# Any questions for Jeff?

**URL:** <https://discourse.numenta.org/t/any-questions-for-jeff/1965>\
**Category:** Numenta Theory\
**Tags:** community\
**Created:** [March 1, 2017, 4:05pm UTC](https://discourse.numenta.org/t/any-questions-for-jeff/1965 "2017-03-01T16:05:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 35

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**Author:** ![rhyolight](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.numenta.org/rhyolight/32/3922_2.png) [@rhyolight](https://discourse.numenta.org/u/rhyolight)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2017, 6:27pm UTC](https://discourse.numenta.org/t/any-questions-for-jeff/1965/35 "2017-03-13T18:27:06Z")

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> [@philp1](#):
>
> Is neuroscience still the only input into HTM theory?

I would say that neuroscience is **by far** the primary input. Of course we need to take shortcuts when appropriate to make software systems performant, which are informed by computer science.

> [@philp1](#):
>
> is it conceivable that insights gained from observing the application at work flow back into the core theory

Sure, I think we always try to do this. If an application that we expect to work based upon theory does not work, there is either a problem with the theory or the implementation. This is a normal part of the research cycle.

> [@philp1](#):
>
> I understand cortical computing is anticipated to replace some, if not most computation currently performed by Von Neumann machinery? Is there any proposal as to how this transition will be brought about?

We’ll have to wait and see how this plays out. We are interested in hardware implementations of HTM, but not really working on anything.

> [@philp1](#):
>
> Industries should liberally deploy armies of HTMs into their data streams without too much prior concern as to whether and what they will discover, and then harvest the results.

I totally agree that this will eventually happen. We are not focusing on it now because HTM models still have a high memory footprint. It would be very difficult to deploy tens of thousands of models in the cloud today.

> [@philp1](#):
>
> How does HTM plug into that? (the internet)

The internet is a rich playground for HTM systems with sensorimotor functions. Imagine all the ways in which humans traverse the Internet and take actions. It is rich with data and highly actionable. I think one of the first cool apps for sensorimotor functionality would be a kind of web crawler.

> [@philp1](#):
>
> Where is everyone. It’s like Numenta built a rocket that can fly to the moon and no one wants to ride it.

[Discussion continued here.](https://discourse.numenta.org/t/why-isnt-htm-mainstream-yet/2007/3)

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