infomysteries

[Avery Andrews 930318.1121]
(Rick Marken (930317.1400))

I don't think I'm bluffing about anything (tho have done a bit of
guessing, some of which was a bit wide of the mark, as Martin recently
indicated). I'm with you in wanting to know how knowing p(t) lets you
describe d(t) with fewer bits. I think my little story about noise
generators is a sufficient basis for saying that information about
d(t) is somehow present in p(t), but if you don't, fine. After all,
I do say that it is present in `some mysterious sense' which means I
don't claim to know what's going on, but only to suspect that something
interesting is.

On a completely different note, I've just written a little
implementation of a simple `coordinative structure' via perceptual
control, vaguely inspired by the Abbs & Winstein work on lip
movements. There are two little points, driven by thrusters through
a medium. And there is a reference level for separation of the
points, so that when they are too far apart the thrusters drive them
together, & vice versa. The reference level is produced by a square
wave generator. Finally either of the two points can be `frozen',
whereupon the other goes further to compensate.

In the grab-bag of possible paper topics, perceptual control as an
implementation theory of coordinate structures strikes me as having
some promise.

Avery.Andrews@anu.edu.au

[From Rick Marken (930317.2030)]

Avery Andrews (930318.1121)--

I don't think I'm bluffing about anything (tho have done a bit of
guessing, some of which was a bit wide of the mark, as Martin recently
indicated).

Sorry. I didn't mean to say that you, personally, were bluffing; I
was crying out to the vast, faceless, nameless group of experts in
"technical" information theory; I think a school of knowledge (like
IT) -- even if it can provide no predictions (as Allan notes) -- should
at least be able to tell me how to measure the main variable in its
arsenal -- information. PCT tells us how to measure control, at least.

The program sounds fun, by the way.

In the grab-bag of possible paper topics, perceptual control as an
implementation theory of coordinate structures strikes me as having
some promise.

Pardon another self-promotion but two such papers (describing simple
control model implementations of coordinative strutures -- along with
experimental tests with humans) have already been published (and reprinted
in Mind Readings -- both in chapter 6 on Coordination). Both appeared
in major journals; neither has recieved ANY attention from the coordinative
structure crowd -- positive or negative. But, hey, they were published;
sorry about having to sacrifice all those trees for nothing, though.

G'day

Rick