Both articles give a definition to cybernetics - the basic requirement for an intelligent system that has goals. Cybernetics is not only about machine and computation, but also about how things happen and the ways of communication or interaction. The changes in the boundaries between the observer and the system refines people’s perception of the world and available technology. Hayles used the example of human’s Central Nervous System to discuss the cybernetic system, human take in information using sensory organs, cognition or perception make sense of this information and then further interpretation will result in conscious thoughts or behaviors.
Hayles talked about Shannon and Penny whom we studied for the past a few weeks. Shannon’s information theory and Wiener’s approach to the idea that information is not defined by the context or meaning. This idea of decontextualization of information made the interpretation process to be more mechanical and also brings in Penny’s idea of the importance of the embodiment. Medium has become the body and the embodiment remains to be the center.
The idea of probabilities is like a given knowledge to us nowadays. Even in our elementary mathematics or physics class, we know that some of the questions are not realistic in real life. For example, we have to calculate the amount of time needed to fill up a tank with 80 degrees of water. We all know that we are ignoring factors like room temperature, the material of the tank or even gravity. We have to restrain our question in ways which it can deal with. Physics is no longer absolute, it’s only about calculating how probable (statistics) it is going to happen based on the given information.
In Wiener’s article, he stated that "In control and communication we are always fighting nature’s tendency to degrade the organized and to destroy the meaningful;” We had a question that if control and communication are destroying the meaning, what is the meaning in our life? After discussion, we all agreed that life actually has no meaning at all, it is human who adds meaning to behaviors and actions. This idea also coincides with Suchman’s idea of putting meaning in life. Although we may not be able to fully communicate the information, we are somewhat succeeding in deliver the main idea. The process of adding meaning is unstoppable for human, it comes to us unconsciously. However, it is not a bad thing as it forms a pattern which is essential for survival and we can understand others’ pattern better. Most importantly, it makes us happy and stays positive.
Group member - Eugène Fournier, Michael Watts, Liu WenYue.
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