[FRIAM] Truth: “Hunh! What is it good for? Absolutely Nothing!”
Prof David West
profwest at fastmail.fm
Thu Oct 19 03:15:32 EDT 2017
Quite the opposite. The system at the root of my definition is optimized
for 'all improv, all the time'. When that 'improv' ability is diminished
by fixed, rote, performance, that is when the system fails. When you
listen to a really good jazz group, or an orchestra learning a new piece
(or playing it the first X number of times) everyone is doing 'improv'
i.e. actively listening to each other and their instruments and making
deliberative and intentional actions towards their own instrument - that
is really great. But, the thousandth time the same piece is played in
the same concert hall, much of that active/deliberative/intentional
aspect is lost and the performers merely act by rote. They could be
asleep and rely on muscle memory to produce the sounds, which, by the
way, start to sound exactly like the notes on the sheet of paper,
technically correct but without soul.
Actors use the term, 'mail it in' to describe performances that are done
without thought. Tom Cruise is an actor oft accused of mailing it in
because everything he does, regardless of film or character, is the same
- it is Tom Cruise, not the character he is supposed to be portraying.
davew
On Wed, Oct 18, 2017, at 02:09 PM, Merle Lefkoff wrote:
> Are you suggesting that if individuals begin to--shall we say--
> "improvise" that it disturbs the potential emergence of an harmonic
> system? I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "mail in their
> part of the overall performance.">
> On Wed, Oct 18, 2017 at 12:58 PM, Prof David West
> <profwest at fastmail.fm> wrote:>> 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-Language-Use-in-Swabia>> >
>> > - Steve
>> >
>> > ============================================================
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>>
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>> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
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>
>
>
> --
> Merle Lefkoff, Ph.D.
> President, Center for Emergent Diplomacy
> emergentdiplomacy.org
> Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
> Visiting Professor in Integrative Peacebuilding
> Saint Paul University
> Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
>
> merlelefkoff at gmail.com[1]
> mobile: (303) 859-5609
> skype: merle.lelfkoff2
> twitter: @Merle_Lefkoff
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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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