CONTACTS 

SUBJECTS
Pictures, Language, Writing
Thinking, Memory, biology limits
Human Memory
Psychologically Demanding, Truth
Intuition, Poetry, Harmony, Creativity
Knowledge v. Information
Learning, Continual
Patterns. Links

1711 -
1711 -    ..
1712 - Summary/Objective
1713 -
171301 - Follow up ref SDS 5 0000.
171302 -
171303 - Reviewed the Newsweek article cited in Charlie Rose program last
171304 - night.
171305 -
171306 -
171307 -
1714 -
1715 -
1716 - Progress
1717 -
171701 - Received article in Newsweek that explains in part the biological
171702 - functioning of the brain to make "connections" ref OF 1 line 51 and
171703 - ref OF 1 line 413, that supports the concept of converting information
171704 - into knowledge.  Ideas on connectionist theory initially came into the
171705 - record from reading about artificial intelligence in the "Improbable
171706 - Machine" by Jeromy Campbell in 1990, at ref SDS 1 line 61.   They were
171707 - discussed further with Santa Clara University in evaluating "knowledge
171708 - creep," reality monitoring, and "writing" as a means of leveraging the
171709 - connections inherently formed by the brain, ref SDS 3 line 119.
171710 -
171711 -     •  Memory is discussed at ref OF 1 line 641.
171712 -     •  Correlation between time and information is not discussed.
171713 -     •  Correlation of "connections" and traceability is not discussed
171714 -     •  Traditional view that brain is hardwired with some knowledge is
171715 -        mentioned at ref OF 1 line 53 [see Plato's Problem at ref SDS 7
171716 -        line 63.
171717 -
171718 - Actually, this Newsweek article seems to be more about the potential
171719 - to improve IQ by stimultion of new born children, contending that
171720 - early childhood experiences, i.e., "environment" (ref OF 1 line 59)
171721 - wire the circuits of the brain like a programmer controls a computer,
171722 - ref OF 1 line 43.  The article reports theories ("emerging paradigm" -
171723 - ref OF 1 line 60) that there are "windows" of brain growth that close
171724 - at an early age, ref OF 1 line 66, ref OF 1 line 945, thus, implying a
171725 - plausible arguement in favor of nurture v. nature:  that smart
171726 - children are smart because their mothers were more talkative, ref OF 1
171727 - line 157.  The article suggests that if government Headstart programs
171728 - were expanded to provide a better environment for infants at 4 months
171729 - instead of 2 years old, then the programs would be more effective in
171730 - raising the IQ of underpriveleged children, ref OF 1 line 100, ref OF
171731 - 1 line 456.
171732 -
171733 -     [Some support seems to come from Landauer's paper on "Plato's
171734 -     Problem" at ref SDS 7 line 100.]
171735 -
171736 - The only apparent evidence offered in the article to support the
171737 - "window" theory is an experiment performed in the 1970's where a
171738 - kitten's eye was sewn shut and when it was opened some months later,
171739 - the cat was blind in that eye.  The same experiment on adult cats did
171740 - not cause blindness, suggesting exercise of the eye by the new born is
171741 - important to proper development, ref OF 1 line 90.  The article
171742 - reports an assumption that other mental capacities, e.g., cognitive
171743 - skills like math, music, language, have development patterns similar
171744 - to visual sensory capacity, ref OF 1 line 114.  Studies showing that
171745 - the brain's consumption of glucose appears to peak at about age 10 -
171746 - 12, is cited as evidence that this age ends the "...optimum window of
171747 - opportunity for learning." ref OF 1 line 345.
171748 -
171749 -     Learning Defined
171750 -
171751 -     How does this proposition correlate with the concept of "continual
171752 -     learning" called out in ISO 10006. The article does not define the
171753 -     meaning of "learning," which is defined as accumulation of
171754 -     experience that shows cause and effect relationships.
171755 -
171756 -
171757 - Memory, Repetition, Emotion, Automatic Pilot
171758 -
171759 - The author initially says constant exposure to words is the best
171760 - method to increase a child's vocabulary, ref OF 1 line 182.  The point
171761 - is then made that the conscious mind is influenced by hidden memories
171762 - from frequently repeated experiences, e.g. being punished/beaten,
171763 - reinforces memories, and that emotional reactions are an aspect of
171764 - such memories, i.e., reactions are learned rather than innate, ref OF
171765 - 1 line 258.  But, later the article criticizes "rote memorization"
171766 - methods in schools, ref OF 1 line 285.  Why is repetition good for
171767 - learning "a" but suddenly not so good for learning "b"? Maybe young
171768 - minds need "rote memorization" to gain a foundation on which to apply
171769 - experiences.
171770 -
171771 - Emotional impacts from parental responses to child rearing are cited
171772 - as impacting brain formation which are misperceived as innate nature,
171773 - ref OF 1 line 244.  There is no apparent evidence to support this
171774 - notion.  The article says stress impedes development of the cortex
171775 - causing trouble assimiliating complex information, such as language,
171776 - ref OF 1 line 260.  This formulation seems to place alertness to
171777 - danger in opposition to intellectual capacity.  Life experience seems
171778 - to show exactly the opposite is the case.  People who are "alert"
171779 - learn more easily and live longer.  Alertness to danger is critical to
171780 - survival.
171781 -
171782 -
171783 - Music Enhances Math
171784 -
171785 - Music enhances math skills, ref OF 1 line 294, exercise improves brain
171786 - performance, ref OF 1 line 311.
171787 -
171788 - The article notes that apparent IQ gains by children who experience
171789 - the Headstart program, seem to be lost after they leave the program,
171790 - ref OF 1 line 454.  It reports on a new study of children enrolled in
171791 - a pilot program from age 4 months that showed an IQ gain of 4.6 points
171792 - at age 15, ref OF 1 line 466.  The article does not say how the study
171793 - measured the IQ of a 4 month old in order to determine improvement
171794 - over time from kind of stimulation/training described in the article.
171795 - The article does not indicate the benefits derived from a gain in IQ
171796 - from say 100 to 104.6, relative to the cost of achieving it, and
171797 - whether that same investment might yield higher rewards if directed
171798 - elsewhere.  For example suppose we can improve the physical strength
171799 - of everybody 4.6% by early intervention at age 4 months.  Is that as
171800 - helpful as inventing a car, train, boat or airplane that multiplies
171801 - physical strength, speed and endurance by 10,000 percent?
171802 -
171803 -
171804 - People Want to be Smarter
171805 -
171806 - The articles focus on IQ provides support for the concept discussed at
171807 - Intel last September that the attraction of personal computers is the
171808 - belief/hope that these intruments can somehow improve our ability to
171809 - think, remember and communicate, ref SDS 2 line 378, since these are
171810 - the source of advances in civilization.
171811 -
171812 - Automating the connections that constitute "knowledge," makes everyone
171813 - "smarter" in the same way that mastering reading and writing makes
171814 - everyone smarter.  Very smart people are still smarter than less smart
171815 - people, but everybody is better off because we all do more, in the
171816 - same that everyone can use a car to drive to the store to get more
171817 - stuff faster and easier.
171818 -
171819 - Got names of possible contacts on brain functioning:
171820 -
171821 -     Michael Merzenich of UC San Francisco, ref OF 1 line 493
171822 -
171823 -     Barbara Barres of Stanford University, ref OF 1 line 444
171824 -
171825 -        [Followed up at ref SDS 6 line 74.]
171826 -
171827 -
1719 -