Brain and Computer Information
Processing: Some Implications
Brian Whitworth IIMS, Massey University,
Albany, Auckland, New Zealand
http://brianwhitworth.com/papers.html
The brain is an information processor
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Uses electricity
Neurons are on/off devices
Uses logic gates (threshold effect )
Has input/output
• Processing
– 10 billion neurons per head – more than the people
in the world, or the stars in our galaxy
– 100 million MIPS (168,000 MHz Pentium)
© 2007 Brian Whitworth
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How they evolved
• 50 million years
of evolution
© 2007 Brian Whitworth
• 40 - 60 years design
and innovation
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A different type of processor
Computers find hard what
people find easy:
– Pattern recognition
– Intelligent conversation
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Visual ambiguity
Language
Spatial processing
Context changes
Self-reference
© 2007 Brian Whitworth
A 3 year old can recognize these Letraset
“A”s but computers struggle to do this
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3lbs of “wetware”
As yet, no computer-controlled robot
could begin to compete with even a
young child in performing some of
the simplest of everyday activities:
such as recognizing that a colored
crayon lying on the floor at the
other end of the room is what is
needed to complete a drawing,
walking across to collect that
crayon, and then putting it to use.”
(Penrose, 1994, p45)
“Wetware” vs Hardware
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Von Neumann design
Von Neumann designed computer
central processing as follows:
1. Control: Centralized
2. Input processing: Sequential
3. Output processing: Exclusive
4. Storage: by location
5. Initiation: Input driven
6. Self processing: Minimal
Information processing need not work this way!
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1. Decentralized control
• Computer:
– Processing comes from/returns to a central
processing unit (CPU) (which can delegate to sub-processors)
– CPU gives control – system knows where it is up to
– If the CPU fails, the whole system fails (“hangs”)
• Brain:
– Distributes control among autonomous subsystems
– Much more difficult to do
– Neural democracy vs. transistor autocracy
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Not this way:
All input to a
central point?
A brain “CPU”?
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But this way …
• In most people
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Left hemisphere processes language
Right hemisphere processes space
Left hemisphere controls right side
Right hemisphere controls left side
• 800 million nerve corpus callosum
connects the hemispheres
At the highest (cortex) level, the
brain shares control between two
autonomous hemispheres
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Example: Visual processing
• Each hemisphere gets half
the visual field
– Left visual field (both eyes) --> RH
– Right visual field (both eyes) --> LH
• Cutting the corpus callosum
in seriously epileptic patients
gives a “Split Brain” patient
Hemispheres share
visual processing
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“Split” brain patients
• Right hand points to right field
(Chicken foot  Hen)
• Left hand responds to left field
(Snow
 Shovel)
• Speech (LH) reports a chicken foot
• Asked why the left hand (RH)
chose a shovel, a subject said:
– “The shovel cleans up after the
chickens”
Conclusion:
Hemispheres are autonomous
but support a unitary “self”
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2. Massively parallel processing
• Computer:
– Processes input instructions one
after another, very quickly
– Computer “parallel” port has 25 lines
• Brain:
– Processes slower but with massively
parallel mechanisms
– Optic nerve has over a million fibres
from retinal data processing
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Slow neurons – fast responses
• Neuron rate: 1,000 per second
• Computer rate
1,000,000,000/sec
• Humans recognize faces &
read sentences in 1/10th sec,
faster than computers
• If brain processing were
sequential, that is pattern
recognition in 100 lines of code!
© 2007 Brian Whitworth
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The one second response
• Who is this?
– Incomplete
– Angle
– No context
Results of online poll
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A bit longer …
• Who is this?
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3. Multi-level output processing
• Computer:
– Locks output channels,
- network printer documents don’t come out interleaved
– Databases avoid the double lock deadly embrace
– Updates over-write old programs with new ones
• Brain:
– Overlays old systems with new ones
– Old systems stay
• As backups
• As first responders
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The case of Phineas Gage
• A speeding iron rod
smashed the middle and
left lobes of his cerebrum
• Within minutes was
conscious and speaking
• Showed disturbed
behavior
• Lived for 13 years, died of
unknown causes
Don’t try this with your
computer!
© 2007 Brian Whitworth
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Use the force Luke …
• “Blind” patients catch a ball
• Newborn babies “swim” in
water (but older ones sink)
• Brain damage subjects can’t
speak but can swear & sing
• People don’t “know” what
they know!
New Sub-System
Engages
Inhibits
Old Sub-System
Sensors
Effectors
Older systems still active
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4. Access by content
• Computer:
– Location based information storage
works like a filing cabinet
– One computer “fact” per place
– Can report “memory full”
• Brain:
– Access by content stores
information in the connections
– Over 1015 interconnections allows
about 100,000,000 megabytes
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A lifetime of memories
• Virtually unlimited
capacity - no “brain
full”
• Losing a neuron does
not lose a fact!
• Imperfect recall
• Access by any feature
- a database indexed
on every field!
© 2007 Brian Whitworth
The answer
to all these
and many
other
searches
may be the
same
memory
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Massive interconnection
The mass of processes, structures and interactions
possible within this [maze] beggars both description and
mathematization. The fascination is almost akin to terror
… (Rose, 1976)
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5. Process driven
• Computer:
– Input driven (IPO):
input -> processing -> output
– System passive to input
• Brain:
– Process driven (POI) (as well):
processing -> output -> input
– People without input are bored
– And hallucinate under sensory
deprivation i.e. create input
– People have active goals
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Input vs Process driven systems
Input**
Output
Environment
Processing
Environment
Processing**
Output
Input
Behaviorist
Constructivist
Real world stimuli define
behavior
We create/construct “a” world
not the world
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Brain is process driven (as well)
• POI systems can alter their input:
– Retinal signals --> LGB --> visual cortex
– More nerves go back the other way!
– The brain is not just an input processor
• Lets the brain handle context effects:
– 1. Every statement is a lie
– 2. Rule #1 applies to #1
• People can anticipate, expect, imagine
and seek what has never occurred
Kanizsa’s triangle
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6. Self-Processing
• Computer:
– “Clever” Mr. Clippy used
Bayesian logic but was
unaware of himself
– Analyzed your actions but
not his own actions
– Not “smart” enough to
recognize rejection
• Brain:
– Recursively processes its
own processing
– People can have a selfconcept, and can think
about their thinking
© 2007 Brian Whitworth
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Social interaction requires a “self”
• The “ego” self-concept
strongly affects behavior
• Groups give members a
ready-made “identity”
• Self-processing lets us
answer social questions
like:
– Who am I?
– Who are you?
– Who are we?
© 2007 Brian Whitworth
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“Risky” information processing
Brain’s processing tactics:
1. Decentralized control
2. Massively parallel input processing
3. Multi-level output
4. Storage by interconnectivity
5. Process driven interaction
6. Self-processing
Responds in real time, to complex,
ambiguous and incomplete
information, with both fast and
considered responses, to conditions
that continuously change over time,
and include other same-type systems
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A different type of processor
“Computers are no real competition
for the human brain in areas such
as vision, hearing, pattern
recognition and learning. … And
when it comes to operational
efficiency there is no contest at all.
A typical room-size supercomputer
weights roughly 1,000 times more,
occupies 10,000 times more space
and consumes a millionfold more
power …”
© 2007 Brian Whitworth
An excellent
design for its
environment
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HCI Design implications
1. Manage user web site attention
e.g. Where do users look?
2. Engage many input channels
e.g. multi-media design
3. Support multi-level responses
e.g. consider first impressions like border contrast
4. Support knowledge associations
e.g. hypertext allows idea links
5. Provide feedback flow, e.g. games
6. Remember past interactions, e.g. s/w agents
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Feedback example (point #5)
• Students who struggle to
“input” a textbook for an hour
• Can easily spend 4 hours
building imaginary
civilizations or battling
imaginary enemies,
i.e. playing a game
• Because …
• Actively driving a feedback
loop is naturally rewarding
© 2007 Brian Whitworth
Interactive games are addictive!
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System performance levels
4. Community Level
3. Human Level
2. Data/Information Level
1. Mechanical/
Physical Level
Hardware
System
Software
System
HCI
System
SocioTechnical
System
Each level requires a different type of processing
© 2007 Brian Whitworth
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Computer Utopia?
4. Group Level
3. Human Level
2. Data/Information
Level
1. Mechanical/
Physical Level
Computer
Hardware
Computer
Software
Computer
AI Agent
Computerized
Society
Technology Progress
Computers will do everything we do but better
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Or socio-technical progress?
4. Group Level
3. Human Level
Human
Assistant
2. Data/Information
Level
1. Mechanical/
Physical Level
Computer
Hardware
Virtual
Social
Environment
Computer
Software
Socio-Technical Progress
After level #2, computers work with people
© 2007 Brian Whitworth
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Kim Peek – The real Rain Man
• Kim Peek inspired the movie Rain
Man, is:
– Neurally disabled
– Knows every word on every page of
over 9,000 books
• Disabled savants can calculate 20
digit prime numbers in their head, but
need full time caretakers
• Are computers the electronic
equivalent of Rain Man?
• Did nature already try the computer
way, and move on?
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Killer app reality check
Killer App
Main Human Role
Main Computer Role
Email
Create conversation
Information transfer
Blogs
Expression
Information display
Wikipedia
Create knowledge
Version control and revert
E-bay
Trade
Calculate reputation ratings
Hypertext
Make associations
Connect links
Social Networks
Make friends
Open communication channels
Chat
Group conversations
Append to text stream
Browser
Gather information
Display and link URLs
Online games
Play game
Connect players to the game
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STS Categories
• -- Information Management Systems: Browsers, Search
engines, ListServs, Web-crawlers, Portals
• -- Human Expression Systems: Home pages, Virtual
museum/art gallery,Online music publishing, Online
books/journals, E-zines, Blogs, Online news
• -- Interpersonal Relation Systems: Email, Internet phone (e.g.
Skype),Video-phone and conferencing, Instant messages,
Chat, Social networking, texting
• -- Group Interaction Systems: Wikis, Bulletin boards, Group
writing systems, Collaborative tools, Commenting systems,
Online voting, E-governance, Online leadership, Online norms,
Communities of Action, Group membership systems, Online
democracy, Communities of Practice, Online multi-player
games, Online cooperatives
© 2007 Brian Whitworth
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STS Categories
• - Trade and Business Systems: Electronic markets,
Recommender systems, Enterprise information systems, Job
markets, Work flow systems, Web-bots (buyer/sellers), Enduser license agreements (EULA),Online barter systems, RFID
systems
• -- Health Support Systems: Diagnostic support systems,
Patient record systems, Out-patient support systems, Patient
empowerment systems
• - Learning Support Systems: Online learning systems,
Asynchronous Learning Systems, E-learning practices, Help
agents, Video teaching, FAQ's and Help-boards, Training and
tutorial systems
• - Anti-social systems: Spyware, Phone-home systems,
Spam, Unwanted software installs, Spoofing, Phishing,
Identity theft, Hacking tools
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Some examples
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Social bookmarks and tags:
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Wikis
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Myspace http://www.myspace.com/
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/sitetour/homepage.php
Youtube http://youtube.com/
Electronic markets
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Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki
Tiddlywiki http://www.tiddlywiki.com/
Social networks
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Delicious http://del.icio.us/
Digg http://digg.com/
Amazon )books) http://www.amazon.com/
Monster (jobs) http://www.monster.com/
E bay http://www.ebay.com/
Craig’s list http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites.html
Discussions
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Slashdot http://slashdot.org/
Hardware Reviews http://www.anandtech.com/
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More examples
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Electronic learning
– WebCT (now Blackboard) http://www.webct.com/webct/
– Moodle http://moodle.org/
– Webboard http://www.webboard.com/
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Blogs and Newsfeeds
– Andrew Sullivan http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/
– Chinese NZ news http://www.skykiwi.com/
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Software
– Browsers/email - Mozilla http://www.mozilla.org/
– Winzip http://www.vodahost.com/winzip.htm
– Antivirus – AVG http://free.grisoft.com/doc/2/
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Emails
– Gmail https://mail.google.com/
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Free storage
– Mediamax http://www.mediamax.com/
– Flickr (photo sharing) http://www.flickr.com/
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Online banking/investing
– Kiwibank http://www.kiwibank.co.nz/
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STS systems impact politics & business
• China blocks Utube on Tibet rioting?
http://www.news.com/8301-
10784_3-9895277-7.html?tag=nefd.pulse
• Barrack Obama’s myspace page
• Trade me blocked by Massey?
http://www.trademe.co.nz/
© 2007 Brian Whitworth
http://www.myspace.com/barackobama
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