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The “connectome” means we may never “understand” the brain

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In the sense of “There. That’s that.” It’s just too big. Machine learning might help but machines don’t explain their decisions very well. If the brain is immensely complex, it may elude complete understanding in detail. Deep Learning may survey it but that won’t convey understanding to us. We may need to look at more comprehensive ways of knowing:


“I think the word ‘understanding’ has to undergo an evolution,” Lichtman said, as we sat around his desk. “Most of us know what we mean when we say ‘I understand something.’ It makes sense to us. We can hold the idea in our heads. We can explain it with language. But if I asked, ‘Do you understand New York City?’ you would probably respond, ‘What do you mean?’ There’s all this complexity. If you can’t understand New York City, it’s not because you can’t get access to the data. It’s just there’s so much going on at the same time. That’s what a human brain is. It’s millions of things happening simultaneously among different types of cells, neuromodulators, genetic components, things from the outside. There’s no point when you can suddenly say, ‘I now understand the brain,’ just as you wouldn’t say, ‘I now get New York City.’”

GRIGORI GUITCHOUNTS, “AN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS IN NEUROSCIENCE” AT NAUTILUS

Language, Lichtman argues, is not the correct tool for the kind of understanding required. Oddly, Guitchounts did come across a tool of sorts, a short story by Jorge Louis Borges (1899–1986). In the story, cartographers, seeking excellence, publish a map of an empire of such detailed accuracy and complexity that it is as big as the empire itself and entirely useless, producing an awesome ruin. More.


Further reading on understanding the brain (or not):

We will never “solve” the brain. A science historian offers a look at some of the difficulties we face in understanding the brain. In a forthcoming book, science historian Matthew Cobb suggests that we may need to be content with different explanations for different brain parts. And that the image of the brain as a computer is definitely on the way out.

and

Unexplainability and incomprehensibility of AI: In the domain of AI safety, the more accurate the explanation is, the less comprehensible it is. (Roman Yampolskiy)

Comments
No system can contain a complete description of itself. Therefore, we should not expect that a human brain will ever completely understand the human brain.EDTA
March 6, 2020
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@2, Can you be specific? The first six chapters of the Book of Zechariah and the entire Book of Revelation are a detailed metaphorical description of the organization and functioning of the brain. Zechariah (Yahweh-remembers) wrote about the learning mechanism of perceptual and episodic memory. Revelation complements Zechariah's text on memory and goes into motor learning, language processing and the cerebellum. Of course, the prophets were just writing down what they saw in their visions and had no idea what they were writing about. Any other interpretation you may have seen about these books is mistaken. All will be revealed in due time. Keep the faith always.FourFaces
March 6, 2020
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Can you be specific? Thanks in advance.Jim Thibodeau
March 6, 2020
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Yes, the brain is complex but this doesn't mean that the complexity of its functioning and organization principles is beyond our understanding. If we understood those principles, we could certainly build an artificial brain. Sure, we won't figure out what those principles are by looking at the brain but, as a Christian neuroscience researcher, I happen to know that God has revealed the deep secrets of the brain (and artificial general intelligence) to his servants the prophets who wrote them down in some of the occult (metaphorical or mystical) books found in the Bible. It's sacred knowledge hidden in plain sight. Get ready for a very big surprise. Christians should rejoice and hold on to their faith.FourFaces
March 6, 2020
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