In chapter 163, Christopher states that "people's brains are like computers." What evidence does he use to support this idea? How does this notion connect to what we know about Christopher? Do you agree with him? Why or why not?
Christopher used the fact that people may create images in their mind that are not actually there to support the idea that people are like computers. This characteristic, Christopher argues, is found only in that of computers, therefore this makes computers our closest ally [ most like us]. Christopher has good reason to support this idea for he can only grasp what is in the present moment. Take for example, Christopher’s dislike of food touching. When you envision a food it is categorized as sweet, sour etc. However, if we were to mix such flavors one would not have a prior knowledge of what such a taste is like. This is what I presume to be the reason why Christopher dislikes foods touching. For he is working with an unknown which triggers a primal fear within himself. Christopher needs some comparison for humans so he turns toward what humans have created as an attempt to peer into our inner nature. I disagree with this notion. I believe that our humanity lies not with our emotions nor our DNA, but it is our consciousness which separates us from the rest of nature. We and we alone have full understanding of what we are doing, we are not blindly driven by our need for self preservation. We have evolved from the Darwinian notion “eat or be eaten”; instead we will choose to die with pride rather than resort to cannibalism. Our emotion itself is the result of instinct and environmental stimuli however, our ability to know why we are reacting in this way truly makes us unique. Our ability to produce the unreal is actually our understanding of our world, not because we are more related to machines.
Christopher bases his theory on research and fact. His research is on the show, How the Mind Works. It described to Christopher the mind and how it could be considered a complex machine. While I had typed this I looked at what I was typing, not what was written before to the left of the comment box. The words are not gone and are still the same. Our mind does not decrypt these symbols as it is of minor importance. This event is one of the facts Christopher described in support of that. I agree with this notion.
Another fact revolves around saccades. Christopher supports this as a computer could not read everything in a blink of an eye. A human mind makes it possible to even read or reason with a sentence.
For example: TACGATHEREDFOXTACAGT
The reader most likely would see the message inside that garble. This notion I also support. Our minds could easily decrypt the above message.
Christopher's idea of a homunculus or a conscience is different. It is about the CPU and that it can take many different routes without being told to. A real computer would have to follow directions. The computer also gives limited choices. When installing a game you would reach to options. They would be INSTALL or CANCEL. Still they could not be done if it was not told to. In fact it could over heat and break down. The brain would not break down but merely refresh every time it saccades. I don't agree with this. The brain can not be secluded to a section on where it shuts down for half a second. Most of our mind can think even while we are asleep. This is how we are different that computers. They most always be told or they would stop functioning.
Christopher also describes how the things they can not see scares people and he shows how computers do not feel emotions and are not curious. Our 15 year old detective had described both curiousity and an emotion as merely pictures that the conscience brings up implying to do the action it implies. This is why people can make their own choices, they see things differently making each mind unique on it's own.
This belief shows that Christopher understands why he loves logic. It can help him understand others. When he was having a session with Julie she had seen how he thought what he knew would be known to everyone else. Being taught that the minds of others are different, he could not make out what a mind was. Instead he believed that minds were separate computers that were connected through talking and actions. This shows how our detective believed in logic even. then.
To conclude, I agree with most of Christopher's theory that the brain is the world's most numerous supercomputer that can differ in many ways.
I think this says that Christopher thinks that people are advanced machines. their brains run on electricity and they think int terms of logic and numbers. while computers don't register emotion. people do. I think this is not something Christopher understands. he doesn't exhibit emotions and there for doesn't understand the differences. when he sees someone expressing emotion he begins to feel sick and lost. Christopher runs on facts so he thinks that mainly he functions like a computer and other machines. personally I think he is right. people are a bit like machines. we have all the basic machines as part of us (not including the inclined plane) and we run on electrical impulses. we can have glitches and circuit overloads (electrocution) all in all. I definitely see Christopher's logic
Christopher feels that people are like puzzles and computers. People have minds and computers have complicated machines but he says that those are the same thing. He says people and computers both have screens. A person is basically looking at a computer screen inside their head as is a computer.
Christopher saw an experiment on a TV show which proves that people are like computers. The experiment shows that people have to "turn off" for a short amount of time.
Christopher says people also do not think that they are computers because they think computers do not have feelings. He thinks that feelings are just picture screens showing you something happy or sad that has happened,may happen, or will happen.
We know that Christopher doesn't express his feelings the same way most people do. He does not really believe in feelings because they are not logical. Him saying feelings are just pictures on computer screens adds to the fact that he doesn't believe in feelings.
Christopher says that the human mind is like a computer in the sense that it is a complex machine that runs on cellular cooperation and electric pulses. Computers function through encryptions, electric circuits, and numerical codes. In terms of bioscience, he’s perfectly correct. Both the human and computer mind are networks of electricity, can comprehend and organize information through an individual series of certain signals of reaction, and can understand specific codes that are given at certain times. However, there is one major factor that the human mind has that the computer doesn’t have (yet). The human mind has the capacity for emotions and comprehension of different emotions. Christopher mentions that emotions in the human mind are simply images that appear during different scenes in life that are responded to, but do computers respond to images? The answer is no. The computer may have the capacity for comprehension of codes and commands, but it doesn’t have the human mind’s capability of interpretation. Another factor of this is that we humans are the ones that built computers; therefore, we understand computers. If we are able to do anything, we must be able to understand how to do it first. If one wants to become an Olympic swimmer, one must first know how to swim. If one wants to write a novel, one must first know how to read and write. If one wants to understand a Portuguese document, one must first learn Portuguese. If we humans are ever able to program the capabilities of the human mind into a computer we must first understand how the human mind works. The use of a computer right now is only as a tool. If we are to create a computer that functions like a human we must understand the functions of the human mind. As of today, we understand computers, but what we understand of our own minds is very little. This demonstrates the complexities of the human mind. In a profound way, I believe that Christopher is wrong. In this same way, the human mind is far more capable, and complex than the best computer.
Christopher thinks that people's brains are like computer's because brains are very complex and in a lot of ways are similar to computers. Christopher says that brains and computers have homunculus, and they can both replace images and create pictures while thinking. This idea and notion Christopher thought of and explained isn't surprising based on what we know about him. He tends to understand things by creating some sort of relevance of it with math. Christopher relies on math to be able to explain and figure out things about life that regular people can already understand. That is why he compared computers with people's brains. I can understand what Christopher is saying about how they relate and can agree with him for half of what he says. But at the same time in general i don't think computers are exactly like peoples brains and mind and ways people think. It relates and Christopher can see all the mathematical ways but computers don't exactly have feelings and imagination.
I thin that Christopher refers to humans as computers because they always are collecting and retrieving infprmation from all over the place. Computers also only do what you tell them to do, which makes it seem as if he thinks people all listen to the things they are told or always listen to instructions. It always happens that people have to make their own decisions and be independent. Christopher said that people can make images in their heads that don't exist. He says that only computers can do that so they are just like us. I don't agree with this statement. I think that some people cannot make pictures in their heads either because they have a disability, or because they can't block out one thing and focus on it. The inability to block out and focus on one thing is called sensory overload, which is highly associated with people who have aspergers syndrome, something that Christopher has. I also say that on computers there is and on/off switch. Take a person who talks alot. Can you turn their mouth off by pressing a button? I really wish I could but we are not yet as advanced as computer technology. -Brandon
Because Christopher can not feel feelings like most people do, he believes that the human mind is basically a very complicated machine. I think this connects to everything we know about Christopher; he doesn't understand emotions and he likes everything to be logical. If the brain was a very complicated machine it would not have emotions, it would not feel anything. If the brain was a machine it could always be fixed, everything it did could always be explained. I think Christopher's dad wishes Christopher would understand this. Christopher's dad wishes he would understand why he lied and killed Wellington. Christopher doesn't understand mistakes. Christopher does not comprehend how and why people make mistakes. The fact that he doesn't understand mistakes or emotions leads him to think that the brain is just a complicated machine. I do not agree with Christopher, i think the brain is much more complex then even the most complicated machine. No matter how advanced technology gets, a machine will never be able to have emotions.
some evidence that Christopher uses to back up his notion of how minds work like computers is best explained by saying that people like a computer can easily store valuable information. this valuable information can be easily referred back to in Christopher's mind but not in a regular person's mind. in the story it is clearly shown that it is hard for Christopher to clearly interpret other beings so him thinking that everyone's brain is like a computer is not accurate. o Tuesday we watched a video talking about a result of Asbergers syndrome, sensory overload, and i think this is what is occurring his sense of mind is becoming overloaded with the expectations of another according to himself.
Christopher's similie of saying that people's brains are like computers is supported by him talking about how it's almost like people are like machines. One of the pieces of evidence that Christopher uses is about how eyes are like windows and computer screens. He talks about how we have the ability to turn them on and off, and how they put images in our heads, much like computers. Another thing he mentions as a reason why people are like computers is that we can have images in our head without seeing the thing we are thinking about.
I feel like this connects to what we know about Christopher because the idea of being able to map out things, or break things down appeals to him. I think the ability to map out what humans are like, or make a comparison to things that he can easily handle like computers, comforts him. When talking about his dream of being an astronaut he talks about how he would have to talk to a computer, not an actual person, which he is skilled at. I think that things that dont have the ability to respond to Christopher, like toby and computers, calm him.
I disagree with this idea that people are like computers simply because we have the ability to do much more that computers. Though computers are able to have an image without looking at it like humans, humans can talk about what they are seeing, and can respond to you. People also have the ability to pay attention to emotions and frustration, whereas computers can't. I think one of the main reasons Christopher has found so much comfort with computers is because they dont have the ability to listen to peoples emotions. Christopher relates to them in this way.
christopher thinks that computers are simply a screen with a person in front of it. computers are showing images that are created through complex processes like humans. he thinks that human complications are similar to computer complications because of how computers and humans operate. he explains that computers and humans are alike because of this picture idea he has. saying computers have images that are created in them and so do humans. this relates to Christopher's way of life and his logic. to Christopher this is true because everything is science and logic and philosophy. we know that christopher turns to logic for everything so in order to explain emotions he turns to logic. this it self is an example for at the end of the chapter he explains how sadness and happiness are created through science. if someone were to say that emotion are not created in the mind but somewhere else christopher would shoot it down. i think that christopher is correct and incorrect. i do think that it is true peoples brains are like computers and there are ways to prove this but it is also true that we as human beings cannot always explain things, even christopher knows that. every piece of information we have is not always 100% correct because we dont know everything, we only have an idea of what is right. so saying that human brains are like computers could be right but what if the brain isnt the way we think it is. christopher understands that we dont know everything but he still shows reason. christopher could be right and he could be wrong.
christopher belives that computers are like the human mind. for many people this might seem rather silly. beacause as humans we know that our minds can do many things that computers can't do. we can formulate thoughts and words and ideas and well we are living creatures who can have responce and analysis which computers are incapable of doing. they can't understand what someone is saying. there are many differences but to christopherit makes sence. his mind works differently so he can't understand what the other side of this topic. chriostpher doesn't see this as a something logical so he cannot comprehend the rest of this idea. like all of the complex things that our brains can do. his argument is that the human mind can create pictures in thier minds and they can see things that aren't right in front of them. he says that since computers can also do this they are similar.
I think Christopher said that human minds work like computers because they store information just like a computer does. In some ways Chritopher does have a good point about a mind being like a computer because it does store information like a computer but on the other hand he doesnt. Human minds do so much more than any computer can do. The mind is what controls the human body and a computer controls nothing. He also said that people create hallucinations and computers create images that are not even there. This supports his idea of minds and computers being similar. -Nico
Christopher explains that “the human mind is like a complicated machine.” Most would describe a computer as a complicated machine which therefore makes computers and the human mind exactly alike. What most believe as seeing Christopher describes as “looking at a screen inside our heads” which is comparable to computer screens.
Christopher continuously bases all of his comments and theories on pure fact and logic. In chapter 163 he describes an experiment shown on How The Mind Works, a television broadcast. The experiment proves Christopher’s point about screens.
Many people don’t compare themselves to computers for a sole reason, the human being’s complex emotional setup. NO other organism that mankind has ever discovered has an emotional setup near as complex as the human’s. Christopher doesn’t understand complex emotions therefore he relates computers and human emotions. He can only comprehend sad and happy therefore when he sees something positive on the screen he knows that computer is projecting a happy mood. Due to Christopher’s autism, his intelligence isn’t evenly segregated amongst the many divisions of his brain. More of Christopher’s knowledge is amassed to the problem solving branch of his brain, leaving the creative and emotional branch close to barren. For this exact reason Christopher only sees things for exactly what they are and nothing else. If Christopher wasn’t autistic then he could possibly understand the differences between the human race and computers.
Christopher isn’t like everybody else in a sense that he doesn’t project the creative and emotional branch of his brain much because it isn’t developed. We know that Christopher can only understand what’s right in front of him; only the logic. This chapter stresses the point of him misunderstanding the emotional structure of human beings.
I agree with Christopher up to a point because I understand emotions in a different way. I understand his comment relating the brain to a complicated machine. I agree with him this far only because the brain is easily the most complex organ in the body. On the other hand machines cannot love or feel frustrated or envious, but a human can feel all of those at once. This is what Christopher is unable to understand.
Christopher states this because people think much differently than computers. We have a vast imagination which can picture a lot. Some things can be things like imaginary friends or just random ideas that you have that others don't. Though many people have simliar opinions or agree on certain things, everyone is unique. If you and your friend have an idea it might be a bit different. For example: You both might think of a new MLB team they jersey's might be a different color,etc. Computers usually get information from other references, which could be made by the reference's opinions. It all depends so it depends on what it is, but they have some similarities as well. You might realize the answer to a certain question because it is self explanatory. It could be the same as a computers answer. The people who create search engines, answer people's questions through other referneces or they know. This is the same for people. There are many oppinions, as well, to this question.
Christopher states that people's brains are like computers." because he believes strongly that a computer and human work the same and have the same aspects. They both use words and pictures to imagine things. They can speak and comprehend. The difference is that a computer can not do these things physically, a computer can only be understood visually , for example, a person has to be on a computer and reading something and the computer is technically have a conversation with them. He also believes that computers and humans both have feelings but they are expressed differently. These notions say a lot about how Christopher's social life and reality is affected by this. Because if christopher did not believe that humans were like computers, he would probably show more of his affection and feeling. I agree and disagree that people are like computers. We have similarities and Christopher states our similarities by our ability to communicate and comprehend. But in the end a computer can't have a personality like a person can, they cannot experience things like a person can. A computer can only see by picture the many things in life, they lack the ability to use 6 senses like a person can. That's the difference between people and a computer.
I think Christopher is trying to say that humans are really complicated and computers are too. He says that when a person is moving where the person is looking really fast or flicking the persons mind goes black for a really, really short time but the person doesn't know it and this is called saccades. hanna
Christopher feels that people and computers are close in the way that they make connections and view the world. He compares the way that humans see like a computer screen in our mind. He explains that humans think that they are special and different from machines but really they are closer then most humans think. Christopher likes logic as we've discussed, he also loves machines. Christopher is comfortable with machines, where he is uncomfortable with the human mind. By comparing them and showing that they aren't really so different he is making humans(away from his comfort zone) and machines(in his comfort zone) closer. He also doesn't mention emotions which I thought was interesting because he doesn't quite understand them and because he is trying hard to find the similarities between computers and humans to make humans.
I believe Christopher's association of the human brain with a computer further prooves that he is unnable to comprehend emotions and humans. This is due to his condition, and leads him to belive that as he cannot percive emotion, a computer should should not be able to either. As we all very well know, Christopher is a very logical individual, so this makes theoretical sense. I can understand why he would be inclined to think that the brain and a complex machine are similar, but persoanlly I disagree. I concur with him that similarities between the two exist, but everything i know about biology and my own obseravtions point against Christopher's theory, which he strongly backs with examples.
I think that Christopher's standpoint regarding this issue is true to himself. What I believe he is saying is that his mind works similarly to a computer. This I would be able to understand much more than the general association that all brains are like computers. A computer may not take action by itself, but rather needs a human to prompt it. It is fast and capable of doing mathematics, but unable to feel emotions. Christopher fits all these characteristics and more, ergo I dissagree with his initial theory, but see my adapted interpretation ring true.
Christopher talks about how a person's mind is like a computer screen and he says your eyes are like the computer screen. He also thinks that minds and computers are the same because they both can picture things, like a person can have a dream, and in a dream you picture different things, and a computer you can look at any picture you want.
I think computers connect to Christopher in many ways, and computers do not have all the qualitys a human's mind has. For example, a computer does not have feelings, and cannot express feelings. This is related to Christopher because he cannot read expressions on faces.
I am in the middle of agreeing with Christopher because all computers are the same, and every human being's mind is different, and minds come in a variety. But I think the reason why Christopher can relate to computers is because computers don't have all the qualitys of a mind, and Christophers has aspergers which makes his mind not up to par with a regular human being, and Christopher feels computers bring uniqueness.
Christopher thinks of the human’s brain as a computer because even though we imagine that humans have feelings and computers do not, feelings are just images projected on a screen. For Christopher, feelings or emotions are just pictures on a screen in someone’s head, showing what could happen or what might have happened. When you are sad upset or want to ignore something, a computer, like a brain, can supply an alternative reality. A computer, along with supplying definite answers for someone like Christopher (who can only understand absolute realities) can also be “deceived” into believing magical thinking or into allowing unrealistic goals.
Christopher believes that he could become an astronaut because just like a computer he is seeing everything as an absolute. He has the intellect and he could get the right credentials to get a job as an astronaut, but he does not have the social or coping skills to achieve his goal. A computer is kind of like a scientist looking at the absolute and the probability but not looking on an emotional level to see if a goal is possible. A computer lacks emotion so it is unable to determine human capabilities.
I disagree with Christopher. I think that he has this view because he lacks emotion and only see’s things and people as right or wrong. There is no middle ground for him. A computer would think that a handicapped old man that was suffering from a crippling depression would be able to go into space and become an astronaut if he just had the right IQ for it. This defies all rules of human psychology because computers don’t understand humans. Humans understand the gray areas, not just black and whites like computers.
Also computers, just like Christopher, are unable to understand basic human ideas like love and anger. A computer, like Christopher, would see reproducing as a necessary act instead of an act of love. Reproducing is necessary for the human race but there are other reasons like love that a computer can’t understand. Christopher has such an out of touch grip on society that he thinks his father is a murderer because he killed a dog. He doesn’t understand that a dog is not the same as a human and that his father is already hurt, not physically but emotionally. A computer could also see his father as a murderer because his father killed a dog. The computer might think that killing a dog is just as bad as killing a human. This is another difference between human and machines.
Christopher's evidence that computers are like people is that computers can have conversations and tell jokes like humans. He also says that human's brains are like computers, they both have a homunculus and they both create pictures while thinking. Christopher is replacing something complex that consists of different components like emotions (which are hard for him) with computers to better understand the brain by relating it to math. This not surprising for Christopher because he tends to lean toward math to understand things and to help explain complicated things that people without Asperger's can understand easily. I agree with Christopher to a degree about why he thinks computers and the brain are the same, but human minds are more complex. They have emotions and feelings and are artistic and creative. They are not that logical machines that store information they have many more components.
Christopher mentions somewhere in this part that he can remember certain things that would not come to a regular person's mind as easily. Computers have harddrives embedded in them and every computer has a certain about of memory space in them so that the data can be referred back to again. Christopher, if he remebers it, can refer back go information easily. Like Christopher says, computers pratically function like machines. It seems that this is also an example of how Christopher is being more curious about himself more than others. This can also be interpreted as Sensory Overload. He is thinking about so many things about computers and humans, him being fustrated with his father, and trying to find his mother.
The evidence that Christopher uses to prove his point is valid but flawed. The evidence is that when people imagine something in their brain or see things in your mind it is like looking at a big screen. An exact example is when Christopher was talking about the captain of a star trek ship is the equivalent of seeing images in a brain because of the big screen in the ship. This in my opinion the computer comparison is something that connects to christopher but not about all humans. Since Christopher has asbergers he doesn't understand emotion and computers don't have emotion. Also since Christopher has a photographic memory he can rewind his memory and think of things way in the past. Computers can also go through old memories and look into the past. Humans without this condition have feelings and have a conshence. -James
The evidence Christopher uses to explain why people's minds are like computers relate mainly to the way his mind works impracticality. Computers do not feel emotion and neither does he. Computers also do what they are told to very accurately. Christopher does the same. It is hard for him to inference a direction or demand. Another reason he gives is that humans see pictures in their minds without actually looking at what they are looking at in their mind. The mind works on electricity, complex ideas and numerical functions, like computers. He also states that eyes are like windows on computer screens. They put images in our heads and turn on and off when we direct them. I disagree with this idea that our minds are like computers because we are much more complex than these computers. If these computers were smarter or as complex as us, we would not have the ability to design them. The same we=way we do not have the ability to design a functioning human mind.
Christopher uses almost every analogy he writes to support his ideas that peoples brains are like computers. He does this because he can't process human emotions. He always compares a sort of confusion, emotion, or something he can't quite explain to machines. He is familiar with machines, it is what he knows about. When Christopher is confused or has too much information running through his head he always says he is like a computer that has too many application opened. The way he calms down is covering his ears, siting down, and groaning. he says doing this is like pressing ctrl plus something plus something i don't remember. Some examples of the points where he says that the human mind is like a computer are when he refers to when he freaks out and how its like a computer running to many applications, when he talk about how he remembers everything that started after the age of 4. Christopher says he can rewind his mind just like a DVD and he can bring up a memory in a matter of seconds. I think he is right in some sort of way. Christopher makes a good observation in the way that the mind is like a computer, but there are some flaws in his ideas that he can't comprehend. He can't process or understand emotion so he can't put that into his science. Computers can't feel pain,cry, be happy or have any sort of emotion as far as i know.
Christopher says that people's brains are similar to computers because they are "complicated machines." He also gives the analogy that inside a person's brain, there can be a screen much like a computer screen which can allow you to visualize multiple images. And a person can multitask in their mind much like a computer can; in other words, a person can look at certain objects while thinking of something else. Christopher's statement connects with what we know about him--that he's not attached to his emotions, therefore he relies more on his brain, much like a computer. I don't entirely agree with his statement because there's a part of your brain that is connected at all times to your emotions. For example, you might visualize a group of your friends playing together. But not only is it an image of just people together, there's also an emotion that comes with it. -Brizz<3♥
Christopher believes that peoples brains are a lot like computers because they store information a lot like computers do. He also talks about how inside a persons brain there can be a screen, just like in a computer screen, that allows you to visualize multiple images. Also computers and brains can multitask He also makes the connection between brains and computers and how they are both "complicated machines"
Christopher's statement connects with what we know about him, he's very logical and he doesn't believe in feelings very much because they're not logical. He says that feelings are just pictures on the screen which adds to the fact that he doesn't believe. Also When he found out his mother died, he did not react sad or act like he cared much at all. Instead he began trying to figure out how or why she had died.
I agree with him in when he says that peoples brains are not like computers but at the same time I disagree with him. I agree with him when he says that peoples minds are complex machines much like computers, because they are. The human mind is very complex and interesting, the way it works and what controls what, much like computers. I disagree with him because peoples minds are more complex then computers and then have feelings and are real living things that were not created by man, so they are much more complex and more amazing.
Christopher believes that peoples brains are computers because he believes that computers and brain's are both like complicated machines. Christopher uses several example. One example he uses is when he's describing when we're reading, we actuly are blind for a nano second but we don't see it as being blind. When really there is a picture in our brain of what we are reading so it doesn't let us know that we are blind for such a short amount of time. Christopher also explains the meaning of a saccade. He was explaining his notion about being blind for a spit second but not realizing it. This notion connects to Christopher because it shows him as a person in one really big way. It shows that he is smart and knowing.
Christopher believes in the absolute and the absolute for him is science. And science, which can supply an absolute for everything else, can’t find any reason for the creation of humans except for chance. There was no“ divine” intervention, no creation of man in God’s image—this is just a story that humans want to believe. Christopher, who fully believes in science, cannot believe in God so he feels that science must be right, and that the accidental creation of intelligent life is unlikely.
Christopher names three conditions that explain the “accident” of human life. It all started with the big bang theory that explains the creation of the universe, and our planet. Then, life on the planet evolved. The three conditions of the theory of evolution are—replication, mutation and heritability. After the big bang animals started to replicate which is to create another animal with the same DNA. Then there were some mutations and the mutants that had beneficial attributes lived on and the rest died out. Also there is heritability, which is when the mistakes or accidents that result from mutation get passed down.
I think the big bang theory and the theory of evolution, even though accidental, don’t go against Christopher’s psychology. The big bang theory doesn’t have a pattern—it’s just a guess about what happened billions of years ago. And, with evolution, there is a lot of support. The “pattern” of evolution is that everything will continue to change because of mutations and the heritability of useful mutations. Christopher is probably right that the pattern in these accidents will probably result in beings that will replace humans.
In chapter 163, Christopher compares computers and humans. I think that Christoper says that humans and computers are the same because he it comparing mostly to himself. Christopher is very isolated and can not other stand people very well. Computers are mostly logic and that is the way Christopher acts like a computer. He is just putting the pieces toether thinking like computers use visuals, words, and some time voice to show things all these things humans do,so Christopher just assumes because we have the same quality as a computer. Christpoher does not really look at the bigger picture. Humans are very different then computers because we have a emotions, and we are complicated in a different way then computers are.
I think that Christophers brain is like a computer because of the patterns that he has made with numbers, science, etc. I think that Christopher is a very smart, which makes him like a computer. However, he also dosent have any feelings, which makes him more like a computer. Its almost as if he is a robot. I think that Christophers Aspbergers Syndrome has made a great impact on his life. I think that Christopher's syndrome's 'effects' like knowing all the prime numbers or being intelligent about certain things has made him happy. I think that if Christopher didnt have Aspbergers, he would not have been where he is right now. I think that if he knew his mother was alive through the letters, he would have been extremely depressed that his father kept this secret from him. --Emma Francesca Zita ♥
Christopher states that the mind is just like a complicated machine. he says that we believe hat were are looking out into the worl through our eyes and seeing things, as if there was a person inside of our heads. but in fact this is not true,. we are not looking out through windows and seeing things with our eyes, christopher believes that in fact, we are onmly loking at a screen, like a computer screen. He also talks about how the brain rests for small peroids of time in order to flick from one object or place to another when using sight.This notion connects to what we know about christopher because he needs an explanation for everything. Saying that brains are like computers is reassuring to him because computers have a lot of structure and can be made. But i do not agree with him. Not only do humans have feelings and computers do not, humans also can not be predicted while computers have a software or program that lets them work. The brain is very coplicated and i can see the relation to the brain and a hard drive for the computer, but not a humn and a computer because i believe they are cmpletely different.
Christopher explains how peoples' minds use electrical currents to produce pictures which are actually memories. He explains how computers have memories as well but they are always there and they don't forget. I think in a sense Christopher doesn't understand that most people don't have a memory like him. I also think that he in a sense feels like a computer. He can remember the most outrageous things, he can do the most amazing mathematical problems, but he can't do some of the simplest things in life like socialize and love and many many other things. pablo
When talking about the similarities between people’s brains and computers, Christopher says that people’s brains are like computer screens. He also references a TV series he watched called, “How the Mind Works”. Christopher believes these types of subjects are not complex and are just like what he reads or hears. I don’t really agree with him, I believe human brains are more complex than computers. I’m still wondering whether or not if a computer’s exceeds our mental capacity.
My head hurts today, sorry if it doesn’t make sense.
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Christopher used the fact that people may create images in their mind that are not
actually there to support the idea that people are like computers. This characteristic, Christopher argues, is found only in that of computers, therefore this makes computers our closest ally [ most like us]. Christopher has good reason to support this idea for he can only grasp what is in the present moment. Take for example, Christopher’s dislike of food touching. When you envision a food it is categorized as sweet, sour etc. However, if we were to mix such flavors one would not have a prior knowledge of what such a taste is like. This is what I presume to be the reason why Christopher dislikes foods touching. For he is working with an unknown which triggers a primal fear within himself. Christopher needs some comparison for humans so he turns toward what humans have created as an attempt to peer into our inner nature. I disagree with this notion. I believe that our humanity lies not with our emotions nor our DNA, but it is our consciousness which separates us from the rest of nature. We and we alone have full understanding of what we are doing, we are not blindly driven by our need for self preservation. We have evolved from the Darwinian notion “eat or be eaten”; instead we will choose to die with pride rather than resort to cannibalism. Our emotion itself is the result of instinct and environmental stimuli however, our ability to know why we are reacting in this way truly makes us unique. Our ability to produce the unreal is actually our understanding of our world, not because we are more related to machines.
Christopher bases his theory on research and fact. His research is on the show, How the Mind Works. It described to Christopher the mind and how it could be considered a complex machine. While I had typed this I looked at what I was typing, not what was written before to the left of the comment box. The words are not gone and are still the same. Our mind does not decrypt these symbols as it is of minor importance. This event is one of the facts Christopher described in support of that. I agree with this notion.
Another fact revolves around saccades. Christopher supports this as a computer could not read everything in a blink of an eye. A human mind makes it possible to even read or reason with a sentence.
For example:
TACGATHEREDFOXTACAGT
The reader most likely would see the message inside that garble. This notion I also support. Our minds could easily decrypt the above message.
Christopher's idea of a homunculus or a conscience is different. It is about the CPU and that it can take many different routes without being told to. A real computer would have to follow directions. The computer also gives limited choices. When installing a game you would reach to options. They would be INSTALL or CANCEL. Still they could not be done if it was not told to. In fact it could over heat and break down. The brain would not break down but merely refresh every time it saccades. I don't agree with this. The brain can not be secluded to a section on where it shuts down for half a second. Most of our mind can think even while we are asleep. This is how we are different that computers. They most always be told or they would stop functioning.
Christopher also describes how the things they can not see scares people and he shows how computers do not feel emotions and are not curious. Our 15 year old detective had described both curiousity and an emotion as merely pictures that the conscience brings up implying to do the action it implies. This is why people can make their own choices, they see things differently making each mind unique on it's own.
This belief shows that Christopher understands why he loves logic. It can help him understand others. When he was having a session with Julie she had seen how he thought what he knew would be known to everyone else. Being taught that the minds of others are different, he could not make out what a mind was. Instead he believed that minds were separate computers that were connected through talking and actions. This shows how our detective believed in logic even. then.
To conclude, I agree with most of Christopher's theory that the brain is the world's most numerous supercomputer that can differ in many ways.
this was ian^^^^^^
Note it says "the red fox" not "there D fox"
I think this says that Christopher thinks that people are advanced machines. their brains run on electricity and they think int terms of logic and numbers. while computers don't register emotion. people do. I think this is not something Christopher understands. he doesn't exhibit emotions and there for doesn't understand the differences. when he sees someone expressing emotion he begins to feel sick and lost. Christopher runs on facts so he thinks that mainly he functions like a computer and other machines. personally I think he is right. people are a bit like machines. we have all the basic machines as part of us (not including the inclined plane) and we run on electrical impulses. we can have glitches and circuit overloads (electrocution) all in all. I definitely see Christopher's logic
Christopher feels that people are like puzzles and computers. People have minds and computers have complicated machines but he says that those are the same thing. He says people and computers both have screens. A person is basically looking at a computer screen inside their head as is a computer.
Christopher saw an experiment on a TV show which proves that people are like computers. The experiment shows that people have to "turn off" for a short amount of time.
Christopher says people also do not think that they are computers because they think computers do not have feelings. He thinks that feelings are just picture screens showing you something happy or sad that has happened,may happen, or will happen.
We know that Christopher doesn't express his feelings the same way most people do. He does not really believe in feelings because they are not logical. Him saying feelings are just pictures on computer screens adds to the fact that he doesn't believe in feelings.
Christopher says that the human mind is like a computer in the sense that it is a complex machine that runs on cellular cooperation and electric pulses. Computers function through encryptions, electric circuits, and numerical codes.
In terms of bioscience, he’s perfectly correct. Both the human and computer mind are networks of electricity, can comprehend and organize information through an individual series of certain signals of reaction, and can understand specific codes that are given at certain times. However, there is one major factor that the human mind has that the computer doesn’t have (yet). The human mind has the capacity for emotions and comprehension of different emotions. Christopher mentions that emotions in the human mind are simply images that appear during different scenes in life that are responded to, but do computers respond to images? The answer is no. The computer may have the capacity for comprehension of codes and commands, but it doesn’t have the human mind’s capability of interpretation.
Another factor of this is that we humans are the ones that built computers; therefore, we understand computers. If we are able to do anything, we must be able to understand how to do it first. If one wants to become an Olympic swimmer, one must first know how to swim. If one wants to write a novel, one must first know how to read and write. If one wants to understand a Portuguese document, one must first learn Portuguese. If we humans are ever able to program the capabilities of the human mind into a computer we must first understand how the human mind works. The use of a computer right now is only as a tool. If we are to create a computer that functions like a human we must understand the functions of the human mind. As of today, we understand computers, but what we understand of our own minds is very little. This demonstrates the complexities of the human mind. In a profound way, I believe that Christopher is wrong. In this same way, the human mind is far more capable, and complex than the best computer.
Christopher thinks that people's brains are like computer's because brains are very complex and in a lot of ways are similar to computers. Christopher says that brains and computers have homunculus, and they can both replace images and create pictures while thinking. This idea and notion Christopher thought of and explained isn't surprising based on what we know about him. He tends to understand things by creating some sort of relevance of it with math. Christopher relies on math to be able to explain and figure out things about life that regular people can already understand. That is why he compared computers with people's brains. I can understand what Christopher is saying about how they relate and can agree with him for half of what he says. But at the same time in general i don't think computers are exactly like peoples brains and mind and ways people think. It relates and Christopher can see all the mathematical ways but computers don't exactly have feelings and imagination.
I thin that Christopher refers to humans as computers because they always are collecting and retrieving infprmation from all over the place. Computers also only do what you tell them to do, which makes it seem as if he thinks people all listen to the things they are told or always listen to instructions. It always happens that people have to make their own decisions and be independent. Christopher said that people can make images in their heads that don't exist. He says that only computers can do that so they are just like us. I don't agree with this statement. I think that some people cannot make pictures in their heads either because they have a disability, or because they can't block out one thing and focus on it. The inability to block out and focus on one thing is called sensory overload, which is highly associated with people who have aspergers syndrome, something that Christopher has. I also say that on computers there is and on/off switch. Take a person who talks alot. Can you turn their mouth off by pressing a button? I really wish I could but we are not yet as advanced as computer technology.
-Brandon
Because Christopher can not feel feelings like most people do, he believes that the human mind is basically a very complicated machine. I think this connects to everything we know about Christopher; he doesn't understand emotions and he likes everything to be logical. If the brain was a very complicated machine it would not have emotions, it would not feel anything. If the brain was a machine it could always be fixed, everything it did could always be explained. I think Christopher's dad wishes Christopher would understand this. Christopher's dad wishes he would understand why he lied and killed Wellington. Christopher doesn't understand mistakes. Christopher does not comprehend how and why people make mistakes. The fact that he doesn't understand mistakes or emotions leads him to think that the brain is just a complicated machine. I do not agree with Christopher, i think the brain is much more complex then even the most complicated machine. No matter how advanced technology gets, a machine will never be able to have emotions.
some evidence that Christopher uses to back up his notion of how minds work like computers is best explained by saying that people like a computer can easily store valuable information. this valuable information can be easily referred back to in Christopher's mind but not in a regular person's mind. in the story it is clearly shown that it is hard for Christopher to clearly interpret other beings so him thinking that everyone's brain is like a computer is not accurate. o Tuesday we watched a video talking about a result of Asbergers syndrome, sensory overload, and i think this is what is occurring his sense of mind is becoming overloaded with the expectations of another according to himself.
Christopher's similie of saying that people's brains are like computers is supported by him talking about how it's almost like people are like machines. One of the pieces of evidence that Christopher uses is about how eyes are like windows and computer screens. He talks about how we have the ability to turn them on and off, and how they put images in our heads, much like computers. Another thing he mentions as a reason why people are like computers is that we can have images in our head without seeing the thing we are thinking about.
I feel like this connects to what we know about Christopher because the idea of being able to map out things, or break things down appeals to him. I think the ability to map out what humans are like, or make a comparison to things that he can easily handle like computers, comforts him. When talking about his dream of being an astronaut he talks about how he would have to talk to a computer, not an actual person, which he is skilled at. I think that things that dont have the ability to respond to Christopher, like toby and computers, calm him.
I disagree with this idea that people are like computers simply because we have the ability to do much more that computers. Though computers are able to have an image without looking at it like humans, humans can talk about what they are seeing, and can respond to you. People also have the ability to pay attention to emotions and frustration, whereas computers can't. I think one of the main reasons Christopher has found so much comfort with computers is because they dont have the ability to listen to peoples emotions. Christopher relates to them in this way.
christopher thinks that computers are simply a screen with a person in front of it. computers are showing images that are created through complex processes like humans. he thinks that human complications are similar to computer complications because of how computers and humans operate. he explains that computers and humans are alike because of this picture idea he has. saying computers have images that are created in them and so do humans. this relates to Christopher's way of life and his logic. to Christopher this is true because everything is science and logic and philosophy. we know that christopher turns to logic for everything so in order to explain emotions he turns to logic. this it self is an example for at the end of the chapter he explains how sadness and happiness are created through science. if someone were to say that emotion are not created in the mind but somewhere else christopher would shoot it down. i think that christopher is correct and incorrect. i do think that it is true peoples brains are like computers and there are ways to prove this but it is also true that we as human beings cannot always explain things, even christopher knows that. every piece of information we have is not always 100% correct because we dont know everything, we only have an idea of what is right. so saying that human brains are like computers could be right but what if the brain isnt the way we think it is. christopher understands that we dont know everything but he still shows reason. christopher could be right and he could be wrong.
christopher belives that computers are like the human mind. for many people this might seem rather silly. beacause as humans we know that our minds can do many things that computers can't do. we can formulate thoughts and words and ideas and well we are living creatures who can have responce and analysis which computers are incapable of doing. they can't understand what someone is saying. there are many differences but to christopherit makes sence. his mind works differently so he can't understand what the other side of this topic. chriostpher doesn't see this as a something logical so he cannot comprehend the rest of this idea. like all of the complex things that our brains can do. his argument is that the human mind can create pictures in thier minds and they can see things that aren't right in front of them. he says that since computers can also do this they are similar.
I think Christopher said that human minds work like computers because they store information just like a computer does. In some ways Chritopher does have a good point about a mind being like a computer because it does store information like a computer but on the other hand he doesnt. Human minds do so much more than any computer can do. The mind is what controls the human body and a computer controls nothing. He also said that people create hallucinations and computers create images that are not even there. This supports his idea of minds and computers being similar.
-Nico
Christopher explains that “the human mind is like a complicated machine.” Most would describe a computer as a complicated machine which therefore makes computers and the human mind exactly alike. What most believe as seeing Christopher describes as “looking at a screen inside our heads” which is comparable to computer screens.
Christopher continuously bases all of his comments and theories on pure fact and logic. In chapter 163 he describes an experiment shown on How The Mind Works, a television broadcast. The experiment proves Christopher’s point about screens.
Many people don’t compare themselves to computers for a sole reason, the human being’s complex emotional setup. NO other organism that mankind has ever discovered has an emotional setup near as complex as the human’s. Christopher doesn’t understand complex emotions therefore he relates computers and human emotions. He can only comprehend sad and happy therefore when he sees something positive on the screen he knows that computer is projecting a happy mood. Due to Christopher’s autism, his intelligence isn’t evenly segregated amongst the many divisions of his brain. More of Christopher’s knowledge is amassed to the problem solving branch of his brain, leaving the creative and emotional branch close to barren. For this exact reason Christopher only sees things for exactly what they are and nothing else. If Christopher wasn’t autistic then he could possibly understand the differences between the human race and computers.
Christopher isn’t like everybody else in a sense that he doesn’t project the creative and emotional branch of his brain much because it isn’t developed. We know that Christopher can only understand what’s right in front of him; only the logic. This chapter stresses the point of him misunderstanding the emotional structure of human beings.
I agree with Christopher up to a point because I understand emotions in a different way. I understand his comment relating the brain to a complicated machine. I agree with him this far only because the brain is easily the most complex organ in the body. On the other hand machines cannot love or feel frustrated or envious, but a human can feel all of those at once. This is what Christopher is unable to understand.
Christopher states this because people think much differently than computers. We have a vast imagination which can picture a lot. Some things can be things like imaginary friends or just random ideas that you have that others don't. Though many people have simliar opinions or agree on certain things, everyone is unique. If you and your friend have an idea it might be a bit different. For example: You both might think of a new MLB team they jersey's might be a different color,etc. Computers usually get information from other references, which could be made by the reference's opinions. It all depends so it depends on what it is, but they have some similarities as well. You might realize the answer to a certain question because it is self explanatory. It could be the same as a computers answer. The people who create search engines, answer people's questions through other referneces or they know. This is the same for people. There are many oppinions, as well, to this question.
Christopher states that people's brains are like computers." because he believes strongly that a computer and human work the same and have the same aspects. They both use words and pictures to imagine things. They can speak and comprehend. The difference is that a computer can not do these things physically, a computer can only be understood visually , for example, a person has to be on a computer and reading something and the computer is technically have a conversation with them. He also believes that computers and humans both have feelings but they are expressed differently. These notions say a lot about how Christopher's social life and reality is affected by this. Because if christopher did not believe that humans were like computers, he would probably show more of his affection and feeling.
I agree and disagree that people are like computers. We have similarities and Christopher states our similarities by our ability to communicate and comprehend. But in the end a computer can't have a personality like a person can, they cannot experience things like a person can. A computer can only see by picture the many things in life, they lack the ability to use 6 senses like a person can. That's the difference between people and a computer.
I think Christopher is trying to say that humans are really complicated and computers are too. He says that when a person is moving where the person is looking really fast or flicking the persons mind goes black for a really, really short time but the person doesn't know it and this is called saccades.
hanna
Christopher feels that people and computers are close in the way that they make connections and view the world. He compares the way that humans see like a computer screen in our mind. He explains that humans think that they are special and different from machines but really they are closer then most humans think. Christopher likes logic as we've discussed, he also loves machines. Christopher is comfortable with machines, where he is uncomfortable with the human mind. By comparing them and showing that they aren't really so different he is making humans(away from his comfort zone) and machines(in his comfort zone) closer. He also doesn't mention emotions which I thought was interesting because he doesn't quite understand them and because he is trying hard to find the similarities between computers and humans to make humans.
I believe Christopher's association of the human brain with a computer further prooves that he is unnable to comprehend emotions and humans. This is due to his condition, and leads him to belive that as he cannot percive emotion, a computer should should not be able to either. As we all very well know, Christopher is a very logical individual, so this makes theoretical sense. I can understand why he would be inclined to think that the brain and a complex machine are similar, but persoanlly I disagree. I concur with him that similarities between the two exist, but everything i know about biology and my own obseravtions point against Christopher's theory, which he strongly backs with examples.
I think that Christopher's standpoint regarding this issue is true to himself. What I believe he is saying is that his mind works similarly to a computer. This I would be able to understand much more than the general association that all brains are like computers. A computer may not take action by itself, but rather needs a human to prompt it. It is fast and capable of doing mathematics, but unable to feel emotions. Christopher fits all these characteristics and more, ergo I dissagree with his initial theory, but see my adapted interpretation ring true.
Christopher talks about how a person's mind is like a computer screen and he says your eyes are like the computer screen. He also thinks that minds and computers are the same because they both can picture things, like a person can have a dream, and in a dream you picture different things, and a computer you can look at any picture you want.
I think computers connect to Christopher in many ways, and computers do not have all the qualitys a human's mind has. For example, a computer does not have feelings, and cannot express feelings. This is related to Christopher because he cannot read expressions on faces.
I am in the middle of agreeing with Christopher because all computers are the same, and every human being's mind is different, and minds come in a variety. But I think the reason why Christopher can relate to computers is because computers don't have all the qualitys of a mind, and Christophers has aspergers which makes his mind not up to par with a regular human being, and Christopher feels computers bring uniqueness.
Christopher thinks of the human’s brain as a computer because even though we imagine that humans have feelings and computers do not, feelings are just images projected on a screen. For Christopher, feelings or emotions are just pictures on a screen in someone’s head, showing what could happen or what might have happened. When you are sad upset or want to ignore something, a computer, like a brain, can supply an alternative reality. A computer, along with supplying definite answers for someone like Christopher (who can only understand absolute realities) can also be “deceived” into believing magical thinking or into allowing unrealistic goals.
Christopher believes that he could become an astronaut because just like a computer he is seeing everything as an absolute. He has the intellect and he could get the right credentials to get a job as an astronaut, but he does not have the social or coping skills to achieve his goal. A computer is kind of like a scientist looking at the absolute and the probability but not looking on an emotional level to see if a goal is possible. A computer lacks emotion so it is unable to determine human capabilities.
I disagree with Christopher. I think that he has this view because he lacks emotion and only see’s things and people as right or wrong. There is no middle ground for him. A computer would think that a handicapped old man that was suffering from a crippling depression would be able to go into space and become an astronaut if he just had the right IQ for it. This defies all rules of human psychology because computers don’t understand humans. Humans understand the gray areas, not just black and whites like computers.
Also computers, just like Christopher, are unable to understand basic human ideas like love and anger. A computer, like Christopher, would see reproducing as a necessary act instead of an act of love. Reproducing is necessary for the human race but there are other reasons like love that a computer can’t understand. Christopher has such an out of touch grip on society that he thinks his father is a murderer because he killed a dog. He doesn’t understand that a dog is not the same as a human and that his father is already hurt, not physically but emotionally. A computer could also see his father as a murderer because his father killed a dog. The computer might think that killing a dog is just as bad as killing a human. This is another difference between human and machines.
Christopher's evidence that computers are like people is that computers can have conversations and tell jokes like humans. He also says that human's brains are like computers, they both have a homunculus and they both create pictures while thinking. Christopher is replacing something complex that consists of different components like emotions (which are hard for him) with computers to better understand the brain by relating it to math. This not surprising for Christopher because he tends to lean toward math to understand things and to help explain complicated things that people without Asperger's can understand easily. I agree with Christopher to a degree about why he thinks computers and the brain are the same, but human minds are more complex. They have emotions and feelings and are artistic and creative. They are not that logical machines that store information they have many more components.
Christopher mentions somewhere in this part that he can remember certain things that would not come to a regular person's mind as easily. Computers have harddrives embedded in them and every computer has a certain about of memory space in them so that the data can be referred back to again. Christopher, if he remebers it, can refer back go information easily. Like Christopher says, computers pratically function like machines. It seems that this is also an example of how Christopher is being more curious about himself more than others. This can also be interpreted as Sensory Overload. He is thinking about so many things about computers and humans, him being fustrated with his father, and trying to find his mother.
The evidence that Christopher uses to prove his point is valid but flawed. The evidence is that when people imagine something in their brain or see things in your mind it is like looking at a big screen. An exact example is when Christopher was talking about the captain of a star trek ship is the equivalent of seeing images in a brain because of the big screen in the ship. This in my opinion the computer comparison is something that connects to christopher but not about all humans. Since Christopher has asbergers he doesn't understand emotion and computers don't have emotion. Also since Christopher has a photographic memory he can rewind his memory and think of things way in the past. Computers can also go through old memories and look into the past. Humans without this condition have feelings and have a conshence.
-James
The evidence Christopher uses to explain why people's minds are like computers relate mainly to the way his mind works impracticality. Computers do not feel emotion and neither does he. Computers also do what they are told to very accurately. Christopher does the same. It is hard for him to inference a direction or demand. Another reason he gives is that humans see pictures in their minds without actually looking at what they are looking at in their mind. The mind works on electricity, complex ideas and numerical functions, like computers. He also states that eyes are like windows on computer screens. They put images in our heads and turn on and off when we direct them. I disagree with this idea that our minds are like computers because we are much more complex than these computers. If these computers were smarter or as complex as us, we would not have the ability to design them. The same we=way we do not have the ability to design a functioning human mind.
Christopher uses almost every analogy he writes to support his ideas that peoples brains are like computers. He does this because he can't process human emotions. He always compares a sort of confusion, emotion, or something he can't quite explain to machines. He is familiar with machines, it is what he knows about. When Christopher is confused or has too much information running through his head he always says he is like a computer that has too many application opened. The way he calms down is covering his ears, siting down, and groaning. he says doing this is like pressing ctrl plus something plus something i don't remember.
Some examples of the points where he says that the human mind is like a computer are when he refers to when he freaks out and how its like a computer running to many applications, when he talk about how he remembers everything that started after the age of 4. Christopher says he can rewind his mind just like a DVD and he can bring up a memory in a matter of seconds.
I think he is right in some sort of way. Christopher makes a good observation in the way that the mind is like a computer, but there are some flaws in his ideas that he can't comprehend. He can't process or understand emotion so he can't put that into his science. Computers can't feel pain,cry, be happy or have any sort of emotion as far as i know.
Christopher says that people's brains are similar to computers because they are "complicated machines." He also gives the analogy that inside a person's brain, there can be a screen much like a computer screen which can allow you to visualize multiple images. And a person can multitask in their mind much like a computer can; in other words, a person can look at certain objects while thinking of something else.
Christopher's statement connects with what we know about him--that he's not attached to his emotions, therefore he relies more on his brain, much like a computer.
I don't entirely agree with his statement because there's a part of your brain that is connected at all times to your emotions.
For example, you might visualize a group of your friends playing together. But not only is it an image of just people together, there's also an emotion that comes with it.
-Brizz<3♥
Christopher believes that peoples brains are a lot like computers because they store information a lot like computers do. He also talks about how inside a persons brain there can be a screen, just like in a computer screen, that allows you to visualize multiple images. Also computers and brains can multitask He also makes the connection between brains and computers and how they are both "complicated machines"
Christopher's statement connects with what we know about him, he's very logical and he doesn't believe in feelings very much because they're not logical. He says that feelings are just pictures on the screen which adds to the fact that he doesn't believe. Also When he found out his mother died, he did not react sad or act like he cared much at all. Instead he began trying to figure out how or why she had died.
I agree with him in when he says that peoples brains are not like computers but at the same time I disagree with him. I agree with him when he says that peoples minds are complex machines much like computers, because they are. The human mind is very complex and interesting, the way it works and what controls what, much like computers. I disagree with him because peoples minds are more complex then computers and then have feelings and are real living things that were not created by man, so they are much more complex and more amazing.
Summer Grace ❤
Christopher believes that peoples brains are computers because he believes that computers and brain's are both like complicated machines.
Christopher uses several example. One example he uses is when he's describing when we're reading, we actuly are blind for a nano second but we don't see it as being blind. When really there is a picture in our brain of what we are reading so it doesn't let us know that we are blind for such a short amount of time. Christopher also explains the meaning of a saccade. He was explaining his notion about being blind for a spit second but not realizing it.
This notion connects to Christopher because it shows him as a person in one really big way. It shows that he is smart and knowing.
Christopher believes in the absolute and the absolute for him is science. And science, which can supply an absolute for everything else, can’t find any reason for the creation of humans except for chance. There was no“ divine” intervention, no creation of man in God’s image—this is just a story that humans want to believe. Christopher, who fully believes in science, cannot believe in God so he feels that science must be right, and that the accidental creation of intelligent life is unlikely.
Christopher names three conditions that explain the “accident” of human life. It all started with the big bang theory that explains the creation of the universe, and our planet. Then, life on the planet evolved. The three conditions of the theory of evolution are—replication, mutation and heritability. After the big bang animals started to replicate which is to create another animal with the same DNA. Then there were some mutations and the mutants that had beneficial attributes lived on and the rest died out. Also there is heritability, which is when the mistakes or accidents that result from mutation get passed down.
I think the big bang theory and the theory of evolution, even though accidental, don’t go against Christopher’s psychology. The big bang theory doesn’t have a pattern—it’s just a guess about what happened billions of years ago. And, with evolution, there is a lot of support. The “pattern” of evolution is that everything will continue to change because of mutations and the heritability of useful mutations. Christopher is probably right that the pattern in these accidents will probably result in beings that will replace humans.
In chapter 163, Christopher compares computers and humans. I think that Christoper says that humans and computers are the same because he it comparing mostly to himself. Christopher is very isolated and can not other stand people very well. Computers are mostly logic and that is the way Christopher acts like a computer. He is just putting the pieces toether thinking like computers use visuals, words, and some time voice to show things all these things humans do,so Christopher just assumes because we have the same quality as a computer. Christpoher does not really look at the bigger picture. Humans are very different then computers because we have a emotions, and we are complicated in a different way then computers are.
I think that Christophers brain is like a computer because of the patterns that he has made with numbers, science, etc. I think that Christopher is a very smart, which makes him like a computer. However, he also dosent have any feelings, which makes him more like a computer. Its almost as if he is a robot. I think that Christophers Aspbergers Syndrome has made a great impact on his life. I think that Christopher's syndrome's 'effects' like knowing all the prime numbers or being intelligent about certain things has made him happy. I think that if Christopher didnt have Aspbergers, he would not have been where he is right now. I think that if he knew his mother was alive through the letters, he would have been extremely depressed that his father kept this secret from him.
--Emma Francesca Zita ♥
Christopher states that the mind is just like a complicated machine. he says that we believe hat were are looking out into the worl through our eyes and seeing things, as if there was a person inside of our heads. but in fact this is not true,. we are not looking out through windows and seeing things with our eyes, christopher believes that in fact, we are onmly loking at a screen, like a computer screen. He also talks about how the brain rests for small peroids of time in order to flick from one object or place to another when using sight.This notion connects to what we know about christopher because he needs an explanation for everything. Saying that brains are like computers is reassuring to him because computers have a lot of structure and can be made. But i do not agree with him. Not only do humans have feelings and computers do not, humans also can not be predicted while computers have a software or program that lets them work. The brain is very coplicated and i can see the relation to the brain and a hard drive for the computer, but not a humn and a computer because i believe they are cmpletely different.
Christopher explains how peoples' minds use electrical currents to produce pictures which are actually memories. He explains how computers have memories as well but they are always there and they don't forget. I think in a sense Christopher doesn't understand that most people don't have a memory like him. I also think that he in a sense feels like a computer. He can remember the most outrageous things, he can do the most amazing mathematical problems, but he can't do some of the simplest things in life like socialize and love and many many other things.
pablo
When talking about the similarities between people’s brains and computers, Christopher says that people’s brains are like computer screens. He also references a TV series he watched called, “How the Mind Works”. Christopher believes these types of subjects are not complex and are just like what he reads or hears. I don’t really agree with him, I believe human brains are more complex than computers. I’m still wondering whether or not if a computer’s exceeds our mental capacity.
My head hurts today, sorry if it doesn’t make sense.
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