I just finished the book On Intelligence and found it quite fascinating. In it, Jeff Hawkins, they guy behind Palm, talks about how the brain works with the intent of convincing the reader that computer scientists can build machines that can operate in the same way. As a result, the research presented is based in neuroscience rather than philosophy.
The most interesting idea i came away from is that of the brain as an organ of prediction. According to Hawkins, our neocortex not only processes sensory input, but also predicts what we will experience before we actually experience it and that is what makes it so useful. The brain makes predictions based on observed patterns. When things go as we expect them to, we can ignore the details; the brain is much more aware when things go wrong. This attention to the unexpected is the reason we stare at someone who looks different or freak out when our foot misses a step but before we actually fall.
Another ways that the brain is able to do the things it does is thanks to its great storage capacity. The brain is able to store sequence of muscle movements so we can just think "sit down" and our body will just execute that series of commands without having to pay attention to each of the movements required to complete the task. This helps to explain the experiences i have at the piano. When i've played a song over and over again, i don't have to "think" about it any more; my hands just play the notes. My brain has stored the sequence of finger movements and is simply carrying them out. However, when i try to play a new song, it takes a great deal of concentration to translate the markings of sheet music into actual "playing."
I'm not doing a very good job of highlighting why this book is so interesting. I think it's worth a read (or at least a check out from the library) because it can make you think about how you think. Unlike other books that do the same, this one attempts to answer the questions it asks rather than leaving it to the philosophers.
Posted by Matthew at August 23, 2005 10:48 PM