453:
considering the parallels between the brain and a computer. (He employed the archaic-sounding phrase "computing machine", because at the time of writing the word "computer" referred to a person who is employed to perform routine calculations). He then discussed the concept of 'redundancy' in the sense of having two or three computing mechanisms operating simultaneously on the same problem, so that errors may be recognised and corrected.
476:, and concludes that it would be conceivable to build a machine capable of a standard of play better than most human players but not at expert level. Such a possibility seemed entirely fanciful to most commentators in the 1940s, bearing in mind the state of computing technology at the time, although events have turned out to vindicate the prediction – and even to exceed it.
541:
field will become more fruitful as more sensitive interfaces and higher performance amplifiers are developed and the readings are stored in digital form for numerical analysis, rather than recorded by pen galvanometers in real time - which was the only available technique at the time of writing. He then develops suggestions for a mathematical treatment of the waveforms by
200:
Wiener recounts that the origin of the ideas in this book is a ten-year-long series of meetings at the
Harvard Medical School where medical scientists and physicians discussed scientific method with mathematicians, physicists and engineers. He details the interdisciplinary nature of his approach and
540:
feedback, and speculates that the learning process is correlated with changes in patterns of the rhythms of the waves of electrical activity that can be observed on an electroencephalograph. After a discussion of the technical limitations of earlier designs of such equipment, he suggests that the
500:, which illustrate the view that the literal-minded reliance on "magical" processes may turn out to be counter-productive or catastrophic. The context of this discussion was to draw attention to the need for caution in delegating to machines the responsibility for warfare strategy in an age of
452:
Wiener opens this chapter with the disclaimers that he is neither a psychopathologist nor a psychiatrist, and that he is not asserting that mental problems are failings of the brain to operate as a computing machine. However, he suggests that there might be fruitful lines of enquiry opened by
435:
are transformed into a representation of the visual field. It also explores the various feedback loops involved in the operation of the eyes: the homeostatic operation of the retina to control light levels, the adjustment of the lens to bring objects into focus, and the complex set of
34:
257:. Wiener suggests that the questions asked by Gibbs find their answer in the work of Lebesgue. Wiener claims that the Lebesgue integral had unexpected but important implications in establishing the validity of Gibbs' work on the foundations of statistical mechanics. The notions of
492:, and the application to military situations. He then speculates about the manner in which a chess-playing computer could be programmed to analyse its past performances and improve its performance. This proceeds to a discussion of the evolution of conflict, as in the examples of
359:. The rest of the chapter is mostly taken up with the development of a mathematical formulation of the operation of the principles underlying all of these processes. More complex systems are then discussed such as automated navigation, and the control of
418:
Virtually all of the principles which Wiener enumerated as being desirable characteristics of calculating and data processing machines have been adopted in the design of digital computers, from the early mainframes of the 1950s to the latest microchips.
332:. This chapter and the next one form the core of the foundational principles for the developments of automation systems, digital communications and data processing which have taken place over the decades since the book was published.
410:
Among the mechanisms that he speculated for implementing a computer memory system was "a large array of small condensers which could be rapidly charged or discharged", thus prefiguring the essential technology of modern
233:. He points out that in fact, even in the case of astronomy, tidal forces between the planets introduce a degree of decay over cosmological time spans, and so strictly speaking Newtonian mechanics do not precisely apply.
117:" beautifully written book, lucid, direct, and, despite its complexity, as readable by the layman as the trained scientist, if the former is willing to forego attempts to understand mathematical formulas."
532:", since it is driven by a feedback mechanism caused by the success or otherwise in surviving and reproducing; and modifications of behaviour over a lifetime in response to experience, which he calls "
138:
The public interest aroused by this book inspired Wiener to address the sociological and political issues raised in a book targeted at the non-technical reader, resulting in the publication in 1950 of
225:
The theme of this chapter is an exploration of the contrast between time-reversible processes governed by
Newtonian mechanics and time-irreversible processes in accordance with the
213:), as well as his early thoughts on the features and design principles of future digital calculating machines. He traces the origins of cybernetic analysis to the philosophy of
819:
561:. As with much of the other material in this book, these pointers have been both prophetic of future developments and suggestive of fruitful lines of research and enquiry.
134:... is worthwhile for its historical value alone. But it does much more by inspiring the contemporary roboticist to think broadly and be open to innovative applications."
391:), and maintains that digital machines will be more accurate, electronic implementations will be superior to mechanical or electro-mechanical ones, and that the
469:, this chapter explores the parallels with the structure of human societies, and the challenges faced as they scale and complexity of society increases.
344:
in automated control systems. The opening passage illustrates the effect of faulty feedback mechanisms by the example of patients with various forms of
229:. In the opening section he contrasts the predictable nature of astronomy with the challenges posed in meteorology, anticipating future developments in
804:
127:"Its scope and implications are breathtaking, and leaves the reviewer with the conviction that it is a major contribution to contemporary thought."
113:
The book aroused a considerable amount of public discussion and comment at the time of publication, unusual for a predominantly technical subject.
241:
This chapter opens with a review of the – entirely independent and apparently unrelated – work of two scientists in the early 20th century:
461:
Starting with an outline of the hierarchical nature of living organisms, and a discussion of the structure and organisation of colonies of
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and the subjective experiences of the individual. It concentrates principally on the processes whereby nervous signals from the
304:
This is one of the more mathematically intensive chapters in the book. It deals with the transmission or recording of a varying
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became a surprise bestseller and was widely read beyond the technical audience that Wiener had expected. In response he wrote
444:. The chapter concludes with an outline of the challenges presented by attempts to implement a reading machine for the blind.
124:
has been acclaimed as one of the 'seminal works' comparable in ultimate importance to
Galileo or Malthus or Rousseau or Mill."
693:
624:" in reference to the process of steering oneself towards a pre-defined goal by making corrections to behaviour. Much of the
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in which he further explored the social and psychological implications in a format more suited to the non-technical reader.
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system is preferable to other numerical scales. After discussing the need to store both the data to be processed and the
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issues it discussed. And it inspired a wide range of books on various subjects peripherally related to its content.
885:
880:
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John R. Platt (1964-02-02). "Books That Make a Year's
Reading and a Lifetime's Enrichment; A Year's Reading".
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Thurston, John B. "Review: Cybernetics by
Norbert Wiener". The Saturday Review of Literature: April 23, 1949.
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and bull, or mongoose and cobra, or between opponents in a tennis game. He discusses various stories such as
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This brief chapter is a philosophical enquiry into the relationship between the physical events in the
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Starting with an examination of the learning process in organisms, Wiener expands the discussion to
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which are employed for processing that data, and the challenges involved in implementing a suitable
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835:"The Charismatic Cultural Life of Cybernetics: Reading Norbert Wiener as Visible Scientist"
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A second edition with minor changes and two additional chapters was published in 1961.
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The book introduced the word 'cybernetics' itself into public discourse.
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This chapter lays down the foundations for the mathematical treatment of
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Cybernetics: Or
Control and Communication in the Animal and the Machine.
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Cybernetics: Or
Control and Communication in the Animal and the Machine
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Cybernetics: Or
Control and Communication in the Animal and the Machine
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over the past six decades. It also examines the relationship between
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277:
253:, and Lebesgue was a pure mathematician working on the theory of
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and published in 1948. It is the first public usage of the term "
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This chapter opens with a discussion of the relative merits of
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Simpkins, C.A; Simpkins, A.M. (June 2012). "On The Shelf".
348:. He then discusses railway signalling, the operation of a
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were urgently needed to provide a rigorous proof of Gibbs'
19:"Cybernetics (book)" redirects here. For other topics, see
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Paris, (Hermann & Cie) & Camb. Mass. (MIT Press)
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This chapter opens with a discussion of the mechanism of
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The
Fourier Integral and Certain of Its Applications
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569:The book provided a foundation for research into
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292:, he relates the concept of entropy to that of
161:3. Time Series, Information, and Communication
184:9. On Learning and Self-Reproducing Machines
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300:Time Series, Information, and Communication
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549:which confirmed the constancy of the
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158:2. Groups and Statistical Mechanics
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823:. Cambridge University Press, 1989.
657:, which introduced the concepts of
173:7. Cybernetics and Psychopathology
16:1948 book written by Norbert Wiener
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833:Hamilton, Sheryl N. (2017-07-28).
457:Information, Language, and Society
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839:Canadian Journal of Communication
155:1. Newtonian and Bergsonian Time
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367:processes in living organisms.
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413:dynamic random-access memory
227:Second Law of Thermodynamics
164:4. Feedback and Oscillation
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651:produced a children's book
547:Michelson–Morley experiment
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508:and the work of Professor
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669:in an accessible format.
557:to develop the theory of
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407:structures in organisms.
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465:organisms, such as the
267:established by Lebesgue
92:artificial intelligence
886:Management cybernetics
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571:electronic engineering
429:central nervous system
423:Gestalt and Universals
530:phylogenetic learning
474:chess-playing machine
467:Portuguese Man o' War
282:statistical mechanics
207:differential analyzer
70:is a book written by
626:personal development
553:, which in turn led
534:ontogenetic learning
357:centrifugal governor
326:information capacity
255:trigonometric series
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621:Psycho-Cybernetics
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559:Special Relativity
389:numerical machines
271:ergodic hypothesis
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628:industry and the
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757:JSTOR link
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538:non-linear
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350:thermostat
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861:1499-6642
647:In 1954,
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565:Influence
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463:symbiotic
318:bandwidth
314:telemetry
109:Reception
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352:, and a
205:and his
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346:ataxia
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442:fovea
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857:ISSN
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