Human Brain vs Computer - Essay Example

Human Brain Verses Computer Psychologist and other scientists have compared the brain to different inventions all through the history. As computers became more widespread in the 1950s and 1960s, scientists began to highlight the similarities between brains and computers. For instance, the brain has been said to be like a water clock and a telephone switchboard in earlier days. Today, the brain is compared to a computer. This metaphor is used by some people to say that the computer is better than the brain whereas others say that the brain is better than the computer. Indeed both brain and computer have its own benefits and limitations. Possibly, it can be said that the brain is better at doing some specific jobs and the computer is good at doing other jobs. This paper is intended to analyze the benefits and limitations of the metaphor "the brain is often compared to a computer" which is commonly used by many. Before getting into the details it is important to understand why such a comparison was made. Theoretically the brain is a machine just as the heart and kidney. It can be said that the brain is a computer (processor) with neural connections, programmed responses, and a data bank. It has sensors in the body that input information into the computer. It has an output to devices that perform actions, and the brain communicates with these devices through electrical and chemical channels. The comparison of the brain and the computer is a metaphor. In general metaphors are just used to help us better understand things. Or in other words metaphors are used to convey the idea that one thing is similar to another thing. They are useful for helping us understand things, such as mind/body interaction. Metaphors do not mean that both the things compared are one and the same neither is one thing is a substitute for the other. Since several processes in the brain are similar to the computer, it is commonly compared with each other. For instance, both brain and computers use electrical signals to transmit information. Both have a memory which tends to grow over time. With proper instructions given, both brain and computers can learn. Both work based on the energy present. Brain and computers are able to think logically and do math. There are also differences between brain and the computers. For instance, brain uses chemicals such as calcium and sodium to transmit information where as the computer uses electricity. Electrical signals generated in the brain travels much slower when compared to computers. A computer uses switches that are either on or off and works on the binary system, where as the brains do not have such a system. Memory of the brain generally grows by stronger synaptic connections but in a computer it is only possible by adding additional memory chips. The brain needs essential nutrients such as oxygen and sugar for working where as the computer only require electricity or a battery to keep working (faculty.washington.edu, N.D.). Though till date the technology had not grown to replace the brain with a computer, there have been several advantages with the development of this technology. For instance, today it is possible to use computer inputs as substitutes for other sensory inputs, and for outputs to limbs or devices to create movement of neurologically damaged limbs, control the environment by sensing the brain's electrical impulses, and even create limited forms of sight. Besides, great steps are being made in bionics, including artificial hearts that work for longer periods. In recent years study is under progress for replacements for muscle made from specialized ceramic or polymer materials that contract like muscles, which can be triggered by a computer. With this trend of advancement in technology, perhaps one day we could also replace computers with brain (Cole, 2003). A person can do many things which a computer cannot even attempt to do it. A brain beyond doubt has one thing that a computer doesn't and this is a major difference. A brain communicates with itself and the body through neuro-chemicals and the computer can only use electricity. The neuro-chemicals communicate, and occasionally control the emotional feelings and we cannot think of a computer getting emotional. A human being can love and he can also react emotionally to various experiences, either by outside stimuli, or by internal reflection. Emotion reflects a perception of value. Without external stimuli, a person can review experience and ideas, and then change a volitional direction and action. While a person can learn through metaphors, experiences and can put together experience and knowledge, and perform their actions whereas a computer cannot do it. In other words a human is capable of evaluating the consequences of a social action, and change behaviours. A person has the skill to calculate value from various viewpoints. Emotion in a person is an sign of significance, worth, related to "feelings" such as happiness, sadness, love, desire, esteem, faithfulness, anger, empathy, admiration of others, guilt, respect by others, hate, perception of power, choice, fear of death or not having lived, the desire to contribute to others' efforts or to others' well-being, belonging, feeling loved, feeling accepted, and feeling purpose. A person can seek and deal with ideas and experience, choose ideas and experience, observe them, evaluate them, and make new choices (Cole, 2003). In spite of all the studies done in cognitive psychology, very little is known about how the human brain works, how information is categorized and retrieved. It is only possible by understanding the human brain that we can have a better picture of how certain facts happen. Besides, with such an understanding it might be also possible for us to apply it to computer memory. Today the researches made in cognitive psychology include interpretation and insight that makes significant advances towards understanding the development and the function of the human memory (scism.sbu.ac.uk, N.D.). Today, scientist have developed robot that can drive cars, electronic eyes that do lifeguard duty in swimming pools and many other works that only humans used to do in the past is replaced by computers. These are some benefits of the technological development which is also known as artificial intelligence. The progresses can also be seen in the appearance of new assignments intended to create more determined machines that can improve safety and security, entertain and inform, or just handle everyday tasks. In the recent years few researchers are beginning to apply the term cognitive computing, to differentiate their research from an earlier generation of artificial intelligence work. The advancement of knowledge gave these researchers the power in these fields with the wealth of new biological data on how the human brain functions (AAAI, 2007). It is no doubt as most of us think that computers are many times faster, more powerful, precise and more capable when compared to human brains just because they can perform calculations thousands of time faster, workout logical computations without any mistakes and store large amount of memory at unbelievable speeds with perfect precision. But still the question stays if the computers really are superior to the human brain in terms of ability, processing power and adaptability In fact the one answer we can say is unless human brains worked behind the computers it cannot perform any of the tasks mentioned earlier. Therefore we can say that it is not possible for computers to supersede human brain. Since the human brain receives a large amount of information from all the senses at a constant rate, it is only normal that it would have a tendency to learn and adapt very fast about its environment and surroundings. Actually, with just a glance of any of the senses at the surroundings would provide the brain with enough information about the environment to allow the brain to react instantly with a response. Most of us believe that it may seem likely that the human brain is good at non assisted learning and acquiring of new skills when compared to a computer. This is just because the human brain is able to learn by trail and error method, make conclusions from earlier life experience and generate new method to deal with various situations. On the other hand, when learning a new skill or quitting old habit, the human brain requires time to adapt to the new behaviours. Repeated behaviour develops habit in human beings and even quitting of habits requires adapting to, because the habits are now part of the brain's sub consciousness and the brain performs it even without instruction from the consciousness levels. Today, researchers perceive the human brain to be a powerful organic computer and they have started to explain mental processes in the same way that computer scientists were describing artificial intelligence. Today a special name is attributed to this field and is called 'cognitive psychology'. Besides, some psychobiological extremists also akin to describe the human brain as an organic computer where in they are comparing functionally specific mental organs to individual circuits. In fact this is a bad analogy, because in the development of the electronic computer, dedicated circuits have given way to a single processor which performs comparatively few functions. Processors only need to be able to store and get back information, and compare and combine information. With these few functions, they can be programmed to do almost anything. As far as computer analogies are concerned, reputable cognitive psychologists opine that the human brain operates particularly like a parallel computer, which is constantly trying to understand the circumstances by comparing the current perceptions to memories of similar or related experiences in the past. In conclusion, it can be said that the metaphor "the brain is often compared to a computer" is only partially true. Though computers are very good at getting various problems solved, it cannot do it without a human brain working behind and feeding the right information. References Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), (2007) Neuroscience & Cognitive Computing, Retrieved on 28 October 2007 from http://www.aaai.org Cole, D.S. (2003) The Human Condition, Computer VS Human, Retrieved on 28 October 2007 from http://www.visualwriter.com/HumanCond/AI.htm faculty.washington.edu, (N.D.) The Brain vs. The Computer: Similarities and Differences, Retrieved on 28 October 2007 from http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/bvc.html scism.sbu.ac.uk, (N.D.) What can cognitive psychology tell us to allow us to develop new kinds of computer memory Retrieved on 28 October 2007 from http://www.scism.sbu.ac.uk Read More