Re: logical paradoxes

From: Acid Pooh (poohonlsd_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 08/24/04 

Date: 24 Aug 2004 16:45:50 -0700

"Acme Diagnostics" <LFinezapthis@partpostmark.net> wrote in message news:<41263f26$0$90170$45beb828@newscene.com>...
> Kenneth Doyle <nobody@notmail.com> wrote:
> >"Acme Diagnostics" <LFinezapthis@partpostmark.net> wrote in
> >> Kenneth Doyle <nobody@notmail.com> wrote:
>
> >>>...it's easier to deal with signal distortion in digital circuits.
> >>
> >> analog computers sort-of (music keyboards) is any guide, there's
> >> also a big reliability problem.
> >
> >I started out in the music industry.
>
> Like 90% of programmers, it seems. Make that "independent"
> programmers. <g>
>
> >After a few years of being a rock 'n'
> >roll drummer, I started up a little recording studio. It was almost
> >totally analogue except for one of the first digital delay units. A Delta
> >Labs Effectron:-)
>
> I had a Teac 4-track with a bunch of other shiney boxes. Nothing to
> shout about, and nowhere near what it seems you had, or what you
> can do with a cheapy Korg sequencer today.
>
> >> short power cords, etc. But then, with digital we only need fans and
> >> how does that work in practice?...
> >
> >We used engage in the highly dubious practice of cutting the earth pins off
> >the power cords, on all units that were both grounded via their chasis and
> >connected to the the mixing board via shielded signal cable; except the
> >mixing board. ie. the mixer is the only unit that's grounded via its power
> >cord's earth-pin being connected to its chasis. All the other units are
> >grounded via the mixer's chasis. You can minimise the earth loop that way,
> >but you have to be very careful that your signal cables are properly
> >connected at both ends when the power is on:-)
>
> Ground plugs? What's that? I always broke them off on the way out of
> the music store. I'm really proud of my one-handed two-bend technique.
> I see your logic about the "earth plugs." During the hurricane with no
> power, had to touch antennae to skin to get the news.
>
> >> Some say analog would solve some AI (brain emulation type) problems,
> >> bandwidth, etc.
> >
> >Don't know much about that, but I think the idea is that you can implement
> >arbitrary number systems with analogue because each 'transistor' in the
> >circuit can now be set to any base (within limits).
>
> First time I heard that. Something to think about this week.
>

Someone mentioned something related to this in one of the PO threads.
Apparently someone has designed an analog computer which can "solve
the halting problem." Note the scare-quotes -- I don't know what
kinds of inputs such a machine would take -- voltages as Godel
numbers? binary strings? etc. Anyway, it apparently works in
principle, but it doesn't look like it will ever be possible to
construct as it requires absolute measurement precision. In short,
now there's some empirical evidence that no computational paradigm
stronger than Turing's can be implemented physically. Not a proof,
mind you. :-)

'cid 'ooh