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mcrepeau's picture

Redundancy in the System

Yes, these are very interesting points concerning the "hardwiring" of the brain so to speak. One of the most interesting aspects of neruological hardwiring in my opinion is the amount of redudancy in neurological connections that allow the body to compensate and continue to functioin at a normal level (or slightly reduced level) even when, as Cailtin mentioned below, a significant portion of even the body's control center is removed. When speaking of this redudancy I am also compelled to comment on the current model we have have the brain, i.e. we have exteranl sensory linked inputs and outputs, nervous system generated inputs and outputs (inputs and outputs that spontaneously start and stop due to leaky connections and of course I-Functioned controlled inputs and outputs) but we have not discussed the redundancy/reoccurrence of inputs and outputs and how many of our boxes are producing the same signal simultaneously and over and over, or else are capable of taking over the work of other boxes if they should become incapable of function (does this mean neurons can change the proteins that they are equipped with in order to interpret differently the inputs and outputs they receive?). Redundancy in the mechanics of the living organism are found on every level of organization from genetic redundancy to cellular function redundancy and so on (even up to behavioral redudancy in the whole organism), alluding to the obeservation that redudancy is biologically beneficial.

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