...Abstract This essay discusses the mind-body question and the difficulty to explain how these two entities relate to philosophical and scientific inquiry. This discussion includes the difficulty scientists find with dealing with the mind-body question when discussing the conception of reality. The discussion will include Searle’s perception of the mind-body question and conclude with a personal perspective of the mind-body question and what it means to her. The conclusion of the essay after research is that this question is difficult to answer because of different views and perspectives. Mind-Body Questions Paper The mind-body question has been a source of examination for many years. This examination began in the seventeenth-century with the French philosopher Descartes. Many credit Descartes with beginning the mind-body problem. The mind-body question in essence deals with how the physical world interacts and relates to the mental aspects of the mind. Descartes considered that the mind existed only in the mental state with the body existing only in the physical state. He felt that the mind could not exist with the body (Schimmel, 2001). Many others have formed various opinions, including John Searle, which emphasizes consciousness when discussing the mind. This essay is a discussion of the difficulty poised by the mind-body question on philosophical and scientific inquiry. The essay will also include the perspective of Searle concerning the mind-body question and reality...
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...Human and Machine Intelligence Essay I have been tasked with examining the root similarities and differences between human and machine intelligence. This is no small feat considering the copious amounts of scientific and philosophical information attributed to each, including fact, speculation, conviction, or otherwise. Defining intelligence alone has been historically subjected to great debate; add to that the hypotheticals of artificial intelligence and a whole new scale of complications become apparent. Through the course of this essay Team C will analyze and discuss a handful of key variables pertaining to biological (human or human-like) and mechanical intelligences, including their presumed natures and components, etc., and in the case of machines current achievements, ambitions, and the direction of development. With greater understanding of the elements of each, Team C can begin to compare and contrast the two with as much precision as possible, given the level of uncertainty. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been a difficult goal to reach for scientists. Major milestones have been crossed on the road to true AI. According to Anthony Tongen, “In 1999, a group of scientists from Emory University and Georgia Tech made a calculator (called the “leechulator”) with neurons taken from leeches” (Tongen, 2003). This adaptation of biological components and mechanical material strikes major ground in the collective effort to reach true melding of flesh and machine. By 2010 Swedish...
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...Brain Structures & Their Functions The brain forms part of the central nervous system together with the spinal cord. The nervous system is the center of all communication and decision making. There are two parts of the nervous system: the central, and the peripheral nervous system. The nervous system as a whole is in charge of every part of our daily lives. Breathing, blinking, reaching to grab your phone, these are all motions brought on by our nervous system. Sensory nerves are the group of nerves responsible for gathering information from the body, and passing it along to the spinal cord which sends that message to the brain. The brain will then combine the message, and produce a response. The spinal cord acts as a superhighway of messages. It’s made up of a collection of nerves that go up and down the spine sending messages back and forth to the brain. The brain is composed of three sections: the hindbrain, the midbrain, and the forebrain. The hindbrain includes the cerebellum, the ponds, and the medulla. The midbrain includes the tegmentum and the tectum. Lastly, the forebrain includes the cerebrum, the thalamus, and the hypothalamus. The hindbrain is an area of the brain that coordinates information coming in and out of the spinal cord. It controls the most basic functions of life such as respiration, and our motor skills. There are three structures that make up the hindbrain: the medulla, the cerebellum, and the pons. The medulla is located just above the spinal...
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...The purpose of this essay is to discover how biopsychology intended to use various methods to study the work of human brain to find diagnosis or treatment. Bio psychologists use tests on humans and animals to link the areas of brain with the symptoms that their patients must effectively help them to get better. Nearly one thirds of those techniques focused to recording a brain activity, others attempted to study the work of somatic and autonomic nervous systems. Current biopsychological research methods desired to learn more about structure and function of human brain, to make right diagnoses, to help patients to get a right treatment. One of the methods that is looked close in this essay is about invasive research methods, which working specifically...
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...\]Chapter Four: Human Development 1. The nature-nurture debate basically involves a discussion of A. the relative importance of environment and genetics in determining our development. B. the tension between genetically determined predispositions and environmental constraints. C. the role of early nurturing versus later life experiences as determinants of personality. D. how the physical constraints of humans limit their ability to overcome environmental events. ANS: A 2. During conception, organs first start to form during the _____ period. A. fetal B. zygote C. embryonic D. neonatal ANS: C 3. Which of the following is an accurate statement regarding Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)? A. It is caused by heavy drinking on the father’s part prior to conception. B. Most FAS babies have below average intelligence. C. FAS babies are physically the same as non-FAS babies. D. While there are some external symptoms of FAS, internally FAS children are normal. ANS: B 4. Which of the following reactions is not present in newborns? A. stepping reflex B. sucking C. fear of heights D. startle reflex ANS: C 5. One way to gauge an infant’s interest in a stimulus is to see when responsiveness decreases, also called A. habituation. B. regression. C. deactivation. D. response repression. ANS: A 6. Which of the following is an accurate description of brain development during early...
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...and we see how diseases can completely ruin this miraculous organ. In Gamel’s essay it is brought to our attention how the human being cherishes their eye sight; one would choose to tolerate pain in the hope that one may regain their eye sight; however, we are never shown why the human being cherishes sight so much. “(En) trance” by Chris Arthur shows the reader how this organ allows the mind to explore all different options. In this essay we see how the eyeball allows the human being to see things in a different perspective than their own and how others may perceive an image or a building based off of their own experiences and sight. We see the importance of the eyeball in regards to memory and we see its importance in the way that sight impacts people’s lives. Although “The Elegant Eyeball” by John Gamel explains the importance of the eyeball it is through “(En) trance” by Chris Arthur that we see the emotional and physical impact it has in one’s life. Throughout his essay Gamel explains how the eye works. He explains what a normal eye would possess opposed to an eye that acquired a disease, which would eventually obtain scaring. He explains the importance of the eye stating that, “Forty percent of the brain is devoted to vision, which provides us with more information than our other four senses combined” (Gamel, 39). The importance of the eye in regards to our other sense is great. In his essay “(En) trance,” Arthur explains to the reader how each person has their own viewpoint...
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...Another example of holism is Daniel Pink’s “Left Brain Versus Right Brain.” The left brain cannot work by itself without the right brain; and vise versa. Because if you have been paying attention in your biology class, the left hemisphere controls your right side of your body and the right hemisphere controls the left side of your body (Pink). I’m just going to keep saying it to you. It will not work if you do not have the matching pieces! And yes, the two parts have to magnetize together to cooperate and work properly. You can’t just replace it with something else. They may be the same, but still completely the opposite. Let me be clearer about it. Let’s say you need baking soda for your cupcakes; but you don’t have any, so you replace it with baking powder (and yes they are completely different types of ingredient). You will be able...
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...In this essay he will be explaining the different roles metaphors play in helping people understand the concept of artificial intelligence. He will also give his opinion on if the brain is a so-called meat machine, and giving different examples of metaphors that prefer to the function of the human brain. I also will be explaining how Victor Frankl would answer the question, “What does it mean to be human?” The author will give his definition of what it means to be a human, while describing what metaphors Victor Frankl used to communicate his ideas. He will also be discussing the different difficulties of addressing certain characteristics and whether the characteristics are limited to humans. When it comes to metaphors and the roles they play in helping people understand artificial intelligence, they are significant to people who need a demonstration or idea of what’s going on. Artificial intelligence is basically computer created to perform human like activities, so describing a situation such as cars, machine made will make the definition of it more understandable to some. After reading and defining different terms to help me understand the situation, I have come to the conclusion that the brain is a meat-machine because it controls the body and it daily functions. That is similar to a machine because it is set to perform daily tasks to perform a certain goal. Different metaphors that have been used are the spider-web which is delicate and connects many things, it responds...
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...Web will affect the thought processes of the people who frequently use it; however, they are in complete opposition of each other in their viewpoints. When comparing “Is Google making Us Stoopid?” to the components of an argument, in Chapter 5 of Dialogues: An Argument Rhetoric and Reader by Gary Goshgarian and Kathleen Krueger, the essay is properly structured. The introduction is in place, although it does not clearly state the thesis or position of the essay. If the target audience is not familiar with “A Space Odyssey by Stanley Kubrick” the desired effect will likely be lost resulting in confusion from the very beginning. Mr. Carr’s position on the implications and effects on the human brain is stated in the title and again in the second paragraph and is in clear contempt of the alleged outcome. He proffers that the media, which most of society divulge in, not only supplies the train of thought but may actually sculpt the train of thought. The sources that he refers to are a mix between being verifiable while others are identified merely as friends and acquaintances. It is in the second paragraph when the intention of the essay becomes clear. The author begins his argument by claiming to be suffering from physical and mental symptoms that are allegedly plaguing him and causing him to fret. The ability to concentrate is interrupted by fidgeting and he complains of his minds “desire to do something else” as if...
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...Introduction When was the last time you held still and read the same book or article for thirty minutes, an hour, two? Living in a modern world means many great inventions filled with interesting information all at the touch of a screen. Anything a person can think of can be “Googled” and thousands of results will come up in a near instant; Google even helpfully informs how long it takes to retrieve the information. With so much material at one’s fingertips the possibilities are endless. In his paper Nicholas Carr addresses the issue, how much of this information is processed by the brain and how much do we surf past like a wave in the ocean? Summary In his essay “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” author and member of Encyclopedia of Britannica’s...
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...Human and Machine Intelligence Essay Joe Schmo Human and Machine Intelligence Essay Are machines able to think, feel, comprehend, and act intelligently similar to that of their human counterparts? The debate continues and with the advancement of technology anything is possible. This paper will take a look at artificial intelligence and clearly state goals and limitations related to it. This paper will also compare and contrast the relation between the functioning brains and will evaluate if computers are capable of thought and how the right and left hemispheres of the human brain correspond to that of a microchip. Finally, this paper will discuss our feelings on free will in intelligent beings. According to "The Free Dictionary" (2012), "Artificial intelligence is the ability of a computer or other machine to perform actions thought to require intelligence. Among these actions are logical deduction and inference, creativity, the ability to make decisions based on past experience or insufficient or conflicting information, and the ability to understand spoken language ” (Artificial Intelligence). Technology has advanced tremendously since the creation of artificial intelligence in the 1950’s. A major goal moving ahead for scientists is to create machines that have the capacity to think and act like humans. Scientists then hope that if they are able to create human-like machines they will eventually be able to surpass...
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...method and has been criticized for being too reductionist and for using non-human animals. Strengths By knowing the physiological basis of behaviour we can treat symptoms with drugs evolutionary theory can explain things that would otherwise be unexplainable Weaknesses It is difficult to seperate genetic influence from environmental influence It's reductionistic Can't explain altruism well Historical Context The biological perspective was created as a reaction to the theory of dualism, that the mind and the brain are two seperate entities. Some important researchers in the development of the biological perspective are: Plato-nativism Darwin- Outlined evolution and the idea of nativism and heredity Jean Baptiste Lamarck-studied heredity Phineas Gage- Brain injury has the ability to affect behaviour II. Key Concepts Heredity- influence of genes Nativism- certain traits are inately hardwired at birth Evolution Hemisphere specialization Neurotransmission Localization Evolution Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS = Alarm, Resistance, Exhaustion) Biological preparedness Basic Assumptions There are four main basic assumptions of the biological perspective: Behavior is biologically determined Behavior has a genetic basis Localization of function Animals may be used to help understand human behavior Which basic assumption would be the easiest to write an essay about? -Behavior is biologically determined Research to use in supporting...
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...Is The Human Race Still Evolving? The origin of evolution is humble. Humans have evolved over the years, and there has been a form of progression in their evolution. All creatures share one thing in common; reproduction. The process of reproduction allows for transfer of traits and characteristics which in the case of humans, derive theirs’ from their common ancestors. However these characteristics are similar but their genetic composition vary in one way or the other. For instance, the early day human, from whom all humans of the present day derived their characteristics, looked alike in genetical formation. The degree of genetic variation has significantly increased over the years to include blacks, Whites, Latinos and many others, thanks to reproduction. The increase in the rate of reproduction could trigger an increased genetical variation in the human race hence evolution. This paper seeks to investigate whether the human race is still evolving. Humans have may reached the last stage of evolution but proof of their racial evolution has been widely documented. Scott (2000) explains that the human race originated from the different inhabitation of ancestral groups in particular geographic areas, which lived in those areas for long and shared particular characteristics. Scott further notes that the continued combination of genetical compositions from different geographical regions through intermarrying of such groups brought about racial diversity. Tyson (2009) noted...
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...The Architecture of the Mind and its Relationship to Sight Our minds are able to engage in an abundance of amazing tasks because of their complex structure. Depending on the architecture of ones brain, their mind is able to perform different functions. In Oliver Sacks’ essay “The Mind’s Eye” he discusses whether or not we can control our own minds. He relates this subject to various individuals’ experiences with blindness. Sacks explains in his essay that a person does not necessarily need to see in the retinal sense in order to use their sight. His ideas relate to those of Juhani Pallasmaa in his essay “The Eyes of the Skin,” in that Pallasmaa believes that sight has become a dominant sense and that we have repressed our other senses. Both authors discuss the ability that the senses posses and how the use and disuse of one of these sense can affect the others. Sight is also a major sense for both authors and they explore how the senses of vision relates to the use of other senses. In this essay I will show how that the “architecture of the mind” is nothing more than the structure of one’s mind and that sight is a major component of this structure, regardless of it being retinal or imaginative, and that when one sense is lost our minds restructure and strengthen the other senses. The mind shares many functions with architecture, such as the processes of observing, designing, constructing, selecting and supervising. The mind conducts these processes with our senses...
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...Origins of Psychology Abstract “Psychology has a long past but only a short history.” This simple almost satirical statement by Hermann Ebbinghaus is key to understanding the history and underpinnings of modern psychology. From a flawed seventh century B.C. experiment by the King of Egypt to Socrates, Plato, Hume, Liebniz, and others, psychology has a very long past but only a short scientific history. Philosophical Background In the seventh century B.C., the King of Egypt conducted what many, including psychology historian Morton Hunt, consider to be the first psychology experiment. Though flawed and rudimentary, the king tested his idea that thoughts and language came from the mind. Although unscientific, the idea of the minds overall ability to do more was put to the test. Socrates (460-399 B.C.) often considered and referred to as a father of philosophy, stated “One thing only I know and that is I know nothing.” This realization came when he concluded that philosophy can only begin when one learns to doubt, particularly the thoughts and ideals that each individual holds dear and sacred. In short, real philosophy cannot start until one’s mind begins to examine itself. Again the mind is central and paramount. To modern psychology he gave the Socratic Method of questioning, which demanded definitions...
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