3 ms·

This paper is so frustrating! They chose a microprocessor-based system, where a single set of components does all sorts of things, switching function millions t

by theamk 4y ago

This paper is so frustrating! They chose a microprocessor-based system, where a single set of components does all sorts of things, switching function millions times per second. Of course you cannot analyze it using biological methods, no organisms work like that! A much better thing to analyze would be something FPGA based, or even old CPU-less games like PONG. Look at the labeled schematics -- 6th image at [0]. Each element has a 2-letter label like G2 or B3, those are actual chip position.. so if you are looking at ball/paddle collision circuit, it is B2 or G3. So for example damaging 2nd chip in 2nd row (B2) will make ball/paddle collision detection not work, 5th chip in first row (A5) will prevent vertical ball movement and so on.. This would give a totally different conclusion for the paper, which I think is much more realistic. [0] https://www.aussiearcade.com/topic/81725-atari-pong-pcb-reproduction/ https://www.aussiearcade.com/topic/81725-atari-pong-pcb-repr...

hprotagonist 4y ago
> where a single set of components does all sorts of things, switching function millions times per second. Of course you cannot analyze it using biological methods, no organisms work like that! uh, what do you think the brain does ..? does it have a magic special place cell for every place you’ve ever remembered being? (no)
- theamk 4y ago
  The brain has specific area for each function - one part of the brain is responsible for sense of smell, another for vision, etc.. See Wikipedia [0] for basic introduction to this. Compare this to CPU, where a single register bank, ALU, memory controller are used for everything - player movement, score keeping, sound, disk access, keyboard input handling. [0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brodmann_area https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brodmann_area
  - hprotagonist 4y ago
    it gets substantially more complicated than this very rapidly, i’m sorry to say. And the debate between anatomists and physiologists rages as fiercely as ever. I don’t deny the existence of anatomically distinct brain regions — my research area is in the auditory cortex — but i promise you it’s not nearly as simple as “one area one function”

by theamk 4y ago

hprotagonist 4y ago

> where a single set of components does all sorts of things, switching function millions times per second. Of course you cannot analyze it using biological methods, no organisms work like that! uh, what do you think the brain does ..? does it have a magic special place cell for every place you’ve ever remembered being? (no)

theamk 4y ago
The brain has specific area for each function - one part of the brain is responsible for sense of smell, another for vision, etc.. See Wikipedia [0] for basic introduction to this. Compare this to CPU, where a single register bank, ALU, memory controller are used for everything - player movement, score keeping, sound, disk access, keyboard input handling. [0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brodmann_area https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brodmann_area
- hprotagonist 4y ago
  it gets substantially more complicated than this very rapidly, i’m sorry to say. And the debate between anatomists and physiologists rages as fiercely as ever. I don’t deny the existence of anatomically distinct brain regions — my research area is in the auditory cortex — but i promise you it’s not nearly as simple as “one area one function”