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Simulated Consciousness (science Fiction)
Simulated consciousness, synthetic consciousness, etc. is a theme of a number of works in science fiction. The theme is one step beyond the concept of the "brain in a vat"/"simulated reality" in that not only the perceived reality but the brain and its consciousness are simulations themselves. Stanislaw Lem's professor Corcoran (met by Ijon Tichy during his interstellar travels, first published by Lem in 1961) simulated conscious agents (personoids) to actually test the viability of the "simulation hypothesis" of the reality, i.e., the idea of solipsism. In the 1954 story '' The Tunnel under the World'' by Frederik Pohl, a whole city was simulated in order to run tests of the efficiency of advertising campaigns, and the plot evolves from the point when one "simulacrum" suddenly notices that every day is June 15. Pohl's idea was elaborated in ''Simulacron-3'' (1964) by Daniel F. Galouye (alternative title: ''Counterfeit World''), which tells the story of a virtual city develope ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Science Fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universes, extraterrestrial life, sentient artificial intelligence, cybernetics, certain forms of immortality (like mind uploading), and the singularity. Science fiction predicted several existing inventions, such as the atomic bomb, robots, and borazon, whose names entirely match their fictional predecessors. In addition, science fiction might serve as an outlet to facilitate future scientific and technological innovations. Science fiction can trace its roots to ancient mythology. It is also related to fantasy, horror, and superhero fiction and contains many subgenres. Its exact definition has long been disputed among authors, critics, scholars, and readers. Science fiction, in literature, film, television, and other media, has beco ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Frederik Pohl
Frederik George Pohl Jr. (; November 26, 1919 – September 2, 2013) was an American science-fiction writer, editor, and fan, with a career spanning nearly 75 years—from his first published work, the 1937 poem "Elegy to a Dead Satellite: Luna", to the 2011 novel ''All the Lives He Led''. From about 1959 until 1969, Pohl edited '' Galaxy'' and its sister magazine '' If''; the latter won three successive annual Hugo Awards as the year's best professional magazine. His 1977 novel '' Gateway'' won four "year's best novel" awards: the Hugo voted by convention participants, the Locus voted by magazine subscribers, the Nebula voted by American science-fiction writers, and the juried academic John W. Campbell Memorial Award. He won the Campbell Memorial Award again for the 1984 collection of novellas ''The Years of the City'', one of two repeat winners during the first 40 years. For his 1979 novel ''Jem'', Pohl won a U.S. National Book Award in the one-year category Science ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Science Fiction Themes
The following is a list of articles about recurring themes in science fiction. Overarching themes * First contact with aliens *Artificial intelligence **Machine rule/Cybernetic revolt/AI takeover *Extraterrestrials in fiction *End of humanity: Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction *The future **Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction: Apocalypses or worldwide disasters and new societies that develop after the event *History ** Alternate history **Scientific prediction of the future (e.g. psychohistory) *Human fears: List of science fiction horror films *Language **Alien languages (e.g. Klingon, Huttese) **The Sapir–Whorf Hypothesis (e.g. '' Babel 17'', ''The Languages of Pao'') ** Universal translators (e.g. Babel fish) * Military/conflicts **Interstellar war **Weapons in science fiction * Parallel worlds or multiverse * * Philosophies and philosophical ideas * Political ideas * Religious ideas * Sex and sexuality ** LGBT themes **Gender ** Reproduction and pregnancy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Artificial Consciousness
Artificial consciousness (AC), also known as machine consciousness (MC) or synthetic consciousness (; ), is a field related to artificial intelligence and cognitive robotics. The aim of the theory of artificial consciousness is to "Define that which would have to be synthesized were consciousness to be found in an engineered artifact" . Neuroscience hypothesizes that consciousness is generated by the interoperation of various parts of the brain, called the neural correlates of consciousness or NCC, though there are challenges to that perspective. Proponents of AC believe it is possible to construct systems (e.g., computer systems) that can emulate this NCC interoperation. Artificial consciousness concepts are also pondered in the philosophy of artificial intelligence through questions about mind, consciousness, and mental states. Philosophical views As there are many hypothesized types of consciousness, there are many potential implementations of artificial consciousness. In ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Schild's Ladder
In the theory of general relativity, and differential geometry more generally, Schild's ladder is a First-order approximation, first-order method for ''approximating'' parallel transport of a vector along a curve using only Torsion of connection#Geodesics and the absorption of torsion, affinely parametrized geodesics. The method is named for Alfred Schild, who introduced the method during lectures at Princeton University. Construction The idea is to identify a tangent vector ''x'' at a point A_0 with a geodesic segment of unit length A_0X_0, and to construct an approximate parallelogram with approximately parallel sides A_0X_0 and A_1X_1 as an approximation of the Levi-Civita parallelogramoid; the new segment A_1X_1 thus corresponds to an approximately parallel translated tangent vector at A_1. Formally, consider a curve γ through a point ''A''0 in a Riemannian manifold ''M'', and let ''x'' be a tangent vector at ''A''0. Then ''x'' can be identified with a geodesic s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diaspora (novel)
''Diaspora'' is a hard science fiction novel by the Australian writer Greg Egan which first appeared in print in 1997. It originated as the short story "Wang's Carpets" which originally appeared in the Greg Bear-edited anthology ''New Legends'' (Legend, London, 1995). The story appears as a chapter of the novel. Setting and premise An appended glossary explains many of the specialist terms in the novel. Egan invents several new theories of physics, beginning with Kozuch Theory, the dominant physics paradigm for nearly nine hundred years before the beginning of the novel. Kozuch Theory treats elementary particles as semi-point-like wormholes, whose properties can be explained entirely in terms of their geometries in six dimensions. Certain assumptions common to Egan's works inform the plot. This novel's setting is a posthuman future, in which transhumanism long ago (during the mid 21st century) became the default philosophy embraced by the vast majority of human cultures. Most of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Permutation City
''Permutation City'' is a 1994 science-fiction novel by Greg Egan that explores many concepts, including quantum ontology, through various philosophical aspects of artificial life and simulated reality. Sections of the story were adapted from Egan's 1992 short story "Dust", which dealt with many of the same philosophical themes. ''Permutation City'' won the John W. Campbell Award for the best science-fiction novel of the year in 1995 and was nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award the same year. The novel was also cited in a 2003 ''Scientific American'' article on multiverses by Max Tegmark. Themes and setting ''Permutation City'' asks whether there is a difference between a computer simulation of a person and a "real" person. It focuses on a model of consciousness and reality, the ''Dust Theory'', similar to the Ultimate Ensemble Mathematical Universe hypothesis proposed by Max Tegmark. It uses the assumption that human consciousness is Turing-computable: that consciousness ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Greg Egan
Greg Egan (born 20 August 1961) is an Australian science fiction writer and amateur mathematician, best known for his works of hard science fiction. Egan has won multiple awards including the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, the Hugo Award, and the Locus Award. Life and work Egan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of Western Australia. He published his first work in 1983. He specialises in hard science fiction stories with mathematical and quantum ontology themes, including the nature of consciousness. Other themes include genetics, simulated reality, posthumanism, mind uploading, sexuality, artificial intelligence, and the superiority of rational naturalism to religion. He often deals with complex technical material, like new physics and epistemology. He is a Hugo Award winner (with eight other works shortlisted for the Hugos) and has also won the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel. His early stories feature s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Daniel F
Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength"), and derives from two early biblical figures, primary among them Daniel from the Book of Daniel. It is a common given name for males, and is also used as a surname. It is also the basis for various derived given names and surnames. Background The name evolved into over 100 different spellings in countries around the world. Nicknames (Dan, Danny) are common in both English and Hebrew; "Dan" may also be a complete given name rather than a nickname. The name "Daniil" (Даниил) is common in Russia. Feminine versions (Danielle, Danièle, Daniela, Daniella, Dani, Danitza) are prevalent as well. It has been particularly well-used in Ireland. The Dutch names "Daan" and "Daniël" are also variations of Daniel. A related surname developed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Simulacron-3
''Simulacron-3'' (1964) (also published as ''Counterfeit World''), by Daniel F. Galouye, is an American science fiction novel featuring an early literary description of a simulated reality. Plot summary ''Simulacron-3'' is the story of a virtual city (total environment simulator) for marketing research, developed by a scientist to reduce the need for opinion polls. The computer-generated city simulation is so well-programmed, that, although the inhabitants have their own consciousness, they are unaware, except for one, that they are only electronic impulses in a computer. The simulator's lead scientist, Hannon Fuller, dies mysteriously, and a co-worker, Morton Lynch, vanishes. The protagonist, Douglas Hall, is with Lynch when he vanishes, and Hall subsequently struggles to suppress his inchoate madness. As time and events unwind, he progressively grasps that his own world is probably not "real" and might be only a computer-generated simulation. Similar works In writing, the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Tunnel Under The World
"The Tunnel under the World" is a science fiction short story by American writer Frederik Pohl. It was first published in 1955 in '' Galaxy'' magazine. It has often been anthologized, most notably in '' The Golden Age of Science Fiction'', edited by Kingsley Amis (1981). Plot Guy and Mary Burckhardt wake up in their house in Tylerton on June 15, having both had terrible nightmares, but they cannot recall the events of their dreams. Guy dismisses the dream and goes to work as usual, the downtown offices of Contro Chemicals, which operates a highly automated and robot-staffed petrochemicals plant. But something is not right; he is surrounded everywhere by loud and all-pervasive advertising jingles for everything from cigarettes to freezers. A colleague named Swanson tries to speak to him but apparently does not get the desired reaction from Burckhardt and leaves. Burckhardt goes home, but the next morning, he awakes having had the same nightmare, still on June 15. He has the same ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brain In A Vat
In philosophy, the brain in a vat (BIV) is a scenario used in a variety of thought experiments intended to draw out certain features of human conceptions of knowledge, reality, truth, mind, consciousness, and meaning. It is a modern incarnation of René Descartes's evil demon thought experiment, originated by Gilbert Harman. Found in many science fiction stories, it outlines a scenario in which a mad scientist, machine, or other entity might remove a person's brain from the body, suspend it in a vat of life-sustaining liquid, and connect its neurons by wires to a supercomputer that would provide it with electrical impulses identical to those a brain normally receives. According to such stories, the computer would then be simulating reality (including appropriate responses to the brain's own output) and the "disembodied" brain would continue to have perfectly normal conscious experiences, such as those of a person with an embodied brain, without these being related to objects ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
