This is an experimental blog post. The idea was to simply talk about a range of issues with the aim of creating a "mind map", then using the map to create traditional posts that are more structured and focused. But along the way, I wondered if I could post the original voice note So, to test this, click on the link below, which will show you a LINK to the audio Store that and play it. Your machine will probably have an app that plays audio. In my case, it's iTunes. This talk can be indexed just like a text essay. In the long run, the plan is to take notes on my own "rant" in mind map form (which can also be shown in the blog). A Random Talk

"Growing" Brain Tissue A key insight is to take into account the fractal nature of how the brain  grows  (like any other tissue) from a single stem cell. Model structure should reflect the way cells grow and connect rather than relying on mathematical structures like matrices. Connections  look  random but have an underlying fractal structure. On the other hand, the model needs to reflect the well known principle that "cells that fire together wire together". The fractal structure "explains" this rule in a physical way (cortical columns) but the brain can wire itself up in a way that might be seen as 4 dimensional. Connections are formed due to "closeness" in space as well as some kind of time function.  The model should assume some level of continuous growth. In the brain, new neurons are being created and others are dying all the time. It's not known how these new neurons find their place in the structures of the brain. Similarly, we know ...

I think of brain waves  as the process of "re-hashing" memes in the brain. A "meme" corresponds to a fantastically complex pattern [1] of activation of neurons. Activation of these patterns can be observed outside of the skull due to electrical side-effects of neuron "firing". I envision a looping chain reaction of memes, some at a very low level (hardly qualifying as memes), such as the sensation of breathing and some much higher, such as a friend speaking to you. The wave frequency corresponds to the speed of "unpacking" one meme into another, or how fast one meme "reminds" you of another. It's important to think of the brain as active and dynamic rather than a static container of "knowledge" and a "soul" sitting around inside the head observing he world. The looping never stops. When we are conscious (Beta waves, about 15 to 40 cycles per second - Herz). this looping is consciousness.  As we think harder, the...