The paper can be accessed at http://www.enel.ucalgary.ca/People/wangyx/Publications/Papers/B&M-Vol4.2-HMC.pdf
Their conclusion is based on the assumptions that there are 10^11 neurons and their average synapses number is 10^3. Therefore the total potential relational combinations is (10^11)! / (10^3)! ((10^11)! - (10^3)!), which is approximately 10^8432. The model is obviously an oversimplification, and the number is way too big. Pei ----- Original Message ----- From: "shane legg" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2003 6:24 AM Subject: RE: [agi] Discovering the Capacity of Human Memory > > The total number of particles in the whole universe is usually > estimated to be around 10^80. These guys claim that the storage > of the brain is 10^8432 bits. That means that my brain has around > 10^8352 bits of storage for every particle in the whole universe. > > I thought I was feeling smarter than usual this morning! > > Possible explanations: > > 1) The quote to totally wrong the the "^" should be a "," ? > > 2) They got confused and thought it was 1 April > > 3) They are actually doing research into just how flaky AI > researchers really are and how easy it is to publish > mathematical nonsense in "Mind and Brain" Journal > > 4) The "scientists" somehow managed to get their PhDs without > understanding how numbers work > > 5) They concluded that the brain is really analogue and so they > worked out the volume of the skull at the Planck scale (actually > that doesn't work either as the Planck length is far far far to > large at 1.6 x 10^-35 m) > > and so on... > > Does anybody have a better explanation? > > Shane > > > --- "Amara D. Angelica" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > http://www.kurzweilai.net/news/news_printable.html?id=2417 > > > > Discovering the Capacity of Human Memory > > > > Brain and Mind, August 2003 > > > > > > The memory capacity of the human brain is on the order of 10^8432 bits, > > three scientists have estimated. > > > > Writing in the August issue of Brain and Mind, their "OAR" cognitive > > model asserts that human memory and knowledge are represented by a > > network of relations, i.e., connections of synapses between neurons, > > rather than by the neurons themselves as in the traditional > > information-container model (1 neuron = 1 bit). > > > > This explains why "the magnitude of neurons in an adult brain seems > > stable; however, huge amount of information can be remembered throughout > > the entire life of a person," they point out. > > > > Based on the projected computer memory capacity of 8 x 10^12 bits in the > > next ten years, Yingxu Wang et al. conclude that the memory capacity of > > a human brain is equivalent to at least "10^8419 modern > > computers....This tremendous difference of memory magnitudes between > > human beings and computers demonstrates the efficiency of information > > representation, storage, and processing in the human brains." > > > > They also conclude that "this new factor has revealed the tremendous > > quantitative gap between the natural and machine intelligence" and that > > "next-generation computer memory systems may be built according to their > > relational model rather than the traditional container metaphor" because > > "the former is more powerful, flexible, and efficient, and is capable of > > generating a mathematically unlimited memory capacity by using limited > > number of neurons in the brain or hardware cells in the next generation > > computers." > > > > Brain and Mind 4 (2): 189-198, August 2003 > > > > ------- > > To unsubscribe, change your address, or temporarily deactivate your subscription, > > please go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > ________________________________________________________________________ > Want to chat instantly with your online friends? Get the FREE Yahoo! > Messenger http://mail.messenger.yahoo.co.uk > > ------- > To unsubscribe, change your address, or temporarily deactivate your subscription, > please go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/[EMAIL PROTECTED] > ------- To unsubscribe, change your address, or temporarily deactivate your subscription, please go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/[EMAIL PROTECTED]
