Simple Question

[AMD_Man]

There was a thread here before on AI, but now I have a question. Why is it that we, as beings with large brain capacities are able to recognize faces, and things but not do math nearly as fast a much simpler computer? We are able to form language and communicate. We are able to recognize text and understand abstract concepts. We are able to dream and imagine things and develop unique and original ideas. All of that must take up a lot of cognitive power. So why are we unable to perform math calculations instantaneously?

Intelligence is not merely the wealth of knowledge but the sum of perception, wisdom, and knowledge.

 

[Flinx]

Just Guessing,

Patterns (letters/faces) are abstractions and approximations. Numerical calculations are precise. You cannot forget a portion of it and still have the correct answer. Arrangement of stored information and retrieval mechanisms are complex and dependant on individual, both ability and learned.

Evolution - Those who recognize faces of friends/enemies survive. Log10(3.2) is not a survival characteristic / necessity. Cracking someone on the head with a club or running fast might be.


I believe, every once in a while, there is a person who can do these calculations almost instantaneously. I remember an article in a newspaper once about some woman in India who was a "lightning calculator".

There is this guy too:
<A HREF="http://home.moravian.edu/public/math/ClubsEvents/Conference/Archives/stcon02.htm" target="_new">http://home.moravian.edu/public/math/ClubsEvents/Conference/Archives/stcon02.htm</A>
Also these records might interest u
<A HREF="http://www.recordholders.org/en/list/memory.html" target="_new">http://www.recordholders.org/en/list/memory.html</A>

Perhaps you would like an implant?
<A HREF="http://users2.ev1.net/~redroach/ad2300/Equip1.htm" target="_new">http://users2.ev1.net/~redroach/ad2300/Equip1.htm</A>LOL

The loving are the daring!<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Flinx on 07/13/03 11:48 AM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[Flinx]

Darn,

Thought it would be nice to read someone elses thoughts!
*bump*

The loving are the daring!

 

[AMD_Man]

In 1980, Shakuntala Devi (India) was reported to have multiplied two 13-digit numbers in 28 sec.

And a personal computer can do the same calculation in a small fraction of a second but that same individual is able to recognize a complex visual pattern far faster and more accurately than any personal computer ever can.

Intelligence is not merely the wealth of knowledge but the sum of perception, wisdom, and knowledge.

 

[Flinx]

So we have two types of processors here:

1: Able to deal with numbers quickly
2: Able to deal with patterns and abstractions quickly
(at least relatively)

I believe most chess masters use are adept at pattern matching and then thinking ahead a few moves/patterns.

Chess programs use both exhaustive methods, pruning algorithms, and pattern recognition. Specially adpated machines and software are now able to sometimes beat humans in this ONE endeavor.

As you might observe and possible conclude that the two approaches start from different positions.

One from pattern/abstraction the other from detail.

Lets take another example. You walk into a pool hall. You face a wall. You here a clacking sound. You conclude two pool balls have collided (you might be wrong but it sounded ABOUT right).
How did u do this? Ok lets take a simple look: pool hall, pool balls, pool balls make noise colliding, so what if the material of the pool ball is somthing you've never encountered before). (Prefetched the pool hall experience, fired up the right neuron early; maybe if u visualized and maybe subconciously?)

How do we get a computer to analyze the equivalent?
Exhaustive search of sounds. No similar sound in Database?
Begin exhaustive analysis! Might take awhile and only as good as the person who wrote the program so it might take forever too. Likely conclusion: two objects of plastic like characterists collided? Darn the computer forgot to mention they were most likely round.

It's a long way before we get the computer to know that it's entering a pool hall and filtering out irrelevant (in terms of human perception) information.

Personally I like it much much better that way.

Let's hope that machines are not the next step in evolution.

The loving are the daring!

 

[Howard]

never thought of that

 

[flamethrower205]

And if we can transfer that precision to abstractions and fuzzy things, we can get very fast calculation.

All the things I really like to do are either illegal, immoral, or fattening.