Steve,
not a bad idea. Here is a suggestion for a possible style http://www.visualgeometries.com/ This is actually very good, it help me to finally understand what really is a geometry and why people talk about "geometries" in plural. But it would be a lot of work, and the risk is there will be not too many takers. Maybe if you have been collecting these kind of information already, it may be easy for you to compile it and write comments. Note, however, that I think of an analog as a "physical system" in general, for example a mechanical system that calculates uncomputable functions, not just circuits. It would be valuable if you compile info on this. Sergio From: Steve Richfield [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, July 13, 2012 9:21 AM To: AGI Subject: [agi] A hands-on manual on how to program super-Turing processors? Just a thought: It dawned on me that there are apparently few surviving analog computer hacks, and among those few there may be none who can see the possibilities of extending the technology WAY beyond solving textbook differential equations that are MUCH simpler than neurons. You can read all the articles you want, but that doesn't transform into a gestalt understanding of where to start if you find yourself in front of an analog computer, or MUCH more sometime in the future. How about a past-and-future manual, complete with pictures and detailed comments about past analog computers, drawings of setups that solve textbook problems, discussions about practical methods to chop more-difficult super-Turing problems into several simpler super-Turing problems, how brain-sized systems might be constructed, what such a future system might look like, etc? In short, something to transform abstract concepts into concrete understandings. Enough so that if someone were describing a proposed implementation, you would immediately drill down into its capabilities, to see if it could do the things that you were interested in doing, etc. I suspect that this is all easier for me because I have already been there and done that. I suspect that a book with pictures, drawings, and some war stories could bring this home to others without having to actually poke banana plugs into jacks. Would such a book open up discussions, or are people here already comfortable with analog computers, super-Turing processors, etc., in their presently abstract forms? Any thoughts? Steve AGI | <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now> Archives <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/18883996-f0d58d57> | <https://www.listbox.com/member/?&; ad2> Modify Your Subscription <http://www.listbox.com> ------------------------------------------- AGI Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/21088071-c97d2393 Modify Your Subscription: https://www.listbox.com/member/?member_id=21088071&id_secret=21088071-2484a968 Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com
