Chapter 350: Chapter 350

350: 130 350: 130 How does the human brain operate?

How does it recognize certain concepts?

And how does it perceive the world?

Some human neurons react to specific concepts.

Ideally, within the human brain, there is a group of cells that specifically react to the concept of “grandmother”—not just “activated when seeing a grandmother” but activated when seeing or thinking about all things related to “grandmother.”

This includes “the appearance of a grandmother,” “the taste of a grandmother’s cooking,” “a grandmother’s phone call,” and even “an old lady who looks like a grandmother.”

This hypothesis is known as the “grandmother cell” hypothesis.

It represents an ideal model of the brain’s “sparse coding” theory.

Of course, this is just a metaphor.

The human brain isn’t actually so “theoretical.”

However, “sparse coding in the face of simple abstract concepts” is something that has been observed experimentally.

When facing complex concepts, the brain also employs “population coding,” where a group of neurons is sequentially activated under a certain concept, forming “a grandmother wearing a brown scarf, who played with one’s younger self.”

In processing sensory information, layers of neuronal networks extract and recognize features, sieving information for understanding like layers of filters.

Meanwhile, some autonomously firing intermediate neurons form a predictive coding structure with input neurons, so that when the input information meets their expectations, they can directly report their “expectation” to a higher-level cortex without needing lower-level neurons to process a lot of information, greatly enhancing coding efficiency and conserving precious energy.

And all these neurons can also be actively invoked from top to bottom by autonomous consciousness, forming complex neural activities such as “memory” or “prediction.”

However, which specific neuron encodes which concept in the brain is highly personalized.

Although the general location for the encoding of a certain concept can be confined within a small region of the brain, the neurons encoding that concept could appear at any point within this region.

Which neuron encodes what information depends on the encoder’s personal experiences and even on the form and fleeting thoughts they had while learning the concept.

Thus, every person’s brain neural network is unique.

This uniqueness far surpasses that of facial features, genetics, or even fingerprints.

Even clones with similar experiences cannot achieve the same neural network structure.

The brain-machine barrier, formed by special proteins on the outer side of the brain, is closely related to the neural network structure.

The patterns on the brain-machine barrier, commonly known as “brain prints,” are also unique.

This is the only basis for the government to register and manage protectors.

That is why, when two different people see the same color paint, they might actually activate “not quite the same neurons,” leading to “different subjective experiences.”

However, through language and culture, they can direct these “different experiences” toward the same “objective concept” in communication.

Two people see the same wavelength of reflected light and may have different subjective experiences, but thoughts can be redirected to the same concept.

However, in very rare cases, two people with extremely similar brain neural networks can directly see “the same red.”

For instance, the Eighth Martial God and Zhu Xinyu.

The Eighth Martial God is indeed a peculiar product.

She used special techniques to enhance neuronal encoding activity with electrical signals, then immersed fully in a memory.

Thus, many concepts encoded in Zhu Xinyu’s brain were also encoded in hers, in similar positions and sequences.

However, the memory she viewed was that of Xiang Shan—defined by society and culture as “Xiang Shan.”

The encoding result is ultimately “Xiang Shan.”

It can be said that although the Eighth Martial God’s recognition of some specific concepts is very close to that of Zhu Xinyu, the ultimate output resulting from combining these concepts is “Martial Ancestor Xiang Shan.”

In Zhu Xinyu’s brain, it is seen as “having undergone some specific connection specialization and regression, but overall, it’s still oneself.”

In the brain of Xiang Shan, it is deemed “having remembered some mystic knowledge, but overall, it’s still oneself.”

Of course, this was the state when the Eighth Martial God “just became Xiang Shan.”

After years of cultivation and battle, he has become an independent individual with a neural network that differs from Xiang Shan’s.

Some neurons were weakened, while others were strengthened.

Speaking of inner strength, the inner strength of the Eighth Martial God is stronger than that of Martial Ancestor Xiang Shan himself.

Yet, the neural network of the Eighth Martial God still developed based on that of Martial Ancestor Xiang Shan; they are actually very close, but with some differences in circuits.

Therefore, theoretically speaking…

As long as this difference is compensated for, the unparalleled inner strength of the Eighth Martial God can be manifested in anyone.

There are even existing technologies for this.

Virtual circuits—using nanotransducers and computers to rearrange the electrical signals in the brain, changing the connectivity of “sparse coding” inside a hard drive, enabling this biological brain to output another result.

Xiang Shan exclaimed.

For him, this was the most immediate “concept” of the “Eighth Martial God”—a Personality Mask.

Using clear language, Xiang Shan issued a self-suggestion towards his own Soth Divine Realm.

The order in his brain was rewritten by a program, and new connections were established.

Like a mask “covering” over the original mind.

“Hahaha…hahahahahaha…”

C·Shivaji-21 completely didn’t understand why the other wanted to suddenly shout “Personality Mask,” a niche term, in such a strange accent, and had no idea why he suddenly burst into laughter.

C·Shivaji-21 suddenly became confused.

He felt his inner strength vanish as if it had sunk into the sea.

It wasn’t that he “couldn’t find a connection point” or was “denied access by a firewall.”

It was an experience he had never had before.

He had never felt this sensation in an inner strength battle.

It was utterly indescribable.

This sense of estrangement…

—What… is… happening…

Then, he felt a tremor behind him.

A knife had struck him.

It must have been a knife…

He had never seriously engaged in External Strength combat, but that must have been the sensation.

C·Shiwaji-21 slowly turned around.

A Mobile Cavalry struck him with a sword.

Then the Mobile Cavalry flinched slightly.

The Mobile Cavalry just had brain death.

That was why C·Shiwaji-21 could not comprehend this “betrayal.”

Attacking a commander on the battlefield would trigger the “Supervising Battle Officer mechanism.”

The Mobile Cavalry, their bodies housing isotope batteries, could battle for at least ten years.

Even if their Martial Arts system was defective, one must be cautious.

However, most self-destruction mechanisms controlled by smart systems were easily externally detonated by Internal Strength Masters, appearing very foolish.

But the “Supervising Battle Officer” was special.

It was an independent system, attached only to a special region in the brain.

When a Mobile Cavalry on the battlefield acted upon the thought of “attacking a commander”…

no, even entertained the idea of “attacking a commander,” the system would activate.

It would transmit a special electrical signal to the neurons.

Including the reticular activating system, some neuronal ion channels would instantly become disordered.

The brain could not properly wake up.

Simultaneously, this signal could also trigger the cell’s apoptosis program.

The brain’s neurons would undergo irreversible apoptosis after the subject had fallen unconscious, beyond saving by any surgery.

This system operated independently, did not accept external information, and even its power source was an independent micro battery connected only to the Mobile Cavalry’s brain.

It extracted judgments from the Mobile Cavalry’s own brain.

C·Shiwaji-21 felt utterly unable to understand.

He could not even comprehend his own actions.

He had actually ejected the External Armor from his body, exposing the gun barrels.

He was also attacking his own people.

It was not supposed to be this way.

Unlike unmanned drones, Prosthetic Bodies directly connected to the brain were difficult to hack.

Mobile Cavalry themselves possessed Internal Strength Cultivation.

Even if the enemy managed to hack into their Prosthetic Bodies, they could use their Inner Strength to resist.

— Am I being controlled?

C·Shiwaji-21 still could not comprehend.

his Internal Strength was still present.

His specialized Soth Divine Realm could still instantly output vast codes.

Then, he felt something strange.

He was struck by an Inner Strength attack.

His attacker seemed to be Fengxiong IV.

He still could not figure it out.

Although two Commanders would not be killed by the “Supervising Battle Officer mechanism,” his younger martial brother should have had no reason to turn hostile…

Yet, his Internal Strength suddenly operated on its own.

Some stimulus from the input device drilled into his brain.

Like a conditional reflex, C·Shiwaji-21 found himself completely unable to control his own thoughts.

He burst out in long-simmering resistance.

However, C·Shiwaji-21 also understood.

In his own awareness, this burst of Inner Strength was meant to target the force controlling him.

But the opponent, by some unknown means, had redirected this Inner Strength back to his younger martial brother.

Fengxiong IV must be in the same situation.

Everyone was trapped in the same state.

Mobile Cavalry were greeting their companions with weapons and showering their companions with bullets.

Fengxiong IV died from a White Flame Flame-tip Spear.

A metallic jet pierced through his Biological Brain. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ Novᴇl_Fire(.)net

The Mobile Cavalry who struck the blow was also killed by the “Supervising Battle Officer,” falling into a state of brain death.

The Mobile Cavalry lay strewn across the ground in various directions.

Buried in the judgment of the “Supervising Battle Officer Mechanism,” most of them had participated in the act of “encircling the commander,” so they had begun to suffer brain death.

Perhaps a few still had their Biological Brains alive, but they had no fight left in them.

C·Shiwaji-21 survived to the last.

He defeated everyone who attacked him.

Several Mobile Cavalry who attacked him died by the Supervising Battle Officer Mechanism.

But he had lost that spider-like expansion base, his entire body tilting on the ground like a toppled trash can.

C·Shiwaji-21 struggled to pivot his Prosthetic Eye.

He saw the formidable Hero stand up.

The Hero’s hand pressed against his forehead, appearing very much in pain.

He randomly picked up a weapon dropped by a Mobile Cavalry—a Long Spear—and approached C·Shiwaji-21.

— What is he going to do…

C·Shiwaji-21 had almost entirely lost his ability to think.

He watched as the Hero swung up the metal rod, smashing it down forcefully.

Once, twice, three times…

C·Shiwaji-21 never understood this question in the end.