Victor S. Johnston

Unexplained Authority

Revisado: 11-26-24

An excellent discussion of the pros and cons of AI. We humans have evolved a biological system designed for our biological survival. It is implemented by positive and negative conscious feelings. Rule based AI or feedback learning mechanisms can certainly generate creative solutions to complex problems but they can’t replicate the illogical emotional decisions of feeling organisms. That conflict will be difficult to resolve one way or the other.

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Great factual story

Revisado: 12-28-23

Her voice is authoritative and compelling, I learned a lot about the dangers of dictators and the religious right.

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Supernatural

Revisado: 08-07-23

Didn’t like the supernatural plot but the readers were good. Also very long and add nothing to the plot except for the dead person’s opinions.

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Great story and performance

Revisado: 07-05-23

My only problem was the description of trivia that added no background to the characters or the story. I liked the focus on environmental issues and the challenges that arise from greed. ❤️

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Darwinian Goggles

Revisado: 10-25-21

Solms analysis of human feelings is interesting, thoughtful, and creative. I admire his attempt to locate the neural origin of feelings and his exploration of their functional value. However, I believe his view that feelings arise from multiple homeostatic mechanisms that govern our personal survival is incomplete. Some of our most intense feelings (eg. orgasms) have nothing to do with personal survival; they are concerned with gene survival. Indeed human feelings are better organized around the three essential elements required for reproductive success: survival to reproductive age (hunger, pain etc.), reproduction (desire, jealousy etc.) and offspring survival (eg. love, pride, etc.).
Human brains did not evolve to accurately represent the true nature of reality; they evolved for the sole function of enhancing the survival of our genes. Although the external environment is teeming with electromagnetic radiation and air pressure waves, without consciousness it is both totally black and utterly silent. Of course there is no sweetness in sugar and no noxious smell in old rotten eggs; these conscious evaluative feelings evolved to discriminate between threats and benefits to our reproductive success. In essence, we all see the world through Darwinian Goggles that add light, love, and meaning to the silent coin of being.
(See “Why We Feel; The Science of Human Emotions.”)

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esto le resultó útil a 14 personas

Harrowing and Inspiring

Revisado: 08-08-21

The Four Winds is one of the most harrowing and inspiring stories I have ever read. Set in the 1930’s (Dust Bowl and Great Depression) the reader is confronted with a host of emotional decisions that will challenge, or perhaps even change, his/her personal view of humanity under stress (farmer vs government; religious vs humanist; Capitalism vs Communism; rich vs poor; resident vs immigrant). As the human population grows and we stumble towards global warming, will we kill, cooperate, or pray? There are lessons here about love, bravery, hope, and a life worth living.
Warning: Don’t read or listen to this book at bedtime!

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