Safe optimization

[Mark Biggar]

In article <408 at proxftl.UUCP> bill at proxftl.UUCP (T. William Wells) writes:
>Well, since we are bandying about concepts without any real
>reference to reality, let me toss this possible reason at you:
>computers are discrete devices, the brain is (or at least might
>be) a continuous device.

I think that it is easy to demonstrate that the brain IS a discrete
device.  Nerve impulses are transmitted across the synaptic gaps
using certain neuro-transmitter molecules.  Since a fraction of a molecule
is nonsence, the brain is a discrete device.  Given that electric changes
and even energy are quantized, I am willing to take the position that
all realizable material devices are discrete.  There are no such things
as continuous devices (at least in this universe).

Mark Biggar
{allegra,burdvax,cbosgd,hplabs,ihnp4,akgua,sdcsvax}!sdcrdcf!markb
markb at rdcf.sm.unisys.com