Our brains learn and retain information through electric signals?

Question

ok so i might have this wrong but when we learn stuff doesn't our brain send some kind of electric signal in order for us to retain that information? so if that is the case, can't we say DOWNLOAD information like language,math, science etc. from a computer and some crazy setup into our brain through the use of electric signals in order for us to learn that information or topic in a short time rather then however it would take if it was to be learn through traditional methods? i know its a strange question but it just popped in my head all of a sudden and i been thinking bout it.

Answer 1

Actually, its a little more complicated than that. The brain uses electrical/chemical and quantum means to carry out its functions and activities. The brain is essentially a quantum computer which operates on principles very, very different than that of digital computers like the one we are using now.

It will be possible in the not so distant future to not only download data directly into the mind, but upload the mind into supercomputers and/or quantum computers.  It's on the horizon.

See: The Strange World of Quantum Entanglement

http://calitreview.com/51

Holographic Memory Device ... DNA

http://lifeos.wordpress.com/2008/06/08/h...

Biosystems as conscious holograms

http://www.emergentmind.org/PDF_files.ht...

See: The Mind Uploading Research Group (MURG)

http://minduploading.org/murg.html

A Cat's Eye Marvel

http://www.sabac.co.yu/e-zine/technology...

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There more, far more. Research human - computer interface.

Answer 2

technology hasn't advanced to that point yet because while we know which parts of the brain control different body functions and memory, we aren't able to manipulate those areas effectively.  

i recently read an article which described how a blind person was able to "see" patterns of light and dark when they had some kind of camera essentially "plugged in" to their brain.  it does this by sending electric signals which trick the brain.  the brain gets the signals which it thinks are coming from the person's eyes.  the scientists discovered which part of the brain control eyesight and can pinpoint it, but even now they don't have computers powerful enough to process what the camera sees and send the signals to the brain.  

i would imagine that the memory portion of the brain is a bit more complex than the part that controls vision since that part of the brain doesn't need to retain any information.  the memory portion of the brain must store that information...  if you think of the brain as a hard-drive (which it really isn't like at all), how would you know which part of the brain to put the "uploaded" information without deleting something else?  you just can't.

Answer 3

Learning and memory aren't by electric signal, but by structural changes in neurons and synapses, and by chemical conditioning.  We will need to learn a lot more about how the brain works before we can even answer whether anything like this might be possible some day.  It would be a nice shortcut to the educational process, if you could trust the programmer.