Finding the brains of a computer.

In today's society we tend to try and humanize everything. We gave the tin man a heart because we were afraid of a robot without compassion, we assign human emotions to our pets, and we have even given the computer "a brain!"

If you read articles or books that are an introduction to computing you will commonly find a reference to the CPU as the brains of a computer; but is this really a valid comparison?

If we think about what the brain does, even one inside an ant, it is able to receive data, store that data, determine the best course of action based on previous data (or make an assumption or "best guess" when there is no previous data) and set about the body to perform the needed action. The brain handles so many different functions that we do not even understand how it really works (which is the reason we have so many different medications for emotional and mental problems).

The CPU on the other hand, does one thing and does it well. It performs calculations on information and returns that to the software that requested the CPU get involved.

Now there is no doubt that the CPU does emulate one of the thousands of functions the brain does, hell, the CPU is usually a lot faster than the brain at this one specific task; but that is it. The CPU simply cannot do everything the brain does.

On the other hand, the entire PC does perform most of the functions that the brain does from storing information in short term (RAM) and long term (hard drive) memory to receiving input signals (5 senses vs. keyboard, scanner, mouse, etc) and returning output (vocal or body language vs. monitor, printer, etc).

Even in computers running artificial intelligence software it is the software that emulates thinking not the CPU, still this software is governed by a very simple set of rules while the brain allows us to bend or break the rules that have been applied to us the computer will most often obey the laws it has been given. (If we ignore Chaos theory and errors, the computer will always obey). Three Laws Safe!

The day the CPU becomes the brains of the computer is probably the last day any of us want to see given the results of 2001, Terminator, or I Robot. Until that day the only brain that we will find involved with a computer is the one stored comfortably between the ears of the person at the keyboard!