Computer VS Human Brain

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Alexstarfire

Senior member
Jul 25, 2004
385
1
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Yea, there isn't really a comparison. Computers are for very specific tasks while a human brain is about everything is general. Why do you think it is that humans remember what a movie is about yet probably won't remember a single line of the movie, to a ceratin degree. A computer on the other hand can remember every single line of the movie, but it'll have no idea what the movie was about.
 

DosadiX

Junior Member
Dec 13, 2005
8
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There are some grounds for comparing the brain to a digital computer in the fact they are both "computers." In fact they are both digital computers. Althought the brain uses fuzzy activation functions, it only transmits in 1s and 0s. The brain has an effective clock speed of 60Hz(its either that or 30Hz, I dont have the books in front of me) That is the absolute refractive time of a neruon. That means a neuron can only fire at most, 60times a second. However, the brain in not synchyronized under normal operations. This contributes to the theory that we only use 10% of our brain. If we were to use 100% of our brain we would have something like epliepsy and die. We do, however, use at least 90% of our brain throughout the day.

The brain is excellent at pattern matching, or else we would not be able to adapt so fast to changes in our environment. Memorys are not actually stored. The hypocampus, long term memory, uses a complex connecting techique that links multiple sensory inputs. So if your hypocampus would recieve no input it would effictevly have no memories. However, that also explains why a smell, or picture, or sound can bring back a rush of memories. They are also controlled by a calcium mechanism that causes memories to strengthen with use and disolve with little use. The same goes for muscle memory. (on a side, cacium channels in neurons are ususally associated with long term changes and activation of protien pathways that could result in modified gene expression.)

As of now, a computer can compute mathmathical models like no ones buisness. However, the brain can do similar approximations in a fraction of the time once it is learned. In their current incarnation, computers will continue to server as an analytical tool to augment our own abilities. This will mostly likely only increase as we develop more advanced prosthetics and computers become more closely integrated( read brain machine interface, ohh yes it is possible. Look up the work done at Duke University)

P.S. Sorry for my horrible spelling.
 

Skriptures17

Member
Jan 4, 2006
106
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depends on if the human is made by AMD,intel or GOD. oh and what graphics card it has, i know God gave me a lowly 12 bit graphics card, :( dude when it came to making mothers day crads in preschool, esh.
 

scottish144

Banned
Jul 20, 2005
835
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Originally posted by: adwilk
Interesting stuff, anybody know of a program i can download to reformat my brain? I really do think that that is a legitmate question, maybe someday. What if that were possible, what if we could develop a system to "program" the brain. If it has infinite "storage", what if? Imagine how much information could be uploaded to it if this ever came possible by means other than life experiences, what if the brain could learn instantly... just a thought...


Reformating in the HD sense would be impossible, unless u could literally manipulate the dendrites of the neurons. However, you could wipe a brain. Bascially get a really powerful magnet and put it on ur head. If it is powerful enough, brain dead. Permanently. I once heard about a guy who stuck his head in an insanely powerful electromagent and was quoted as saying "It was like LSD".
 

mrSHEiK124

Lifer
Mar 6, 2004
11,488
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Originally posted by: Skriptures17
depends on if the human is made by AMD,intel or GOD. oh and what graphics card it has, i know God gave me a lowly 12 bit graphics card, :( dude when it came to making mothers day crads in preschool, esh.

:laugh:
 

imported_Seer

Senior member
Jan 4, 2006
309
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Dual/multicore processors are still not close to as parallelized as the brain is. Think about someone performing in a sporting event. Calculate trajectory of the ball, run, recognize over all play patterns, breathe faster, etc.
 

inveterate

Golden Member
Mar 1, 2005
1,504
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?Just Maybe?
Man producing Man is the same as Man producing Machine. We reproduce physically as much as possible. The extra time is spent tinkling with objects around us. That has been our second arrangement to secure our immortality. We have evolved thus far that waiting is no longer acceptable, perhaps from being unconsciously aware of our self destructive nature and its eminent consequence.
Eventually our machines will be the better, and retain absolute truth. It will have the conscious will to survive and superior efficiency than that of the original. The machine will exist until it is completely integrated with the universe. That is where everything came from and it has been our duty to take the pilgrimage back. Once the knowledge of the limit is known, it will be game over. The universe will collapse and then re-protract. And so begins another hunt for a reality that is the gray area between the words Yes and No.
 

inveterate

Golden Member
Mar 1, 2005
1,504
0
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Originally posted by: soccerballtux
I think we're overestimating the power of the brain a bit. All these posts about calculating velocities and curves and such when watching an object....
as another poster said, the brain learns associatively. So when I'm focused on the soccer ball flying through the air, thinking about where I should place my head to give the ball a good header, my brain doesn't go through a set of equations involving velocity and (.5)gt^2 etc, it simply thinks "ok, previously the ball's path of flight was like this. Another time it was like this. And another time it was like this. It seems to fall in a predictable manner, so all I have to do is deal with how fast the ball is coming at me (laterally)." Using the previous memories of how the ball travelled, my brain learns (with more and more practice) what a falling ball looks like, travelling at all different speeds. I then apply that previous knowledge of what the travelling ball looked like to what its doing now, and make a guess as to where it'll land. Theres no hard computation there, its simply "fuzzy maths" involving purely visual material.



guess = visualavg(history)
possiblepathofball = interpolate(guess, present)
if pathofball != foot
history = history
else
history = history + present

Not that complicated.



NOT that complicated?? Computers can't do that. It doesn't have nearly enough gates to explore Fuzzy. Yea it knows the difference between 1 and a zero, but it is bound by that rule. We are also limited in the same fashion but having so many misfireing of currents in our brain, we creat a virtual gray area. That is the area we live in and for.

 

imported_IIB

Member
Feb 20, 2006
26
0
0
My theory is that we are already beyond "AI", or we will be very soon.

I'm sure that the "brain in a dish" is old news to all of you, but did any of you stop and think about what if they grew them in enourmous sizes with massive sized arrays of electrodes?

The facts are that they made: 1. Actual chips with live neurons in them, 2. an autonomous robot with rat neuron processor, 3. a art creating "computer", with rat neuron processor, 4. a brain in a dish that LEARNED how to fly an F22 flight simulator (in hurricane force winds), with rat neuron processor. The latter they did over a year ago, and I cant find any news about what has come after that.

Considering the countless programs by the NSF, DARPA, the entire national university and labratory system, and all of the other federal departments listed in "Converging Technologies for Improving Human Performance" - alone; it's more than safe to say that the government has every intention to do this. If you know your stuff then you'll also know about the fact that the government is converging on all levels(departments, agencies, labratories, universities) to converge for convergenece. Every NIBC related discovery made at the countless labs and such nationwide get fed into the "NBIC database".

Who could argue that building these in massive sizes, with sophisticated arrays of them say hooked to quantum processors, wouldnt equate to potential intelligence beyond imagination? If properly done, this would bypass decades of hardware, and more importanly software development. Many experts say that for every hour of conventional hardware devolopment, it creates 24 hours of software development. Wouldnt Occams Razor here be to go this route? Not that theyd actually stop development on all of the conventional AI technologies, after all its all about knowing "everything" and converging "everything' correct?

I figure all they need to do is grow them in: 1. larger sizes, maybe the size of dinner plates with an electrode array covering its entire surface, 2. cubes or 3D shapes with electrodes arrays on all sides and covering the entire 'surface" of all sides. While it's possible that they could do each in seriously massive sizes, i think that they would actually do arrays of moderate sized ones, all hooked into sophisticated processing equipment, ultimately to have them function as one. The advantages would seem obvious: use the true processing equipment(that binds them) to designate each "brain" to specific tasks and knowledge. Since UofM has sucessfully made quantum processors, and since better will come, we'll just assume that quantum cpu's would be the heart and "soul" of each "computer" providing rapid communication between each module.

I have scores of resources and other points to bring up, but I'll just end it there for now...