Computer Science

[opticnoise]

I'm not sure this is the place to ask or not, _but_; Does anyone know if there's an area of computer science that deals with music? For example, there's the AI and human interaction fields that deals with psychology. Any small bits of info on this are highly apretiated.

--Adrian

[ethereal1]

the only one i can think of off hand is acoustical analysis through synthesis; using computers to generate sounds, and studying how they do so. There's also the computer science behind building digital recording equipment, but i'm not sure that's quite what you're looking for.

eric

[macouno]

The only thing I can come up with is "sonology" at the royal dutch conservatory here in the hague.

[opticnoise]

Thanks for the replies. They were what I was looking for.

--Adrian

[bombastique]

study the works of ray kurzweil - he's a genius where audio and computers are concerned...

[Enlightend]

The man does seem brilliant. But I think he is wrong when he assumes that computers will one day be alive("The Age of Spiritual Machines").

[opticnoise]

Hehe, even if computers do start thinking and make destructive robots to take over the world there's nothing to worry about. They'll just turn blue and fall to the ground. If not, just keep a bucket of water around.

I'll agree with you, though. It'll never happen.

--Adrian

[bombastique]

ha ha! never say never!

look at how far things have come in the last 100 years - now you don't think that 1000 years down the line there couldn't be walking, talking robots with at least a passing resemblance to people in both looks and intelligence?

[Enlightend]

You are right to ask for caution with use of the word never. I feel the same, in that I think we have no possible way of knowing how things will be down the road.

In the above book, Ray Kurzweil talks(among other things) about a project that was underway, I don't know if it still is or not. But just like the human genome project they are mapping out the human brain, cell by cell. They place the thinnest layer of brain possible on the microscope and map out the structure. Ray says that early this century computers should have the capacity of the human mind. Thus, they seem to feel that all they must do is re-create the pattern of the human mind artificially, and you will wake up in the morning and hurt your Pc's feelings because you didn't say goodmorning to it[and who needs a body].

Time will tell. My impression of modern-day science is that it is either reductionist and mechanistic: "Consciousness is produced by trillions of interconnections within the human brain"(they cannot explain exactly how this occurs, nor can they replicate it artificially); or it seems to toss the fundamental questions and problems into the realm of metaphysics: "Future neuroscientists will locate and map out the brain cells responsible for consciousness"(the brain has been largely mapped out, and now we will someday find elusive, inscrutable cells that somehow generate consciousness).

If they will build a true artificial life form(like in the movies?), they will have to first discover exactly what it is that makes me different than a Dell. Have they yet built an AI that can spontaneously tie its own shoes? A robot that can take out the trash is not alive(but I wouldn't complain lol).

[opticnoise]

Wel, if they _do_ get a computer to "think", how much control over what the machine thinks do they have? I think they should have one that's creative and gains an intrest in making cool music. Music that I as a human would like. I guess a lot of people would say "good" music is all a personal opinion, but I just hope the machine likes the same stuff I do (c:.

There seems to be quite a lot to do before computers are alive I guess. Still, would it be a step forward? Wouldn't they start making mistakes and pinting their cursor at the computer in front of them (c:

Anyways, I'm guessing I'll be dead before I find out that stuff never realy did happen in the future.

I'm wondering now, what's good music? Is it an opinion or a fact?

Oh, and they do have robots that resemble humans. I think it was GM (I forget) that made one that walked, danced, and kicked a soccer ball. Kinda clumbsy, but getting that thing to balance its self is quite a job. Now, if it could only sing and play guitar.

--Adrian