The brain is not a biological computer
December 24, 2019 09:50 Source: "China Social Sciences" December 24, 2019, No. 1843, author: Huang Junwei

The plasticity of the brain and human learning,It is achieved by the hardware and software at the same time。Scientists often point out,Some specific learning,is the change of the neural signal circuit,For example, changes in neurotic sensitivity、Growth of nerve synapses、apoptosis of neurons, etc.。but,Computer plasticity,Is above the established hardware,Through the external、Artificial increase or decrease software and data to achieve,Even the recent "deep learning",Software and data that changes is also a computer,Not accompanied by changes in the hardware。

How does the brain operate? What is the essence of mind?,Countless philosophers and scientists ask for this、Tire tireless。History,Some philosophers once compared the minds to the helmsman on the sailboat,Some scholars believe that the brain is equivalent to a precision watch。time to this day,With psychology、The rapid development of neuroscience and computer science,Scientists and philosophers tend to be quite popular: the brain is a biological computer。The neurons in which are equivalent to the various hardware of the computer,The mind is the software or program on it,Thinking is the product of these procedures。

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The brain is a biological computer,This view called "calculation metaphor" is widely recognized,bet365 best casino games It is considered the default premise in many areas of cognitive sciences。This has a profound impact on related research in the academic world,​​For example,Cognitive psychology often analyzes and understands a cognitive mechanism in the brain from the perspective of calculation,I think there is a structure similar to the algorithm,The task of scientists is to "crack" these hidden algorithms; in the controversy of "mental relationships" and mental nature,can depend on this metaphor,The way to introduce the operating principle of a computer to explain the way of human mind and thinking operation。other,In the current popular artificial intelligence research,The saying of "the brain is a computer" also has a great influence,Makes scientists and engineers trying to use computers to simulate,and even the various functions of the human brain in the end。Some artificial intelligence engineers and theorists even think,Computers and robots that can perfectly implement or surpass the human brain,I have consciousness、It is no less than the individual of independent thinking of human beings,A large number of science fiction works also adopted or recognized this radical point of view,and further discuss the humanity behind it、Ethical problems such as human value and robotics rights。It is not difficult to find,Back on these issues is also based on computing metaphor as the premise。

It can be said,Calculating metaphor in science、Philosophy、Artificial intelligence research and some literary and artistic art have Bet365 lotto review become a mainstream interpretation of the human brain and mind,But is this a correct point of view?

  The brain is not just calculated

From the perspective of calculating metaphors,A conscious thinking of human beings in a sober state is to calculate。other,Even unconscious、Divergent cognitive activities,For example, doing daydream、Fantasy、Intuition thinking, etc.,It can also be considered that the software on the brain computer is doing "background operation"。but,Even if conscious thinking plus various "background operations",It cannot cover all the activities generated by the brain: humans have colorful emotions,and philosophers call the mind state of "feeling quality"。The so -called feeling quality,That is the personal experience of various things such as "red feeling" and "feeling of pain"。Whether it is emotional or feel quality,Obviously it is also generated by the brain、The mind state that occupies an important position in our lives,But it is difficult for them to be considered a calculation。

From the widest sense,,Calculation needs to use data or information as an operating object、With a clear problem solving goal,Then solve it with a certain algorithm。So,Calculation is a data or information、There is a process of direction and poor,But emotional and feelings are the state of existence produced by the brain,instead of process。"I" is in a pleasant emotion now,But pleasant itself does not seem to include data or information,Not with orientation and poor。Similar,If I have a red feeling or painful feeling,Although it may bet365 best casino games contain some information,But the quality of the feeling is not a process,and there is no clear solution direction,So should not be regarded as a calculation。

In fact,The brain can indeed be calculated,Also often needs to be calculated,But the problem of calculation metaphors is that the brain can only be calculated,or most of the time、Most of the activities are calculating machines,This is undoubtedly inappropriate。

  The brain has biological and plasticity

Computers are exquisite artificial articles,At the beginning of birth, it has a good "factory state",People can change it by increasing and decreased software、Increase or decrease its function,Then use it continuously,The hardware of the computer will gradually age or even damage。and the brain as a biological organs,There is a life cycle that is different from artificial objects,It is constantly changing in life,Will experience development, growth and aging death。This means,As a hardware brain,There is no clear "factory state",This makes us understand and study the brain with calculating metaphors,Only one specific period of the brain can be selected for arbitrarily,For example, the brain of young people。but,Baby's brain、The brain of the elderly and the life cycle、The brain with "durable characteristics",It is difficult to get understanding under calculating metaphors。

More importantly,Plasticity of the brain and human learning,It is achieved by the hardware and software at the same time。Scientists often point out,Some specific learning,is the change of the neural signal circuit,For example, changes in neurotic sensitivity、Growth of nerve synapses、apoptosis of neurons, etc.。but,Computer plasticity,Is above the established hardware,Through the external、Artificial increase or decrease software and data to achieve,Even the recent "deep learning",Software and data that changes is also a computer,Not accompanied by changes in the hardware。Further say,The plasticity and learning of the brain are actually not clearly bet365 live casino games distinguished by hardware and software,and treat the brain (physical foundation) as hardware、The calculation metaphor that the mind is regarded as software cannot correspond to this important characteristic。

  Calculating metaphors are not suitable for time

There have been many metaphors about the brain and mind since ancient times,For example, the helmsman hidden metaphor、Clocks metaphor, etc.,But they can no longer match the scientific discovery of the current brain and mind。Similarly,It has been popular for decades、and still the mainstream computing metaphor today,There is also the same problem。

Calculate the calculation as the main function of the brain,and ignore its biological and plasticity,is the two major defects of calculating metaphors。It is undeniable,Calculating metaphors can reveal some characteristics and laws of brain operation,But this is equivalent to treating a oven as a food disinfection machine,Although it can still be understood from it to the some role and value of the oven,For example, sterilization treatment of food,It is difficult to accurately grasp what the oven is。Similar,Take the brain as a carbon -based biological computer,It is impossible to accurately understand the brain,and the complex mind of human beings。

other,Computing metaphors will make researchers too much attention to the mapping relationship between the brain and the computer's function and structure,So as to bring some bias and ignore。​​For example,Nervous glue cells are considered to be just brain branches for a long time,But the bet365 live casino games new recent research found,They can affect brain function in some subtle aspects。Similar,Now some cognitive scientists propose the concept of "personal cognition",Pointing out that cognition is not only independently completed by the brain or nervous system,Human body and various physiological states also participate in cognition。These are difficult to understand and accept in the model of calculating metaphors。

It can be said,Calculating metaphor is no longer suitable for now。Maybe a new heart and brain metaphor model will be produced in the future,For example, the Metaphorical Metaphor of Wanwei.com, which has been slightly sighed。But so far,Human exploration of the brain and mind is quite limited,We should not expect the new metaphor to provide a complete and accurate understanding,should be regarded as a characteristic interpretation under the latest scientific achievements。

  (Author Unit: School of Philosophy and Social Development of Overseas Chinese University)

Editor in charge: Zhang Jing
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