[computer-go] Re: What is Thought?

[Eric Baum <ebaum@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Robin> You should think about the purpose of a list serve.  Many
Robin> people have the idea that a list serve is a place to broad cast
Robin> their ideas to the world, when in reality list serves are an
Robin> opportunity to have two way communication.  Maybe Chrilly
Robin> thought that you were trying to start a meaningful
Robin> conversation.

I don't deny I have ideas I want to communicate. I 
spent 15 years or so thinking about these ideas, 6 years
actually writing *What is Thought?*. And 
it wasn't that I had the same ideas every day,
I made intellectual progress.
I wouldn't have predicted where I wound up. I only 
got there because thought and data drove me to it.

Chrilly reacted reflexively, without much thought,
against what he assumed was my position. I don't 
believe I responded inappropriately-- my reply 
pointed out that *What is Thought?* analyzes his 
position in some depth, and even with some 
sympathy. 
You reacted reflexively as well.
If I hadn't thought about it for years, I 
might have as well. Does that mean my position is 
right or wrong? 
I think all it indicates is: it's not obvious.

I welcome thoughtful comments. I'd even post
them on http://www.whatisthought.com if they
were informative.

Robin> P.S. Occam's Razor, is the idea that if your data does not fit
Robin> your theory, you should get a new theory.

Respectfully, that's not Occam's razor. There are a 
multiplicity of possible new theories, in fact an 
infinite number of them. There are even an infinite 
number that fit the data. Occam's razor tells you 
which one to choose, so it's evidently a much more 
sophisticated principle than the one you are suggesting.

But, moreover, Occam's razor has been studied 
intensively in the computer science community for 
20-40 years, making considerable intellectual progress.
The Occam's razor literature that *What is Thought?* 
explains thus deals with a more powerful principle than the 
one posited by Occam in the 14th century. And *What is 
Thought?* extrapolates this research to an even more 
powerful principle, explaining mind in a broad and 
meaningful way.

http://www.whatisthought.com is up and running.
Incidentally, it has a page with most of my previous 
game research.
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