>> Either way, you would *think* neuron cells would be the "obvious" 
>> choice for making RAM circuits. They already have the ability to wire 
>> themselves up for you, so...
> 
> Not for storage.  They work best as pattern filters.
> 
> (Just try comparing your brain's ability to recognize pictures to its 
> ability to remember minute trivia).

There are people who have successfully memorised Pi to thousands of 
decimal places, routinely memorise decks of cards, etc.

The default way the *human* brain is wired up is optimised for tasks 
such as shape recognition, which are critical to survival, and poorly 
optimised for memorising digit sequences [which, for many millions of 
years, was *not* an important task].

That doesn't mean that you couldn't wire up neurons in such a way that 
they reliably store arbitrary data.

Here's a thought: When you turn RAM off, all the data gets lost. When 
you "turn off" a biological storage system... all the cells die? Ouch! 
UPS for the win! ;-)

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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