Predict its behaviour only by reference to what was done to the
Switch ten minutes ago. He will insist that the machine has “mem-
Ory”.
The two observers are not really in conflict, as we can see at
Once when we realise that they are talking of two “machines” that
Are not identical. To the first observer, “the machine” means “cal-
culator + tape + switch”; to the second it means “calculator +
Switch”. They are talking about different systems. (Again it must
Be emphasised that in complex systems a mere reference to the
Material object is often not sufficient to define adequately the sys-
Tem under discussion.) (Compare S.6/14, 12/9.)
Essentially the same difference can occur in a more biological
System. Thus, suppose I am in a friend’s house and, as a car goes
Past outside, his dog rushes to a corner of the room and cringes.
To me the behaviour is causeless and inexplicable. Then my
Friend says, “He was run over by a car six months ago.” The
Behaviour is now accounted for by reference to an event of six
Months ago. If we say that the dog shows “memory” we refer to
Much the same fact— that his behaviour can be explained, not by
Reference to his state now but to what his state was six months ago.
If one is not careful one says that the dog “has” memory, and then
Thinks of the dog as having something, as he might have a patch
Of black hair. One may then be tempted to start looking for the
Thing; and one may discover that this “thing” has some very curi-
Ous properties.
Clearly, “memory” is not an objective something that a system
Either does or does not possess; it is a concept that the observer
Invokes to fill in the gap caused when part of the system is unob-
Servable. The fewer the observable variables, the more will the
Observer be forced to regard events of the past as playing a part in
The system’s behaviour. Thus “memory” in the brain is only partly
Objective. No wonder its properties have sometimes been found to
Be unusual or even paradoxical. Clearly the subject requires thor-
Ough re-examination from first principles.
117
PART TWO
VARI E TY
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Now the soldier realised what a capital tinder-box this
Was. If he struck it once, the dog came who sat upon the
Chest of copper money, if he struck it twice, the dog came
Who had the silver; and if he struck it three times, then
Appeared the dog who had the gold.
(“The Tinder-Box”)
Q UA N TI TY O F V AR IE TY
Chapter
7
QUANT IT Y OF VAR IE T Y
In Part I we considered the main properties of the machine
Usually with the assumption that we had before us the actual thing
About which we would make some definite statement, with refer-
Ence to what it is doing here and now. To progress in cybernetics
However, we shall have to extend our range of consideration. The
Fundamental questions in regulation and control can be answered
Only when we are able to consider the broader set of what it might
Do, when “might” is given some exact specification.
Throughout Part II, therefore, we shall be considering always a
Set of possibilities. The study will lead us into the subjects c infor-
Mation and communication, and how they are coded in their pas-
Sages through mechanism. This study is essential for the thorough
Understanding of regulation and control. We shall start from the
Most elementary or basic considerations possible.
A second reason for considering a set of possibilities is the
Science is little interested in some fact that is valid only for a sin-
Gle experiment, conducted on a single day; it seeks always for
Generalisations, statements that shall be true for all of a set of
Experiment; conducted in a variety of laboratories and on a variety
Of occasions. Galileo’s discovery of the law of the pendulum
Would have been a little interest had it been valid only for that
Pendulum on that afternoon. Its great importance is due precisely
To the fact that it is true over a great range of space and time and
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Materials. Science looks for the repetitive (S.7/15).
This fact, that it is the set that science refers to, is often
Obscured by a manner of speech. “The chloride ion ...”, says the
Lecturer, when clearly he means his statement to apply to all chlo-
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