Associating the brain with a computer does nothing except for create a scenario where we ask the wrong questions. The truth is, they have totally different processes on how they came to exist, and it's ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS to make any type of assumption they can be somehow correlated to being the same thing.
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This is my opinion on the way scientists/philosophers will go about understanding the brain. Feel free to tear it apart and put me in my place if it doesn't resonate with you...
I don't know if you read all or the majority of the posts but dissonance (the OP starter) amended the Thread's title in a much later post. S/he said that the question should have been something similiar to "Does the brain function like a computer?" But since you'll probably not like a different formation as it doesn't change the comparison or association, I'll continue as it seemed to clearly upset or frustrate you. Firstly, no one is correlating the brain-computer analogy to being the *same* thing. It's been, as far as I remember, being compared as a *similiarity* Biiiiiig difference, buddy lol We have instincts to primates (and all animals) but we say we're similiar and not the the same. No one has either stated that the computer would work or even emulate in a personal function as the brain does with secretion of hormones etc. But people in RL are trying to get computers to *emulate* us with advances in that arena. Is it the same, no, but it'd be somewhat simliar in mimicry.
Yes, we created computers and we don't have complete knowledge as to why our brain functions the way it does, yes, but bear with me. We also don't know why we exist, aside from the brain that comes with , and a whole bunch of crapshot explanations from religion to w/e else comes with. The one, I'd hope, most people are more likely in believing is in the Theory of Evolution. However, it's still a theory. I recently figured that out after listening to Ron Paul say he still believes in Creationism but admited that both Creationism and Evolution are both theories , he just prefers the other choice--yea, this coming from a Doctor. Now, I'm not even American but I want him to be their president even after I thought he was crazy for saying that...but then realised he's actually right (alongside that he'll never win). Evolution is still a theory, it just seems more plausible and logical than some crazy nut or nuts from a holy text that dictate why we're here or what to do and randomly decides to execute babies for sins of Fathers or piss a flood to get rid of us when it/s angry but I digress (sorry if you believe, though I doubt but still in case, or anyone reading this who believes in religion--).
So, back to the comparisons. I don't think comparison leads to the wrong questions but perhaps can open new ones on evolution (if you read my posts you'll get what I mean) and if this theory still holds true in future lol. Nacopascy says below, computers may be an accidental projection of how we might work or wanting to understand that--so, no we don't know but it's insightful to look into it and see the comparisons instead of just writing it off because it seems so ridiculous. Most things in life are ridiculous or were considered ridiculous. Most scientists who ever became prominent long ago were called 'crazy' or were written off because they couldn't be understood at the time. It was several years after they passed or while they were still alive before they were accepted and their ideas were expounded upon. You might be thinking, that's science regarding science and this is regarding technology, but all things in life are interrelated or interdependent. We wouldn't be here existing if otherwise, neither science nor the technology b/c we created these means of understanding and improving our lives. Lastly, discoveries on science and probably even technology came from something treated as mysterious (look at my lovely siggie quote from Einstein <-- ). Humans have been and mostly still are arrogant creatures believing in w/e they think is right and disregarding things merely b/c it doesn't make sense to them at the time. Newton, supposedly, got konked on the head by an apple or watched it dropped and developed his theory on universal gravitation. Random events or acts can inspire so much beautiful results within civilisation, from art to social customs and even amongst science.
I'm not saying you'll eventually believe in the worth of the brain-computer analogy, either. But perhaps you can appreciate it for what it is, something that might further incite new discovery or perhaps even help us to understand the brain, however unrelated it seems. Not so literaly, either. So many things in life seem so totaly unrelated but we make it relatable for w/e reason (or not even knowing it but doing it anyway). Bridging systems of everything from majors (I knew someone with a Drama-Chemistry major ) to mixing *races* and species intermixing to create new ones to mixing even the aforementioned psychologies of evolution to philosophy to biological etc.
I'd ask if you have time to read/shred my posts a few below yours (there are 2 crazily lonnnnng and 1 semi-long ones strictly on the brain-computer (router + internet + more) comparisons, disregard the others I made unless you want to
So, tell me your thoughts (as no one has done so yet as I think they were just too long for most and my feelings are hurt ~)and then if you think they're ridiculous (and no, that's not me with more hurt feelings, just curious you can dismiss it all as you please