[darthtrader]

"But the brain is actually quite good at identifying well-structured visual objects (and 'patterns')"

there is some interesting videos on google video if you search for "singularity" as far as the current state of AI. Even beyond the brain being fantastic at pattern recognition, computers are still a joke there. I believe ive read its still impossible to have a computer learn a generalized rule for what a cat looks like where you could show a picture to any 6yo and they would instantly know if they are looking at a cat vs a dog.

I also read IBM's Bluegene super computer is the fastest in the world, has a whole 1/1000th of the brains computer power and they have almost simulated half a mouse brain with it....i'm sure it would be impossible to trade against a computer if it ever has the brains pattern recognition but that would seem to be ways off if ever.

i'll have to check out that The Three Skills of Top Trading book, looks quite interesting.