> But hey: we can already model a worm's nervous system.
It surely is interesting to think about, at least as long as this Chinese Room way of thinking isn't used to dismiss or justify pain or suffering inflicted on other living beings.
There is one important difference between other living beings and the model, in the case of other living beings you do not own the computer, you are not the one who started the computation, and you do not have a power to undo your actions.
But in case of the model nothing would exist if you didn't build the computer, and you can take snapshots to restore any state you want.
It seems like people in some way always understood this difference, because they were ok with god sending arbitrary tortures to them, and then granting them eternal life undoing the effect of the torture.
It surely is interesting to think about, at least as long as this Chinese Room way of thinking isn't used to dismiss or justify pain or suffering inflicted on other living beings.