2018-08-14, 03:36 PM
Descartes' "Daughter"
From BBC World Service.
Mostly about automata and AI, but also about a particular story of Descartes. And some allusions to science fiction.
From BBC World Service.
Quote:There's a story told about French philosopher René Descartes and his daughter. He boards a ship for a voyage over the North Sea with a large wooden box which he insists be handled with such great care that the sea captain’s curiosity is aroused. When Descartes is out of his cabin the sea captain opens the box and is horrified to find a life sized automaton inside. He's so shocked he throws the "daughter" overboard.
Mostly about automata and AI, but also about a particular story of Descartes. And some allusions to science fiction.