IUBio

Using intensive reinforcement for developing intellectual abilities

k p Collins kpaulc at [----------]earthlink.net
Wed Jan 21 14:48:48 EST 2004


Hi Oleg,

"Oleg" <ingenuous at mail.ru> wrote in message
news:3fe91fdd.0401210908.6e7d50b3 at posting.google.com...
> "NMF" <neil.fournier at sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:<TDiPb.13808$cQ6.361345 at news20.bellglobal.com>...
> > Is this an idea you have or are you reiterate work done by others in
this
> > field?
>
> Yes. You can see also earlier ones
> http://neuron.tuke.sk/~hudecm/helps/NN/DuplexReinforcementLearning.txt
> There is a recent experiment
> http://www.sciencenews.org/20020504/fob3.asp close to the subject.
> On waveform - I agree with that.
>
> As to influence of negative zones. In short term experiments positive
> emotions prevail. But of course in long term ones it can be a
> complexifying factor. As well as the epileptiform activity.

"Reinforcement" is only functional with respect to naturally-
occurring experiential dynamics, and, to the degree that it
were to be directed in any way that is not coupled to such
naturally-occurring dynamics, the nervous so directed will
become less-capable of coping with naturally-occurring
dynamics.

The rats cited in the =Science News= report are a case
in-point. They have been transformed into biological-'robots'.

The same thing happens with respect to =any= and =all=
forms of manipulation of neural dynamics that are imposed
in =any= way that is not coupled to naturally-occurring
dynamics.

It's what happens in instances of drug addiction, for instance.

The addict converges upon being a 'robut' whose "prime
directive" is "get the drug", not only is such not-effective
with respect to the addict's survival, it also decreases the
survival propensities of the addict's associates - because
the addict will steal from them, mug them, and, otherwise,
impose 'abnormal' energy-consumption upon them.

It doesn't matter how it's done, exerting external control
=always= decreases nervous systems' information-proc-
essing capabilities.

This is why, when one conveys information that is verifiably
to the benefit of folks who, formerly, did not have access
to it, after communicating the information, one must 'stand-
back' and allow folks' nervous systems to discover what's
in the information without 'interference'.

With respect to 'normal' nervous system function, there is
no 'magic' that 'trumps' eons of evolutionary 'engineering'.

I do not miss where you choose to carry your 'heart', and
see Love and Hope in the way that you do, but, I'm sorry,
what you propose will just not be functional with respect
to nervous systems' information-processing capabilities.

If you want to lift Humanity up, the best way to do so is
to eliminate absence-of-understanding where ever it
exists.

For instance, the consequences inherent in many Parent-
Child interactive dynamics are exactly-analogous to
sticking electrodes into brains fairly-'randomly' - their
only significant consequence is that they decrease the
information-processing capabilities of the Child's ner-
vous system. [And the Child matures to Adulthood, and
does the same-stuff to his own Children.]

If I've seen what's in your 'heart' correctly, then I en-
courage you to displace absence-of-understanding that
exists within this Vicious intergenerational cycling with
understanding.

=Of course=, with respect to assisting nervous systems
that, through injury or genetics, suffer reduced cababilities,
it's a different matter, almost-entirely.

ken [k. p. collins]





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