Title, Wake Forest SPP06-17-05

1. From brain to neuron to molecule and back again: circular causality in the organization of embodied cognition Walter J Freeman University of California at Berkeley http://sulcus.berkeley.edu Title, Wake Forest SPP06-17-05 Walter J Freeman University of California at Berkeley

2. John von Neumann Information Technology was repudiated almost immediately by the key designer of the serial digital computer: “Whatever the language of the brain is, it cannot fail to differ considerably from what we consciously and explicitly consider as mathematics.” John von Neumann (1958) “The Computer and the Brain” John von Neumann Walter J Freeman University of California at Berkeley

3. John von Neumann “Brains lack the arithmetic and logical depth that characterize our computations… .” “We require exquisite numerical precision over many logical steps to achieve whatbrains accomplish in very few short steps.” The Computer and the Brain, 1958, p. 63. John von Neumann, 1900-1958 Walter J Freeman University of California at Berkeley

4. Claude Shannon Likewise by Shannon: “The fundamental problem of communication is to reproduce a message. … Frequently the messages have meaning. … These semantic aspects are irrelevant to the engineering problem.” Claude Shannon (1948) “A mathematical theory of communication.” Bell System Technical Journal 27: 379. Claude Shannon 1916-2001 Walter J Freeman University of California at Berkeley

5. Neumann & Nichols, fMRI The use of imaging to localize brain modules: Walter J Freeman University of California at Berkeley

6. Neumann & Nichols, neurophrenology PET, SPECT, BOLD, fMRI, DTA, EEG, MEG, etc. support contemporary forms of 19th century phrenology. Neumann & Nichols, Nature, 1999. Imaging data assembled by C. J. Doane. Walter J Freeman University of California at Berkeley

7. Requirement for a new model OUTLINE Why is the information/representation model so tenacious? What can be done to open the way to new models? What are von Neumann’s “few short steps”? Walter J Freeman University of California at Berkeley

8. Haken Prigogine Ilya Prigogine, 1917-2003 Hermann Haken, 1927 - “dissipative structures” “circular causality” Brains are open thermodynamic systems far from equilibrium. Walter J Freeman University of California at Berkeley

9. EEG, Cat hungry, then satiated Walter J Freeman University of California at Berkeley

10. PG PSTH Walter J Freeman University of California at Berkeley

11. Periglomerular (PG) root loci Walter J Freeman University of California at Berkeley

12. PG Threshold, non-zero point attractor Walter J Freeman University of California at Berkeley

13. Pole at the origin of the complex plane Walter J Freeman University of California at Berkeley

14. Root loci: Sigmoid curve Walter J Freeman University of California at Berkeley

15. Root loci: Sigmoid curve, KIe Walter J Freeman University of California at Berkeley

16. St. Thomas Aquinas, Intentionality Walter J Freeman University of California at Berkeley

17. An example of intentionality Walter J Freeman University of California at Berkeley

18. Root loci: PG PSTH and AEP Walter J Freeman University of California at Berkeley

19. Root loci: 64 AEP OB from PON Walter J Freeman University of California at Berkeley

20. Root loci: Mode 1e Walter J Freeman University of California at Berkeley

21. Root loci Mode 2: Walter J Freeman University of California at Berkeley

22. Root loci: Sigmoid curve, KIIob Walter J Freeman University of California at Berkeley

23. A state transition is induced in the olfactory system by each inhalation that brings new sensory input. Freeman, 1972 Walter J Freeman University of California at Berkeley

24. Electrode arrays on rabbit brain Left hemisphere of the rabbit brain with size and location of 8x8 electrode arrays The circles show typical activity domains. Walter J Freeman University of California at Berkeley