Windmills

CSGnet Archive CSG2002
1

[From Rick Marken (2002.06.11.0750)]

Bill Powers (2002.06.10.1753 MDT)

I'm not optimistic about any of these people suddenly seeing how the analog
control model works. I haven't been able to get anyone in these fields to
look at or discuss the little man model or talk about the concept of
continuous control. What good would it do to set a position reference
signal in the LM model and show the difference between turning it on for a
short time and a long time? People who won't look at the basic model won't
look at that variation on it either. I'll be happy to let someone else tilt
at that windmill.

I actually didn't suggest the demo as a way to get people to consider the
merits of a continuous control model of behavior. I was suggesting it for the
benefit of those of us who enjoy doing control theory science for its own
sake.

If we didn't tilt at windmills there would really be nothing for us to do.
It's the windmills that make it all worth it.

Best

Sancho

ยทยทยท

--
Richard S. Marken, Ph.D.
The RAND Corporation
PO Box 2138
1700 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138
Tel: 310-393-0411 x7971
Fax: 310-451-7018
E-mail: rmarken@rand.org

2

[From Bruce Gregory (970921.0900 EDT)]

I am reading Seymour Papert's book _The Children's Machine_ (I recommend
it.) It occurred to me as I finished the chapter entitled "Instructionism
versus
Constructionism" that I have been unfair to academic psychologists and
philosophers (Papert is neither.) They are indeed solving, or at least
addressing
problems. But the problems they solve are important and significant only to
their
communities. They resemble theologians more than they resemble engineers or

physical scientists. (The latter are in danger of becoming equally
esoteric, at least
in the domain of high-energy physics, where the objects of their concerns
exist nowhere in the universe but in the physicists' laboratories.)

Trying to gain the attention, not to say respect, of these self-absorbed
communities is a truly Quixotic task. And who is better suited to do it
than our own Don Quixote, Rick Marken :wink:

bruce Sancho Panza gregory