Dimension of the Mind

[IndiReloaded]

mmmm no. at least I hope not! but, could it become conscious? Can man create consciousness in a programme or robot?

I think you might like some of Cory Doctorow's fiction, indi.

Thank you Tiay! I hadn't recognized the name until I did a search & realized he was the Forbes 'Giving it Away' fellow! And interesting fellow, Canadian too. Will check out his books.

[DoesntMatter]

Canada eh?

[DoesntMatter]

OV I think the point boobaa was making was that the brain wasn't being used to it's capacity, even though it's functions are spread out. I remember hearing about a guy who had one hemisphere of his brain removed and he regained much functioning. I mean, would lobotomies be possible if you needed all your brain?

[IndiReloaded]

I agree our brains aren't trained to full capacity. The idea you can train/retrain your thinking is gaining new momentum, tho there used to be this 60s mvmt called 'human potential', dunno where they all went tho--Wall Street? All the mind-body stuff out there touches upon this stuff, but unfortunately the field is full of quacks & psychos.

If you want to improve your brain, first work on self-discipline. Everything else comes from that. Free flow thought w/o purpose is pretty useless, IMO.

[DoesntMatter]

It's true. Looking back to just 2 years ago I'm convinced I may have been mentally retarded.

If you want to use your brain you need to pick up some math books. Start off small, like some basic algebra and geometry books, then move on to some differential and integration in a single variable, then some books on multivariable and linear algebra, and before you know it you'll be doing vector analysis in your sleep. What I'm getting at is it is these types of readings that cause you to use your brain

[Only-virgins]

*sigh* ... The brain is a self correcting system. We use FULL potential of our brain. The difference is how much of it is devoted to what. I am sure everyone of you have heard of cases where blind people have a stronger sense of hearing or smell. The brain re-wires itself. At all time though all brain matter is being used. Our brain is really tightly packed into our skull and is weaved around...which would stretch a good distance if pulled apart. Survival stories, though inspirational, mean nothing. If a vital brain area is injured...brain death occurs and the person dies...your cases not such a vital area is injured...in this case whatever area is damaged that will be causing the victim problems...such as if the right hemisphere area that controls the left arm is damaged ...twitching and loss of muscle control in the left arm WILL happen. There have been than cases where something vital like that may be re-routed to a different area but of course at the cost of something less important.

So if you train your brain and do a lot of math, great. Your artistic ability may suck a bit more...or not...but you will never know at the cost of what. Brain doesn't reach any type of potential...it reaches maturity...at around the age of 25.

I mean, would lobotomies be possible if you needed all your brain?

I never said you need all your brain. Whatever part of the brain that is removed ...the responsibility that it had will cause problems. This was about the conscious mind right? The frontal lobe is largely responsible for that, just like the example I gave where an injury to the Frontal lobe caused a complete change in personality...almost a new person.

[IndiReloaded]

*sigh* ... The brain is a self correcting system. We use FULL potential of our brain. The difference is how much of it is devoted to what.

I don't think I agree with this OV. My neuroscience is rusty, but what I remember says that the brain is plastic & you can alter things like chemical storage in synapses, speed of action potentials and that kind of thing. So, I don't know how you can say we are already using FULL capacity of our brain.

I think of the brain as more like a reservoir that is only partially tapped. This type of system already occurs in other systems, e.g. fat cells. i.e. we may use all our fat cells that we have, but that doesn't mean we use them to their FULL capacity. I can't think why the brain should be any different.

At all time though all brain matter is being used.

Yes, again so are fat cells. Point?

So if you train your brain and do a lot of math, great. Your artistic ability may suck a bit more...or not...but you will never know at the cost of what.

There is no evidence I know that brain usage is 'zero sum'.

Are we getting messed up on term definition perhaps?

[Only-virgins]

I don't think I agree with this OV. My neuroscience is rusty, but what I remember says that the brain is plastic & you can alter things like chemical storage in synapses, speed of action potentials and that kind of thing. So, I don't know how you can say we are already using FULL capacity of our brain.

I think of the brain as more like a reservoir that is only partially tapped. This type of system already occurs in other systems, e.g. fat cells. i.e. we may use all our fat cells that we have, but that doesn't mean we use them to their FULL capacity. I can't think why the brain should be any different.

We can get faster. Increased blood flow(to a degree) can help focus as well. I just didn't see potential this will, as much as just storage room itself. The amount of storage is used at all times to the full potential...I'll try to get a link to this article I read, though I read it in a book. I'll try though. Our memory doesn't take up physical space like a hard-drive may have...the brain adapts to store the memory. Either way, that doesn't make it evidence but I know that the brain re-wiring itself was proven...specially through experience of handicaps who lack an extra sense. Everything we know about the brain is by either looking at behavior or comparing it to other things that function similarly. Hard to study something like the brain when you can kill a host...and lose a life.

[IndiReloaded]

If we are already using our brain to full potential then how do we learn anything new? Are you saying that once we reach maturity we have to lose something to gain something else (zero sum)? I'm not aware of any evidence for this, I can't even think how you would do this experiment. Brain capacity isn't a known quantity like the space on a HD.

If its true, tho, that would be fascinating, and would argue even more strongly for intense early education of children. Related to this, I do know that we LOSE connections that aren't maintained early on (its a normal & necessary part of brain development). Is this what you mean?

Now, this makes me wonder whether the brain has the equivalent of a 'zip algorithm' for storage. I bet it does (if you can imagine it....).

[IndiReloaded]

We can get faster. Increased blood flow(to a degree) can help focus as well. I just didn't see potential this will, as much as just storage room itself. The amount of storage is used at all times to the full potential...I'll try to get a link to this article I read, though I read it in a book.

It wasn't Kandel & Schwartz by chance (Principles of Neuroscience)? I own an older copy of that text, I can dig it out. Tho there's a chance it won't have the info (my edition of 'Molecular Biology of the Cell' is missing tons of stuff).

[DoesntMatter]

When you use your brain more, additional NMDA receptors are created in your neural synapses and this is directly involved in learning (and learning potential). When you have more of these receptors in your brain that can fire and associate with other neurons, you can say you increased your potential

[misombra]

i equate consciousness with the energy that flows through the universe. i believe it's in the brain too. but our brains are made of the same stuff.

the worst thing about consciousness, which i also think is the worst thing about religion, is when one group of people decide that they are the only ones that are right.

worst, most costly mistake, ever.

[Only-virgins]

i equate consciousness with the energy that flows through the universe. i believe it's in the brain too. but our brains are made of the same stuff.

the worst thing about consciousness, which i also think is the worst thing about religion, is when one group of people decide that they are the only ones that are right.

worst, most costly mistake, ever.

Though technically only one group can be right. The worst mistakes and most costly ones are having multiple groups.

[bohemiandonut]

F*ck DM, I'm going to need you in Berkeley within the next 3 hours so you can take my physics midterm for me. I'm assuming you're still pretty cool with simple circuits and magnetism. See you soon.

[IndiReloaded]

F*ck DM, I'm going to need you in Berkeley within the next 3 hours so you can take my physics midterm for me.

LOL, we were just discussing this problem at dinner the other night (other ppl sitting a students exam). Was a case of twins in different programs & no way to tell them apart (their photo IDs look the same).