*sigh* I had the long form of the answer all typed out and I somehow went “back”, losing it. Brings me back to “why” I started researching this:
Since I was 11, I have wanted a “thought collector”. First one was a calculator paper tape on a board with a ripoff sheet and a pen attached with a string. Made many versions since then (mostly on the computer, learning programming, etc) – but never fully satisfied. But I figured I’d better collect *everything* ( I’m doing it on http://icopiedyou.com ) and see what comes up.
So, long story short; what was my conclusion?
a) Embodied Cognition explains best my beliefs. The brain is not a computer in the head/nor a telephone switchboard/ nor a database : We model our *idea* of what the brain is based on the latest technology.
And these are all good, effective models, but not “enough”
I think the brains functions *can* be somewhat mimicked using sparse data sets as representation of switches flipped on and off representing aspects of a “concept” or “idea” or “function”… that our short term memory is NOR and our long term is NAND – and short term pulls analogies in from long term (NAND is a serial rather than parallel circuit – hence pulling seemingly unrelated things when we try to remember stuff)
NOR is parallel; why we can MAKE so many diverse connections so quickly and trim selectively on the fly while decsion-making.
But again; these are computer models of the brain; our ACTUAL thinking appears to be trinary rather than binary; I don’t think there is a need to invoke quantum stuff to mirror the brain; trinary is enough.
But anyway; embodied cognition says that we are brains + bodies + environments together; none are separate from the others. They may interrelate to different degrees; but they’re all one thing.
I believe we have an error in thinking that goes WAY back to Aristotle; including the law of excluded middle; that contradictions are “bad things” and should be eliminated. But contradiction is a *part* of our thinking processes; so is perspective and subjectvitiy and emotion; Ignoring those things will get us pretty far but someday we’ll have to address subjectivity to have a complete “science of what it is to be human”.
b) We build our knowledge based on physical analogy; it happens *so young* that we don’t remember; but it’s the best way to explain how we learn so quickly; “this is a that, except these are the ways it is different”.
I have more I can say, but this is a start. Thoughts?
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