David Peat

On Incompleteness 45systems do not grow simply by fitting one atom next to its neighbors;somehow the crystal as a whole has to have a global sense of growth.This sense of holism is exactly what one expects to find in quantumtheory. A quantum system does not consist of a series of parts connectedtogether, like a machine, but is more of an organic whole.Cognitive StrategiesAnother area in which algorithms may be found to have limits is cognitivepsychology. Cognitive psychology seeks to explain human behaviorand, in essence, human consciousness, through a variety of “cognitivestrategies.” These strategies can often be reduced to a series ofalgorithms that, in principle, can be simulated by a computer. It is certainlytrue that such strategies and algorithms appear to explain a greatdeal about human behavior. Likewise the related field of cognitivetherapy has also been helpful to many people. The cognitive therapistidentifies patterns of repetitive thinking that give rise to panic attacks,lack of self-worth, or destructive behavior within relationships.Therapy consists of making the patient aware of such patterns andusing simple strategies to break the repetitive chains of thinking. Butagain, the implications of Gödel’s results are that any system of algorithmsmust have inherent limitations. Maybe some aspects of consciousnessand behavior can be explained through mechanistic patternsof responses, and it is certainly true that from time to time mostof us do find ourselves responding in a mechanical way, yet not all ofour conscious life can be explained in this way.Artificial IntelligenceA related critique has been made regarding the artificial intelligenceprogram. Roger Penrose, for example, argues that, although computerswill become faster and more powerful, even to the point where wemay no longer understand how their programs are constructed (as theybegan to write their own codes), they nevertheless have inherent, in-