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To Lnitiate a Dialogue from the Desk Of · ~- AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR CYBERNETICS VOLUME IV, NUMBER I MARCH 1972 From the Desk of To lnitiate a Dialogue Roy H errmann by Roy Mitchell February 18, 1972 In the past few weeks you have been Forthelast year I have asked myself many times: Am I ready to shoulder the burden getting hints from both the President and responsibility of the Presidency of this Society? and the President-Eiect of our Society of new and better things to come in At this point I am willing to try to justify the confidence and trust the members of ASC communications. Among these, "a this illustrious body of scientists, scholars, and more or less hard workers have ex­ medium is in the making... a forum for pressed by voting me into office for this fiscal year. the exchange of ideas ...to blaze new trails." Essentially, the idea is to follow "Stop, Iook and Iisten!" The changing of the guards-meaning new goals? Not Prof. Heinz Von Foerster's exhortation really, but nobody will deny that the organizational structure needs strengthening. to practice what we preach: to apply cy­ The immediate program ahead will see more, many more activities than heretofore: bernetic principles to the workings of our own organization. To make this Our Society may be considered a system with sub-systems covering the functional work, we need the cooperation of the relations of all its parts. Our newsletter has been redesigned to serve these interrela­ members, there must be two-way com­ tions, to serve its readers, members and non-members ali}se; it will be the mirrored munication. image of the Society; it will tie regional and functional divisions to each other; it will review the past and promote the future. First, there seems to be little enthusi­ asm to call this publication "ASC­ The American Society for Cybernetics has planned and programmed four inter­ Newsletter". Therefore, we are inviting national and national meetings for 1972 and 1973. The Iead time of about six all of you to join the contest for a new months and increasing to one year or more will provide adequate opportunity to or­ title of our communication medium: ganize and operate these events effectively. the winner will receive a complete set of the 1971 issues of our now defunct The "Proceedings", hard bound publications, and the newly established Journal Letter! of Cybernetics will carry the thoughts and dialogues of this scientific community. Workshops and special activities retlecting local and functionally oriented events Next: ASC needs information from are to round off the sources of information so necessary to strengthen our work and members: enlist this Society as a full-tledged member of the broader scientific communities on the national and international scene. (1) Correct mailing addresses of members-if you have any friends I am looking forward to a successful year which should bring us closer tagether who are members not receiving and intensify our efforts to improve and strengthen the decision-making process for ASC mailings Iet us know where we the good of the United States and Mankind. can locate them; ASC wants tobe heard and seen. ASC will be heard and seen! (2) Reports on changes in position and function of members and others working in cybernetic fields. (3) Reports on ongoing (or completed) research (or operational) projects, with brief summary of results and references; this is important, as we wish to focus this medium on in­ tellectual aspects of our professional activities: more substance and fewer tidbits. (4) Any other news relevant to .the science. (Continued on next page) Carl Hammer Roy Herrmann To Initiate Washington: CALL FOR PAPERS for the Oct. 9-12, 1972 conference on biocybernetics, (Continued from page one) This chapter continues the program in­ man-machine systems, pattern Depending on member interest, we stituted last July of having full chapter (situation) recognition and cybertetics could have sections in this 'periodical' meetings every two months interspersed in health care systems. Two copies of on national ASC activities (incl. lists of with four-weekly 'cybernetic cell' abstract and/ or paper should be sent to new mem bers once a basic Iist is pre­ meetings of four small groups (8 to 12) Dr. Roy Herrmann, 1130-17th Street, pared), chapter activities, members in of active members. The Washington NW, Washington, DC 20036, by April the news; on new publications by mem­ chapter has also (1) organized the fall 15, 1972. Authors may contribute either bers and in relevant disciplines; on par­ 1971 conference at The George app. 30-minute discussions of complete ticularly significant (and undernoted) Washington University Center, (2) investigations or papers of 15 minutes conferences; also sections covering the conducted a survey of its members on or less presenting preliminary results. range of primary scientific fields: brain, likes-dislikes about chapter meeting computer, education-behavioral sci­ arrangements (3) developed the Proceedings ence, biocybernetics, robotics, mathe­ program and plan for the March In- matics, electronics and com­ ternational Conference at The The 1970 Proceedings and the Proceed- munication; or along dimensions of Brookings Institution and (4) set up a ings of the 1971 Fall Conference are organizational function: business, membership drive. A special feature of scheduled for early release. For further industry, government academe or re- the next issue of this publication will be information write or call Mr. Roy report- on Washington Ghepter--a ,..__-~itcnen, ept-:-öT Commerce, tivities. Other Chapters: Code 946, Room 5023, Washington, Third, we solicit ideas-even a half D.C. 20230 202/ 967-2889. baked idea may be promising; com­ Piease report to the editor news of your mcnt--controversial or otherwise, in local activities. "Come in, Toronto!" short: anything pertaining to cyber­ OfficerS-1971 netics which can make this publication function as a forum or idea exchange Conferences Carl Hammer-President medium. We realize that the 'Ietter' is a Roy Herrmann-President Elect very slow channel of communication. Edmond M. Dewan-Vice President, At around 200,000 bits of information March 16 AMC "Numerical Analysis: The State Awards Program per quarterly issue (per 4 pages of 1970 Lawrence J. Foge/-Immediate Past Newsletter), it is running at .03 baud- of the Art", Mathematics and Sta­ tistics Dept. Seminar Series, School President 1/200 the accepted speed of a human Lewey 0. Gilstrap, Jr-Vice President, operator of a computer input terminal. of International Services, American University, Washington, DC Symposia and Programs But we submit, better to have slow ex­ Douglas E. Knight-Vice President, change than no exchange! Perhaps we March 20-23 Publications and Public Affairs should think of this Ietter as a tem­ IEEE International Convention (IN­ Charles P. Lecht-Vice President, In­ porary medium-say 10 years-until TERCON), Coliseum and New ternational Relations we all dial the ASC file for information, York Hilton Hotel, New York City Thomas H. Murray-Executive Di­ inter-stimulation and interactive rector participation. April 5-8 LEHRSYSTEME '72-International A . Brickman Brown-Treasurer Jeanne Murray-Secretary This society is devoted to the Congress covering pedagogical theories, including cybernetic ,--_ __development of a relat!yely new inter­ Directers-1.971 disciplinary science. Time is a critical pe<lagogy, ertin west -sector), - Germany. factor in cybernetics itself and in what Heinz Von Foerster-Chairman you contribute to cybernetics. The edi­ April 24-26 Alexander Fraser torial function is filtering, the member IEEE International Conference on Harold K. Hughes function is feedback. RESPOND-with Speech Communications and George T. Jacobi titles for this medium, information and Processing, Cambridge Research Robert Pos ideas.-The Editor. Laboratories, MIT Campus, Herbert W. Robinson Cambridge, MA Stephen L. Sherwood June 15 AMC Washington, DC Chapter Annual Editor Chapter Activities Technical Symposium on "Com­ puters and the Cost and Quatity of Roy Mitchell-U.S. Department of Life", Silver Spring Sheraton Hotel, Commerce, Code 946, Washington, Chicago: Silver Spring, MD D.C 20230 George Jacobi has reactivated this October 9-12 The ASC Ietter is published quarterly chapter of ASC with eighteen members. 1972 INTERNATIONAL CONFER­ by the American Society for Cyber­ A luncheon was held on January 18, ENCE ON CYBERNETICS AND netics, c/ o Suite 314, 1130-17th Street, 1972, at which papers were presented SOCIETY, Washington, DC, spon­ N.W., Washington, DC 20036 for ASC by Professor Charles Owen and Dr. sored jointly by ASC and IEEE Sys­ members. Single copies free. Annual Hugh B. G. Thomas. tems, Man and Cybernetics Society. dues $20 for members, $5 for students. A Review of the American Society for Cybemetics 1971 Fall Conference by Roy Mitchell The Washington, D.C., chapter spon­ anisms in Biological and Social Sys­ an illegitimate question?"-and the sored the Fall Conference of the Ameri­ tems". While other sciences have nice, answer is one for which an answer can Society for Cybernetics held at The charming saints, cybernetics has as already exists. In tests where there is George Washington University Center patron saint a demon. We know this only one right answer for each question, on December 9-10, 1971. The theme of dernon and it has a name, "Maxwell's a 100 percent score is perfect triviality. the conference was "Cybernetic Tech­ Demon" . This dernon apparently up­ We must find legitimate questions. A niques in Brain Research and the Edu­ sets the second law of thermodynamics. legitimate question is one for which an cational Process." There were fifteen Actually, it is retarding the degradation answer does not yet exist. speakers and some seventy to eighty cy­ of energy in the system, its entropy. berneticists in attendance. Lewey 0. Maxwell's dernon is a functional iso­ In the many brain problem, there is Gilstrap, Jr., was General Chairman of morph of a universal Turing machine: disfunction man to man, alienation.
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