http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn14022-interview-why-our-brains-are-so-clumsy...
Interview: Why our brains are so clumsy
16:00 30 May 2008
NewScientist.com news service
Jo Marchant

In his new book, Kluge: The haphazard construction of the human mind, Gary Marcus aims to take the human species down a peg or two.
We might like to think of ourselves as sleek and perfectly-adapted products of evolution, but Marcus instead describes the brain as
a clumsy collection of spare parts. If evolution is so powerful, he asks, how did we end up so flawed? Jo Marchant caught up with
him.

What exactly is a kluge?

A kluge is a clumsy or inelegant solution to a problem that gets the job done, but not necessarily in the best way possible.

Why do you think that the mind is a kluge?

There are two answers to that. The first is a general argument about evolution: that if you look at evolution it makes a lot of
kluges. Evolution tends not to optimise things; it simply tinkers with what's already there. So it tends to make things better but
there's no guarantee that it will make the best.

The second is an empirical argument. I look to see whether there is anything clumsy about the human mind, and I find lots of
examples.

Can you give an example?

On Mon, 02 Jun 2008 02:27:33 -0700, Sir Frederick wrote:

Let's look at his basic position..

OK, non-speak so far...

This would be true for everything. It is impossible for anything else to
happen.

"Best" as determined by...?

If the human mind is clumsy, is anything else? Is all existence clumsy?

So does the acabus, so do hammers and car tires.

"New Scientist" is a kluge.
New Scientist = FOX Science

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords...

Kluge: The Haphazard Construction of the Human Mind (Hardcover)
by Gary Marcus (Author)

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Reviews :
From Publishers Weekly
Why are we subject to irrational beliefs, inaccurate memories, even war? We can thank evolution, Marcus says, which can only tinker
with structures that already exist,...

On Mon, 02 Jun 2008 03:58:45 -0700, Sir Frederick wrote:

Point: Falls short of what?

It's pop science. It's Oprah ready. Flash NYU cred. Declare a universal
deficit then offer a universal solution.

or think neither

On Jun 3, 9:47 pm, ZerkonX X.net> wrote:

The mind looking at the mind...

I notice he keeps juxtaposing mind with brain.

Of course, he 'thinks' the answer is in the 'future'.

The more such views are exposed, the more the words of genuine mystics
"come to mind", regarding transendcence. (to the present.)

On Tue, 3 Jun 2008 20:21:28 -0700 (PDT), "bigfletch8@gmail.com" gmail.com> wrote:

...