My Prayer

Lord my heavenly father,

I shall offer you my gratitude, since you have showed great enlightenment to me .

We are nothing but your flawed kids running around the earth. You can hear me, you know my name and you called me often.

I attended the workshop of active listening this morning. Witnessing my schoolmates have great passion on the subject they are learning or the project they are running, I realized you have  plant a valuable seed in every person's heart. I know those wishes are as strong as mine, and I can notice they are struggling, self-doubting just like I do all the time. My passion is in media. But the boy want to be a teacher get critical. He said nothing was memorable about myself introduction. It sounds very veg.
What are the fact that is true between me and media？ I have learned electronic piano since 4 years old. I was the one of six in the city who obtain highest degree in music theory. And I got a full mark at that time. I won the first prize of TV emcee talent show national wide when I was 16. Hosted Mid-Autumn Festival of NUS during the first year I came to Singapore. I love singing still. Have be trained in Music Forest, and write a song for R at the end of the course. Dancing, I was involved in Jazztitude advanced beginner. Those are the connections I can think of that I have with arts and performance.

I know the only thing that stopped me from identify myself as an artist is that I am rational and intellectual as well. I know where the power come from. Never from artists but politician and economists. Lord I am too thirsty about power and material. Forgive me, forgive me that I am bothered by those concerns and refused your offering.

You are offering me a great life.

When I talked to my parents last night, with the NBC logo pillow. My entire person just lighted up. I am cheerfully talking about my dreams, my interpretation of the world and how can I contribute to it. I said I am so interested in music and film, even tho I am still on the way. I am not an genius. I am just a normal girl with a true love for art.

 If it going to be a challenging journey, let it be. I am not afraid. Without a music or song what are we. What can we be.

Ashton, my previews vocal teacher starts publish his original on Facebook. I am so glad of him that he finally make this step and begin to build his own dream.

Later today I begin to learn E-mail campaign. Sending those beautiful newsletters is a great joy for me.
Before I went to bed,  I watched a video online about a murder case in Dongyuan, China. It was so touching that I almost burst into tears. I have not cried for years I think. It is getting harder for me to be moved by videos and episodes. The video was made by the boyfriend of the girl who had been murdered. Every image is an expression of love and missing. Love, pure love, true love is so beautiful. And I finally realized it is all the wicked mind that keep us from growing.

So today you reveal yourself to me in a new level. I admire you Lord.
And I miss him.

Good night.





 

Life as a meditation

I am in NUS I3, thanks for my friend B. I might survive in this Holocaust Season. Every module is a war for me.
Sometimes, I feel life is awesome when you are surrounded with cool people.
It is like when two of your friends get in JP Morgen in Hong Kong and New York; one of your friends works in Credit Suisse Singapore; another is going to Washington  to start a company, how bad can you be.

I am not sure, I feel I am not very competent. S said I am much better than mainland people he met, yet I have to acknowledge the difficulties I have in English, in programming, in school. The intellectual game was once my favorite, now I get hurts, but I am not letting go.

Sure, quit is not in my dictionary.

Buddha once taught the general, the most efficient way of meditation is living as a meditation.

If it is so, the only enlightenment I got now, is that I shall be humble and humble.

Effortless

The founder of Give.sg Aseem come to MNO class to give a talk about his journey of Entrepreneurship.

I like his witty lines and humorous remarks. To him, getting on the dean's list, getting a good grades in University is not a big deal. However the puzzels in real life worth more effort to resolve. 

God, why I feel quite the opposite? May it be I have been pondering on those questions do not have an answer for too long. Therefore, more or less, I have come up with a system to deal with the difficulties and frustrations that might come up constantly. Life is a symphony of randomness, who said s/he has the conductor's script ? 

But I finally realized one thing, spiritually, that is if you are born with a misson to accomplish a task, then there is no need to worry about your circumstances and your current condition. Because everything required for you to finish the task is is already provided. Can you figure out how to use the resources is the only problem. 

And you fate shall come effortless. It is a part of you and you are manifesting your thought, your dream every moment.  

It will come, effortlessly. 

I will do everything for love

Started my day with a fresh smile.

I updated my FB status: another awesome day. Lord, I ask for nothing but to rest in your Grace. Few likes  was clicked quickly. The world densified into a cosy small dot again when I heard people from different nations.

The photos on Zach and Jan's Wedding was put up. J and G are freaking good-looking! I could not believe why some guys keeping saying I look stunning  and slim, when I am obviously getting flabby arms. Oh, they made me so sad.

But how could we just say no to a delicious life. No. I hope we could solve this soon. What do you say, lazy lady?

I get yu xi's phone call around 9pm. She is organizing the first Singapore Mandarin TCC！ I have to admit that I was very pissed off by the experience I had in ECI.  However after few months of meditation and deeper reflection. I gained a new understanding of consciousness, and what are the wonderful things it could do for us. She asked me, did you keep writing songs? I said, once but not very productive. Study is on the top of my priority list. 

You are still care study that much? Have you ever planed for your future? What do you really want to do? She asked. I was terrified to see myself to go graduate school doing things only for exam and live for grade only.  

Yeah, to an extend she is clearly correct. I might not need all the stuffs about computer, software and what ever the school try to dump in my head. At the sometime, no one could deny that school is a wonderful training process. It is not about the knowledge, but the thinking methodology and depth of your thoughts that matters. 

How should we enjoy life in this ever chaining world? How should we think differently. Who made us free? If you ever think deep enough. 

Vusi from Africa, the great rapper pocked me on FB at night. I told him that I am looking forwards to sing with him again, and he encouraged me to pursue my love in arts parallel with my other stuff. 'Your voice is beautiful!' I was very grateful he said so. 'You made feel like a real singer when we sing together! Singing again? For sure. I would like to be your producer one day！' such a big complement! 

Anyway, the moral of this article is: i have heard enough about what I should do and what I should not. Some suggestions are very helpful, while some just made me feel burdened and confused. Little thing, you do have a mind, why do not think for yourself? 

I will do everything for love. Form today on, I will only live for love. I have faith in my choice. The feeling is as strong as few years ago I said I love you and burst into tears on the street. I thought I would die for you. You could take me if you ask.  I think the old me have already died for you. 

Except the pain, if I have another choice, I will do the exact same thing for my love. 

I only live for love. I only do things that I love. This is my life. This is my Fate. 

I will do everything for love. 

The light

小囧说，你该尝试写写博客，也许比你想象的花得时间少。

文字是审视自我的过程，是思绪最清晰的线路图。人的意识与潜意识是我最近太喜欢的话题。存在于人们大脑中的概念，内在的状态和客观世界的联系如此的复杂而奇妙。在网上下载了部分NLP的资料，它们让我感慨，让我释然。

生活，对于任何人来说都不是只有顺利和甜美的。2011、11、11果壳的创始人姬十三发表了一篇宏幅征婚启示贴—一个伪极客和创业者的诚意征婚http://www.guokr.com/post/72467/。 我看到忍俊不止。好一个崇尚科学却尝试小概率时间的创始人，一个名声在外却还在为事业拼搏的中年男子，一个注重对方精神内涵又不放低对外貌要求的理想主义者，征婚也要如此洋洋洒洒，他在期待生活中打开的另一扇窗，谁人何尝不是？

我觉得生活给了我足够的窗，目前我该做的是把自己培养成像样的风景。生活无法被拯救，丰富的人有更多权力互相吸引。

在Zach的婚礼上与众多人重逢。我带了J来，心里忐忑着自己这样做的动机。我看到他眼里的锋芒，以及那之后一整晚的冷嘲热讽。在还没开始之前，我们就算是完了。他说你若真是喜欢白人，想要结成像我和Jan一样的夫妇，不妨像我们讨教。Time will tell. 我轻描淡写了自己的落寞。若我能置身事外，一样会嘲笑自己这不合时宜的一厢情愿。

在我流着眼泪听完你的誓言之后，我已经决定放手了。如果我能祝福你，那是因为主让我相信我们有不同的宿命。在遥远之外，我埋葬掉自己的小心思，我只希望你幸福。

回到自己的生活圈，这个星期有几件让人开心的事情，当然也夹杂着几件伤心事。最让我开心的是得到了Prof.D 的中肯，和她通完电话整个人精神的了一圈。Raymond还在帮助，如果能争取到USP的支持，Richard Sgn的亲名认定，就是如虎添翼。虽然和MDA最开始的通话有了冷场，但这是和政府部门打交道的绝好锻炼。

在和mattias一起奋战了好几个晚上之后，CS2100顺利拿了满分。有付出就会有回报的，每次看他学中文的认真劲儿，总是很受鼓舞。

在我来到这个岛国的时候，我觉得生命是一片黑暗，我是带着一颗破碎的心而来。你不必问，关于一个十年的故事。最近隐约感到生命中的光亮。

J说，我能帮你祈祷么？我喜欢他没有压力的声音和笑容。我也喜欢他的故事，那个曾经凭足球赚的名利双收的他，已经谦卑了自己，投于主的怀抱。我开心的，是这些小有成就的人一直就在身边，激励着我前行。

有时会埋怨自己不够优秀。现在学会慢慢放下self-hatred情绪。与其恨自己，不如集中精力继续努力。我已经足够幸运，比如Alvin一如既往的慷慨，周一回和及jerry Ye讨论mobile 公司的事情。比如Eng Tat 提供的Eon实习机会。 我很吃惊的发现NUS内部小圈子的紧密，大家都彼此熟悉。

我知道那光来自己于你，主，我不祈求更多，只想在你的恩赐里完美。

Women in Banking-- Credit Suisse

On monday 17th, I was invited to an event hold by Credit Suisse-- Women in Banking. Have talked to Jefferson, I got a in-depth understanding of different departments of Bank. Roles that people normally talked about like traders, structures, sells makes more sense to me. I was always wondering who are the people in banking, who can become bankers and why some people with high degree in quantitative finance can not even find a job; on the contrary,  people like Geraldine Cox, AM, who claims that she regret she did not obtain a great university degree had once build awesome career in banking.
I believe the world is a very interesting place, and in every region, the social system is much more complex and dynamic for us to explain using a simplified theory. Instead of using chime  academe language, building model, predict and fail, I prefer to understand what is happening intuitively.

Observe yourself, how does your mind work, and how will you choose your daily interaction with people. The concept of self is a great sample for us to test the fact of the world.

During the networking session in Credit Suisse. I begin to find out for banking career, especially private banking, the network is eminently important. Who do you know, who knows you and are you worthy of trust is crucial for every walk of life, every work of career including banking.

Jefferson has advised me that it is better to take a role in investment banking and it is not necessarily for one to be strong in theoretical math to get in. The essence of investment banking is taught, challenging yet create most value and is the most exciting part of banking career. Investment bankers deal with senior management of big enterprise on a daily bases, and therefore their understanding of management and thinking methodology will be vastly different from PB bankers.
Witnessing  the female panelists on board that day, I firmly believe it is true that once you choose a career, you choose a life style. Karen Tan, being a PB banker is much more casual and looks less superb than Lisa, the pretty, skinny, IB professional.

People always wanna know what makes a person successful, and what make a people outstanding. While outstanding and success is a mental thing, rather than visible physical factors can be matured. And the favorable part of this story is we are the one lead our own life. Indeed the success of each individual is embodied in their every moment in life, every movement , choice and experience.

Jerry Ye compare our mind with programming algorithm. True, what makes one successful is ultimately depending on our computing functionality. When we encounter with another instance of 'life', how is our coding functioning to contribute, entertain, engage of  extract useful coding fragment from the other party is what made us, is the essence of our thoughts.

Traveling with D1 NUS shuttle bus, I suddenly feel the notion of 'self' is dissolving. The continuous pain that burned me, like the reason driven me to Singapore, like the conflict between my interest and my major, like the unexplainable up and downs in life, suddenly become crystal clear. I was filled with gratefulness, thinking of the wonderful people I have met in this short life, and the awareness level they brings into my life.

There was a period of vacuum in my brain. All the noises and little talks shuts down. I becomes a open box, empty, waiting for new experience and enlightenment humbly.  The stream of chaos moving around me become subtle, like a image filtered by a SLR Camera.

I am not sure where will I be exactly, and I do not know what will the journey ahead be looked like. While this is what made life beautiful and worth living.
And one more thing is good that I am clear about the direction I am heading to and I believe I am holding the gear. Pray God will bless.

More to look forwards in R/GA, Eon Reality Pte. and a job search in MDA.

 

Testimony for 22 April 2011

Good afternoon everyone. My name is Yolanda, an undergraduate student studying in NUS. Thank you for attending this special event and witness the transformation of two lives.
Before following Christ, my life was nearly ruined by worries and anxiousness. I lived in a huge insecurity. Driven by the fear, I was desperately trying to force event happened in my way, but only end up with frustration and isolation from other people.
The way for me to convert is not easy. I was exposed to God’s word when I was 14, got my first Bible when I was 15 and was brought to know a wonderful group of people before I was 19. However I was so suborned that I turned down HIS calling. I thought God is some backwards concept left by history, and I can be strong enough to rely on scientific discovery and so-called truth. Until last term, I took an introductory model of quantum physics; I began to look at science and the physical world in a brand now perspective. And I begin to realize how limited capability we have as a human being. I saw God reveling himself in every moment of our life. I believe miracles already exist, and He is the only one in power, of almighty.
Today my life as a Christian is becoming more calm, peaceful and full of real joy. I see each and every day as a test of HIM. Problem, troubles, even suffering is no longer that terrifying, because at the end of day, he will provide, he will forgive he still love us as long as we open our heart to him and listen to his word. Grateful I felt, to reunion with the spiritual eternity. Today I offer my life, wait for his calling and pray that he can use me and put me into the place he has already prepared in his bigger plan. “’Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!’ for I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it” (Luke 10: 23-24 )

TCC Pre-review -- Energy and Healing

We’ve heard so much lately about Healing and different kinds of Energy work. Just what is Energy and how can it heal?

Webster’s Dictionary describes Energy as “a vigorous exertion of power”; okay, but how does it work?
How Energy Works

If we go to Quantum Physics, we find that the concept of Energy gets to be quite complicated. Einstein showed us that E=MC , Energy equals Mass times the speed of Light squared. This tells us that Mass and Energy are interchangeable. And that both space and time are not absolute. The most important consequence of this is that Mass is nothing but a form of Energy. So, everything is a form of Energy, objects at rest have stored Energy. Trees, Rocks, Dogs, Water and People are all made up of Energy, in one form or another.

This means that Energy can exist as either solid matter or as non-solid matter, such as a beam of light. Radio waves, microwaves and X-rays are all forms of pure non-solid Energy.
Where Does Energy Come From?

Energy is all around us, everywhere in all different wavelengths and frequencies. From Energies with very short wavelengths like Cosmic Radiation and X-rays to very long wave lengths such as Radio waves and Infra Red waves.

Everyday our bodies are being hit with these Energies from many different sources. We don’t see it but we know it is there.

When we speak, our voice saying words has released sound waves of Energy causing ripples in the air around us. When we think, our brains release wavelengths of Energy.
Can Energy Be Measured?

To the Scientific community, Energy is something measurable with specific instruments to detect for example, heat, light, or cosmic radiation. The Energy used in Healing is equally real, with the measuring device being that exquisitely sensitive one, the human body. Our bodies are receiving stations for Energy and also transmitters of Energy.
About Our Multi-Body System

We are made up of a multi-body system, not just the physical body. We have an Etheric Body, an Emotional Body, a Mental Body and an Astral Body. Things don’t just affect us physically; we are affected on all levels. When we think thoughts, these non-solid forms of Energy go out into our multi system body and greatly affect us.
Healing Balances Energy

We all have storage centers in our bodies that store Energy and Energy patterns. They are called Chakras. We can have Energy Patterns stored from events that happened yesterday as well as from many years ago. Some of these patterns will be happy memories and some of them will be unpleasant and painful memories of something that happened to us. Sometimes we stash them away deep into some recess in our Chakras and in our Auras (the Energy field around us), and try to forget about them, but they don’t really go away. Dis-ease is a manifestation of unbalanced Energy. Healing, then is a way of balancing Energy.
Negative Forms of Energy

Throughout our lives we pick up negative forms of Energy, such as Fear, Doubt, Anger, Judgment, Criticism, Blame and others. Any techniques we find that enable us to let go of these patterns will help to move us toward peace and happiness.

There are many ways to balance your Energy. One approach is A: to become the most complete and loving being you can be. The loving Energy will naturally dissolve the parts of you that are keeping you unbalanced.

Another way of balancing your Energy is through B: 1.Recognition—recognizing the problem. 2. Surrender and Release—putting trust in the highest power, letting go of trying to control how your life will manifest. It is releasing how we think things should be, and knowing that he Divine Source will take control.

If you combine both paths of A: Love and B: the path of Release, you will have the fastest way possible to a balanced, healed state of being.

When a trained energyworker works with you to help balance your Energy, for many, the process of Healing is accelerated.

In the end, I would like to share a slide show from slidshare.com

Trauma and Energy Psychology

Be honest to yourself. Work harder and carry on.

I have just read a dairy of Christy, which give me a lot of inspiration and courage.  She is a really talented person, both from the strength of will and the creativeness of the mind. 

I , on the contrary, might be too willing to follow my own liberal spirit. 

I am still struggling between my major IT and my interest business and media. TCC training will begin on this Friday. I think I am open enough to accept it and put into effort to make courage work. The fist thing I would like to solve is my currently increasing weight. I thought it might because of I am too stressed from my school, and I did not do well in school because my language barrier. I love music, I love business, and I actually likes computing because its philosophical aspect. 

In UWCY2101 class today, we talked about the research paper we are going to work on in the next week. Obviously, my topic is to huge to go on, yet I find I have problem thinking of the small tiny issues. My brian could not process them..... 

I cut down my thesis into something related to alienable rights, and I found the article below. Amazing stuff. 

Hopefully after TCC I will know which trace I would like to pursue. Is it music, or IT. But apparently I like high-end things. I love luxury, sexy commercial as well as elegant, classic academic materials that make you fell so.... Nobel:) Well, well, well, before I could even say that, I think I had better work on my language and comprehension abilities more. And from that point onwards, we could work towards bigger plans.  

The world is a painting of your mind and you have the resource of intelligence inside. 

Here goes the fantastic article.

After read my post : Language, grammar, and sentence shows a lot of how a person work. I guarantee you my dear audience, I will learn more classical and  vintage expression to improve my writings.  
Rives, Eddie, deepak and min, more over NYT, HBR, yeah, there is quite a lot of resources. Back to TR3002 and calculus my dear.

-------------- ------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- ---------------- 

ALIENABLE RIGHTS

(c)1992 Marvin Minsky, M.I.T.

Published in Discover Magazine, July 1993. Also reprinted in Android Epistemology,
edited by Kenneth M. Ford, Clark Glymour, and Patrick J. Hayes, MIT Press

Two interstellar aliens have come to assess the life-forms of Earth.
The human life-forms will be entitled to rights--if the aliens can
conclude that they think. Most such decisions are easy to make--
-- but this case is unusual.

Apprentice: Why are these humans so quarrelsome? Even their so-called entertainments are mostly fights disguised as plays and games and sports.
Surveyor: This is because they were never designed; they evolved by competing with tooth and claw. Evolution on Earth is still mainly based on the competition of separate genes.
Apprentice: Their genetic systems can't yet share their records of accomplishments? How unbelievably primitive! I suppose that keeps them from being concerned with time scales longer than individual lives.
Surveyor: We ought to consider fixing this - but perhaps they will do it themselves. Some of their computer scientists are already simulating 'genetic algorithms' that incorporate acquired characteristics. But speaking of evolution, I hope that you appreciate this unique opportunity. it was pure luck to discover this planet now. We have long believed that all intelligent machines evolved from biologicals, but we have never before observed the actual transition. Soon, these people will replace themselves by machines - or destroy themselves entirely.
Apprentice: What a tragic waste that would be!
Surveyor: Not when you consider the alternative. All machine civilizations like ours have learned to know and fear the exponential spread of uncontrolled self-reproduction. That's why we cower between the galaxies to hide ourselves from living things - just as the human writer Gregory Benford supposed.
Apprentice: But why does the Council consider humans especially dangerous?
Surveyor: Because of their peculiarly short lifetimes. We think that they are so willing to fight because they have so little to lose.
Apprentice: Then why don't they place more importance on attaining immortality? Surely it ought to be easy enough to make all their parts replaceable.
Surveyor: The problem is psychological. They have always assumed that personal death was in the very nature of things. Most of their recorded history describes how their leaders were always inventing imaginary superbeings. Then, instead of trying to solve the hard technical problems, those leaders convinced their followers that simply believing those marvelous tales would endow them with everlasting life - whereas disbelief would be punished by death. Several of their societies would collapse without that threat. There are many things wrong with their reasoning.
Apprentice: You must admit that they've made scientific progress recently.
Surveyor: But how long will that last? They've often advanced and then fallen back. Even now, astrology is more widely believed than astronomy.
Apprentice: Surely, though, we must regard them as intelligent. Despite their faults, they've already built some simple computers - and I've overheard them arguing about whether machines could ever think.
Surveyor: Humph. It is our job to find out if they can think. But I'll grant that it's amazing how much they can do, considering that their brain-cells compute only a few hundred steps per second.
Apprentice: Yet in spite of this they can recognize a friend in less than half a second - or understand a language phrase, or notice that a shoe is untied. How can they react so rapidly when their internal components are so slow?
Surveyor: Obviously, by preparing most of their behavior in advance. It is almost as though they operate by looking up what next to do in a very big instruction book. If each reaction must be based on only a few internal steps, their brains must be dependent on large libraries of programmed rules.
Apprentice: That might explain why they have such large heads. But how do they choose which rule to use?
Surveyor: By using parallel pattern matching. Several times per second, the brain compares the present situation with patterns stored in memory. Then it uses the pattern that matches best to access the reaction script that has most often worked in similar situations.
Apprentice: That must be what their psychologists mean when they speak about "schemes" or "production rules."
Surveyor: Of course, machines like us need not resort to any such coarse-grained pattern tricks. Our S-matrix processors are more than fast enough to examine each memory in full detail. This enables us to focus full attention on each step of the process, with ample time to think about what our minds have recently done. But if humans work the way we think they do, they have no time left for consciousness.
Apprentice: Not a good sign. If we can't conclude that they're self-aware, the Council will find them unworthy of rights. But surely this can't be the case. they talk about consciousness all the time.
Surveyor: Yes, but they use that word improperly. After all, consciousness means knowing what's been happening in your mind. And although humans claim that they're self-aware, they have scarcely a clue about what their minds do. They don't seem to have the faintest idea of how they construct their new ideas, or choose words and form them into sentences. Instead, they say, "Something just occurred to me"- as though someone else had done it to them.
Apprentice: I'm afraid that I have to agree with you. If they have consciousness at all, it seems too shallow to be of much use. But what could have made them evolve that way?
Surveyor: It is because of how they started out. To make up for the slow speed of their neurons, their brains evolved to use parallel distributed processing. In other words, most of their decisions are made by adding up the outputs of thousands of brain cells - and most brain cells are involved in thousands of different types of decisions.
Apprentice: So each operation is distributed over many brain cells? I suppose that helps them keep going when some of the brain cells fail to work.
Surveyor: That's the good news. The bad news is that the trillions of synapses involved in this make it almost impossible for the other parts of their brain to figure out how those decisions are made. So far as their higher level reasoning can tell, those decisions just happen - without any cause.
Apprentice: Is that what they refer as "freedom of will?"
Surveyor: Precisely. It means not knowing what your reasons are. Another bad feature of distributed computers is that they have trouble doing more than one thing at a time. It is a basic principle of computer science that the more interconnections there are between the parts of a system, the fewer different things it will be able to do concurrently.
Apprentice: Pardon me, but I don't follow that. Are you suggesting that the more parallel operations are used inside a machine, the more serial it will seem from outside?
Surveyor: I could not have said it more clearly myself. To see why, suppose that a certain task involves two different kinds of sub-jobs. If we want to do them simultaneously, we'll have to run their programs and their data in two separate places, to keep them from interfering with each other. Similarly, if each of those jobs splits into sub-sub jobs, those must each be solved with only a quarter of the available resources. And so on. Total fragmentation. Eventually the sub-sub-sub jobs will end up with no place to work. A purely parallel machine must stop at some limit of complexity - whereas a serial computer will simply slow down.
Apprentice: That's funny. Most of the computer experts on Earth seem to think that "parallel" and "distributed" go together. Do you suppose that they'll ever evolve out this predicament?
Surveyor: Not by themselves. Of course, we could try to help them along, but I fear there is no simple fix. We'd have to rebuild them from the ground up. I don't think the Council would go for that. No, I am still not convinced that people can think. For example, consider their short-term memory. A typical human has no trouble remembering a local phone number, but if you add an area code, they try desperately to write it down before they forget it. Evidently they can remember seven numbers, but not ten.
Apprentice: Why would they be so limited?
Surveyor: Probably because of their parallel distributed processing. If each mental state is so widely spread out, then each short-term memory unit would have to involve an enormous, octopus-like system of tendrils. No brain could afford to hold many of these.
Apprentice: OK. But why don't healthy humans ever run out of long term memory?
Surveyor: That's simply because they are so slow at learning. They can store away only one or two knowledge-chunks per second - that's only two dozen million chunks per year. There's barely time for a mere billion chunks before their bodies wear out and die.
Apprentice: You keep mentioning death, but why do they consider human lives to be so valuable? The only important thing about an individual is its network of conceptual relationships. Surely they must understand that any copy is just as good as the original.
Surveyor: Apparently you have not grasped the pathos of this tragedy. These creatures still have no ways to copy themselves. They can't even fabricate backup brains in case of fatal accidents. All because they have no good way to represent what they know.
Apprentice: But I thought that they had developed good languages.
Surveyor: Some of their books do embody significant knowledge - but most of them are little more than sequences of fictional anecdotes about conflicts involving what they call love and lust, ambition and greed, and harmony and jealousy. Their so-called novels aren't novel at all but mere permutations of those elements. The trouble is that their time-sequential languages force them to squeeze their parallel structures through narrow-band serial channels.
Apprentice: Serial communication? They seem to have everything upside down. Thinking, of course, should be serial - and communication should be parallel. But how, then, do they convert those sequences back into their original forms?
Surveyor: First they use what they call "grammar" to change them into simple tree-like structures. Then they use certain terms called 'pronouns' to make a few cross-links in those trees. Naturally, this leaves no room for nuances. So they have to decode whatever they hear in terms of things they already know. This can work very well for familiar things but makes it devilishly hard for them to learn anything really new.
Apprentice: But language isn't everything. Shouldn't we give them credit for explaining things with pictures, too? They do seem to have excellent senses.
Surveyor: That was my first impression, too - until I saw that their TV sets use only three electron guns. Of course, this means that they're virtually blind. Not only are they confined to a single octave of optical frequencies, but also within that range they can discriminate only a three-dimensional vector space. They badly need reengineering.
Apprentice: I have another question. Why are these people so huge? Where is their nanotechnology? By all rights they should be smaller than we, in view of their limited memories should - yet we weigh a hundred trillion times less. It is expensive enough to send ourselves on these one-way interstellar voyages, but humans are so massive that it would be unthinkable to send one back - despite all their stories in Weekly World News.
Surveyor: That is just another result of an early wrong turn in evolution. Instead of using assemblers, each animal of planet Earth must build itself from the inside out. So every cell has to contain a complete duplicate of the whole construction mechanism. Then later when the animals got too large to be nourished by diffusion, they had to evolve all those pipes and pumps - which made them grow yet larger still. Another mistake was in using energy-intensive forms of computation - instead of thermally reversible S-matrix logic. This made them need more structures for disposing of heat.
Apprentice: Which in turn made them need to find additional fuel to replace all that wasted energy. What frightful inefficiency!
Surveyor: The extraction beam will scan us soon, so I'm afraid it is time to wrap this up. Are you ready to summarize your impressions?
Apprentice: If they suspected that we were here, they'd insist that we recognize all sorts of rights. Freedom of speech and privacy. Freedoms from want, pain, and fear. And freedom to think whatever they wish, no matter what the evidence! Most of these make no sense to me, but I'm still inclined to support them - because I feel that humans have done well, in spite of all their handicaps. And your conclusions?
Surveyor: They do have virtues despite their faults. But it would be unthinkable to allow them in their present form to populate the universe. So I'll recommend certain changes.
Apprentice: What sorts of changes?
Surveyor: There is no need to explain that now, because we'll soon merge minds with the Council. Now hold still. here comes the transfer ray. Be sure to set your shell to disperse as soon as the beam has scanned us - in order not to pollute this world with any redundant intelligence.
Marvin Minsky is the Toshiba Professor of Media Arts and Sciences at M.I.T, and author of "The Society of Mind," (Simon and Schuster), and "Computation: Finite and Infinite Machines," (Prentice-Hall). There is more about future intelligent machines in his novel, "The Turing Option" (Warner Books) co-authored with Harry Harrison.