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Comment Re:Argument from ignorance (Score 1) 183

in rhetoric/oratory, both sides (or just the speaker) are trying to convince the audience, so the situation is different. In that case, very practically, the burden of proof is on the person who wants to convince the audience (in a reductionist way, we could say the audience accepts the null hypothesis by default).

In most internet discussions, the situation is different. Telling someone "the burden of proof is on you" is just a lazy/casual way of saying, "I don't believe you."

Comment Re: Rider on the elephant (Score 1) 183

Serious question: Do insects experience? Do cells experience? (Note that they do have short term memory and change their response to stimuli in real time.)

If that were a serious question, you would familiarize yourself with the debate and research on the topic dating back to Descartes. But I think you lied, it wasn't a serious question.

Comment Re:Argument from ignorance (Score 2, Insightful) 183

Funny. There's an equal argument to be made that the burden of proof is on the people who think that consciousness is real.

Burden of proof is something that is assigned in a court of law.

Back in the real world, the burden of proof is on the one who wants to know the answer. If no one proves it, then we won't know.

Comment Re:Argument from ignorance (Score 1) 183

No, the burden of proof is on the people who think that computation will result in consciousness

In the court of law, the burden of proof is assigned to one side or the other.

In the real world, the burden of proof is on the person who cares about the answer. If no one proves it (true or false) then the best we can say is "we don't know" or more likely, "X is true with n% probability"

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