Mathematical Tractability of Neural Nets

[Matthew Turk]

>
>  Not only is it the right time, but whether you like  it  or not, it is
>  already happening!  Significant advances have already been made in the
>  use  of neurobiological and  psychophysical  data in models of vision,
>  cognition, motor control and speech.  
>
>  (O)((O))(((              slehar at bucasb.bu.edu              )))((O))(O)

I hate to be a naysayer, but this sounds a bit too optimistic to me.
I think the point was that neurobiologists don't know as much about
the workings of the brain as connectionists often think (or hope, or
tell others) they do -- the example given was language areas.  I think
we should be conservative in our claims, in any scientific endeavor,
as to "significant advances".

Perhaps this is a good forum to discuss in house just what we think
are currently the advances and gaps in connectionist models of vision,
cognition, motor control, and speech.  Since this is basically a
"closed" group, we can affort to honestly point out shortcomings, and
not just hype the field.


	Matthew Turk
	MIT Media Lab			turk at media-lab.media.mit.edu
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