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Anastasia Antoniadis

Early childhood Consultant, PA Early Intervention

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The computer - brain connection....with animals.

We have taught primates sign language. We have begun using computers to get the human brain to transmit simple communcation in persons who are neurologically compromised.
Can we use the computer - brain connection to get inside the thoughts of animals?

Related Talks:
Topics: Human communication Primate communication computer-brain connection
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  • Raj Bhakta

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    Jul 15 2011: Nueroscientistss and Computer Scientistshave already created a brain that has the computational power of some percentage of a cat's brain. This means that we are increasignly getting closer to AI. However, philospohical questions come into play like: will AI exhibit conciosness or self awaress?

    We even have AI that respond emotionally, like through XBOX KINECT. However, these AI are all limited by their algorithms or step by step instructions on how to interpret the data or information they recieve.


    As for your question in particualar about getting to know animals' thoughts: I think that's already being done by comparing brain activity various taskt.
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      Anastasia Antoniadis

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      Jul 19 2011: yes in a lab, we can see how animals can solve a problem (i.e., press the right lever for food) but....do they hold thoughts in their heads the way humans do? do they have emotion and at what level of conscieousness does that get captured?

      It's a curiosity for me.

      • Raj Bhakta

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        Jul 20 2011: Well from what I've learned in Psychology, studies with chimps and other primates have revealed that some animals do exhibit emotions of attachment and have various levels of temperaments indicating that they too have emotions.

        As for their levels of conciousness, that's a very murky question in my opinion since we are trying to compare other organisms to our "level of conciousness". We still don't have a very good model of how our conciousness works. However, it's a very HOT field in nueroscience right now and a LOT of studies and theories are being made.

        It's a good curisosity to have. I am quite fascinated with conciousness as well and how different organisms build their reality. It's really perplexing ...
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    Anastasia Antoniadis

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    Jul 11 2011: I am fascinated by communication...I would like to know how animals think, and especially what they think about humans...:)

  • Romeo Tabuman

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    Jul 9 2011: what r u looking for there? ;)
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