The Emperor's New Mind: Concerning Computers, Minds and the Laws of Physics - Softcover

Penrose, Roger

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0099771705 ISBN 13: 9780099771708

Publisher: Vintage, 1990

Synopsis

Arguing against artifcial intelligence, and exploring the mystery of the mind and consciousness, Roger Penrose takes the reader on the most engaging and creative tour of modern physics, cosmology, mathematics and philosophy that has ever been written.

About this title

Review:

perhaps the most engaging and creative tour of modern physics that has ever been written (Sunday Times)

Synopsis:

The proponents of artificial intelligence want to prove that it is only a matter of time before computers will be doing everything that a human mind can do. They take it for granted that pleasure and pain, the appreciation of beauty and humour, consciousness and free will are capacities that a computer will display once the appropriate programs of algorithms have been developed. Some disagree, because although electronic computers can calculate very rapidly, that does not make them understand what they are doing any more than, for example, an abacus does. The author puts forward his view that there is some facet of human thinking that can never be emulated by a machine. He shows the physical and mathematical ideas that are the background to his argument - from Turing machines, algorithms and the Chinese room, via quantum mechanics, cosmology and relativity to the structure of the brain, inspiration and consciousness itself.

About this edition

• Publisher: Vintage
• Publication date: 1990
• ISBN 10: 0099771705
• ISBN 13: 9780099771708
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 480