An e-mail to the White House


Engineering
Hannele Tervola
2. tammikuuta 2008 11:14
Vastaanottajat: comments@whitehouse.gov

Dear Sirs,
I have heard that just about all mathematics has been put to computers which can also develop new results. So human workers are no longer needed in pure mathematics, except in checking what the computers have counted. But the human workers make much more errors than the computers, so having several independent computers would be much better than having human mathematicians. Several types of work have been put to machines entirely: no-one digs a ditch with a shovel anymore if there is a tractor available… Similarly there should be no need to do most of the mathematics in human minds.
This is an important thing to notice since if one takes a look at any engineering book, one notices that it is full of mathematics: most of the demanding engineering work could be put to computers too: just make programs which in a case A do the calculations of type 1 and in case B do the calculations of type 2, etc. This could speed up the development of technology noticeably and make it much cheaper.
One advantage of this is that humans would no longer need to compete with machines, instead they could live in ways which suit humans better, concentrating on the guiding of the machines and of the world at large. This way one could also get rid of the terrorists like Unabomber who resist the artificialitiness of mathematical kind of working life.
One possible consequence of putting engineering work to computers is that one could maybe program the scientificial picture of the world to computers too. That can be scary: would the computers then have too much might without any real understanding of the world and without any force to guide what they do. There is at least one thought of mine that could cure such a threath: the computers could be programmed to be goal oriented, in other words optimisation oriented. Then they would want to get the most out of their relationship with the rest of the world. That means an allegiancy (see this as a vector sum) with the full health of the rest of the world since that gives the best funtioning, the strongest working force. An allegiancy with both the natural goals of humans and with the factors which keep up the full working ability (= the same goals) of humans gives the strongest force for any goal other than opposing humans as a value in itself. Feelings can be seen as a part of full health, as a force which safeguards the health of individuals, of the society and of the living environment as a whole, so they too would be protected by this computer logic of optimisation.
Thus I would like to recommend this road of putting just about all engineering work to computers.
With best wishes, Hannele Tervola, Finland, European Union


(ei aihetta) Postilaatikko
comments@whitehouse.gov
2. tammikuuta 2008 11:14
Vastaanottajat: hannele.tervola@gmail.com

On behalf of President Bush, thank you for your correspondence.

We appreciate hearing your views and welcome your suggestions.

Due to the large volume of e-mail received, the White House cannot respond to every message.

Thank you again for taking the time to write.