RE: Theory number 3.
October 28, 2012 at 8:37 pm
(This post was last modified: October 28, 2012 at 8:53 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
It'll be fun reading for me as well. Where to start with neurons. I suppose their structure maybe? We have dendrites, essentially a number of antennas that receive signals from other neurons that all lead to the soma, where the different "lines" established by the dendrites are condensed to a single axon. Now, when the dendrites receive a signal from other neurons the electrical polarity of the soma shifts, it could "fire" (along the single axon which itself may be "connected" to yet more dendrites via a synapse).
The comparison to logic gates is impossible to avoid. Specifically transistors. The structure of a neuron is such that any imaginable circuit we might care to take as an example is easily realized within the framework of what neurons are capable of doing and how they are structured. Also take into account that these neurons are stupendously small (though the axons can be very long.....) and so you can cram quite a few in a tiny space (like that spot between our ears). A very beefy modern CPU has 2.5 billion transistors. Our brains have 100 billion, give or take a few billion. Consider the advanced functions our computers can execute. They can play chess against you, they provide the NPC's in video games, and yes, there are some things they appear to be even better than us at. As we have found ways to increase the number of transistors (and clock speed of the assembly) our little machines have become capable of ever increasing complexity. They are capable of more, and more greatly pronounced "effects".
As others have mentioned, imagine a computer which was so complex (had so many transistors and such a high clock rate- for example) that it's simulation was indistinguishable from "the real deal". If you can imagine that you can at least conceptualize a consciousness sans magic.
Anything objectionable thusfar?
(I took some liberties...transistors are simpler than neurons - which are much more elaborate logic gates if we extend the analogy, but even by a 1 for 1 comparison you can see the gulf between the two.)
The comparison to logic gates is impossible to avoid. Specifically transistors. The structure of a neuron is such that any imaginable circuit we might care to take as an example is easily realized within the framework of what neurons are capable of doing and how they are structured. Also take into account that these neurons are stupendously small (though the axons can be very long.....) and so you can cram quite a few in a tiny space (like that spot between our ears). A very beefy modern CPU has 2.5 billion transistors. Our brains have 100 billion, give or take a few billion. Consider the advanced functions our computers can execute. They can play chess against you, they provide the NPC's in video games, and yes, there are some things they appear to be even better than us at. As we have found ways to increase the number of transistors (and clock speed of the assembly) our little machines have become capable of ever increasing complexity. They are capable of more, and more greatly pronounced "effects".
As others have mentioned, imagine a computer which was so complex (had so many transistors and such a high clock rate- for example) that it's simulation was indistinguishable from "the real deal". If you can imagine that you can at least conceptualize a consciousness sans magic.
Anything objectionable thusfar?
(I took some liberties...transistors are simpler than neurons - which are much more elaborate logic gates if we extend the analogy, but even by a 1 for 1 comparison you can see the gulf between the two.)
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