K-Lines: A Theory of Memory

Most theories of memory suggest that when we learn or memorize something, some "representation" of that something is constructed, stored and later retrieved. This raises questions like: How is information represented? How is it stored? How is it retrieved? Then, how is it use? This p...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Minsky, Marvin
Language:en_US
Published: 2004
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/5739
Description
Summary:Most theories of memory suggest that when we learn or memorize something, some "representation" of that something is constructed, stored and later retrieved. This raises questions like: How is information represented? How is it stored? How is it retrieved? Then, how is it use? This paper tries to deal with all these at once. When you get an idea and want to "remember" it, you create a "K-line" for it. When later activated, the K-line induces a partial mental state resembling the one that created it. A "partial mental state" is a subset of those mental agencies operating at one moment. This view leads to many ideas about the development, structure and physiology of Memory, and about how to implement frame-like representations in a distributed processor.