The Amazing Learning Orange: May 2008

The Story of the Amazing Learning Orange

"This isn't so bad," thinks the orange, "Here I am responding appropriately to my environment; see how I learn!" But the orange just sits there, and after a while you wonder if the orange is really learning. One day the amazing learning orange encounters an axe, which falls upon the orange, taking a slice out of it. The orange, having learned what it's like to be sliced by an axe, learns that being sliced is thoroughly unpleasant and is to be avoided. The axe prepares for another swing in the exact same manner as before, and so the orange sits perfectly still and the axe swings exactly through where it sliced before. "Ah," says the orange proudly, "I have learned to avoid getting sliced by an axe; I am truly an amazing learning orange." Yet the orange just sits there and after a while, you wonder if it's capable of producing novel behavior. One day a hammer comes along and smashes the orange, splattering and smearing it every which way. "Oh my!" declares the orange, "That certainly was a new input! Lucky for me I am an amazing learning orange and I have creatively produced a new response - see how I splatter!" And sure enough, the amazing learning orange has proved itself to be an intelligent and creative being.

The Amazing Learning Orange

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

The buzz on Neural Buddhism"

The Story of the Amazing Learning Orange

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