May
15
Nadharia katika Sayansi ya Tarakirishi
Filed Under sayansi, teknolojia by Mucheru | Leave a Comment
Maswali na majibu baada ya Gödel na Turing
Neno sayansi linatokana na neno “scio” la kilatini lenye maana ya kujua ama kufahamu. Hivyo basi, masomo yote yanayochukuliwa kuwa aina ya sayansi yanajihusisha na kutafiti ukweli wa mambo – iwe ni kwa kufanya majaribio (ambapo inakuwa sayansi tendeshi) au kwa kukisia kanuni za ukweli na kuzithibitisha (ambapo inakuwa ni sayansi nadharia).
Nitakayoyazungumzia hapa ni historia fupi ya utafiti wa sayansi ya kompyta, haswa maswali yaliyoanzisha usomi huu. Kwa watu wengi, masomo ya tarakirishi huchukuliwa kuwa miongoni mwa masomo ya uhandisi. Ni kweli kwamba sehemu nyingi za somo hili zinazojihusisha na kifaa tarakirishi chenyewe – iwe ni hadweya au softweya ya vifaa – na sehemu hizi huwa ni uhandisi. Lakini pia, somo hili linajihusisha na mengi zaidi ya haya – ukiangalia asili la neno kompyuta utapata linatokana na neno “compute” la kiingereza ambalo lina maana ya “kupata jibu, hasa kwa swali la hisabati, kwa kutumia kanuni fulani”[1] . Tutakavyoona sayansi hii inahusika na maswali ya muundo wa “Je swali hili linajibika kwa kufuatia kanuni?”,”Linahitaji kanuni ngapi?” n.k. Read more
May
5
A glimpse of Sartre
Filed Under filosofia by Mucheru | Leave a Comment
After reading Sartre’s Orphee Noir, I was curious about this philosopher’s other writings. I picked up a copy of “Being and Nothingness”, translated by Hezel Bernes. The ‘Translators Introduction’ section was an interesting puzzling piece. It gives us reason to believe that Philosophy is at times too abstract for its own good. In speaking of Sartre’s impact, Bernes says:
Most important is Sartre’s rejection of the primacy of the Cartesian cogito. He objects that in Descarte’s formula – “I think; therefore I am”[my note: the latin of which is cogito, ergo sum] – the consciousness which say, “I am,” is not actually the consciousness which thinks. Instead we are dealing with a secondary activity. Similarly, says Sartre, Descartes has confused spontaneous doubt, which is a consciousness, with methodological doubt, which is an act. When we catch a glimpse of an object, there may be a doubting consciousness of the object as uncertain. But Descarte’s cogito has posited this consciousness itself as an object; the Cartesian cogito is not one with the doubting consciousness but has reflected upon it. In other words this cogito is not Descartes doubting; it is Descartes reflecting upon the doubting. “I doubt; therefore I am” is really “I am aware that I doubt; therefore I am.” The Cartesian cogito is reflective,and its object is not itself but the original consciousness of doubting. The consciousness which doubted is now reflected on by the cogito but was never itself reflective; its only object is the object which it is conscious of as doubtful. These conclusions lead Sartre to establish the pre-reflective cogito as primary consciousness,and in all of his later work he makes this his original point of departure.
May
3
Free things
Filed Under siasa by Mucheru | Leave a Comment
Yesterday Kibaki made public a proposal for free secondary education and interestingly this program goes into effect in January of 2008. Obviously, this declaration ties the hands of whoever is to succeed him. The fact that the president promised it means there exists a source of funding and the necessary infrastructure to implement this policy. Let’s see what ODM does with this. Below is Gado’s take on this.
