Computers Vs. The Brain

            In lesson 1 of this course we came upon a topic of computers and Cognitive Revolution. When computers first started to come about in different places like a University, researchers began to wonder the similarities of computers and the mind. How can the computer work similar to the mind? Both may be very different but do have a similar way of processing and storing information.

            The computer uses a binary code in order to store information that is processed and to also output information to the screen or to an outside source. The computers code is made up by programmers and so there is limited amount of information that can be processed and stored. But, the information that is programmed into the computer can be used to make a program work, to save data, and to output information for example, by printing (Goldstein, 2011).

            The mind uses a similar operation for processing and storing information for immediate use of later use. This information may not come from a code made up of programmers but comes from the environment and personal experiences. The brain stores the information in our memory to retrieve later (Goldstein, 2011).

            The computer and the brain have a similar operating system if put in a tech term. After searching the internet for an article on the mind and computers and how they may be similar I found an article from Psychology Today called, “Is the Brain a Computer?” by Berit Brogaard and Kristian Marlow. This article argues that the brain is like a computer because the brain functions with an input-output system like a computer does. But it is argued that, the similarity may not be the same computer in which we operate with on a regular basis but much like the computers system. The author argues that the brain does not necessarily run on digital system like a computer does because digital systems run on sequences of data with comes from a numbers programmed into the computer. The brain is run without programmed sequences but it does function like a computer in steps that involve input, responses, processing, storage, and output. This is much like what a computer does when we enter information and are looking to either store the information or output the information we enter (Brogaard & Marlow, 2012).

            The brain does function much like a computer does and because technology is booming research has been more common on this subject. The brain and computer might run in different ways but they operate in a very similar way. Information is entered into both the brain and a computer and is processed to be used then or at a later time. Our brain is very complex and technology is also becoming more and more complex and it is only fair to research their similarities as technology gets more advanced.

Brogaard, B. & Marlow, K. (2012, November 28). The superhuman mind. Is the Brain a Computer , Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-superhuman-mind/201211/is-the-brain-computer

 Goldstein, B. (2011). Cognitive Psychology: Connecting Mind, Research and Everyday Experience, 3rd Edition. Wadsworth, Inc.