Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ What makes memories last - dynamic ensembles or static synapses?

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

This article raises a fascinating question and while the eight experts asked for responses generally say 'both' it really feels like it ought to be one or the other. The gist of the question: are memories formed by static and stable connections between specific eurons (aka 'engrams') or are they stable 'patterns of connectivity' that may 'drift' from one set of neurons to another over time? "Teasing out how different subfields conceptualize central terms might help move this long-standing debate forward," writes Jason Shepherd. "What is information,' and how is it 'represented' in the brain? What is an engram?" From where I sit these concepts may well prove to be very problematic, as they require a third-person perspective that's just not available inside a working synaptic network.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
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Last Updated: Nov 21, 2024 07:17 a.m.

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