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555-605 Level|   Long Passage|   Science|                           
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The idea of the brain as an information processora machine manipulati 14 Apr 2022, 09:17
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I read all comments but I still don't understand
Q4 and Q5

Q4 : I took B over C.
Searle provided "Stomach" example. the example was attacked by the author. Therefore, the example isn't concrete, is it? why C wrong

Q5 I have no idea why A is correct. Where in the passage can I inter this option?
<I don't love any other choices>
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The idea of the brain as an information processora machine manipulati 07 Jul 2022, 07:47
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Vercules
The idea of the brain as an information processor—a machine manipulating blips of energy according to fathomable rules—has come to dominate neuroscience. However, one enemy of the brain-as-computer metaphor is John R. Searle, a philosopher who argues that since computers simply follow algorithms, they cannot deal with important aspects of human thought such as meaning and content. Computers are syntactic, rather than semantic, creatures. People, on the other hand, understand meaning because they have something Searle obscurely calls the causal powers of the brain.

Yet how would a brain work if not by reducing what it learns about the world to information—some kind of code that can be transmitted from neuron to neuron? What else could meaning and content be? If the code can be cracked, a computer should be able to simulate it, at least in principle. But even if a computer could simulate the workings of the mind, Searle would claim that the machine would not really be thinking; it would just be acting as if it were. His argument proceeds thus: if a computer were used to simulate a stomach, with the stomach's churnings faithfully reproduced on a video screen, the machine would not be digesting real food. It would just be blindly manipulating the symbols that generate the visual display.

Suppose, though, that a stomach were simulated using plastic tubes, a motor to do the churning, a supply of digestive juices, and a timing mechanism. If food went in one end of the device, what came out the other end would surely be digested food. Brains, unlike stomachs, are information processors, and if one information processor were made to simulate another information processor, it is hard to see how one and not the other could be said to think. Simulated thoughts and real thoughts are made of the same element: information. The representations of the world that humans carry around in their heads are already simulations. To accept Searle's argument, one would have to deny the most fundamental notion in psychology and neuroscience: that brains work by processing information.

Show SpoilerOA
C
1. The main purpose of the passage is to

(A) propose an experiment
(B) analyze a function
(C) refute an argument
(D) explain a contradiction
(E) simulate a process


Show SpoilerOA
A
2. Which of the following is most consistent with Searle's reasoning as presented in the passage?

(A) Meaning and content cannot be reduced to algorithms.
(B) The process of digestion can be simulated mechanically, but not on a computer.
(C) Simulated thoughts and real thoughts are essentially similar because they are composed primarily of information.
(D) A computer can use "causal powers" similar to those of the human brain when processing information.
(E) Computer simulations of the world can achieve the complexity of the brain's representations of the world.


Show SpoilerOA
A
3. The author of the passage would be most likely to agree with which of the following statements about the simulation of organ functions?

(A) An artificial device that achieves the functions of the stomach could be considered a valid model of the stomach.
(B) Computer simulations of the brain are best used to crack the brain's codes of meaning and content
(C) Computer simulations of the brain challenge ideas that are fundamental to psychology and neuroscience.
(D) Because the brain and the stomach both act as processors, they can best be simulated by mechanical devices.
(E) The computer's limitations in simulating digestion suggest equal limitations in computer-simulated thinking.


Show SpoilerOA
B
4. It can be inferred that the author of the passage believes that Searle's argument is flawed by its failure to

(A) distinguish between syntactic and semantic operations
(B) explain adequately how people, unlike computers, are able to understand meaning
(C) provide concrete examples illustrating its claims about thinking
(D) understand how computers use algorithms to process information
(E) decipher the code that is transmitted from neuron to neuron in the brain


Show SpoilerOA
A
5. From the passage, it can be inferred that the author would agree with Searle on which of the following points?

(A) Computers operate by following algorithms.
(B) The human brain can never fully understand its own functions.
(C) The comparison of the brain to a machine is overly simplistic.
(D) The most accurate models of physical processes are computer simulations.
(E) Human thought and computer-simulated thought involve similar processes of representation.


Show SpoilerOA
B
6. Which of the following most accurately represents Searle's criticism of the brain-as-computer metaphor, as that criticism is described in the passage?

(A) The metaphor is not experimentally verifiable.
(B) The metaphor does not take into account the unique powers of the brain.
(C) The metaphor suggests that a brain's functions can be simulated as easily as those of a stomach.
(D) The metaphor suggests that a computer can simulate the workings of the mind by using the codes of neural transmission.
(E) The metaphor is unhelpful because both the brain and the computer process information.

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Hi GMATNinja egmat

Can you please please help me to understand the 6th question? and what actually does criticism mean here? Does it simply mean opinion or something else?
Also how 2nd option is correct
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The idea of the brain as an information processora machine manipulati 18 Jul 2022, 10:13
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Question 6


760Abhi

Hi GMATNinja egmat

Can you please please help me to understand the 6th question? and what actually does criticism mean here? Does it simply mean opinion or something else?
Also how 2nd option is correct
Show more
The passage first introduces a metaphor comparing a brain to a computer. Then we learn that John R. Searle is an "enemy" of this metaphor -- in other words, he disagrees with/criticizes the comparison. Question 6 asks us to find the answer choice that most accurately represents Searle's argument against the metaphor.

That argument is summed up at the end of the first paragraph:
Quote:
"... since computers simply follow algorithms, they cannot deal with important aspects of human thought such as meaning and content. Computers are syntactic, rather than semantic, creatures. People, on the other hand, understand meaning because they have something Searle obscurely calls the causal powers of the brain."
Show more
Here, Searle argues that brains and computers are fundamentally different -- computers just follow algorithms, while humans understand meaning because of the brain's "causal powers."

That argument is captured nicely in answer choice (B):
Quote:
(B) The metaphor does not take into account the unique powers of the brain.
Show more

(B) is the correct answer to question 6.

I hope that helps!
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The idea of the brain as an information processora machine manipulati 22 Oct 2022, 11:24
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I still dont fully understand Q4. Can one of the experts help pls? KarishmaB, GMATNinja, IanStewart thanks and looking forward to you reply
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The idea of the brain as an information processora machine manipulati 22 Oct 2022, 20:40
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I still dont fully understand Q4. Can one of the experts help pls? KarishmaB, GMATNinja, IanStewart thanks and looking forward to you reply
Show more


4. It can be inferred that the author of the passage believes that Searle's argument is flawed by its failure to

(A) distinguish between syntactic and semantic operations
(B) explain adequately how people, unlike computers, are able to understand meaning
(C) provide concrete examples illustrating its claims about thinking
(D) understand how computers use algorithms to process information
(E) decipher the code that is transmitted from neuron to neuron in the brain

... John R. Searle, a philosopher who argues that since computers simply follow algorithms, they cannot deal with important aspects of human thought such as meaning and content. Computers are syntactic, rather than semantic, creatures. People, on the other hand, understand meaning because they have something Searle obscurely calls the causal powers of the brain.

The author says that Searle says that people understand meaning because of "the causal powers of the brain."
He uses the term "obscurely" to show that Searle does not explain what these causal powers of the brain are.
So the author says that Searle fails to explain how people understand meaning.
Hence option (B) is correct.


(A) distinguish between syntactic and semantic operations

Searle does distinguish between syntactic, rather than semantic, creatures. The author tells us this is the highlighted part above.

(C) provide concrete examples illustrating its claims about thinking

Searle provide the digestion example hence this is not correct. The author doesn't say that Searle doesn't provide examples.

(D) understand how computers use algorithms to process information
(E) decipher the code that is transmitted from neuron to neuron in the brain

For the two options above, the author doesn't imply that Searle's argument fails to understand these. He says that Searle's argument doesn't explain how people understand meaning.

Answer (B)
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The idea of the brain as an information processora machine manipulati 26 Oct 2022, 20:50
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I had my doubts about question 3.

I Could not eliminate B and C and land on A. Could someone please help?
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The idea of the brain as an information processora machine manipulati 10 Nov 2022, 20:48
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Question 3


Rainman91
I had my doubts about question 3.

I Could not eliminate B and C and land on A. Could someone please help?
Show more
Question 3 asks us what the author would agree with concerning the simulation of organ functions. In the passage, we get two differing ideas about such simulations: Searle's idea and the author's idea.

Searle thinks that simulations aren't that great. He argues that a simulated stomach isn't actually digesting food, and that similarly, a simulated brain isn't actually thinking.

The author disagrees -- he/she thinks that you could create an elaborate simulation of a stomach that DOES actually digest food. And because a brain "digests" information, a computer simulation of a brain IS actually thinking.

With that in mind, here's (A):
Quote:
(A) An artificial device that achieves the functions of the stomach could be considered a valid model of the stomach.
Show more
Yup, this is in line with the author's argument. He/she thinks that a mechanical stomach does digest food, and thus is an accurate representation of a "real" stomach.

Keep (A) for now.

Quote:
(B) Computer simulations of the brain are best used to crack the brain's codes of meaning and content
Show more
(B) says that, out of all of the things that you could do with a brain simulation, the author thinks that the BEST use is to crack the brain's codes.

There just isn't anything to support this in the passage -- the author seems to think that we CAN crack these codes, but doesn't weigh in on OTHER uses of brain simulations. Perhaps the author would be more excited to use the brain simulations for another task.

We don't have enough information to say that the author would agree with (B), so eliminate this option.

Quote:
(C) Computer simulations of the brain challenge ideas that are fundamental to psychology and neuroscience.
Show more

The author talks about ideas fundamental to neuroscience/psychology at the end of the third paragraph. However, he/she isn't saying that brain simulations challenge these ideas -- instead, he/she is just bringing up this point to refute Searle's idea. The author is basically saying, "Look how absurd Searle is! To agree with him, you'd have to reject this super basic concept!"

So, the author wouldn't agree that computer simulations challenge these basic ideas. He/she accepts the basic ideas, and only brings them up to argue against Searle.

(C) is out, and (A) is the correct answer to question 3.
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The idea of the brain as an information processora machine manipulati 17 Feb 2023, 11:48
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Whats wrong with Question 2 and Option C.?


"Passage"
Simulated thoughts and real thoughts are made of the same element: information.
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The idea of the brain as an information processora machine manipulati 20 Feb 2023, 15:19
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AD2GMAT
1)

5) From the passage, it can be inferred that the author would agree with Searle on which of the following points?
A) Computers operate by following algorithms.
B) The human brain can never fully understand its own functions.
C) The comparison of the brain to a machine is overly simplistic.
D) The most accurate models of physical processes are computer simulations.
E) Human thought and computer-simulated thought involve similar processes of representation.

The correct answer option for this question is A - as provided by various forums.
I was not able to find the clear reason to reject the answer choice E - in this passage, so need your help - how to reject E and select A?
In the passage, I can see the line "John R. Searle, a philosopher who argues that since computers Simply follow algorithms," but where does the author agrees with this point?

Show more

For 5, the author agrees in the first paragraph where the author says: "The idea of the brain as an information processor—a machine manipulating blips of energy according to fathomable rules—has come to dominate neuroscience."

The key words are according to fathomable rules which are also known as algorithms
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The idea of the brain as an information processora machine manipulati 25 May 2023, 09:41
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Is this a 700 level Passage?
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The idea of the brain as an information processora machine manipulati 25 May 2023, 09:57
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Is this a 700 level Passage?
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The following should be the difficulty level of the questions

Question #1: 650-700

Question #2: 550

Question #3: 700

Question #4: 700

Question #5: 600

Question #6: 650

Cheers
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The idea of the brain as an information processora machine manipulati 07 Aug 2023, 04:59
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Quote:
5) From the passage, it can be inferred that the author would agree with Searle on which of the following points?
A) Computers operate by following algorithms.
B) The human brain can never fully understand its own functions.
C) The comparison of the brain to a machine is overly simplistic.
D) The most accurate models of physical processes are computer simulations.
E) Human thought and computer-simulated thought involve similar processes of representation.

The correct answer option for this question is A - as provided by various forums.
I was not able to find the clear reason to reject the answer choice E - in this passage, so need your help - how to reject E and select A?
In the passage, I can see the line "John R. Searle, a philosopher who argues that since computers Simply follow algorithms," but where does the author agrees with this point?
Show more

AD2GMAT Here is my line of reasoning as I answered this question.

Quote:
A) Computers operate by following algorithms.
Show more

"John R. Searle, a philosopher who argues that since computers Simply follow algorithms, they cannot deal with important aspects of human thought such as meaning and content"

The part in italics is what John is arguing.

'since' is used to provide support to the point that he argues - computers cannot deal with important aspects of human thought...

Therefore, John agrees with the fact that computers simply follow algorithms.

Quote:
E) Human thought and computer-simulated thought involve similar processes of representation.
Show more

It means that the way humans think and the way computers simulate thinking are quite similar in how each of them understand and work with information.

But John does not agree with this point in the passage and says "People, on the other hand, understand meaning because they have something Searle obscurely calls the causal powers of the brain."

As the brain has some casual powers, computers and brains cannot have similar processes in the way they think.



This was my line of thought as I answered the question, it'd be great if others could share their input as well. :)
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The idea of the brain as an information processora machine manipulati 06 Jul 2024, 10:38
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Hi GMATNinja - could you please help me understand for Question 5 why E is incorrect? Is it because Searle does not necessarily agree the two are similar given the brain includes the other "powers"? I have read all the posts on the forum but it is not super clear. I can make out that A is correct because in the passage the author nods to how the brain is an information processor. Thank you!­
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The idea of the brain as an information processora machine manipulati 30 Jul 2024, 10:08
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pnwhikingfan
Hi GMATNinja - could you please help me understand for Question 5 why E is incorrect? Is it because Searle does not necessarily agree the two are similar given the brain includes the other "powers"? I have read all the posts on the forum but it is not super clear. I can make out that A is correct because in the passage the author nods to how the brain is an information processor. Thank you!­
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­Yup, that's the right idea!

Remember, Searle is an "enemy of the brain-as-computer metaphor" and stresses the differences between human thought and computer-simulated thought:

Quote:
...[Searle] argues that since computers simply follow algorithms, they cannot deal with important aspects of human thought such as meaning and content. Computers are syntactic, rather than semantic, creatures. People, on the other hand, understand meaning because they have something Searle obscurely calls the causal powers of the brain.
Show more
According to Searle, computers can't handle important aspects of human thought and lack the "causal powers" of the brain. This implies that the two actually involve processes that are different, or at least different enough that the computer metaphor doesn't hold up.

(A) is a much better answer.

I hope that helps!
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The idea of the brain as an information processora machine manipulati 05 Aug 2025, 02:10
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