# Fundamentals **URL:** http://discourse.iapct.org/c/research/6.md?page=1 [Latest](http://discourse.iapct.org/latest.md) · [Categories](http://discourse.iapct.org/categories.md) · [Tags](http://discourse.iapct.org/tags.md) **Page:** 2 --- ## [Flip-flop structures](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/flip-flop-structures/15921)
**Author:** [@bnhpct](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/bnhpct)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [April 22, 2022, 6:57pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/flip-flop-structures/15921 "2022-04-22T18:57:22Z")
This was a tangent to another topic. \[I’ve included more of the context here. —BN\] This structure switches between on and off (neural firing vs. no neural firing). A flip-flop switches between neural firing on one… --- ## [Problems with CSGnet conversion](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/problems-with-csgnet-conversion/15922)
**Author:** [@bnhpct](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/bnhpct)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [April 6, 2022, 4:23pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/problems-with-csgnet-conversion/15922 "2022-04-06T16:23:49Z")
The conversion from CSGnet email (on a Sympa listserv) to Discourse had difficulty with ASCII diagrams and with quotations of prior posts. Dag has preserved the ASCII diagrams in a Eudora archive and, in many but not al… --- ## [\* Diagram Police \*](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/diagram-police/15683)
**Author:** [@amatic](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/amatic)\ **Replies:** 96\ **Last updated:** [March 30, 2022, 1:07pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/diagram-police/15683 "2022-03-30T13:07:33Z")
This is going to be a little rant about diagrams, for nitpicky people. Diagrams are important for representing systems and understanding how they behave. A good diagram follows consistent rules, has a direct corresponden… --- ## [Controlling your car's position on the road](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/controlling-your-cars-position-on-the-road/15916)
**Author:** [@Abbott](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/Abbott)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [March 3, 2022, 6:56pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/controlling-your-cars-position-on-the-road/15916 "2022-03-03T18:56:12Z")
As you drive down the road, you attempt to keep your car more-or-less centered in its lane despite the effects of disturbances. But how do you accomplish this? A simple model based on proportional control would seem to w… --- ## [We can approximate the organism function from an S-R law](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/we-can-approximate-the-organism-function-from-an-s-r-law/15910)
**Author:** [@amatic](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/amatic)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [February 24, 2022, 5:21pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/we-can-approximate-the-organism-function-from-an-s-r-law/15910 "2022-02-24T17:21:12Z")
Say we have a standard tracking task, and a standard model, with the usual variables and functions. For a disturbance as a sum of sines, Ko = 20, Kf = 2, and Kl = 0.01, we get this time plot: We can see the input v… --- ## [The Meaning and Origin of Goal-Directedness: A Dynamical Systems Perspective](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/the-meaning-and-origin-of-goal-directedness-a-dynamical-systems-perspective/15901)
**Author:** [@Abbott](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/Abbott)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [February 4, 2022, 5:23pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/the-meaning-and-origin-of-goal-directedness-a-dynamical-systems-perspective/15901 "2022-02-04T17:23:46Z")
A paper of this title by Francis Heylighen (2022) provides a clear and informative review of the early misconceptions about goal seeking and maintaining in biological organisms that led to the rejection of purposive beha… --- ## [How organisms function from view of Ashby, Maturana, Powers, physiology and neurophysiology](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/how-organisms-function-from-view-of-ashby-maturana-powers-physiology-and-neurophysiology/15877)
**Author:** [@Borislav\_Harihari](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/Borislav_Harihari)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [December 13, 2021, 5:31pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/how-organisms-function-from-view-of-ashby-maturana-powers-physiology-and-neurophysiology/15877 "2021-12-13T17:31:11Z")
It seems that Bruce Nevin was triggered by my presentation about how organisms function on Cybernetics Society and it seems that he started to study authors which I presented. We have also talked about the fundamentals o… --- ## [Intrinsic References](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/intrinsic-references/15847)
**Author:** [@richardhpfau](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/richardhpfau)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2021, 9:58pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/intrinsic-references/15847 "2021-12-12T21:58:09Z")
I have just read the following article that makes me think that the perception of novelty and related attraction to novel perceptual signals may indicate intrinsic reference signals. The article is: Zahra Z. Farahbakhsh… --- ## [The Study of Living Control Systems](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/the-study-of-living-control-systems/15880)
**Author:** [@rsmarken](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/rsmarken)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2021, 8:40pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/the-study-of-living-control-systems/15880 "2021-12-12T20:40:21Z")
Just a reminder that if you want to learn Perceptual Control Theory and you haven’t done it yet be sure to get yourself a copy of The Study of Living Control Systems, the book that has been called “…by far the best intro… --- ## [Subjective experience](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/subjective-experience/15816)
**Author:** [@bnhpct](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/bnhpct)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [November 25, 2021, 10:15pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/subjective-experience/15816 "2021-11-25T22:15:17Z")
The term ‘perception’ has three kinds of meaning in PCT discussions: a perceptual signal, a rate of firing in the nervous system; a numerical variable in a model of a behaving system that may be implemented as a compute… --- ## [Autopoiesis and control](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/autopoiesis-and-control/15876)
**Author:** [@bnhpct](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/bnhpct)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [November 1, 2021, 6:41pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/autopoiesis-and-control/15876 "2021-11-01T18:41:07Z")
Autopoiesis is a conceptual framework that originated in cellular biology. Humberto Maturana and his student Francisco Varela proposed autopoiesis as a criterion for distinguishing living from non-living things, and as a… --- ## [W.T. Powers and his deserved place in history of Cybernetics and Psychology](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/w-t-powers-and-his-deserved-place-in-history-of-cybernetics-and-psychology/15863)
**Author:** [@Borislav\_Harihari](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/Borislav_Harihari)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [November 1, 2021, 9:56am UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/w-t-powers-and-his-deserved-place-in-history-of-cybernetics-and-psychology/15863 "2021-11-01T09:56:36Z")
Intention of this topic is that Bill Powers work would be more recognizable in World Community. The other day me and Bruce Nevin somehow agreed that we came to the same conclusion about how organisms basically function … --- ## [Fundamental literature on the reorganization system](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/fundamental-literature-on-the-reorganization-system/15870)
**Author:** [@bnhpct](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/bnhpct)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [October 27, 2021, 7:44pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/fundamental-literature-on-the-reorganization-system/15870 "2021-10-27T19:44:56Z")
Powers et al. (1963), Part 1, pp. 12-16 proposed the “N system” to account for reorganization. A decade later, Bill published a more complete sketch of a reorganizing system in B:CP. The following paragraphs are from pp.… --- ## [What is program control?](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/what-is-program-control/15859)
**Author:** [@bnhpct](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/bnhpct)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [October 11, 2021, 4:42pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/what-is-program-control/15859 "2021-10-11T16:42:05Z")
Back in 1994 and again in 2009, I see advanced the notion that functions at the proposed Program level merely detect whether or not a program is running. Here, in 2009, Bruce Abbott was summarizing extended off-list disc… --- ## [The computer program metaphor](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/the-computer-program-metaphor/15858)
**Author:** [@bnhpct](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/bnhpct)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [October 11, 2021, 2:57pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/the-computer-program-metaphor/15858 "2021-10-11T14:57:41Z")
Ever since ENIAC in 1945 at Penn, or before that the writings of von Neumann and others, the computer has been an alluring metaphor for human cognition. I believe it leads us into false assumptions. The level above seq… --- ## [Real Reality CEV and Perceived Reality CV](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/real-reality-cev-and-perceived-reality-cv/15844)
**Author:** [@MartinT](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/MartinT)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [August 10, 2021, 7:04pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/real-reality-cev-and-perceived-reality-cv/15844 "2021-08-10T19:04:14Z")
This is a continuation of a Thread entitled "Corrections and comments to Rick’s The Study of LCS. I would certainly hope so! PCT has so much power in so many aspects of the interactions among living control systems an… --- ## [Regulation and Control in Living Systems](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/regulation-and-control-in-living-systems/15845)
**Author:** [@Fred](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/Fred)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [August 9, 2021, 4:07pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/regulation-and-control-in-living-systems/15845 "2021-08-09T16:07:27Z")
Has anyone heard of a book with the title in the subject line, edited by an H. Kalmus and published by John Wiley in 1966? --- ## [Behavior IS Control?](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/behavior-is-control/15836)
**Author:** [@rsmarken](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/rsmarken)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [July 22, 2021, 11:33am UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/behavior-is-control/15836 "2021-07-22T11:33:40Z")
Continuing the conversation: RM: what we call “behavior” IS controlled perception seen from the point of view of the observer. BN: Yes. We’ve noticed many times that there are two senses of ‘behavior’, behavior fr… --- ## [How are new input functions created?](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/how-are-new-input-functions-created/15798)
**Author:** [@wmansell](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/wmansell)\ **Replies:** 38\ **Last updated:** [May 23, 2021, 1:41am UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/how-are-new-input-functions-created/15798 "2021-05-23T01:41:38Z")
Hi everyone, I have been searching high and low on Discourse, and by extension, CGSNet. but I can’t find an answer to this question. I’m not looking for an answer involving evolution, brain processes or anatomy, or the … --- ## [Example of how non-quantal data might be modeled](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/example-of-how-non-quantal-data-might-be-modeled/15811)
**Author:** [@bnhpct](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/bnhpct)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [May 29, 2021, 12:48am UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/example-of-how-non-quantal-data-might-be-modeled/15811 "2021-05-29T00:48:44Z")
Create a graph database by using a parser to decompose a collection of input sentences and represent their word dependencies as nodes and edges. This is a toy system, so limit input to simple assertions. Include classifi… --- ## [Testing with Naturally Occurring Disturbances](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/testing-with-naturally-occurring-disturbances/15747)
**Author:** [@rsmarken](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/rsmarken)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [January 16, 2021, 2:19am UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/testing-with-naturally-occurring-disturbances/15747 "2021-01-16T02:19:46Z")
A nice (actually, rather chilling) example of using a naturalistic disturbance to infer a controlled variable occurred on January 6. On that day, insurgents stormed the US Capitol in an attempt to stop the certification … --- ## [Gain control system](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/gain-control-system/15749)
**Author:** [@Abbott](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/Abbott)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [January 15, 2021, 6:49pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/gain-control-system/15749 "2021-01-15T18:49:54Z")
Bill Powers occasionally discussed the possibility that the gain of a control system might itself be a controlled variable. For those who may be interested, such gain control has been documented in the stick insect’s fem… --- ## [Controlled Variables are Perceptual Variables](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/controlled-variables-are-perceptual-variables/15681)
**Author:** [@rsmarken](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/rsmarken)\ **Replies:** 47\ **Last updated:** [December 24, 2020, 2:00am UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/controlled-variables-are-perceptual-variables/15681 "2020-12-24T02:00:37Z")
RM: Some recent comments on CSGNet reflect a misconception about PCT that I think is worth addressing, even at the risk of suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous opposition. RM: The misconception is that “control… --- ## [The quality of control (is quite strained)](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/the-quality-of-control-is-quite-strained/15684)
**Author:** [@rsmarken](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/rsmarken)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [November 20, 2020, 5:16pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/the-quality-of-control-is-quite-strained/15684 "2020-11-20T17:16:44Z")
\[Rick Marken 2020-10-29\_15:02:24\] I have a question for those of you who believe that quality of control depends on how closely the perception being controlled corresponds to its environmental correlate: Could you pleas… --- ## [Objectivity as Intersubjective Agreement](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/objectivity-as-intersubjective-agreement/44)
**Author:** [@forumControlSystem](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/forumControlSystem)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [November 19, 2020, 6:07pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/objectivity-as-intersubjective-agreement/44 "2020-11-19T18:07:37Z")
Posted by Bruce Nevin (May 06, 2019) I had a first post in progress here yesterday, but apparently did not save it. C.S. Peirce proposed that scientific objectivity amounts pragmatically to intersubjective agreement a… --- ## [Re: The quality of control (is quite strained)](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/re-the-quality-of-control-is-quite-strained/15731)
**Author:** [@EetuP](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/EetuP)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [November 18, 2020, 7:51am UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/re-the-quality-of-control-is-quite-strained/15731 "2020-11-18T07:51:23Z")
Sorry for a sloppy message! I made some editing and suggest (re)read: http://discourse.iapct.org/t/the-quality-of-control-is-quite-strained/15684/9 (I think I should delete this topic after a while.) --- ## [Opportunities for PCT](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/opportunities-for-pct/156)
**Author:** [@MartinT](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/MartinT)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [November 10, 2020, 4:04pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/opportunities-for-pct/156 "2020-11-10T16:04:51Z")
In the 150th Anniversary issue of Nature (7 Nov 2019 p31) There is the following passage: Neuroscience, like genetics, has been restricted in the questions it can ask by the data it can gather. Functional Magnetic Resona… --- ## [Behavioral Illusions: The Basis of a Scientific Revolution](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/behavioral-illusions-the-basis-of-a-scientific-revolution/15614)
**Author:** [@rsmarken](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/rsmarken)\ **Replies:** 161\ **Last updated:** [October 17, 2020, 11:21pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/behavioral-illusions-the-basis-of-a-scientific-revolution/15614 "2020-10-17T23:21:27Z")
RM: I thought I would start this as a separate topic since the discussion of the behavioral illusion, though wonderfully enlightening from my point of view, was probably a bit too far down in the weeds for people with a … --- ## [The Prescience of Powers](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/the-prescience-of-powers/15628)
**Author:** [@MartinT](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/MartinT)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [September 26, 2020, 5:35pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/the-prescience-of-powers/15628 "2020-09-26T17:35:04Z")
In 1994, Powers presented to the first European workshop on PCT a design for what he called an “Artificial Cerebellum” (AC) that could serve as an Output Function for any control loop at any level of the hierarchy (avail… --- ## [Behavioral illusion, based on Powers (1978)](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/behavioral-illusion-based-on-powers-1978/15610)
**Author:** [@amatic](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/amatic)\ **Replies:** 85\ **Last updated:** [August 3, 2020, 10:57pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/behavioral-illusion-based-on-powers-1978/15610 "2020-08-03T22:57:50Z")
The behavioral illusion has been a point of some disagreement in the past, both on CSG net and in published papers. For example, Rick defines the behavioral illusion as: “the illusion that behavior is a cause-effect proc… [Previous page](http://discourse.iapct.org/c/research/6.md) [Next page](http://discourse.iapct.org/c/research/6.md?page=2)