Sabrina Kilian wrote:
> Still undefined, because you are basing the meaning of "know" on self
> observation of the conscious mind. 

Not at all. It's a subjective process.  The meaning is quite well defined. 
It's just not (yet) amenable to scientific verification.

However, if you follow the instructions of "push the button as soon as you 
decide which to push", chances are good you aren't aware of your choice six 
seconds before you push the button.

> Without a solid definition of self,
> and an understanding of the separation of conscious and unconscious,
> there is no meaning to "know".

I disagree.

> I "know" that my cat will chase a piece of string across the floor if it
> moves, does that mean I have recognized his decision before he has made it?

No. But you know things about your internal state. Here you're conflating 
"know" with "predict". The very fact that you put the word in quotes 
evidences that it isn't the usual meaning of the word.

Do you know what a word is? Do you know whether you're hungry right now? Do 
you know whether your left hand hurts?

> Actually, that would be a fairly easy prediction if you know the person.
>  Introverts are more likely to pick 1, extroverts would be more likely
> to pick 2. You could easily get above 50%, maybe as high as 75% with
> people you know well. With a few leading questions to set it up, you
> could get even higher.

I don't believe you. Certainly not if you repeat the experiment a few dozen 
times.

-- 
Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   Forget "focus follows mouse." When do
   I get "focus follows gaze"?

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