Thread

1. insin · 1791023739 · focus · HN ↗

   I wrote “I am alive” on a piece of paper, and placed it into a photocopier. What I saw next has shocking implications (science.org)

   1. raldi · 1791024151 · focus · HN ↗

      If you lived in the world of Star Trek, could Data convince you he was conscious? How?

      1. Sharlin · 1791025168 · focus · HN ↗

         Could the ship computer? It converses in natural language but presumably isn’t sapient in the ST universe.

         1. HappySweeney · 1791025264 · focus · HN ↗

            There was a whole episode on how it actually was.

            1. bentobean · 1791025437 · focus · HN ↗

               Could the ship’s computer resign from Star Fleet and go do something else?

               1. HappySweeney · 1791029833 · focus · HN ↗

                  I couldn't really say, likely no, but they did let it pursue it's own inscrutable interests without interference for the episode. One assumes the computer is built to never really care about not being in service of Starfleet.

                  1. argee · 1791049103 · focus · HN ↗

                     > One assumes the computer is built to never really care about not being in service of Starfleet.

                     There was a time when this same assumption was applied to African Americans.

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