Brain works more like internet than 'top down' company
The brain appears to be a vastly interconnected network much like the Internet, according to new research.
That runs counter to the 19th-Century "top-down" view of brain structure.
In more brain news... here we have new research that likens brain structure to a network rather than something top-down.
I'm a bit surprised that the top-down model has survived for so long in neuroscience...
Playing at being a brain
It was interesting to read Jaron Lanier, in the New York Times, referring to Clay Shirky talking about twitter as a kind of global mind...
In one recent example, Clay Shirky, a professor at New York University’s Interactive Telecommunications Program, has suggested that when people engage in seemingly trivial activities like “re-Tweeting,” relaying on Twitter a short message from someone else, something non-trivial — real thought and creativity — takes place on a grand scale, within a global brain. That is, people perform machine-like activity, copying and relaying information; the Internet, as a whole, is claimed to perform the creative thinking, the problem solving, the connection making. This is a devaluation of human thought.
That reminds me of my somewhat provocative talk at the Twitter Developers Nest last year: You are a Neuron, which was a thought experiment and chat about our individual messaging of short messaging on twitter adding up to the beginnings of a global mind of sorts.
I'm thinking I need to go deeper with that talk, specifically to tease out some of the interesting aspects of how we learn to work together in a connected social system to do things like share and filter links for each other. At an individual level, sharing a few links with followers seems simple enough, but can we express that as some kind of intelligent filtering function.
But enough of that. Jaron Larnier's article is well worth a read; as a part of the ongoing discussion about what is Artificial Intelligence. And especially to red about the unsettling thought (or rumour) that Google is scanning all those books not just for human search, but to feed to a big artificial intelligence...
Great Scrum Master training in Brighton
Many, many thanks to Mat Walker for organising Certified Scrum Master training in Brighton that I just did.
It was two full days of interesting material, ideas and practical activities, skillfully presented by Nigel Baker of Agile Bear, who kept it alive and fun. Scrum is intriguing, I was expecting something a lot more technical and exact, but Scrum comes across as human scale, pragmatic and full of common sense. These must be the right things for managing projects full of change.
Left me with a lot to think about and a desire to find a team and a project and try it all out.
And, good news, Mat is thinking about organising another course in Brighton. Sign up here for more information.
It was run at the new Skiff location in Gloucester Street, off the north lanes. Fantastic place.
Oh, yes, and I'm now a Certified Scrum Master.
Caroline Lucas' Maiden Speech
Instead, have a look at the video over at Caroline Lucas' website for video and text of the speech.
DEBill - The bad and the ugly and the good
I'm heading back to UK from March 15th
I'm heading back to the UK after a month and a bit in Australia, so will be back coworking and hanging out in the usual Brighton places, and looking forward to catching up with folk after this unexpected trip.
There are a few blog posts to add in here, they are queued up in development. I've been making notes but not really getting into finishing stuff off. They will come in their own good time.
buzz-ing
I'm having a play with Google buzz. Come and join the fun over at:
http://www.google.com/profiles/grasuth
I'm in Australia for most of Feb
I'm in Australia (Perth) for the next few weeks, due to family illness. I've swapped out my UK mobile for an Australian one, as I did over Christmas. That number is 0416 655 902. That's +61 416 655 902 in international 'plus' form.
Most likely I'll be here in Perth until the end of Feb or thereabouts, and then back in Brighton.
noise plus filters
Copenhagen climate change talks are last chance, says Gordon Brown | Environment | guardian.co.uk
Gordon Brown today warned that the world is on the brink of a "catastrophic" future of killer heatwaves, floods and droughts unless governments speed up negotiations on climate change before vital talks in Copenhagen in December.
This applies to the US as much as anyone, he said, adding that "there is no plan B", and that agreement cannot be deferred beyond the UN-sponsored Copenhagen conference.


