Something you say reminds me of the difference between grey matter and white matter in the brain. What's wrong with mentioning brains? White matter influence increases with age as I recall.
Frank Frank Wimberly Phone (505) 670-9918 On Oct 19, 2017 1:07 AM, "Prof David West" <[email protected]> wrote: > Nick, > > Yeah, the model is pretty obtuse - because I was trying to avoid using > terminology like mind, brain, etc. But it was probably a futile effort. > > I define lower-case truth as a particular state of a mechanism, an > impaired state. So my sensor-connection web - effector mechanism was > designed/evolved to be absolutely dynamic and flexible so that it can > respond to any possible combination of inputs by activating any and all > appropriate outputs. If a sensor or an effector fails, the abilities of > the system are diminished. If a specific pathway through the web of > pathways becomes fixed and inflexible, the abilities of the system are > diminished. > > I define lower-case truth as nothing more than one of those capability > diminishing 'failures' of the system. > > Because the failure is within the system, it is local - hence 'local > truth'. > > This is not a "belief" in the usual sense of that word, because the word > implies a "believer," and I speak of nothing except a mechanism and > particular states of that mechanism. > > Upper-case Truth simply does not exist. > > Now,application of my model, use of my definition of 'truth', to > understand the individual mechanism and its behavior in a large context > I need to take small steps. So let me say that my mechanism is what > underlies a human individual and look at one aspect of that individual's > behavior - the use of language. > > A language like English is extraordinarily fluid and dynamic. That > fluidity and dynamism is diminished, significantly, when individuals > increasingly rely on linguistic constructs of the form: A IS B. You have > heard me say, many times that the verb 'to be' is the root of all > linguistic evil. I made that exact point in my model when asserting that > a channelized circuit equated to A (a set of inputs) = B (a set of > outputs). > > At some point, the application of my model/definition to a system > containing multiple individual systems would be in order, but I have not > approached that topic as yet. Primarily because my intent so far has > just to provide the definition of 'truth' that you said was missing from > the discussion. > > davew > > On Wed, Oct 18, 2017, at 01:28 PM, Nick Thompson wrote: > > David, > > > > Just checking: I have a hard time following the model in detail, but it > > sounds like what you mean by "truth" is very like what I mean by > > "belief". For me, a belief is a "local truth". > > > > So, that being the case, what is the name of the thing that you say > > doesn't exist, the thing that other people call, T-with-a-capital Truth > > Are you asserting that there is no stable purchase point beyond what I > > would call, "individual belief". When a group of people coalesces around > > a belief, what would you call that? (Shared belief?) Are all shared > > beliefs of the same quality? (Group think?) > > > > Now please remember -- nobody seems to understand this point -- that as > > of the moment I have made no argument for the EXISTENCE of anything > > beyond local truth. > > > > Nicholas S. Thompson > > Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Biology > > Clark University > > http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/ > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Friam [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Prof David > > West > > Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2017 12:59 PM > > To: [email protected] > > Subject: Re: [FRIAM] Truth: “Hunh! What is it good for? Absolutely > > Nothing!” > > > > Steve, > > > > My definition refers to a single system - a single system and is not > > intended to suggest anything about interacting systems, nor anything > > external to itself. I do assume that this system is contained within a > > complex system which is the source of the input signals detected by the > > sensors. I similarly assume that the effectors may transmit signals to > > the containing system but want to leave that aside for the moment. > > > > I could metaphorically equate my system to a neural network brain within > > the skin of a human being — but again would prefer to simply focus on my > > system in a non-anthropomorphized manner; just to keep things simple and > > to avoid the potential for diversions into side conversations. > > > > I am also using neural networks - without naming things as such - again, > > to avoid distractions, this makes explanations clumsier, but it serves my > > purpose for the moment. > > > > The connecting web can route any input to any output, using a near > > infinite number of pathways. More importantly it can route any > > combination of inputs to any combination of outputs along any of the near > > INFINITE (I yell only to point out the combinatorial explosion of > > pathways) number of routes (circuits). > > > > Now imagine that this system is an organism and that the connection of > > some [input | set of inputs | pattern of inputs] to [an| set of | pattern > > of] outputs increases its survival potential. Further imagine that this > > system is highly dynamic and acutely optimized to assure than and and all > > input/s are conveyed to the most useful output/s (with useful being > > simply the increase or maintenance of survival potential. > > The web of input-output connects can be 'rewired' in "real time," i.e. > > in whatever unit of time exists between receipt of the next inputs. > > > > Now imagine that a/some sensors seem to receive the same input over and > > over again and, due to "fatigue" they either shut down and fail to relay > > the input to the web, or they lock into constantly sending the same input > > value to the web without regard to whatever was actually sensed. > > System fault. > > > > Similarly, a particular pathway (set of pathways) are utilized more often > > when receiving a particular pattern of inputs and those pathways > > channelize, essentially become fixed. System fault because the ability of > > the system to adapt is impaired. This would be particularly evident if > > the pattern of inputs begins to subtly change, but change enough that the > > pattern of outputs should be modified and they are not. > > > > Whenever these faults occur, the system as a whole starts behaving as if > > A (set of inputs) IS B (set of outputs). That simply use of the verb 'to > > be' is my definition of "truth," and it is purely local because it is a > > condition/state of the individual system. > > > > Very quickly - imagine several such systems interacting. Your marching > > band for example. For each member of the band as a single organism (of > > the type discussed above) all the other members of the band are simply > > part of a containing complex system. When each of the individual systems > > are using their innate ability to route the 'right' inputs to the 'right' > > outputs the outcome can be cacophony that morphs into an exquisite > > performance. But when individual systems start to fail - establish > > truthiness - start to "mail in" their part of the overall performance, > > the band as a whole and your enjoyment of their performance is bound to > > suffer. > > > > davew > > > > > > > > On Tue, Oct 17, 2017, at 04:58 PM, Steven A Smith wrote: > > > Dave sez: > > > > It is certainly possible for one sensor-web-effector state machine > > > > to "infect" another, i.e. stimulate a second machine to replicate > > > > the behavior. If that happens we have 'convergence' which is nothing > > > > more than collective 'fault'/ 'defectiveness'. > > > > > > > It sounds as if you believe that resonance, mode locking, phase > > > locking, tidal locking, etc. are somehow defective ways for systems > > > to interact. I can agree that they are modestly less interesting > > > than more chaotic systems. While *I* might find a marching (esp. if > > > they are goose-stepping) army aberrant (and abhorrent), I might find a > > > *marching band* or *synchronized swimmers* or a dance-troupe following > > > a choreography (e.g. Cirque de Soliel perfomance) somehow beautiful. > > > And I would suggest these are examples of what you are judging as > > > "defective"? I suppose that since only a *subsystem* of the units > > > (dancers/musicians/soldiers) are mode/phase-locked for the duration of > > > the march/performance, that this is only a partial example and > > > therefore only *partially* defective/faulty? > > > > > > I believe it is in the liminal space which fills the near-locality of > > > a shared "dialect" where the interesting stuff happens, not unlike in > > > dynamical systems' "edge of chaos". I agree with the technical > > > expression that any "statement of Truth" is a defect, but that does > > > not mean that it doesn't gesture in the direction of, or roughly > > > circumscribe, or provide a proxy for a more transcendent "truth". > > > One > > > *might* argue that each individual has a private, idiosyncratic > > > dialect of "the same language", and that interaction amongst > > > individuals whose dialects are similar enough to intend to > agree/discuss/converge/?? > > > > > > I would claim that a well formed question suggests a family of > "answers" > > > and thereby hints at what we want to believe in as "truth". > > > > > > This paper may (or may not) offer some perspective on the evolution of > > > a language/dialect and teh convergence/coherence issue. > > > > > > https://www.researchgate.net/project/Coherence-Convergence-and-Change- > > > A-Sociolinguistic-Variationist-Approach-to-Dialect-and-Standard-Langua > > > ge-Use-in-Swabia > > > > > > - Steve > > > > > > ============================================================ > > > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe > > > at St. John's College to unsubscribe > > > http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com > > > FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ by Dr. Strangelove > > > > ============================================================ > > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College to unsubscribe > > http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com > > FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ by Dr. Strangelove > > > > > > ============================================================ > > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > > to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com > > FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ by Dr. Strangelove > > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com > FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ by Dr. Strangelove
============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ by Dr. Strangelove
