Re: memory and improvisation

[Matthias Grob <matthias@grob.org>]

>At 5:39 PM -0500 9/26/01, jim palmer wrote:
>
>>i heard of a theory of memory where it acts like a pack of ten dogs.
>>you send the dogs out looking for the ball and they run out into
>>the woods, here and there, until one happily comes running back with it.

Richard wrote:

>My understanding of this metaphor is that the retrieval of memories 
>is a distributed task. A number of semiautonomous mechanisms (dogs) 
>are activated at once, but not all of them succeed in retrieving the 
>desired information. This certainly seems like what my brain might 
>be doing when I'm groping for stored information. I frequently put 
>my brain on "dredge" when I can't think of something (such as 
>someone's name) immediately. Most of the time it pops to the surface 
>later on, after I've stopped consciously trying.

right: I was tought once that its important to forget about the 
question to get the answer. While we show the dogs what the smell of 
the thing is, they cannot search for it. We have to let the dogs run!
Maybe looping technology helps to liberate the dogs... :-)
-- 


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