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Article 3171 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: langston@memstvx1.memst.edu
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Thought as an evolutionary process.
Message-ID: <1992Jan27.021252.1118@memstvx1.memst.edu>
Date: 27 Jan 92 02:12:51 -0600
Organization: Memphis State University
Lines: 26

  As a student of cognitive science, I find myself thinking about thinking
quite a bit.  I came across a chapter one day (the reference, for now,
escapes me) that suggests that thought (read: ideas) may develop through
some form of evolutionary process.  Granted, this seems a bit weak as a
general explanation of a human's cognitive processes, but it strikes me
as a good basis for a theory of how any one 'concept' comes to exist.
   In fact, (I model, therefore I am :^)  ) some form of genetic
algorithm could be used to model this... the vector would contain symbolic
representations of various bits of information/concepts/ideas.
  Or, perhaps at the sub-symbolic level, it could be implemented as a
fully-interconnected neural net.  The difference here would be that it
would not be 'trained' in the normal sense; all output would be equally
valid and only judged according to the current needs of the supporting
system... a kind of 'idea generator', if you like.

  Just a few late-night thoughts from yet another starving student...

-- 

Mark C. Langston                                  "What concerns me is not the
Psychology Department                              way things are, but rather
Memphis State University                           the way people think things
LANGSTON@MEMSTVX1.MEMST.EDU                        are."     -Epictetus

     "...a brighter tomorrow?!?  How about a better TODAY?"  -me



