[ExI] The upper limit on brain complexity

[John Clark]

We don't yet know what the brain's master learning algorithm is but we can
put upper limits on how complex that algorithm can be, and we know for a
fact it can't be all that complex. In the entire human genome there are
only 3 billion base pairs. There are 4 bases so each base can represent 2
bits, there are 8 bits per byte so that comes out to  750 meg. Just 750
meg!  And all that 750 meg certainly can be used just for the master
learning software algorithm, you've got to leave room for instructions on
how to build a human body as well as the brain hardware.  So the
instructions MUST contain wiring instructions such as "wire a neuron up
this way and then repeat that procedure exactly the same way 917 billion
times". And the 750 meg isn't even efficiently coded, there is a ridiculous
amount of redundancy in the human genome. So there is no way, absolutely no
way, the algorithm can be very complex, and if Evolution could find it then
it's just a matter of time before we do too.
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