The messages from Bill Walthall defending the text on his web-site,
exactly the way I got them. They include my own message to which he
responds. He clearly does not believe in the statement on his home
page: 

<blockquote>
Nervous systems, like computers, rely on their components to be
 precisely connected.

</blockquote>


<a href="neuropages.html#walthal">back</a> 
<p>

<pre>


Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 14:05:05 -0500
Subject: Re: Specificity of neural connections
From: Bill Walthall &lt;biowww_panther.Gsu.EDU>
To: Yehouda Harpaz &lt;yh@maldoo.com>


Yehouda Harpaz,
I think there is a genetic program for generating the gross specificities
exhibited by developing neurons even in mammals.  However in more complex
nervous systems synaptic refinement occurs to produce the final synaptic
arrangements.  However there is a genetic basis for these rearrangements.
Although the maps in mammals cannot be constructed at the level of single
neurons as has been done for C. elegans we still see highly organized
patterns of synapses in mammals.

Bill Walthall


>> From you page http://www.gsu.edu/~biowww/
>
>
>  "Nervous systems, like computers, rely on their components to be
> precisely connected."
>
> Do you really think that is correct in general? For C. elegans, it may
> true,but as far 
> as I know, you cannot math the connectivity across brains in more complex
> animals,
> certianly not in mammals.
>
> Yehouda Harpaz
> http://human-brain.org
>
>
=============================================================
=============================================================
=============================================================
Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 18:24:09 -0500
Subject: Re: Specificity of neural connections
From: Bill Walthall &lt;biowww_panther.Gsu.EDU>
To: yehouda harpaz &lt;yh@maldoo.com>

It would be akin to artificial intelligence where the computer could modify
and expedite its information processing capabilities.

>
>
>> I think there is a genetic program for generating the gross specificities
>> exhibited by developing neurons even in mammals.
>
> Gross specifities, yes, but not precise ones, and certainly not like
> computers.
>
>
>> Although the maps in mammals cannot be constructed at the level of single
>> neurons as has been done for C. elegans we still see highly organized
>> patterns of synapses in mammals.
>
> But not precise connectivities.
>
> Even "highly organized" is  over the top for the intra-cortex connections.
> Inside the cortex, the identities of neurons that each neuron is in contact
> with varies randomly across individuals, which is very far from being
> highly organized.
>
>
>






</pre>