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Hierarchical Temporal MemoryApril 13, 2007
As seen on Slashdot: Jeff Hawkins (founder of Palm Computing) has written an article entitled
Why can't a compute be like a brain. He covers progress since his book
On Intelligence and gives details on
Hierarchical Temporal Memory (HTM), which is a platform for simulating neocortical activity. Numenta has created a framework and tools, free in a "research release," that allow anyone to build and program HTMs.
Given a few days of free time it would be interesting to dabble with this stuff. Some noteable quotes from the article:
"Perhaps we've been going about it in the wrong way. ... Even so-called neural network programming techniques take as their starting point a highly simplistic view of how the brain operates."
"It is clear to many people that the brain must work in ways that are very different from digital computers. To build intelligent machines, then, why not understand how the brain works, and then ask how we can replicate it?"
I like this line of thinking, although I think I can answer the question of why computer scientists have shied away from the brain... let's be serious... if we had any reasonble success in figuring out how it works, then sure, we'd focus on it.
"My colleagues and I have been pursuing that approach for several years. We've focused on the brain's neocortex, and we have made significant progress in understanding how it works. We call our theory, for reasons that I will explain shortly, Hierarchical Temporal Memory, or HTM."
"The neocortex is a thin sheet of cells, folded to form the convolutions that have become a visual synonym for the brain itself."
"Because of the neocortex's uniform structure, neuro-scientists have long suspected that all its parts work on a common algorithm-that is, that the brain hears, sees, understands language, and even plays chess with a single, flexible tool."
"HTM is a theory of the neocortical algorithm."
If these guys are right, then watch out. But I've got my skeptics hat on.
on10.net
April 13, 2007
Last night I discovered on10.net, which appears to be a Microsoft-created site for reporting on new products and technologies in an entertaining, spunky style. The site makes heavy use of video and pretty pictures / layouts, and supports an impressive number of download formats: iPod, MP3, PSP, WMA, WMV, High-def WMV, and Zune. I like the spirit of this site.
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VO2 max
April 13, 2007
It has a real ring to it: "VO2 max". As I understand it, it's a measure of the maximum volume of oxygen per unit of time that your body is able to use when you are exerting yourself stenuously. People like Lance Armstrong have dizzyingly high numbers, which is a large factor in their physical abilities. Apparently there are some guys in town that own the equipment for measuring VO2 max, as well as a variety of other physiological values. Cool! ... Hey Pinky, are you thinking what I'm thinking?
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