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Live in Computer

Imagine a program that simulates all the connections between 100 billion neurons in your brain. Then the program is put in a Lego robot. Yes, now you have a robot equivalent. Sounds like BS? But the OpenWorm project recently announced that they did what I just told you, but only on a worm whose brain contains 302 neuron. They posted a video of the Lego worm. Notice that the worm robot, seemingly stopping and backing like a stupid robot that children play for fun, actually interacts with the environment, like the real one in water. In other words, the robot has the mind of a normal worm. The robot, unlike the artificial intelligence (AI), is created by nature but only cataloged and transferred to a robot.

Here is another video that shows the simulation of the worm in computer.

It was insane to say that human mind can be uploaded into a robot. Now, with the groundbreaking project of Lego worm, it only becomes ridiculous to say the same thing. But the speed of technology development is always an exponential curve. It took around 10 years for the OpenWorm project to succeed, but it is only the starting point. Just like the computer, whose development in the beginning was desperately slow and disappointing , comparing to today's computer. In short, the coming of Lego human will be much faster than we expect. Those sci-fi movies which look impossible may turn true before the end of this century.

Suppose everything of your brain is finally uploaded to a robot, and now you have Lego twin. He or she shares the same traits with you, not only the innate traits but also the acquired traits, because your Lego twin has the same genome and memory as you. This raises a ton of interesting philosophic questions. Can we say you reach digital immortality? Since it is the Lego you who is immortal but not you. Since the robot knows everything you know, including those secrets that you never want to share with anybody, what are you going to do with the Lego you. To deactivate the robot? The Lego you, as you, knows what you think, don't want to die for sure and will probably fight back, which you will realize too. Now, it becomes that you have to turn the Lego you off before he or she kills you.

No one knows what will happen when simulation of human brain becomes possible. Nonetheless, keep your eyes on the newly development of AI and computer science. An unprecedented storm is brewing.

Sleeping & Studying

You did not wanna sleep because you had a test tomorrow, but you never read your textbook or reviewed your note until you have to. Finally until 11:30 pm, only 100 pages were left, and you were tired and sleepy. Should you give up and sleep or keep reading? This question only stayed in your mind for few second before you dismissed it and guzzled another cup of coffee.

Sounds familiar? It happens to many students or people who were students. Today I am not here to appeal you to stop procrastination and live a happy life, since I actually don't know how to do it. Of course, it will be much better if you can plan your time properly. But when you decide to burn the candle at both ends, there is a better way to burn it.

According to an article from Harvard Medical School website, sleeping is important to memory. Sleep deprivation reduces your ability to study. This fact is known by many people. So let me tell you something you may not know.

If you are studying for a test, stop cramming to midnight. Here is a better way: study until 11 pm and sleep normally, then wake up early in the morning, depending on how many hours you need. The reason is that different types of memory are related to different stages of sleep. Formation of memory of basic fact knowledge happens in early stage, which is the stage that you need to consolidate what you study for a day.

Maybe next time you should go to bed earlier and get up earlier.

Nonetheless, this trick doesn't really work that well, according to my experience. Studying a little bit everyday is much better than cramming a huge chunk of information, which you can go to my last post for information about spacing study.

For more information and specific explanation, go for this video.

Spacing and Interleaving: counterintuitive way of study

Have you ever tried to cram 100 pages of textbook at the night right before history test? Or recite all those complicated Calculus formulas 3 hours before the quiz? I have. It just seems so reasonable to put all the work, spend few hours or a whole day, and finish it together. Doesn't it?

However, researches have showed that this is not how our brains work. Here are two of  those principles that researches find efficient for students to apply on subjects such as science, and art.


NO.1 Space your study time

If you have a test next week, you'd start to review right now and plan your study time evenly throughout the 7 days. Seemingly a clique, starting early is based on the findings demonstrated by years of research. When spending same amount of time, you wait longer between two sessions of studying. According to Williams College psychologist Nate Kornell, PhD, his research paper proposes that spacing is much more efficient than cramming. The more time you space between two period of study, the more you forget, and therefore the more reinforcement of your memory when you review again, though a really long break will be negative to memory.


NO.2 Interleave your subjects

It is common sense that students focus on one subject at a time, which seems to be more organized and concentrated. However, Robert Bjork, PhD, a psychologist in UCLA, thinks differently. His research paper which discusses the effect of interleaving points out that interleaving, by pushing students to distinguish the differences and similarities between two or more subjects, improves memory significantly.

In general, both spacing and interleaving enhance the long-term memory of students. For more information, check out the article from American Psychological Association that introduce even more surprising and useful principle for study.