This file contains a contents listing for the complete thesis. Please see the file for a summary (including sizes) of all files in the directory. B.McMullin, 22nd August 1994. ----------------------------------- Abstract ............................................................. 1 Acknowledgements ..................................................... 2 1 Setting Out .................................................. 4 1.1 Introduction ................................................. 4 1.2 On Criticism ................................................. 4 1.3 Popper's Problem ............................................. 5 1.4 Making a Mind ................................................ 6 1.5 Knowledge and Its Growth ..................................... 6 1.6 On Darwinism ................................................. 10 1.7 The Genesis of Artificial Life? .............................. 13 1.8 Conclusion ................................................... 15 2 Artificial Mentality ......................................... 16 2.1 Introduction ................................................. 16 2.2 Three Hypotheses ............................................. 17 2.3 A Personal Bias .............................................. 18 2.3.1 Why Physicalism is (Still) Repugnant ........................ 19 2.3.2 Some Contrary Views .......................................... 21 2.3.3 But: does it _really_ matter? ................................ 27 2.4 Refuting Computationalism? ................................... 29 2.4.1 Searle's Chinese Room ........................................ 30 2.4.2 Dualist Interactionism ....................................... 34 2.4.2.1 Criticism by Dennett ......................................... 35 2.4.2.2 Eccles Neurophysiological Perspective ........................ 36 2.4.2.3 Popper on AI ................................................. 37 2.4.2.4 The Open Universe ............................................ 38 2.4.2.5 Arguing Against Physicalism .................................. 39 2.4.2.6 Arguing For Dualism .......................................... 42 2.5 Conclusion ................................................... 49 3 Artificial Knowledge ......................................... 51 3.1 Introduction ................................................. 51 3.2 The Turing Test .............................................. 53 3.2.1 Definition ................................................... 53 3.2.2 Sufficiency? ................................................. 53 3.2.3 Necessity? ................................................... 54 3.2.4 An Informal Test ............................................. 58 3.3 The Problem Situation in AI .................................. 61 3.4 On Cognitive Architecture .................................... 63 3.5 On Computational Semantics ................................... 70 3.6 On the ``Engineering'' of Knowledge .......................... 92 3.7 Building a Baby .............................................. 96 3.8 The Growth of Knowledge ...................................... 98 3.8.1 Evolutionary Epistemology .................................... 98 3.8.2 On ``Random'' Variation ...................................... 101 3.8.3 UVSR and AI .................................................. 105 3.9 Conclusion ................................................... 115 4 Artificial Darwinism ......................................... 116 4.1 Introduction ................................................. 116 4.2 Von Neumann's Theory of Automata ............................. 118 4.2.1 Background ................................................... 118 4.2.2 Von Neumann's Problem Pv ..................................... 124 4.2.3 Alan Turing: the A_T-system .................................. 128 4.2.4 On ``Universal'' Construction ................................ 130 4.2.4.1 Universal the First .......................................... 132 4.2.4.2 Universal the Second ......................................... 132 4.2.4.3 Universal the Third .......................................... 137 4.2.4.4 And So? ...................................................... 139 4.2.5 Von Neumann's Solution ....................................... 140 4.2.5.1 The Kinematic Model .......................................... 140 4.2.5.2 Some Notation ................................................ 141 4.2.5.3 The Core Argument ............................................ 143 4.2.5.4 A Minor Blemish(?) ........................................... 147 4.2.5.5 Loose Ends(?) ................................................ 153 4.2.6 Critique ..................................................... 161 4.2.7 The Von Neumann Myth ......................................... 171 4.3 A New Problem Situation ...................................... 182 4.3.1 Pa : The Problem of _Autonomy_ ............................... 182 4.3.2 The Genetic Algorithm ........................................ 189 4.3.2.1 Holland's Problem Ph ......................................... 190 4.3.2.2 Pv Again... ................................................. 191 4.3.2.3 What is the Genetic Algorithm? ............................... 194 4.3.2.4 What good is the Genetic Algorithm? .......................... 194 4.3.3 Constraining the Interactions ................................ 197 4.3.4 Autopoiesis: The Organisation of the Living? ................. 202 4.4 Conclusion ................................................... 205 5 Artificial Genesis ........................................... 207 5.1 Introduction ................................................. 207 5.2 The Universe alpha_0 ......................................... 213 5.2.1 Outline ...................................................... 213 5.2.2 A Little Formality ........................................... 216 5.2.2.1 The Elements ................................................. 217 5.2.2.2 The Bond States .............................................. 218 5.2.3 The Primitive Operators ...................................... 219 5.2.3.1 Bond Modification (BM) ....................................... 219 5.2.3.2 Exchange (EX) ................................................ 220 5.2.4 The Emergent Operators ....................................... 224 5.2.4.1 The _Codon String_ Function .................................. 225 5.2.4.2 The _Binding_ Function ....................................... 226 5.2.4.3 The _Decoding_ Function ...................................... 227 5.2.4.4 Searching for Raw Materials .................................. 229 5.2.4.5 Outline E-OP Syntax .......................................... 230 5.2.4.6 The CP E-OPs ................................................. 231 5.2.4.6.1 CP Operand Class 0 ........................................ 233 5.2.4.6.2 CP Operand Class 1 ........................................ 234 5.2.4.6.3 CP Operand Class 2 ........................................ 235 5.2.4.6.4 CP Operand Class 3 ........................................ 236 5.2.4.6.5 CP Operand Class 4 ........................................ 237 5.2.4.7 The DC E-OPs ................................................. 238 5.2.4.7.1 DC Operand Class 3 ........................................ 240 5.2.4.7.2 DC Operand Class 4 ........................................ 241 5.3 ``Life'' in alpha_0 ? ........................................ 241 5.4 AV0 : A Realisation of alpha_0 ............................... 247 5.4.1 The Programs ................................................. 248 5.4.2 The Disk Images .............................................. 248 5.4.3 The State String ............................................. 249 5.4.4 Pseudo-random Number Generator ............................... 250 5.4.5 Primitive Operators .......................................... 250 5.4.6 Emergent Operators ........................................... 255 5.4.7 Tracking Complexes ........................................... 256 5.5 Playing God .................................................. 257 5.5.1 The Predictions .............................................. 257 5.5.2 Parameter Values ............................................. 257 5.5.3 Experiment 1: The Seed Complex ............................... 259 5.5.4 Experiment 2: The Modified Seed Complex ...................... 260 5.5.5 Experiment 3: The PartSR Complex ............................. 261 5.5.6 Experiment 4: The FullSR Complex ............................. 262 5.5.7 What's going wrong? .......................................... 263 5.5.8 Can We Fix it? ............................................... 267 5.6 Conclusion ................................................... 271 6 Rainbow's End? ............................................... 273 Bibliography ......................................................... 281 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ | Barry McMullin, Autonomous Systems Group, | McMullin@EENG.DCU.IE | | School of Electronic Engineering, | Voice: +353-1-704-5432 | | Dublin City University, Dublin 9, IRELAND. | FAX: +353-1-704-5508 | ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++