Inorganic memory

The claim made in the target article by Humphreys et al. that their theory of memory using a formal language is a significant improvement over alternatives using “ambiguous metaphorical terminology” is found wanting. Attempting to extend their theory beyond the symbolic realm, they postulate a binding between images and labels through appropriate data structures and gloss over many deep problems. A more fruitful approach to a theory of memory would proceed in an organic, bottom-up fashion, not in the top-down inorganic fashion of the target article. © 1994, Cambridge University Press. All rights reserved