Hehe, that’d be a little funny. Nick Corp! Or Whimsy… err… what’s his last name again? Crap…
Not sure though if I’d classify UNITY as split personality, though. Bi-polar, maybe, but even that’s stretching it. I think just “child like with violent tendencies” should cover it. 🙂
Consider Unity on a strong dosing of brains and Unity as we normally love her. I find the change to be enough to consider it like that… She’s resigned about her own personality and tries to plan for her foibles.
It’d be funnier, but wouldn’t make sense seems Nick’s brain is in the Osprey and he merely remote controls the Drone. Further, the Drone doesn’t have an actual “brain”… just the components needed for remote control.
Regarding previous discussions, there’s no need to assume that anyone has been brainwashed. They could just be following their employee handbooks. The point of Searle’s Chinese Room is that yes, with enough people, you can build a computer out of people who have no more concept of their roles than a transistor.
Also also, if WhimsyCorp defends itself like its namesake, the wreckers’ lawyers will need lawyers.
No, the Chinese Room is quite apt here. The other examples are thought experiments of building a smart entity out of unintelligent drones. The Chinese Room is (to all appearances) a smart entity made out of people.
I suppose you could say that Searle’s assertion that his room-machine wasn’t actually smart (because it was mechanical) doesn’t apply to Whimsy, whose intelligence seems to come from some sort of highly implausible planned emergent behavior.
But there is only one person in Searle’s room, and s/he is notable for unintelligent, drone-like activity (much like many corporate employees…). As you note, Searle’s argument was that the room isn’t smart at all, it just looks that way to outsiders. Emergent behavior is just what Hofstadter was getting at. Dr. Lee would probably also be interested, working with the idea that the human mind emerges from the activity of unintelligent neurons.
+ none of the pieces that make up the gestalt entity would survive long enough to get any information out (assuming they could get IN in the first place).
Is “the daughter” trying to get to the information by demolishing The Little House?
Does she know her father’s earlier creations are also inside?
Helen must be ready to eat Dr. Lee’s kidneys out of jealousy.
Artie? Feels guilty about eating dairy products.
Nick? Going to risk unleashing the Whimsypocalypse on all mankind, just because he loves princesses while also hating everybody.
What you said! When it comes to relationships between evil mad scientists and their victims, I think Ginny and Nick can give Helen and Dave a run for their money.
I think Artie fulfilled precisely the purpose for which he was made.
Also, don’t forget the battle for world domination between AI-Dave and the flying island of Hamsters, both of which were derived from Narbonic Labs experiments.
And there’s the bit that while Dr. Lee is spending all of her time trying to make mad technology sane, Helen is the one who invented a way to make mad scientists sane.
The world is under attack by evil mutant plaice! Though they never leave the water, these armored, bottom-dwelling leviathans are biting huge chunks out of the continents with their gross sideways mouths.
Only one thing can save us. An elite force of kick-boxing mecha pilots must go underwater to fight the monsters in their own element!
Wait, how would this endanger his meat brain? Does the Baron think that’s in the drone? Also, Nick can’t be stuck in the drone — said meat brain is physically wired into the helicopter (and he’s already said he can still feel the helicopter), while the drone doesn’t have the processors for intelligence. On the other hand, he could certainly be kicked out of the drone, and he’s gotten to like walking around.
Well, what I’d do is, I’d set the upload to start on a short delay (which would probably require me to google some things, but I’m not that awesome at such matters), then (temporarily) disconnect from the drone.
Technically? I would think so… but let’s not over analyze it. I’m sure Nick won’t die or anything… Shaenon wouldn’t be that cruel.
Also, what one sees in a story is often limited to what the Author knows, can research, or imagine. Other times it’s limited to what the Author believes the character knows or can research. And in this case, I can see Nick not taking the time to research how based on the fact that they’re running out of time, fast.
Ah, but would Jeff? He may be capable of obilerating a beloved character for the sake of a good storyline. And if you call him on it, he’ll just say “MUSE!”
I think it could damage his meat brain in the sense of an improper disconnection. Can cause a level of feedback or “sensory overload”, if you will.
And yeah, no, it should (unless Shaenon knows something we don’t) be impossible for Nick to be stuck only in the Drone… he’s merely remote piloting it.
Actually, two possibilities. First, the level of data could be related to signal strength, in which data compression methods also include power modulation. The resulting power spike could create ground currents that do interesting and unpredictable things. Second, this is an e-mail program handling hundreds of thousands if not millions of mails at a time. It could look like a Denial-of-Service attack. Or, the processing power for analyzing everything could cause CPU resources to be diverted from life support.
YES!!! YES YES YES YES YES!!! Thought I was the only one who caught that– the unicorn laying his horn in the virgin’s lap! (Uh, sorry, Nick; don’t kill me. I mean, technically the drone’s body is a virgin, right? And technically your copter-bod is a virgin, IhopeIhope? And TECHNICALLY …further speculation is null and void, I promise you.)
I think half of Nick’s expression in the last panel is the inner turmoil over “Yay! Unicorn laying his head in my lap!” and “Now everyone knows for a fact I never got any back in meat-land.”
Sweetheart, I submit that is Whimsy doesn’t wish to speak to you, it may be because you have been at least party to intimidating it, and the rest of us persons of incorporation, into silence.
The whole point of a corporation is that it is legally a person. Consider what is commonly said about corporations in contemporary society. Media is filled with poisonous depictions of the incorporated. An entire genre, cyberpunk, is built around impossibly negative portrayals of corporations. When that sort of talk is used about legal persons, the simple explanation is bigotry.
Society is not prepared for a conversation about the feelings of incorporated persons. Society wishes for persons of incorporation to be seen, and not heard.
Insomnia Insights, LLC
Spokesentity
National Association for the Advancement of Incorporated Persons
Who knew one of my predictions might be coming true?
I agree that this won’t kill Nick, but the sheer amount of cute and animated joy that might be coming through might alter his personality temporarily. Kind of like a digital version of a sugar high. He might come out of it with a pink paint job on the copter with flowers on the wings. The videos alone will be worth a fortune in blackmail.
Oh dear, don’t die Nick! And don’t mix your brain with Whimsy… The only split personality we need is Unity!
Hehe, that’d be a little funny. Nick Corp! Or Whimsy… err… what’s his last name again? Crap…
Not sure though if I’d classify UNITY as split personality, though. Bi-polar, maybe, but even that’s stretching it. I think just “child like with violent tendencies” should cover it. 🙂
Whimzerhakker!
AWESOME. In every meaning of the word.
Consider Unity on a strong dosing of brains and Unity as we normally love her. I find the change to be enough to consider it like that… She’s resigned about her own personality and tries to plan for her foibles.
I can picture the spike disabling the transmission signal, resulting in Nick stuck in the helicopter and Whimsy in the drone body.
I can picture the reverse… it’d be even funnier.
It’d be funnier, but wouldn’t make sense seems Nick’s brain is in the Osprey and he merely remote controls the Drone. Further, the Drone doesn’t have an actual “brain”… just the components needed for remote control.
It must kick carp. You can’t kick just any old fish, you must kick the best!
Salmon happens.
Kick bass!
Just as long as the outcome isn’t crappie.
Yeah, well, you know how most sequels kind of flounder their way around.
These puns are so bad I am going to need a sturgeon. Afterwards, I will make you roe the day.
Oh, you’re just carping for the halibut.
Guess I better perch over here then and avoid making any puns… oops.
Oh, like anyone gives a pollock.
This sole thread cod get pretty low on the scale walleye watch.
Regarding previous discussions, there’s no need to assume that anyone has been brainwashed. They could just be following their employee handbooks. The point of Searle’s Chinese Room is that yes, with enough people, you can build a computer out of people who have no more concept of their roles than a transistor.
Also also, if WhimsyCorp defends itself like its namesake, the wreckers’ lawyers will need lawyers.
Searle’s argument was pretty much the opposite. This would be more like Hofstadter’s Aunt Hillary, or Gavotte.
No, the Chinese Room is quite apt here. The other examples are thought experiments of building a smart entity out of unintelligent drones. The Chinese Room is (to all appearances) a smart entity made out of people.
I suppose you could say that Searle’s assertion that his room-machine wasn’t actually smart (because it was mechanical) doesn’t apply to Whimsy, whose intelligence seems to come from some sort of highly implausible planned emergent behavior.
But there is only one person in Searle’s room, and s/he is notable for unintelligent, drone-like activity (much like many corporate employees…). As you note, Searle’s argument was that the room isn’t smart at all, it just looks that way to outsiders. Emergent behavior is just what Hofstadter was getting at. Dr. Lee would probably also be interested, working with the idea that the human mind emerges from the activity of unintelligent neurons.
*blink* *blink*
+ WhimsyCorp is the ‘daughter’
+ the daughter needs the information in the vault
+ none of the pieces that make up the gestalt entity would survive long enough to get any information out (assuming they could get IN in the first place).
Is “the daughter” trying to get to the information by demolishing The Little House?
Does she know her father’s earlier creations are also inside?
No, you’re absolutely correct. It’s entirely possible no one has. It’s merely a theory based on what Collodi said during the film strip.
“Tell the world I died hating everyone.”
Best hero line ever.
NICK DIED HATING EVERYONE!!!
[alt text=”NICK DIED HATING YOU!!!”]
He died doing what he loved: Hating everyone. We should all be so lucky.
Helen must be ready to eat Dr. Lee’s kidneys out of jealousy.
Artie? Feels guilty about eating dairy products.
Nick? Going to risk unleashing the Whimsypocalypse on all mankind, just because he loves princesses while also hating everybody.
That sounds like the slogan for the most twisted charity event ever:
“Love Princesses- Hate Everybody!”
What you said! When it comes to relationships between evil mad scientists and their victims, I think Ginny and Nick can give Helen and Dave a run for their money.
Dr. Lee isn’t mad. She’s just irresponsible.
I think Artie fulfilled precisely the purpose for which he was made.
Also, don’t forget the battle for world domination between AI-Dave and the flying island of Hamsters, both of which were derived from Narbonic Labs experiments.
And there’s the bit that while Dr. Lee is spending all of her time trying to make mad technology sane, Helen is the one who invented a way to make mad scientists sane.
(TUNE: “Heat Wave”, Irving Berlin)
I’m risking my meat brain!
Organic but sweet brain!
I’m frying my main brain,
My stuck-in-a-plane brain,
To try and ac-cess … Princess!
Now ol’ Mistycorn, he
Is trying to warn me!
This unicorn boy’ll
Profess that he’s loyal
To serve under me. (Big whee)
You’d …
Best appreciate!
Ev’ryone I hate!
Time to face my fate!
If they make a movie,
A hero ’twill prove me!
To Whimsy, my last wish
Is that it will kick fish!
I’m switching this on; I’m gone!
The world is under attack by evil mutant plaice! Though they never leave the water, these armored, bottom-dwelling leviathans are biting huge chunks out of the continents with their gross sideways mouths.
Only one thing can save us. An elite force of kick-boxing mecha pilots must go underwater to fight the monsters in their own element!
Wait, how would this endanger his meat brain? Does the Baron think that’s in the drone? Also, Nick can’t be stuck in the drone — said meat brain is physically wired into the helicopter (and he’s already said he can still feel the helicopter), while the drone doesn’t have the processors for intelligence. On the other hand, he could certainly be kicked out of the drone, and he’s gotten to like walking around.
Science-magic says that all signals are two-way.
Well, what I’d do is, I’d set the upload to start on a short delay (which would probably require me to google some things, but I’m not that awesome at such matters), then (temporarily) disconnect from the drone.
Nick can do that, right?
Technically? I would think so… but let’s not over analyze it. I’m sure Nick won’t die or anything… Shaenon wouldn’t be that cruel.
Also, what one sees in a story is often limited to what the Author knows, can research, or imagine. Other times it’s limited to what the Author believes the character knows or can research. And in this case, I can see Nick not taking the time to research how based on the fact that they’re running out of time, fast.
Ah, but would Jeff? He may be capable of obilerating a beloved character for the sake of a good storyline. And if you call him on it, he’ll just say “MUSE!”
The drone may not have a processor, in which case it can’t do the upload by itself. The processing power must then come from Nick’s brain…
That’s entirely possible, too.
I think it could damage his meat brain in the sense of an improper disconnection. Can cause a level of feedback or “sensory overload”, if you will.
And yeah, no, it should (unless Shaenon knows something we don’t) be impossible for Nick to be stuck only in the Drone… he’s merely remote piloting it.
Actually, two possibilities. First, the level of data could be related to signal strength, in which data compression methods also include power modulation. The resulting power spike could create ground currents that do interesting and unpredictable things. Second, this is an e-mail program handling hundreds of thousands if not millions of mails at a time. It could look like a Denial-of-Service attack. Or, the processing power for analyzing everything could cause CPU resources to be diverted from life support.
Or, after getting ALL the email from Whimsy in real-time, he accidentally does a Reply-All.
That’d be a big “whoops”.
Swordfish, to be specific.
Finally the princess gets a unicorn in his lap. I love this comic.
YES!!! YES YES YES YES YES!!! Thought I was the only one who caught that– the unicorn laying his horn in the virgin’s lap! (Uh, sorry, Nick; don’t kill me. I mean, technically the drone’s body is a virgin, right? And technically your copter-bod is a virgin, IhopeIhope? And TECHNICALLY …further speculation is null and void, I promise you.)
As long as he doesn’t start stroking its horn…
I just want to pause to say… Sweetheart looks like she wants to Gib-slap the Unicorn in that last panel. 😛
Maybe Nick will get lucky, and the fershlugginner censorship chip will be fried- then he can talk like a regular person ( if they’re a sailor!).
Sorry, the spell check doesn’t know how “fershlugginner” is supposed to be spelled, either…
In cases like that I use google for spell checking. It showed results for furshlugginer
That’s because the spellchecker is using an English dictionary, and English hasn’t officially stolen vershluginnah from (Yiddish ?) yet.
Can Baron Mistycorn become a recurring character? He makes a good foil for Nick.
I think half of Nick’s expression in the last panel is the inner turmoil over “Yay! Unicorn laying his head in my lap!” and “Now everyone knows for a fact I never got any back in meat-land.”
Sweetheart, I submit that is Whimsy doesn’t wish to speak to you, it may be because you have been at least party to intimidating it, and the rest of us persons of incorporation, into silence.
The whole point of a corporation is that it is legally a person. Consider what is commonly said about corporations in contemporary society. Media is filled with poisonous depictions of the incorporated. An entire genre, cyberpunk, is built around impossibly negative portrayals of corporations. When that sort of talk is used about legal persons, the simple explanation is bigotry.
Society is not prepared for a conversation about the feelings of incorporated persons. Society wishes for persons of incorporation to be seen, and not heard.
Insomnia Insights, LLC
Spokesentity
National Association for the Advancement of Incorporated Persons
Who knew one of my predictions might be coming true?
I agree that this won’t kill Nick, but the sheer amount of cute and animated joy that might be coming through might alter his personality temporarily. Kind of like a digital version of a sugar high. He might come out of it with a pink paint job on the copter with flowers on the wings. The videos alone will be worth a fortune in blackmail.
For the record, Frozen kicked all kinds of ass.
And fish.
Sadly, Nick’s wish was misinterpreted.
Luckily from that we got Luca.