Vladimir Nesov>>>> There are no well-articulated theories here. I guess that columns are induction chips: they have potential all-to-all connectivity, so they can learn the rule in form 'after this signal comes that signal' for any two signals in column.
Ed>>>> how does the induction chip avoid cross talk between "if ABCDEF then G" and "if ABCDEG then H"? Ed Porter -----Original Message----- From: Vladimir Nesov [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 6:19 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Cortical Columns [WAS Re: [agi] Funding AGI research] Edward, There are no well-articulated theories here. I guess that columns are induction chips: they have potential all-to-all connectivity, so they can learn the rule in form 'after this signal comes that signal' for any two signals in column. My current bet is that something not that much more intricate than this single rule is sufficient to implement cognition (and on von Neumann architecture you can implement one huge column of billion 'neurons' that does roughly the same). So I see columns as small AGI chips that operate within their narrow sensory input/output and communicate with each other to form overall behavior of the brain. Compartmentalization corresponds to character of concepts with which columns in particular area mostly deal. In this view 'neuronal assembly' corresponds to either collection of neurons (or dendrite fragments?) that represents very similar shades of given concept, or to different neurons in different columns that correspond to the same concept and implement inter-column interaction. For example, perception of an object can proceed starting from different senses (e.g. vision/hearing), and particular object can be detected locally and separately by subsystems involved in processing of each kind of these senses. In this case separate groups of columns work with information about the same object, but this information is only integrated on a higher stage of perception. Does it make these neurons that independently detect the same object/event, part of the same 'assembly'? It just might. On Nov 29, 2007 12:42 AM, Ed Porter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Richard, > > Any ideas on what do such 10^5 neuron cortical columns represent? For > example, how do they relate to the multiple topological maps in the brain? > They all represent just one concept, or do they represent families of > related concepts? Or perhaps do the neurons of each maxi-column act in > unison as one cell assemblies, so that subsets of the roughly one million of > them can be selected to create unique coding for any one of millions or > billions of episodic or pattern memories? > > Is there relatively clear demarcation between such columns (i.e., a > surrounding surface were the number of interconnects are much lower than > similar surfaces within the column), or is it such that any given location > on the surface of the cortex the neurons directly below it would be > connected to the nearest 10^5 neurons? > > Ed Porter > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Richard Loosemore [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 3:25 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Cortical Columns [WAS Re: [agi] Funding AGI research] > > Benjamin Goertzel wrote: > >> ED>>>>>I must admit, I have never heard cortical column described as > >> containing 10^5 neurons. The figure I have commonly seen is 10^2 neurons > >> for a cortical column, although my understanding is that the actual > number > >> could be either less or more. I guess the 10^5 figure would relate to > >> so-called hypercolumns. > > > > The term "cortical column" is vague > > > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortical_column > > > > There are minicolumns (around 100 neurons each) and hypercolumns > > (around 100 minicolumns each). Both are called columns.. > > Ben, > > It is true that there is enormous ambiguity and confusion about the > definition. > > However, a number of people believe that the best compromise values for > column size and number are 10,000 neurons per column and 1 million columns. > > I came to this conclusion after looking into it for my own purposes, > then was gratified that Henry Markham quoted the same numbers: > > http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2874207418572601262 > Henry Markram, EPFL/BlueBrain: The Emergence of Intelligence in the > Neocortical Microcircuit. > > > > Richard Loosemore > > ----- > This list is sponsored by AGIRI: http://www.agiri.org/email > To unsubscribe or change your options, please go to: > http://v2.listbox.com/member/?&; > > ----- > This list is sponsored by AGIRI: http://www.agiri.org/email > To unsubscribe or change your options, please go to: > http://v2.listbox.com/member/?&; -- Vladimir Nesov mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ----- This list is sponsored by AGIRI: http://www.agiri.org/email To unsubscribe or change your options, please go to: http://v2.listbox.com/member/?&; ----- This list is sponsored by AGIRI: http://www.agiri.org/email To unsubscribe or change your options, please go to: http://v2.listbox.com/member/?member_id=8660244&id_secret=70928712-45b5ee
