Entries in the 'Science' Category

Questions without Answers

198I think that when we know that we actually do live in uncertainty, then we ought to admit it; it is of great value to realize that we do not know the answers to different questions (Richard Feynman, theoretical physicist).

Question: What can you say about this?

Answer: We exist in some volume of nature, but we do not even know the part we live in and are in contact with. Therefore, it is difficult to say what else we need to discover in order to answer the questions: Who are we?, What are we?, Where are we?, and so on. There are many questions, but practically no answers.

The further we develop, the more questions we have. Even the answers that we received earlier, today seem to be somehow incomplete, implicit, and unclear. This is how we live.

Question: Why is a person given the feeling that there is something concealed from him?

Answer: Animals also have this. They also exist in a world that is not entirely clear to them.

But for humans, this is more in the area of cognition. Here, of course, we cannot compare with animals; we have many more questions, theoretical ones at that, emanating not from our being, but from our mind, our development, out of its incompleteness and inferiority. But still, we somehow cope with it.
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From KabTV’s “Kabbalah Express” 11/27/23

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There Is No Absence in Spirituality

537You already know that there is no absence in the spiritual, and that transference from place to place does not mean becoming absent from the first place and arriving at the next place, as in corporeality. Rather, they remain in the first place even after they have moved and arrived at the next place, as though lighting one candle from another, without the first being deficient (Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to the Science of Kabbalah”).

In spirituality, there is no moving from place to place. Everything that is in its place can also change and move to another without leaving the previous one.

Comment: Now even quantum physicists have discovered that electrons can be in different places at the same time.

My Response: This is not the same thing. In spirituality there is no transition from a past place to another or reproduction, as is possible in our world. It is just that the property of each spiritual object is such that it does not disappear from where it once was, but generates another state from itself.

Comment: For example, in one of the articles, Baal HaSulam gives an example of water that can freeze or evaporate, i.e., change its properties.

Answer: Yes, but these are aggregate states; however, the essence does not change.
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From KabTV’s “Preface to the Wisdom of Kabbalah” 11/7/23

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The Rise of Artificial Intelligence

959Question: Today, artificial intelligence is replacing vast areas of human activity, even creative ones.

According to forecasts, many professions will simply not be needed. A person will not be able to realize himself in anything. In that case, what will people do?

Answer: Self-education, they will think more deeply, desire more deeply, and tune themselves more deeply to attain the deeper layers of nature.

Question: Open AI CEO Sam Altman discussed their ChatGPT and GPT-4 in a podcast. In it he stated that he “believes AI can become conscious, but defining AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) and consciousness is complex. He suggests a conscious AI should display understanding of self, have memory, and possess the capability of suffering. As we work towards AGI, it’s vital to consider these aspects of consciousness and ensure that AI systems align with human values and preferences” (Medium).

Do you think artificial intelligence has consciousness?

Answer: The fact is we must first determine what artificial intelligence is. Can intelligence be artificial? Can we somehow control it, or is it just some kind of mechanical toy for living bodies?

Question: Scientists in the field of artificial intelligence have coined a term to describe the rise of artificial intelligence: General Artificial Intelligence Takeoff. They say that at some point there will be a complete seizure of all human initiatives by artificial intelligence. It will replace absolutely everything and be in control of everything.

Do you have any fear of such a state?

Answer: Absolutely not. I do not believe it. Such a machine, such a robot can really do a lot, but it will never be able to rise above man. Of course, it can confuse us. We get confused even in the nonsense we invent and create today. But we have nothing to fear from the uprising of machines.
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From KabTV’s “Kabbalah in the modern turbulent world” 8/3/23

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The Desire to Know

214Humanity is in a huge deception because it does not want to explore nature. It does not want to scientifically explore itself and the world around it and only trust that.

If our desire and our perseverance went further into nature, it would bring us to the level of Kabbalists and would open all the worlds.

And how did the Kabbalists comprehend them? Only based on his desire to know the world as it really is: “I want to reveal everything! Is there a Creator? Reveal it! Is there a Higher World? Reveal it! Angels, beasts, devils, ghouls, reveal them!

I want to see everything, find out! Everything down to the smallest laws! I want to consist of everything, to absorb the whole universe, all the worlds!”

If we were not limited by our selfish desires, petty weaknesses, and religions, then we would all be on a completely different interplanetary, interstellar level! We would not be connected with this earth, with this world at all. It would all be somewhere in our lowest feelings and perceptions. We would be completely outside of all these restrictions!
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. The Evolution of Discoveries” 10/31/11

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The Degree of Development of a Point in the Heart

533.02Question: Are there people among your students without a point in the heart?

Answer: No, otherwise they would not have come here. But there are those who have it very deeply hidden. The gradual development of this point is taking place in those people. It also happens that people come to us out of pure curiosity and immediately leave.

There are also some who come to me and then go to others. They awaken in themselves a preliminary point in the heart, the point of Hasidism, and go to those who, perhaps, are also called Kabbalists, but instead of Kabbalah they are engaged in other spiritual techniques.

Question: I was told how one person was looking for Kabbalists. He came to one of them, and he, after literally touching him, said that he allegedly had such energy, etc. How much is it really visible?

Answer: Any gypsy woman or soothsayer like Messing, who is not a Kabbalist, can tell you the same thing. It has nothing to do with Kabbalah. Kabbalists do not possess such properties.
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From KabTV’s “I Got a Call. Determining the Point in the Heart” 10/17/11

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Artificial Intelligence Is Worse than the Atomic Bomb

273.01In the News (NBC News): “In making Oppenheimer, writer and director Christopher Nolan said it became apparent that the moral quandaries posed by artificial intelligence mirrors those faced by Robert Oppenheimer, whose story about developing the atomic bomb is told in the movie… .

“As Oppenheimer developed the weapon in the early 1940s, the theoretical physicist faced backlash and uncertainty from the U.S. military and Congress, much like the tech industry is facing today in its race to make artificial intelligence more powerful, Nolan said in a recent interview… .

“‘When I talk to the leading researchers in the field of AI right now, for example, they literally refer to this as their Oppenheimer moment,’ Nolan said. ‘They’re looking to his story to say “OK, what are the responsibilities for scientists developing new technologies that may have unintended consequences?”’”

Question: Please explain why our intentions never match the results?

Answer: Because we consider ourselves good and fail to understand that our nature is inherently bad!

We think that we can mediate between ourselves, that we can be in the middle between bad and good qualities, and so on. In other words, we think that we are, in principle, not bad people. But in reality, of course, there is no one worse and more stupid than us.

We want to obtain cheap energy, we create a bomb; we want to develop medicine, we create chemical weapons, and this is how everything happens.

Question: I have a question: Where and when does the turning point occur? At what moment?

Answer: It is when a person discovers that the result of his actions will be the destruction of the beautiful future that he was building for himself. But it’s already too late.

Question: And at what point does this happen? When he suddenly sees a bomb explode in New Mexico?

Answer: Yes.

Question: And a second before that, he didn’t feel that?

Answer: He could not.

Question: Even could not? Meaning that he is suddenly shown in actuality what he did?

Answer: Yes, nothing could be done.

Question: In general, it’s a pity, a pity for Oppenheimer too, to be honest.

Answer: Certainly! A huge number of people discover the end of their good impulses, plans, and so on.

Question: If we know this, can we turn it around?

Answer: No, we don’t feel. We will be deceived a thousand more times!

Question: Even if a person hears and says, “Oh, how right he is!”, he will still go…

Answer: Yes, we don’t feel it. It has to be in faith above reason! This should be only from the perspective of Kabbalistic views on human nature.

Question: Meaning that without knowledge of human nature, simply by my decision: “I will do this— kindly,” will it not work?

Answer: No. You understand it yourself that this is not how it works.

Question: What are the actions then? How can we adjust the world a little so that our intentions coincide at least a little?

Answer: Ban it! Just forbid everyone.

Question: So now you treat the world like children?

Answer: Even worse than children. Children do not have such capabilities.

Question: It’s clear. Here the hand is in the fire, and it is necessary to hit the hand?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Simply to forbid it?

Answer: How else could this be done?

Comment: Ban the development of artificial intelligence because it will harm.

My Response: This is horrible! It is worse than an atomic bomb.

Comment: I don’t even know how to continue.

My Response: And there is nothing to continue. It is better to just ban it and that’s it. “Collect all the books, and burn them.”

Question: Okay, banned. During this period, from prohibition on, perhaps a small permission, and another small permission, what should happen?

Answer: During this period, we are obliged to educate people in faith above reason.

Question: No one will understand this phrase “faith above reason.”

Answer: It does not matter. But there is such a condition that if you want to develop exactly in a good way, without causing any harm to anyone, you must go forward and reveal nature in faith above reason.

This phrase “faith above reason” is the main, decisive cornerstone here!

If we understand how to treat nature and ourselves correctly in faith above reason, then we will do everything only good for ourselves, others, and nature.

Question: You don’t even want to explain? You want this phrase to be imprinted in a person, and that’s it. And then we’ll figure it out?

Answer: Yes. Anyway, it is hard to discern it. It takes a person years and years and years.

Question: I know that your teacher kept repeating: “Faith above reason. Faith above reason.” Even among the great sages is this phrase relevant?

Answer: Of course! Before all of us there is no other task than to climb this step, on faith above reason.

Comment: Let’s say there is knowledge that a person can do good to people, knowledge that I will be able to, and you say: “It’s all necessary…”

My Response: Not to use.

Question: And what can we believe in?

Answer: First, the very thorough and proper mastering of the method of obtaining faith above reason, and after that, already develop your toys, Oppenheimer’s and all sorts of others.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 7/31/23

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Turn Hatred into Love

962.3If your hate could be turned into electricity, it would light up the whole world (Nikola Tesla).

Question: In Tesla’s time there was not so much hatred, but today we would burn the world. He thinks like a scientist, he sees hatred as energy. What is your attitude to the fact that hatred is energy?

Answer: Of course. Our hatred is above all other kinds of energy in the world.

Question: Would there be enough electricity here?

Answer: Yes.

Question: How can this energy of huge hatred be converted into some kind of positive charge today? Can hatred be turned into love?

Answer: Yes. To do this, we need to change man, force a person to change, to move from hatred to love.

This is possible only with the help of what the science of Kabbalah explains about how we can turn hatred into love.

Question: How?

Answer: With the help of the upper light! There must be an even higher level that will affect and change us.

Question: And how can we draw it on us?

Answer: Only by our desire. That is, I must change.

Question: Then it turns out that hatred should fill everything?

Answer: This is what we are moving toward. But in principle, as we understand, we are already prepared for this.

Question: So, do you think man already understands that he is overwhelmed by this?

Answer: Yes. Otherwise, we may burn out. There simply would be nothing left to redo.

Question: Do you see that a person is already coming to the point that he understands what he is, what he hates?

Answer: Yes. Enclosed in himself, absolute egoism, I hate everyone else.

Question: And I will not be able to live with this after a while?

Answer: Not only will I not be able to live, I will not be able to die, and I will not be able to live. Then the decision will come that we must shift inversely to another level.

Question: So it is quite a science that you are talking about? There is bad energy inside me and I want to convert it into good energy.

Answer: Yes. Tesla talked about energy, and we too are talking about energy.

Comment: So, we proved that Kabbalah is a science.

My Response: There is no doubt about it.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 7/20/23

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Breaking the Connection to Feelings

963.1Question: The orthogonality theory of intelligence states that intelligence and final goals are orthogonal axes along which possible agents can freely vary; that is, more or less any level of intelligence could in principle be combined with more or less any final goal. It has also been construed to mean that smart people can pursue stupid goals. Intelligence and goals are orthogonal, unrelated to each other. No matter how smart the intellect, it can safely pursue absolutely stupid or poor goals.

How can these two parameters be linked in order to actually use intelligence for high goals?

Answer: When you speak about the mechanism of the interaction of intellects, do you take into account whether they are purely intellectual or sensory?

Comment: At the moment, I consider them purely intellectual. That is, we are talking about intelligence divorced from sensations.

My Response: Then we are talking about mechanical devices and not about people or any sensory civilization.

Comment: But in fact, sensations are a person’s reception of information. It later gets evaluated, processed, and so on. And if we started the discussion with the isolation of human intellect from the field of sensations, then we in fact came to the conclusion that all this happens in conjunction with feelings.

My Response: It follows that we cannot take sensory parameters into account.

Question: But if a person feels something and is able to process these feelings, why can’t we take them into account? This is all the same information that comes to us in different forms. We feel something, analyze it, and act on it accordingly.

That is, this bundle is the high goal, methods of achieving it that are not related to goal, setting, and the sensory perception when receiving information—all this is completely shattered in a person.

It is unclear how it works. Maybe there is a point, a line through the center to connect it all? Or do we have no need for it?

Answer: The fact is that if we want to affect the workings of such systems, we must put at least a few conditions down that will not lead humanity to destruction, self-destruction. Then we will have a clear direction of where to set the limits in the system.
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From KabTV’s “Kabbalah Express” 7/31/23

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Problem of Goal Setting

963.4Question: There is something called a goal setting problem. It applies both to humans and artificial intelligence. When a person sets a goal for himself he needs to evaluate whether it is good or bad in a global sense and  whether it brings him closer to something or moves him away from it.

This evaluation is done on both a genetic level and on the basis of moral principles acquired from society and the laws of the state.

When artificial intelligence is being trained, a problem arises in how to evaluate its actions, because if even a single factor is not taken into account, the artificial intelligence might ignore it. Let us assume the task is to plant a field of strawberries without harming any humans. If the factor of not harming humans is ignored and not included in the overall algorithm, it will lead to significant harm. This is an intricate and complex system that is impossible to design perfectly from the start.

How can we determine what is good and what is bad? I understand that this is a higher-order problem. But still, on the basis of what can be done or at least to come closer to the conclusion that it is good and what is not?

Answer: First, if something is done for the benefit of people—not just for one individual or a single group, but for the benefit of all people—then it is considered good. Second, it is considered good if it does not cause irreparable harm to nature in the process. That is all, really.

These two rules are essentially complex, but they encompass a lot within them.

Question: Is this similar to Kabbalistic definitions where seemingly simple definitions contain the entirety of the universe or the whole path of humanity from the beginning to the ultimate goal? How do you operate with such things in practice?

Answer: Only under the condition of proper education for all the inhabitants of the planet. That is, to load the right information into a person in the course of life and work it out with him until it becomes a practical necessity and reality.
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From KabTV’s “Kabbalah Express” 7/31/23

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The Purpose of Inner Development

294.2Question: Is it acceptable that a psychologist works with a patient and includes the basis of Kabbalah?

Answer: I do not know the tasks of a psychologist, but I know that no psychologist can work with a person in the Kabbalistic field in his inner mental and spiritual scope. We do not offer ourselves to psychologists and do not try to attract them to come to Kabbalah and try to help us in any way.

Our task is to reveal to a person the need for his inner development so that he can feel the Creator, attain Him, and based on this develop further.
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From KabTV’s “Kabbalah in the modern turbulent world” 8/3/23

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