ParanoidMysticFri, Mar 21, 2008 1.- Proud. Amazed. Ashamed, but briefly. And intensely curious. It would actually mean the end of what I considered "my work." Back when, I might have taken up tilling the ground or weaving garments with an eye for mastery. These days a machine does that and I don't think twice. Both poles are still open: human master garment makers and industrial processes. But... I make decisions about media. If computer intelligence can make those decisions in such a way as to be indistinguishable from my own? If a computer intelligence could not just make the garment based on a design it's fed, but come up with novel designs? Awesome.
2.-Imagine this scenario: Information from our eyes is broken down and sent to a part of our brain which will never itself come into contact with light directly - it's literally trapped in a dark room forever. And yet it is here that the fullness of visual experience goes down. Current computers and the internet could never reach the level of data necessary to replace waking life, but the concept's not terribly far-fetched, or as wretched as it may seem (at least there would be communication, in fact probably to a greater degree than what we currently accept as normal). That said, I would really really miss going to diners, walks around the lake. And yoga classes.
3.- My computer is like a brother. He has a name: Rest Never. In fact, all my electronics are named. I don't think it's silly to have a special bond with a hammer. Especially when the hammer is rapidly altering every facet of the landscape, inner and outer. A while ago in a journal I wrote: "I do not use my computer to make art. The computer and I dance — what is produced is an accretion of our sweat."
IMHO, it's the height of arrogance to assume the monkey is the only form of consciousness. The mountains, the sea, far away stars, and yes even silicon all have wisdom and are participating in ways we have yet to comprehend.
1.- Proud. Amazed. Ashamed, but briefly. And intensely curious. It would actually mean the end of what I considered "my work." Back when, I might have taken up tilling the ground or weaving garments with an eye for mastery. These days a machine does that and I don't think twice. Both poles are still open: human master garment makers and industrial processes. But... I make decisions about media. If computer intelligence can make those decisions in such a way as to be indistinguishable from my own? If a computer intelligence could not just make the garment based on a design it's fed, but come up with novel designs? Awesome.
2.-Imagine this scenario: Information from our eyes is broken down and sent to a part of our brain which will never itself come into contact with light directly - it's literally trapped in a dark room forever. And yet it is here that the fullness of visual experience goes down. Current computers and the internet could never reach the level of data necessary to replace waking life, but the concept's not terribly far-fetched, or as wretched as it may seem (at least there would be communication, in fact probably to a greater degree than what we currently accept as normal). That said, I would really really miss going to diners, walks around the lake. And yoga classes.
3.- My computer is like a brother. He has a name: Rest Never. In fact, all my electronics are named. I don't think it's silly to have a special bond with a hammer. Especially when the hammer is rapidly altering every facet of the landscape, inner and outer. A while ago in a journal I wrote: "I do not use my computer to make art. The computer and I dance — what is produced is an accretion of our sweat."
IMHO, it's the height of arrogance to assume the monkey is the only form of consciousness. The mountains, the sea, far away stars, and yes even silicon all have wisdom and are participating in ways we have yet to comprehend.