Quote:
|
The universe is a 'sufficiently complex' spot, and when you have spots of sufficient complexity, interesting things happen. I strongly suspect that intelligence is just one of those interesting things.
|
Word.
Quote:
|
as traditional science has no explanation for what exists beyond the boundaries of the observable universe.
|
In addition to the uncertainty principle, which you mentioned, I seem to vaguely recall another scientific principle which posited that the subject of a system can measure and explore the internal mechanisms of the system but will be unable to determine anything greater than the system without access to external data. Kind of like the mouse in a maze being unable to know that it is in a maze without viewing the maze externally.
This may mean that such questions cannot be answered at this time.
Quote:
|
If intelligence is an integral aspect of the universe, as witnessed by its presence within it, it may serve as an integral ordering and structuring force in the most simple forms of matter and energy. For something to "appear" it must be present in some quantity and quality in the initial state.
|
Not necessarily, it may be the combination of two or more factors. For example, water is not present when hydrogen ad oxygen are separate. It is only when these two elements are combined that water appears.
Similarly, intelligence does not appear without the preceding requirements, organization of enzymes, evolutionary forces, etc..
That there may be more than one way to reach intelligence, just as there may be more than one way to create water, is another possibility.
Quote:
|
It is also not clear to me that intelligence is simply an end point achieved when matter reaches a certain degree of complexity.
|
It's probably not an end point but rather a sliding scale. For example, we are probably more intelligent than dolphins, which are more intelligent than rats, which are more intelligent than cockroaches, which are more intelligent than roses, which are more intelligent than rocks.
I agree that intelligence doesn't mirror complexity, and it would be brash to say they are absolutely connected, but I think there clearly is some connection.
I think what's really interesting is looking at the intelligence of species rather than of individuals. All of humanity has an intelligence that is made up of a whole bunch of little parts. Yet it can act as a group, much the same way cells of an organism act together for whatever reason. That the component parts of such an organism are so complex in the human species as to confer some limited intelligence on each part is also interesting.
I also question the notion that there is something special about life or intelligence. That we generally see life or intelligence as special comes from our entirely biased point of view. We'd like to think that we're more important than a giraffe or a rock, but are we reallY?
What is it that makes life or intelligence special?
Effect on environment: Does a city of people really have a greater effect on the environment than an exploding volcanoe?
What other methods could there be of measuring intelligence?