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How the Brain Works

Scientists at Princeton University have announced a rather stunning discovery: Contrary to conventional wisdom, the brain may be making new neurons all the time. If so, the reigning theory of how memories are stored could be up for revision. What do you think of this development?

rshowalter - 05:10pm Jan 21, 2001 EST (#2203 of 2204)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

In rshowalter 1/9/01 8:06am I said that I owed people, especially people at the NYT, and readers of these forums, explanations and apologies. I spent some days of uninterrupted time, trying to figure out how to adequately apologize and thank people on these forums, and at THE NEW YORK TIMES for the kindness and forbearance that they've shown me.

I’m finding that my situation is humanly complicated enough so that, if I am to avoid injustice to myself and others, I have to move very carefully, and in some cases, wait for events, and hope for grace, and the chance to be graceful.

Right now, things I’ve been working for, and putting people to trouble for, seem to be working out near-perfectly. Right now, paradigm conflict impasse and all, it looks like pieces are coming together for a resolution that, if well documented, would stand as a fine exemplary case, for how paradigm conflict impasses can be gracefully, efficiently, and expeditiously solved. It isn’t that the right answer has been determined, though after many trained hours the Showalter-Kline work is still being considered. But right or wrong, the solution will be determined. In a way that fits necessary academic usages. It may be dangerous to write at times where there is too much hope, with things unsettled. Doubtless it is. I wish my old friend and partner, Professor Steve Kline, of Stanford were alive now, he’d be astonished and pleased at how well things have gone recently. http://www.wisc.edu/rshowalt/klinerec . Steve and I have gotten much more than we ever hoped for from these forums, and people of the TIMES.

I’ve been in an enormously conflicted situtaion in human terms, and so have people involved with me – many of whom have helped me well above and beyond the call of duty, and shown stunning good faith, and endurance. I’ve had difficulties, most partly of my own making. I’ ve spent some days thinking about how my actions and impositions must have seemed to others, and trying to take responsibility, and do justice, in a sitution which can, and now does, look ugly to many. I’ve found it hard – many good people have good reasons to be displeased with me. Even so, I’m hopeful that some very good things are about to happen, that could not have possibly happened without the care, kindness, generosity, brilliance, industry, and forebearance of these forums, and THE NEW YORK TIMES, an institution I’ve been imposing on, simply because I thought, and Steve Kline thought, that the TIMES was the only place where we could get help we needed, on a job we felt morally compelled to do.

Right or wrong, I believe that some extremely good things are going to happen, and want to see that they do happen. Whether I’m right or wrong, I believe that they can be and will be resolved in a redemptive and detonative way. Redemptive in this technical sense: I believe these matters will resolve in a way that is constructive and fair to all concerned, with no need for hiding or evading what actually happened, and with lessons clear. Detonative in this sense – I believe that the facts and ideas established will propagate through the culture quickly and cleanly, instead of fizzling or being contained in counterproductive ways. Here are good things that I expect to be shown, or clearly disproved.

A mistake or oversight, more than three centuries old, will be shown so that it can be corrected in applied math, engineering, and scientific applications, starting from about 1690. I believe that the strengthened modeling procdures that will result, and the corrected math to be expected. will produce new opportunities widely in sciences and applications.

rshowalter - 05:11pm Jan 21, 2001 EST (#2204 of 2204)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Some basic ideas about memory and information processing in the brain, reviewed in these forums, especially since December 20th 2000, will be given a serious hearing. If they prove to be facts, a major step in “breaking the code of the brain” will have been taken. Advances in neural medicine and cardiac medicine are expected.

A very completely documented example of a paradigm conflict impasse will be shown, and enough new understanding of these impasses will be provided so that such impasses can be much more efficiently resolved in the future. In my view, this may be the most important contribution of all. Major conceptual impasses are rare, but when they occur, new departures are possible. I believe that if arrangements are made so that these conflicts can be well resolved the net rate of scientific progress will greatly increase, at litle cost. Perhaps as much as double. If this were done, the sciences would also be more comfortable places for people to work.

If I’m wrong about these things, I may be reduced to a grease spot – and I’ll deserve to be. I don’t expect that to happen.

Are the good things in the bullets above worth the costs incurred in getting them? Viewed from Olympus, the answer is yes. But in human terms, the question isn’t so easy. What about the people who are actually involved? What if getting to the good outcomes asks people to do things that they cannot do? Or asks people to do things that violate their accepted moral standards and priorities? Or involves large injustices to real people, with real feelings and quite practical amounts of veto power? What if the good result requires a person, with obvious limitations and flaws, to violate accepted decencies and take unto himself powers that are socially forbidden? What if getting to the good requires wholesale violation of rules and patterns by which people order and must order their lives? What if some of the means to the good ends have been very awkward and ugly? In the case I’ve been involved with, all these questions apply. And it is my fault, in many cases, that thy do apply.

I’m trying to make my points, while avoiding these injustices. Just now, it looks like that can be done. I’ll be very lucky, luckier than I deserve to be, if that turns out to be possible.

One thing is clear. The presence of these forums, and people involved with them, has been an enormous help to me, and if I’m right, and due credit, a very great deal of it ought to be shared with THE NEW YORK TIMES, and especially the people involved in these forums who have devoted time to me.

I’m hoping to bring things to fruition, so that I can thank people, and apologize, more convincingly, and in more detail.

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