Filtering removes values outside a frequency and/or intensity range. Filtering defines a category by specifying boundaries {filtering and sensations}. Neuron assemblies use thresholds to establish boundaries and make categories.
Computers and brains have readers that input data and algorithms, processors that use data and algorithms to make output data, and writers that output data. Computers and brains process information in circuits, transfer information over channels, and store information in structures. Perhaps, mind is dynamic information in brain structures {information processing and sensations}.
Computer operating systems control basic functions, such as file manipulation, gathering input, and sending output. Perhaps, minds are like operating systems {operating system and sensations}.
Analog computers receive continuous voltages or currents and output continuous voltages or currents, so feedback and feedforward simultaneously affect output and input. Simultaneous mutual interaction requires system governors to prevent stops or exponential increases.
Serial digital computers have clocks that step through algorithms in discrete isolated operations that wait for specific input and deliver specific output. Parallel digital computers use clocks and software to deliver inputs and use outputs when appropriate. Digital neural networks step through network layers, so inputs from one layer affect next layer.
Two neurons can exchange information in both directions. One neuron can send excitation directly to other neuron. Other neuron can send excitation directly to third neuron, which sends inhibition directly to first neuron. Brain electrochemical signaling continuously goes through many interconnected circuits simultaneously, so inputs continually affect outputs, and outputs continually affect inputs, unifying and nesting sensation and action and causing continual recursion {simultaneous mutual interactions and sensations}. Perhaps, mind requires simultaneous mutual interactions.
Analog coding is continuous and tracks physical processes directly. Digital coding prevents degradation and other errors and makes categories. Brain uses digital processing for axon impulses and neurotransmitter packets. Perhaps, mind uses analog processing to make continuous sensations {analog coding and sensations}.
Current computers can code numbers and so code sense intensities but cannot code types and meanings and so cannot represent sense qualities {code types and sensations}.
Perhaps, brain is like ink, and mind is like message {coded messages and meaning}.
Computers and brains use data structures, such as files, tables, arrays, and displays. Files have elements, such as bytes, numbers, strings, dates, times, and booleans, separated by tabs, commas, and/or spaces. Files can have rows, with fixed or variable column numbers. Perhaps, mind uses three-dimensional displays {data structures and sensations}.
Computers open and close files to read or write data. Perhaps, brain opens and closes files {file access and sensations}. Opening files is like awakening and becoming conscious, by accessing memory. Closing files is like sleeping, by blocking memory.
To describe object collections, structure files list object types and relative coordinates and distances. For example, to describe molecules, chemical structure files list atoms and relative coordinates and distances [Dalby et al., 1992]. Brains can use structure files to describe visual displays {structure files and sensations}.
Computer-processor programs use binary code. Assembly languages express hardware operations in simple grammar. Human-readable programming languages have sentence-like statements. Programming languages can emphasize procedures that manipulate objects or objects that have procedures. BASIC and C are procedure oriented. Java and C++ are object oriented. High-level code translates unambiguously into low-level code, and vice versa. Brain uses low-level code and/or procedure-oriented programming languages. Perhaps, mind uses object-oriented programming {programming languages and sensations} to represent geometric objects and perform geometric operations.
Ray tracing {ray tracing and sensations} tests light-source and surface-reflection light rays, to see where they land on object-depth-indexed two-dimensional-surface displays. Ray tracing indexes object locations, directions, and distances, as well as shapes, overlaps, shadows, light sources (emissions), absorptions, reflections, refractions, opaqueness, translucency, transparency, and color variations [Glassner, 1989].
Vector graphics {vector graphics and sensations} [Foley et al., 1994] represents scenes using geometric-figure descriptors, such as "circle", which have parameters, such as "color", "radius", and "center", which have values, such as "black" or "2". Descriptors have positions relative to other descriptors or to the display.
Vector graphics represents images using mathematical formulas for volumes, surfaces, and curves (including boundaries) that have parameters, coordinates, orientations, colors, opacities, shading, and surface textures. For example, circle information includes radius, center point, line style, line color, fill style, and fill color. Vector graphics includes translation, rotation, reflection, inversion, scaling, stretching, and skewing. Vector graphics uses logical and set operations and so can extrapolate and interpolate, including filling in.
1-Consciousness-Speculations-Sensation
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Date Modified: 2022.0225