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To prove that the brain runs a single learning algorithm would actually be a bigger breakthrough than going from there to determining the algorithm itself. What
by gfodor 8y ago
To prove that the brain runs a single learning algorithm would actually be a bigger breakthrough than going from there to determining the algorithm itself. What a profound thing it would be to learn that the mechanics of the brain are fundamentally simple but applied on a massive scale of data, time, and parallelism. I applaud the effort of trying to uncover this model -- embracing the idea that The Brain is comprehensible despite A Brain being impenetrably complex is a liberating concept.
- memory_grep 8y agoSurely there has to be a single learning algorithm for most of the skills a modern human learns. There has been no time to evolve specialized algorithms for things like chess, programming, riding a bike, etc., and yet we can easily learn these skills.
- tuespetre 8y agoThey’re all just optimizable functions, right?
- nickpsecurity 8y ago"There has been no time to evolve specialized algorithms for things like chess, programming, riding a bike, etc., and yet we can easily learn these skills." Not necessarily. We got a mix of innate head-start and training from parents/others for a really, really, long time before we could do that. The brains learning style and speed even changes over time going from rapid learning in intuitive way to learning slower and with more stability in a combo of self- and others-driven way. At some point, our mind is pretty well-formed where our own thoughts and explorations are driving much of our behavior. And somewhere between the kid and adult parts we start easily learning new skills. There's probably a mix of general, specialized, and stuff in between algorithms. It changes over time, too, instead of being a static, pre-trained model.
- sdenton4 8y agoYou could conceivably have different algorithms at different layers - e.g., early inputs directly from sensors vs deeper representation layers. You could also easily have different algorithms for different senses, evolved at various historical stages...
- TeMPOraL 8y ago> To prove that the brain runs a single learning algorithm would actually be a bigger breakthrough I don't think it's provable in this form, you'd also have to specify what "single algorithm" is. Because algorithms themselves are delineated by human categorizing; what you call a "single" algorithm can be subdivided into several simple(r) algorithms, and at the same time can be just one part of what someone else will call "a single algorithm".