Brain complexity: learning new tasks (Introduction)

by David Turell , Friday, December 22, 2017, 18:01 (2315 days ago) @ dhw

dhw: Bearing in mind that you are a dualist, let’s keep it simple: do you or do you not believe that consciousness (not the brain) conceives concepts, and do you or do you not believe that consciousness uses the brain to implement its concepts?

DAVID: I believe that consciousness/soul uses the brain to develop concepts and implement them. Consciousness is the software and the brain is the hardware. Since I am connected to my consciousness through my brain, and since I am the sole administrator, I run the show. Seamless.

dhw: You know how I love precision, so indulge me: two straight questions that simply require a yes or a no. Do you, as a dualist, believe that consciousness/the soul conceives concepts before using the brain to implement them? And do you accept that the implementation of concepts causes changes to the brain?

I thought I was clear above. The adolescent brain research tells the story. A poorly developed frontal lobe does not permit full assessment of danger until age 25. Therefore the concept cannot be developed until the brain is ready. The brain is required for the soul/self/consciousness to develop concepts and implement. Brain is hardware, s/s/c is software that I can run. New coordinated physical and mental functions can cause the brain to rewire. Answer to question one is more complex than yes or no. Two is yes.

DAVID: Your summary simply fits my thoughts. Bigger brain, then bigger use. Size and complexity of cortex arrives and then is used with more complexity of thought and with plasticity responses to mold the brain to the new uses.

dhw: The difference between us is your insistence that your God expanded each pre-sapiens brain BEFORE it came up with its new concepts. So let me try once more: If you agree that new uses change the brain (as proved by modern science) – as opposed to the brain changing in anticipation of new concepts – then the sequence is new concepts, bigger brain to implement them, e.g. concept of spear comes first, making and using spear causes bigger brain. Bigger brain is able to perform new use plus earlier uses, but when new concepts arise, bigger brain needs to get bigger again to implement them. Final size arrives 300,000 years ago, and is able to perform all existing uses. But now new concepts lead to more complex brain instead of expansion. Plasticity enables pre-sapiens expansion and sapiens complexification. Please pin-point whichever of these statements you disagree with.

As far as I am concerned your entire approach is backward as shown by the time line of expansions befoe new artifacts appear. We go round and round distantly apart.