[FRIAM] Morphogenisis

[thompnickson2 at gmail.com]

Steve, 

 

I cannot, I MUST not, at this time, take the time to adequately respond to
the paper, however much it interests me, which it does, alot.

 

However, I have skimmed it and think I might have a brief contribution.
There are two terms that are not nailed down, so far as I could see, in my
skimming.  First, I wonder what the authors mean by a pragmatic
understanding.  I hope they mean an understanding of the term that will bear
weight, over time, as we work with it.  If they just mean operational, then
I am not on board. 

 

Second,  authors are ambiguous in their use of the term emergent.  They talk
about emergent structures and emergent properties.  Best, I think to follow
Wimsatt and confine its use to those properties of an aggregate that arise
not simply from  the properties of the members of an aggregate but from
their order of assembly or their arrangement in the aggregate.  I would call
such a definition pragmatic, or even "practicial", in the sense that opens
the door to further systematic exploration.  

 

Nick  

 

Nick Thompson

 <mailto:ThompNickSon2 at gmail.com> ThompNickSon2 at gmail.com

 <https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/>
https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/

 

From: Friam <friam-bounces at redfish.com> On Behalf Of Steve Smith
Sent: Saturday, May 8, 2021 8:57 PM
To: friam at redfish.com
Subject: Re: [FRIAM] Morphogenisis

 

Nick -

 

 Second, which of these two models encapsulates more closely what you
wizards mean by computation.  Is carrying out an algorithm  more like
"computation" or is "building a limb"? Is a salamander's limb "computed"?
If so, who computes it, or is that a violation of the language of
computation.   I know.  Fools rush in where wise men fear to tread. 





I know that Susan has done a lot of more up to date and relevant work in the
area of bio-inspired computing and I haven't followed it all nor do I fully
appreciate what she meant when she once told me that "Embryology" was the
most inspiring area in that regard that she was working with.   I'll find a
more up to date material I hope, but *this* 2003 white-paper might be of
some interest...

https://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/susan/bib/ss/nonstd/rsrae03.htm

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