Introducing the brain: general (Introduction)

by dhw, Tuesday, March 22, 2022, 18:52 (765 days ago) @ David Turell

Memory formation

DAVID: […] Complexification works because neurons contain in their DNA God's instructions of how to respond to new uses.

dhw: So when you say the kidneys and complexification work without God, you actually mean they follow God’s instructions. […]

DAVID: They work autonomously following the guide lines God gave them in their DNA.

Yes, that’s what I’ve just objected to. “Autonomy” is the exact opposite of obeying instructions, even if you change the word “instructions” to “guidelines”.

DAVID: Neurons cannot make new neurons except in the hippocampus by God's design. You don't follow the facts we have.

dhw: If your God designed a means whereby neurons can make new neurons in the hippocampus, why do you think the same mechanism could not have existed in the days when neurons in other areas also needed to do the same because existing neurons could not complexify sufficiently to deal with new requirements?

DAVID: Your usual hopeful theory. I base my thoughts on the evidence in our current brain which evolved from previous similar brains.

What a coincidence! So do I! I think previous brains complexified like ours, and added new cells when required, as ours have done with the hippocampus, although otherwise complexification has now taken over completely. And forgive me if my memory is at fault, but I thought you thought your God had to operate on a special group of pre-sapiens in order to do some redesigning, as opposed to our brain evolving from previous similar brains.

dhw: You have posted two wonderful articles that show how the brain cells adapt to conditions of blindness and deafness.

DAVID: the brain can make amazing accommodations following God's DNA instructions.

dhw: Once more you have your God issuing instructions for every single new requirement in the history of the brain! And so once again, I suggest to you that a far more likely method would be for your God to have given brain cells the autonomous intelligence to make these amazing accommodations themselves. I’m sure Ockham would have approved!

DAVID: Occam would agree to one simple step by acknowledging God's work in instructing the neurons in how to adapt. Occam was a priest!

One simple step would be for your God to give brain cells the intelligence to make their own decisions. How can your God give/have given just one instruction to cover the vast variety of decisions that brains have taken and will take over millions of years? I know Ockham was a priest. My theory does not exclude God.