3 ms·
This seems to provide once more evidence for the hypotheses that the cortex implements some sort of general purpose algorithm. The visual cortex of a blind pers
by recurrent 10y ago
This seems to provide once more evidence for the hypotheses that the cortex implements some sort of general purpose algorithm. The visual cortex of a blind person does not receive any sensory information, but just information from other cortical areas. Perhaps it then simply learns (by reward modulation) to augment the high-order association that occurs in the occipital lobe. Interesting stuff.
- Garlef 10y agoMy guess would be that the yoneda lemma plays a role: The visual interpretation of Hom(-,X) would be roughly 'What are the visual parts of X'.
- aisofteng 10y ago>the cortex implements some kind of general purpose algorithm That algorithm is really just the laws of physics being followed in a very, very complex system. Not to be overly pedantic, but when you say "some sort of general algorithm," what do you mean? Do you mean that there is some sort of information processing in the cortex (everyone's cortex!) that could be written down and named "the process of cognition"? Perhaps by "some sort of general algorithm" you really mean the mechanisms underlying neuroplasticity, which are what enable learning and memory and this arguably the ability to have what we call consciousness? I don't mean to nitpick (and I don't think I am) but this tendency among HN comments to try to shoehorn principles of computing into an alleged understanding of cognition seems to be both popular and, well, unsupported by any existing science.