Path: csiph.com!eternal-september.org!feeder.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: Don Kuenz Newsgroups: sci.electronics.design Subject: Re: why analog electronics Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2017 22:56:31 -0000 (UTC) Organization: A noiseless patient Spider Lines: 62 Distribution: world Message-ID: <20170313a@crcomp.net> References: <20170311a@crcomp.net> <22ldccpuggq2q5m4nnjm7l5h9t4k63mu8h@4ax.com> Injection-Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2017 22:56:31 -0000 (UTC) Injection-Info: mx02.eternal-september.org; posting-host="bf4d274c43638a0627e9936f7c9d6a32"; logging-data="19072"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX1+1GqlqCRBRsXVmV7AUAGEK" Cancel-Lock: sha1:XCahif/IeSHIvWql9kGebw1RoHM= Xref: csiph.com sci.electronics.design:451691 John Larkin wrote: > On Sun, 12 Mar 2017 02:30:50 -0000 (UTC), Don Kuenz > wrote: > >> >>John Larkin wrote: >>> On 10 Mar 2017 04:49:45 -0800, Winfield Hill >>> 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 >>>>>> 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