http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/Truth-Hunh-What-is-it-good-for-Absolutely-Nothing-tp7590706p7590763.html
terminology like mind, brain, etc. But it was probably a futile effort.
impaired state. So my sensor-connection web - effector mechanism was
appropriate outputs. If a sensor or an effector fails, the abilities of
the system are diminished. If a specific pathway through the web of
I need to take small steps. So let me say that my mechanism is what
A language like English is extraordinarily fluid and dynamic. That
increasingly rely on linguistic constructs of the form: A IS B. You have
linguistic evil. I made that exact point in my model when asserting that
approached that topic as yet. Primarily because my intent so far has
> 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:
[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Prof David
> West
> Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2017 12:59 PM
> To:
[hidden email]
> 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
> >
> > ============================================================
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> > at St. John's College to unsubscribe
> >
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