# Continuous Online Learning

**URL:** <https://discourse.numenta.org/t/continuous-online-learning/6018>\
**Category:** Lounge\
**Created:** [May 16, 2019, 10:50pm UTC](https://discourse.numenta.org/t/continuous-online-learning/6018 "2019-05-16T22:50:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 12

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Bitking](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.numenta.org/bitking/32/3099_2.png) [@Bitking](https://discourse.numenta.org/u/Bitking)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2019, 7:19pm UTC](https://discourse.numenta.org/t/continuous-online-learning/6018/12 "2019-05-17T19:19:31Z")

</div>

The reference to supervision goes to the nature of the online learning. HTM online learns the delta against the contents of the memory where RL has to get some feedback if it is doing the right thing or not. The nature of what is learned by the HTM online learning is distinctly different. RL spoon feeds information from the trainer so I don’t see this a running unattended. HTM can be left to its own devices and learns purely off the data that is being fed to it. It is a different degree of “online” in the sense of an autonomous agent.

As far as the utility of what operation is performed - I agree to a certain point. HTM as it exists is not a complete system; it must be combined with something more to make it do something useful.

I violently disagree with your assertion that the priors are encoded in the cortex. I firmly believe that this is completely the realm of the old lizard brain. Cortex is a pure data sponge.

These two threads outline the broad strokes of what I think is necessary to harness the cortex algorithm into a functional system. There are many moving parts. Many of the details are not included; some are elucidated elsewhere, some are a work in progress.  
This is the “big picture” view:

> [@Basic system level diagram of the brain](https://discourse.numenta.org/t/basic-system-level-diagram-of-the-brain/5834):
>
> HTM seeks to model and understand what is going on in your head. I tossed this drawing together from memory so it is sure to be missing some connections. I skipped the thalamic connections all together as this was already a very complicated drawing. Also not shown are the connections between the limbic system and the stream passing through the brain stem and the cerebellum. These are important but not necessary to illustrate the basic cortical/limbic data flows. The blue maps are cortex compose…

It takes the accompanying posts to explain how the various blocks work.

This post is the broad strokes of what is in the orange block:

> [@Low level processing in the old brain](https://discourse.numenta.org/t/low-level-processing-in-the-old-brain/6008):
>
> I have posted several times offering that the lower-level control structures work something like a Boltzmann or Hopfield network. I would like to expand on this concept. Let’s start with the basics. In the brainstem processing, we have many body sensors that sample blood-based messengers such as [osmotic concentration](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmotic_concentration) or glucose levels. All of the body sensations also pass through these systems and provide additional information on the outside environment. It is the job of these low-level contr…

You demonstrate an analytical mind; I am interested in your criticisms of my thoughts on this.

---

_[View the full topic](https://discourse.numenta.org/t/continuous-online-learning/6018)._