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Re: why analog electronics

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John Larkin <jjlarkinxyxy@highlandtechnology.com> wrote:
> On Sun, 12 Mar 2017 02:30:50 -0000 (UTC), Don Kuenz <g@crcomp.net>
> wrote:
>
>>
>>John Larkin <jjlarkin@highlandtechnology.com> wrote:
>>> On 10 Mar 2017 04:49:45 -0800, Winfield Hill
>>> <hill@rowland.harvard.edu> wrote:
>>>
>>>>Sylvia Else wrote...
>>>>>
>>>>>On 10/03/2017 8:42 AM, doh@yipee.com wrote:
>>>>>> On Wed, 08 Mar 2017 17:11:04 -0800, John Larkin
>>>>>> <jjlarkinxyxy@highlandtechnology.com> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> The Brat is in the UC Berkeley MBA program, and one of her profs took
>>>>>>> his entire class to dinner at Chez Panisse, which ran about $200 per.
>>>>>>> He was asking about our company, and was surprised that anyone still
>>>>>>> does analog electronics. "Isn't everything digital now?" He's not
>>>>>>> being a jerk, he's seriously wondering why anything is analog.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> The Brat is in the UC Berkeley MBA program, and one of her profs took
>>>>>>> his entire class to dinner at Chez Panisse, which ran about $200 per.
>>>>>>> He was asking about our company, and was surprised that anyone still
>>>>>>> does analog electronics. "Isn't everything digital now?" He's not
>>>>>>> being a jerk, he's seriously wondering why anything is analog.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> So, I'm going to write him a little essay on "why analog?" Who knows,
>>>>>>> maybe he'll take me to Chez Panisse.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The universe is analog. Man invented digital.
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Neurons either fire or they don't - there's no analog in-between.
>>>>
>>>> Firing rate and other aspects carry critical
>>>> neural 'analog' information.
>>>
>>> I suspect that a neuron firing is like UPS delivering a set of
>>> encyclopedias.
>>
>>It's more like flatulence delivering stink. A neuron "fires" when the
>>permeability properties of the cell change to allow sodium to diffuse
>>through the cell membrane.
>
>
> Cool, that explains everything.

That analogy actually stinks. A better analogy is to picture the neuron
as a dry wick from an alcohol burner. Take the wick out and fill the
burner with alcohol. The alcohol represents a reservoir of sodium ions.
Place one end of the wick into the alcohol in the burner. Notice how
the alcohol moves up the dry wick.  It's similar to how sodium diffuses
into a neuron when it fires. It's a sort of peristaltic movement, which
begins at one end and works its way to the opposite end.

Thank you,

--
Don Kuenz KB7RPU

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why analog electronics John Larkin <jjlarkinxyxy@highlandtechnology.com> - 2017-03-08 17:11 -0800
  Re: why analog electronics Tauno Voipio <tauno.voipio@notused.fi.invalid> - 2017-03-09 10:35 +0200
    Re: why analog electronics Jim Thompson <To-Email-Use-The-Envelope-Icon@On-My-Web-Site.com> - 2017-03-09 07:00 -0700
    Re: why analog electronics bitrex <bitrex@de.lete.earthlink.net> - 2017-03-09 09:30 -0500
    Re: why analog electronics gregz <zekor@comcast.net> - 2017-03-10 08:23 +0000
  Re: why analog electronics bitrex <bitrex@de.lete.earthlink.net> - 2017-03-09 09:25 -0500
  Re: why analog electronics Cursitor Doom <curd@notformail.com> - 2017-03-09 18:29 +0000
  Re: why analog electronics doh@yipee.com - 2017-03-09 13:42 -0800
    Re: why analog electronics Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-03-09 22:29 +0000
      Re: why analog electronics pcdhobbs@gmail.com - 2017-03-09 14:59 -0800
        Re: why analog electronics Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-03-10 08:27 +0000
          Re: why analog electronics Gerhard Hoffmann <ghf@hoffmann-hochfrequenz.de> - 2017-03-10 15:07 +0100
        Re: why analog electronics bitrex <bitrex@de.lete.earthlink.net> - 2017-03-10 12:17 -0500
          Re: why analog electronics bitrex <bitrex@de.lete.earthlink.net> - 2017-03-10 12:18 -0500
      Re: why analog electronics Jeroen Belleman <jeroen@nospam.please> - 2017-03-10 13:30 +0100
      Re: why analog electronics bill.sloman@ieee.org - 2017-03-13 04:06 -0700
    Re: why analog electronics Sylvia Else <sylvia@not.at.this.address> - 2017-03-10 12:50 +1100
      Re: why analog electronics "Tim Williams" <tiwill@seventransistorlabs.com> - 2017-03-09 20:07 -0600
      Re: why analog electronics John Larkin <jjlarkin@highlandtechnology.com> - 2017-03-09 19:28 -0800
        Re: why analog electronics "Tim Williams" <tiwill@seventransistorlabs.com> - 2017-03-10 19:05 -0600
      Re: why analog electronics Winfield Hill <hill@rowland.harvard.edu> - 2017-03-10 04:49 -0800
        Re: why analog electronics John Larkin <jjlarkin@highlandtechnology.com> - 2017-03-10 08:08 -0800
          Re: why analog electronics Don Kuenz <g@crcomp.net> - 2017-03-12 02:30 +0000
            Re: why analog electronics John Larkin <jjlarkinxyxy@highlandtechnology.com> - 2017-03-13 10:18 -0700
              Re: why analog electronics Don Kuenz <g@crcomp.net> - 2017-03-13 22:56 +0000
      Re: why analog electronics Sjouke Burry <burrynulnulfour@ppllaanneett.nnll> - 2017-03-11 00:02 +0100
  Re: why analog electronics jurb6006@gmail.com - 2017-03-09 20:50 -0800
    Re: why analog electronics boB@everett.wa - 2017-03-09 22:33 -0800
      Re: why analog electronics krw@notreal.com - 2017-03-10 13:16 -0500
        Re: why analog electronics boB <boB@theresnoplacelikehome.com> - 2017-03-10 12:24 -0800
          Re: why analog electronics krw@notreal.com - 2017-03-10 20:04 -0500
            Re: why analog electronics boB K7IQ <boB@everett.wa> - 2017-03-10 19:41 -0800
  Re: why analog electronics djlocher56@gmail.com - 2017-03-09 22:27 -0800
    Re: why analog electronics krw@notreal.com - 2017-03-10 13:17 -0500
      Re: why analog electronics bulegoge@columbus.rr.com - 2017-03-10 10:51 -0800
        Re: why analog electronics krw@notreal.com - 2017-03-10 20:06 -0500
        Re: why analog electronics "Tim Williams" <tiwill@seventransistorlabs.com> - 2017-03-10 19:09 -0600
          Re: why analog electronics krw@notreal.com - 2017-03-10 22:15 -0500
    Re: why analog electronics tabbypurr@gmail.com - 2017-03-10 14:12 -0800
      Re: why analog electronics Jim Thompson <To-Email-Use-The-Envelope-Icon@On-My-Web-Site.com> - 2017-03-10 15:30 -0700
        Re: why analog electronics tabbypurr@gmail.com - 2017-03-10 15:04 -0800
  Re: why analog electronics Anthony Stewart <tony.sunnysky@gmail.com> - 2017-03-10 09:38 -0800
    Re: why analog electronics boB@everett.wa - 2017-03-10 11:03 -0800
      Re: why analog electronics krw@notreal.com - 2017-03-10 20:09 -0500
        Re: why analog electronics boB K7IQ <boB@everett.wa> - 2017-03-10 19:50 -0800
  Re: why analog electronics Joerg <news@analogconsultants.com> - 2017-03-10 12:50 -0800
    Re: why analog electronics John Larkin <jjlarkinxyxy@highlandtechnology.com> - 2017-03-10 13:18 -0800
      Re: why analog electronics Joerg <news@analogconsultants.com> - 2017-03-10 13:36 -0800
    Re: why analog electronics George Herold <gherold@teachspin.com> - 2017-03-10 17:01 -0800
      Re: why analog electronics Joerg <news@analogconsultants.com> - 2017-03-11 16:04 -0800
  Re: why analog electronics "Tim Williams" <tiwill@seventransistorlabs.com> - 2017-03-10 19:08 -0600
    Re: why analog electronics George Herold <gherold@teachspin.com> - 2017-03-10 18:54 -0800
      Re: why analog electronics "Tim Williams" <tiwill@seventransistorlabs.com> - 2017-03-11 11:45 -0600
        Re: why analog electronics "Tom Del Rosso" <fizzbintuesday@that-google-mail-domain.com> - 2017-03-17 22:02 -0400
          Re: why analog electronics "Tim Williams" <tiwill@seventransistorlabs.com> - 2017-03-18 03:55 -0500
    Re: why analog electronics boB K7IQ <boB@everett.wa> - 2017-03-10 19:56 -0800
  Re: why analog electronics Tim Wescott <tim@seemywebsite.really> - 2017-03-11 12:42 -0600
    Re: why analog electronics Lasse Langwadt Christensen <langwadt@fonz.dk> - 2017-03-11 13:20 -0800
    Re: why analog electronics John Larkin <jjlarkin@highlandtechnology.com> - 2017-03-11 14:51 -0800
      Re: why analog electronics Cursitor Doom <curd@notformail.com> - 2017-03-12 13:28 +0000
        Re: why analog electronics John Larkin <jjlarkin@highlandtechnology.com> - 2017-03-12 10:49 -0700
          Re: why analog electronics Cursitor Doom <curd@notformail.com> - 2017-03-12 21:10 +0000
            Re: why analog electronics krw@notreal.com - 2017-03-12 19:29 -0400
            Re: why analog electronics John Larkin <jjlarkin@highlandtechnology.com> - 2017-03-12 16:49 -0700
              Re: why analog electronics krw@notreal.com - 2017-03-12 21:18 -0400
                Re: why analog electronics John Larkin <jjlarkin@highlandtechnology.com> - 2017-03-12 19:07 -0700
                Re: why analog electronics krw@notreal.com - 2017-03-12 22:43 -0400
                Re: why analog electronics John Larkin <jjlarkin@highlandtechnology.com> - 2017-03-12 19:53 -0700
                Re: why analog electronics krw@notreal.com - 2017-03-12 23:01 -0400
                Re: why analog electronics pcdhobbs@gmail.com - 2017-03-13 07:19 -0700
                Re: why analog electronics krw@notreal.com - 2017-03-13 20:39 -0400
                Re: why analog electronics pcdhobbs@gmail.com - 2017-03-14 04:28 -0700
                Re: why analog electronics krw@notreal.com - 2017-03-14 12:42 -0400
                Re: why analog electronics Phil Hobbs <pcdhSpamMeSenseless@electrooptical.net> - 2017-03-15 09:56 -0400
  Re: why analog electronics George Herold <gherold@teachspin.com> - 2017-03-13 19:59 -0700

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