Incidentally, I think this is the strongest argument against Egan’s General Intelligence Theorem (or, alternatively, Deutsch’s “Universal Explainer” argument from The Beginning of Infinity). Yes, humans could in theory come up with arbitrarily complex causal models, and that’s sufficient to understand an arbitrarily complex causal system, but in practice, unaided humans are limited to rather simple models. Yes, we’re very good at making use of aids (I’m reminded of how much writing helps thinking whenever I try to do a complicated calculation in my head), but those limitations represent a plausible way for meaningful superhuman intelligence to be possible.
I hope never to forget the glorious experience of re-inventing the concept of lists, about two weeks into my recovery. I suddenly became indescribably smarter.
In the same vein, I have been patiently awaiting the development of artificial working-memory cognitive buffers. As you say, for practical purposes this is superhuman intelligence.
Incidentally, I think this is the strongest argument against Egan’s General Intelligence Theorem (or, alternatively, Deutsch’s “Universal Explainer” argument from The Beginning of Infinity). Yes, humans could in theory come up with arbitrarily complex causal models, and that’s sufficient to understand an arbitrarily complex causal system, but in practice, unaided humans are limited to rather simple models. Yes, we’re very good at making use of aids (I’m reminded of how much writing helps thinking whenever I try to do a complicated calculation in my head), but those limitations represent a plausible way for meaningful superhuman intelligence to be possible.
I hope never to forget the glorious experience of re-inventing the concept of lists, about two weeks into my recovery. I suddenly became indescribably smarter.
In the same vein, I have been patiently awaiting the development of artificial working-memory cognitive buffers. As you say, for practical purposes this is superhuman intelligence.
Gaaah. I hate brain damage.
Congratulations on your discovery, anyway.
Yeah, you and me both, brother.