philosophy of computation

Dean W. Ball @deanwball · 5h: Consider the opening passage of Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (SICP, Abelson/Sussman, 1984): "Computational processes are abstract beings that inhabit computers. As they evolve, processes manipulate other abstract things called data. The evolution of a process is directed by a pattern of rules called a program. People create programs to direct processes. In effect, we conjure the spirits of the computer with our spells. A computational process is indeed much like a sorcerer's idea of a spirit. It cannot be seen or touched. It is not composed of matter at all. However, it is very real. It can perform intellectual work. It can answer questions. It can affect the world by disbursing money at a bank or by controlling a robot arm in a factory. The programs we use to conjure processes are like a sorcerer's spells." This could be the message a new user sees when they first boot up Claude Code and it would be a more useful source of guidance and inspiration than 99% of "Here's How To Use Agents" content. What more, really, do you need? > [Quoted, Dean W. Ball @deanwball · 5h] > similarly: the prose of kernighan and ritchie, abelson and sussman, and the like will come to occupy a kind of hammurabian status in the future x.com/nabeelqu/statu... [truncated]

Michael Timothy Bennett ✓ @MiTiBennett my thesis so far. [Image: table of contents] 1. Foreword and Chapter Summaries — 5 2. Some Philosophy — 33 3. What the F*ck Is Artificial General Intelligence? — 55 4. Computational Dualism — 71 5. Wow, Everything Is Computer — 77 6. Turtles All The Way Down — 85 7. Master, What Is My Purpose? — 95 5:11 AM · Apr 8, 2025 · 3,242 Views