Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!vsi!friedl From: friedl@vsi.UUCP (Stephen J. Friedl) Newsgroups: comp.lang.c Subject: Re: Safe optimization Summary: An anecdote here... Message-ID: <745@vsi.UUCP> Date: 5 Jul 88 18:44:13 GMT References: <16271@brl-adm.ARPA> <408@proxftl.UUCP> <5368@sdcrdcf.UUCP> Organization: V-Systems, Inc. -- Santa Ana, CA Lines: 25 In article <408@proxftl.UUCP> bill@proxftl.UUCP (T. William Wells) writes: < ... computers are discrete devices, the brain is (or at least might < be) a continuous device. In article <5368@sdcrdcf.UUCP>, markb@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Mark Biggar) writes: < I think that it is easy to demonstrate that the brain IS a discrete < device. Nerve impulses are transmitted across the synaptic gaps < using certain neuro-transmitter molecules. Since a fraction of a molecule < is nonsence, the brain is a discrete device. Given that electric changes < and even energy are quantized, I am willing to take the position that < all realizable material devices are discrete. There are no such things < as continuous devices (at least in this universe). An anecdote along these lines: A friend and I were talking about hardware design. I have a very informal background, and as such am only really comfortable with building-block style digital design. My friend, who is an EE and uses analog a lot, says "If you're good, everything is analog, but if you're *real* good, everything is digital". Steve :-) :-) :-) :-) -- Steve Friedl V-Systems, Inc. (714) 545-6442 3B2-kind-of-guy friedl@vsi.com {backbones}!vsi.com!friedl attmail!vsi!friedl --------Nancy Reagan on Professor Chomsky: "Just say Noam" --------