Our discussion revolved around the aspects of identity that the reading talks about. It seems that humanity and technology are in a codependent relationship where our sense of self derives from the needs we have and technology we create to fulfill those needs. The metaphors we use to describe ourselves have evolved in time, not only with tech but also with nature, spirituality, art, and many other dimensions of our existence. We found a correlation regarding the notion of mind/body separation is false, just like signifier and signified must be one in the same if either were to exist. The information is not separate from each other. Perhaps this is also highlighting Penny's thoughts on how understanding cognition and the development of computing systems needs to embrace the holistic, embodied approach and practices of the arts.
Today is seems the definitions of a human and computer dilute into each other. Our learning curve is much longer than that of the computer, let alone the rate at which, for example, software is developed and put out into the market. We wondered how memory would have been described as a metaphor before there existed any type of storage system (library being the first type of logical storage system). Dream? Fantasy? Art? How do other, non-western cultures view the brain/computer analogy?
We agreed that intelligence is not just logic and the ability to store information. Humans are much more complex creatures. Not only is our body and all its parts an endless cavern of discovery, but our relation to the environment, weather, planets, plays a key role in how we behave, feel, and exist every day. None of this is completely comprehensible. We have simply learned ways to define and predict certain aspects of life. But until the weather person gets it right, we are far from cloning our twin self.
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