CYBERNETICS | KYBERNETIK The Macy-Conferences 1946-1953 Volume I / Band I Transactions / Protokolle Edited by / Herausgegeben von Claus Pias diaphanes CONTENTS / INHALT Editorische Notiz / Editorial Note 9 Circular Causality. The Beginnings of an Episteniology of Responsibility 11 Heinz von Foerster Zirkulare Kausalitat. Die Anfange einer Epistemologie derVerantwortung 19 Heinz von Foerster 1949 Participants 28 Introductory Discussion 29 The Psychological Moment in Perception 41 John Stroud The Neurotic Potential and Human Adaptation 66 Lawrence S. Kubie Quantum Mechanical Theory of Memory 98 Heinz von Foerster Possible Mechanisms of Recall and Recognition 122 Sensory Prosthesises 160 Norbert Wiener References 163 1950 Participants 166 Josiah Macyjr. Foundation Conference Program 167 Frank Fremont-Smith Introductory Remarks 169 Warren S. McCulloch Some of the Problems Concerning Digital Notions in the Central Nervous System 171 Ralph W Gerard The Manner in Which and Extent to Which Speech Can Be Distorted and Remain Intelligible 203 J. C. R. Ucklider The Redundancy of English 248 Claude E. Shannon Experience in Learning Primitive Languages Through the Use of Learning High Level Linguistic Abstractions 273 Margaret Mead On the Development ofWord Meanings 291 Heinz Werner The Development of Language in Early Childhood 303 John Stroud The Relationship of Symbolic Function in Language Formation and in Neurosis 307 Lawrence S. Kubie Appendix I: Body Symbolization and Development of Language 326 Lawrence S. Kubie Appendix II: References 335 1951 Participants 338 Josiah Macyjr. Foundation Conference Program 339 A Note by the Editors 341 Communication Patterns in Problem-Solving Groups 349 Alex Bavelas Communication Between Men: The Meaning of Language 382 Ivor A. Richards Communication Between Sane and Insane: Hypnosis 416 Lawrence S. Kubie Communication Between Animals 446 Herbert G. Birch Presentation of a Maze-Solving Machine 474 Claude Shannon In Search of Basic Symbols 480 Donald M. MzcKay Appendix I: The Nomenclature of Information Theory 511 Donald M. MzcKay Explanatory Glossary 513 Alphabetical Index of Terms Used in Information Theory and Related Communication Theory 522 Appendix II: References 525 1952 Participants 530 Josiah Macyjr. FoundationConference Program 531 A Note by the Editors 533 The Position of Humor in Human Communication 541 Gregory Bates on The Place of Emotions in the Feedback Concept 575 Lawrence S. Kubie Homeostasis 593 W. Ross Ashby Discrimination and Learning in Octopus 620 J. Z. Young Reduction of the Number of Possible Boolean Functions 629 John R. Bowman Central Excitation and Inhibition 634 Ralph W Gerard Mechanical Chess Player 651 W. Ross Ashby Turbulence as Random Stimulation of Sense Organs 654 G. Evelyn Hutchinson Investigations on Synaptic Transmission 657 Walter Pitts Feedback Mechanism in Cellular Biology 666 Henry Quastler Appendix I: References 677 1953 Participants 682 Foreword 683 The Josiah Macyjr. Foundation Conference Program 685 Introductory Remarks 687 Warren S. McCulloch Studies on Activity of the Brain 689 W. Grey- Walter Semantic Information and its Measures 697 Yehoshua Bar-Hillel Meaning in Language and How it is Acquired 707 Yuen Ren Chao Appendix LSummary of the Points of Agreement Reached in the Previous Nine Conferences on Cybernetics 719 Warren S. McCulloch Appendix II: References 727 Index 729.