What is life?

arunangelo · Post by **arunangelo** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 9:14 pm

Living organisms are in a constant state of well orchestrated activities. These activities cannot happen on their own; unless there is a force to initiate and sustain them. This force is the life of the organism. This force, unlike other forces in nature is not static, but dynamic and intelligent. It is dynamic because it sustains a life process that is extremely dynamic. It is intelligent because it orchestrates an extremely complex life process. For example it orchestrates the development of a single cells embryo into a fully grow human being with an extremely complex brain. Therefore, although a single cell embryo does not have a brain it does have a life that is extremely intelligent. One can get a faint idea about this intelligence if we look at computers. Computers do not have brain. Yet they perform some extremely complex and intelligent tasks. Some people call it computer intelligence. Life is however much more than a computer because it is dynamic, self-sustaining, constructive and reproductive. Furthermore, its intelligence is far greater than the most powerful computer we can ever build. This is evident by the fact that it orchestrates the building and functioning of multiple highly complex organs, including a highly intelligent human brain with memory capacity approximately equal to 20,000 computers. Life, therefore, is a dynamic and intelligent force that keeps organisms functionally active.

Functions of living organisms include: growth, development, self-preservation and reproduction. These functions are all related to their bodies. Human beings however, also have functions that are not related to the body. These functions include: creative and rational thinking and moral decision making. Therefore, human life, which is involved in developing and maintaining these functions transcends the body and does not die with the death of the body. Furthermore, these functions mirror those of Godâ€™s. Human life therefore is sacred. In addition, since this life enters human body at conception human life is sacred from the moment of conception.

handofnergal · Post by **handofnergal** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 3:03 pm

T-mash wrote:
FinalEnigma wrote: Humans do actually have more memory than computers - we just aren't very good at using it. We are worse with numbers and facts, but way better with pictures and such. And you actually know an awful lot more than you think you do. for example, you know a huge number of word definitions, and beyond that, their connotations, but you aren't consciously aware of knowing that much info. admittedly, that's relatively little by a computer's standards, but its just an example. And how much space on a computer do you think it would take to write code for ballroom dancing? learning actions takes massive amounts of memory, but we do it with ease.

and we do store rather absurd amounts of purely factual information as well. I can still tell you to watch out for the Rodian in the third alcove on your right after you get out of the bar in the first level of Jedi knight - which I haven't played in close to ten years.

computers do have far more computational power though.
My Pc can store an infinite amount of pictures. If I show you a picture of someone you have been on the bus with once, do you think you can remember him? You can store entire encyclopaedias, history books, picture albums, movies and whatnot on your pc. Can you playback a movie frame by frame you've seen before just by closing your eyes and imagining it? On top of that a Pc doesn't forget. Humans forget. You can store loads of phone numbers in your head, but if I tell you my phone number and you plan to write it down tomorrow, do you think you can still remember? Only if you constantly keep reminding yourself of what it is.

I know a huge amount of word definitions, but I can store entire dictionaries of each language known to us on my pc.
Learning experiences do take memory yes, but so does installing software on your pc.

FinalEnigma wrote:and btw, your computer can't store 500 billion books either.
The bible in ebook form is 5 MB. My PC is 1,6 TB = 1600 GB (approximately) = 1,600,000 MB = 320,000 bibles. This is my home pc. The OP said "including a highly intelligent human brain with memory capacity approximately equal to 20,000 computers.". 20,000 times 320,000 = 6,400,000,000 bibles. This is considering a crappy home pc. You can easily buy 1,5 TB drives at your local computer shop and just as easily fit in at least 2 or 3 in your PC averaging you at 20 billion. Most books are not even half that size. Then there are hard drives of 128 Exabytes which is 125,600,000,000,000 bibles. Then of course you also need to take into account that this increases exponentially nearly each year, while the human brain does not.

Is a computer biological?

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/life

T-mash · Post by **T-mash** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 9:20 pm

handofnergal wrote:[
Is a computer biological?

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/life

Of course it's not. What does that have to do with anything? The statement was that the human brain has more storage than our computers.

handofnergal · Post by **handofnergal** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 10:10 pm

T-mash wrote:
handofnergal wrote:[
Is a computer biological?

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/life
Of course it's not. What does that have to do with anything? The statement was that the human brain has more storage than our computers.

Well, it depends on how big the computer is, but I think a brain has most computers beat on memory.

The point about computers not being biological was a means of making a distinction between a living thing and an artificial thing in terms of what should be considered alive.

A computer is not alive by definition.

FinalEnigma · Post by **FinalEnigma** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 2:51 pm

regarding the human brain having more storage than computers, estimates place the memory capacity of the brain at 500-1000 terrabytes, or, if we can store informatino molecularly, 36,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes

"The human brain contains about 50 billion to 200 billion neurons
(nobody knows how many for sure), each of which interfaces with 1,000
to 100,000 other neurons through 100 trillion (10 14) to 10
quadrillion (10 16) synaptic junctions. Each synapse possesses a
variable firing threshold which is reduced as the neuron is repeatedly
activated. If we assume that the firing threshold at each synapse can
assume 256 distinguishable levels, and if we suppose that there are
20,000 shared synapses per neuron (10,000 per neuron), then the total
information storage capacity of the synapses in the cortex would be of
the order of 500 to 1,000 terabytes. (Of course, if the brain's
storage of information takes place at a molecular level, then I would
be afraid to hazard a guess regarding how many bytes can be stored in
the brain. One estimate has placed it at about 3.6 X 10 19 bytes.)"

most desktop computers by the way, do not have hard drive space measured in terrabytes. not too many people feel the need to go over a few hundred gigabytes - I don't use more than that, and I have dozens of large video games, movies, and hundreds of songs on mine.

handofnergal · Post by **handofnergal** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 6:45 pm

Lolololololol, and lots of porn?

FinalEnigma · Post by **FinalEnigma** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 7:22 pm

handofnergal wrote:Lolololololol, and lots of porn?

was that necessary?

In order to defend my name, as I've explained before, porn doesn't do anything for me. I have a developmental disorder that, among other things, affects the way my sex drive works, so no, I don't have porn on my computer - and yes, I'm slightly snobbish about the fact that I have no interest in it.

handofnergal · Post by **handofnergal** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 3:43 am

I was just joking brother, I wasn't trying to insinuate anything

I on the other hand have no developmental disorders and a very active sex drive, I used to have a pretty decent collection

Not ashamed about it in the slightest, there are much worse things that a human can possibly do to themselves or each other than having orgasms and God forbid giving one to someone else...as long as it's not forced

Luckily I don't need a collection anymore, smut is everywhere

FinalEnigma · Post by **FinalEnigma** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 9:16 am

handofnergal wrote:I was just joking brother, I wasn't trying to insinuate anything

I on the other hand have no developmental disorders and a very active sex drive, I used to have a pretty decent collection

Not ashamed about it in the slightest, there are much worse things that a human can possibly do to themselves or each other than having orgasms and God forbid giving one to someone else...as long as it's not forced

Luckily I don't need a collection anymore, smut is everywhere

Sorry, said disorder also makes it hard for me to tell when people are joking.

and I agree with you that there's nothing wrong with sex - I just have this thing about how porn tends to make it very vulgar.

T-mash · Post by **T-mash** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 12:50 pm

handofnergal wrote: A computer is not alive by definition.

No kidding

FinalEnigmal wrote: estimates place the memory capacity of the brain at 500-1000 terrabytes, or, if we can store informatino molecularly, 36,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes

Ehm... link to this? I don't think we have been able to show what the total memory capacity of our brain is, but it's not an area of science I keep up to date with per se

FinalEnigmal wrote: most desktop computers by the way, do not have hard drive space measured in terrabytes. not too many people feel the need to go over a few hundred gigabytes - I don't use more than that, and I have dozens of large video games, movies, and hundreds of songs on mine

Because when you buy a PC it's already outdated

I recently had to buy a new HD because my old one crashed. I paid 80 euros for 1,5 TB. Memory storage increases exponentially and a TB is common nowadays. In 10 year having 1 TB will be considered having an ancient PC.

Think I'll skip the comments about porn

FinalEnigma · Post by **FinalEnigma** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 4:13 pm

T-mash wrote:
handofnergal wrote: A computer is not alive by definition.
No kidding

FinalEnigmal wrote: estimates place the memory capacity of the brain at 500-1000 terrabytes, or, if we can store informatino molecularly, 36,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes
Ehm... link to this? I don't think we have been able to show what the total memory capacity of our brain is, but it's not an area of science I keep up to date with per se

Can't gaurantee I'll find that site again, but looking -

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=525801

100 million megabytes:
http://www.transhumanist.com/volume1/moravec.htm