There will never be peace in the Middle East because each side portrays the other as terrorists and has a long memory. It is politically convenient to represent Israel as a great evil that needs to be fought. As long as politicians make this argument they will have success for taking a strong position on […]
The Deal with ‘Deal or No Deal’
Is there any gamesmanship to the ‘Deal or No Deal’ gameshow? The short answer is: No. The show begins with the contestant choosing a briefcase that contains a number that represents a real monetary amount. The case is chosen from a group of 26 cases, with the monetary amounts ranging from a penny to a […]
Bloomberg’s Political Martyrdom
New York, NY. Yesterday, Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, won a vote allowing him to run for an unprecedented 3rd term. He claims that the city needs someone of his expertise and business acumen during the economic downturn, and he is to be saluted for volunteering his steady hand. It is, however, looking […]
The Monty Hall Problem
The Monty Hall Problem illustrates an unusual phenomenon of changing probabilities based upon someone else’s knowledge. On the game-show Let’s Make a Deal the host, Monty Hall, asks the contestant to choose one of three possibilities – Door One, Two or Three – with one door leading to a prize and the other two leading […]
The False Criticism of Artificial Intelligence
One of the major criticisms leveled against artificial intelligence is that computers will never be intelligent because our intelligence is based upon our physical interactions in and with the world. This means our intelligence is fundamentally tied to our bodies because it is only through our bodies do we have any interaction with the world. […]
Consciousness Dilemma
The publishing of Dan Dennett’s Ted Talk “Can We Know Our Own Minds” has reminded me of a problem I had with the study of consciousness: A solution to consciousness cannot be written down or said. Assume someone knows what consciousness/mind/divine spark/what-you-will is. If someone knows something, then it is part of their consciousness. If […]