<p>Second question first: Data is stored in an ANN in the form of weights in the adjacency matrix between neurons. During training, these weights are updated by a learning algorithm (such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backpropagation" rel="noreferrer">backpropagation</a>).</p>

<p>First question: according to award-winning neuroscientist Tim Bliss:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>“It’s been accepted really since the turn of the 20th century, since the time of the Spanish neuroscientist Ramón y Cajal, that really the only place where memories can be stored is at synapses, the junctions between nerve cells.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>A protein called the NMDA receptor plays a key roll in the strengthening of synaptic connections (which is more broadly achieved by a form of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebbian_theory" rel="noreferrer">Hebbian Learning</a>).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-17T12:11:09.200Z
2016-08-17T12:11:09.200Z
NietzscheanAI
<p>Do scientists know by what mechanism biological brains/biological neural networks store data?</p>
<p>I only have a vague notion that we store data in our brains by altering synapses.</p>
<p>I also would love a decent description of how a vanilla artificial neural network stores data.</p>
<p>So, my 2 questions are</p>
<ol>
<li><p>How is data stored in a biological neural network?</p>
</li>
<li><p>How is data stored in an artificial neural network?</p>
</li>
</ol>

<neural-networks><comparison><biology>
How do artificial neural networks store data compared to biological neural networks?
Conor Cosnett
# How do artificial neural networks store data compared to biological neural networks?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-08-17)

Do scientists know by what mechanism biological brains/biological neural networks store data?

I only have a vague notion that we store data in our brains by altering synapses.

I also would love a decent description of how a vanilla artificial neural network stores data.

So, my 2 questions are

1. How is data stored in a biological neural network?
2. How is data stored in an artificial neural network?

**Tags:** neural-networks, comparison, biology


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2016-08-17. Score: 7

Second question first: Data is stored in an ANN in the form of weights in the adjacency matrix between neurons. During training, these weights are updated by a learning algorithm (such as [backpropagation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backpropagation)).

First question: according to award-winning neuroscientist Tim Bliss:

> “It’s been accepted really since the turn of the 20th century, since the time of the Spanish neuroscientist Ramón y Cajal, that really the only place where memories can be stored is at synapses, the junctions between nerve cells.

A protein called the NMDA receptor plays a key roll in the strengthening of synaptic connections (which is more broadly achieved by a form of [Hebbian Learning](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebbian_theory)).


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