Some news from citrinedragon.

[citrinedragon]

Hello everyone,

Just a quick note to let those of you who are familiar with my philosophical ramblings and thoughts know that I now have a small website where I'll be posting some of my thoughts at:
http://www.dawndragon.com

I'm not selling anything on the website. It's just philosophy, a bit of politics and metaphor. I will certainly be posting information about artificial intelligence as well in the near future. If you visit, try not to take any of it too seriously; I certainly don't.

[citrinedragon]

Hi,

One brief update. An old acquaintance of mine, Adrian Door, has started a column on the new "metaphysics" page at http://dawndragon.com
This guy has some really weird stories to tell! Unfortunately, I'm still stuck publishing the pages and I'm severely typing challenged (one finger), so it will take me awhile to get the articles all up.

[FuzzieDice]

Well, scientifically, the other bidder could have suffered a petit-mal siesure (and not realized it - sometimes people don't know they have epilepsy until diagnosed by a doctor after such an incident). His brain may have been trying to raise the bidding hand but the short circuiting of neurons during the siesure may have prevented it enough to cause the twitching or "indecision" of whether to move or not. The Buddist guy could consider it "alive" due to his own personal beliefs. All coincidences.

However, I don't rule out that there's "something" about the artifact in question because I have this odd feeling about my own car being just not your ordinary average vehicle. Ever since I got it, I fell in love with that car (figure of speach - no other way to describe it exactly). This was even way before I got re-interested in Knight Rider, even.

This is also something I want to explore in my ESR project. Is something really "alive" or is it based on our own perceptions? Or the perceptions even of a group of people?

People think that inanimate objects are not "alive" but if you look at it at a molecular level, virtually EVERYTHING is "alive". Are these things or groups of things aware of their existance? Do atoms know they exist? Or just following some sort of natural program? Do animals know they are alive? Worms? Ants? Bugs? bacteria? Does a rock know? Many would say 'no' but who is to say for sure? And can energy cause a reaction in a person or group of person in a certain way? It could, possibly...

So much we have yet to understand...

[citrinedragon]

FuzzieDice,

Thanks for checking out my new website. Your comments are, as usual, amusing and interesting. A coincidence, as you know, is a sequence of events that although accidental seems to have been planned or arranged; events which are actually not related. Since reason would dictate (as you subsequently point out yourself) that we are still children in our understanding of the fundamental underlying structure and causations of reality (witness the continuing fumbling and debates among string theorists), one can never be sure which events are related.

Sure, Adrian's speculations are out on the edge, but I can assure you that he takes them quite seriously. I can also assure you that he is quite diligent in his investigations and that the events he wrote about, be they related or coincidental, occurred as reported.

My website is certainly (in part) about unusual and bizarre phenomenon and speculation. Nevertheless It is my intention that such speculation be of high quality. I believe Adrian's work meets that mark and exceeds it. This does not necessarily mean I concur with Mr. Door's speculations or findings, but I've known Adrian for quite a few years and I believe his investigations are extremely interesting and thought provoking. Its a big universe out there and we've barely scratched the surface of it.

You said:
"This is also something I want to explore in my ESR project. Is something really "alive" or is it based on our own perceptions? Or the perceptions even of a group of people?"

That's fascinating. The question of whether reality is static or mutable by perception has been investigated by some very serious physicists and other scientists. It may be worthwhile to note that there were many hundreds of thousands of Taino people living in the Caribbean prior to the arrival of Columbus. These people lived in, for all practical purposes, a closed system with its own ancient cosmology. That's one very large group perception!

Thanks again for your comments!

[Bill819]

Hey Fuzzydice
There is an area of metaphysics called astrology and many people believe that most of it is true. There can be horoscopic charts for both people and machines. Just for the fun of it back in 1964 a bought a new chevy impala super sport. It was only a 300 horse power with a four speed trans. The funny thing was the horoscope done on the car matched mine and was in great harmony at the same time.
That chevy turned out to be the fastest stock 300 hp that ever came to California. It turned in the low 13 seconds at the local drag strip and yet got over 19 miles per gallon under normal driving conditions. I loved that car and would have it today if not for the fact that my ex wife totaled it.
I understand your feeling for you car.
Bill

[FuzzieDice]

Thanks guys. It is an interesting thing to look into. I've even had dreams of things changing or the world different from what it is and then something would happen in my life that made some interesting changes.

As for my car, I was working on it today, as a matter of fact. Dryden (my car) was born in March of 1987. I don't know what date exactly as I was never able to track that down. Let's say he and I get along really well, though.

As for my two computers, Megatron and Lilith, I guess I kinda take computers for granted (and shouldn't). I mean Megatron is the one I do all the work on and Lilith (whom I just aquired and restored this summer) I hardly never power up. I guess I'm too busy with other stuff lately.

I remember the house I grew up in, it seemed "haunted" since the day we moved in when I was just almost a year old. Too many strange dreams and odd things happened. Including the feeling like 'something' was there, something dark. Esp. at night but sometimes 'something' was there during the day. One time I was in my room and not quite asleep - I was sure I was awake. And I actually saw the kitchen and two dark shadows in it! At the time I was living there alone because my dad married the lady next door and had moved in there. So I was the only one living there at the time. I remember too, for a short bit I couldn't move either.

Due to the way my dad was towards me, I didn't get the house when he passed on (some say he was being rotten, which I knew that my entire life). But anyway, I wouldn't want the house anyway. Even my step brother said he was sure it was haunted, even the garage (which I didn't sense anything in the garage as often as I did in the house though).

There's others living in the house and my step mom doesn't talk to them much, but I'm sure she'd have mentioned if they said anything about hauntings or not.

Stuff like that can sure be creepy. That's why I don't rule out anything, even in the light of logic (which I like to first use logic to explain things). Some things just can't be explained.

I am curious what makes some items alive and not others though. I don't see my fridge or microwave as "alive" or my computer printer. But as mentioned I kinda think of my car as being a sort of "Herbie" and having his own 'personality' of sorts.

[Maviarab]

Citrine,

good to see your stil with us.

will look at your site with interest.

[Eagle1147]

Dear Citrinedragon,

I too am typijng challenaged; thats why i have used several different programs to defeat my problem,[8] I tried Via Voice, aol point& speak andf several others you can find at Cnet or download.com [)] there's no reason to let your creativeity be blocked by the fact that you are not schooled in the art of typing, my fingers are deformed and I can talk to my computer and get what i want typed and understood byt everyone so check out some of the newer software and let your creative juices flow[] your friend Eugene_A[B)]

[citrinedragon]

Eagle1147 (Eugene),

I'm glad you found ways around your fingers challenge. I suppose we are all challenged by one thing or another. My biggest challenge frankly is an ongoing laziness virus which I've been fighting for years.

I never thought I'd see this old thread pop back up. I suppose you never know what's gonna pop back up in life which is probably a good reason not to say anything that you are not willing to see pop back up.

Thanks for the note.

Matt (citrinedragon)