From: Marvin Minsky

From: Marvin Minsky To: Jeffrey Epstein <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 06:09:16 +0000 Yes, That's a very good group of students, and I hope to use their ideas for the commonsense parts of our system. At present, their data-base is mainly 'simple statements' -- whereas I think what we need more are 'short, purposeful stories." In other words, yes, one needs to know facts like 'a normal hand has 5 fingers' but one also need to know perhaps 100 ways to use a hand to achieve 100 different kinds of goals. We hope to come visit you again pretty soon ... -- Marvin = Speaking of money-theories, I'm sure you've heard this kind of story. Its a slow day in a little East Texas town. The sun is beating down, and the streets are deserted. Times are tough, everybody is in debt, and everybody lives on credit. On this particular day a rich tourist from back east is driving through town. He stops at the motel and lays a $100 bill on the desk saying he wants to inspect the rooms upstairs in order to pick one to spend the night. As soon as the man walks upstairs, the owner grabs the bill and runs next door to pay his debt to the butcher. The butcher takes the $100 and runs down the street to retire his debt to the pig farmer. The pig farmer takes the $100 and heads off to pay his bill at the supplier of feed and fuel. The guy at the Farmer's Co-op takes the $100 and runs to pay his debt to the local prostitute, who has also been facing hard times and has had to offer her "services" on credit. The hooker rushes to the hotel and pays off her room bill with the hotel owner. The hotel proprietor then places the $100 back on the counter so the rich traveler will not suspect anything. At that moment the traveler comes down the stairs, picks up the $100 bill, states that the rooms are not satisfactory, pockets the money, and leaves town. No one produced anything. No one earned anything. However, the whole town is now out of debt and now looks to the future with a lot more optimism. On Mon, Nov 2, 2009 at 6:04 AM, Jeffrey Epstein <[email protected]> wrote: how are you, what are you up to.? i attached what seems to be your idea in formation EFTA00768760