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  1. Xref: sparky sci.cognitive:704 sci.philosophy.tech:4188 sci.lang:8110
  2. Path: sparky!uunet!olivea!charnel!rat!usc!venice!gumby.dsd.trw.com!trwacs.fp.trw.com!trwacs!erwin
  3. From: erwin@trwacs.fp.trw.com (Harry Erwin)
  4. Newsgroups: sci.cognitive,sci.philosophy.tech,sci.lang
  5. Subject: Re: Theories of meaning not relying solely on sym
  6. Message-ID: <erwin.722217539@trwacs>
  7. Date: 19 Nov 92 23:58:59 GMT
  8. References: <28179@castle.ed.ac.uk> <1992Nov15.172021.17474@husc3.harvard.edu> <1992Nov16.000040.19912@midway.uchicago.edu> <1992Nov16.120727.17500@husc3.harvard.edu>
  9. Organization: TRW Systems Division, Fairfax VA
  10. Lines: 12
  11.  
  12. Unfortunately, the brain doesn't operate that way. Two statements are
  13. considered equivalent if their processing generates the same activation in
  14. the cerebral cortex (or a subset thereof). Since cortical activation is an
  15. analog process, distributed over multiple layers, and reflecting nonlinear
  16. dynamics at all scales, from the synaptic switching in the dendritic arbor
  17. on up, defining equivalence becomes somewhat problematical.
  18.  
  19. Cheers,
  20.  
  21. -- 
  22. Harry Erwin
  23. Internet: erwin@trwacs.fp.trw.com
  24.