While we have not yet discovered the presence of life outside of Earth, the existence of aliens continues to prevail in media, especially in movies and literature. Widely depicted as green, slightly disfigured extraterrestrials, aliens are commonly misconceived as human-like beings. Typically, fictional aliens breathe and move exactly as their human counterparts do; in many cases, aliens and humans can even communicate efficiently by speaking the exact same language. Because the similarities are present even on the surface, it is no surprise that aliens and humans are perceived as having the same type of consciousness. For instance, the aliens we see depicted in the media are projected just as a human would be—they have a desire to protect …show more content…
Posed on a belief in opposition to actualism, “the philosophical position that everything there is — everything that can in any sense be said to be — exists, or is actual”, her idea is in disagreement with those of other philosophers, but cannot be proven out of the realm of possibility (Menzel para. 3). “Because aliens might be forms of superintelligence and postbiological, they would be life forms whose differences from humans start at their non-biological level and extend to their presence of consciousness. Given that aliens are postbiological forms of superintelligence, not only could they be capable of having conscious experiences, but their conscious experiences would differ from those of …show more content…
The question of whether artificial intelligence will ever have the capability of being conscious persists as we move toward these advancements. As silicon-based beings, there is reason to believe that artificial intelligence is not capable of exhibiting conscious—a quality “that may be unique to biological, carbon-based, organisms” (Schneider 231). While there is no way to be absolutely sure that artificial intelligence can be conscious, “to show that AI cannot be conscious, the biological naturalist would need to locate a special consciousness property, (call it “P”) that inheres in neurons or their configurations, and which cannot be instantiated by silicon” (Schneider 233). Because no such property has been discovered, it is in fact possible that AI could have this property or, even more likely, “a different type of consciousness property, F, which is specific to silicon-based systems” (Schneider 233). If aliens, in fact, are forms of superintelligence, meaning they function on a higher level than humans in every way, then they should be capable of having consciousness, though it would not be in the same form as humans. Take animals for an example. We consider bats to be conscious because they behave with intention and possess the neurological substrates that scientists have determined constitute
The constraints of normality within today’s society often determine what or who does not fit the designated mold of behavior and character traits. Discrimination towards difference is seen throughout cinema, portraying characters that differ as dangerous and malicious in their actions, unethically predetermining their demeanor despite society’s implementation of provocation and selfish pursuits. Likewise, the antagonist extraterrestrial in “Alien”, by Ridley Scott, is misrepresented as a simple and malicious reptilian, personified as a foreigner in its own territory. The alien does not attack unless hunted first, signified by its feeble attempt to sleep within the
One of the key questions raised by Rupert Sheldrake in the Seven Experiments That Could Change the World, is are we more than the ghost in the machine? It is perfectly acceptable to Sheldrake that humans are more than their brain, and because of this, and in actual reality “the mind is indeed extended beyond the brain, as most people throughout most of human history have believed.” (Sheldrake, Seven Experiments 104)
On June 24th of 1947, a pilot named Kenneth Arnold made the first and most famous claim that he saw a flying saucer. In that same year, William Brazel noticed piles of debris around thirty miles from Roswell, New Mexico. A combination of these two events sparked a popular culture phenomenon that has changed the world. Extraterrestrials have become a part of the average American’s everyday life. Even as children exposure to the idea of there being a different intelligent life in the universe is something they encounter in movies, television shows and books. In March of 2009, the children’s movie Monsters vs Aliens was released and has grossed over three hundred and eighty-one million dollars so far. As children grow up and become teenagers
The original source of the concept of consciousness is considered to come from the English Philosopher John Locke who perceived the term to be “the perception of what passes in a man’s own mind” (Locke 1690). The challenge of defining the term is even considered daunting as it is still found to be difficult in giving a specific definition. Although, most psychologists appreciate that there is a basic broad understanding of the term, that being: the general awareness of an individual whilst awake. There has not yet been an ultimate and concluding definition. This is demonstrated by Francis Crick and Christoff Koch (as cited in Güzeldere, 1997) who stated ‘they need not provide a precise definition of consciousness since everyone has a rough idea of what is meant by consciousness', this was written in 1990, a far more recent indication of consciousness still being free from complete human understanding, even the greatest minds have struggled with Sigmund Freud (as cited in Güzeldere, 1997) declaring “What is meant by consciousness we need not discuss; it is beyond all doubt.”
"Artificial Intelligence and Consciousness." Encyclopedia of Consciousness. Oxford: Elsevier Science & Technology, 2009. Credo Reference. Web. 26 April 2011.
Is Consciousness something automatic, rooted in our selves, something inseparable in a being with abilities of
I will commence by defining what makes a mental state conscious. This will be done aiming to distinguish what type of state we are addressing when we speak of a mental phenomenon and how is it, that can have a plausible explanation. By taking this first approach, we are able to build a base for our main argument to be clear enough and so that we can remain committed to.
Consciousness is a very common and much used word used to describe the condition of being awake and aware. In other words, being conscious means responding to the environment, in contrast to being asleep or in coma. But in philosophical terms, consciousness is defined as the state in which humans are able to clearly distinguish between themselves and all other
Today we live in a world where many human beings move from one place to another. We live in a world where individuals in most cases move away or even escape their own country in order to live a better life than they had before. Though in the United States of America those who move in this country are called in such an unusual way. Those who move into this country, where I and million of U.S citizens live, are called the word “alien”, which according to the Oxford English Dictionary is someone who is “born in, or owing allegiance to, a foreign country.” When using the word “alien”, it mainly directs to immigrants from foreign countries in the world. When using the word “alien”, many individuals might immediately think of an alien who lives in
We may never know what lays beyond our night sky. It may be nothing, or our Government may be hiding everything from us, perhaps our President is behind these cases as well. This is the mystery that will trouble us for generations, but using evidence such as the LA shooting back in World War II, It is easy to gleam that: Aliens, Do, Exist.
Collin Jenkins Professor Edwards ENGL 1301, 25286 A Comparative Analysis of Desiree's Baby and Hills Like White Elephants Throughout any relationship, there will be a stage that will put that relationship at risk. This can differ from person to person, but every relationship will go through a phase that will test the couple’s love and resolve to stay together. This struggle may come from a difference of wants for the future, or may come from a disagreement about something important. No matter the struggle, the couple will be tested. It may be the hard communication of an impending abortion, or an assumption gone wrong.
The Turing test was a test introduced by Alan Turing (1912-1954) and it involves having a human in one room and an artificial intelligence, otherwise known as a computer, in another and as well as an observer. Turing himself suggested that as long as the observer is unaware whether it’s a human or a computer in either room the computer should be regarded as having human-level intelligence. (Nunez, 2016). But does the “human-level” intelligence mean it should be considered to be conscious? Is it more important to be clever or to be aware of being clever? Is it moral to create a conscious being that just serves our purposes? Aside from the moral implications there are technical implications and parameters
There are numerous of different movies, books, and TV shows on how humans think aliens interact, look similar to, and what the media portrays aliens to be like. Occasionally, most will stumble across news articles with a variety of related headings about aliens, UFO’s, or recent known abduction stories. Every person has their own theories and or thoughts on these basic questions: do aliens exist? Could the government be covering up real life “space ships” or encounters? Countless folks have claimed to witness or have fanciful stories that have fascinated countless while several others are turned away. There are Videos, pictures and pieces of physical evidence to support nearly all of these stories. Even more alarming,
The traditional notion that seeks to compare human minds, with all its intricacies and biochemical functions, to that of artificially programmed digital computers, is self-defeating and it should be discredited in dialogs regarding the theory of artificial intelligence. This traditional notion is akin to comparing, in crude terms, cars and aeroplanes or ice cream and cream cheese. Human mental states are caused by various behaviours of elements in the brain, and these behaviours in are adjudged by the biochemical composition of our brains, which are responsible for our thoughts and functions. When we discuss mental states of systems it is important to distinguish between human brains and that of any natural or artificial organisms which is said to have central processing systems (i.e. brains of chimpanzees, microchips etc.). Although various similarities may exist between those systems in terms of functions and behaviourism, the intrinsic intentionality within those systems differ extensively. Although it may not be possible to prove that whether or not mental states exist at all in systems other than our own, in this paper I will strive to present arguments that a machine that computes and responds to inputs does indeed have a state of mind, but one that does not necessarily result in a form of mentality. This paper will discuss how the states and intentionality of digital computers are different from the states of human brains and yet they are indeed states of a mind resulting from various functions in their central processing systems.
I am writing in reaction to the Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness that was publicly proclaimed on July 7, 2012, at that university. Where in scientist behind the paper declared, "Convergent evidence indicates that non-human animals have the neuroanatomical, neurochemical, & neurophysiological substrates of conscious states along with the capacity to exhibit intentional behaviors. Consequently, the weight of evidence indicates that humans are not unique in possessing the neurological substrates that generate consciousness. Nonhuman animals, including all mammals and birds, and many other creatures, including octopuses, also possess these neurological substrates."