[bstone]

So if all humanity were to suddenly disappear, but power keep going to all our
computers and such, does anyone think that the Internet would become aware?

Discuss! (or else!!!)

[demibob]

no
for way to many reasens to wright now

[Ghoser777]

No.

[Mastrap]

No, I don't think so. To create awareness there would have to be some sort of evolutionary process or, if you're that way inclined, divine intervention. None of the hardware currently powering the internet has the capacity to evolve and the divine intervention theory is even less likely IMO.

[bstone]

why?

[Mastrap]

Originally Posted by bstone

why?

See above? None of the hardware powering the internet right now has the capacity to evolve. Are you looking for a serious answer or are you just playing about?

[Fred_Cokebottle]

It is possible if Yeti's show up.

[demibob]

Originally Posted by bstone

why?

you want to know why wouldnt it
try asking why would it

[Cubeoid]

It would not "become aware"... just as a painting being painted would not. It would not get updated is all. No new content would appear. That is all.

[bstone]

Originally Posted by demibob

you want to know why wouldnt it
try asking why would it

Incorrect. I asked

does anyone think that the Internet would become aware?

[demibob]

Originally Posted by bstone

Incorrect. I asked

inncorrect
that was in reply to you asking others why it wouldnt happen
my reason for it not happening was there was no reasen why it would happen

[meelk]

the stupidity of this thread would stop that from ever happening.

[bstone]

Or perhaps cause it to happen?

[Ghoser777]

No.

[Ratm]

Originally Posted by meelk

the stupidity of this thread would stop that from ever happening.

Why? He? is asking a question. There is nothing wrong in doing so. I can't stand people like yourself.

[JoshuaZ]

Clearly, if it does become aware then it will probably do so in the form of a bad porn movie.

[Tomchu]

It would only become "aware" to the extent that the hardware/software that it is running on would allow. For instance, routing protocols are designed in such a way that the router using them is always aware of what routers are next to it directly, and what routers are next to those, and the latency/monetary/bandwidth costs of the links between them.

Past that, no.

[bstone]

I think that this is a reality which might come into play. Who knows the massive computing power all these always-on-internet computers can create when/if they are all clustered.

I like to dream of weird things and eat cookies.

[Ratm]

Originally Posted by bstone

I think that this is a reality which might come into play. Who knows the massive computing power all these always-on-internet computers can create when/if they are all clustered.

I like to dream of weird things and eat cookies.

Keep the dream alive! And what kind of cookies? And do you eat them with milk? How many can you fit into your mouth?

[meelk]

Originally Posted by Ratm

Why? He? is asking a question. There is nothing wrong in doing so. I can't stand people like yourself.

oh noes! thumbs down! good thing I'm not a tivo!

[iDave]

Yes?

[Jawbone54]

This is what science fiction has done to our culture.

[demograph68]

You are speaking to a computer right now.

[Goldfinger]

Originally Posted by bstone

So if all humanity were to suddenly disappear, but power keep going to all our
computers and such, does anyone think that the Internet would become aware?

Discuss! (or else!!!)

You've seen too many movies.

[bstone]

dr forbin and the colossus project is a favorite movie of mine!

[the_glassman]

Skynet

[Chuckit]

If I were to leave an electric heating blanket plugged into the wall for eternity, do you think it would become self-aware of its own comfiness?

[Ghoser777]

Yes.

[Pendergast]

bstone,

Thank you for that great question. I believe it to be interesting for the amount of debates this can create. I also share the interest in seeking an answer, although I am not clear we could find one anytime soo.

We need to ask the right questions:

1) What is awareness? How do we define it? Does awareness really exist? How does medicine, psychology, physics, chemistry, religion, philosophy and art define it? Here are some (but not all) associated concepts required to helps us understand the phenomena: self, identity, consciousness, subjectivity-objectivity, relation, subconsciousness, logic, order/disorder...

2) Do we have other examples of awareness besides that of humans? how does it vary? How is it expressed? What kind of support/substrate does it require to be viable?

3) If it exists, and can be defined in an operational manner, is it reproducible in laboratory and under what controlled conditions?

4) How can we define the Internet? How does it compare as a whole versus the sum of its parts? Does it correspond to the types of substrate necessary to the creation of awareness?

Now let's hear some answers (or more questions, maybe?)

[The Windozer]

Originally Posted by Fred_Cokebottle

It is possible if Yeti's show up.

Yeti's what?

[Gankdawg]

rickey939 would still post. He's a bot.

[rambo47]

The internet self-aware? No. But a program released onto the net? Hey, I saw the X-Files episode called Kill Switch so I know what could happen.

[Chuckit]

New Botness!

[ShotgunEd]

Originally Posted by Chuckit

If I were to leave an electric heating blanket plugged into the wall for eternity, do you think it would become self-aware of its own comfiness?

No, but you'd be aware of the housefire you just caused.

[turtle777]

-t

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by ShotgunEd

No, but you'd be aware of the housefire you just caused.

I'm fairly sure I'll be senile long before all eternity.

[ghporter]

Nope. No more than the electric power grid or the telephone system could become aware. Both serve to intelligently interconnect a vast array of nodes, both require significant processing power, and both are very widespread. Neither has any independent volition, nor are accidental "mutations" accepted or tolerated; such digital mutations, whether on the telephone system or the Internet, are typically discarded because they don't match the accepted pattern.

Some people DO watch too many movies...

[andreas_g4]

42

blabla

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by andreas_g4

42

blabla

<slaps forehead>Of course! Why didn't I think of that!!!!

Thanks for keeping us on our toes!

[saddino]

Originally Posted by andreas_g4

42

4 8 15 16 23 42

[TheoCryst]

Originally Posted by andreas_g4

42

Yes, of course... but what is the Ultimate Question?

"How many paths must a man walk?"

But seriously... what is the internet? How can we define something so arbitrary? Can something with no physical manifestation be defined? Oh, and to answer your question: no.

[starman]

if it did it would be embarassed of itself and self-destruct

[Kerrigan]

I think that someone above asked a question which would form the basis of a more interesting discussion:

Could a program be designed which is "self-aware" and then be released onto the internet? What would happen?

Would it merely lock itself in and masturbate to all of the porn while claiming to be doing homework, or would it learn how to manipulate the interconnected network of computers to do something much more sinister?

[freudling]

As of right now, no, the internet would not become aware. Neither would any AI systems. We just aren't there yet. One of the problems is the hardware. The software is a problem too. I have written an article on something similar to this recently and if anybody wants to read it, I will email it to you. It talks about AI and where we are at, discussing some top notch systems, their underlying hardware, and then the philosphical implications. PM and you will get it.

[MrForgetable]

Originally Posted by andreas_g4

42

blabla

101010?

[Dark Helmet]

All those porn and star trek sites do not create intelligence.

[Pendergast]

Originally Posted by Dark Helmet

All those porn and star trek sites do not create intelligence.

But if pornstars reproduce, utlimately, something must be happening, right?