I think the question is bound up in the technical meaning of the word 'explore' which has to do with discovering a world 'outside'. Can a self-referential logic learn from its environment? That's my question. I think it probably can if it is designed to evolve by experimenting at its fringe and responding to the feedbacks. Then it doesn't need to have any logical connection with the mechanisms of the systems it is thus interacting with, but may co-evolve or collaborate with them.
> > Phil Henshaw wrote: > > but does that > > answer the question of whether abstract systems of logic > can be built > > to be entirely self-referential, while being sustained by > 'feeding on' > > or in other ways 'exploring' the gradients of other systems > with which > > they have no 'logical' connection? > > > If a person moves to a new country and doesn't know the language, and > learns it through observation and experiment, that might be an > example. That's assuming the person had a closed self-referential > learning mechanism. Presumably the engine that's driven by the > abstract system of logic can store and retrieve data, even if > the logic > itself were unmodifiable? (I doubt the latter is a useful > constraint, > but for the sake of the thought experiment..) > > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org > > ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
