On 5/30/06, Ben Goertzel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Thats true (based on readings from the web). It seems that the storage starts right at sensors (the standard five). The time for which the data is stored and its quantity varies greatly and also each sense has its own peculiar way of storing the information. Such as, the aural data is stored in loops having transmission delays or the visual data can be stored in chemical form for split seconds.
Possibly there are many kinds of memories depending on the kind of data, what one does with it and for how long it needs to be stored. These are mediated by centralized structures, to make sense out of them.
There is possibly a temporary medium term memory, which is all purpose, that stores experiences/information for 12 to 24 hours roughly. During sleep this data is pruned and zipped into LTM. Interesting thing is - brain not only backs up every night, it also batch processes the daily data and forms associations with older memories. Starting from associating with newest ( yesterdays or last months, say) during the early night to oldest childhood memories in the morning hours. So much donkey work every night, just to maintain what you call 'continuity of ego'.
On the subject of declarative memories vs procedural ones, I've come across accounts of patients who lost their declarative memory totally (the common amnesia), but retained procedural memory. For example, the patient was able to drive or dine with forks and knives etc but forgot everything that was said just after a few minutes. He could learn new skills, but forgot that he ever learnt them, but retaining those skills nicely.
Sanjay
Shane,
I'm not a neuroscientist either, but I do know there is definitely
plenty of evidence about localization of specific types of memory in
the brain:
Thats true (based on readings from the web). It seems that the storage starts right at sensors (the standard five). The time for which the data is stored and its quantity varies greatly and also each sense has its own peculiar way of storing the information. Such as, the aural data is stored in loops having transmission delays or the visual data can be stored in chemical form for split seconds.
Possibly there are many kinds of memories depending on the kind of data, what one does with it and for how long it needs to be stored. These are mediated by centralized structures, to make sense out of them.
There is possibly a temporary medium term memory, which is all purpose, that stores experiences/information for 12 to 24 hours roughly. During sleep this data is pruned and zipped into LTM. Interesting thing is - brain not only backs up every night, it also batch processes the daily data and forms associations with older memories. Starting from associating with newest ( yesterdays or last months, say) during the early night to oldest childhood memories in the morning hours. So much donkey work every night, just to maintain what you call 'continuity of ego'.
On the subject of declarative memories vs procedural ones, I've come across accounts of patients who lost their declarative memory totally (the common amnesia), but retained procedural memory. For example, the patient was able to drive or dine with forks and knives etc but forgot everything that was said just after a few minutes. He could learn new skills, but forgot that he ever learnt them, but retaining those skills nicely.
Sanjay
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