Animal Brains Capable of Understanding Numbers Without Training: Study | Be Korea-savvy

Animal Brains Capable of Understanding Numbers Without Training: Study


The number sense, an ability to understand the quantity of an object based on visual information, is one of many advanced cognitive functions of the brain’s neural networks. (image: Korea Bizwire)

The number sense, an ability to understand the quantity of an object based on visual information, is one of many advanced cognitive functions of the brain’s neural networks. (image: Korea Bizwire)

DAEJEON, Jan. 5 (Korea Bizwire) South Korean researchers revealed that animals are inherently born with brains that have a sense of numbers, unlike artificial neural networks.

A research team from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) said Monday that animals are capable of understanding numbers without having to go through a separate learning procedure.

The number sense, an ability to understand the quantity of an object based on visual information, is one of many advanced cognitive functions of the brain’s neural networks.

The research team created a simulation of artificial neural networks imitating the animal brain to successfully observe first moments of advanced cognitive function in motion.

At a default state when all connection weights are valued at random, animal brains are capable of generating selective notions based on quantity that enables neurons to react to certain numbers only.

This follows the Weber-Fechner’s Law, which dictates upon psychophysical principles that describe the relative relations between the strength of the stimuli and human sense.

“This study goes against prior understanding that brain functions occur through training,” said Prof. Paik Se-bum at the KAIST.

M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)

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