# Is Predictive Coding Falsifiable?

**URL:** <https://discourse.numenta.org/t/is-predictive-coding-falsifiable/10991>\
**Category:** Related Papers\
**Created:** [September 26, 2023, 12:42pm UTC](https://discourse.numenta.org/t/is-predictive-coding-falsifiable/10991 "2023-09-26T12:42:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**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:** [September 26, 2023, 12:42pm UTC](https://discourse.numenta.org/t/is-predictive-coding-falsifiable/10991/1 "2023-09-26T12:42:12Z")

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This paper pokes at one of the central parts of HTM theory.  
[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0149763423003731?via%3Dihub](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0149763423003731?via%3Dihub)

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**Author:** ![steve9773](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.numenta.org/steve9773/32/5649_2.png) [@steve9773](https://discourse.numenta.org/u/steve9773)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2023, 1:26pm UTC](https://discourse.numenta.org/t/is-predictive-coding-falsifiable/10991/2 "2023-09-26T13:26:01Z")

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Based on the abstract and intro (I don’t have access to the rest), I’m concerned that the paper is mixing up a couple things:

- “Falsifiable” versus “Falsifiable using EEG / MEG”
- “Predictive coding is one of the things that the thalamocortical system does” versus “Predictive coding is the _only_ thing the thalamocortical system does” versus “Predictive coding is a grand unified theory that explains everything in the entire brain”.

They do seem to talk about the second one, or at least something close to that:

> In this way, we seek to differentiate between two claims: 1) predictive coding explains a large part of the behaviour of the brain; and 2) predictive coding explains all of the behaviour of the brain. A positive response to the first of these seems difficult to argue against – there is a substantial extent to which the brain seeks to predict the world. This paper specifically considers whether the second of these claims is supported, or at least lays a foundation for how to empirically test it.

Anyway, my take is that predictive _processing_ is one of the main things that the thalamocortical system does, predictive _coding_ (in the traditional algorithmic sense) is much more specific than that and not centrally relevant to the brain (but probably shows up here and there), and the Friston-style “this is a grand unified theory of the whole brain, including each and every random obscure nucleus in the brainstem” is just baloney. More specifics here:

> **[Why I’m not into the Free Energy Principle — LessWrong](https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/MArdnet7pwgALaeKs/why-i-m-not-into-the-free-energy-principle)**
>
> 0. But first, some things I do like, that are appropriately emphasized in the FEP-adjacent literature
> \* I like the idea that in humans, the cortex (…

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**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:** [September 28, 2023, 11:49am UTC](https://discourse.numenta.org/t/is-predictive-coding-falsifiable/10991/3 "2023-09-28T11:49:16Z")

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Damian Cruse  
[  
@damiancruse  
 ](https://twitter.com/damiancruse)

Hi. The open access side is taking its time, so in the meantime you can download the accepted manuscript here: [https://damiancruse.com/\_files/ugd/38b](https://t.co/FOnYfy4Itj)