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From: friesen@psivax.UUCP (Stanley Friesen)
Newsgroups: net.origins
Subject: Re: the mamelian brain a kludge?
Message-ID: <579@psivax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 29-Jul-85 16:02:37 EDT
Article-I.D.: psivax.579
Posted: Mon Jul 29 16:02:37 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 3-Aug-85 02:22:58 EDT
References: <362@imsvax.UUCP>
Reply-To: friesen@psivax.UUCP (Stanley Friesen)
Organization: Pacesetter Systems Inc., Sylmar, CA
Lines: 33
Summary: 

In article <362@imsvax.UUCP> ted@imsvax.UUCP (Ted Holden) writes:
>I note with interest the remarks of Stanley Friesen concerning the mammalian
>brain. To some extent he is right but, using computer phraseology, he is
>talking about hardware;  let's talk about software, the actual functioning
>of the mind.
>The differences in software (can) simply overcome the hardware differences.  
>    Look for a book by Eli Hellerman, one of the founders of computer science,
>concerning the workings of the human mind.  This book is either out now or will
>be out soon.  It will use the terms holography and resonance a great deal.

Or as I would say, the brain is massively parallel.
(P.S. this applies almost as well to all vertebrate brains at least)

>  Consider the way
>a computer seeks to find one out of a million unsorted data items versus the
>manner in which the human brain performs the same task.  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.
>Which is the kludge?

	I will admit that this is excellent usage of available
material, but it is still not perfect, look at memory lapses,
emotional disorders and other such mis-reactions. All I was really
saying is that arguments from design are flawed, since no rational
engineer would design a system anything like a typical living
organism, the same effects could be achieved much more simply
and more reliably with different designs..
-- 

				Sarima (Stanley Friesen)

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