The brain/computer metaphor . . .

We are wired for social connections right from the start with survival mechanisms hard wired too whereas the computer is not. Our concept of time comes from around us and is absolute, whereas the computers concept of time is built in and digital.

The brain/computer metaphor is just a metaphor and will eventually be cast aside for actual knowledge about the brain rather than metaphors. I suggest the brain/computer analogy is just a way to explain something that we do not understand.

If we take into consideration the difference between how a computer stores a memory and how a brain stores a memory we start to see the faulty logic of the brain/computer analogy, the computer is able to reproduce the memory the same way many millions of times but the brain using our body as a proxy is never able to even produce the exact same memory twice.

Humans are better at recognizing something than they are at recalling it and this runs contrary to the computer. Computers do not have to practice something in order to remember it as humans do - this is evident in the case of a musician. Humans are punished or rewarded for behaving certain ways whereas a computer behaves the way it does due to programming which comes without punishment or reward.

Each and every brain is unique whereas there are many models of computers which are the same id est apples do what apples do but no two humans do the exact same thing without difference.

My suggestion is that the brain/computer analogy is preposterous . . .

And it is unlikely that any computer has a concept of time, which we do, but rather they are governed by digital time. IOW so far as we know they are not experiencing things, yet at least. It would not surprise me if we can create conscious machines, but that will be something else.

I think it is a poor metaphor, as generally used, because it is using something simpler to explain something much more complex (again, at least so far). This can work, of course, in understand certain facets of more complicated things, but what I notice is the metaphor is used in ways that do not acknowledge the simplification involved, and often even that it is a metaphor at all. As in, the brain is a kind of computer. That’s like saying a bird is a kind of paper airplane.

Also the ways that memories come up are extremely various. Memories pop up. Sometimes they pop up nearly unconsciously but affect how we react to a situation. Sometimes we cannot find the memory. And as you point out memories change in the act of being remembered. We also have short term long term memory relationships and dynamics. Our personalities affect how and when and what we remember. The social situation one finds oneself in affects what is remembered and how it is interpreted. And then there is the whole interpretation/narrative way we affect memories.

Does computer behavior come from punishment and reward?

As said I think it can be useful as long as we are aware we are oversimplifying and that it is a metaphor. I think the fact that is is overused, overtrusted and turning into a dead metaphor (that is taking simply as literal) is because scientists and technicians have control of computers and God, they’d love to have full control of brains. Both in the sense of feeling like they know all about them but then also in terms of direct control. I tend to get pissed off when I see this metaphor used.

A lot to think about.

In the case of the brain/computer metaphor, I think we do see a little bit of ourselves in the computer.

I’ll be back.

:-k