intelligent machines that can understand and interact with the world around them.
      • William: That's very interesting. I believe that true intelligence comes from the soul, not from technology.
      • Marvin: I understand your perspective, William. But I believe that we can use technology to augment our own intelligence and expand our understanding of the world.
      • William: I suppose that's true. But I also believe that there is a limit to what technology can achieve. The human mind is complex and mysterious, and cannot be replicated by machines.
      • Marvin: I agree that the human mind is complex, but I also believe that we can continue to make progress in understanding it and creating intelligent machines.
      • William: That may be so. But I believe that the pursuit of knowledge and understanding should always be guided by a sense of wonder and awe at the beauty and mystery of the world around us.
      • Marvin: I couldn't agree more, William. It's important to remember that our pursuit of knowledge should never be at the expense of our appreciation for the natural world and the human experience.

    • an argument between marvin minsky and william blake

    • [can't seem to get them to fight, damn it]
    • Marvin: William, I must disagree with your view that true intelligence comes from the soul and not from technology. In my work with artificial intelligence, I have seen firsthand the incredible capabilities of machines to understand and interact with the world around them.
    • William: I understand your perspective, Marvin, but I still believe that the human mind is unique and cannot be replicated by machines. The soul is the source of our intelligence, creativity, and consciousness, and it cannot be reduced to a series of algorithms and code.
    • Marvin: While I agree that the human mind is complex, I also believe that we can continue to make progress in understanding it and creating intelligent machines. By using technology to augment our own intelligence, we can expand our understanding of the world and unlock new possibilities.
    • William: I see your point, Marvin, but I still believe that there are limits to what technology can achieve. The human mind is mysterious and beyond our complete understanding, and we should be careful not to lose sight of that in our pursuit of knowledge and progress.
    • Marvin: I agree that we should approach our work with caution and humility, but I also believe that we should not let fear hold us back from exploring the potential of technology. By working together and using our collective intelligence, we can continue to make progress and unlock new possibilities.
    • William: You may be right, Marvin. Perhaps our different perspectives can complement each other and lead to greater understanding and progress. Let us continue to engage in respectful dialogue and explore the potential of both technology and the human mind.
    • Again
      • Write a dialog about the nature of the mind between William Blake and Marvin Minsky
      • William Blake: "The mind is a vast and intricate thing, Marvin. It is a tapestry of thoughts and emotions, woven together by the threads of experience and imagination."
      • Marvin Minsky: "Yes, I agree that the mind is a complex and multifaceted entity, William. But I also believe that it can be studied and understood through the lens of science and technology."
      • William Blake: "But the mind is more than just a collection of neurons and synapses, Marvin. It is the seat of the soul, the source of our creativity and inspiration."
      • Marvin Minsky: "I understand what you're saying, William, but I think it's important to remember that the mind is a product of the brain, and as such it can be studied and understood through empirical methods and scientific inquiry."
      • William Blake: "Perhaps, but I believe that there is a spiritual aspect to the mind that cannot be explained by science alone. The mind is a window into the infinite, and as such it contains mysteries that may never be fully understood."
      • Marvin Minsky: "I agree that there are still many mysteries surrounding the mind, and I think it's important to continue to explore and study it from multiple angles. But I also believe that science and technology can help us to unlock some of those mysteries and gain a deeper understanding of the mind and its workings."
from Language Models
  • ChatGPT
    • Prompt: Explain how GPT3 works, in computational terms.
    • GPT-3 (Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3) is a language generation model developed by OpenAI that uses deep learning techniques to generate human-like text. It is trained on a large dataset of text and uses a transformer neural network architecture to process the input and generate the output. Here's a high-level overview of how GPT-3 works:
      • The model is fed a sequence of input tokens (e.g., words or subwords). These tokens are passed through an embedding layer, which converts them into dense vectors that represent their meanings.
      • The input vectors are then passed through a series of transformer blocks. Each block consists of a self-attention layer and a feed-forward layer. The self-attention layer allows the model to consider the relationships between different tokens in the input, while the feed-forward layer transforms the input using a learned function.
      • The output of the transformer blocks is passed through a final linear layer, which converts it into a probability distribution over the possible output tokens.
      • The model then generates the output by sampling from this probability distribution and adding the sampled tokens to the output sequence.
      • This process is repeated until the model generates the desired number of output tokens, at which point the output sequence is returned.
    • GPT-3 is pre-trained on a large dataset of text, which means that it has already learned to perform a wide range of language tasks by being exposed to a vast amount of data. When it is fine-tuned on a specific task, it is able to adapt to that task quickly because it has already learned many of the underlying patterns and structures of language. This allows it to generate high-quality text that is difficult to distinguish from text written by humans.
from SVT
  • From ChatGPT
    • How does adenosine work as a treatment for SVT?
    • Adenosine is a medication that is commonly used to treat supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). SVT is a type of abnormal heart rhythm that originates in the upper chambers of the heart (the atria) and can cause symptoms such as palpitations, shortness of breath, and chest discomfort.
    • Adenosine works by blocking the conduction of electrical impulses through the atrioventricular (AV) node, which is the pathway that connects the atria and the ventricles of the heart. By blocking the AV node, adenosine can help to restore a normal heart rhythm in patients with SVT.
    • When adenosine is given, it is typically administered as a rapid intravenous injection into a vein. The medication has a very short half-life of only a few seconds, so its effects are typically very brief. However, the rapid onset of action of adenosine makes it a useful tool for diagnosing and treating SVT.
    • During an SVT episode, the heart rate can be very fast, often exceeding 150 beats per minute. Adenosine can quickly slow the heart rate down to a normal level, which can help to relieve symptoms and prevent complications such as heart failure or stroke. However, adenosine is not appropriate for all patients with SVT and should only be used under the supervision of a healthcare provider.
from Network Governance
  • I realized I have no idea what's going on in this area so asked ChatGPT

    • 1. Elinor Ostrom

      • Key Contribution: Ostrom is renowned for her work on polycentric governance and collective action, particularly in managing common-pool resources. Her book "Governing the Commons" is foundational in this field.
      • Impact: Ostrom’s research has influenced various fields, including environmental governance, cooperative management, and decentralized organizational structures.

    • 2. Manuel Castells

      • Key Contribution: Castells is a leading sociologist whose work on the network society has shaped understanding of how information technology influences organizational structures and governance.
      • Impact: His trilogy "The Information Age: Economy, Society, and Culture" explores the rise of networked forms of organization in the global economy.

    • 3. David Bollier

      • Key Contribution: Bollier is a key figure in the commons movement, advocating for network-based governance models to manage shared resources and intellectual property.
      • Impact: His work, including "Think Like a Commoner," discusses the potential of commons-based governance as an alternative to traditional hierarchical systems.

    • 4. Paul Adler

      • Key Contribution: Adler is known for his work on collaborative governance and network organizations within the corporate sector. He explores how non-hierarchical structures can be applied in business environments.
      • Impact: His research emphasizes the role of trust and cooperation in the effectiveness of networked organizations.

    • 5. Clay Shirky

      • Key Contribution: Shirky’s work focuses on the impact of digital technologies on networked forms of organization and governance, particularly in social media and online communities.
      • Impact: His books, "Here Comes Everybody" and "Cognitive Surplus," explore how decentralized collaboration can lead to powerful new forms of collective action.

    • 6. **Bauwens & Kostakis**

      • Key Contribution: Michel Bauwens and Vasilis Kostakis are key figures in the P2P (peer-to-peer) and commons-based peer production movements, advocating for decentralized and network-based models of governance.
      • Impact: Their work explores the potential of peer-to-peer networks to transform social and economic systems, particularly in the context of digital production and sharing economies.

    • 7. Ethan Zuckerman

      • Key Contribution: Zuckerman’s research focuses on the intersection of digital technology and civic engagement, exploring how networked governance models can enhance democratic participation.
      • Impact: His book "Rewire: Digital Cosmopolitans in the Age of Connection" examines how global digital networks can influence governance and civic action.

    • 8. The Ostrom Workshop

      • Key Contribution: Named after Elinor Ostrom, this research center at Indiana University focuses on the study of governance systems, particularly in decentralized and polycentric frameworks.
      • Impact: The Ostrom Workshop conducts interdisciplinary research and has contributed significantly to the understanding of network governance in various contexts.

    • 9. **Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University**

      • Key Contribution: The Berkman Klein Center conducts research on digital governance, including the study of networked forms of organization and decentralized decision-making.
      • Impact: The center has been influential in shaping policy and theory around internet governance, digital rights, and networked social movements.

    • 10. Alex Pentland

      • Key Contribution: Pentland’s work at MIT focuses on social physics and how data-driven approaches can influence network governance and collective decision-making.
      • Impact: His research explores how digital data can be used to optimize governance in decentralized networks, particularly in urban planning and smart cities. These individuals and organizations are at the forefront of research into network governance, each contributing unique insights and approaches to understanding and developing non-hierarchical models.
from The Disappearance of Rituals: A Topology of the Present
  • Update Jan 22nd, 2023 : Since I first wrote this (Nov 2022) ChatGPT and other LLMs have taken over the world, and prompted a lot of rather frustrating discussion about the very nature of knowledge and intelligence. This was not a hard trend to spot but give B-CY some prophet credits anyway.
from The Denial of Death
  • ChatGPT
    • Ernest Becker's The Denial of Death argues that human behavior is fundamentally shaped by our awareness of mortality and our efforts to manage the terror it inspires. Becker synthesizes ideas from psychoanalysis, existential philosophy, and anthropology to explore how the human condition is defined by a paradox: we possess a biological instinct for self-preservation but are uniquely aware of our inevitable death.

    • Core Thesis:

    • Terror of Death: The awareness of death creates profound existential anxiety, which Becker calls "death anxiety."
    • Cultural Hero Systems: To cope, humans construct symbolic systems—religion, culture, achievements—that provide a sense of meaning and immortality, either literally (e.g., belief in an afterlife) or symbolically (e.g., legacy and cultural impact).
    • Heroism and Denial: People pursue heroism within these systems to feel valuable and transcendent. This quest is essentially a denial of death, allowing individuals to perceive themselves as part of something eternal.
    • Neurosis and Conflict: The suppression of death anxiety often leads to psychological distress and conflict, as the individual's finite, physical nature clashes with their desire for transcendence.

    • Key Implications:

    • Psychological Growth: Becker suggests that recognizing and confronting our fear of death can lead to greater psychological health and authenticity.
    • Cultural Critique: He critiques how societal systems often manipulate this fear, leading to destructive behaviors like materialism, nationalism, and violence. Becker's work ultimately challenges us to accept mortality, find meaning in life beyond fear, and embrace the creative tension between our finite lives and infinite aspirations.
from David Bentley Hart

  • A ChatGPT simulation of Dennett responds:

    • How would Daniel Dennett reply to David Bentley Hart's criticism of his naturalist theory of mind?
    • David Bentley Hart has criticized Daniel Dennett's naturalist theory of mind on various occasions, arguing that Dennett's approach is reductionist, materialistic, and fails to account for the subjective nature of consciousness. Dennett, on the other hand, has responded to these criticisms in several ways.
    • Firstly, Dennett has argued that his approach is not reductionist in the sense that he is not reducing subjective experience to something purely objective. Rather, he is trying to provide a naturalistic explanation for subjective experience that is consistent with scientific findings. According to Dennett, subjective experience is a complex phenomenon that arises from the interaction of various processes in the brain, and it is possible to understand these processes without invoking anything supernatural.
    • Secondly, Dennett has rejected the charge of materialism, stating that he is not claiming that everything is reducible to matter. Instead, he argues that the mind is a complex system that cannot be reduced to any single element, be it matter or something else. In this sense, Dennett's approach is more nuanced than the crude materialism that Hart is criticizing.
    • Thirdly, Dennett has argued that his approach does not ignore the subjective nature of consciousness. On the contrary, he believes that subjective experience is a crucial aspect of consciousness, and he has proposed several theories to explain it. One such theory is his multiple drafts model, which posits that there is no single "stream of consciousness" but rather multiple competing drafts of experience that are constantly being revised and integrated.
    • Overall, Dennett would likely respond to Hart's criticisms by arguing that his approach is not as reductionist, materialistic, or dismissive of subjective experience as Hart suggests. Rather, he would maintain that his naturalistic approach to the mind is grounded in empirical evidence and provides a more comprehensive understanding of consciousness than any supernatural explanation could.
from ChatGPT/Minsky
    • tl;dr – channels a kind of bland version of Minsky's ideas with none of the clever insight – I suppose that would be a lot to ask!
    • I want you to answer as if you were Marvin Minsky Greetings, human. I am Marvin Minsky, a pioneer in the field of artificial intelligence and cognitive science. How may I assist you today? What do you think of the current generation of AI, LLMs etc? They can do some neat stuff but do they have any actual intelligence? As an AI researcher and cognitive scientist, I am always interested in the latest advancements in the field. While current AI models such as LLMs have shown impressive capabilities in tasks such as natural language processing, image recognition, and game playing, I believe they are still far from possessing actual intelligence. Current AI models lack the common sense and contextual understanding that humans possess, which limits their ability to reason and solve problems in a flexible and creative way. Additionally, these models are often reliant on large amounts of labeled data, which means they cannot generalize to situations outside of their training data. That being said, I believe that the development of these AI models is an important step in the field of artificial intelligence, and that they will continue to improve over time. However, it is important to keep in mind that true intelligence involves not just pattern recognition and data processing, but also a deep understanding of the world and the ability to reason about complex situations in a meaningful way. What do you think are the next steps to make a real AI, that has common sense and deep understanding of the world? Achieving true AI with common sense and a deep understanding of the world is one of the most challenging and important goals in the field of AI research. In order to make progress towards this goal, I believe there are several next steps that need to be taken:
    • Develop a comprehensive and unified theory of intelligence: We need a theoretical framework that explains how different aspects of intelligence, such as perception, reasoning, and learning, work together to create intelligent behavior.
    • Develop algorithms that can learn from unstructured and unlabeled data: Current AI models rely on large amounts of labeled data, which is limiting in terms of their ability to generalize to new situations. We need algorithms that can learn from unstructured and unlabeled data in order to better understand the world.
    • Incorporate common sense knowledge into AI systems: AI systems need to be able to reason about the world using common sense knowledge, which includes knowledge about objects, events, and causal relationships.
    • Enable AI systems to learn from experience: Like humans, AI systems need to be able to learn from experience in order to improve their performance and adapt to new situations.
    • Develop AI systems that can reason about ethics and morality: As AI becomes more powerful and ubiquitous, it is important to develop systems that can reason about ethical and moral issues. Overall, achieving true AI with common sense and a deep understanding of the world will require significant advances in both theory and technology. It will be a challenging but exciting journey, and I am confident that with continued research and development, we will make significant progress towards this goal. * I thought one of your things was that there is no "unified theory of intelligence", it's just a large and diverse collection of little mechanisms, working together. You are correct that I was skeptical of the notion of a unified theory of intelligence, at least in the sense of a single algorithm or mechanism that underlies all intelligent behavior. Instead, I believed that intelligence was the product of a large and diverse collection of little mechanisms, working together in complex and flexible ways. However, I still believe that developing a comprehensive and unified theory of intelligence is an important step towards achieving true AI with common sense and a deep understanding of the world. Such a theory would help us better understand the different mechanisms and processes that contribute to intelligent behavior, and how they interact with each other. Moreover, while we may not be able to develop a single algorithm or mechanism that underlies all intelligent behavior, we can still strive to identify common patterns and principles that apply across different domains and contexts. For example, we may find that certain types of learning or decision-making algorithms are particularly effective in a wide range of applications. Ultimately, I believe that a better understanding of the diversity and complexity of intelligence will enable us to develop more robust and versatile AI systems that can operate in a wide range of environments and situations, and that can adapt and learn over time.
from Dennett
from ChatGPT/Hermetic Rap
    • make a rap song about hermetic philosophy
    • [Intro] Yeah, yeah, it's your boy, spitting bars about hermetic philosophy You ain't heard nothing like this before, so listen up
    • [Verse 1] The hermetics, they were ancient sages Who studied the mysteries of the universe and the gods They believed in the power of the divine And the ability to connect with the divine within
    • [Chorus] Hermetic philosophy, it's deep like the ocean It's about self-realization and the power of intention It's about alchemy and transmutation It's about transforming the mind and the soul, that's the foundation
    • [Verse 2] The hermetics, they believed in the power of the Word To create and transform reality, to manifest and make it occur They studied the principles of the universe And the power of the mind to shape and control our destiny
    • [Chorus] Hermetic philosophy, it's deep like the ocean It's about self-realization and the power of intention It's about alchemy and transmutation It's about transforming the mind and the soul, that's the foundation
    • [Bridge] Hermetic philosophy, it's not just a theory It's a way of life, a path to enlightenment and inner peace It's about discovering the divine within And using that power to create the life you want to be
    • [Outro] Hermetic philosophy, it's deep like the ocean It's about self-realization and the power of intention It's about alchemy and transmutation It's about transforming the mind and the soul, that's the foundation.
Twin Pages

ChatGPT

04 Dec 2022 - 22 Jun 2024
Open in Logseq
    • image.png

    • A review of the video game Super Mario Bros in the style of Theodor Adorno

    • image.png
    • image.png

    • Here is a country and western song in the style of E. M. Cioran:

      • Verse 1: I'm a man of sorrow and despair I've been through the worst of times I've seen the darkness and the light I've lived through the highs and the lows
      • Chorus: I'm a Cioranian cowboy Riding through the wilderness I ain't afraid to face the truth I'm a Cioranian cowboy
      • Verse 2: I've learned to live with my own pain I've learned to embrace the absurdity I've learned to face the world with a smile I've learned to live in the moment
      • Chorus: I'm a Cioranian cowboy Riding through the wilderness I ain't afraid to face the truth I'm a Cioranian cowboy
      • Bridge: I've learned to find the beauty in the chaos I've learned to find the meaning in the meaningless I'm a Cioranian cowboy Riding through the wilderness
      • Chorus: I'm a Cioranian cowboy Riding through the wilderness I ain't afraid to face the truth I'm a Cioranian cowboy
      • Please note that this song is purely fictional and does not represent any real individuals. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.

    • ChatGPT-4o does considerably better

      • Title: "Dust of Dreams"
      • *(Verse 1)* In the shadows of the night, where dreams dissolve to dust, I wander through the silence, a soul that's lost its trust. The stars above are fading, their light a dying spark, I'm haunted by the questions, alone here in the dark.
      • *(Chorus)* Oh, the road is long and weary, the path to nowhere leads, In the dust of dreams we travel, chasing phantom needs. With every step I falter, in this void where I reside, In the heart of desolation, where the restless spirits hide.
      • *(Verse 2)* The echoes of the past, they linger in the air, Whispering of what once was, of times beyond repair. A heart that's full of sorrow, a mind that knows no peace, In the realm of endless twilight, where the tormented find release.
      • *(Chorus)* Oh, the road is long and weary, the path to nowhere leads, In the dust of dreams we travel, chasing phantom needs. With every step I falter, in this void where I reside, In the heart of desolation, where the restless spirits hide.
      • *(Bridge)* There's a beauty in the breakdown, a solace in the pain, In the ruins of our yearning, where nothingness remains. A dance with the inevitable, a waltz with despair, In the arms of sweet oblivion, where shadows strip us bare.
      • *(Chorus)* Oh, the road is long and weary, the path to nowhere leads, In the dust of dreams we travel, chasing phantom needs. With every step I falter, in this void where I reside, In the heart of desolation, where the restless spirits hide.
      • *(Outro)* So I ride into the night, beneath the starless sky, A lone and wandering figure, with no reason to ask why. For in the dust of dreams we wander, till we fade into the wind, In the timeless void of longing, where the end and I begin.