[FRIAM] Open Letter, draft #2

[John Kennison]

I like the idea of a non-sequential machine, or perhaps, a being, whose operation is NOT determined by knowing how its component parts function. I don’t see how to go about constructing such a thing, unless I assume that there are laws of physics which remain undiscovered. So for now, I will settle on trying to describe a ``machine’’ which is not a sequential machine. I think that Rosen is right in saying that having a parallel machine (in which various operations happen simultaneously) will not do the trick because given any parallel machine one can define a sequential machine that functions in the same way. One might make a machine in which the outputs only happen with a certain specified probability, but I don’t think that is different enough. So I rephrase the problem as describing an entity that receives inputs and produces outputs that is cannot be duplicated (or reasonably modeled) by a probabilistic sequential machine (one in which the outputs happen with a specified probability). I thought of starting with a sequential machine, which has rules for how to react to inputs when in a given state. But now let’s suppose that the rules may change. The entity is capable of learning new rules. This seems more biological –the entity can reprogram itself. But I find that naive ways of reprograming can probably be duplicated by a sequential machine. For example, if the machine reprograms when dissatisfied with previous performance, then there is a new state, of being dissatisfied, and the reprograming activity can, it seems, be re-expressed as more sophisticated rules for producing an output.

--John
________________________________
From: Friam <friam-bounces at redfish.com> on behalf of Tom Johnson <tom at jtjohnson.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2018 4:23:01 PM
To: Friam at redfish. com
Subject: Re: [FRIAM] Open Letter, draft #2

Yes, but not with multiple signatories.  Sorry.

============================================
Tom Johnson
Institute for Analytic Journalism   --     Santa Fe, NM USA
505.577.6482(c)                                    505.473.9646(h)
NM Foundation for Open Government<http://nmfog.org>
Check out It's The People's Data<https://www.facebook.com/pages/Its-The-Peoples-Data/1599854626919671>
http://www.jtjohnson.com<http://www.jtjohnson.com/>                   tom at jtjohnson.com<mailto:tom at jtjohnson.com>
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On Wed, Oct 24, 2018 at 11:45 AM Nick Thompson <nickthompson at earthlink.net<mailto:nickthompson at earthlink.net>> wrote:

Thanks, Tom,



Still trying to figure out logistics.  I have written the NM-ican to find out how to submit a letter from many signers, but got no response.  Do you have any experience with this?



Nick



Nicholas S. Thompson

Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Biology

Clark University

http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/



From: Friam [mailto:friam-bounces at redfish.com<mailto:friam-bounces at redfish.com>] On Behalf Of Tom Johnson
Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2018 11:14 AM
To: Friam at redfish. com <friam at redfish.com<mailto:friam at redfish.com>>
Subject: Re: [FRIAM] Open Letter, draft #2



I will sign on, Nick.

Tom Johnson, Professor Emeritus, San Francisco State University


============================================
Tom Johnson
Institute for Analytic Journalism   --     Santa Fe, NM USA
505.577.6482(c)                                    505.473.9646(h)
NM Foundation for Open Government<http://nmfog.org>
Check out It's The People's Data<https://www.facebook.com/pages/Its-The-Peoples-Data/1599854626919671>

http://www.jtjohnson.com<http://www.jtjohnson.com/>                   tom at jtjohnson.com<mailto:tom at jtjohnson.com>
============================================





On Tue, Oct 23, 2018 at 6:09 PM Nick Thompson <nickthompson at earthlink.net<mailto:nickthompson at earthlink.net>> wrote:

Hi, all,



Here is a new draft of the open letter, pared down to meet the New Mexican’s requirements.  I have a few signatories, would love some more.  I will bring the letter with me to our service on Friday.  Even if you don’t plan to sign, please feel free to point out typos and other infelicities.



Nick



To the New Mexican

We are industrial researchers and retired college professors, living in Santa Fe.  We urge all Santa Feans to vote, but particularly young voters and their parents.  Institutions of learning and their students are under stress.    Every day, we meet young people as dedicated to learning as our best research students in the 70’s and 80’s, yet are working as cashiers, ride hail drivers, waiters and waitresses.  Under present conditions, these talented young people cannot afford to go to university and, without that training, will never take up the leadership positions their talent should make possible.  The nation will need these students as our generation retires from institutes, government laboratories, colleges, and universities.  Please take time to vote and to tell your representatives to support education at every level.  The future safety and prosperity of our nation depends on it.



Nicholas S. Thompson

Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Biology

Clark University

http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/



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FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
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FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ by Dr. Strangelove
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