Database And Brain

Kenichiro Mogi, who is a brain scientist, explains how inspiration works in his book, "Hirameki-Nou".

"Hirameki" is an inspiration in Japanese, and "Nou" is a brain.

So what is "inspiration" at all?

It is a difficult question. So let's look at a couple of similar events first.

FOK, "Feeling Of Knowing".

FOK is an interesting feeling. "I think I know, but I don't know". If you don't know, how did you know that you know it!?

This is something a today's computer never does.

When you have FOK in a exam or something, you feel "emergency". "emergency" will produce "emergence". It is a kind of "inspiration".

Savant syndrome

There're people who have an unbelievable ability, called Savant syndrome. They can take a picture of something, as it is, exactly the same.

Paintings in Lascaux looks done by people with Savant syndrome. Or an acient people had Savant syndrome.

Human might have lost the ability for the sake of language.

But people with Savant syndrome are not good at communication. You can imagine the movie "Rainman".

Our brain can produce "meanings" out of our memories, which are interweaved by our experiences/learnings.

The ability to find "meanings" looks having a trade-off against the ability of "Savant syndrome".

Slow learnings

2+3=?

It is solved by fast learnings. Modern people are good at fast learnings, each of which has a clear process to solve based on a certain algorithm.

"Computer" is the typical outcome.

While "inspiration" can not be solved by fast learnings. It takes some time to get an inspiration. No one has no idea when it comes.

"Inspiration" requires slow learnings.

ACC and LPFC

ACC(Anterior Cingulate Cortex) is a watch tower in our brain, which is in frontal cortex. When we feel something like pain, ACC reacts at first.

ACC tells LPFC the event. LPFC stands for Lateral Prefrontal Cortex. Then, LPFC issues orders to related parts like "Take a rest" or "Do this immediately".

Blanks

It seems that our brain tries to fill blanks unconsciously. As if it is the purpose for them.

What are those blanks?

Looks like an inconsistency in one's own world out of all the experiences/learnings.

For example, Newton had been wondering "why doesn't the Moon fall down?". It is an inconsistency in his world.

Inspiration encouraged by blanks

Blanks are produced in a bottom up fashion unconsciously. They drive you to fill them.

It will create a certain environment/feeling similar to FOK.

Then, you will learn and experience a lot. They are slow learnings.

Someday, you'll get it, successfully being inspired. Or may not.

In this way, an inspiration is encouraged by blanks.

The mechanism to find "blanks" or an inconsistency is interesting. It can not only suggest an inconsistency, but also tell new findings.

A database that can suggest something has to recognize this kind of blanks, inconsistencies in its world. It is nothing but "inspiration".