The Improbable Machine

In this witty, insightful exploration of the human mind, Campbell begins with the discoveries made in recent decades by artificial intelligence researchers trying to create a machine that can duplicate the functions of the mind. He argues that today's computers were created according to a faulty theory--that the mind is a logic machine. He demonstrates that worldliness is the essence of the human mind; that experience, not logic, is the governing characteristic of our minds; and that there are worldly reasons why this experience is organized and made accessible in seemingly illogical patterns. Campbell describes how recent artificial intelligence researchers have changed direction, are seeking to understand how the mind really works, and are trying to create computers that more closely mimic human intelligence. ISBN 0-671-65711-9: $19.95.