I have changed a lot over the years as a result of my experiences and change hasn't stopped. I am always learning and growing. It's part of being human.

Yes, English is my second language. It took a lot of time and effort for me to learn it. I certainly found it satisfying. I agree that things that come easily to me are not as satisfying.

Scientists have uncovered evidence showing that some neurons in the hippocampus are renewed, but only at a rate of 1.75% annually, according to a 2013 study in Cell. And some types of neurons within the striatum also regenerate, according to a 2014 study in Cell. But other types of neurons stay with a person for their entire lifetime, Bergmann said. And even the distinct cell populations that can rejuvenate are not replaced entirely, but only partly over a lifetime, he said.

- https://www.livescience.com/33179-does-human-body-replace-cells-seven-years.html

After the early period of growth, suicide, and pruning comes to an end, adult neurons survive for a lifetime.

and

Plus, unlike those of fish, amphibians, and reptiles, human brains don’t regenerate much after injury because only a small number of neurons are born during adulthood.

- https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/05/a-tour-of-the-growing-brain-complete-with-upside-down-vision

You'll move on from that, too. You know the stages of mourning? It's like that: eventually, you reach acceptance, make peace with the way of things, and just do what good you can in your small sphere of influence. — Vera Mont

I hope you are right. I have been stuck in depression for a long time. I am not going to go into all the gory details of the last 42 years as I don't want to traumatise others.

I see your point. Games are certainly more enjoyable to watch if it's a close call. It keeps us on edge, trying to guess who will win.

I disagree. I do appreciate things I don't work for. I appreciate oxygen, sunlight and gravity even though I don't work for any of these things that are vital to our existence.

Thank you. I agree.

I see. I despair.

What about religious terrorists who kill people who don't share their beliefs? I agree that we do go to war over all the things you mentioned. I tried for many years to convert pre-vegans to veganism but I failed. Most people are selfish and don't care about the suffering and deaths they cause to sentient organisms. That's why 99.6% of humans currently alive are not vegan. I can't even blame the pre-vegans due to hard determinism. If I had the genes, environments, nutrients, and experiences of the pre-vagans I would remain a pre-vegan, too. Aren't you upset about all the suffering, inequality, injustice, and death in the world?

Even non-violent conflicts can be problematic. Violence is not the only way to cause harm. How can we prevent all harm?

Lots of things are outside our control. I tried to be stoical about it but I failed. Perhaps I failed because I am currently depressed. I scored 23/27 on https://patient.info/doctor/patient-health-questionnaire-phq-9 today.

Yes, it is tricky.

Thank you for your thoughtful post. I don't have a problem with having a diversity of opinions. What I have a problem with is how living things are treated. I would like all living things to be nonconsumers, but that is impossible. So, I am a vegan. I think everyone should be a vegan but everyone does not agree with this view. I think the Earth should be one egalitarian country where religions and government are separate. However, everyone does not share my view. While I don't murder people over having different views there are those who do. I am upset about all suffering, inequality, injustice, and death but no matter how helpful I am, I can't make all living things forever happy. I have saved and improved many lives but I can't save and improve all lives - I find this very distressing.

I agree. Thank you for explaining.

You may be right. Do you have inner peace?

I think so too. It is difficult not to agree with that. Interestingly, as I'm finding to be common, we may arrive at that belief following (at least slightly) divergent paths. — ENOAH

That's interesting. Which path led you to this conclusion?

Thank you for your apology - I was not blaming you. Could anyone really have made a different choice in the past than the choice they made? I don't think so. I think our choices arise out of the interactions of our genes, environments, nutrients, and experiences and we are not truly praiseworthy or blameworthy.

we cannot imagine that her life has value. — ENOAH

I have never said that. I have never even thought that. What I said is that it would be very difficult for them to live if they lacked the capacity to see, hear, taste, touch and smell from the womb to adulthood.

I think the life of all living things has value. I became a vegan 18 years ago because I didn't want to cause suffering and death to sentient organisms.

I agree.

I am glad no such person actually exists. It would be very hard for them to live.

I think there are unconscious dynamics involved in thought. — Nemo2124

Thoughts occur in the brain through a complex interaction of neurons and their networks, involving various brain regions, neurotransmitters, and biological processes. The exact mechanisms are still a subject of ongoing research and debate, but here’s a general overview of how thoughts are believed to be generated:

1. Neural Activity
Thought processes are primarily associated with the activity of neurons, the brain's nerve cells. Neurons communicate with each other through electrical impulses and chemical signals (neurotransmitters). Each neuron connects to thousands of other neurons, forming extensive networks that are the basis for all brain functions, including thinking.

2. Brain Regions Involved
Prefrontal Cortex: This front part of the brain is highly involved in complex cognitive behavior, personality expression, decision making, and moderating social behavior. It plays a critical role in planning complex cognitive behavior and in the expression of thoughts.
Temporal Lobes: These areas of the brain are involved in processing sensory input and are important for understanding language, forming memories, and connecting emotions and senses.
Parietal Lobes: These help in processing sensory information and are key to spatial orientation and navigation, which are important for abstract thinking and reasoning.
Occipital Lobes: Primarily associated with visual processing, these areas are also linked with visual aspects of thought, like imagining or recalling images.
Cerebellum and Basal Ganglia: These structures contribute to coordination and smoothing of thought processes, akin to their roles in smoothing and coordinating motor activity.
3. Role of Neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters are chemicals in the brain that transmit signals from one neuron to another. Different neurotransmitters are associated with different aspects of thought:

Dopamine: Often linked with motivation and reward feelings, influencing focus and attention.
Serotonin: Plays roles in mood regulation, which can affect the overall tone and quality of thoughts.
Acetylcholine: Important for attention and arousal, influencing learning and short-term memory.
Glutamate and GABA: Primary excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters in the brain, crucial for balancing activation and relaxation necessary for smooth thought processes.
4. Cognitive Processes
Thinking involves several cognitive processes, including perception, memory, language understanding, and problem-solving. Thoughts can be triggered by external sensory stimuli or internal cues such as emotions or memories. The integration of information from these various sources allows for the formation of thoughts.

5. Formation and Flow of Thoughts
Thoughts can arise from conscious attention or unconscious processes. The brain continuously processes sensory information and internal states even without conscious focus, contributing to spontaneous or background thought generation.
Thoughts are not isolated but are part of a continuous stream of consciousness, influenced by past experiences, knowledge, current goals, and future anticipations.
6. Neuroplasticity
The brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life, known as neuroplasticity, allows for the continuous development and refinement of thought patterns. Learning and experience lead to changes in these connections, affecting how thoughts are generated and processed.

In summary, thoughts are the result of highly complex and dynamic interactions within the brain's neural networks. They are influenced by various factors, including biological, environmental, and experiential elements. The ongoing research in neuroscience continues to unravel the intricacies of how thoughts are formed and manifest in the brain. — ChatGPT 4

I agree with ChatGPT 4.

I know that the Artificial Intelligence we currently have e.g. Chat GPT 4 are not and don't claim to be conscious. I am talking about Artificial General Intelligence and Artificial Super Intelligence that may exist in the future which may become conscious. How would we tell if they are truly conscious given the fact that we can't truly know if another human is actually conscious or is actually a philosophical zombie?

Thank you. The key problem with AI is how would we know if the AI is conscious given the fact that we can't tell which human is conscious and which human is a philosophical zombie - if any.

As they won't be able to learn any language, we are not going to know what kind of thoughts or values the hypothetical baby will develop - if any. If they make up their own unique language, we won't be able to translate it. We can try to infer emotions based on facial expressions and body language but I don't know if that would be accurate. We can try to infer values based on actions but again I don't know if that would be accurate.

I agree.

I imagine the hallucination would involve proprioception. I don't know. I am spitballing here.

We can imagine what it may be like for a newborn baby without any sensory perceptions. Even if he or she does not have any capacity to see, hear, smell, touch and taste he or she could still have proprioception. It's possible that his or her brain would hallucinate to fill the sensory gap.

I didn't say we can eliminate the idea of simulation. We could be aliens experiencing a simulation of what it is like to be a human on Earth. Death could be the exit from this simulation.

Looks like I didn't understand him.

I was speaking about myself - not about a foetus. If I suddenly became unable to touch, smell, hear, taste and see I would still be able to think and have emotions and have a personality and have values. I don't know if the same is true for a foetus and a newborn baby that is unable to touch, smell, hear, taste and see.

I don't know. I have never met a human without the capacity to touch, smell, hear, taste and see. If a zygote was so defective that the foetus did not have any capacity to touch, smell, hear, taste and see and after birth, the baby continued to be like this we could study how such a baby grows and develops. As far as I know, such a baby has never been born. I could speculate what it may be like for such a baby to grow into an adult but that would be pure speculation - not facts.

How do you know this? Do you have any research that you can cite as evidence?

Thanks for the welcome. The true nature of the self, to keep it brief, is the being that exists in the mind prior to any sense perception. In other words, there is no self without sense perception of the world.

You are most welcome. Why would there be no self without sensory perception of the world? If I am unable to touch, smell, hear, taste and see would my sense of self disappear? I doubt it. I would still be able to think and have emotions and have a personality and have values.

Please see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTNvcy5LZPo where Elon Musk explains why he thinks we are living in a simulation. I don't agree with him.

Thank you very much for answering my questions and the link. I learned something new which is great.

I far as I can tell, neither quantum mechanics nor macroscopic determinism makes us free from determinants and constraints. How can we have justice when we are not free from determinants and constraints? If a criminal could not have refrained from breaking the law, is it right to punish him or her for breaking the law? If a law-abiding person cannot help being law-abiding, is it right to reward him or her for not breaking the law? Could anyone really have made a different choice in the past than the choice they made? I don't think so. I think our choices arise out of the interactions of our genes, environments, nutrients, and experiences and we are not truly praiseworthy or blameworthy.

Quoting ChatGPT 4:

Monozygotic twins, often called identical twins, originate from the same fertilized egg that splits into two embryos. This shared origin means that they start with the same genetic material. However, saying they are completely genetically identical throughout their lives is an oversimplification due to several factors:

1. Mutations During Development
As the cells of the embryos divide and grow, small mutations can occur. These mutations might be different between the two twins, leading to slight genetic differences as they develop.

2. Epigenetic Differences
While the DNA sequence itself may be very similar, the way this genetic information is expressed can differ due to epigenetic changes. Epigenetics involves modifications that affect gene expression without altering the DNA sequence itself. Factors such as environment, lifestyle, and different experiences can lead to epigenetic changes that differ between the twins, influencing how their genes are expressed.

3. Somatic Mosaicism
Somatic mosaicism refers to the occurrence of two or more genetically different cell lines within the same individual, caused by mutations that occur after fertilization and during cell division. This can also happen independently in each twin, leading to differences between them.

4. Copy Number Variations
Small differences in the number of copies of certain genes can emerge during the early stages of embryonic development after the initial zygotic split. These variations can lead to further genetic divergence between monozygotic twins.

5. Environmental Influences
Even in the womb, monozygotic twins can experience different environments. For example, they might have different positions in the uterus or slightly different nourishment from the placenta. These subtle environmental differences can influence their development, both physically and potentially at the genetic expression level.

While monozygotic twins are genetically very similar compared to other siblings, they are not absolutely identical. The small genetic differences that can arise are typically not significant enough to affect the fact that they are more similar to each other than to anyone else, but these differences can be important in the context of medical research, forensic analysis, and understanding how genes and the environment interact to shape individuals.

I am both a pragmatist and an empiricist. They are not mutually exclusive.

I am a pragmatist - no point wasting time on untestable ideas.

Yes, indeed.

We create simulated worlds e.g. in weather simulations and computer games. People have dreams and hallucinations. Visual illusions are also common. Elon Musk thinks that our perceived world is a simulation created by our descendants. I wish we knew more.

It's ok. Please don't worry about it.