Tag: Awake!

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Experiences Science Technology Theocratic

wēixíng “jīqì”

wēixíng+ (wēi·xíng tiny · {mould → [type]} → [tiny] 微型) “jīqì+ (jī·qì machine · device → [machine] 机器 機器)” 👈🏼 Tap/click to show/hide the “flashcard”

[Notes: Tap/click on a Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) expression to reveal its “flashcard”; tap/click on a “flashcard” or its Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) expression to hide the “flashcard”. 📖 📄 ➕ icons mean 📖 Reveal All, 📄 Reveal Advanced, and ➕ Reveal + Symbols re all the “flashcards” in the heading, paragraph, etc. that they are placed at the beginning of.]

Not that long ago, the No. 3 2021 issue of Awake! magazine was featured in the Teaching Toolbox of the JW Library app. This week’s MEotW, “wēixíng+ (wēi·xíng tiny · {mould → [type]} → [tiny] 微型) ‘jīqì (jī·qì machine · device → [machine] 机器 機器)’ ”, occurs in the caption of the picture at the top of the article in that issue entitled “Shēngmìng+ (Life 生命) Gàosu (Tells 告诉 告訴) Wǒmen (Wǒ·men Us · [pl] 我们 我們) Shénme (Shén·me What · [suf] 什么 什/甚麼)?” (“What Life Tells Us”):

English:

The yeast cell is incredibly complex. It has a well-organized nucleus with DNA and microscopic machines that sort, transport, and modify molecules—all of which are vital for the life of the cell.

Mandarin:

📖 📄 ➕ Jiàomǔ+ (Jiào·mǔ yeast · mother → [yeast] 酵母)‐jūn (fungus 菌) de (’ 的) jiégòu+ (jié·gòu {tying → [forming]} · constructing → [structure] 结构 結構) fēicháng (fēi·cháng un·commonly → [extremely] 非常) fùzá (fù·zá {is turned around → [is complex]} · {is mixed} → [is complex] 复杂 複雜). Tā (it 它) yǒu (has 有) yí (one 一) ge ([mw] 个 個/个) bāohán (bāo·hán wraps · {keeps in the mouth} → [contains] 包含) DNA de (’s 的) xìbāo+ (xì·bāo tiny · womb → [cell] 细胞 細胞)‐hé+ ({pit (of a fruit)} → [nucleus] 核 核/覈), háiyǒu (hái·yǒu (there) also · {are having → [are]} 还有 還有) yìxiē (yì·xiē one · {indefinite number of} → [some] 一些) wēixíng+ (wēi·xíng tiny · {mould → [type]} → [tiny] 微型) “jīqì (jī·qì machine · devices → [machines] 机器 機器)”, zhèixiē (zhèi·xiē this · {indefinite number of} → [these] 这些 這些) “jīqì (jī·qì machine · devices → [machines] 机器 機器)” néng (can 能) jìnxíng (jìn·xíng advance · {walk → [carry out]} 进行 進行) fēnzǐ+ (fēn·zǐ {divided (off)} · {small and hard things} → [molecules] 分子) de (’ 的) fēnlèi (fēn·lèi {separating → [differentiating]} · types → [sorting] 分类 分類), yùnshū (transporting 运输 運輸), hé ({(together) with} → [and] 和 和/龢) zhuǎnhuà+ (zhuǎn·huà {to be turned → [to be changed]} · transforming → [transforming] 转化 轉化), ér (and 而) zhèixiē (zhèi·xiē this · {indefinite number of} → [these] 这些 這些) bùzhòu (bù·zhòu steps · {to be trotted} → [steps] 步骤 步驟) shì (are 是) wéichí (wéi·chí {to maintain} · {to hold → [to sustain]} → [to sustain] 维持 維持) xìbāo (xì·bāo tiny · womb’s → [cell’s] 细胞 細胞) shēngmìng (life 生命) bì (certainly 必)‐bùkě (bù·kě not · can → [cannot] 不可)‐shǎo ({be missing} 少) de ({’s (steps)} 的).

As can be seen from above, where the English article refers to the “microscopic machines” inside living cells, the Mandarin version uses this week’s MEotW “wēixíng+ (wēi·xíng tiny · {mould → [type]} → [tiny] 微型) ‘jīqì (jī·qì machine · devices → [machines] 机器 機器)’ ”. Digging down to the morphemes used in this expression, we find that they literally mean “tiny mould machine devices”.

Exquisite and Amazing Molecular Machines

Note also that the above quote mentions that these “microscopic machines” or “tiny mould machine devices” work on molecules inside cells. Thus another term that can be applied to them is the more technical term “molecular machines”. Long-time readers of this blog may recall that a while back, there was an MEotW post on “fēnzǐ jùhé‐tǐ ((fēn·zǐ {divided (off)} · {small and hard thing} → [molecular] 分子) (jù·hé assembled · {closed → [combined]} → [polymerized] 聚合)‐(tǐ body 体 體/体/躰) → [(protein) molecular machine])”, the expression used in the Mandarin version of another Awake! article to translate “molecular machine”.

Here are a couple of quotations from that MEotW post on the topic of these exquisite and amazing little machines inside our cells:

To give us an idea of what some molecular machines are like, here is a video I came across that uses computer animation to help us visualize how tiny molecular machines inside our cells copy DNA:

If one came across an artificial molecular machine, one would undoubtedly conclude with certainty that it had been intelligently designed—something that tiny yet exquisitely complex and functional obviously could not have developed by chance! As microbiologist Yáng Fènglíng ((Yáng {Poplar (surname)} 杨 楊) (Fèng·líng Phoenix · {Tinkling of Jade Pieces} 凤玲 鳳玲) (microbiologist interviewed in g 1/14 p. 8–9)) concluded, the tiny yet exquisitely complex and functional biological molecular machines that inspired humans to create artificial molecular machines similarly must have had an intelligent Creator.

Categories
Current Events Science Technology Theocratic

réngōng zhìnéng

réngōng+ (rén·gōng human · work → [artificial] 人工)
zhìnéng+ (zhì·néng intelligence · ability → [intelligence] 智能) 👈🏼 Tap/click to show/hide the “flashcard”

[Notes: Tap/click on a Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) expression to reveal its “flashcard”; tap/click on a “flashcard” or its Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) expression to hide the “flashcard”. 📖 📄 ➕ icons mean 📖 Reveal All, 📄 Reveal Advanced, and ➕ Reveal + Symbols re all the “flashcards” in the heading, paragraph, etc. that they are placed at the beginning of.

As of this writing, jw.org is again featuring the article referred to below. So, this is basically a reposting of a post from a few years back.]

At the time of this writing, jw.org was featuring the article “Artificial Intelligence—A Blessing or a Curse?—What Does the Bible Say?”. Where the English version of this article uses the expression “artificial intelligence”, the Mandarin version uses this week’s MEotW, “réngōng (rén·gōng human · work → [artificial] 人工) zhìnéng (zhì·néng intelligence · ability → [intelligence] 智能)”:

English:

Recently, world leaders, scientists, and technologists have commented on the power of artificial intelligence (AI). While acknowledging its value, they have also expressed concern over its potential misuse.

Mandarin:

📖 📄 ➕ Jìnqī (Jìn·qī {near → [recent]} · {period of time} → [recently] 近期), xǔduō (xǔ·duō numbers · many 许多 許多) guójiā (guó·jiā nation · family → [national] 国家 國家) lǐngdǎorén (lǐngdǎo·rén leading · persons → [leaders] 领导人 領導人), kēxuéjiā (kē·xué·jiā {{branches of study} · learning → [science]} · -ists → [scientists] 科学家 科學家), yǐjí (and 以及) kējì (kē·jì {branches of study → [science]} · {skills → [technology]} → [technology] 科技) jīngyīng+ (jīng·yīng elite · {flowers → [outstanding persons]} → [elite] 精英) dōu ({all of them} 都) duì (towards 对 對) réngōng (rén·gōng human · work → [artificial] 人工) zhìnéng (zhì·néng intelligence · ability → [intelligence] 智能) (AI) de (’s 的) yòngtú (yòng·tú {to be used} · routes → [applications] 用途) shēn (deeply 深) biǎo ({have expressed} 表) guānzhù (guān·zhù {closing with (them) → [being concerned about (them)]} · {pouring into (them) → [concentrating on (them)]} → [paying close attention to (them)] 关注 關注). Suīrán (Suī·rán although · -ly 虽然 雖然) tāmen (tā·men he/she · [pl] → [they] 他们 他們) dōu (all 都) zàntóng+ (zàn·tóng favour · {are with} → [approve of] 赞同 贊/讚同) réngōng (rén·gōng human · work → [artificial] 人工) zhìnéng (zhì·néng intelligence · ability → [intelligence] 智能) yǒu (having 有) hěn (very 很) duō (many 多) yìchu (yì·chu beneficial · places → [benefits] 益处 益處), dàn (however 但) yě ((they) also 也) hěn ({very much} 很) dānxīn (dān·xīn {carry on shoulder poles → [bear (heavy)]} · hearts → [worry] 担/耽心 擔/耽心) zhèi (this 这 這) xiàng ({item of} 项 項) kējì (kē·jì {branches of study → [science]} · {skills → [technology]} → [technology] 科技) huì (will 会 會) bèi ([passive signifier] → [be] 被) lànyòng (làn·yòng {overflowingly → [indiscriminately]} · used → [misused] 滥用 濫用).

Related Expressions

The “zhìnéng (zhì·néng wisdom; knowledge; intelligence; resourcefulness; wit; cleverness · ability → [intelligence; intellectual power/ability | smart(phone, etc.)] 智能)” in “réngōng (rén·gōng human · work → [artificial] 人工) zhìnéng (zhì·néng intelligence · ability → [intelligence] 智能)” also appears in “zhìnéng shǒujī+ ((zhì·néng intelligence · ability → [smart] 智能) (shǒu·jī hand · machine → [mobile phone] 手机 手機) → [smartphone])”, which is used in China to mean “smartphone”. As pointed out by the Referenced Theo. Expressions (RTE) resource, this expression appears in the November 2009 issue of Awake! magazine, on page 3.

It’s also noteworthy that the “zhì (wisdom; knowledge; intelligence; resourcefulness; wit; cleverness 智)” in “réngōng (rén·gōng human · work → [artificial] 人工) zhìnéng (zhì·néng intelligence · ability → [intelligence] 智能)” appears in “zhìhuì+ (zhì·huì wisdom · intelligence → [wisdom] 智慧)”, the Mandarin word for “wisdom”. It also appears in “zhōngxìn (zhōng·xìn faithful · {believing → [having faith]} → [faithful] 忠信) ruìzhì+ (ruì·zhì {having foresight} · {(having) wisdom} 睿智) de (’s 的) núlì (slave 奴隶 奴隸)”, the Mandarin expression for “faithful and discreet slave”.—Matthew 24:45 (English; Mandarin).

A Beginning? Or Not?

Regarding intelligence, artificial or otherwise, it’s illuminating to consider these verses in Proverbs:

The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge.
Only fools despise wisdom and discipline.
—Proverbs 1:7

The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom,
And knowledge of the Most Holy One is understanding.
—Proverbs 9:10

To show true knowledge and wisdom—and indeed, intelligence—in life, we need to consider all the factors that are relevant in life, and we especially need to not have insufficient regard for the biggest, most relevant factor of all in life—Jehovah God, who created human intelligence (which was perfect in the first human couple, but which that couple caused to become imperfect and corrupted). Humans who do not have fear of (or “reverence for”, as per the footnote for Pr. 1:7) Jehovah—the Creator of human life and human intelligence—do not even begin to have true knowledge or wisdom, and thus are not equipped to develop artificial intelligence with true knowledge or wisdom.

Indeed, while humans can now store, read, and perform some basic processes on data, even huge amounts of data, human researchers have limited understanding about, and disagree about, how a system like the human brain or an artificial intelligence system can truly—not just appear to—know or understand something, or have wisdom (scientific paper, Medium article) about something. This may help to partly explain why a significant percentage of the time, current artificial intelligence systems output incorrect statements with complete confidence, as if they were true.

Yes, while many are now fascinated by, and/or concerned about, the increasing power of artificial intelligence, people should be focusing first on Jehovah God’s divine intelligence, the most powerful intelligence in the entire universe, that thankfully is motivated by love, guided by wisdom, and dedicated to justice.—1 John 4:8; Romans 11:33; Deuteronomy 32: 3, 4.

Categories
Culture Science Theocratic

jǐngjǐng‐yǒu‐tiáo

jǐngjǐng‐yǒu‐tiáo+ ((jǐng·jǐng {[is] neat; orderly} · {[is] neat; orderly} → [[is] methodical] 井井)‐(yǒu {[is] having} 有)‐(tiáo {sth. long and narrow; strip; slip} → [orderliness] 条 條) → [[is] in perfect order; shipshape; methodical; neat and tidy]) 👈🏼 Tap/click to show/hide the “flashcard”

[Notes: Tap/click on a Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) expression to reveal its “flashcard”; tap/click on a “flashcard” or its Pīnyīn (Pīn·yīn {Piecing Together of} · Sounds → [Pinyin] 拼音) expression to hide the “flashcard”. 📖 📄 ➕ icons mean 📖 Reveal All, 📄 Reveal Advanced, and ➕ Reveal + Symbols re all the “flashcards” in the heading, paragraph, etc. that they are placed at the beginning of.]

Not that long ago, the No. 3 2021 issue of Awake! magazine was featured in the Teaching Toolbox of the JW Library app. This week’s MEotW, “jǐngjǐng‐yǒu‐tiáo ((jǐng·jǐng {[is] neat; orderly} · {[is] neat; orderly} → [[is] methodical] 井井)‐(yǒu {[is] having} 有)‐(tiáo {sth. long and narrow; strip; slip} → [orderliness] 条 條) → [[is] in perfect order; shipshape; methodical; neat and tidy])”, occurs in the second paragraph (that is, the first regular paragraph) of the article in that issue entitled “Yǔzhòu+ (Yǔ·zhòu Universe · {All Time, Past, Present, and Future} → [The Universe] 宇宙) Gàosu (Tells 告诉 告訴) Wǒmen (Wǒ·men Us · [pl] 我们 我們) Shénme (Shén·me What · [suf] 什么 什/甚麼)?” (“What the Universe Tells Us”):

English:

The universe is organized. “Galaxies are not randomly splayed out across the sky but instead follow a weblike pattern,” according to an article in Astronomy magazine. How is this possible? Scientists believe that the secret may lie in an invisible material known as dark matter. This dark matter has been called “a kind of unseen scaffolding upon which . . . galaxies, galaxy clusters, and galaxy superclusters . . . are aligned and supported.”

Mandarin:

📖 📄 ➕ Yǔzhòu (Yǔ·zhòu universe · {all time, past, present, and future} → [the universe] 宇宙) shì (is 是) jǐngrán+ (jǐng·rán orderly · correct → [methodical] 井然)‐yǒuxù+ (yǒu·xù having · order → [systematic] 有序) de ({’s (thing)} 的). Tiānwén‐Xué+ ((Tiān·wén Heavens’ · {Natural Phenomena} → [Astronomy] 天文)‐(Xué Studying 学 學) → [Astronomy]) zázhì (zá·zhì miscellaneous · records (publication) → [magazine] 杂志 雜志/誌) de (’s 的) yì (one 一) piān ({piece of an} → [mw for paper, book leaves, articles, chapters, Psalms, etc.] 篇) wénzhāng (wén·zhāng writing · composition → [article] 文章) shuō (said 说 說/説): “Xīngxì+ (Xīng·xì {of stars} · {tied (things) → [systems]} → [galaxies] 星系) zài (in 在) tàikōng (tài·kōng highest · {(that which) is empty → [space]} → [outer space] 太空) zhōng (within 中) de (’s 的) fēnbù (fēn·bù {being divided → [being distributed]} · {being spread} → [distribution] 分布 分布/佈) bú (not 不) shì (is 是) záluàn+ (zá·luàn mixed · random → [disorderly] 杂乱 雜亂)‐wú (without 无 無/无)‐zhāng (sections → [structure] 章) de ({’s (thing)} 的), ér ({but (rather)} 而) shì (is 是) jǐngjǐng‐yǒu‐tiáo+ ((jǐng·jǐng orderly · orderly → [methodical] 井井)‐(yǒu having 有)‐(tiáo strips → [orderliness] 条 條) → [methodical]) de ({’s (thing)} 的).” Wèi‐shénme ((Wèi for 为 為)‐(shén·me what · [suf] 什么 什/甚麼) → [why]) huì ({would (it)} 会 會) zhèyàng (zhè·yàng (be) this · {pattern → [way]} 这样 這樣) ne ([? ptcl] 呢)? Kēxué‐jiā+ ((Kē·xué {branches of study} · learning → [science] 科学 科學)‐(jiā -ists 家) → [scientists]) rènwéi (rèn·wéi identify · {(it) to be} 认为 認為), qízhōng (qí·zhōng {them (the reasons)} · among 其中) de (’s 的) guānjiàn (guān·jiàn {closing → [key part]} · key → [key] 关键 關鍵) zàiyú (zài·yú exists · in → [lies in] 在于 在於) yì (one 一) zhǒng ({kind of} 种 種/种) kàn‐bujiàn ((kàn {looked at} 看)‐(bu·jiàn not · {is seen} 不见 不見) → [invisible]) de (’s 的) dōngxi (dōng·xi east · west → [thing] 东西 東西), jiàozuò (jiào·zuò called · {to be} 叫做) àn+ (dark 暗)‐wùzhì+ (wù·zhì matter · substance → [matter] 物质 物質). Àn (dark 暗)‐wùzhì (wù·zhì matter · substance → [matter] 物质 物質) hǎobǐ (hǎo·bǐ well · {is compared to} → [may be likened to] 好比) “yí (one 一) ge ([mw] 个 個/个) kàn‐bujiàn ((kàn {looked at} 看)‐(bu·jiàn not · {is seen} 不见 不見) → [invisible]) de (’s 的) kuàngjià+ (kuàng·jià frame · rack → [frame] 框架)…ràng (making 让 讓) xīngxì (xīng·xì {of stars} · {tied (things) → [systems]} → [galaxies] 星系), xīngxì (xīng·xì {of stars} · {tied (things) → [system]} → [galaxy] 星系)‐tuán ({rolled into balls (things)} → [clusters] 团 團/糰), hé ({(together) with} → [and] 和 和/龢) chāo‐xīngxì‐tuán ((chāo {jumping/leaping over} → [super-] 超)‐(xīng·xì {of stars} · {tied (things) → [system]} → [galaxy] 星系)‐(tuán {rolled into balls (things)} → [clusters] 团 團/糰) → [galaxy superclusters])…liú (stay 留 留/畱) zài (in 在) gùdìng (gù·dìng {being firm → [firmly]} · set 固定) de (’s 的) wèizhi (wèi·zhi {places → [positions]} · placed → [positions] 位置) shang (upon 上)”.

As can be seen from above, where the English article says that galaxies are distributed according to a pattern, the Mandarin version says that the distribution of galaxies in space is “jǐngjǐng‐yǒu‐tiáo ((jǐng·jǐng orderly · orderly → [methodical] 井井)‐(yǒu having 有)‐(tiáo strips → [orderliness] 条 條) → [methodical])”. Yes, here is yet another Mandarin expression that we can use to express that the universe is highly organized.

Whether or not dark matter really exists or there is some other explanation for the effects currently attributed by many to dark matter, the bottom line is that with all the forces, phenomena, natural laws, etc. at play, the galaxies, etc. in the universe are not randomly and chaotically distributed, but rather, are very methodically ordered and arranged. This testifies to the existence of “some organizing principle”, as one influential astronomer quoted in the above-mentioned article put it, or God, as the Bible puts it.—Genesis 1:1.

“A…Pattern”

Many in the world are scouring the heavens looking for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence, for example, as part of the SETI initiative. Well, as the Awake! issue mentioned above shows, and as the Bible says at Psalm 19:1:

The heavens are declaring the glory of God;
The skies above proclaim the work of his hands.

The truth is that the universe is full of patterns, like the orderly distribution of the galaxies, that are far from random, and that realistically could only have come from God, who technically qualifies as an Extraterrestrial (outside the earth) Superintelligence (an intelligence beyond that of humans). Unfortunately, Satan’s world has brainwashed even highly intelligent scientists with preconceived ideas and prejudices that make them just reflexively filter out and dismiss patterns that are right in front of them, but that are “natural”!