On the Concept of Natural Intelligence

A discussion of the concept of natural intelligence as conveyed in the new and unorthodox documentary DVD film Metanoia: A New Vision of Nature. In essence, an attempt to transcend both orthodox evolutionary theory as well as creationism/ID. The 90 minute DVD can now be purchased at: http://www.psychoactive-media.com
My website: http://www.simongpowell.com

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• natural
• intelligence
• Nature
• evolution
• Gaia
• biosphere
• AI
• ID
• Metanoia
• science
• religion
• Richard
• Dawkins
• artificial

[joaocardoso123]

I salute your initiative to help difuse the concept of NI. However, there are some points that are not quite outlined. like the understanding of both words "intelligence" and "conscioussness",wich can easily collide with eachother. is conscioussness an exclusive attribute of the human being? Cheers

[psybinetic]

@joaocardoso123 - well, who knows? As far as we know, it is a property associated with brains and polyneuronal complexity. I see bio-logic as a kind of unconscious intelligence.

[michalchik]

Evolution by natural selection is an information processor which can produce expert systems, in reproducing creatures. Intelligence implies consciousness, foresight, motivation and teleos. This concept of natural intelligence carries unnecessary baggage, contains no specific mechanisms, and explains and predicts nothing.

[psybinetic]

@michalchik - I don't think intelligence needs to imply consciousness - I think you can have autonomous unconscious intelligence - which is what I think life is. NI is a new interpretation of the facts at hand and not meant to make predictions and such. Life is smart - its as simple as that really.

[michalchik]

@psybinetic I posted my original comments mainly because what you were saying sounded like it could be misinterpreted of a blend of anti-evolution pantheistic creationism, and I am so fricking tired of creationists though i find the pantheistic versions more tolerable than biblical versions.

[psybinetic]

@michalchik - the biomimicry movement is founded upon emulating what they call 'Nature's genius'. Appraisals are important - how we appraise something may determine how we treat it and relate to it etc.

[franklottar]

It is grand to hear this new understanding of the facts. I think that it also requires love for this that we call "Life"

Today, one of my students said "It's creepy to realize that all is connected, I simply do not like it" Where one finds beauty another finds a structure of dominance.

[franklottar]

@AquarianWarKitten

Looking for absolute theories is useless. Nature does not stay frozen; it evolves and changes in connection with what it was before; Science does follow this natural path according to what was known before. It does not necessarily come out with previously unknown objects. It reorganizes and interprets again what is known.

[seigneurvoland666]

@psybinetic I think that's what buddhists refer to as god. We refer it to unconscious because of our egos. There is Ego Consciousness and then there is the higher consciousness :)

[franklottar]

Denying this explanation is leaving human intelligence out of life, out of Nature. Very convenient if you want to think that our cultural, self-destructive creations are something to stand for ( Literary, religious, scientific , poetic, philosophical ones). This idea is really healing as we can cast away the engulfing bag of separability and come out with new paradigms which can shift this destructive pattern .

[michalchik]

@psybinetic I basically agree, I just think i found what you have found through traditional scientific paradigms. Perhaps you had crappy science teachers or did not really make it to the level of science where there is lots of creative speculation. Yeah, the papers can seem very dry and jargonesque but you have to realize that this is boring the same way a sculptures clay is boring. It is a vital raw material for the process.

Leslie Orgel's Second Law: "Evolution is smarter than you are".

[michalchik]

@psybinetic Well, ok, If you are making what is essential an esthetic statemnt about the nature of life, fine. But that living systems are great organized information processors is a well established principle of science, you see it in homeostasis and conditioned responses but both those ideas are specific and can be used to make predictions. I am in science in part because I think life is way cool, and I do share your appreciation for its amazing organization and information processing