On Wed, 2007-12-12 at 11:16 -0500, Daniel Brown wrote: > On Dec 12, 2007 10:53 AM, Robin Vickery <robinv@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > Can you define for me where the machine stops and nature starts? > > > > I mean, if I make a clock that uses the physical properties of a > > pendulum to demarcate units of time then the pendulum is obviously > > part of the machine. > > > > But if I make a computer that uses the physical properties of a > > radio-isotope to generate random numbers, you seem to be be saying > > that the radio-isotope is not part of the machine, but instead part of > > nature. > > When a pendulum swings, it's slowed, stopped, and reverses > direction based upon the equal-opposite force from a combination of > gravity and the machine to which it's attached. It is then a part of > the machine. > > A radioactive isotope will decay on its own, regardless of > influence from the machine with which it is being monitored. > > So your argument, creating a likeness between two unrelated parts, > is equivalent to saying that all of nature is potentially part of all > machines. > > If I want to turn on a light at random, I could attach an X10 > motion detector to a tree in the woods. When a deer happens to walk > by, it would trip the motion detector and activate the receiver, which > would then allow electricity to flow and power the lamp. By your > definition (and please don't take this message as accusatory, it's > simply for the love of argument, not a personal attack as some would > believe), the deer is then part of the machine, despite it's > predetermined and/or externally-influenced (hunting season!) choice of > path. The universe is the machine... all sub machines are part of the greater machine that is the universe. As such, the deer is indeed part of the machine as are the decaying isotopes that were probably formed in some process of the universe. Whether that be the internal reactor of a star or some other event. Cheers, Rob. -- ........................................................... SwarmBuy.com - http://www.swarmbuy.com Leveraging the buying power of the masses! ........................................................... -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
