An Ocean of Neurons

It is evidently clear to readers of Douglas Hofstadter's work, especially in Fluid Concepts and Creative Analogies that he is a man of extreme passion for his work and has a liveliness about him that is quite refreshing.

With that said, his prologue of the above-mentioned book is quite informative. Although I related a great deal to his first chapter, the image he provides in the prologue of "flickering clusters" as an analogy to mental processes is extremely thought provoking. Perhaps I did not pay as much attention in chemistry class as Hofstadter did but his way of thinking about the mind makes perfect sense. As many scholars may refer to the mind as a stream of consciousness, he takes a look at what is making up that stream.

Many believe the mind to be a single unit operating for specific goals or even a compartmentalized structure with all parts working in unison. Hofstadter has supplied me with a new view of the mind: a jumble of parts that seem to play well together but may, at its base, be a beautifully chaotic mess. Looking at the beauty and consistency of the ocean, one might be inclined to suggest some purpose for it; some goal it is there to obtain. The same can be said for the beauty of human thought. It can appear to have some higher purpose like that ocean while both are made up of small parts, whether they are hydrogen and oxygen atoms or neurons, which can be chaotically interacting with each other.

Do these interactions take away any higher purpose or goal that the ocean or mind may have? I'm inclined to say of course not. Just because science can figure out how something works at the most basic level, that does not remove any mystery or allure but instead, should only add to it.

The Fluid Analogies Research Group (FARG) was a fantastic idea and I believe that Hofstadter and his colleagues have done a great deal for the field of cognitive science and science as a whole. By having these visual analogies they can attract a lot of attention to their research and the field because they are both interest grabbing and informative.