How Brains Think: Evolving Intelligence, Then and Now (Science Masters Series) by William H. Calvin

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Amazon Sales Rank: #504675 in Books
Published on: 1997-09-01
Number of items: 1
Binding: Paperback
196 pages
Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
William Calvin, a neurophysiologist and author of The River That Flows Uphill: A Journey from the Big Bang to the Big Brain, attempts to reclaim the study of human consciousness from physicists like Roger Penrose. Physicists, Calvin suggests, reduce the mind to subatomic particles and mathematical equations, whereas those in his specialty see the seat of consciousness and intelligence in higher levels of brain physiology--the neurons, synapses, and cortex. Calvin is a Darwinist who regards the unique level of human consciousness as the product of evolutionary forces that began with the ice ages two million years ago. The human response to this natural threat, he argues, was to develop mental faculties that allowed high-level communication and, thus, cooperation, leading to complex language capabilities and the distinguishing human characteristic of abstract thought.

Sunday Times [London], 1997
"Calvin is fizzing with ideas and this is a provacative, stimulating book."

The New York Times Book Review, Marcia Bartusiak
... an exhilarating intellectual journey ... [Calvin is] a member of that rare breed of scientists who can translate the arcana of their fields into lay language ... lyrical and imaginative in his presentation.
Customer Reviews

A Review of How Brains Think
Calvin contends that brains (OR COMPUTERS!)
are able to THINK by virtue of being "Darwin
machines," machines that emulate biological
evolution but on a much reduced time scale.
Calvin's Darwin machines possess six essential
properties:
1. Patterns are recognized and manipulated.
2. The patterns are copied and
3. modified.
4. Patterns are evaluated during their use
and compete for limited storage space.
5. The values assigned to the respective patterns
measure their success when used to control actions
of some agent in an environment.
6. The best patterns are retained for future
reuse while poorer ones are discarded.
Calvin attempts to show how these 6 processes
might be obtained with realistic biological
neural networks. I found these latter arguments
to be incomplete and unconvincing. To be fair
Calvin refers the reader to another of his books
THE CEREBRAL CODE for a more detailed discussion.
I need to read that book but have yet to do so.
I do believe, however, that modern artificial
intelligence software does qualify as a Darwin
machine according to Calvin's criteria (see,
for example my Asa H, Transactions of the Kansas
Academy of Science, vol. 109, No. 3/4. pg 159,
2006, R. Jones)

What to do next?
Calvin offers an evolutionary description of the development of human intelligence. He's very careful to avoid using "consciousness" since Dennett, Humphreys, Pinker and others have firmly employed that term. Calvin cites Piaget's "intelligence is what you use when you don't know what to do next" as a foundation thesis. From this he compares human mental talents with those of other animals, mostly primates, to demonstrate evolutionary roots for our intelligence. Behaviour issues common to everyday life become visible evidence for what is going on in our brains. Calvin manages to take his analysis into the physical processes that occur as we decide on our actions. It's a well written and "down to earth" explanation of many questions we have on what intelligence is and how we use it.

Piaget's comment reflects the growing knowledge of brain processes. Much of the brain's time is spent collecting, storing, retrieving and applying information. This means that both "unconscious" events and our expressions and actions only come about after numerous and complicated signal processing has already occurred. Calvin describes in both text and graphics how neurons are constructed, convey data, and interact within the brain. Clearly, nothing is instantaneous and many elements are competing for dominance during every moment awake. Clear, too, is the notion that while other primates have many talents to deal with their surroundings, none possess the powers evolution gave humans.

What drives these powerful mental abilities? He rebuffs the idea of the "quantum brain". It's too deep in the brain's structure - "in the subbasement of physics". That's too far removed from areas of vision, speech, and memory. There are certainly quantum events going on with all that chemical and electrical activity inside your skull, but Calvin sees these forces as far to deep to have direct impact on mental processes. Calvin is more concerned with the human level of analysis. One proposal he adopts wholeheartedly, but without attribution, is Daniel Dennett's concept of the "multiple drafts model" of thinking and expression. Calvin, to his credit, outstrips even Dennett's abilities of description in depicting this process. He shows, for example, how the brain's memory storage facility considers many images before it resolves that the round thing flying past is a tennis ball. It's an exquisite example, and you perceive clearly how many other daily occurrences are resolved in a similar manner.

The accumulation of evidence about our evolutionary roots, the environmental changes forced on us and the rise of language and use of syntax are all contained within a device Calvin labels the "Darwin Machine." The Machine has six "essentials" which cover topics like replication, mutation and success in adaptation. He demonstrates how the "essentials" provide a mechanism for complexity from simplicity. Where some creatures modified things like limbs, teeth or hair, it was our brain that evolved from simple to complex.

While evolution of the human brain isn't a new topic, Calvin presents a better summary of its roots and operations than most cognitive scientists. This is a fine book to start any study of the brain, but must be enhanced by other, more complete, works. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Calvin's Neocortical Darwin Machine
This book is an attempt to "pull together all of the essentials.....of a darwinian process" and "describe a specific neural mechanism that could implement such a process in primate neocortex." Calvin is an advocate of the idea that brain-based darwinian processes are what provides brains with what we call "consciousness" and "intelligence". The first six chapters do the pulling together and chapter seven presents the proposed mechanism. Chapter 8 explores implications of darwinian brain processes for artificial intelligence.

As we plod along towards Alan Turing's dream of constructing intelligent machines, there are a few road-blocks we need to get around. Calvin mentions that any explanation of biological intelligence ought to have implications for artificial intelligence. He admits that, "the ad-hoc schemes of AI might also produce intelligent robots", but he clearly likes the idea that the most efficient path to intelligent man-made devices that can duplicate human mental abilities (what Calvin quaintly calls a "workalike") is to learn the essentials of how biological brains work and then apply those principles to the problem of making a workalike. One road-block is the fact that so many AI researchers ignore the task of reverse engineering the human brain or, at best, they assume that what was known about brains in the 1940's is enough. Unfortunately, I doubt that Calvin's hop-skip-and-jump over this issue will move any AI researchers away from their "ad-hoc schemes". Even AI researchers who like the idea of evolutionary processes pay little attention to the idea of adapting the physiological mechanisms of biological brains to evolutionary computing.

A second road-block is the distinction that is usually made between hardware and software. Turing was among the first to recognize how to use electronic devices to implement the power and beauty of this distinction, and most AI researchers remain devoted to hardware-software duality. Unfortunately, biological brains were not designed by an electrical engineer. It thus becomes a danger that biologists will mistakenly attempt to make sense of biological brains by looking at brain processes through the distorting lenses of hardware-software duality. I think that Calvin gets caught in this trap of dualism and it deflects him from paying close enough attention to the details of how biological brains really work.

Calvin's dualistic thinking starts with the harmless division of brain processes into two types, those that depend on "cerebral ruts" (hardware) and those that dance more freely through the brain and so are able to function like "software".....Calvin usually calls these "firing patterns". The dangerous step comes when Calvin suggests that the pattern of action potentials in any particular neocortical minicolumn can be replicated and spread through the cortex like a piece of software code and be "played" on the millions of other minicolumns in the same way you can play a million copies of a CD on a million CD players......the key difference being that while all CD players are designed to do basically the same task, the various cortical minicolumns can all have their own unique "ruts" and the copies of the firing patterns are not exact duplicates. This allows for a "cerebral symphony" rather than just a million-fold amplification of the same tune and a "survival of the fittest" process whereby those firing patterns that resonate best with the existing pool of "ruts" will dominate our consciousness and generate intelligent behavior.

Allegorically, this is an appealing model of cortical function, and the sort of evolutionary mechanism that AI researchers like to build into computers. Unfortunately, biological brains were not made by engineers. Where does Calvin go wrong?

For Calvin, "copying" is the essence of darwinism, but people such as Stuart Kauffman (see his, "The Origins of Order") and Freeman Dyson (see his, "Origin of Life") have long ago made the point that evolution does not REQUIRE copying. Life as it now exists involves molecular replication, but that is just a special trick that proved useful for living organisms. Life probably had an initial "metabolic" period without molecular replication. George Dyson (in his book, "Darwin Among the Machines") has pointed out that man-made machines (such as industrial robots) can evolve without replication.

Is there another way that evolutionary processes might exist in biological brains without the emphasis that Calvin places on copying? Gerald Edelman's theory of "Neural Darwinism" (see his book by that name) provides an alternative to Calvin's emphasis on copying. Anyone who reads Calvin's theory (chapter 7) should compare it to Edelman's theory. My guess is that Edelman provides a better framework for thinking about evolutionary processes in biological brains, but Calvin's theory is more accessible and "intuitive", so it may be better as an introduction to the importance of evolutionary processes in the brain.

Calvin does not dogmatically push the "darwin machine" mechanism described in chapter 7, and, in fact, seems to invite people to simply skip that chapter. He devotes considerable space (particularly chapter 3) to discussion of trying to find the level of detail required to find the essence of how biological brains produce consciousness and intelligent behavior. I suspect that Crick (in his "The Astonishing Hypothesis") and Edelman are closer to identifying this critical level, with Calvin just a bit too reluctant to delve into the details of how synapses work. Although Calvin does touch on the function of synapses briefly in chapter 7, he spends considerable space clumping the study of synaptic learning mechanisms in with quantum consciousness theories as examples of inappropriate attempts at reductionism. But even if Calvin has slightly missed the mark, he provides an accessible account of why it makes sense to continue trying to identify and elucidate evolutionary processes in the brain.

Smart Thinking: Skills for Critical Understanding and Writing by Matthew Allen

Product Description

Smart Thinking: Skills for Critical Understanding and Writing 2E is a practical step-by-step guide to improving skills in analysis, critical thinking, and the effective communication of arguments and explanations. The book combines an accessible and straightforward style, with a strong
foundation of knowledge. The text treats reasoning as an aspect of communication, not an abstract exercise in logic. The book not only provides detailed advice on how to practise analytical skills, but also demonstrates how these skills can be used in research and writing. In particular, it
emphasises how to develop arguments that are coherent and that take account of their audience and context.
Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #827950 in Books
Published on: 2005-01-06
Number of items: 1
Binding: Paperback
206 pages
Editorial Reviews

About the Author
Matthew Allen is at Curtin University WA.

Critical Thinking (Skill Builders) by LearningExpress Editors

Product Description

The Skill Builders series serves the reader who needs to master specific skills for the purpose of passing an important test, such as an exit exam, admissions test, vocational exam, or certification exam. In 20 step-by-step lessons, readers learn the fundamentals of critical thinking and apply essential problem-solving skills needed for success. Targeted lessons require a time commitment of just twenty minutes a day, and readers have the flexibility of tailoring a study program that suits their needs and time constraints.
Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #501985 in Books
Published on: 2004-02-25
Number of items: 1
Binding: Paperback
192 pages
Editorial Reviews

Book Info
Text helps readers build the critical thinking and problem solving skills needed at school, at work, and at home. Shows how to maximize your time using the 20 easy steps for effective critical thinking and problem solving. Softcover. DLC: Critical thinking--Handbooks, manuals, etc.

About the Author
Lauren Starkey is a writer and editor with over ten years of experience in educational and reference works. She is also the author of Goof-Proof Business Writing and Goof-Proof College Admissions Essays.

It's All in Your Head: Thinking Your Way to Happiness by Stephen M. Pollan

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Here are the simple truths that motivate people of any age to find and accept lasting happiness, illustrated with the stories of real people, and illuminated with the observations of spiritual leaders and great philosophers.

For more than three decades, attorney, financial consultant, and life coach Stephen M. Pollan has been advising clients and readers on the business of living—everything from home buying and employment contracts to marriage and parenting. He has taught his clients and readers to Die Broke (use assets rather than build up an estate), to stage Second Acts (reinvent their lives), and, most recently, to Fire Your Boss (take charge of their own work lives).

Throughout these books, Pollan stresses that attitudes as well as actions are essential to success. Indeed, over the years he realized that the happiest and most successful people he'd met were also those who were the most energetic and exuberant, regardless of their age. By noting these attributes and incorporating them in his own life, Pollan came to understand that our attitudes are not just one element of succeeding at the business of living, they are in fact the foundation of leading a happy life.

Attitude is everything.

Those attitudes most essential to our deepest satisfaction and happiness reflect what our spiritual leaders and philosophers from every major tradition have taught us. We don't have to look to external forces to validate us and give us self-worth. We already have within us all we need to find fulfillment and lead happy, satisfying lives—lives without regrets.

To finally be happy we need to accept responsibility for our own happiness. When we know the secrets are already inside us, all we have to do is start living them. With this book, we can begin now.
Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #334552 in Books
Published on: 2007-01-01
Released on: 2006-12-26
Number of items: 1
Binding: Paperback
240 pages
Editorial Reviews

David Niven, Ph.D., author of "The 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People"
"With humor, humanity, and wisdom, puts the search for happiness firmly in place--within us."

Robert DePuy, President, Major League Baseball
"The Eight Essential Secrets are eight giant steps to personal peace and self-esteem."

Christina Norman, President, MTV Networks Christina Norman, President, MTV Networks
"This is an approach to life that anyone can follow and I know will work. You can be happy."
Customer Reviews

Attitude is Everything
Looking for a magic bullet to make you happy? Of course, you know there's no such thing. In the end, happiness all comes down to the choices you make each day.

And you can CHOOSE to be happy. You're thinking, "Yeah, sure, just CHOOSE happiness. I've tried that and it's never worked for me!" Try again, but this time, use the guidelines in this book.

There are 8 guidelines (or "secrets") offered by the author. To me, two of them were the most important, and probably all you need. They are:

--Don't try to be anyone but yourself.
--NOW is the time to be happy (not "when I have no debt", "when I lose weight", etc.)

If you follow these and the other guidelines, you'll come away from reading ready to live a life without regrets, one that is focused on the beauty of each moment in your life.

so not convincing
The title of this book made it sound really promising. But I didn't think the book was convicing - just a lot of platitudes. The only good nuggets of info:
Don't compare yourself to others. You are just where you are supposed to be. Don't waste time envying people whom you would not want to be. It gets better. The passage of time enhances your life.



from a sceptics point of view
This book is really great. At first, I put off reading it because of the title and the bright blue and yellow cover. I'd read other similar titles and didn't feel like I got much out of them, or they presented lengthy exercises and didn't offer much real-life advice. I just thought it might be too much psycho bable for me, but I was soon presently suprised when I actually began reading Stephen Pollan's book.
This book is really amazing. It offers information anyone can understand and adapt in their daily life. Yeah, there is no ONE thing to make your life 100% better in one split second, but did you really think any similar books or this book would offer some magical tip to instantly make your life better?? If they did, it certainly would be short-lived. Instead, this book offers real life tips, amazing quotes, and actual representations of how you can put these thoughts and activities into action.
The quotes throughout the pages are probably worth the price of the book itself. I love all of them, and am planning to go back through and select a couple for other uses.
This book is really great though. I've read several other titles, and none were so straight forward, easy to understand, and easily applied as the techniques and ideas in this book. I think many people would be able to benefit this book whether you are unhappy in your life or if you've just hit a snag working towards the goals in your life. This book will inspire you, put you back on track, and show you how to find the happiness that was already inside of you to begin with. Definitely a good read! It's also really up-tp-date with information as of 2006.

Right and Wrong Thinking and Their Results by Aaron Martin Crane

Product Description

1905. The undreamed of possibilities which man may achieve through his own mental control. Much of this book is devoted to external matters which man can detach from himself and throw away. By shaking out of his mind every cumbersome thought of discord and error he may disclose to view the real man in all the perfection which his Creator bestowed upon him, and thus rise to that divine height of purity and perfection which has previously been deemed inaccessible.
Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #2509645 in Books
Published on: 2003-05
Number of items: 1
Binding: Paperback
372 pages