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Those computers in your head

jacobbrazeal.wordpress.com

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Re: Those computers in your head

#21

Post by cobbzilla »

It’s so much fun to read this, author has described it well. I think it’s related to the part of the brain responsible for tool mastery.

When you start using a new tool, there is a separation: it’s you and the tool; you use it, learn how it responds to various stimuli.

Over time, your brain has FPGA-like abilities and wires up some specialized circuitry. To you, it feels like you and the tool are now one thing. Your brain controls the tool like it’s an extension of your body.

Riding a bike, playing chess, even reading and writing can be viewed through this lens.

Your brain is amazing! Use it!

Re: Those computers in your head

#22

Post by Brajeshwar »

danuker wrote: post #19
Brajeshwar wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is nice. I'm kinda opposite. I tend to be able to zoom-out in my mind, where I'm and look at my bearing from a bird's eye view like a map (positioning myself on a map such as Google Maps). I like playing strategy games more than first-person shooters. I did played a lot and started with FPS but stopped after being rushed to the hospital after I collapsed playing a game way back in the early days. :-)

> after I collapsed playing a game way back in the early days Ouch. What was the collapse caused by? Was it related to the game?

I think exhaustion and dis-orientation. I remember being told to eat more, and stay out in the sun.

Re: Those computers in your head

#23

Post by tjchear »

Ghexor wrote: post #10
tjchear wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would be great to read a story based on programs running in one's head (or heads), perhaps a mix of inception and the matrix.

You might enjoy Crystal Society. It's written from the perspective of an AI with an internal dialogue orchestrated by a few distinct modules. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28678856-crystal-society

Thank you! I'll check it out.

Re: Those computers in your head

#24

Post by ryanmercer »

VladimirGolovin wrote: post #7

"being able to walk around a city and not get lost" I have this module. You can fly me to a new country and drop me in a city I've never seen before, and I'll start navigating it on foot in a day. It worked for me in Copenhagen, Rome, and Barcelona (and miserably failed in Tallinn at night). I always thought that it was my innate ability to navigate three-dimensional spaces, but now I begin to suspect that this is a…

>I always thought that it was my innate ability to navigate three-dimensional spaces, but now I begin to suspect that this is a trained "module". I walk a lot (mostly in cities), and I played first-person shooters since the first DOOM back in 1993. And I recently found out that I strongly prefer first-person games to top-down / 2D games -- I instantly feel "at home" there.

For me it was MUDs, exploring and running to known locations in MUDs almost certainly developed that feature in me as I was playing then in 1994 when I was all of 9 years old and my sole means of transportation was my bicycle in the real world.

Re: Those computers in your head

#25

Post by VladimirGolovin »

ajuc wrote: post #17
VladimirGolovin wrote: post #7

"being able to walk around a city and not get lost" I have this module. You can fly me to a new country and drop me in a city I've never seen before, and I'll start navigating it on foot in a day. It worked for me in Copenhagen, Rome, and Barcelona (and miserably failed in Tallinn at night). I always thought that it was my innate ability to navigate three-dimensional spaces, but now I begin to suspect that this is a…

> You can fly me to a new country and drop me in a city I've never seen before, and I'll start navigating it on foot This doesn't work in triangle-based cities like Szczecin :) It's very hard to stop the assumption that 2 right turns is roughly 180 degrees :)

And in neighborhoods planned as concentric circles. My navigation module goes completely bonkers.

Re: Those computers in your head

#26

Post by Zababa »

VladimirGolovin wrote: post #7

"being able to walk around a city and not get lost" I have this module. You can fly me to a new country and drop me in a city I've never seen before, and I'll start navigating it on foot in a day. It worked for me in Copenhagen, Rome, and Barcelona (and miserably failed in Tallinn at night). I always thought that it was my innate ability to navigate three-dimensional spaces, but now I begin to suspect that this is a…

For me it's the opposite, when walking around I'll have a sense where "north" or "home" is, and at some point it will switch (north becoming east for example) and I won't notice it.

Re: Those computers in your head

#27

Post by lioeters »

ajuc wrote: post #17
VladimirGolovin wrote: post #7

"being able to walk around a city and not get lost" I have this module. You can fly me to a new country and drop me in a city I've never seen before, and I'll start navigating it on foot in a day. It worked for me in Copenhagen, Rome, and Barcelona (and miserably failed in Tallinn at night). I always thought that it was my innate ability to navigate three-dimensional spaces, but now I begin to suspect that this is a…

> You can fly me to a new country and drop me in a city I've never seen before, and I'll start navigating it on foot This doesn't work in triangle-based cities like Szczecin :) It's very hard to stop the assumption that 2 right turns is roughly 180 degrees :)

It probably doesn't work in cities like Prague either, parts of which were specifically designed like a labyrinth (not a grid at all) to confuse invaders.

Re: Those computers in your head

#28

Post by TaylorAlexander »

Lovely article! I have a fun one to share that I noticed recently. I am 37 years old and have been doing 3D mechanical design for 15 years, including 7 years of full time CAD at the beginning. I continue to use CAD in my robot designs which I am working on almost every night. By now I am able to do a fair amount of design work in my head. I can conceptualize a new assembly with multiple parts, and focus in on specific areas to sort out how to form the shapes so that they do their job, can be assembled, and are 3D printable. It is not super high resolution but in a close-up level I can imagine any of the basic primitives you would encounter and how they mate together, and I can zoom out and imagine the part as a collection of these assemblies. It's great because I have a lot of ideas but don't want to sit at a computer all the time. I can do design work while I am on a walk or when going to sleep. And it really works!
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