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From: "Richard L. Lee" <r.lee@chime.ucl.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: Does life imply intelligence?
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>Life does not imply intelligence: Intelligence does not imply life.
>
Is that a fact?  Not even an -implication-?


This resolves down to definitions of Life and Intelligence.

Is an amoeba smarter than a rock? Is that a silly question?

I would argue for a sliding scale of intelligence, where intelligence is the potential for 
complexity of action/reaction. As an amoeba has some limit abilities of action/reaction it has 
some, minute amount of intelligence. An intelligent light bulb is a light bulb that reacts to 
your presence by switchin on, whereas a normal bumb light bulb will not.

An intelligent dog is one with more tricks; one than learns faster.

An intelligent human is one with more knowledge; better skills; thinks quicker; and invents. I 
do not think of intelligence so much as a thing that is, or is not there, but may be present 
to some degree.

For intelligence, substitute smartness.

As for the "Intelligence does not imply life", if life is only reproductive capabilities, then 
yes, true. 

Richard Lee.

