IUBio

the neural net and artificial intelligence

Jim Hunter jim.hunter at REMOVE_TO_EMAIL.jhuapl.edu
Tue Nov 24 18:52:27 EST 1998


Ray Scanlon wrote:
 > 
 > Jim Hunter wrote in message
 > <364CFF6A.29ACD8BB at REMOVE_TO_EMAIL.jhuapl.edu>...
 > >  The brain certainly does need training. I suppose you might
 > >  want to claim that your brain discovered geometry, DNA,
 > >  or computerized gene sequencing? Or even how to drive a car?
 > >
 > >  All observers need driving lessons before they are allowed
 > >  to drive their brains anywhere. (Particularly some "drifty"
 > >  scientists and mathematicians that I know).
 > 
 > You invoke an homunculus. The homunculus is the little man who sits
in the
 > middle of your head, watching a TV screen, and punching buttons.
Some, more
 > sophisticated, envision a mind (soul, self), that selects from the 
data
 > proffered by the brain, manipulates  that data, comes to a
conclusion, and
 > forwards the decision to the brain for execution.


  No I don't. I've never believed in little people inside of people.
  Your "I am a soul/mind" rather than "I have a soul/mind" is probably
  what most people believe. I think some people use the homunculus
  in an official sense of separation of church and state.
 

 
 > Others, even more sophisticated, invoke a "society" to train the
brain. I
 > ask you, "Who trains the rat's brain?"


   The universe and momma rat (sometimes human rather than rodent)
   of course train the rat brain. But, rats are not known to make 
   shopping lists or drive when they go shopping, so I put them a 
   few grades down the intelligence scale from humans.
   Mind over the machine is sorta my view of IQ. 


 
 > We limit our investigation of the (rat, cat, man) brain to the
material
 > world. Mind is not part of the material world. There can be no
homunculus to
 > train the mind. The synapses of the neural net are altered by the
signal
 > energy that flows through it, that is all. The signal energy
originates in
 > the sensory neurons that transduce energy arriving from the exterior
 > universe.

   Well I guess I almost see things like you, probably except for
   the natural numbers. I still maintain that the only reason anything
   still exists is because natural numbers are ultra invisible. 
   If numbers where visible I believe some human would have 
   stolen them long ago. 

   ---
   Jim



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