Communication with Russians in Corporate Discourse Format

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LANGUAGE AND REASONING IN HUMANS AND OTHER
ANIMALS Tatiana Chernigovskaya St. Petersburg
State University Part VII
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• Penrose (1994) The main difficulty in
  describing (to say nothing of modeling)
  computation taking place in the brain is that
  such procedures are of a descending nature as the
  rules are already there. But there also are
  ascending algorithms when the rules are not yet
  there, and the system is self trained, becoming
  more and more effective while its experience
  grows. The rules in this case are constantly
  changing . The best example of such computations
  is seen in artificial neuronal nets..

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• Coming back to Nature vs. Nurture in connection
  to language I would argue that the discussion is
  probably taking place around descending vs.
  ascending computations in the brain totally
  descending nativistic paradigm of generativists
  vs. totally ascending connectionistic. On the
  other hand only principles (in generativist
  context) are descending while parameters come
  from the input and thus are ascending, which
  makes the whole system much more complex.
• It should also be stressed that some layers of
  language are not computable.
• And that there are firm and mild (plastic)
  connections not only in the mind but in the brain
  itself

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So Why not linguistically-born
but socially developed?Why the brain is not a
computer?
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Einstein and Gödel, Princeton, New Jersey
Relativity Incompleteness theory reminds us
that the brain and mind are much more complex
than the subjects that study them the paradox
that we have to live with
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• Our mind can not be modeled as a computer
• The importance of wide and narrow contexts for
  interpreting signs and discourse
• Fuzzy descriptions not diminishing the
  effectiveness of the understanding
• Frequencies and probabilities are not obligatory
  of the same value for the brain as they are for
  the computer
• The use of different algorithms in different
  trials for the same task

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• All the RH and subconscious activities are not
  computable we have TWO computers in the brain
  digital and analogue
• The psych needs rest laughter, humor and
  carnival - when all the rules of logic, morality
  and fear are temporary cancelled
• Only unpredictable associations and steps cause
  creativity! You can not plan the discovery
• Mind is not a random-number generator!

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• TO CONCLUDE
• We all know about LAD the language instinct of
  S. Pinker that was announced to be our species
  specific evolutionary achievement
• Any more instincts to follow?
• - Moral ? (FMB vs FMN) (Hauser)
• - Laughing ?
• - Football ?
• - Wine-making ?

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• THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION !

THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION !