X-Message-Number: 15402
References: <>
Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 16:56:08 +0000
From: "Joseph Kehoe" <>
Subject: Re: CryoNet #15393 - #15400

http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2676421,00.html

Compaq Computer is teaming with nuclear research facility Sandia National 
Laboratories

and biotechnology company Celera Genomics to build what is anticipated to be one
of
the fastest supercomputers in the world.


>>The problem of TIME of course plays a large role in how we came to be
>>put together as we are: lots of individually weak processors rather
>>than a few very powerful ones. I brought up this ADDITIONAL issue
>>because it was not clear to me before, and still remains unclear,
>>that human beings could be imitated by Turing machines EVEN IF WE
>>FORGET TIMING. We make not only connections but new neurons, each
>>of which is one of those individually weak processors. That does not
>>look to me like the kind of thing that Turing machines could easily
>>imitate.
>>
>You may well be right about "easily" (this is a relative term though). But
>of course a computer can at least simulate the creation of other computers
>or processing elements in its software, assuming it has unlimited memory, or
>can get more memory when needed. It doesn't have to physically manufacture
>new structure.


agreed. Each neuron would be a sequence of symbols on tape containing connection
info.
It should be easily enough done.

TIME is only a problem if it is an NP complete problem. I do not see how it 
could be unless

each new neuron is allowed to connect to every other neuron in the brain which 
it cannot.

Present hardware cannot do it but there is NO theoretic reason why future 
processors might not.
Joseph.

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