+ 1-888-787-5890  
   + 1-302-351-4405  
 
 
 
 

Essay/Term paper: Do computers think?

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Philosophy

Free essays available online are good but they will not follow the guidelines of your particular writing assignment. If you need a custom term paper on Philosophy: Do Computers Think?, you can hire a professional writer here to write you a high quality authentic essay. While free essays can be traced by Turnitin (plagiarism detection program), our custom written essays will pass any plagiarism test. Our writing service will save you time and grade.

Can or will computers ever think? Well this has been a subject of much debate between even the greatest minds, and yet there is still no answer. First of all I have would like you to answer a question. What is 4x13? Did you have to think to answer that? Yes? Well does that mean that a computer can think because it can answer that question. Well that is what we are going to set to answer and I think yes, depending on your definition of thinking.

First off let"s get something straight. When I refer to computers in this essay I am not referring only to the microprocessor sitting on your desk but to microprocessors that control robots of various structure.

Well as I said we first must define "to think". What does that mean? Webster"s New Compact Dictionary defines "think" as "1. Have a mind. 2. Believe. 3. Employ the mind.". It defines mind as "to think". So does this mean that if you can think does this mean you have a mind? My opinion is that, according to this definition, computers can think. A computer can give you an answer to the question "What is 4x13?", so it can think. What"s that? You say it"s just programmed to do that, if no one programmed it wouldn"t be able to do that. Well how did you know how to answer the question? Your teacher or parent"s or someone taught it to you. So you were programmed, same as the computer was.

So you think that programing is different than learning. You might think the same as my grandma that programing is something where things are just drilled into you like people who are members of cults. Well when your teacher stood over you desk in elementary and do drilled you on the multiplication tables was that not programming? Would you know that 1x5 does not equal 10 if everyone you ever met said that it did. Another argument my grandma used was my little cousin and how when he runs into a wall he learns that it hurts so he doesn"t do it again. (Well actually he does it because he has a hard head). Yet a professor in Calgary builds robots that do not even contain a microprocessor yet it can learn. He builds them out of spare part from broken electronics such as walkman"s. They have multiple legs and when one leg get"s stuck, say on a piece of tape, the strain on the motor causes the motor to change the twisting motion of the leg and this feedback system continues until it gets free, but the second time it takes less time to get free because some how it knows, what to do to get free. So it has learned and therefore must be able to think according to that definition of think.

My mother says that what makes it that computers can"t think is they can not handle situations they have not been programmed to handle. Well there are now robots that can navigate through a room where they have not been programmed to handle but they can navigate through it without bumping into anything. They can"t do it with the efficiency of a human but they can do it. So once again they can think according to a definition of "to think".

My dad felt that a computer would not be able to think because if you put it in a room and never used it, it wouldn"t be able to think. Well would you be able to think if you could not hear, touch, see, smell, or taste anything and as such could receive no information. What would you have to think about.

Another couple of definition brought up in a conversation was that in order to survive something must be able to think and that the ability to come up with original ideas was proof that something can think. The Calgary professor mentioned earlier also took these robots (without microprocessors) and gave them solar panels so they could get their own energy. He also gave some a device that allowed it to disable other robots. These robots would wander around a room and they would fight over the sunniest spots in the room because it was the spot they stood the best chance of survival. If these robots disabled another one they used it"s "remains" along with others to form a barrier around this sunny spot so it would be protected. Well if this behaviour is not proof of the fact that computers can survive and come up with original idea"s I don"t know what is.

So as you can see by all the definitions I have been able to come up with a computer can think. The most strong objection I found was that we are living and that is what makes us think is just an objection to the fact that something may possibly some day become smarter than us.
 

Other sample model essays:

Philosophy / Emerson's Philosofy
Ralph Waldo Emerson, nineteenth century poet and writer, expresses a philosophy of life, based on our inner self and the presence of the soul. Emerson regarded and learned from the great minds of the...
Philosophy / Euthanasia
I am coming from a Christian standpoint on the subject of Euthanasia. Throughout this paper I will be playing little bit of the Devils advocate, so don"t get worried. I am totally against Euthanasia...
Fairness in the workplace American society is slowly, but surely, moving towards equality in the workplace. In the past decade laws have been passed that prohibit discrimination in hiring, r...
Philosophy / Feminism
What is feminism? By general definition, feminism is a philosophy in which women and their contributions are valued. It is based on social, political and economical equality for women. Feminists can...
Philosophy / Fire Crackers
Our Lives Versus Firecrackers Bong! Bong! Bong! These are the typical sounds one would hear passing by a Chinatown around February of every year. Indeed, these are the sounds of firecrackers, wh...
Measuring the IQ of Mind and Machine: an Examination of Functionalism as Represented by Fodor and Searle ~ Shanaree Sailor ~ Fodor begins his article on the mind-body problem with a review of the...
I have chosen to write St. Thomas Aquinas" proof citing motion as proof of the existence of God. Although I must admit to being a little confused the wording, I see it as being in terms of ability t...
Philosophy / Having A Happy Job
"I need a job." How many times have I heard that one – I"ve heard it a million times. Living in a modern society based on a green piece of paper, I am burdened, and feel it maybe even impossible to ...
Philosophy / Henry David Thoreau
He spent his life in voluntary poverty, enthralled by the study of nature. Two years, in the prime of his life, were spent living in a shack in the woods near a pond. Who would choose a ...
Introduction Hippocratic medicine remains one of Ancient Greece's lasting contributions to the field of science. Lacking the equipment physicians today take for granted when diagnosing and heali...
Experience with Dream Essay - Reliable and great customer service. Quality of work - High quality of work.
, ,
Dream Essay - Very reliable and great customer service. Encourage other to try their service. Writer 91463 - Provided a well written Annotated Bibliography with great deal of detail per th
, ,
it is always perfect
, ,
The experience with Dream Essay is stress free. Service is excellent and forms various forms of communication all help with customer service. Dream Essay is customer oriented. Writer 17663
, ,
Only competent & proven writers
Original writing — no plagiarism
Our papers are never resold or reused, period
Satisfaction guarantee — free unlimited revisions
Client-friendly money back guarantee
Total confidentiality & privacy
Guaranteed deadlines
Live Chat & 24/7 customer support
All academic and professional subjects
All difficulty levels
12pt Times New Roman font, double spaced, 1 inch margins
The fastest turnaround in the industry
Fully documented research — free bibliography guaranteed
Fax (additional info): 866-332-0244
Fax (additional info): 866-308-7123
Live Chat Support
Need order related assistance?—Click here to submit a inquiry
© Dreamessays.com. All Rights Reserved.
Dreamessays.com is the property of MEDIATECH LTD