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  3. What 'Architecture' is the brain?

What 'Architecture' is the brain?

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    Euhemerus
    wrote on last edited by
    #1

    As processor data and addressing widths have increased overtime from Intel's 4004 4bit processor to the now very common 64bit AMDs and Intels and then on to multicore, this got me on to thinking as to what 'architecture' the human brain might be; if it is at all comparable to a slice of silicon. My own thoughts on the matter are it must be at least a 16 bit/16+ core processor backed up with several 100 GBytes of memory, but with a poor memory management system! My reason for only 16bits is have you ever tried multiplying or dividing two 4 digit numbers in your head? Or tried to remember an eleven digit phone number someone has just told you; hence the poor memory management system? The 16+ cores; well when you think what the brain does consciously and unconsciously and all the parallel processing that takes place, one or two cores just wouldn't be enough.

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    • E Euhemerus

      As processor data and addressing widths have increased overtime from Intel's 4004 4bit processor to the now very common 64bit AMDs and Intels and then on to multicore, this got me on to thinking as to what 'architecture' the human brain might be; if it is at all comparable to a slice of silicon. My own thoughts on the matter are it must be at least a 16 bit/16+ core processor backed up with several 100 GBytes of memory, but with a poor memory management system! My reason for only 16bits is have you ever tried multiplying or dividing two 4 digit numbers in your head? Or tried to remember an eleven digit phone number someone has just told you; hence the poor memory management system? The 16+ cores; well when you think what the brain does consciously and unconsciously and all the parallel processing that takes place, one or two cores just wouldn't be enough.

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      R Offline
      Russell Jones
      wrote on last edited by
      #2

      I would say it's more along the lines of an analogue neural network.

      E 1 Reply Last reply
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      • E Euhemerus

        As processor data and addressing widths have increased overtime from Intel's 4004 4bit processor to the now very common 64bit AMDs and Intels and then on to multicore, this got me on to thinking as to what 'architecture' the human brain might be; if it is at all comparable to a slice of silicon. My own thoughts on the matter are it must be at least a 16 bit/16+ core processor backed up with several 100 GBytes of memory, but with a poor memory management system! My reason for only 16bits is have you ever tried multiplying or dividing two 4 digit numbers in your head? Or tried to remember an eleven digit phone number someone has just told you; hence the poor memory management system? The 16+ cores; well when you think what the brain does consciously and unconsciously and all the parallel processing that takes place, one or two cores just wouldn't be enough.

        H Offline
        H Offline
        Henry Minute
        wrote on last edited by
        #3

        I don't know about yours but mine is definitely Poroustronic! :)

        Henry Minute Do not read medical books! You could die of a misprint. - Mark Twain Girl: (staring) "Why do you need an icy cucumber?" “I want to report a fraud. The government is lying to us all.”

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        • E Euhemerus

          As processor data and addressing widths have increased overtime from Intel's 4004 4bit processor to the now very common 64bit AMDs and Intels and then on to multicore, this got me on to thinking as to what 'architecture' the human brain might be; if it is at all comparable to a slice of silicon. My own thoughts on the matter are it must be at least a 16 bit/16+ core processor backed up with several 100 GBytes of memory, but with a poor memory management system! My reason for only 16bits is have you ever tried multiplying or dividing two 4 digit numbers in your head? Or tried to remember an eleven digit phone number someone has just told you; hence the poor memory management system? The 16+ cores; well when you think what the brain does consciously and unconsciously and all the parallel processing that takes place, one or two cores just wouldn't be enough.

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          D Offline
          Dave Sexton
          wrote on last edited by
          #4

          Tapsnapper wrote:

          Or tried to remember an eleven digit phone number someone has just told you

          Party trick of mine in high school after using an associative memory recall technique. Haven't tried it in years and don't actively use the memory recall techniques any more. Close friends reckon I have "the memory of an elephant", I reckon I'm just genetically predisposed. Or something.

          But fortunately we have the nanny-state politicians who can step in to protect us poor stupid consumers, most of whom would not know a JVM from a frozen chicken. Bruce Pierson
          Because programming is an art, not a science. Marc Clifton
          I gave up when I couldn't spell "egg". Justine Allen

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          • E Euhemerus

            As processor data and addressing widths have increased overtime from Intel's 4004 4bit processor to the now very common 64bit AMDs and Intels and then on to multicore, this got me on to thinking as to what 'architecture' the human brain might be; if it is at all comparable to a slice of silicon. My own thoughts on the matter are it must be at least a 16 bit/16+ core processor backed up with several 100 GBytes of memory, but with a poor memory management system! My reason for only 16bits is have you ever tried multiplying or dividing two 4 digit numbers in your head? Or tried to remember an eleven digit phone number someone has just told you; hence the poor memory management system? The 16+ cores; well when you think what the brain does consciously and unconsciously and all the parallel processing that takes place, one or two cores just wouldn't be enough.

            D Offline
            D Offline
            Dalek Dave
            wrote on last edited by
            #5

            Mine is Doric, with a little Gothic Perpendicular.

            ------------------------------------ To eat well in England, you should have a breakfast three times a day. W. Somerset Maugham 1925

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            • R Russell Jones

              I would say it's more along the lines of an analogue neural network.

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              Euhemerus
              wrote on last edited by
              #6

              A neural network you say. Hmmmm, could this be likened to distributed computing such as BOINC then?

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              • D Dalek Dave

                Mine is Doric, with a little Gothic Perpendicular.

                ------------------------------------ To eat well in England, you should have a breakfast three times a day. W. Somerset Maugham 1925

                H Offline
                H Offline
                hairy_hats
                wrote on last edited by
                #7

                It's just baroque'n'roll but I like it.

                I hope you realise that hamsters are very creative when it comes to revenge. - Elaine

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                • E Euhemerus

                  A neural network you say. Hmmmm, could this be likened to distributed computing such as BOINC then?

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                  H Offline
                  hairy_hats
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #8

                  No.

                  I hope you realise that hamsters are very creative when it comes to revenge. - Elaine

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                  • H hairy_hats

                    It's just baroque'n'roll but I like it.

                    I hope you realise that hamsters are very creative when it comes to revenge. - Elaine

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                    D Offline
                    Dalek Dave
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #9

                    You are just saying that to Tudor fat!

                    ------------------------------------ To eat well in England, you should have a breakfast three times a day. W. Somerset Maugham 1925

                    H 1 Reply Last reply
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                    • E Euhemerus

                      As processor data and addressing widths have increased overtime from Intel's 4004 4bit processor to the now very common 64bit AMDs and Intels and then on to multicore, this got me on to thinking as to what 'architecture' the human brain might be; if it is at all comparable to a slice of silicon. My own thoughts on the matter are it must be at least a 16 bit/16+ core processor backed up with several 100 GBytes of memory, but with a poor memory management system! My reason for only 16bits is have you ever tried multiplying or dividing two 4 digit numbers in your head? Or tried to remember an eleven digit phone number someone has just told you; hence the poor memory management system? The 16+ cores; well when you think what the brain does consciously and unconsciously and all the parallel processing that takes place, one or two cores just wouldn't be enough.

                      B Offline
                      B Offline
                      benjymous
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #10

                      Tapsnapper wrote:

                      My reason for only 16bits is have you ever tried multiplying or dividing two 4 digit numbers in your head? Or tried to remember an eleven digit phone number someone has just told you; hence the poor memory management system?

                      Yes, but I bet you can catch a ball. That's far more complex mental arithmetic than dividing big numbers. http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/56348.html[^]

                      Help me! I'm turning into a grapefruit! Buzzwords!

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                      • D Dalek Dave

                        You are just saying that to Tudor fat!

                        ------------------------------------ To eat well in England, you should have a breakfast three times a day. W. Somerset Maugham 1925

                        H Offline
                        H Offline
                        hairy_hats
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #11

                        Life's like a Deco cards..

                        I hope you realise that hamsters are very creative when it comes to revenge. - Elaine

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                        • D Dalek Dave

                          Mine is Doric, with a little Gothic Perpendicular.

                          ------------------------------------ To eat well in England, you should have a breakfast three times a day. W. Somerset Maugham 1925

                          B Offline
                          B Offline
                          benjymous
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #12

                          Not a romantic ruin? :-D

                          Help me! I'm turning into a grapefruit! Buzzwords!

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                          0
                          • H hairy_hats

                            Life's like a Deco cards..

                            I hope you realise that hamsters are very creative when it comes to revenge. - Elaine

                            D Offline
                            D Offline
                            Dalek Dave
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #13

                            Ionic alled your attention to it becasue you are noveau rich!

                            ------------------------------------ To eat well in England, you should have a breakfast three times a day. W. Somerset Maugham 1925

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                            • B benjymous

                              Tapsnapper wrote:

                              My reason for only 16bits is have you ever tried multiplying or dividing two 4 digit numbers in your head? Or tried to remember an eleven digit phone number someone has just told you; hence the poor memory management system?

                              Yes, but I bet you can catch a ball. That's far more complex mental arithmetic than dividing big numbers. http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/56348.html[^]

                              Help me! I'm turning into a grapefruit! Buzzwords!

                              E Offline
                              E Offline
                              Euhemerus
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #14

                              I would have to disagree. I understand where you're coming from though, however, my two year old can catch a ball thrown to her, and I would say that she certainly doesn't have any comprehension of metal arithmatic. Maybe this is a case for sub-conscious mental arithmatic coming into play. Like any form of learning, it becomes easier over time, yet the maths would remain the same in the case of catching a ball. Is this a case of the brain refining its calculations?

                              S 1 Reply Last reply
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                              • E Euhemerus

                                As processor data and addressing widths have increased overtime from Intel's 4004 4bit processor to the now very common 64bit AMDs and Intels and then on to multicore, this got me on to thinking as to what 'architecture' the human brain might be; if it is at all comparable to a slice of silicon. My own thoughts on the matter are it must be at least a 16 bit/16+ core processor backed up with several 100 GBytes of memory, but with a poor memory management system! My reason for only 16bits is have you ever tried multiplying or dividing two 4 digit numbers in your head? Or tried to remember an eleven digit phone number someone has just told you; hence the poor memory management system? The 16+ cores; well when you think what the brain does consciously and unconsciously and all the parallel processing that takes place, one or two cores just wouldn't be enough.

                                R Offline
                                R Offline
                                Rama Krishna Vavilala
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #15

                                Tapsnapper wrote:

                                hence the poor memory management system?

                                Your brain can remember thousands of shapes, figures and faces. How much memory does a computer need for that?

                                E 1 Reply Last reply
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                                • E Euhemerus

                                  As processor data and addressing widths have increased overtime from Intel's 4004 4bit processor to the now very common 64bit AMDs and Intels and then on to multicore, this got me on to thinking as to what 'architecture' the human brain might be; if it is at all comparable to a slice of silicon. My own thoughts on the matter are it must be at least a 16 bit/16+ core processor backed up with several 100 GBytes of memory, but with a poor memory management system! My reason for only 16bits is have you ever tried multiplying or dividing two 4 digit numbers in your head? Or tried to remember an eleven digit phone number someone has just told you; hence the poor memory management system? The 16+ cores; well when you think what the brain does consciously and unconsciously and all the parallel processing that takes place, one or two cores just wouldn't be enough.

                                  R Offline
                                  R Offline
                                  Rajesh R Subramanian
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #16

                                  Whatever may be the architecture, but while making the design of my brain, The Almighty decided to dedicate a fairly large amount of processing power to a separate unit, that enables me to do excellent manual transmission. :)

                                  “Follow your bliss.” – Joseph Campbell

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                                  • R Rama Krishna Vavilala

                                    Tapsnapper wrote:

                                    hence the poor memory management system?

                                    Your brain can remember thousands of shapes, figures and faces. How much memory does a computer need for that?

                                    E Offline
                                    E Offline
                                    Euhemerus
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #17

                                    Rama Krishna Vavilala wrote:

                                    Your brain can remember thousands of shapes, figures and faces. How much memory does a computer need for that?

                                    Well I did say several hundred GBytes, maybe I should revise that to several hundred terabytes or even petabytes! Which also leads to another interesting question, can you exhaust the storage capacity of the brain or would it work like a FIFO system - First In, First Out?

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                                    • R Rajesh R Subramanian

                                      Whatever may be the architecture, but while making the design of my brain, The Almighty decided to dedicate a fairly large amount of processing power to a separate unit, that enables me to do excellent manual transmission. :)

                                      “Follow your bliss.” – Joseph Campbell

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                                      D Offline
                                      Dalek Dave
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #18

                                      It's just the hardware that has reliability problems!

                                      ------------------------------------ To eat well in England, you should have a breakfast three times a day. W. Somerset Maugham 1925

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                                      • R Rajesh R Subramanian

                                        Whatever may be the architecture, but while making the design of my brain, The Almighty decided to dedicate a fairly large amount of processing power to a separate unit, that enables me to do excellent manual transmission. :)

                                        “Follow your bliss.” – Joseph Campbell

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                                        E Offline
                                        Euhemerus
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #19

                                        LOL.

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                                        • D Dalek Dave

                                          It's just the hardware that has reliability problems!

                                          ------------------------------------ To eat well in England, you should have a breakfast three times a day. W. Somerset Maugham 1925

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                                          R Offline
                                          Rajesh R Subramanian
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #20

                                          Dalek Dave wrote:

                                          It's just the hardware that has reliability problems!

                                          Yes, but only while kept close (1 meter or less) to specimens of opposite sex. Turns out to be unpredictable. :) But never had an issue with doing manual transmission. Even in the presence of the said specimen, which actually enhances the capabilities. ;)

                                          “Follow your bliss.” – Joseph Campbell

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