Seung became part of a cadre of physicists who deployed sophisticated mathematical techniques to develop an idea dating back as far as Plato and Aristotle, that meaning emerges from the links between things — in this case, the links between neurons.
"What we're trying to do is break down those memory links between things in the environment that trigger cravings and that kind of automatic use of drugs.
In any study finding a link between two things, it's important to keep straight the difference between "association" (the observation that two things occurred together) and "causation" (in which one thing directly causes the other thing to happen).
When reporting a link between two things, indicate whether or not there is evidence that one causes the other.
Interesting post on @deevybee's BishopBlog: she argues that it's important to publish the results of research that finds there is no link between two things, say fatty acids and dyslexia.
This has to do with false positives, or our tendency to believe a hypothesis is true when it's not -- in the case of coincidences, we believe in a link between two things when in fact there is none.
We hold that, in order to establish a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 201(c)(1)(A), the Government must prove a link between a thing of value conferred upon a public official and a specific official act for or because of which it was given.
Sun-Diamond defined the nexus as follows: "We hold that, in order to establish a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 201(c)(1)(A), the Government must prove a link between a thing of value conferred upon a public official and a specific 'official act' for or because of which it was given".
Concepts represent "things", and relations are the "links" between these things in reality.
