My name is Dean Pomerleau. I’m a researcher at Intel Labs Pittsburgh with interests in the brain, collective intelligence, and the emerging Global Mind. In my spare time, I like to spend time with my wife & two kids, and train our pet fish.
You can reach me at thoughtfulcog@gmail.com
9 comments
Comments feed for this article
December 28, 2009 at 12:49 am
Sarah Bogson
I love your posts. They remind me of a new book published last month by Harvard I am reading write now called “Wired for Thought: How the Brain is Shaping the Future of the Internet.” It is all about AI and how the Internet is turning into a brain. Keep up the great thoughts Dean.
December 28, 2009 at 2:12 am
Dean Pomerleau
Sarah,
Thanks for your positive comment. I’m happy to hear you like the book “Wired for Thought”. Funny – I just picked it up myself and plan to read it over the next few days. It looks like a great book!
March 9, 2010 at 3:21 pm
Yomi Kato
｛I’m Sorry This is written with the translation machine. ｝
Nice to meet you.
A Japanese young person completely loses confidence.
It has the sense of loss.
A young Japanese is committing suicide.
The Japanese is looking forward to the sale of Intel Corp. of new microprocessor. The Japanese loves personal computer.
Please give us advanced courage and hope ahead.
Thank you
From Yomi Kato
Japan
March 9, 2010 at 3:44 pm
Dean Pomerleau
Yomi,
I can’t tell if you are serious or not, and I contemplated rejecting your comment as being off-topic. But even through the poor machine translation, I got a sense of your sincerity and your sense of despair. So here goes, one human to another, half way around the world.
I too sometimes feel very discouraged about my life, and the way things are headed in the world. I seems every thinking person is bound to feel this way at times. So first off, you are not alone, a fact which I sometimes find comforting.
I’m not sure you should bank on a new Intel processor to raise your spirits though. Intel [my employer] makes great chips, but I sometimes feel that part of the problem in modern society is that technology sometimes does more to isolate us than to bring us together. I know its easy for me to say, but might you instead try to connect with friends or family to help overcome your sadness?
At its best, and when used wisely, technology can sometimes make connecting with other easier – and the classic example is cell phones. I’m fortunate enough to be working on technology that might someday make connecting with other people even easier and more natural – brain-computer interfaces. Some people think brain computer interfaces are scary. But imagine being able to instantly share your thoughts (if you choose) with someone else anywhere in the world. No more bad translations or misinterpretation of motives. Just direct, empathic brain-to-brain communication. I’d be able to better understand what you are thinking and feeling, and maybe even help.
Such a vision won’t happen for many years, but it is one thing that gives me hope for the future.
Don’t be too discouraged. We are blessed to live in interesting (although sometimes scary) times. I wake up each morning curious to see what new things will happen today in our rapidly changing world. Maybe curiosity could help you see life as interesting and worth living too?
Sincerely,
–Dean
March 10, 2010 at 5:37 am
Yomi Kato
Thank you for replying.
Impression is undertaken a wonderful word. Thank you really.
I want to speak many with the computer with the person.
However, a lot of Japanese cannot speak English. The automatic translation function software is used. However, the performance of the automatic translation function is very bad. When it comes to transmit the idea in my brain to all people all over the world, I think it is good.
The Japanese thinks about the thing only by the sense of values of narrow Japan because of the word.
I want to make friends by “MY SPACE” with the person in the world. I want to know the idea of the person in various countries. It wishes the computer to enable it.
It is difficult for a young person to establish a new company in Japan. It is because the restriction is severe with Japan because of the government.
The Japanese yearns to the company of a wonderful technology
like Intel Corp..
Intel Corp. offers not doing in Japan.
Thus, I wish to express my gratitude in the age when the communication can do with you.
As for it, your technology enabled it.
Thank you.
March 10, 2010 at 10:45 am
Dean Pomerleau
Yomi,
Machine translation is far from perfect, but your message comes through loud and clear. Computers (powered by Intel!) and the internet make possible the kind of interactions you and I are having, despite not being able to speak the same language, and being 1/2 way around the globe in opposite time zones.
Hopefully the ease with which we can communicate will only improve with time, and technology (including brain computer interfaces someday) will help everyone to be more connected.
Take care!
–Dean
March 10, 2010 at 3:35 pm
Yomi Kato
Ｄｅａｒ Dean
I did you mail and was very good.
Courage was given to me.
I always think about the future of the computer. The human brain and the computer leave sharing. Our brain extends infinitely. The future when the communication can do easily through the computer is waited for.
Anything doesn’t arise from fear though man will hold fear for a new technology. We make the future with courage. Our curiosity is more necessary than fear.
I think about these kind of things.
Another I : to the computer.
It is. As for the person “Another I”, it knows positive consideration of my brain and a lot of impression. “Another I” meets the power of people in the computer. And, it lives in the computer through all eternity.
The person in the future after 50 years will do mail with us today.
I am a usual Japanese woman who thinks about a new computer every day.
Thank you really for reading mail.
I’m sorry in the translation machine with bad performance.
Ｆｒｏｍ Ｙｏｍｉ
March 11, 2010 at 4:43 am
Venessa Miemis
hi dean,
you came to mind today for some reason, and i just wanted to stop by and say i hope all is well with you!
- @venessamiemis
March 11, 2010 at 10:47 am
Dean Pomerleau
Hi Venessa,
Thanks for dropping by! Things are good, but very busy. I’ve been following your interest exchanges with Brian Solis et al. I feel the same way as you do I think, namely that we’re not using the tools of social media to affect change nearly as well as we possible could. Discussions are too often shallow and seem motivated by the desire to keep oneself in the social media spotlight than to exchange new and significant ideas.
Take care!
–Dean