Why cognitive science is what it is

CSGnet Archive CSG2000
1

[From Rick Marken (2000.01.06.2200)]

The rank ordered list of the one hundred most influential
works in cognitive science in the 20th century is now
available at

http://cogsci.umn.edu/millennium/final.html

Of course, B:CP is not on the list, which is understandable
since (with the possible exception of _Mind Readings_).
it was probably the _least_ influential work in cognitive
science in the 20th century.

I have to admit that I find myself in nearly complete agreement
not only with the content of the list but also with the ordering
of works on it. The number one most influential work on the list,
for example, is Chomsky's _Syntactic Structures_. I remember
the blue cover of my beloved copy that sat on my book shelf all
during grad school. I think I did actually try to read it once.
The book stayed on the shelf as an emblem of my committment -- of
_our_ comittment, since I shared office space with several like-
minded companions -- to the then newly developing field of
cognitive science.

Some of the works on the list came out well after I had become
a control theorist (in about 1978). But most are the "classics"
that were familiar to me in those starry days of grad school:
Turing, Newell and Simon, G. A. Miller, Broadbent, J. J. Gibson,
Shannon, McCulloch and Pitts, Green and Swets, Broadbent etc.

Looking at this list, particularly the top entries, it becomes
obvious why cognitive science is what it is today. _Syntactic
Structures_ is a theory of how grammatical utterances are
_generated; Turing's _Computing machinery and intelligence_ is
a theory of how complex programs of behavior can be _generated_.
Cognitive science is about how organisms _generate_ (sometimes
after delays in short and long term memory) the outputs that
produce complex results like grammatical sentences and programs
of behavior.

Of course, it can't work this way; the organism is not the sole
influence on the results of its outputs. In reality, the results
that are produced by organisms are the combined result of outputs
_and_ independent disturbances. An organism cannot generate
consistent (complex) results by generating consistent (complex)
outputs; it can only produce consistent (complex) results by
controlling perceptual representations of those results, using
whatever outputs (complex or not) produce the intended result.
This is the message of B:CP which, perhaps, cognitive science
will get in this new century.

Best

Rick

···

---
Richard S. Marken Phone or Fax: 310 474-0313
Life Learning Associates e-mail: rmarken@earthlink.net
http://home.earthlink.net/~rmarken/

2

In a message dated 1/6/2000 10:56:48 PM US Mountain Standard Time,
rmarken@EARTHLINK.NET writes:

<< Of course, B:CP is not on the list, which is understandable
since (with the possible exception of _Mind Readings_).
it was probably the _least_ influential work in cognitive
science in the 20th century. >>

BILL is one of 306 Nominations
(http://cogsci.umn.edu/millennium/1111232908.html)

Here is the copy of the nomination and some comments others have made about

Behavior: The Control of Perception
Powers, W. T. (1973)
New York: Aldine DeGruyter.

···

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Nominator's statement

Powers presents a radical new theory of behavior within living systems that
represents a Copernican revolution in the realm of Cognitive Science. The
blend of control theory with perception and behavior proposing the
fundamental principle that all living systems control their inputs not
outputs) is truly sublime.

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--

comments

* This is a book that demands and rewards close and careful study. Powers'
development of the perceptual stack is elegant in a way that few models are.
As a bonus, Powers has some speculations about the nature of consciousness
that are as interesting as any advanced in the last 30 years, and perhaps
more
     interesting than most.

* By far the most important work in Cognitive Science this century, even
though the implications of Powers' basic observation (that behavior is the
process of controlling input perceptual variables) are still not fully
understood in the psychological community.

* The social sciences will never be the same again once the implications of
this great book are realised.

* For all who have read this book _carefully_ (not just supposing they know
after the first few pages what it is going to say), this book marks the
beginning of scientific psychology. It is the only book that shows how to
make working models of behaving organisms -- the only theory that others
have used to make actual working models. Not just to talk about doing so,
but actually doing so.

* A work massively over-rated by its devotees.
____________________________________________________________________

Sometimes
It is just nice to be nominated
Mark Lazare

3

[From Rick Marken (2000.01.16.1400)]

Me re: the list of the 100 most influential 20th century works in
cognitive science:

Of course, B:CP is not on the list, which is understandable

Mark Lazare (2000.01.16) --

BILL is one of 306 Nominations

Yes. I don't know who nominated B:CP (if the one who nominated it
is on CSGNet please raise your hand). But I do know that Phil
Runkel and I each wrote a comment. I'd _love_ to know who wrote
the other comments, particularly the last one about B:CP being
"massively over-rated by its devotees".

Sometimes
It is just nice to be nominated

I agree. It was great to see B:CP nominated. I thought it would
be nice if it made the top 100 because that might increase its
audience. But I still think that its non-inclusion in the top
100 was correct; B:CP did not have much (any?) influence on
cognitive science in the 20th century. But we're already 16 days
into the 21st century and I see its influence picking up already;
It looks like my paper describing a PCT model of catching
baseballs ("Controlled Variables: Behavior as the Center Fielder
Views It") will be published in the _American Journal of Psychology_.
(founded in the 19th century!) which seems to specialize in articles
related to what are now called cognitive science issues.

Best

Rick

···

--
Richard S. Marken Phone or Fax: 310 474-0313
Life Learning Associates e-mail: rmarken@earthlink.net
http://home.earthlink.net/~rmarken/

4

[From Rupert Young (2000.01.17.0930)]

[From Rick Marken (2000.01.16.1400)]

Yes. I don't know who nominated B:CP (if the one who nominated it
is on CSGNet please raise your hand).

Ok, I admit it, it was me. I didn't think BCP would (or should) make it to
the top 100
but was interested to see what comments the nomination would produce.

the other comments, particularly the last one about B:CP being
"massively over-rated by its devotees".

Yes, I'd like to know that as well. Obviously someone who knew the topic
well and could easily point out all the problems with the theory

It looks like my paper describing a PCT model of catching
baseballs ("Controlled Variables: Behavior as the Center Fielder
Views It") will be published in the _American Journal of Psychology_.
(founded in the 19th century!) which seems to specialize in articles
related to what are now called cognitive science issues.

That's good new, congratulations ! I'll look forward to reading the
official, published version.

Regards,
Rupert

5

[From Rick Marken (2000.01.17.1730)]

Me:

I don't know who nominated B:CP (if the one who nominated it
is on CSGNet please raise your hand).

Rupert Young (2000.01.17.0930) --

Ok, I admit it, it was me.

Bravo, Rupert. Well done!

Me:

I'd _love_ to know who wrote the other comments, particularly
the last one about B:CP being "massively over-rated by its
devotees".

Rupert:

Yes, I'd like to know that as well. Obviously someone who knew
the topic well and could easily point out all the problems with
the theory

Yes, indeed. The person didn't spend much time at all explaining
_why_ B:CP is "massively over-rated". I guess there was just too
much to say in that small space.

Best

Rick

···

--
Richard S. Marken Phone or Fax: 310 474-0313
Life Learning Associates e-mail: rmarken@earthlink.net
http://home.earthlink.net/~rmarken/