The central assumption in Hebb’s theory is that the basic unit of learning in the neocortex is the neuron. The pattern recognition theory of mind that I articulate in this book is based on a different fundamental unit: not the neuron itself, but rather an assembly of neurons, which I estimate to number around a hundred. The wiring and synaptic strengths within each unit are relatively stable and determined genetically—that is, the organization within each pattern recognition module is determined by genetic design. Learning takes place in the creation of connections between these units, not
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