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Subject: Re: Upon scientific truth - the nature of information

Author: stuart taylor

Date: 00:21:59 07/16/00

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On July 15, 2000 at 16:31:43, Dann Corbit wrote:

>
>I think that there may be some broad confusion as to even what the GM-Comp
>strength arguements are about.
>
>Nowhere in my posts or in most of the other "it's not decided" proponents will
>you see the statment "Computers are not GM strength."
>
>What I am arguing over is jumping to conclusions.  The reason I make such a big
>fuss over it is because science and mathematics are often incredibly
>counter-intuitive.
>
>Consider a disease.  We'll call it 'fooble' because the real name does not
>matter.  Now, we find a chemical which we believe will cure fooble.  So we get
>10,000 fooble patients and give them the pill.  Sure enough 4 of them get
>better!  You might think that because it definitely happened (and more than once
>-- four times!) that this was evidence that the chemical helps.  But it turns
>out that of the group given the plain sugar pill, also 4 people were cured.
>Sound unrealistic?  It happens all the time.
>
>When we make an observation that matches what we *wish* to be true, it is very
>much human nature to assume that this observation proves the hypothesis.  But
>such an observation is not a proof at all.  Confirmation of a hypothesis is
>something that must be done statistically in order to be sure that the outcome
>is really true and not just what we wish it to be.
>
>Many persons might think that it will be some kind of victory against persons
>such as myself or Dr. Hyatt when computers are proven to be of GM strength. (And
>I am certain that at some point they will be).  Actually, it will be a victory
>for science, and hence both for myself and for Dr. Hyatt also.
>
>I believe (and perhaps he will correct me if I am wrong) that Dr. Hyatt has not
>said anywhere that Deep Junior is not of GM strength.  He has only said that it
>has not been adequately demonstrated.
>
>I think he is still leaning towards 'they might not be that strong' while I am
>leaning towards 'they probably are that strong' but in either case, the
>arguments you see are not about the conclusions themselves, but about jumping to
>the conclusions and assuming that there is adequate proof to support those
>conclusions.
>
>At this stage, the hypothesis has not yet gained theorem status.  That does not
>mean the hypothesis is incorrect.  Only that it has not been adequately
>demonstrated.
>
>In math, there is a latin abbreviation Q.E.D. which means basically when
>translated, "The thing which was to be proven has been adequately demonstrated."
>
>We're not there yet.
>
>Those that say, "But look at the proof!" are simply unaware that such things do
>have statistical measures.  These measures can be firmly founded, and used to
>demonstrate the thing which is to be proven.
>
>To be of GM strength does not mean "To have a scintillating performance."  Many
>people have scintillating performances but are not of GM strength.  To be made a
>GM, one must have broad excellence over a long period of time and also to have
>several scintillating performances.
>
>Is Deep Junior a GM (Or even a super GM?)
>
>The best answer is "Maybe."

They are definately of super gm strength if the gm doesn't have anti-computer
awareness. S.Taylor



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