Post by José on Sept 20, 2015 19:18:47 GMT
Creating Life
The mad mathematician was his nickname in school. At the age of 9, like any other child, his mind was full of wonder and imagination. Although in Jean’s case it was mostly imagination. This imagination would take him as far as his mind would allow him to go. Sometimes though only as far as the grown-ups in his life would allow him to go. You see, Jean was also an Altar Boy at The Sacred Family church (a Roman Catholic church in Los Angeles, CA).
While serving as an Altar Boy, he asked the priest a very simple question one day, “If Jesus is God, and God created Adam and Eve does that mean that Jesus created Adam and Eve? And if so then, Adam and Eve weren’t the first humans.” The priest’s response would shape Jean for the rest of his life. “You don’t ask those types of questions Jean!” Jean’s life at church remained the same. Never being allowed to ask questions about the church’s teachings. Although he continued attending church (against his will), he always had doubts.
Outside of the church, Jean loved math and science. He enjoyed destroying electronics and creating new inventions. In sixth grade, he discovered Lady Lovelace. He had a poster in his bedroom wall that read, “ The Analytical Engine has no pretensions to originate anything. It can do whatever we know how to order it to perform.” With this in mind he would destroy others’ creations and create his own. Jean invented a clock out of a pencil box, took it to his teacher in school and later was arrested for it. The teacher saw the clock as a threat.
As the years went by Jean became more intrigued with math, science and the possibility of creating life. He wondered if he alone, could create an Adam and Eve. In High School he became a big fan of Alan Turing. While working on a research paper, he came across one of Turing’s papers, Computing Machinery and Intelligence.
In Computing Machinery and Intelligence, Turing questions whether a computer can think for itself and if so, could it fool a human. Jean was very intrigued by these ideas. He was also intrigued by the opposing views that Turing conjured up himself, as possible opposing views to those of his own. One of those views, the Theological Objection, “ Thinking is a function of man’s immortal soul. God has given an immortal soul to every man and woman, but not any other animal or to machines. Hence no animal or machine can think.”
For Jean, that statement brought back memories of his childhood as an Altar Boy. If God indeed gave him this thinking machine and the priest was telling him not to think, couldn’t he then think and think again to prove the priest wrong. To be able to conjure up a machine that could have a soul. Besides, who says animals don’t have souls? Jane Goodall has proven chimps to have a soul! Dian Fossey also proved that gorillas have a soul!
Years went by, Jean went out to several different universities receiving many degrees, top honors and awards, becoming a Mathematician, Computer Scientist and philosopher. On his 48th birthday after working for many years inventing and creating computer programs, he unveiled Rosie to the world.
Rosie was the first robot ever to be able to think, observe, construe, assess and make decisions on her own. Rosie was caring and showed emotions. Rosie not only completed tasks such as housekeeping and cooking but also decided when it was needed. Rosie became a part of Jean’s family. Jean was finally able to create life out of metal scraps. Jean, similar to Richard Feynman was able to give, “Ode to the Flower”.
While serving as an Altar Boy, he asked the priest a very simple question one day, “If Jesus is God, and God created Adam and Eve does that mean that Jesus created Adam and Eve? And if so then, Adam and Eve weren’t the first humans.” The priest’s response would shape Jean for the rest of his life. “You don’t ask those types of questions Jean!” Jean’s life at church remained the same. Never being allowed to ask questions about the church’s teachings. Although he continued attending church (against his will), he always had doubts.
Outside of the church, Jean loved math and science. He enjoyed destroying electronics and creating new inventions. In sixth grade, he discovered Lady Lovelace. He had a poster in his bedroom wall that read, “ The Analytical Engine has no pretensions to originate anything. It can do whatever we know how to order it to perform.” With this in mind he would destroy others’ creations and create his own. Jean invented a clock out of a pencil box, took it to his teacher in school and later was arrested for it. The teacher saw the clock as a threat.
As the years went by Jean became more intrigued with math, science and the possibility of creating life. He wondered if he alone, could create an Adam and Eve. In High School he became a big fan of Alan Turing. While working on a research paper, he came across one of Turing’s papers, Computing Machinery and Intelligence.
In Computing Machinery and Intelligence, Turing questions whether a computer can think for itself and if so, could it fool a human. Jean was very intrigued by these ideas. He was also intrigued by the opposing views that Turing conjured up himself, as possible opposing views to those of his own. One of those views, the Theological Objection, “ Thinking is a function of man’s immortal soul. God has given an immortal soul to every man and woman, but not any other animal or to machines. Hence no animal or machine can think.”
For Jean, that statement brought back memories of his childhood as an Altar Boy. If God indeed gave him this thinking machine and the priest was telling him not to think, couldn’t he then think and think again to prove the priest wrong. To be able to conjure up a machine that could have a soul. Besides, who says animals don’t have souls? Jane Goodall has proven chimps to have a soul! Dian Fossey also proved that gorillas have a soul!
Years went by, Jean went out to several different universities receiving many degrees, top honors and awards, becoming a Mathematician, Computer Scientist and philosopher. On his 48th birthday after working for many years inventing and creating computer programs, he unveiled Rosie to the world.
Rosie was the first robot ever to be able to think, observe, construe, assess and make decisions on her own. Rosie was caring and showed emotions. Rosie not only completed tasks such as housekeeping and cooking but also decided when it was needed. Rosie became a part of Jean’s family. Jean was finally able to create life out of metal scraps. Jean, similar to Richard Feynman was able to give, “Ode to the Flower”.
