Evolution On A Chip

[Elledan]

link

Now I want you to introduce to: HAL

 

[Czar]

<< But the fact is that Thompson doesn't know how it works. >>



this part is scary



<< Imagine the philosophical problem this creates. What if you build a critical system for, say, a nuclear power plant. It works and works well, but you don't know how to explain it. Can you implement it? Can you rely on it? >>

 

[snakesnfrogs]

We will all be assimilated soon.....

 

[yakko]

<< Computers that improve themselves >>

Great! First you have to worry about Windows crashing and now you have to worry about Windows being uninstalled.

 

[pac1085]

Now if we could just get them to crack some RC5...

 

[dopcombo]

yakko.... LOL.

seriously though, this is very cool stuff
if windows had this, MAYBE it wouldn't be as crappy as it is now

 

[StageLeft]

&quot;<< Imagine the philosophical problem this creates. What if you build a critical system for, say, a nuclear power plant. It works and works well, but you don't know how to explain it. Can you implement it? Can you rely on it? >>&quot;

Um, NO!!!!

Did they really have to call it HAL? That doesn't bode well.

 

[Azraele]

<<Great! First you have to worry about Windows crashing and now you have to worry about Windows being uninstalled. >>

lol!

Wonder how M$ would cope with that one.

 

[junthin]

Whoa. :Q

 

[uwantasumwang]

hmmm.. now IM expecting arnold swarchenaegar to zap from the future and start killing people

 

[Philosopher]

The year is 2001, there is a possibly sentient computer named Hal. We are not in a movie.

 

[daddyo]

You guys should read a book titled &quot;The Age of Spiritual Machines&quot; by Ray Kurzweil. Very enlightning on where we are headed in the world of technology.

 

[minus1972]

<runs and hides in corner, wimpering like a little girl>

keep the bad man away!

 

[Elledan]

Relax, guys... it ain't no evil machine

It uses an advanced algorythm to organize its components (of the chip) in the most efficient way, that's all. It doesn't even have conscious... yet

 

[GaryTcs]

Hal, huh? Someone has a dark sense of humor. This is interesting, but, say you have a CPU that spent years reinventing itself to run this nuclear power plant, and it fries. How do you replace it? How long before the new chip can even run the power plant? What if the circuits have also evolved? This takes troubleshooting to a whole new level. (especially when the developer can't even explain how it operates.)

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

pretty damn cool if you ask me

 

[Zenmervolt]

&quot;Open the pod bay doors HAL.&quot;
&quot;I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.&quot;

If this does lead to comscious computers, would it turn upgrading into a moral question? Would it be morally right to disconnect a conscious computer, or to throw out any of its componants? Just what I need, another excuse not to throw away old computer parts.

Zenmervolt

 

[NakaNaka]

God yakko thats too funny for me




<< It doesn't even have conscious... yet >>



Ya, for now its all mr. nice guy and then we become like slaves of the computer in the matrix

Seriously, do you think like they will do like Bicentenial man with the robots that look, act, feel like humans??

Not in our lifetime but maybe.

 

[jhu]

But the fact is that Thompson doesn't know how it works.

so what? we don't know how the human brain works either. it just works. and from what the article implies, you can evolve the circuits you want and then freeze the design and make multiple copies. some of you are going just a bit overboard with this thing. it's not that dramatic and was shown to be possible several years ago.

 

[Elledan]

<< &quot;Open the pod bay doors HAL.&quot;
&quot;I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.&quot;

If this does lead to comscious computers, would it turn upgrading into a moral question? Would it be morally right to disconnect a conscious computer, or to throw out any of its componants? Just what I need, another excuse not to throw away old computer parts.

Zenmervolt >>



Fortunely, those conscious 'computers' can make themselves more efficient the longer they're running, so that you probably won't have to worry about upgrading.

This leads to another intriguing question: What will such a conscious PC think when you use it to play solitair on it?

Seriously, I don't think that 'dumb' PC's will ever cease to exist, they'll be used for tasks where intelligence from the side of the PC isn't required. Only for operating and managing difficult tasks (spaceship, nuclear fusion etc.) will such systems be required.

Maybe one day, those intelligent 'PC's' will get rid of those inferior beings that created them and they'll continue to upgrade each other... hmm... maybe I did watch too much SciFi-movies