Week 4

Sorry I didn't get my posts in for week 4, I will be working on them and get caught up this week.

Can machines really surpass the human brain?

Minsky believes that machines could be conscious-possibly even more conscious than humans.(Beedles, 116)
Machines can take in data and remember data faster and more accurately than the human brain. Machines have the capability of having extra memory added to them, whereas the human brain has to work hard to get the brain to remember more and more, especially as time goes on. With more programming, machines can be taught to recognize faces and sounds. The human brain may recognize someones face, but may struggle with remembering who that person is.
Minsky has some good point about how far machines could be developed in the future, however, machines could never really replace a real person. People need communication with other people, not just for feelings, but everyone needs to feel the human touch.
We can use machines to talk to and they could possibly answer us, but could a machine ever really replace the way a person makes us feel, could they ever give us that feeling that someone really cares. I don't think that is possible. I know that after a long time without talking to another adult, or having a hug from another adult, a person starts to feel lonely and sad. I don't think machines could ever replace that feeling. Maybe for technology they could surpass the human brain, but for emotional status I don't feel that they could surpass the human brain.

What are thoughts and ideas?

What is an idea? Is it something you want to see a solution to. It could be a problem, it could be an invention, or it could be your opinion. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary,2009, an idea is a transcendent entity that is a real pattern of which existing things are imperfect representations.
What is a thought? Is it something that comes across your mind? Is it something you think about? Maybe a person (what are they doing, how are they doing?) Maybe a place ( oh how I would love to be there right now.) According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2009, a thought is the action or process of thinking, serious consideration.
Thoughts and ideas come from our minds. We are always wanting to see change and are curious about how things work. We worry about people and we like to visit places other than our homes. Sometimes, our thoughts turn to ideas and then in turn actually are able to produce something that other people can find of value.

Week 2 Blog Reviews

Monique Perez - Monique, I find it interesting that the study shows that a crime is more likely to be committed by a religious person rather than a non religious person, wouldn't you say that it is because they feel that they will be forgiven in the end? It is so true about being in the classroom without ever saying anything to anyone, I know that since I have been at ASU the only interaction I have had with anyone in my classes has been in my labs and recitation classes, but when it comes to just a lecture class I don't think I've ever really talked to anyone. This whole blog thing helps us to interact with each other, but I'm still not too sure that I care for it, how do you feel?

Mesann Huynh - Messan, it is interesting to read about how you were brought up with your religion. I did some studying for a class I took at UoP on different religions but our teacher picked what we could study and not study. I've always found it interesting to study other religions. I also found it interesting how you described your fears and likes of having online classes. I guess I never looked at having a fear in an online class. I actually feel more comfortable in these classes, although having to write a blog twice a week has been a draw back for me.

Melissa Paulo - no blogs for 9/1 or 9/3

Can we be good without God?

A dogmatic belief in objective value is necessary to the very idea of a rule which is not tyranny or an obedience which is not slavery.-- C.S. Lewis, "Abolition of Man"



There are many religions in the world, many of them do not believe in the same God, some have beliefs in many God's. So to ask if we can be good without God can bring many different answers. It is more of an opinion of a person on whether or not they are being good because they want to please God or because they just feel that is what they are suppose to do.

online impression

As a student that has started and stopped, then started school again, I feel that classes online have enabled me to get to know my peers better than face to face. When going to a class in person, there are the impressions of others not wanting to work with one another to excel in the classwork. With classes online, people are willing to help one another because they may be having some of the same problems, or other struggles that another peer can help solve.
One of the advantages of this class is with our blogs, we are able to put faces with other people in our class. With the blogs, we are able to find out more about the other members of our class than we would in a traditional class setting. Another benefit of online class is bringing students from other countries together. Although, it doesn't seem anyone in our class is taking this course in another country at the moment, I have taken online courses were I was the only student from the United States.
" With the technology of social saturation tow of the major factors traditionally impeding relationships -- namely time and space -- are both removed." (Beedles, p.55) No longer are we limited to social interaction in person. With our computers and online abilities, we can communicate with other students that could be thousands of miles away. There are still benefits of the traditional classroom, however the online classroom opens the benefits beyond the walls of a room.