Re: How many differences, categories?

From: Edgar Svendsen (solon013_at_earthlink.net)
Date: 03/25/05 

Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2005 20:14:46 GMT

"Just Playing" <gms2004@lycos.com> wrote in message
news:1111757787.291785.167600@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
> If through categorization our brain analyzes the information perceived
> how many differences, categories are too many before it has to pack
> them together?
> IMO the best way is to find the relationship between the categories,
> find the function, equation that allows to pack and unpack them without
> losing any differences or categories and this is what I consider as
> intelligence.
> OTOH if the amount of information is overwhelming or there is no easily
> distinguishable relationship between the categories, they will be
> packed together using other functions or inequations. The concepts
> created this way will not allow a bijective mapping or a true picture
> of the information perceived and will distort it.
> My question is how much information is overwhelming, how many
> categories or differences are too many before our brain combines
> together unrelated categories ?
>
> JP
>
Isn't this a function of the time spent? If I perceive a forest, there are
too many trees to categorize them all in a single glance. But if I rent a
cabin and walk in the forest every day for a year or two I can get to know
every tree in the neighborhood individually. What I know after the year or
two was overwhelming at that first look.

Do you mean how many different categories can a man learn in a lifetime? I
don't have a number but it's a lot.

Ed

Relevant Pages

  • Re: How many differences, categories?
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  • How many differences, categories?
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    (sci.cognitive)