PHILOSOPHICAL PROBLEMS FROM THE STANDPOINT OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

By John McCarthy, the founder of LISP. Read here.

Most popular win

When Webber won at the Nurburgring, even opponents were happy

Webber celebrating with his team after winning his first F1 Grand Prix

In a highly politicised and ruthless sport where even team mates hate each other, this sentiment is a rare occurance.

Him

I asked him who he was. And he replied that he:

• lives in a 5 bed room villa in Bangalore
• drives a jaguar land rover
• wears Louis Vuitton jackets
• uses Rolex
• prefers Hugo Boss or Chanel deodorant
• And, wears Tag Heuer sunglasses

And I said, “adiós”.

Yours Sincerely

Dear Gupta,

I remembered you over the weekend, thanks to a conversation with someone[1]. When I did that, I went into an ironical tight loop – I wished I remembered you more often, and at the same time your memory evoked a deep sadness inside me! Why am I wishing to evoke sadness more often? I wouldn’t know.

The way you left us (myself, Mu, Ma, Noo) was shocking. We four weren’t the closest friends to you. It was more of a distant friendship and admiration. Ofcourse, a good deal of tutelage from your side. It is safe to say that what I have become in life as a human isn’t something that you (or anyone) would have imagined me to become. That doesn’t change the fact that you gave me at least an year of head start in my development process. I am not making any claims that you changed my life – you did not. You did accelerate my development process by helping me cover my basics when I had to. That apart, you taught me humility on the way back from Trichy to Chennai after our successful participation in Festember (1998?) in NIT, Trichy. The question that you asked “What if that was my father? Wouldn’t you have done the same?” humbled me and that’s the most painful question I have ever faced. As I said earlier, I would have reached the same realization eventually.

We might have failed in sustaining the award we created in your memory. We did manage to do that only for 5 years or so. That doesn’t imply that you aren’t in my memories anymore or that I am not indebted to you.

I did not get a chance to convey this to you or to anyone in the past (I did convey this to some extent to that “someone[1]” though). Hence, I am keeping it here for my record.

Yours Sincerely,

~A

[1] – is someone whom I have come to know and respect in the very recent past. Whom, i hope, will at least be a good friend for life.

Better than the best

If one thought this was the best of recent times, one is forced to think again.

A tennis champion who dared

As Fabrice’s career is coming to an end, its time to salute a tennis champion who hasn’t won any grand slam tournament (has never reached a grand slam tournament semi-final even!). Why is he a champion? I’ll rather let you see than trying to explain.

Just don’t do it

Whatever said and done, you shouldn’t have taken Ryan Giggs’ and Paul Ince’s autographs, tore them into pieces in their faces. You did exactly that and I believe you’ll have to face the consequences.

Update: This could be one of the many consequences you might have to face.

Few tables away

It was a guys day out.

We had made a pact not to talk about anything related to fairer sex – yes, that forbade talking about respective wives as well. And, I found our discussion to be amusing and eventually boring. Curiously, nobody talked about their kids! I wondered whether the wife-talk and my-kid-is-sooooo-clever-talk had any connections. I still do.

That’s when I noticed them. They were sitting three tables away from me and two tables away from each other. She looked as if she was going to have a lasagna and glass of red wine and he a cigarette that was too lean for a guy. I guessed he was drinking an imported Scotch.

She was sitting alone and immersed in thoughts about something or possibly about someone two tables away. He was in a group, probably his wife was also there, but so disconnected from his group and looking in her direction. They both seemed to be in some kind of intellectual tranquility. He was more direct than her in observing her. I wonder whether he even knew that she was observing him! It wasn’t the usual “exchaging looks”, it was far deeper. She seemed to want him to be puzzled and he was. I felt the peace that they seemed to share. Without their knowledge, of course.

She left without eating anything, but did finish the red wine. He did the same after her, with his wife. I felt tragic and that feeling lingers.

Irony

I like very few with whom I can share only my past. And,I don’t like any with whom I can possibly share my future.

What next?

They both kept staring at the same Lasagna…And then?