4 ms·
Competing theories for where engrams (physical memories) are stored: - neuronal network / synapses - microtubule network in inside the neurons - now RNA rece
by 1996 6y ago
Competing theories for where engrams (physical memories) are stored:
- neuronal network / synapses
- microtubule network in inside the neurons
- now RNA recently joined the competition
As microtubules are protein, so made from RNA, this experiment can not exclude microtubules
My guess: everything plays a role: individual neurons encode internally bits of information (like an inode), while the multidimensional network of neurons creates the structure (like the filesystem), while electrical impulses on the network are commands (like software) both made from files, and accessing some other files.
The more advanced animals have more advanced filesystems with partial RAID1 mirroring (experiences removing fully one hemisphere) and caching (we know that's mostly the cerebellum job for movements).
Sleep is both a log replay/filesystem scrub and defrag (committing memories to long term storage if they are frequently accessed)
- wizzwizz4 6y agoMicrotubles aren't made from RNA, and your techy analogy seems incredibly forced to me.
- airhead969 6y agoI just scratched my head tbh. Maybe they really want organic computing to work just like silicon-electrical computing? At some point in cybernetic convergent evolution almost in parallel with the technological singularity, there will be IT architecture problems that will need to be addressed, and people on HN will bikeshed if square auxiliary optic nerve connectors or triangular ones are better. Just imagine being hellbanned for bringing-up circular ones, and no one else is able to interact with you. Eeek!
- bostonsre 6y agoIt's a guess like he said and an analogy geared toward a tech audience on a tech forum seems apt. Don't see why there is a need to talk down to him, this isn't a forum aimed at biology.
- 1996 6y ago> Microtubles aren't made from RNA, Yes they are. They are proteins. Proteins are made from DNA->RNA->ribosomal transcription. Also microtubules interact with RNA quite a lot. Check the references: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15037309/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15037309/
- happyconcepts 6y agoRNA does more than just transcribe though. And while were here are we discussing mRNA specifically?
- wizzwizz4 6y agoBy that logic, computers are made from humans. No – they're made by (things that are made by)+ humans.
- andyxor 6y agosleep is also 'reshuffling' of memory representations that's continuously happening to reconcile internal inconsistencies and converge on some coherent state that can help with real-time predictions. this is likely the actual learning mechanism as opposed to error correction via stimulus-response reinforcement loop, so popular in AI research. Prof. Wilson has a great talk on learning as 'discovery of hidden connections': https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1147&v=Vf_m65MLdLI&feature=youtu.be https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1147&v=Vf_m65MLdLI&feature=y... also see his works on 'hidden state inference': http://web.mit.edu/wilsonlab/html/publications.html http://web.mit.edu/wilsonlab/html/publications.html
- TaupeRanger 6y agoIt's in the electrochemical oscillations, not specific "sites" like neurons, microtubules, etc.
- plutonorm 6y agoOh right then. Problem solved.
- TaupeRanger 6y agoNo, of course not. No one claimed otherwise.
- happyconcepts 6y agoInformation coded by frequency. Maybe even prions.
- TaupeRanger 6y agoFrequency is one component. Synchronization dynamics are the biggest piece imo.
- happyconcepts 6y agoI call it resonance but its a simple explanation.