How virtual machinery can bridge the “explanatory gap”, in natural and artificial systems

Aaron Sloman; S Doncieux; B Girard; A Guillot; J Hallam; J-A Meyer; J-B Mouret

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-15193-4_2

How virtual machinery can bridge the “explanatory gap”, in natural and artificial systems

Aaron Sloman, S Doncieux, B Girard, A Guillot, J Hallam, J-A Meyer, J-B Mouret

Computer Science

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

We can now show in principle how evolution could have produced the “mysterious” aspects of consciousness if, like engineers in the last six or seven decades, it had to solve increasingly complex problems of representation and control by producing systems with increasingly abstract, but effective, mechanisms, including self-observation capabilities, implemented in non-physical virtual machines which, in turn, are implemented in lower level physical mechanisms. For this, evolution would have had to produce far more complex virtual machines than human engineers have so far managed, but the key idea might be the same. However it is not yet clear whether the biological virtual machines could have been implemented in the kind of discrete technology used in computers as we know them.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	From Animals to Animats 11
Subtitle of host publication	11th International Conference on Simulation of Adaptive Behavior, SAB 2010, Paris - Clos Lucé, France, August 25-28, 2010. Proceedings
Editors	Stéphane Doncieux , Benoît Girard, Agnès Guillot, John Hallam, Jean-Arcady Meyer, Jean-Baptiste Mouret
Publisher	Springer
Pages	13-24
Number of pages	12
ISBN (Print)	3-642-15192-2, 978-3-642-15192-7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-15193-4_2
Publication status	Published - Aug 2010
Event	11th International Conference on Simulation of Adaptive Behavior, Aug 25-28, 2010. Paris, France - Duration: 1 Jan 2010 → …

Publication series

Name	Lecture Notes in Computer Science
Publisher	Springer
Volume	6226
ISSN (Print)	0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)	1611-3349

Conference

Conference	11th International Conference on Simulation of Adaptive Behavior, Aug 25-28, 2010. Paris, France
Period	1/01/10 → …

Keywords

Virtual Machinery
Designer Stance
Consciousness
Body
Huxley
Explanatory Gap
Causation
Darwin
Architecture
Mind
Evolution
Cognition

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-642-15193-4_2Licence: None: All rights reserved

Cite this

Sloman, A., Doncieux, S., Girard, B., Guillot, A., Hallam, J., Meyer, J.-A., & Mouret, J.-B. (2010). How virtual machinery can bridge the “explanatory gap”, in natural and artificial systems. In S. Doncieux , B. Girard, A. Guillot, J. Hallam, J.-A. Meyer, & J.-B. Mouret (Eds.), From Animals to Animats 11: 11th International Conference on Simulation of Adaptive Behavior, SAB 2010, Paris - Clos Lucé, France, August 25-28, 2010. Proceedings (pp. 13-24). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science; Vol. 6226). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-15193-4_2

Sloman, Aaron ; Doncieux, S ; Girard, B et al. / How virtual machinery can bridge the “explanatory gap”, in natural and artificial systems. From Animals to Animats 11: 11th International Conference on Simulation of Adaptive Behavior, SAB 2010, Paris - Clos Lucé, France, August 25-28, 2010. Proceedings. editor / Stéphane Doncieux ; Benoît Girard ; Agnès Guillot ; John Hallam ; Jean-Arcady Meyer ; Jean-Baptiste Mouret . Springer, 2010. pp. 13-24 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science).

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title = "How virtual machinery can bridge the “explanatory gap”, in natural and artificial systems",

abstract = "We can now show in principle how evolution could have produced the “mysterious” aspects of consciousness if, like engineers in the last six or seven decades, it had to solve increasingly complex problems of representation and control by producing systems with increasingly abstract, but effective, mechanisms, including self-observation capabilities, implemented in non-physical virtual machines which, in turn, are implemented in lower level physical mechanisms. For this, evolution would have had to produce far more complex virtual machines than human engineers have so far managed, but the key idea might be the same. However it is not yet clear whether the biological virtual machines could have been implemented in the kind of discrete technology used in computers as we know them.",

keywords = "Virtual Machinery, Designer Stance, Consciousness, Body, Huxley, Explanatory Gap, Causation, Darwin, Architecture, Mind, Evolution, Cognition",

author = "Aaron Sloman and S Doncieux and B Girard and A Guillot and J Hallam and J-A Meyer and J-B Mouret",

year = "2010",

month = aug,

doi = "10.1007/978-3-642-15193-4_2",

language = "English",

isbn = "3-642-15192-2",

series = "Lecture Notes in Computer Science",

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pages = "13--24",

editor = "{Doncieux }, {St{\'e}phane } and Girard, {Beno{\^i}t } and Guillot, {Agn{\`e}s } and Hallam, {John } and Meyer, {Jean-Arcady } and {Mouret }, Jean-Baptiste",

booktitle = "From Animals to Animats 11",

note = "11th International Conference on Simulation of Adaptive Behavior, Aug 25-28, 2010. Paris, France ; Conference date: 01-01-2010",

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Sloman, A, Doncieux, S, Girard, B, Guillot, A, Hallam, J, Meyer, J-A & Mouret, J-B 2010, How virtual machinery can bridge the “explanatory gap”, in natural and artificial systems. in S Doncieux , B Girard, A Guillot, J Hallam, J-A Meyer & J-B Mouret (eds), From Animals to Animats 11: 11th International Conference on Simulation of Adaptive Behavior, SAB 2010, Paris - Clos Lucé, France, August 25-28, 2010. Proceedings. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 6226, Springer, pp. 13-24, 11th International Conference on Simulation of Adaptive Behavior, Aug 25-28, 2010. Paris, France, 1/01/10. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-15193-4_2

How virtual machinery can bridge the “explanatory gap”, in natural and artificial systems. / Sloman, Aaron; Doncieux, S; Girard, B et al.
From Animals to Animats 11: 11th International Conference on Simulation of Adaptive Behavior, SAB 2010, Paris - Clos Lucé, France, August 25-28, 2010. Proceedings. ed. / Stéphane Doncieux ; Benoît Girard; Agnès Guillot; John Hallam; Jean-Arcady Meyer; Jean-Baptiste Mouret . Springer, 2010. p. 13-24 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science; Vol. 6226).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

TY - GEN

T1 - How virtual machinery can bridge the “explanatory gap”, in natural and artificial systems

AU - Sloman, Aaron

AU - Doncieux, S

AU - Girard, B

AU - Guillot, A

AU - Hallam, J

AU - Meyer, J-A

AU - Mouret, J-B

PY - 2010/8

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N2 - We can now show in principle how evolution could have produced the “mysterious” aspects of consciousness if, like engineers in the last six or seven decades, it had to solve increasingly complex problems of representation and control by producing systems with increasingly abstract, but effective, mechanisms, including self-observation capabilities, implemented in non-physical virtual machines which, in turn, are implemented in lower level physical mechanisms. For this, evolution would have had to produce far more complex virtual machines than human engineers have so far managed, but the key idea might be the same. However it is not yet clear whether the biological virtual machines could have been implemented in the kind of discrete technology used in computers as we know them.

AB - We can now show in principle how evolution could have produced the “mysterious” aspects of consciousness if, like engineers in the last six or seven decades, it had to solve increasingly complex problems of representation and control by producing systems with increasingly abstract, but effective, mechanisms, including self-observation capabilities, implemented in non-physical virtual machines which, in turn, are implemented in lower level physical mechanisms. For this, evolution would have had to produce far more complex virtual machines than human engineers have so far managed, but the key idea might be the same. However it is not yet clear whether the biological virtual machines could have been implemented in the kind of discrete technology used in computers as we know them.

KW - Virtual Machinery

KW - Designer Stance

KW - Consciousness

KW - Body

KW - Huxley

KW - Explanatory Gap

KW - Causation

KW - Darwin

KW - Architecture

KW - Mind

KW - Evolution

KW - Cognition

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DO - 10.1007/978-3-642-15193-4_2

M3 - Conference contribution

SN - 3-642-15192-2

SN - 978-3-642-15192-7

T3 - Lecture Notes in Computer Science

SP - 13

EP - 24

BT - From Animals to Animats 11

A2 - Doncieux , Stéphane

A2 - Girard, Benoît

A2 - Guillot, Agnès

A2 - Hallam, John

A2 - Meyer, Jean-Arcady

A2 - Mouret , Jean-Baptiste

PB - Springer

T2 - 11th International Conference on Simulation of Adaptive Behavior, Aug 25-28, 2010. Paris, France

Y2 - 1 January 2010

ER -

Sloman A, Doncieux S, Girard B, Guillot A, Hallam J, Meyer JA et al. How virtual machinery can bridge the “explanatory gap”, in natural and artificial systems. In Doncieux S, Girard B, Guillot A, Hallam J, Meyer JA, Mouret JB, editors, From Animals to Animats 11: 11th International Conference on Simulation of Adaptive Behavior, SAB 2010, Paris - Clos Lucé, France, August 25-28, 2010. Proceedings. Springer. 2010. p. 13-24. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science). doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-15193-4_2

How virtual machinery can bridge the “explanatory gap”, in natural and artificial systems

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