Can we make an artificial neuron? And then plug it into your brain along with all the others. Have we done that?
Electric fields, not individual neurons, may hold information in memory: study
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Re: Electric fields, not individual neurons, may hold information in memory: study
#12There was a story I heard about the autistic guy who volunteered for transcranial magnetic stimulation. Those have been known to temporarily shift someone autistic into a consciousness state that is more neurotypical. In his case (and it is the only documented case), it was permanent. He wrote a book about it. His marriage ended because of it (he had been a reliable emotional support for his wife while autistic), but…
This is interesting because I recently read of a theory that clinical depression is actually an altered state of consciousness, like dreaming or being under the influence of psychedelic drugs. It seems to explain a lot about depression as well as posing the question what other things might be an altered state of consciousness. I predict if we're successful in creating general AI and/or artificial consciousness, we'll…
Your comment immediately reminded me of Marvin the paranoid android from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Re: Electric fields, not individual neurons, may hold information in memory: study
#13I know it’s not a similar mechanism but I can’t help but think how this parallels the discovery made by of main character in the short story Exhalation by Ted Chiang
Ref, https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/41160292
Looks interesting, thanks!
Re: Electric fields, not individual neurons, may hold information in memory: study
#14Aaaand the ultimate question: if electric fields are controlling the neurons, what (or who?) contols the electric fields?
This is why they mock my tin foil hat; it threatens their control.
Re: Electric fields, not individual neurons, may hold information in memory: study
#15There was a story I heard about the autistic guy who volunteered for transcranial magnetic stimulation. Those have been known to temporarily shift someone autistic into a consciousness state that is more neurotypical. In his case (and it is the only documented case), it was permanent. He wrote a book about it. His marriage ended because of it (he had been a reliable emotional support for his wife while autistic), but…
That only strengthens my theory that why most of the autistics and neurodivergent people are considered disabled is because of neurotypicals. When a ND isn't precise with their words, expect us to read into context, and then get angry when we don't understand - that's on them, not us.
NTs can either read in to context or willfully ignore it (choose to act as if they haven't noticed), while autistic people always have to act without that information. It is kind of like wheelchairs and ramps - people who can climb stairs are strictly better off than people who can only go up ramps, but a society with ramps isn't any less capable than one where you have to climb a ladder to get to your office.
Re: Electric fields, not individual neurons, may hold information in memory: study
#16There was a story I heard about the autistic guy who volunteered for transcranial magnetic stimulation. Those have been known to temporarily shift someone autistic into a consciousness state that is more neurotypical. In his case (and it is the only documented case), it was permanent. He wrote a book about it. His marriage ended because of it (he had been a reliable emotional support for his wife while autistic), but…
Do you have a link or some key words I could use to try and find that story?
Perhaps it’s https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29974430-switched-on# ?
Re: Electric fields, not individual neurons, may hold information in memory: study
#17There was a story I heard about the autistic guy who volunteered for transcranial magnetic stimulation. Those have been known to temporarily shift someone autistic into a consciousness state that is more neurotypical. In his case (and it is the only documented case), it was permanent. He wrote a book about it. His marriage ended because of it (he had been a reliable emotional support for his wife while autistic), but…
That only strengthens my theory that why most of the autistics and neurodivergent people are considered disabled is because of neurotypicals. When a ND isn't precise with their words, expect us to read into context, and then get angry when we don't understand - that's on them, not us.
It's true, blind people are only considered disabled because of sighted people.
I am not sure this is the convincing argument you think it is, however.
Re: Electric fields, not individual neurons, may hold information in memory: study
#18Aaaand the ultimate question: if electric fields are controlling the neurons, what (or who?) contols the electric fields?
The electric field is generated by neurons as they fire action potentials, but it is rather the aggregate electrical activity that is used to represent memories, rather than the summative signals from individual neurons.
And if I understood the article correctly, the important idea is that the field is (relatively) stable even as the underlying neurons involved change and they don't even have to be the same neurons involved for the same memory field.
The illusion of a stable single entity emergent from the constant flux of billions of individual living units linked through trillions of connections is in my opinion the answer to the question of consciousness (and also an answer to the question 'can machines ever be conscious', which is without a doubt - yes).
It might also pose the question then, could humanity as a whole - as a global connection of billions of individuals - be thought of as a conscious entity? Well, maybe not - where's the stable field?
Re: Electric fields, not individual neurons, may hold information in memory: study
#19this reminds of a brain fart I had long time ago back when I was taking an EE course about electromagnetic compatibility & interference.
how resilient is the brain and it's surrounding casing to outside electromagnetic interference ?
can there one day be some jamming tool strong enough to just crash a brain without doing physical damage first ? where it would just brick a human, but a physician examining it would find relatively nothing wrong at the physical layer .
Re: Electric fields, not individual neurons, may hold information in memory: study
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is interesting because I recently read of a theory that clinical depression is actually an altered state of consciousness, like dreaming or being under the influence of psychedelic drugs. It seems to explain a lot about depression as well as posing the question what other things might be an altered state of consciousness. I predict if we're successful in creating general AI and/or artificial consciousness, we'll…
Your comment immediately reminded me of Marvin the paranoid android from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
That always bothered me. He wasn't paranoid, he was depressed.