I am a counter-example to your musings. I'm 50 and have virtually no interest in non-tech on HN. That's not why I'm here. I'm interested in programming, science, math, and technology, and interested in topics such as psychology only insofar as they impact on usability.
I do have very broad interests outside of technical topics, but regard as pointless and irrelevant here postings on consciousness, etc.
Including this one.
I've noticed in the past that whenever you try posting on topics outside of technical matters you are repeatedly ignored or flagged. Perhaps an alternative hypothesis is that while these things are of interest in general, they don't really belong here. The evidence seems to be against your hypothesis. Try applying some science and changing it.
This helps me clarify my thinking on your posted question. It seems that what I like about this community is that it is started by and run by and for Makers.
I have little interest in building a machine or spending effort talking about a machine that acts like a human. I am more interested in building a machine that is a tool that enhances human abilities. For example, we used to keep track of our resources with pen and paper. We have built machines that make that easier. We used to walk to school, now we have cars and busses to drive us there. We used to dream about flying, now it is routine.
The classic AI approach (speaking of Minsky and others there) seems to be aimed at replicating a human.
Conversation about consciousness strike me as ill-informed and are not of any interest to me. But perhaps I am a simple country boy after all.
I'm also less tolerant of those who bring up old ideas as if they were newly discovered except if they happen to have been before their time. However, "stupid ideas" really get me.
I do have very broad interests outside of technical topics, but regard as pointless and irrelevant here postings on consciousness, etc.
Including this one.
I've noticed in the past that whenever you try posting on topics outside of technical matters you are repeatedly ignored or flagged. Perhaps an alternative hypothesis is that while these things are of interest in general, they don't really belong here. The evidence seems to be against your hypothesis. Try applying some science and changing it.