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Experience Machine
The experience machine or pleasure machine is a thought experiment put forward by philosopher Robert Nozick in his 1974 book ''Anarchy, State, and Utopia''. It is an attempt to refute ethical hedonism by imagining a choice between everyday reality and an apparently preferable simulated reality. A primary thesis of hedonism is that "pleasure is the good", which leads to the argument that any component of life that is not pleasurable does nothing directly to increase one's well-being. This is a view held by many value theorists, but most famously by some classical utilitarians. Nozick attacks the thesis by means of a thought experiment. If he can show that there is something other than pleasure that has value and thereby increases well-being, then hedonism is refuted. The thought experiment Nozick describes a machine that could provide whatever desirable or pleasurable experiences a subject could want. In this thought experiment, psychologists have figured out a way to stimulate ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thought Experiment
A thought experiment is an imaginary scenario that is meant to elucidate or test an argument or theory. It is often an experiment that would be hard, impossible, or unethical to actually perform. It can also be an abstract hypothetical that is meant to test our intuitions about morality or other fundamental philosophical questions. History The ancient Greek , "was the most ancient pattern of mathematical proof", and existed before Euclidean geometry, Euclidean mathematics, where the emphasis was on the conceptual, rather than on the experimental part of a thought experiment. Johann Witt-Hansen established that Hans Christian Ørsted was the first to use the equivalent German term . Ørsted was also the first to use the equivalent term in 1820. By 1883, Ernst Mach used in a different sense, to denote exclusively the conduct of a experiment that would be subsequently performed as a by his students. Physical and mental experimentation could then be contrasted: Mach asked hi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brainstorm (1983 Film)
''Brainstorm'' is a 1983 American science fiction film directed by Douglas Trumbull, and starring Christopher Walken, Natalie Wood (in her final film role), Louise Fletcher, and Cliff Robertson. It follows a research team's efforts to perfect a system that directly records and replays the sensory experiences and emotional feelings of a subject, and the efforts by the company's management to exploit the device for military ends. After a researcher records her own death from a heart attack, her colleagues join forces to retrieve the information and play it back. Plot Scientists invent a brain–computer interface that records sensations from a person's brain on tape for others to experience. The team includes estranged husband and wife Michael and Karen, as well as Michael's colleague Lillian. At CEO Alex's instruction, the team demonstrates the device to investors to gain financing. Karen dons the recorder while working with Michael and Lillian. When Michael plays the tape back ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Simulation Hypothesis
The simulation hypothesis proposes that what one experiences as the real world is actually a simulated reality, such as a computer simulation in which humans are constructs. There has been much debate over this topic in the Philosophy, philosophical discourse, and regarding practical applications in computing. In 2003, philosopher Nick Bostrom proposed the simulation argument, which suggested that if a civilization became capable of creating conscious simulations, it could generate so many simulated beings that a randomly chosen conscious entity would almost certainly be in a simulation. This argument presents a trilemma: either such simulations are ''not'' created because of technological limitations or self-destruction; or advanced civilizations ''choose'' not to create them; or if advanced civilizations do create them, the number of simulations would far exceed base reality and we would therefore almost certainly be living in one. This assumes that consciousness is not uniquely ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Metaverse
The metaverse is a loosely defined term referring to virtual worlds in which users represented by avatars interact, usually in 3D and focused on social and economic connection. The term ''metaverse'' originated in the 1992 science fiction novel '' Snow Crash'' as a portmanteau of " meta" and "universe". In ''Snow Crash'', the metaverse is envisioned as a version of the Internet that is a single, universal, and immersive virtual world, facilitated by the use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) headsets. The term "metaverse" is often linked to virtual reality technology, and beginning in the early 2020s, with Web3. The term has been used as a buzzword by companies to exaggerate the development progress of various related technologies and projects for public relations purposes. Information privacy, user addiction, and user safety are concerns within the metaverse, stemming from challenges facing the social media and video game industries as a whole. History ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hedonism
Hedonism is a family of Philosophy, philosophical views that prioritize pleasure. Psychological hedonism is the theory that all human behavior is Motivation, motivated by the desire to maximize pleasure and minimize pain. As a form of Psychological egoism, egoism, it suggests that people only help others if they expect a personal benefit. Axiological hedonism is the view that pleasure is the sole source of Intrinsic value (ethics), intrinsic value. It asserts that other things, like knowledge and money, only have value insofar as they produce pleasure and reduce pain. This view divides into quantitative hedonism, which only considers the intensity and duration of pleasures, and qualitative hedonism, which identifies quality as another relevant factor. The closely related position of prudential hedonism states that pleasure and pain are the only factors of well-being. Ethical hedonism applies axiological hedonism to morality, arguing that people have a moral obligation, moral dut ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brain In A Vat
In philosophy, the brain in a vat (BIV) is a scenario used in a variety of thought experiments intended to draw out certain features of human conceptions of knowledge, reality, truth, mind, consciousness, and Meaning (philosophy of language), meaning. Gilbert Harman conceived the scenario, which Hilary Putnam turned into a modernized version of René Descartes's evil demon thought experiment. Following many science fiction stories, the scenario involves a mad scientist who might remove a person's brain from the body, suspend it in a vat of life-sustaining liquid, and brain–computer interface, connect its neurons by wires to a supercomputer that would provide it with action potential, electrical impulses identical to those a brain normally receives. According to such stories, the computer would then be simulated reality, simulating reality (including appropriate responses to the brain's own output) and the "disembodied" brain would continue to have perfectly normal conscious exp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Biohappiness
Biohappiness, or bio-happiness, is the elevation of well-being in humans and other animals through biological methods, including germline engineering through screening embryos with genes associated with a high level of happiness, or the use of drugs intended to raise baseline levels of happiness. The object is to facilitate the achievement of a state of "better than well". Proponents of biohappiness include the transhumanist philosopher David Pearce, whose goal is to end the suffering of all sentient beings and the Canadian ethicist Mark Alan Walker. Walker coined the term "bio-happiness" to describe the idea of directly manipulating the biological roots of happiness in order to increase it. He sought to defend it on the grounds that happiness ought to be of interest to a wide range of moral theorists; and that hyperthymia, a state of high baseline happiness, is associated with better outcomes in health and human achievement. Potential risks A significant danger of bio happine ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Virtual Revolution
''Virtual Revolution'' (also known as ''2047: Virtual Revolution'') is a 2016 independent cyberpunk film directed and written by Guy-Roger Duvert in his directorial debut, and starring Mike Dopud, Jane Badler, Jochen Hägele and Maximilien Poullein. The film is set in a dystopian Neo Paris in which people have embraced virtual reality completely. Plot In 2047, more than 75% of the population, known as the Connected, spend the majority of their lives living in online virtual games (called verses). The world is dominated by a few corporations, and politicians are happy to keep the masses docile through online games. After 148 gamers are killed in a computer virus attack perpetrated by terrorist group Necromancers, Synternis Corporation operative Dina hires shadow agent Nash to track and eliminate the attackers. Nash spends half his time online and is haunted by the death of his love Helena in a virus attack a few years back. Nash recruits a hacker, Morel, Helena's brother, to hack se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Inception
''Inception'' is a 2010 science fiction action heist film written and directed by Christopher Nolan, who also produced it with Emma Thomas, his wife. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a professional thief who steals information by infiltrating the subconscious of his targets. He is offered a chance to have his criminal history erased as payment for the implantation of another person's idea into a target's subconscious. The ensemble cast includes Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Elliot Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Dileep Rao, and Michael Caine. After the 2002 completion of ''Insomnia'', Nolan presented to Warner Bros. a written 80-page treatment for a horror film envisioning "dream stealers," based on lucid dreaming. Deciding he needed more experience before tackling a production of this magnitude and complexity, Nolan shelved the project and instead worked on 2005's ''Batman Begins'', 2006's '' The Prestige'', and 2008's ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Christopher Nolan
Sir Christopher Edward Nolan (born 30 July 1970) is a British and American filmmaker. Known for his Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbusters with complex storytelling, he is considered a leading filmmaker of the 21st century. Christopher Nolan filmography, Nolan's films have earned over $6.6 billion worldwide, making him the List of highest-grossing film directors, seventh-highest-grossing film director. List of awards and nominations received by Christopher Nolan, His accolades include two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award and two British Academy Film Awards. Nolan was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2019, and received a Knight Bachelor, knighthood in 2024 for his contributions to film. Nolan developed an interest in filmmaking from a young age. After studying English literature at University College London, he made several short films before his feature film debut with ''Following'' (1998). Nolan ga ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Minor Characters In The Matrix Series
This is a list of characters from ''The Matrix'' franchise universe. Many of the characters listed here have names reflecting certain aspects of them, such as their status, personality, or role. Introduced in ''The Matrix'' Apoc Apoc (played by Julian Arahanga) is a crew member of the ''Nebuchadnezzar'' in ''The Matrix''. He is murdered by Cypher when the latter forcibly unplugs Apoc's connection to the Matrix in the real world, killing him instantly. Agent Brown and Agent Jones Choi and DuJour Choi (played by Marc Gray) is assumedly a bluepill who appears in the first movie buying illegal software from Neo, for which Choi pays $2,000 in cash. Choi, his Liquid latex, latex-clad girlfriend DuJour (played by Ada Nicodemou), and several unnamed and unspeaking friends arrive at Neo's door after he had been mysteriously told to "follow the white rabbit" through his computer. When Neo notices that Dujour has a tattoo of a white rabbit on the back of her left shoulder, he accepts ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Agent Smith
Agent Smith (later simply Smith) is a fictional character and the main antagonist of ''The Matrix'' franchise. The character was primarily portrayed by Hugo Weaving in the first trilogy of films and voiced by Christopher Corey Smith in '' The Matrix: Path of Neo'' (2005), with Ian Bliss and Gideon Emery playing his human form, Bane, in the films and ''Path of Neo'' respectively. He also makes a cameo in the anime film '' The Animatrix'' (2003), voiced by Matt McKenzie. Jonathan Groff and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II portray Smith in '' The Matrix Resurrections'' (2021), the latter playing Morpheus in a dual role. In 2008, Agent Smith was selected by ''Empire'' as the 84th Greatest Movie Character of All Time. In 2013, Weaving reprised the role for a General Electric advertisement. He is considered to be the archenemy of Neo, the main protagonist of the story. Overview Smith began as an Agent, an AI program in the Matrix programmed to keep order within the system by terminat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
