# Use TD Learning (a real cortical algorithm?) and Hebbian Learning with NuPIC
**URL:** https://discourse.numenta.org/t/use-td-learning-a-real-cortical-algorithm-and-hebbian-learning-with-nupic/5141
**Category:** Numenta Theory
**Tags:** neuroscience
**Created:** [January 5, 2019, 1:13am UTC](https://discourse.numenta.org/t/use-td-learning-a-real-cortical-algorithm-and-hebbian-learning-with-nupic/5141 "2019-01-05T01:13:43Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Addonis](https://discourse.numenta.org/u/Addonis)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2019, 1:13am UTC](https://discourse.numenta.org/t/use-td-learning-a-real-cortical-algorithm-and-hebbian-learning-with-nupic/5141/1 "2019-01-05T01:13:43Z")
HTM Theory is trying to implement the algorithm in our brain. Can we see some of these things in HTM Theory/NuPIC that we observe the neocortex to be doing? Namely, Hebbian Learning and TD Learning?
very nice notes about classical conditioning in the human brain and its computational aspects: [https://www.princeton.edu/~yael/PSY338/5%20Classical%20Conditioning%20IV%20online.pdf](https://www.princeton.edu/~yael/PSY338/5%20Classical%20Conditioning%20IV%20online.pdf)
[https://www.princeton.edu/~yael/PSY338/6%20Classical%20Conditioning%20V%20online.pdf](https://www.princeton.edu/~yael/PSY338/6%20Classical%20Conditioning%20V%20online.pdf)
[https://www.princeton.edu/~yael/PSY338/4%20Classical%20Conditioning%20III%20online.pdf](https://www.princeton.edu/~yael/PSY338/4%20Classical%20Conditioning%20III%20online.pdf)
TD Learning has been observed in the brain:
> **[Dopamine, uncertainty and TD learning](https://behavioralandbrainfunctions.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1744-9081-1-6)**
>
> Substantial evidence suggests that the phasic activities of dopaminergic neurons in the primate midbrain represent a temporal difference (TD) error in predictions of future reward, with increases above and decreases below baseline consequent on...
It might be the actual cortical algorithm that Jeff Hawkins talked about in his book, since it’s literally the algorithm used for predictive learning in the brain.
TD Learning in the brain uses dopamine. Humans have much more dopamine than other apes which potentially lead to our intelligence.
> **[Dopamine may have given humans our social edge over other apes](https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/01/dopamine-may-have-given-humans-our-social-edge-over-other-apes)**
>
> The neurotransmitter might have helped spur the evolution of social intelligence
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### Author:  [@marty1885](https://discourse.numenta.org/u/marty1885)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2019, 2:29am UTC](https://discourse.numenta.org/t/use-td-learning-a-real-cortical-algorithm-and-hebbian-learning-with-nupic/5141/2 "2019-01-05T02:29:31Z")
Thanks for asking.
I’m not familiar with RL in HTM (Not many has implemented it). But I’m pretty sure SpatialPooler and TemporalMemory is Hebbian Learning.
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### Author:  [@dmac](https://discourse.numenta.org/u/dmac)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2019, 2:05pm UTC](https://discourse.numenta.org/t/use-td-learning-a-real-cortical-algorithm-and-hebbian-learning-with-nupic/5141/3 "2019-01-08T14:05:44Z")
You should read this thread: [HTM Based Autonomous Agent](https://discourse.numenta.org/t/htm-based-autonomous-agent/2701)
It combines Hebbian learning & TD learning.