Friday (26 June) or Monday (29 June) presentation

Dear Students,
Please decide on the day when you can deliver your presentation.
It should be from  the area of your studies and it should be 15 minutes long.

Friday    (26 June 2015)Room 109

5.30 p.m. Łukasz W.

6.00 p.m.

6.30 p.m.  Monem

7.00 p.m.  Wiktor

7.30 p.m.  Piotr W.

Monday  (29 June 2015)Room 109

5.30 p.m. Michail

6.00 p.m. obastemur

6.30 p.m. Dominika K.

7.00 p.m. Robert M.

7.30 p.m. Albert Ś.

Week 8: Could a Computer Ever be Conscious?

This week, I wanted to ask a question that most (if not all) of us crossed at least once.

"Could a Computer Ever be Conscious?"

Reading: http://pinker.wjh.harvard.edu/articles/media/1997_08_18_usnewsworldreport.html

I don't know if this question is ever going to be answered. Reading the document, found the sentence below making more sense in my naively human opinion.

"Our [own] consciousness, the most obvious thing there is, may be forever beyond our conceptual grasp." (McGinn, C. 1993.  [Problems in philosophy: The limits of inquiry].)

Some says it's wise to approach consciousness as a partial subject. A machine is capable of sensing (not defining!) 'danger' but not capable of  `love` ? How the -heck- it's even viable ?

Questions: 

1 - If a computer is ever fully conscious, how would you justify our existence ? 

2 - How would you define the limits of a 'robot' not conscious ? 

3 - What is your opinion ? Do you see it's coming ? 

Special thanks to Łukasz Wilczyński for poking me.

Week 7 (01-07.06.2015 ) SUBNETS - The Systems-Based Neurotechnology for Emerging Therapies.

"SUBNETS" is the one of interesting projects developing by DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). In official note we can read that project aims veterans and the effects of neuropsychological illness brought on by war, traumatic injuries, and other experiences remain challenging to treat. 

Through SUBNETS, DARPA hopes to generate the knowledge and technology required to deliver relief to patients with otherwise intractable neuropsychological illness. Solution which is under development will pursue the capability to record and model how complex brain regions function in both normal and abnormal conditions. These models will be then adapted onto new type of neural stimulators, which will influence multiple brain regions for therapeutic purposes. The program would create one of the most comprehensive datasets of systems-based brain activity ever recorded.

You can read full DARPA’s announcement here: http://www.darpa.mil/our_work/bto/programs/systems-based_neurotechnology_for_emerging_therapies_subnets.aspx

Please read this note and write your opinion regarding following questions:

1.   What do you think about recording and stimulating activity of neural system? What benefits and what threats can you notice after reading text linked above?

2.    What could be other applications of this upcoming technology can you point out?

3.    Do you think that military agency can have also other intentions regarding this technology and try to hide it under well-sounding subject of helping veterans to overcome their traumas?