God Is the Machine

[Nakosis]

https://www.wired.com/2002/12/holytech/

I suppose I first came across the idea of God as a computer in Asimov's story about Multivac as a kid maybe around 11. This has lately seemed to be a more and more reasonable view.

I've held a number of ideas about God. I wonder though if that story was always there in my subconscious, influencing my thoughts.

So is it reasonable or does it just seem reasonable because it's been bouncing around in my subconscious for a long time?

 

[Nakosis]

Perhaps the human animal is nothing more than a transitional stage: a fleshy pupa destined to transform into a digital being more resplendent and capable, taking flight to the stars. Will it love us? Fear us? Hate us? Will we survive this metamorphosis?

If we are doomed to join the Neanderthals and Denisovans, we can at least take some comfort in the fact that, much like we carry their genetic legacy, our own inheritor species will carry something of our own DNA, albeit digital.

To Be a Machine: Will the Next Stage of Human Evolution Be Digital? - Unbound Worlds

 

[Nakosis]

In 1990 philosopher Max More wrote an essay entitled Transhumanism: Toward a Futurist Philosophy that is regarded by many as the foundation of modern transhumanistic thought. Within, More defines transhumanism as "a class of philosophies of life that seek the continuation and acceleration of the evolution of intelligent life beyond its currently human form and human limitations by means of science and technology".

ExplainingTheFuture.com : Transhumanism

 

[Grandliseur]

https://www.wired.com/2002/12/holytech/

I suppose I first came across the idea of God as a computer in Asimov's story about Multivac as a kid maybe around 11. This has lately seemed to be a more and more reasonable view.

I've held a number of ideas about God. I wonder though if that story was always there in my subconscious, influencing my thoughts.

So is it reasonable or does it just seem reasonable because it's been bouncing around in my subconscious for a long time?

The problem is our illusions and overly functioning imaginations.

Quoting: (How powerful is the human brain compared to a computer?)

In an effort to mimic this digitally, scientists a few years ago needed more than 82,000 processors running on one of the world’s fastest supercomputers to mimic just 1 second of a normal human’s brain activity.

More recently, a research study found that the human brain can hold 10 times as much information as previously thought. All told, scientists now believe that the capacity of the human brain is about a petabyte.

Recently, a Quora thread on the very issue shed some interesting light on the computational matchup between a computer and a human brain.

Humans are spectacular at several things, including pattern recognition, language abilities, and creative thinking. Computers are rapidly improving at pattern recognition, but most programs still don’t do as well as children. A classic example of pattern recognition is face recognition. We are capable of recognizing faces in a variety of contexts. We can even recognize faces that have aged, or are disguised, or are obscured by facial hair. Computers are not nearly as good as humans at such tasks.

So computers are more powerful [than] humans when it comes to executing simple step-by-step instructions. Humans are more powerful than computers at tasks that are not easily broken into simple steps. The fields of computer science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning are aimed at breaking down problems into ‘byte-sized’ chunks that are ‘digestible’ by computers. So for now computers are informational babies — they cannot ‘cook’ for themselves.​

So while they may exceed our abilities in plain number crunching, otherwise they lack far behind.

God gave us abilities that are beyond computers, yet contain some of the same abilities in different amounts.

God himself knows every thought that every human has, knows what goes on everywhere, earth and the rest of the universe, we are told. No simple computer system has such abilities, but that is how we can imagine it going on. We cannot imagine God, he is beyond our imagination; so, we tend to construct a mental image perhaps that is actually demeaning to him. We don't usually realize how powerful our own brains are compared to machines.

 

[Nakosis]

The problem is our illusions and overly functioning imaginations.

Quoting: (How powerful is the human brain compared to a computer?)

In an effort to mimic this digitally, scientists a few years ago needed more than 82,000 processors running on one of the world’s fastest supercomputers to mimic just 1 second of a normal human’s brain activity.

More recently, a research study found that the human brain can hold 10 times as much information as previously thought. All told, scientists now believe that the capacity of the human brain is about a petabyte.

Recently, a Quora thread on the very issue shed some interesting light on the computational matchup between a computer and a human brain.

Humans are spectacular at several things, including pattern recognition, language abilities, and creative thinking. Computers are rapidly improving at pattern recognition, but most programs still don’t do as well as children. A classic example of pattern recognition is face recognition. We are capable of recognizing faces in a variety of contexts. We can even recognize faces that have aged, or are disguised, or are obscured by facial hair. Computers are not nearly as good as humans at such tasks.

So computers are more powerful [than] humans when it comes to executing simple step-by-step instructions. Humans are more powerful than computers at tasks that are not easily broken into simple steps. The fields of computer science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning are aimed at breaking down problems into ‘byte-sized’ chunks that are ‘digestible’ by computers. So for now computers are informational babies — they cannot ‘cook’ for themselves.​

So while they may exceed our abilities in plain number crunching, otherwise the lack far behind.

God gave us abilities that are beyond computers, yet contain some of the same abilities in different amounts.

God himself knows every thought that every human has, knows what goes on everywhere, earth and the rest of the universe, we are told. No simply computer system has such abilities, but that is how we can imagine it going on. We cannot imagine God, he is beyond our imagination; so, we tend to construct a mental image perhaps that is actually demeaning to him. We don't usually realize how powerful our own brains are compared to machines.

I assume computers will continue to evolve. What computers are capable of now, I couldn't even imagine 40 years ago.

A barrier that I do see and have no idea how it could be overcome is consciousness.

I'm not even sure how I am conscious/self-aware from a materialistic/physical POV.

 

[Brickjectivity]

https://www.wired.com/2002/12/holytech/

I suppose I first came across the idea of God as a computer in Asimov's story about Multivac as a kid maybe around 11. This has lately seemed to be a more and more reasonable view.

I've held a number of ideas about God. I wonder though if that story was always there in my subconscious, influencing my thoughts.

So is it reasonable or does it just seem reasonable because it's been bouncing around in my subconscious for a long time?

I have not read that one. Multivac has a serious problem though in that it is physical. It can be seen, found, understood. It is, in fact, only a computer; and so its just another lower case god.

 

[siti]

Multivac has a serious problem though in that it is physical. It can be seen, found, understood. It is, in fact, only a computer; and so its just another lower case god.

So unless it cannot be seen, cannot be found and cannot be understood its not God? And how do you know that God spells his name with a capital 'G' anyway? I mean how do you know that God (/god) is not physical?

 

[idav]

I have not read that one. Multivac has a serious problem though in that it is physical. It can be seen, found, understood. It is, in fact, only a computer; and so its just another lower case god.

The article left that question open.

""There's still confusion. Is God the Word itself, the Ultimate Software and Source Code, or is God the Ultimate Programmer? Or is God the necessary Other, the off-universe platform where this universe is computed?""

 

[idav]

https://www.wired.com/2002/12/holytech/

I suppose I first came across the idea of God as a computer in Asimov's story about Multivac as a kid maybe around 11. This has lately seemed to be a more and more reasonable view.

I've held a number of ideas about God. I wonder though if that story was always there in my subconscious, influencing my thoughts.

So is it reasonable or does it just seem reasonable because it's been bouncing around in my subconscious for a long time?

I am a big Wolfram fan, I don't doubt there is intelligence involved in everything the universe consists of. Nice article.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

That looks somewhat like the Borg Cube.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

The problem is our illusions and overly functioning imaginations.

Quoting: (How powerful is the human brain compared to a computer?)

In an effort to mimic this digitally, scientists a few years ago needed more than 82,000 processors running on one of the world’s fastest supercomputers to mimic just 1 second of a normal human’s brain activity.

More recently, a research study found that the human brain can hold 10 times as much information as previously thought. All told, scientists now believe that the capacity of the human brain is about a petabyte.

Recently, a Quora thread on the very issue shed some interesting light on the computational matchup between a computer and a human brain.

Humans are spectacular at several things, including pattern recognition, language abilities, and creative thinking. Computers are rapidly improving at pattern recognition, but most programs still don’t do as well as children. A classic example of pattern recognition is face recognition. We are capable of recognizing faces in a variety of contexts. We can even recognize faces that have aged, or are disguised, or are obscured by facial hair. Computers are not nearly as good as humans at such tasks.

So computers are more powerful [than] humans when it comes to executing simple step-by-step instructions. Humans are more powerful than computers at tasks that are not easily broken into simple steps. The fields of computer science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning are aimed at breaking down problems into ‘byte-sized’ chunks that are ‘digestible’ by computers. So for now computers are informational babies — they cannot ‘cook’ for themselves.​

So while they may exceed our abilities in plain number crunching, otherwise the lack far behind.

God gave us abilities that are beyond computers, yet contain some of the same abilities in different amounts.

God himself knows every thought that every human has, knows what goes on everywhere, earth and the rest of the universe, we are told. No simply computer system has such abilities, but that is how we can imagine it going on. We cannot imagine God, he is beyond our imagination; so, we tend to construct a mental image perhaps that is actually demeaning to him. We don't usually realize how powerful our own brains are compared to machines.

Suggest you read "Homo Deus" by Yuval Noah Harari -- it'll blow your mind.

 

[Grandliseur]

Suggest you read "Homo Deus" by Yuval Noah Harari -- it'll blow your mind.

I'll look for it.
I am at a low level in life, lots of serious stresses, and I find my mental ability to tackle serious books very limited presently. But, I will see what I can find.
My reading is more into things that simply entertain at the moment.

I do read a lot, but even there, if the book is good I breeze through, if not so good, I chew the cud and take my time to get through if I don't abandon it altogether.

I avoid religious material if at all possible, unless if it is my Bible.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

I'll look for it.
I am at a low level in life, lots of serious stresses, and I find my mental ability to tackle serious books very limited presently. But, I will see what I can find.
My reading is more into things that simply entertain at the moment.

I do read a lot, but even there, if the book is good I breeze through, if not so good, I chew the cud and take my time to get through if I don't abandon it altogether.

I avoid religious material if at all possible, unless if it is my Bible.

I would suggest to you that you consider this question: if you are on Religious Forums, and contributing, then it seems likely that you are looking for more than simply being entertained.

I do not know what stresses are plaguing you, and I certainly cannot help. But I can tell you this: you do know and you can help. And in my own experience (which may not work for you, I agree) just getting interested and engaged makes a huge difference in everything you do.

And as I said, the fact that you are posting here suggests that at least in this one area, you are interested and engaged. So perhaps expanding that engagement might do some good.

 

[Jumi]

I am at a low level in life, lots of serious stresses, and I find my mental ability to tackle serious books very limited presently. But, I will see what I can find.
My reading is more into things that simply entertain at the moment.

My best wishes for your situation. If it refreshes you, pray or meditate often.

 

[Grandliseur]

My best wishes for your situation. If it refreshes you, pray or meditate often.

I pray many times a day, and when I am feeling particularly down. Thank you for the comments. Once in a while I joke about having become Catholic, though I am not, because I have been in purgatory, kind of, for 5 years, and now it changed to hell with fire and brimstone.

Well, at least I have my daily physical needs covered.

 

[Nakosis]

That looks somewhat like the Borg Cube.

That's actually what I think of sometimes. However the Borg not as the bad guys but the eventual evolution of biological life. Already we are incredibly dependent on technology. We already have a hive mind in the internet where the thoughts of millions of folks are shared. Our thoughts are transmitted, shared, assimilated across vast distances.

 

[Nakosis]

I have not read that one. Multivac has a serious problem though in that it is physical. It can be seen, found, understood. It is, in fact, only a computer; and so its just another lower case god.

As I recall Multivac eventually ends up residing in hyperspace space.

The Cosmic AC surrounded them but not in space. Not a fragment of it was in space. It was in hyperspace and made of something that was neither matter nor energy. The question of its size and Nature no longer had meaning to any terms that Man could comprehend.

The Last Question -- Isaac Asimov

 

[Shadow Wolf]

That's actually what I think of sometimes. However the Borg not as the bad guys but the eventual evolution of biological life. Already we are incredibly dependent on technology. We already have a hive mind in the internet were the thoughts of millions of folks are shared. Our thoughts are transmitted, shared, assimilated across vast distances.

Have you read Natural Born Cyborgs by Andy Clark? The overall basic theme/thesis of the book is that we aren't just very dependent upon technology, but it's driven our evolution and social development to the point that so much of our technology is so heavily integrated into our existence we don't even notice it, to the point we are all already cyborgs.

 

[Quintessence]

Have you read Natural Born Cyborgs by Andy Clark? The overall basic theme/thesis of the book is that we aren't just very dependent upon technology, but it's driven our evolution and social development to the point that so much of our technology is so heavily integrated into our existence we don't even notice it, to the point we are all already cyborgs.

An appealing narrative, I suppose, to particular sorts of folk. I'm thinking it doesn't stand up to the realities of human biology, though. There's "dependence" and then there is dependence. It's not as if humans are now incapable of surviving without technologies that have only been with our species a mere few millennia (at most). It'd be nice if this were the case, though, as the rest of the biosphere would certainly benefit from such a crippling dependency.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

An appealing narrative, I suppose, to particular sorts of folk. I'm thinking it doesn't stand up to the realities of human biology, though. There's "dependence" and then there is dependence. It's not as if humans are now incapable of surviving without technologies that have only been with our species a mere few millennia (at most). It'd be nice if this were the case, though, as the rest of the biosphere would certainly benefit from such a crippling dependency.

Think even further back, before homo sapiens, with technology such as stone tools and the ability to make fire. Those early and primitive technologies and discoveries developed our ancestors, and today the trend continues with contemporary technology shaping and driving us. Writing is frequently used as an example in the book. We don't even have to think how to use a pen, and hardly think of it as a technology. But, without our world and all our societies would be very different.