Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site rtp47.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!harvard!talcott!panda!genrad!decvax!mcnc!rti-sel!rtp47!throopw From: throopw@rtp47.UUCP (Wayne Throop) Newsgroups: net.origins Subject: the mamelian brain a kludge? Message-ID: <107@rtp47.UUCP> Date: Thu, 25-Jul-85 16:55:58 EDT Article-I.D.: rtp47.107 Posted: Thu Jul 25 16:55:58 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 28-Jul-85 03:57:13 EDT References: <362@imsvax.UUCP> Organization: Data General, RTP, NC Lines: 18 > The brain draws a resonant response from the data itself, likely using > more than one key. The computer must examine each item, one by one. > It's as if you were looking at a million dog houses, one of which > contained YOUR dog, but which one? The com- puter would search each > doghouse. The intelligent approach would be to whistle, knowing that > YOUR dog would hear and come running from whichever house he was in, > i.e. draw a response from the data itself. That is what the brain does. > Which is the kludge? Well, actually, both are kludges. The picture given of the brain is somewhat misleading, and doesn't address Stanley's points about its kludgery. Add to this picture the fellow deciding whether to embrace the dog that issues from the doghouse, or kill it. The reptilian brain says "KILL IT", and that is suppressed, then the mammalian brain says "HUG IT", and that is suppressed, then the forebrain says "well, greet it", and (at last) the dog is given a "normal" greeting. -- Wayne Throop at Data General, RTP, NC !mcnc!rti-sel!rtp47!throopw