Status
Available
Call number
Collections
Publication
Owl (2005), Edition: 1st edition, Paperback, 272 pages
Description
The developer of the PalmPilot and creator of the Redwood Neuroscience Institute examines the real future of artificial intelligence, explaining why the way we build computers today won't result in intelligent machines. He shows, using accessible examples, that the brain's neocortex is a memory-driven system that uses our senses and our perception of time, space, and consciousness to construct a predictive model of the world in a way that's totally unlike even the most complex computer software.
User reviews
LibraryThing member DonSiano
eff Hawkins is the man who was the architect of the PalmPilot, the Treo, and invented Graffiti, an alphabet for inputing data to a computer with a stylus. But this book is about his other love, the deciphering of the code that makes the human brain work. There is nothing like a big, important
He also persuaded me that he has some important insights of that model that I found tantalizing, new and exciting. His central model concerns the role of the cortex in producing intelligence. He makes the case for a central dogma he calls "the memory-prediction framework." This idea says that the cortex is a machine for making predictions for temporal sensory patterns based on memories of past patterns. The prediction algorithm carried out in the cortex is the same for all of the senses of vision, touch, hearing, etc., which accounts for, among other things, the basic physiological uniformity of the cortex, and the plasticity of the brain in adapting to such problems as blindness or deafness.
He argues that since the "clock" of the brain operates at a tick-rate on the order of 5 milli-seconds, and most of the functions of the brain (e. g. recognizing that a picture of a cat shows a cat) are carried out in less than 100 ticks. From the time that light enters the eye, to the time it takes to signify recognition takes less than a second. A computer would take billions of instruction steps, and even the fastest parallel computer available would not do it in less than millions of steps. So the brain doesn't really "compute" the answer, it retrieves it from memory, which requires far fewer steps than the computation. Sounds good to me.
His explication of the memory-prediction framework is clear and accessible even to the uninitiated like me, though I found some of it in the middle pretty heavy going. But this is something like reading Watson and Crick's paper on the structure of DNA. The part about turning the diffraction diagram and other insights into a workable model was a little above my head, but I could still see the importance of the answer, and how it addressed the problem of replication and how it gave clues as to how to "read the genes." I can only grasp part of what Hawkins has done, and I can see that there is still a long way to go. But I can still jump up and down about it!
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puzzle to get the blood working, and mine was powerfully pulled along . With the human genome project's sequencing of human DNA nearly completed, understanding the brain has got to be the most important scientific undertaking one can think of. Hawkins easily persuades us that there is a burning need for a "top down" model for the brain that can play a role something analogous to the Central Dogma of molecular biology, which guides and organizes research, prioritizing the myriad of possible tasks into something like that required for the logistics of a conquering army's march through an alien land. He also persuaded me that he has some important insights of that model that I found tantalizing, new and exciting. His central model concerns the role of the cortex in producing intelligence. He makes the case for a central dogma he calls "the memory-prediction framework." This idea says that the cortex is a machine for making predictions for temporal sensory patterns based on memories of past patterns. The prediction algorithm carried out in the cortex is the same for all of the senses of vision, touch, hearing, etc., which accounts for, among other things, the basic physiological uniformity of the cortex, and the plasticity of the brain in adapting to such problems as blindness or deafness.
He argues that since the "clock" of the brain operates at a tick-rate on the order of 5 milli-seconds, and most of the functions of the brain (e. g. recognizing that a picture of a cat shows a cat) are carried out in less than 100 ticks. From the time that light enters the eye, to the time it takes to signify recognition takes less than a second. A computer would take billions of instruction steps, and even the fastest parallel computer available would not do it in less than millions of steps. So the brain doesn't really "compute" the answer, it retrieves it from memory, which requires far fewer steps than the computation. Sounds good to me.
His explication of the memory-prediction framework is clear and accessible even to the uninitiated like me, though I found some of it in the middle pretty heavy going. But this is something like reading Watson and Crick's paper on the structure of DNA. The part about turning the diffraction diagram and other insights into a workable model was a little above my head, but I could still see the importance of the answer, and how it addressed the problem of replication and how it gave clues as to how to "read the genes." I can only grasp part of what Hawkins has done, and I can see that there is still a long way to go. But I can still jump up and down about it!
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LibraryThing member gregfromgilbert
Fairly easy read but still contains some deep ideas about the mind. He argues that the mind is not, as popularly believed, a giant computer, but rather a huge memory system. Specifically an “auto-associative” memory that is able to retrieve complete memories based on only partial memories given
Here is a quote to give you a feeling for the writing:
"I realized that if someone had invented the concept of a computer with a graphical user interface and a spreadsheet application, and presented it to me on paper, I would have rejected it as impractical. I would have said it would take forever to do anything. It was a humbling thought because it did work. It was then that I realized my intuitive sense for the speed of the microprocessor and my intuitive sense for the power of hierarchical design were inadequate. There is a lesson here about the neocortex. It isn't made of superfast components and the rules under which it operates are not that complex. However, it does have a hierarchical structure that contains billions of neurons and trillions of synapses. If we find it hard to imagine how such a logically simple but numerically vast memory system can create our consciousness, our languages, our cultures, our art, this book, and our science and technology, I suggest it is because our intuitive sense of the capacity of the cortex and the power of its hierarchical structure is inadequate. The neocortex does work. It isn't magic. We can understand it. And like a computer, ultimately we can build intelligent machines that work on the same principles". (pg. 175)
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as input, much like we can recall entire songs given only the first few notes. This in itself is not a new idea, but the way the author ties it all together is new. He avoids too much detail and neuroscience jargon so it is very accessible to the general science reader. Chapter 6 on how the cortex works is the most difficult section and occupies about a quarter of the book. By difficult I mean it will take some concentration and a fairly close reading in order to not get lost. The authors do a splendid job explaining a complicated topic and I found the book a very enjoyable read.Here is a quote to give you a feeling for the writing:
"I realized that if someone had invented the concept of a computer with a graphical user interface and a spreadsheet application, and presented it to me on paper, I would have rejected it as impractical. I would have said it would take forever to do anything. It was a humbling thought because it did work. It was then that I realized my intuitive sense for the speed of the microprocessor and my intuitive sense for the power of hierarchical design were inadequate. There is a lesson here about the neocortex. It isn't made of superfast components and the rules under which it operates are not that complex. However, it does have a hierarchical structure that contains billions of neurons and trillions of synapses. If we find it hard to imagine how such a logically simple but numerically vast memory system can create our consciousness, our languages, our cultures, our art, this book, and our science and technology, I suggest it is because our intuitive sense of the capacity of the cortex and the power of its hierarchical structure is inadequate. The neocortex does work. It isn't magic. We can understand it. And like a computer, ultimately we can build intelligent machines that work on the same principles". (pg. 175)
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LibraryThing member tgraettinger
I liked the fairly straightforward description and explanation of the premise - that intelligence comes from a memory-prediction architecture that is hierarchical. However, in trying to speak to a general, mainstream audience, I think the author may have aimed too low . It seemed to me that a lot
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of the examples were overly simple and tiresome, in some cases. At times, it also felt like it was more of a common-sense persuasive argument than hard-core science. All in all, though, it was a quick read, and it motivated me to look for more detailed accounts elsewhere. Show Less
LibraryThing member rnarvaez
Jeff Hawkins, the high-tech success story behind PalmPilots and the Redwood Neuroscience Institute, does a lot of thinking about thinking. In On Intelligence Hawkins juxtaposes his two loves--computers and brains--to examine the real future of artificial intelligence. In doing so, he unites two
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fields of study that have been moving uneasily toward one another for at least two decades. Most people think that computers are getting smarter, and that maybe someday, they'll be as smart as we humans are. But Hawkins explains why the way we build computers today won't take us down that path. Show Less
LibraryThing member jimlloyd
I believe this book is a watershed achievement. Hawkins manages to convey in one highly readable book very credible answers to these questions:
1) What is intelligence anyway?
2) What is unique about the human brain that enables us to be highly intelligent?
3) Why has previous research into Artificial
4) Can we apply what we have learned from neuroscience to make truly intelligent machines?
5) Would such machines be able to be "creative" in the same way we are?
The book will be most appealing to people who are interested in Cognitive Science, but I expect that many people who want a greater understanding the human mind will also benefit greatly from the book.
1) What is intelligence anyway?
2) What is unique about the human brain that enables us to be highly intelligent?
3) Why has previous research into Artificial
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Intelligence yielded only minor successes?4) Can we apply what we have learned from neuroscience to make truly intelligent machines?
5) Would such machines be able to be "creative" in the same way we are?
The book will be most appealing to people who are interested in Cognitive Science, but I expect that many people who want a greater understanding the human mind will also benefit greatly from the book.
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LibraryThing member colinsky
This is a clever book written by the founder of Palm Computing, who also happens to have postgraduate training in neuroscience and who funds a nice neuroscience institute in the US that is dedicated to understanding neocortex and instantiating it in silicon. It's co-written by a very good NYT
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science writer, so you know it's going to be very readable. He tries to take a few fairly simple general principles of the organization of neocortex and to parlay them into a general theory of how this part of the brain produces intelligence. Much of what he says is not as 'revolutionary' as you might believe if you're an outsider to the field, but it is still a book that tells a nice story, and even the specialist will enjoy it and be inspired by it. Show Less
LibraryThing member KevinCK
Hawkin's book is very interesting, especially for those interested in figuring out what the mind does when it thinks, and why it seems that the computational model of intelligences falls a bit short.
Hawkins's idea is this: intelligence cannot be reduced to computing (as that discounts novel ideas
As a teacher, I think that Hawkins makes a lot of sense, as his definition jibes with what we test on intelligence tests. We test factual retention (which is the first part of Hawkins theory), the ability to recognize patterns (the ability to recall relevent facts at appropriate times), and the ability to complete patterns (predict using relevant data).
Hawkins also talks a lot about how this faculty resides in the very thin neocortex which, coincidentally, we have much more of than other mammals. He does a good job at describing how the neocortex works and, while it is necessarily wattered down, is quite thorough nonetheless.
For those interested in figuring out what intelligence may consist of, and who are dissatisfied with current seemingly incomplete attempts, this is a very good book to read.
Hawkins's idea is this: intelligence cannot be reduced to computing (as that discounts novel ideas
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and creativity). It cannot be reduced, either, to intelligent behavior, as one can be intelligent without doing anything but thinking. Hawkins suspects that intelligence is much more about the ability to make predictions - to intake factual information, remember it, and use it in future instances to be able to predict situaitons. As a teacher, I think that Hawkins makes a lot of sense, as his definition jibes with what we test on intelligence tests. We test factual retention (which is the first part of Hawkins theory), the ability to recognize patterns (the ability to recall relevent facts at appropriate times), and the ability to complete patterns (predict using relevant data).
Hawkins also talks a lot about how this faculty resides in the very thin neocortex which, coincidentally, we have much more of than other mammals. He does a good job at describing how the neocortex works and, while it is necessarily wattered down, is quite thorough nonetheless.
For those interested in figuring out what intelligence may consist of, and who are dissatisfied with current seemingly incomplete attempts, this is a very good book to read.
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LibraryThing member motjebben
Not what I expected, but pleasantly so: I thought the book would describe "computing machines", but, instead, it proposes an overarching theory that states that prediction is the primary purpose of the cortex.
Theoretical evidence is given by Hawkins and seems to fit quite well with recent
Finally, he suggest how this theory may lead to "intelligent" machines that can be taught patterns and sequences and then allowed to discover new patterns and predictions. The sensory input from which to discover patterns and make predictions does NOT have to be limited to our 5 "human-senses", but can consist of additional or different senses, such as infrared detection, weather sensor data input, and so forth.
Hence, this book can be treasured for both the insights it provides for a model of how the real human brain works, and how this model may lead to new intelligent machines, even if proven to be not completely correct.
Theoretical evidence is given by Hawkins and seems to fit quite well with recent
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discoveries in neuroscience. In any case, he proposes ways to test his hypothesis and underlying support.Finally, he suggest how this theory may lead to "intelligent" machines that can be taught patterns and sequences and then allowed to discover new patterns and predictions. The sensory input from which to discover patterns and make predictions does NOT have to be limited to our 5 "human-senses", but can consist of additional or different senses, such as infrared detection, weather sensor data input, and so forth.
Hence, this book can be treasured for both the insights it provides for a model of how the real human brain works, and how this model may lead to new intelligent machines, even if proven to be not completely correct.
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LibraryThing member jefware
Started off with a great over view of the neocortex. His functional analysis is intriguing but ultimately I believe that his details are not in the best tradition of the science of neurology.
LibraryThing member DSeanW
Except for one excruciatingly difficult chapter on brain structure a great book, full of interesting ideas and an intriguing view of the future.
LibraryThing member MarkBeronte
Hawkins develops a powerful theory of how the human brain works, explaining why computers are not intelligent and how, based on this new theory, we can finally build intelligent machines.
The brain is not a computer, but a memory system that stores experiences in a way that reflects the true
In an engaging style that will captivate audiences from the merely curious to the professional scientist, Hawkins shows how a clear understanding of how the brain works will make it possible for us to build intelligent machines, in silicon, that will exceed our human ability in surprising ways.
The brain is not a computer, but a memory system that stores experiences in a way that reflects the true
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structure of the world, remembering sequences of events and their nested relationships and making predictions based on those memories. It is this memory-prediction system that forms the basis of intelligence, perception, creativity, and even consciousness.In an engaging style that will captivate audiences from the merely curious to the professional scientist, Hawkins shows how a clear understanding of how the brain works will make it possible for us to build intelligent machines, in silicon, that will exceed our human ability in surprising ways.
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LibraryThing member mhanlon
This book was like an uncle, the eccentric uncle who your parents don't like to hang out with, and with whom *you* don't like to hang out with, much, who will tell you how smart he is, how everyone else is so dumb, how super intelligent he is, how so very dumb everyone else is, and they're dumb
Or maybe, let's think of it another way, like it's a song, only the song only repeats itself over and over and over again. The notes are all the same set of three, and they are repeated endlessly. Occasionally different words are sung over the same three notes, but mostly they're the same, usually in the same order.
Imagine, because you're not as smart as the author, that the book is like a mighty river at the bottom of a valley that you hold in higher regard than a crummy little stream at the top of a mountain. Now just because, stupid, the river is actually *physically* lower than the stream it doesn't mean that your regard for it is necessarily lower.
"Can we trust that the world is as it seems? Yes. The world really does exist in an absolute form very close to how we perceive it." I'm just going to toss that out there, not going to back it up, but I said it, so there it is.
I think this book could have been interesting (and far, far shorter if he didn't feel the need to make three or four or five or more different comparisons to try and explain how we perceive things), but the author and I just didn't get on pretty early, and I found myself desperate to get to the end, just to get it over with. And I did. Thank goodness.
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because it's just so *obvious* they're dumb, but then you hear one thing he says and you think, "Hey, that might be an interesting thought..." but then you remember it's your crazy flipping uncle and he starts telling you the same story, but this time by naming all the synonyms he can name for 'discourse,' just a straight list of them, and not for nothing he knows *a lot* of synonyms for the word 'discourse.'Or maybe, let's think of it another way, like it's a song, only the song only repeats itself over and over and over again. The notes are all the same set of three, and they are repeated endlessly. Occasionally different words are sung over the same three notes, but mostly they're the same, usually in the same order.
Imagine, because you're not as smart as the author, that the book is like a mighty river at the bottom of a valley that you hold in higher regard than a crummy little stream at the top of a mountain. Now just because, stupid, the river is actually *physically* lower than the stream it doesn't mean that your regard for it is necessarily lower.
"Can we trust that the world is as it seems? Yes. The world really does exist in an absolute form very close to how we perceive it." I'm just going to toss that out there, not going to back it up, but I said it, so there it is.
I think this book could have been interesting (and far, far shorter if he didn't feel the need to make three or four or five or more different comparisons to try and explain how we perceive things), but the author and I just didn't get on pretty early, and I found myself desperate to get to the end, just to get it over with. And I did. Thank goodness.
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LibraryThing member BenLinders
This book gives you insights about how the brain works. It helped me to get a deeper understanding on subjects like creativity, managing information, and on taking decisions.
LibraryThing member 064
Very insightful and hard to believe this book was published more than 16 years ago in 2004. It brings a fresh perspective on the current debate about the dangers of AI and how likely we are to make machines that are super-intelligent. It does a great job of demystifying human intelligence and
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explaining why it has been so hard to replicate in computers. I suspect it will turn out to be quite prescient and one of the more important books on the subject. I was particularly impressed with the author's personal journey vis-a-vis his interest in brains and how he was willing to challenge conventional wisdom and the way the AI industry approached the problem. My only gripe is that after introducing the reader to the problem of invariant representation as one of the greatest scientific mysteries of our time, the author didn't dwell much on the nature of the problem, why it is so difficult and how over the coming years or decades it may be solved. Show Less
LibraryThing member MarkLacy
This book includes many detailed descriptions of the author's hypotheses on how the brain functions, with insufficient diagrams to make it easy to follow.
Language
Original publication date
2005
Physical description
272 p.; 8.1 inches
ISBN
0805078533 / 9780805078534
Local notes
The book starts with some background on why previous attempts at understanding intelligence and building intelligent machines have failed. The core idea of the theory, is the 'memory-prediction framework'. Details how the physical brain implements the memory-prediction model—in other words, how the brain actually works, discusses social and other implications of the theory, which for many readers might be the most thought-provoking section. The book ends with a discussion of intelligent machines—how we can build them and what the future will be like.