Comments on: neuronal connections http://hughmcguire.net/2008/03/02/neuronal-connections/ publishing, technology, media, philosophy, a bit of politics. Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:02:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Coach http://hughmcguire.net/2008/03/02/neuronal-connections/comment-page-1/#comment-5680 Coach Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:35:42 +0000 http://hughmcguire.net/2008/03/02/neuronal-connections/#comment-5680 Chris and Hugh, Appreciate the links and I understand the theoretical math. There's just something intuitively wrong here (and it may just be my "feeble" brain and its anthropomorphic bias). I need to dissect it a bit further. No argument that we have tremendous potential, but the scale suggested is bordering on bizarre. Anyway, thanks much for causing me to pause...for the cause Chris and Hugh,

Appreciate the links and I understand the theoretical math. There’s just something intuitively wrong here (and it may just be my “feeble” brain and its anthropomorphic bias). I need to dissect it a bit further. No argument that we have tremendous potential, but the scale suggested is bordering on bizarre. Anyway, thanks much for causing me to pause…for the cause

]]> By: Hugh http://hughmcguire.net/2008/03/02/neuronal-connections/comment-page-1/#comment-5678 Hugh Mon, 03 Mar 2008 14:17:55 +0000 http://hughmcguire.net/2008/03/02/neuronal-connections/#comment-5678 @coach: it's bad math following from the edelman statement above. if edelman is correct, the number of potential neural connections is much, much, much bigger in relation to particles than what I stated. potential neural connections/particles in the universe = 10 followed by 1 million zeros divided by 10 followed by 79 zeros = 10 followed by (1 million-79) zeros note that, even according to edelman's calcs, the number of potential neural connections probably does not outstrip the number of connections between particles in the universe (but i haven't done the math). If you'd like to check out edelman's work, the quote above appears in: GM Edelman and G Tononi. 2000. <em>A universe of consciousness: How matter becomes imagination.</em> New York: Basic Books. http://tinyurl.com/34jzp2 @coach: it’s bad math following from the edelman statement above. if edelman is correct, the number of potential neural connections is much, much, much bigger in relation to particles than what I stated.

potential neural connections/particles in the universe =

10 followed by 1 million zeros
divided by
10 followed by 79 zeros
=
10 followed by (1 million-79) zeros

note that, even according to edelman’s calcs, the number of potential neural connections probably does not outstrip the number of connections between particles in the universe (but i haven’t done the math).

If you’d like to check out edelman’s work, the quote above appears in:

GM Edelman and G Tononi. 2000. A universe of consciousness: How matter becomes imagination. New York: Basic Books.
http://tinyurl.com/34jzp2

]]> By: Chris Hughes http://hughmcguire.net/2008/03/02/neuronal-connections/comment-page-1/#comment-5677 Chris Hughes Mon, 03 Mar 2008 10:08:04 +0000 http://hughmcguire.net/2008/03/02/neuronal-connections/#comment-5677 @coach: http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/1999-01/915377761.Ns.r.html @coach:

http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/1999-01/915377761.Ns.r.html

]]> By: Coach http://hughmcguire.net/2008/03/02/neuronal-connections/comment-page-1/#comment-5675 Coach Mon, 03 Mar 2008 05:16:15 +0000 http://hughmcguire.net/2008/03/02/neuronal-connections/#comment-5675 "So there are roughly 12,500 times more neural circuits in a human brain than there are particles in the universe." What a preposterous assertion. Where in the world does this wild-ass number come from?? “So there are roughly 12,500 times more neural circuits in a human brain than there are particles in the universe.”

What a preposterous assertion. Where in the world does this wild-ass number come from??

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