Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!necntc!linus!mbunix!bwk
From: bwk@mitre-bedford.ARPA (Barry W. Kort)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Acting irrationally (was Re: Free Will & Self Awareness)
Message-ID: <32403@linus.UUCP>
Date: 19 May 88 14:27:13 GMT
References: <770@onion.cs.reading.ac.uk> <1177@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu> <5499@venera.isi.edu> <180@proxftl.UUCP>
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Reply-To: bwk@mbunix (Kort)
Organization: Neurotic Netware, Dendrite Faults, NV
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The discussion seems to be turning to the shortcomings of human-human
communication.  It might by helpful to review some estimates of the
human information processing capacity.

It is estimated that the human mind accumulates and retains over
a lifetime enough information to fill 50,000 volumes.  That's quite
a library.  The human input/output channel operates at about 300 bits
per second (30 characters per second).  Exchanging personal knowledge
bases is a time-consuming operation.  We are destined to remain unaware
of vast portions of our civilization's collective information base.

Much of what we know is not easily reduced to language.  That which
cannot be described in words may have to be demonstrated in action.
Some people speak of secret knowledge or private language.  I don't
think there is anything nefarious here.  If I attempted to express
every notion that crossed my mind, I would surely drive people nuts.

--Barry Kort