Introducing the brain: general (Introduction)

by dhw, Thursday, March 24, 2022, 12:02 (973 days ago) @ David Turell

Memory formation

DAVID: The cells use the info, don't they? That makes them autonomous in the use.

dhw: What info are you referring to? Autonomy means that whatever the new requirements may be, cells process the info and act on it independently of your God.[…]. Assuming he exists, he has provided them with an autonomous means of processing and acting. What else could this means be if it is not some form of intelligence?

DAVID: Let's use a self-driving car to understand my view of the word:
ttps://www.synopsys.com/automotive/what-is-autonomous-car.html\
QUOTE: "An autonomous car is a vehicle capable of sensing its environment and operating without human involvement. A human passenger is not required to take control of the vehicle at any time, nor is a human passenger required to be present in the vehicle at all. […]". I view cells in the same way!

So do I: an autonomous cell is a a living entity capable of sensing its environment and operating without God’s involvement. God is not required to take control of the cell or to be present in the cell at all. I propose (theistic version) that just as humans designed the autonomous car, your God designed the autonomous cell. Thank you for this analogy.

DAVID: I haven't changed my belief, a designing God makes bigger more complex brains.

dhw: So your God has created a mechanism which allows for autonomous complexification and the autonomous addition of cells to the hippocampus, but earlier additions required special surgery on groups of homos to insert brand new bits and pieces their brains didn’t have before. And you reckon my intelligent cell theory is a just-so story.

DAVID: That is your weird interpretation. My view is still all past brains could complexify to their level of ability.

That is also my view.

DAVID: God added complexity and size to each new better thinking species. […]

You have several times agreed that complexification takes place without your God’s intervention, and I keep asking why the same autonomous mechanism should not also have been capable of increasing the number of cells when needed. Your answer is always the same: God did it. You never say why God could not have given cells that same autonomous ability.

DAVID: Neurons do have the instructions to make new decisions and have DNA instructions to properly complexify.

dhw: I’d appreciate clarification of this. Are you saying that your God simply tells the neurons that they must make new decisions, and tells the DNA to complexify properly? Or are you saying that he provides the decisions and directs each complexification? […]

DAVID: Complexification occurs when a brain is used in a new capacity, as in Italian women reading.

Precisely (though they were Indian).

DAVID: The neurons have instructions in their DNA to add new axon branches and synapses to handle this new load of thought. God obviously not needed as they do it. They ARE FULLY PRWPARED BY PREVIUS DESIGN.

WHAT ARE THE INSTRUCTIONS? If God designed the mechanism (theistic version) whereby new connections are autonomously created, the only further instruction I can think of is God saying: “Now use it.” As if the cells would need reminding!

neuron density

QUOTE: “If an animal has billions of neurons, it’s definitely more clever than an animal that has millions of neurons. But I would not say that it is a very tight correlation.”

DAVID: this study is in the same point of view when I point out the very special arrangement of the human five layer prefrontal cortex. Neuronal density with synaptic connectivity is the key to high mental process ability. We and birds (clever corvids) have it. Also note my bold regarding its evolution as most unusually "sudden and rare." Not Darwinian in any way but highly supportive of the actions of a designer.

There is no disagreement that enhanced complexity accompanies greater intelligence. Since intelligence is relative, I’m not entirely convinced by the claim of rarity - insects have been shown to solve problems set by us humans. I don’t know where you found the word “sudden” in the article. Even human intelligence has evolved very gradually. Nor do I know why you have brought Darwin into it. I accept that all forms of intelligence suggest design.

Libert’s timer gaps

QUOTE: As adults, we wait until the traffic light turns green before making a turn. In both situations, the brain has planned our precise movements but suppresses their execution until a specific cue (e.g., the shout of "GO!" or the green light).

DAVID: So it is set up and go when triggered. Explains why Libet found his gaps. And again confirms the view the brain is always prepared to help us by being set up in advance. Since we plan the movement in our brain, the brain knows the future activity before it happens. Quite a marvelous design. Could never appear by chance.

What happened to memory? We learn that green means go, and from then on we remember the lesson. We have already planned to go, otherwise we wouldn’t be on our way, would we? So “going” is not “triggered” by the green light and our brain looking into the future. Our brain simply reminds us that we mustn’t continue our “going” until the light is green. is that too simple an explanation?