Member: PeterKein

http://www.cjas.org/%7Eleng/lain.htm
thoughts experiments lain. you might have a class w/ sci-fi/AI in anime...

posted by bobmcconnaughey at 2:37 pm (EST) on Jul 15, 2008

Re: my post on the philosophy of science group. Thanks for stopping by...sorry for the late reply. Yes, my interest has moved away from the clinical and more toward cognitive, although I don't use the usual boundaries of definition for that portion. I've been intending to pick up The Mind's I for some time since I've enjoyed other books by Hofstadter & Dennett; it's good to hear that it's still of value after all this time, and I should pick it up. I'm interested in the interface between neurostructure and the metaphors/language of thought; the idea of movement/pathways is tied into even the basic metaphors of language, as Lakoff and Johnson have shown. How does the use of narrative and metaphor change the wiring of the brain...not just in therapy (as explored in books like [[Cozolino]]'s [The Neuroscience of Psychotherapy]) but also in the shifting ways we approach the world as we develop/age (a la [The Developing Mind] and [The Wisdom Paradox]?) How does the reflexiveness/looping of thought change with age? Does the subject/object distinction shift subtly as we get older, and if so, how? It's challenging to find non-popular science books without spending an arm and a leg on an academic tome. Any "bridger" suggestions?

posted by caffron at 10:22 pm (EST) on Jun 5, 2008

My favorite Melissa Scott is probably "Dreaming Metal." I'll check on page counts when i get home, but her (good) books read v. quickly, despite the complexity of the themes and characterization. I regard her as the true heir(ess) to LeGuin - but Scott has more "science" in her fiction than LeGuin.

posted by bobmcconnaughey at 6:25 pm (EST) on Apr 28, 2008

and what is that piece of artwork on your profile? I find it disturbing (in the good way that art can be).

posted by JustineWander at 8:46 am (EST) on Sep 28, 2007

following up....
I had said on a goup "A woman programs a doll to respond to input cues. (i.e. "I love you, too.") Eventually the woman has a crisis when she believes that she and everyone else are mere input/output machines. Fascinating and heartbreaking."

I think it was in the collection "Division by Zero" by Ted Chiang. I am irritated that I cannot find/remember it. When I first read it, I thought "eh," but it has turned into a real brain burner for me. I watch how people automatically answer questions. "How are you?" "Fine" Even if they are obviously not fine.

And I would also be interested in what your final reading list contained. (I figure that I was too late to make the syllabus)

Justine

posted by JustineWander at 8:45 am (EST) on Sep 28, 2007

Regarding your post in the Science Fiction community, what is your reading list for the course on Cognitive Science and Science Fiction that you teach? It sounds WONDERFUL.
Many advance thanks,
Jonathan ;-)

posted by lilbrattyteen at 10:59 pm (EST) on Sep 7, 2007