Subject: Re: An Auditory Illusion From: Christian Kaernbach <chris(at)PSYCHOLOGIE.UNI-LEIPZIG.DE> Date: Sun, 18 May 1997 21:11:10 +0200Dear Al, > But consider the following two cases: > 1. One sees a red ball on a blue table. > 2. One sees a blue ball on a red table. > According to a "node" theory, in both cases the nodes representing > red, blue, ball, on and table are activated. What then is the > difference? The two cases require a different arrangement of the > same ideas, but node-based theories cannot express this. The (now) "classical" solution to this problem is synchronicity, The cell assembly for RED and the cell assembly for BALL fire in synchrony if they are to express that it is the ball that is red. This idea dates back to the 70es (Christoph von der Malsburg, "A correlation theory of brain function", he actually cites someone from last century who had the same idea) but was confirmed only recently (1991 or so, Gray, Konig, Engel, Singer, in Nature: binding by motion). Christian --- Dr. Christian Kaernbach Institut fuer Allgemeine Psychologie Universitaet Leipzig Seeburgstr. 14-20 Tel.: +49 341 97-35968 (secr. 35960) 04 103 Leipzig Fax: +49 341 97-35969 Germany e-mail chris(at)psychologie.uni-leipzig.de