I will keep slogging along on the track I am on, and Numenta, on it’s track.
I assume that they will cross over at some point.
I will keep up with the forum and help the nubies as I have been doing.
I am still onboard with HTM as described with the BAMI paper.
Were we diverge (Numenta and me) is the understanding of the distribution of object representation.
At this point I see Numenta looking with a laser focus on the single column and trying to explain as much of known behavior as possible with a local mechanism.
I have the different insight that this is a cooperative process between the various maps and in streams of connections. I see that this allows a much simpler local function and also see many connections to papers that I have read about this distribution of function.
Some of my foundation beliefs that drive this viewpoint:
- The contribution of the subcortical structures in selecting behavior. (My dumb boss/smart advisor model)
- The three streams paper is the closest to what I think happens in training the hierarchy.
- I also really like Randall O’Reilly’s take on the prediction model in L5; it compliments HTM.
- That the web of map interconnections is critical to understanding individual map functions.
- The basic Global Workspace mechanism in connecting the need state to the perceived state.
- My model of consciousness based on cortical connections, primarily the Arcuate fasciculus
- The basic model of the hippocampus as a one-day buffer for personal experience
- The contribution of subcortical structures in adding affective behavior guided by the amygdala.
- That this affectively seasoned personal experience is transferred to the cortex in sleep
- Most likely using spike timing learning.
- That the basic HTM model is the best description of the local cortical computation and state transition.
- That “thinking” is sequences of motor commands directed to maps.
- That the cerebellum is important for guiding sequential actions inside the brain. (in addition to the usual motor actions driving the body)
- That human speech is a learned motor action (generation AND perception)
- That the learned motor programs of speech form many of the functions attributed to “higher mental actions.”
I see these as interlocking and forming a fairly complete model of human cognition.
When these are considered as a whole the local function of the cortical column is fairly well constrained