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From: whipp@roborough.gpsemi.com (David Whipp)
Subject: Re: Thought Question
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Organization: GEC Plessey Semiconductors
References: <3eh97p$8oh@agate.berkeley.edu> <sa209.104@utb.shv.hb.se> <1995Jan12.022935.26572@Princeton.EDU> <3fmba3$nmf@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu> <3fmn70$cpa@pentagon.io.com> <3fnjie$449@lyra.csx.cam.ac.uk>
Date: Mon, 23 Jan 1995 17:11:08 GMT
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Xref: glinda.oz.cs.cmu.edu comp.ai.alife:1927 comp.ai.philosophy:24892 comp.ai:26723

In article <3fnjie$449@lyra.csx.cam.ac.uk>, mtbc100@cus.cam.ac.uk (Mark Carroll) writes:
|> In article <3fmn70$cpa@pentagon.io.com>, larrys@pentagon.io.com (Larry Smith) writes:
|> (snip)
|> |> Neurons have been simulated by a computer, which _is_ a Turing machine.
|> (snip)
|> 
|> Neurons are still *very* crudely modelled; we're still learning how the
|> biological ones deal with stimuli, and our current models are highly
|> simplified versions of the real thing.

There's no need to look to nature for machines that we can't simulate.
It is possible to make an electronic circuit that cannot be simulated by a
computer (the reason it can't be simulated is mainly one of observability
- no two physical components are identical). Engineersr usually design
circuits so that they will not be affected by these problems; however,
ciruits which are evolved have no reason to comply with such limitations
(though I suspect that if different physical components were used for each
generation then more robust solutions would be produced).

for a paper that discusses this, follow the link from:

http://www.cogs.susx.ac.uk/users/adrianth

-- 
                    David P. Whipp.            <whipp@roborough.gpsemi.com>
Not speaking for:   -------------------------------------------------------
 G.E.C. Plessey     Due to transcription and transmission errors, the views
 Semiconductors     expressed here may not reflect even  my  own  opinions!
