Comments for Geek Friendly http://geekfriendly.org/blog Posting in spurts. Sat, 19 Dec 2009 16:04:54 -0800 hourly 1 Comment on Kottke on Neurons by Jon Horvitz http://geekfriendly.org/blog/07/kottke-on-neurons/comment-page-1/#comment-36393 Jon Horvitz Sat, 19 Dec 2009 16:04:54 +0000 http://geekfriendly.org/blog/07/kottke-on-neurons/#comment-36393 There's another possibility, that's similar to the grandmother cell idea, but that permits more content to be held in the limited number of neurons (about 100 billion) in the human brain. The idea is that instead of 1 neuron representing 1 idea (idea can mean a sensory percept, a word/concept, a desire, etc), a group of neurons (a set of about 1000 neurons is sometimes suggested) represents the idea. At first, you should say that this should REDUCE the number of ideas that can be represented (1000-fold!). But the idea is that you have 'overlapping sets', i.e., idea #1 may occur when a given set of 1000 neurons is active (and reverberating in order to give some persistance to the idea over some time, say a second), and idea #2 is active when another set of 1000 neurons is active, BUT the set of 1000 neurons constituting idea #2 can have many of the same neurons that constitute set #1. So, a given neuron can contribute to many different sets. Imagine that the brain had just 2000 neurons, and each idea arose from a specific set of 1000 neurons. With overlapping sets you could represent a LOT more than 2000 ideas. To read more about this type of model of cognition, go to http://www.columbia.edu/~nvg1/Wickelgren/ It's the site of Wayne Wickelgren, a cognitive neuroscientist who passed away about 5 years ago from Motor Neuron Disease. He was an amazing and brilliant person (graudated summa cum laude from MIT). I knew him when I was teaching at Columbia - he had retired from research but continued to work on theories of cognition and the brain even as his movement ability was lost (he had a special device set up so that he could press a key on a keyboard with minimal motor effort). On his site he put free pdf's describing his ideas about neural sets (he calls them 'webs') and coding for ideas. There’s another possibility, that’s similar to the grandmother cell idea, but that permits more content to be held in the limited number of neurons (about 100 billion) in the human brain. The idea is that instead of 1 neuron representing 1 idea (idea can mean a sensory percept, a word/concept, a desire, etc), a group of neurons (a set of about 1000 neurons is sometimes suggested) represents the idea. At first, you should say that this should REDUCE the number of ideas that can be represented (1000-fold!). But the idea is that you have ‘overlapping sets’, i.e., idea #1 may occur when a given set of 1000 neurons is active (and reverberating in order to give some persistance to the idea over some time, say a second), and idea #2 is active when another set of 1000 neurons is active, BUT the set of 1000 neurons constituting idea #2 can have many of the same neurons that constitute set #1. So, a given neuron can contribute to many different sets. Imagine that the brain had just 2000 neurons, and each idea arose from a specific set of 1000 neurons. With overlapping sets you could represent a LOT more than 2000 ideas. To read more about this type of model of cognition,
go to http://www.columbia.edu/~nvg1/Wickelgren/
It’s the site of Wayne Wickelgren, a cognitive neuroscientist who passed away about 5 years ago from Motor Neuron Disease. He was an amazing and brilliant person (graudated summa cum laude from MIT). I knew him when I was teaching at Columbia – he had retired from research but continued to work on theories of cognition and the brain even as his movement ability was lost (he had a special device set up so that he could press a key on a keyboard with minimal motor effort). On his site he put free pdf’s describing his ideas about neural sets (he calls them ‘webs’) and coding for ideas.

]]> Comment on District 9 by Daniel http://geekfriendly.org/blog/08/district-9/comment-page-1/#comment-36384 Daniel Sat, 19 Dec 2009 10:39:53 +0000 http://geekfriendly.org/blog/?p=127#comment-36384 Yes, the best special effects is when audiences can never tell that a shot has effects in it. When the effects guys' role in a scene is completely ignored, that is the great complement! Yes, the best special effects is when audiences can never tell that a shot has effects in it. When the effects guys’ role in a scene is completely ignored, that is the great complement!

]]> Comment on Behind the LOLcat: Schrodinger’s LOLcat by Ha Ha! Old Pictures on the Internet! http://geekfriendly.org/blog/06/behind-the-lolcat-schrodingers-lolcat/comment-page-1/#comment-34625 Ha Ha! Old Pictures on the Internet! Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:58:03 +0000 http://geekfriendly.org/blog/06/behind-the-lolcat-schrodingers-lolcat/#comment-34625 [...] one of the creators of Schrodinger’s LOLcat, and a good netizen, I feel it my duty to try and bring some meme magic to this aging sepia-tone [...] [...] one of the creators of Schrodinger’s LOLcat, and a good netizen, I feel it my duty to try and bring some meme magic to this aging sepia-tone [...]

]]> Comment on Behind the LOLcat: Schrodinger’s LOLcat by D. L. Yonge-Mallo http://geekfriendly.org/blog/06/behind-the-lolcat-schrodingers-lolcat/comment-page-1/#comment-34430 D. L. Yonge-Mallo Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:01:33 +0000 http://geekfriendly.org/blog/06/behind-the-lolcat-schrodingers-lolcat/#comment-34430 I had essentially the same idea. Incidentally, my cat's name is Heisenberg, which makes his participation in the Schrödinger's cat thought experiment more (in)appropriate somehow. http://stargrads.net/blogs/davinci/2009/08/schrodingers-lolcat/ I had essentially the same idea.

Incidentally, my cat’s name is Heisenberg, which makes his participation in the Schrödinger’s cat thought experiment more (in)appropriate somehow.

http://stargrads.net/blogs/davinci/2009/08/schrodingers-lolcat/

]]> Comment on London 2012 Brand Backlash by Alfred http://geekfriendly.org/blog/06/london-2012-brand-backlash/comment-page-1/#comment-33956 Alfred Fri, 24 Jul 2009 20:44:01 +0000 http://geekfriendly.org/blog/06/london-2012-brand-backlash/#comment-33956 Yikes... what is this? Modern art? 1990's graffiti? Yikes… what is this? Modern art? 1990’s graffiti?

]]> Comment on Columbia Study Shows Population Density Affects BMI by Weight Loss Dad http://geekfriendly.org/blog/02/columbia-study-shows-population-density-affects-bmi/comment-page-1/#comment-30580 Weight Loss Dad Mon, 11 May 2009 19:34:51 +0000 http://geekfriendly.org/blog/02/columbia-study-shows-population-density-affects-bmi/#comment-30580 I'm sure they releated the diffrence to people being able to walk where they were going? I’m sure they releated the diffrence to people being able to walk where they were going?

]]> Comment on This is my brain in Love by Raine http://geekfriendly.org/blog/10/this-is-my-brain-in-love/comment-page-1/#comment-28239 Raine Wed, 25 Mar 2009 04:22:03 +0000 http://geekfriendly.org/blog/10/this-is-my-brain-in-love/#comment-28239 You're forgetting Phenylethylamine. You’re forgetting Phenylethylamine.

]]> Comment on London 2012 Brand Backlash by tellem http://geekfriendly.org/blog/06/london-2012-brand-backlash/comment-page-1/#comment-26085 tellem Tue, 23 Dec 2008 15:42:57 +0000 http://geekfriendly.org/blog/06/london-2012-brand-backlash/#comment-26085 Saved by The Bell called n said they needed their their script n colors to air the re-runs. lol I cant bellieve they spent so much money on something my little brother could have done and the color scheme is atrocious. If they decide to keep this then we really are regressing into the past. Saved by The Bell called n said they needed their their script n colors to air the re-runs. lol I cant bellieve they spent so much money on something my little brother could have done and the color scheme is atrocious. If they decide to keep this then we really are regressing into the past.

]]> Comment on Chloroflot 2006 Design Salary Survey by jarrett http://geekfriendly.org/blog/11/chloroflot-2006-design-salary-survey/comment-page-1/#comment-25528 jarrett Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:32:34 +0000 http://geekfriendly.org/blog/11/chloroflot-2006-design-salary-survey/#comment-25528 Seems that I've really have to plan a trip to hong kong, since I live in Spain... After reading this article http://www.design-training.com/graphic-design/a/graphic-designer-salary-data.html I was thinking to move to US but reading this you write... Seems that I’ve really have to plan a trip to hong kong, since I live in Spain…
After reading this article
http://www.design-training.com/graphic-design/a/graphic-designer-salary-data.html
I was thinking to move to US but reading this you write…

]]> Comment on Behind the LOLcat: Schrodinger’s LOLcat by Shane Hall http://geekfriendly.org/blog/06/behind-the-lolcat-schrodingers-lolcat/comment-page-1/#comment-25135 Shane Hall Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:51:37 +0000 http://geekfriendly.org/blog/06/behind-the-lolcat-schrodingers-lolcat/#comment-25135 Delightful concept. I love RAW, and I love LOLcats. I can haz multiplex naturez of causalities? Heh. Delightful concept. I love RAW, and I love LOLcats. I can haz multiplex naturez of causalities? Heh.

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