Copyright 2009 David Dodds One of the important differences between present
computer systems and living biological systems is that the latter are
integrated and holistic in their 'cognitive' processing and the former is not.
Its parts are not constructed that way whereas biological systems, generally
being constructed of cellular components, are necessarily integrated and
holistic. What is provided to the architecture of biological systems is the
being embedded in their physical environment. Another important thing is that a
complex memory of the sensed environment is continually built-up. Where the
biological system has a special enlargement in the nervous system, like the
brain of a human, there is a layering of memory and cognition.

Automatically the (human) brain not only makes cognitions and perceptions based
on interpretation of sensory data but also some 'memory' of that information
is transparently tucked away in our memory. It is done without fanfare or the
need to consciously apply intention or cognitive effort.

Some people call this (remembering) "subconsciously". This is in recognition
that "attention" is usually needed to obtain awareness of the universe through
one's senses "attention" brings information into awareness [notice the spatial
metaphor]. "Intention" is needed to remember. Much of what we become aware of is
"remembered" when we want to remember it. The 'want' is 'intention'. For that
material in our consciousness that we have a shrug-shoulder disposition to
remember we remember some of it and forget other parts of it.

All of this has to do with (so-called) conscious processing. Noticing, on the
other hand, is performed by the (human) subconscious. This article continues in
the next posting.