Brain complexity: essay on the complexity (Introduction)

by dhw, Thursday, March 24, 2016, 13:13 (2953 days ago) @ David Turell

DAVID: A review of how complex are the neurons themselves and their enormous connectivity:
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/the-singularity-and-the-neural-code/?WT...-Thank you for another intriguing article, and for taking so much trouble to select the juiciest sections. (I'm glad you edited out the business about the Singularity!) One point reminded me of something I have been meaning to ask you about for some time: -QUOTE: "Far from being stamped from a common mold, neurons display an astounding variety of forms and functions.”-I have found the following on the subject of stem cells, which also take on different forms and functions, and I am wondering if this may provide us with a clue as to how innovations work:-1.	Where Do Stem Cells Come From? Somatic vs Embryonic
http://lymphoma.about.com › Leukemia and Lymphoma Treatment/f-(This may not give the right link, but I don't know how else to do it.)-QUOTE: “…adult stem cells have been found in many organs and tissues, including brain, bone marrow, peripheral blood, blood vessels, skeletal muscle, skin, teeth, heart, gut, liver, ovarian cells, and testis.” -Even with your remarkable 3.8-billion-year computer programme for all innovations, the cells (including the neurons) will still have to cooperate. Without going into technical details, and bearing in mind that nobody knows how the process actually works, could you just tell me if you think it feasible that innovations come about physically by means of interaction (no matter whether preprogrammed or autonomous) between neurons and stem cells, with their ability to take on different forms and functions?