When is analog? When is digital?

Fischer, Thomas R.

doi:10.1108/03684921111160232

Cited by 10 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…In other words, our nervous system has the capability of amplifying the variety of ranges of inputs it accepts, of its internal states, and of outputs it can be expected to offer. The TM's, the NTM's and the Enigma machine's clearly specified, constant input, internal state, and output varieties are typical of digital technology (Fischer, 2011), which is developed and used precisely for the predictable control it offers, at the expense, as Glanville (2009, p. 119) argues, of variety. Fixes varieties in technical systems are established by a kind of observer (matchmaker) who intentionally brings system together to serve purposes by way of control (Fischer, 2011).…”

Section: Observationsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Circular causality and indeterminism in machines for design

Fischer

2014

Frontiers of Architectural Research

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Presenting a hard-to-predict typography-varying system predicated on Nazi-era cryptography, the Enigma cipher machine, this paper illustrates conditions under which unrepeatable phenomena can arise, even from straight-forward mechanisms. Such conditions arise where systems are observed from outside of boundaries that arise through their observation, and where such systems refer to themselves in a circular fashion. It argues that the Enigma cipher machine is isomorphous with Heinz von Foersters portrayals of non-triviality in his non-trivial machine (NTM), but not with surprising human behaviour, and it demonstrates that the NTM does not account for spontaneity as it is observed in humans in general.& 2014. Higher Education Press Limited Company. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. BackgroundFrom the inside, it can be challenging to determine the scope, shape and development of the field one is operating in. Are the frontiers of architectural design research static, unvarying limits? Or are the frontiers of architectural design research changing borderlines, shifting according to modes, depths and directions of enquiry? To what extent do its design and research aspects overlap, and to what extent are design and research comparable or compatible? Do design and research have enough in common to be approached as equals, rendering insights into one of them applicableto the respective other? Are they viable models or metaphors for one another, or are they too different to allow such analogies between them? Answers to these questions, of course, depend much on what is meant by design and by research. Understandings of design and research, of their methods, tools and standards, diverge considerably in different contexts. The argument presented here addresses design, design tools and research methods in reference to systemic boundaries and circular re-entry, and with regards to the notion of determinability in order to shine a critical light on those instances where design and design research are approached in terms of purely linear cause and effect. It is shown that conceptualisations of design (research) in terms of (natural-scientific or computational) linear causality may be unduly limited.

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Section: Observationsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Circular causality and indeterminism in machines for design

Fischer

2014

Frontiers of Architectural Research

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“…If either side in a control system has states that the other side cannot match, then there is ambiguity, and the system is out of control (Glanville, 2012, p. 526). To bring out-of-control feedback systems under effective control from an external perspective, two interrelated matchmaking steps are required (Fischer, 2011, p. 1009): The establishment of equal variety in both elements by way of variety reduction and/or variety amplification (Fischer, 2014, pp. 1332-1333).…”

Section: Glanville’s Corollary Of Ashby’s Law Of Requisite Varietymentioning

confidence: 99%

Transcomputability, (Glanville’s corollary of) Ashby’s law of requisite variety and epistemic processes

Fischer

2019

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Purpose Ranulph Glanville has argued that ambitions of strict control are misplaced in epistemic processes such as learning and designing. Among other reasons, he has presented quantitative arguments for this ethical position. As a part of these arguments, Glanville claimed that strict control even of modest systems transcends the computational limits of our planet. The purpose of this paper is to review the related discourse and to examine the soundness of this claim. Design/methodology/approach Related literature is reviewed and pertinent lines of reasoning are illustrated and critically examined using examples and straightforward language. Findings The claim that even modest epistemic processes transcend the computational means of our planet is challenged. The recommendation to assume out-of-control postures in epistemic processes, however, is maintained on ethical rather than on quantitative grounds. Research limitations/implications The presented reasoning is limited in as far as it is ultimately based on an ethical standpoint. Originality/value This paper summarizes an important cybernetic discourse and dispels the notion therein that epistemic processes necessarily involve computational demands of astronomical proportions. Furthermore, this paper presents a rare discussion of Glanville’s Corollary of Ashby’s Law of Requisite Variety.

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“…Digital signals deviate from the shape typical of inanimate and animate bodies. Digital appears less authentic and forced in a way (Watzlawick et al, 1967;MacLennan, 1993;Fischer, 2011).…”

Section: The Problem Of Digital Vs Analogmentioning

confidence: 99%

What information to measure? How to measure it?

Rocchi

2016

Kybernetes

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Purpose – Thinkers are still debating about the concept of information while engineers prepare astonishing digital appliances. The purpose of this paper is to address the following questions: what concepts do experts adopt in the working environment? What information do they measure? What can be done to help them? Design/methodology/approach – This paper offers a concise report of the researches driven on the problem of the information definition. The report consists of three principal sections. The first section is twofold. On one hand, there are comments on the various information theories; on the other hand, the semiotics concepts (that engineers and professionals use in intuitive manner) are illustrated. Findings – In consequence of the popularity of the semiotic notions – in the second section – the authors define the concept of signifier using the mathematical language, and discuss some features of this mathematical definition. Practical implications – The third section closes the paper with the illustration of some advantages that the mathematical definition of the signifier offers on the practical plane and from the philosophical perspective. Social implications – The ensemble of those advantages provides a bridge between the humanist culture and digital engineering. Originality/value – The theoretical studies on the concept of information seem to be at a standstill. This paper shows how the measurement of the items of information is handy; and various equations can be unified into a comprehensive frame that facilitates the collaboration of experts coming from different areas.

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When is analog? When is digital?

Cited by 10 publications

References 15 publications

Circular causality and indeterminism in machines for design

Circular causality and indeterminism in machines for design

Transcomputability, (Glanville’s corollary of) Ashby’s law of requisite variety and epistemic processes

What information to measure? How to measure it?

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