Personal Identity and Artificial Intelligence David Hume (1711–1776) claims that the self is an illusion and that we can never, in any of our experiences, find a perception of the actual self. In his view, the self is constantly changing and you are never the same person one moment to the next. This view is not unlike some Eastern conceptions of the self and of the mind. It is also close to Jean-Paul Sartre’s notion that human beings are nothingness, that is, not-a-thing, and as such cannot be defined. There is no ego, there is no self. Accord- ing to Hume, all knowledge is based on sense impressions and on experiences. If this is the case, we don’t even have any evidence of the self, since any conception of iden- tity must be based on impressions. “It must be some impression that gives rise to every real idea,” he wrote in his Treatise on Human Nature. “The self is not any one impression, but that to which our several impressions are supposed to have a refer- ence.” There is no self. Therefore, as far as our idea of the self, Hume believed “there is no such idea.” Although Hume argues against the self, other philosophers have argued for the existence of the self. Thomas Reid (1710–1796) argues that the mental ability of memory gives us reason to hold that the self exist. Daniel Dennett (1942) claims that a fundamental principle of evolution is self preservation as such the self must exist. The debate is not new, but recent scientific developments have made it more of a burning issue. If the self, the human mind, is a complex physical instrument—purely “Listen carefully; what characterizes the mind is clinging to the notion of a self. But if one looks carefully into this ‘mind’, one actually sees no self at all. If you can learn how really to observe this [apparent] ‘nothing’, then you’ll find that “something” will be seen” —Jetsun Milarepa, 1052–1135, The 100,000 Songs of Milarepa. Although Hume argues against the self, other philosophers have argued for the existence of the self. Thomas Reid (1710–1796) argues that the mental ability of memory gives us reason to hold that the self exist. Daniel Dennett (1942) claims that a fundamental principle of evolution is self preservation as such the self must exist. The debate is not new, but recent scientific developments have made it more of a burning issue. If the self, the human mind, is a complex physical instrument—purely material, as most neuroscientists believe—then it is not only possible but probable that we will eventually explain everything there is to know about the self by studying how the brain works. And it is also possible and probable that a computer system will do that as well. POWERFUL ANALYSIS: KNOW THY SELF? Can we know the self, or is the self simple like an empty theater as Hume proclaims? Materialism is the rule in the science, and that position permeates much phi- losophy as well; it is certainly an easier proposition to say that all there is, is matter— and thinking i.

1. Personal Identity and Artificial Intelligence
David Hume (1711–1776) claims that the self is an illusion and
that we can never, in any of our experiences, find a perception
of the actual self. In his view, the self is constantly changing
and you are never the same person one moment to the next. This
view is not unlike some Eastern conceptions of the self and of
the mind. It is also close to Jean-Paul Sartre’s notion that
human beings are nothingness, that is, not-a-thing, and as such
cannot be defined. There is no ego, there is no self. Accord- ing
to Hume, all knowledge is based on sense impressions and on
experiences. If this is the case, we don’t even have any evidence
of the self, since any conception of iden- tity must be based on
impressions. “It must be some impression that gives rise to
every real idea,” he wrote in his Treatise on Human Nature.
“The self is not any one impression, but that to which our
several impressions are supposed to have a refer- ence.” There
is no self. Therefore, as far as our idea of the self, Hume
believed “there is no such idea.”
Although Hume argues against the self, other philosophers have
argued for the existence of the self. Thomas Reid (1710–1796)
argues that the mental ability of memory gives us reason to hold
that the self exist. Daniel Dennett (1942) claims that a
fundamental principle of evolution is self preservation as such
the self must exist. The debate is not new, but recent scientific
developments have made it more of a burning issue. If the self,
the human mind, is a complex physical instrument—purely
“Listen carefully; what characterizes the mind is clinging to the
notion of a self. But if one looks carefully into this ‘mind’, one
actually sees no self at all. If you can learn how really to
observe this [apparent] ‘nothing’, then you’ll find that
“something” will be seen”

2. —Jetsun Milarepa, 1052–1135, The 100,000 Songs of Milarepa.
Although Hume argues against the self, other philosophers have
argued for the existence of the self. Thomas Reid (1710–1796)
argues that the mental ability of memory gives us reason to hold
that the self exist. Daniel Dennett (1942) claims that a
fundamental principle of evolution is self preservation as such
the self must exist. The debate is not new, but recent scientific
developments have made it more of a burning issue. If the self,
the human mind, is a complex physical instrument—purely
material, as most neuroscientists believe—then it is not only
possible but probable that we will eventually explain everything
there is to know about the self by studying how the brain works.
And it is also possible and probable that a computer system will
do that as well.
POWERFUL ANALYSIS: KNOW THY SELF?
Can we know the self, or is the self simple like an empty theater
as Hume proclaims?
Materialism is the rule in the science, and that position
permeates much phi- losophy as well; it is certainly an easier
proposition to say that all there is, is matter— and thinking is
just part of a physical process. Although most people are very
likely dualists—anyone who believes in God must be, for
example, since God is not mate- rial—including atheists such as
Jean-Paul Sartre who are not materialists and then have a tough
time explaining what the mind is. Still, such an explanation is
needed if we are to insist that a computer cannot “think” the
way humans can.
That possibility is here, stemming from Alan Turing’s original
work on artifi- cial intelligence and since then taking off at an
exponential rate of success. Computers today not only do what
only humans used to do, but they do so faster and more
accurately. Does that make them intelligent? Does it mean that

3. computers think? Maybe? In 1962, Time Magazine named The
Computer its “Man of the Year.” And that was just the
beginning.
On film at least, of course. The vengeful computer HAL in
Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) got the ball
rolling in frighteningly believable sci-fi movie, followed by an
invasion of smart androids in Ridley Scott’s Bladerunner
(1982), an adorable and tragic little boy robot in Steven
Spielberg’s A.I. (2001), or a sexy dis- embodied voice online
who dumps a real guy for a smarter artificial intelligence in
Spike Jonze’s Her (2013), to name a few of the best.
But there’s no need to go to sci-fi movies, just grab your phone.
The impres- sively complex technology involved in designing
that computational ma achine would have been unthinkable only
a few decades ago. Maybe computers do think. Still, does the
chess program on your laptop feel good when it beats you in
every game? Does it judge the music you put on the iCloud? Is
your computer punishing you when it freezes? Is it sad when it
gets a virus? Does it like chicken soup?
Apple’s intelligent personal assistant iOS app Siri, the voice
that talks to you in your car or phone, certainly seems
intelligent. Siri uses a sophisticated system to interface with
your own voice, gets to know you in the sense that her
answers—part of the design of her software—will adapt to you
the more you ask her. You can ask her “Siri, where is nearest
beach?” or “Siri, what is neurophysiology?” But the smartest of
smartphones, even with the latest iOS Siri app, is likely to
answer your question “Siri, how can I be happy?” with
something like “Macy’s is on 34th Street.” You are not talking
the same language. Or, what is more likely, you are conscious
and self-conscious, and Siri is not.
Some scientists would say that your own happiness and sadness
in fact are not that different from the computer’s, as long as
what you mean by emotions is precisely whatever goes on in
your brain and whatever behavior you perform when you feel
those emotions. That is a materialist view, and we do know a lot

4. about matter. The presumption on part here is to assume that
our knowing everything there is to know about physical reality
leads us to know everything there is to know about the mind. It
is fact a popular trend in Anglo-American analytic philosophy
to assume just that. The self can or will be explained and
understood in physical terms. It’s all about the nerve cells and
what they do in that complex gray matter called your brain.
Any- thing else is in the realm of mysticism, of returning to
Plato, or—God forbid—of psychology. That is, as Tom Stoppard
puts it, the hard problem.
And the problem is there, still. To doubt the materialist view of
the self is not to doubt science: much of science is as verifiable
as 2 + 2 = 4. Evolution is true, for example. The Big Bang
Theory is true, as is the Law of Gravity. The Earth is billions of
years old. Intelligent design theory of creation is not so
intelligent. The idea is not to ask questions that were answered
already and bring about confusion and retro- gression, but
rather to avoid trusting answers for which there is no
foundational evi- dence. A scientific theory of consciousness is
easy, but only if you assume that physics, biology, and
chemistry are the way to explain the mind. Yet materialism is a
premise, not a conclusion.
We have evidence of dualism, hard as it is to prove it. Kurt
Go ̋del upset many philosophers and mathematicians when he
proved that there are true facts that cannot be proved but are
nevertheless true. The tough part is explaining them.
Running head: CONDUCTING AN ENVIRONMENTAL
ANALYSIS 1
CONDUCTING AN ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS 2

5. Conducting an Environmental Analysis
Conducting an Environmental Analysis
The United States Company offers significances in the
formation and enhancement of regular gas and oil in the U.S.
the corporation was formed in the year 1966 in Wyoming, and
its main duty was to concentrate on the progression of common
asset capitals (Rellstab, Gugerli, Eckert, Hancock, &
Holderegger, 2015). It also had the duty of gaining assets on
inordinate terms, comprising of esteem via the utilization of its
capacity in the regular assets division, and looking for common
effort collaborators to help in the development of its expects.
USEC is a free examination and formation association which
has general and assorted forecasts in the Gulf of Mexico,
Montana, North Dakota, and Texas (Rellstab et al., 2015).
Group number B will be differentiating and dissecting the
external environment and consider the remote, commerce and
working conditions are not abandoning the inner abilities and
limitations of USEC. Incorporated will be an evaluation of the
administration's assets.
Remote Variables
The remote financial components of USEC can contain a
colossal impact on the association. The commercial sector is
one of the largest elements because this can impact the charges
of common oil and gas (Ballesteros-Gómez & Rubio, 2011). The
interest for common gas and oil and also geothermal, and
molybdenum are similarly the other factors.
USEC maintains stable patterns and monitoring of these
components reason being that it can impact nature. The firm to
the present as has reserved the money associated with the
business without reserves outsourcing. Other monetary variables
are the agreement in forming and mining and other subsidiary

6. contracts. The monetary disparities have a target of lessening
the effect of value’s variations on the division of future oil
production and to get more predictable trade tributaries in for
currency a situation of uneven oil and gas charges and to
manage demonstration to merchandise value threat (Ballesteros-
Gómez & Rubio, 2011). The usage of these secondary apparatus
confines the problem of unpromising value advances. The
secondary product costs can affect the evolutions in the
business zone. Some of these variables comprise of the
pipelinelimit rules, climate variations, monetary training, and
many other variables.
Social Factors
USEC has gathered a solid culture which has turned it feasible
for the firm to make opportunities that we can then alter over
into positive return of shareholders. The firm does not bargain
particularly with the client, but it has shareholders and
middlemen invigorated by pacts to offer the firm's items
(Atkinson & Mourato, 2008). From the year 2011, the firm has
used 19 fulltime, and all round prepared experts dedicated to
looking after the government's code of conduct. USEC is a firm
having absurd social qualities and settings. The firm has low
worker turnover and outstanding hard working attitudes.
Political Factors
Various political factors affect USEC. Political differences
characterize the legitimate and managerial considerations where
firms ought to function (Aisen & Veiga, 2013). USEC has a
duty of taking caring for tenets and neighborhood control, state
and administration law necessities. Diverse laws that are used
are NEPA, Central Water Contamination Regulation Act of the
year 1972 and the Clean Air Act. The firm takes care of the
assets and liabilities, safety laws for land and the environmental
laws for pollution and quality.
Mechanical and Biological Element
The inventive element comprises of the mechanical variations.

7. USEC has obtained every sole inventive variation because
comprising of the purchase of novel hardware and enhancing
apparatus to develop the penetrating and the establishment
(Department of Environmental Affairs, 2014). The elements of
the environment comprise of the air pollution, land pollution,
and water. These elements are largely important on the grounds
that they can affect the living situations common life.
The firm constructs largely practical water pipelines on
terminuses that release in agreeability with license
fundamentals. USEC may form firm and hazardous dissipates
subject to a directive under RCRA and same state decrees
(Department of Environmental Affairs, 2014). Albeit definite
mining oil and gas features, investigation and formation
squander currently eliminated from the control of risky wastes
under RCRA. Diverse operations, for instance, the leases
restrict constituents into the ground; USEC has a curative duty
to moderate pollution from occurring by shutting and covering
relocation pits, and averting deserted wells.
Industry Variables
USEC has created a good image for itself in the business centers
with the assessment of gas and oil including its production,
geothermal energy, and molybdenum mining actions. The oil
and gas wells work in Texas and the Gulf of Mexico. The
channel into the oil commercial is exclusively focused (Thrän et
al., 2016). USEC competitors are both the private and are
developed firms. The association also competes with gas and oil
managers to acquire real state locations. Contenders are little to
average in size firms which have in-house petroleum assessment
and drilling. Some firms do have personal resources,
technology, and monetary much more important compared to
USEC. The hoisted boundaries to section include asset
possession, administration licenses, and high start-up
expenditure. The oil and gas corporation is a monopolist market
(Lynch & Shabman, 2011). The oil firm has disposed to typical
syndication as an outcome of the irregularity of the stores.
Working Factors

8. Implementation of a marketable technique for the firm needs the
capacity to yield cash to accomplish planned working basics for
a period of six to eight months. USEC signed an agreement as a
member with isolated substance of two sections in Texas. In the
decrees of the agreement, USEC will acquire 19.6% net income
interest for approximately 1,274 net segments of land to USEC
via a money payment of $1.7 million (Department of
Environmental Affairs, 2014). The developed sum will take care
of the USEC's section of the outlays for land, and geophysical
labor, alongside all the dry opening, outlays for a beginning test
well in every seven forecasts. Boundless supply of USEC's
starting charges estimably in each unit, USEC's benefit is
lessened to 14.7% net revenue interest (Department of
Environmental Affairs, 2014). The imminent infill entering will
be on as needed, and USEC’s significance is 14.7% net revenue.
USEC is on an unending voyage of additional capital via typical
choices, and particularly concerning getting working capital
sufficient for the development of typical gas and vivacity
actions to bring about affirmative income to control operations.
USEC tries on trailing diverse opportunities for their
commercial as it recognizes with the oil and gas business. The
interest of USEC with private components has normally been
suitable indicating a $1.6 million, a 24% rise in revenue and
formed an OE/D from 13.65 source wells (Lynch & Shabman,
2011). It also obtained a price of $2.8 million each month from
sourcing wells with a usual working outlay of $431,000 each
month (excluding work-over outlays), and formation duties of
$294,000 before non-money feasting charges, for a standard
revenue of $2.1 million each month from oil and gas creation.
The objective of USEC to form capital for speculators integrates
the devotion sum for our senior admit office for Wells
Fargo,gaining base increased by two million and had no
borrowings under this agency; nevertheless, it acquired $5
million to stock drilling schemes.
The firm contains $7.8 million in actual currency, and money
equals obtainable with working principal of $11.8 million

9. (Department of Environmental Affairs, 2014). In the quarter
ended in the year 2012, 31st March, we recorded a net loss
$381,000 duty when compared to a net loss of valuations of
$2.2 million in the similar time of the year 2011.
In the recent past, the year 2012, USEC sold 75% unified of
undeveloped segments of land in its SE HR Zavanna and
Yellowstone leasehold intrigues for $16.7 million and $1.4
million in recompensed well expenditures (Lynch & Shabman,
2011). The firm upheld 25% interest for the grounds which,
were incomplete and its exclusive working capital and
formation of ten gross or two to three wells.
Inner Quality and shortcoming
To progress the type of selections and decisions by the
management, USEC ought to identify its qualities that arise
from the properties and capacities obtainable. It ought to
similarly differentiate its challenges that impact its capabilities
and making disfavors recognized with its competition
(Muthuvelayutham & Jeyakodeeswari, 2014). Carrying out
SWOT analysis identifies the qualities and challenges
recognized by USEC’s examination.
The most important strengths are properties comprising property
land and short obligations. In the initial quarter of the year
2012 USEC collected resources costing nearly 148.22 and a
total of liabilities valuing to nearly 21.68 million (Department
of Environmental Affairs, 2014). This is an incredible resource
for the association being a fact that inconsequential risk is
recognized with the guarantee for liabilities. The association
maintains reserving its report of accounting clean by providing
bases at a premium to exclusive outlay. Safeguarding the
appropriate resources allow the firm to invest in itself by
examining new developments and diverse exhibitions of
forming environment considerate, creative vitality.
In the meeting of USEC, the CEO Keith Larson said that the
association was planning to maintain it’s to prospects with
Crimson in the Eagle Ford schemes to differentiate the best
actions to financially construct the grounds. Reports of the year

10. 2011 show the selected Financial Outcomes. This is a symbol of
valuation of land held by the association as a profit.
Similarly, the superiority of USEC also lies in conceivable to
future revenues from Uranium belongings, and the distinctions
swung on Uranium prerogatives. It currently grasps a 4% net
benefits interest on unpatented mining assertions on Rio Tinto's
Pool uranium assets positioned on Green Mountain in Wyoming.
The interior challenges of USEC include pungent actions, stuff,
and main workforce. Currently, the association does not
function on the larger sections of its penetrating parts and
afterward can't regulate the timing of examination and
development actions, connected outlays, or the production rate
of these non-operational properties (Atkinson & Mourato,
2008). This is challenging for the firm reason being it poses
weaknesses on timing, resolve of the suitable invention and the
gratified capital intakes. The value inconsistency of oil and gas
business can regularly bring about recurrent shortages in
development.
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