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Article 7479 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: tlund@news.weeg.uiowa.edu (Thomas Lund)
Subject: Re: Simulated Brain
Message-ID: <1992Nov1.213451.23994@news.weeg.uiowa.edu>
Organization: University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
References: <746@ckgp.UUCP> <1992Oct31.014546.27526@hilbert.cyprs.rain.com>
Date: Sun, 1 Nov 1992 21:34:51 GMT
Lines: 41

max@hilbert.cyprs.rain.com (Max Webb) writes:

>Sever the corpus callosum, and the mind can split into independent
>fragments. 2 awarenesses - which one gets the mind-pearl? How is it that the
>other half can be aware without having a mind-pearl?

>	Max G. Webb

	An excellent suggestion for a discussion topic.  Granted, there is
no way of knowing what has happened to the "mind"; whether it has turned into
a hurricane or two is unobservable.  However, there are some behaviors that
split brained patients exhibit that need to be considered by AI theorists.

	First of all, it is important to know that the right cerebral
hemisphere in most people is basically incapable of producing or understanding
language.  There is overwhelming evidence of this in most right-handed people.
Furthermore, it is possible to present pictures and words to only one of the
hemispheres of split brained patients using a tachistiscope.
	Now, say we present some sort of image to the right brain (via the left
visual hemisphere) ONLY.  Later, we allow the subject to choose the image from
a set of several.  The subject will be unable to SAY which one it was or to 
point to it with their right hane (left brain).  However, their LEFT hand 
(right brain) will point at the proper image.  The subject does not say that
they have seen it before.  Actually, they often will appear to FABRICATE some
explanation such as "that picture reminds me of the house I used to live in
as a child".  Furthermore, they appear to actually believe their explanation.

	Another phenomenon.  When a split brained person is instructed to
do a spatial-oriented task such as tangrams or other shape/pattern matching
games, they can do it much more effectively using ONLY left hand (right brain)
The right hand (left brain) is very ineffective, and OFTEN, if the person is
trying to solve the problem with just the right hand, the left hand will 
try to take over.  THE TWO HANDS ACTUALLY INTERFERE WITH EACH OTHER'S WORK.

	Anyway, I'm not going to discuss philosophy myself.  Just thought I'd
expand on an interesting point.

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