Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id QAA04249 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Tue, 6 Jun 2000 16:07:21 +0100 Message-ID: <393CCCEB.D4DD6E2A@mediaone.net> Date: Tue, 06 Jun 2000 11:05:31 +0100 From: Chuck <cpalson@mediaone.net> X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.72 [en] (WinNT; I) X-Accept-Language: en To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: Fwd: The Scientist in the Crib: Minds, Brains, and How Children Learn References: <20000606132723.AAA9718@camailp.harvard.edu@[128.103.125.215]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Wade - First - thanx a lot for sending this. We need more reviews like this
on this list. I just hope I get around to reading the original!
Second, I wonder if you or anyone else out there has an idea on the
following. One of the common ways to denigrate the notion that the mind is a
biological computer is by pointing out that the mind has been compared to the
prevailing technology of the day. The implication is that this is just
another fad that will pass as another technology comes on line.
I would like to propose that each one was not merely a fad, but actually a
better approximation of the mind. Pinker says that computers are based on the
principle that a thingamabob must be able to sense dimensions of events
outside itself and register these through a change in its physical nature.
Computers are made up of these thingamabobs -- just like brains are. We call
them neurons in the brain.
I don't have time to think this through and do whatever research is
necessary, but I wonder to what extent we might say that looms and early
telephones have elements of these properties - or at least suggestions of
these elements?
"Wade T.Smith" wrote:
> The Scientist in the Crib: Minds, Brains, and How Children Learn
>
> by Alison Gopnik, Andrew Meltzoff, and Patricia Kuhl
>
> Reviewed by Sibylle Hechtel
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