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> A recent study by Shadmehr and Holcomb [1997] may lend some
> interesting insight on how the brain learns. In this study, a
> positron emission tomography (PET) device was used to monitor

PET studies are in general irreproducible. I am working on  
a paper on the subject, and for it I did a survey of the 
PET and fMRI studies from the beginning of 1997. Of the ~80 
articles that I have already read, There isn't even a 
single case of a study reproducing a previous study.

> "learning" by the brain involves collection and storage of
> information prior to actual learning. As is well known, the
> fundamental process of learning involves: (1) collection and
> storage of information about a problem, (2) examination of the
> information at hand to determine the complexity of the problem, 
(3)
> development of trial solutions (nets) for the problem, (4) 
>testing of trial solutions (nets), (5) discarding such trial 
>solutions (nets) if they are not good enough, and (6) repetition 
>of these processes until an acceptable solution is found.  
>Real-time learning is not compatible with these learning 
>processes.

It is not at all 'well known' that the fundamental process
of learning involves what you say. You need some srgument
for this, rather than just asserting it. There are many
contrary examples, e.g a cat learning how to exit from a
cage by pulling a lever. This seems to be more relevant to
learning by animals, including humans.

> One has to remember that the essence of learning is 
>generalization.

This assertion is out of place. Learning is changing of
behaviour in a consistent and productive way  (by some
standard).

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