[From Bruce Nevin (980127.1944)]
Fred Nickols (980127.1615 EST) --
Looks like a pretty good start to me!
Presumably, some of what we know as "set" is established in lower
level systems, the functioning of which we are not consciously aware.
Yes, "established in lower level systems" by one or more control systems at
a higher level--of which we might also not be aware. In fact, it might be
that nothing about this comes to conscious attention until the expectation
is violated (your hand flies up with the suitcase, you realize it's not a
mac-name).
"Until the expectation is violated" recalls the recent discussion of
"prediction" and expectation.
Ambiguity in language provides many examples. People working in computer
parsing of language liked to talk about "garden path sentences" like
The horse raced past the barn
fell down.
Ambiguity in language is often overlooked: "I know what I mean, how could
it possibly mean anything else?" A belief that one is sticking to the
literal use of words is a tricky matter. Ambiguity in the world of
perceptions is overlooked at least as often -- perhaps more so, to the
extent that the world of perceptions is thought to *be* the "external world".
Be well,
Bruce Nevin