William James at CERN (1995)
5 days ago
- #particle physics
- #computer art
- #consciousness
- William James emphasizes the role of selection in perception and consciousness, comparing the mind to a sculptor shaping reality from a block of sensations.
- Computer art lacks the selective ability of human artists, producing patterns without preference, making them more like assistants than independent creators.
- The challenge in computer art is programming preferences or criteria for selection, akin to human taste, to move beyond mere curiosity.
- High-energy physics relies on selective processes in detectors to filter out uninteresting data from the vast majority of particle collisions.
- The analogy between particle detectors and human perception highlights how both systems rely on pre-set criteria to select meaningful information from noise.
- The necessity of selection in cognition is tied to finitude, suggesting that any finite cognitive system must employ hierarchical selection to function effectively.