A comment on equating information with symbol strings

1984 ◽  
Vol 246 (6) ◽  
pp. R925-R927 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. T. Turvey ◽  
P. N. Kugler
Keyword(s):  
Low Energy ◽  
Qualitative Properties ◽  
States Of Affairs ◽  
Psychological Phenomena ◽  
Informational Basis ◽  
Low Dimensional

Symbol strings are advanced as the informational basis for many biological, physiological, and psychological phenomena. The role ascribed to them is that of indicating or directing states of affairs. Pattee has suggested that nature exploits information in this quasi-linguistic sense sparingly, that symbol strings are limited in detail, and that their relation to dynamics is one of complementation. A different, nonsymbolic view of information that addresses how animals can guide their locomotion in cluttered surroundings has been pursued by Gibson. It has considerable generality: information is low-dimensional qualitative properties of low-energy fields, lawfully generated by properties of systems and surround. It is argued that in the absence of information in Gibson's specificational sense, information in the indicational-injunctional sense is ineffective, and it is suggested that perplexities about the selective content of symbol strings may be resolved by a thoroughgoing understanding of Gibsonian information.

scholarly journals The Flatland Fallacy: Moving Beyond Low Dimensional Thinking

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eshin Jolly ◽  
Luke J. Chang
Keyword(s):  
Short Story ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Dimensional Problem ◽  
Psychological Phenomena ◽  
Mathematical Proofs ◽  
Psychological Theories ◽  
Higher Dimensional ◽  
Complex Landscape ◽  
Low Dimensional ◽  
Complex Phenomena

Psychology is a complicated science. It has no general axioms or mathematical proofs, is rarely directly observable, and has the privilege of being the only discipline in which the content under investigation (i.e. human psychological phenomena) are the very tools utilized to conduct this investigation. For these reasons, it is easy to be seduced by the idea that our psychological theories, limited by our cognitive capacities, accurately reflect a far more complex landscape. Like the Flatlanders in Edwin Abbot’s famous short story (1884), we may be led to believe that the parsimony offered by our low-dimensional theories reflects the reality of a much higher-dimensional problem. Here we contest that this “Flatland fallacy” leads us to seek out simplified explanations of complex phenomena, limiting our capacity as scientists to build and communicate useful models of human psychology. We suggest that this fallacy can be overcome through (1) the use of quantitative models which force researchers to formalize their theories to overcome this fallacy and (2) improved quantitative training which can build new norms for conducting psychological research.

scholarly journals Qualitative properties and relations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Plate
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Properties ◽  
States Of Affairs ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Shed Light ◽  
Traditional Understanding

AbstractThis paper is concerned with two concepts of qualitativeness that apply to intensional entities (i.e., properties, relations, and states of affairs). I propose an account of pure qualitativeness that largely follows the traditional understanding established by Carnap, and try to shed light on its ontological presuppositions. On this account, an intensional entity is purely qualitative iff it does not ‘involve’ any particular (i.e., anything that is not an intensional entity). An alternative notion of qualitativeness—which I propose to refer to as a concept of strict qualitativeness—has recently been introduced by Chad Carmichael. However, Carmichael’s definition presupposes a highly fine-grained conception of properties and relations. To eliminate this presupposition, I tentatively suggest a different definition that rests on a concept of perspicuous denotation. In the penultimate section, both concepts of qualitativeness are put to work in distinguishing between different ‘grades’ of qualitative discriminability.

scholarly journals The Flatland Fallacy: Moving Beyond Low Dimensional Thinking

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eshin Jolly ◽  
Luke J. Chang
Keyword(s):  
Short Story ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Dimensional Problem ◽  
Psychological Phenomena ◽  
Mathematical Proofs ◽  
Psychological Theories ◽  
Higher Dimensional ◽  
Complex Landscape ◽  
Low Dimensional ◽  
Complex Phenomena

Psychology is a complicated science. It has no general axioms or mathematical proofs, is rarely directly observable, and has the privilege of being the only discipline in which the content under investigation (i.e. human psychological phenomena) are the very tools utilized to conduct this investigation. For these reasons, it is easy to be seduced by the idea that our psychological theories, limited by our cognitive capacities, accurately reflect a far more complex landscape. Like the Flatlanders in Edwin Abbot’s famous short story (1884), we may be led to believe that the parsimony offered by our low-dimensional theories reflects the reality of a much higher-dimensional problem. Here we contest that this “Flatland fallacy” leads us to seek out simplified explanations of complex phenomena, limiting our capacity as scientists to build and communicate useful models of human psychology. We suggest that this fallacy can be overcome through (1) the use of quantitative models which force researchers to formalize their theories to overcome this fallacy and (2) improved quantitative training which can build new norms for conducting psychological research.

scholarly journals Magnetic Nanostructures: In-Situ Assembly and Exploration of Low-Dimensional Systems by Spin-Polarized Low-Energy Electron Microscopy

2006 ◽  
Vol 12 (S02) ◽  
pp. 964-965
Author(s):  
N Rougemaille ◽  
AK Schmid ◽  
M Portalupi ◽  
A Lanzara ◽  
P Biagioni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Magnetic Nanostructures ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Energy Electron ◽  
Spin Polarized ◽  
Low Energy Electron ◽  
Low Dimensional

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2006 in Chicago, Illinois, USA, July 30 – August 3, 2005

Dissociated Σ=27 boundaries in silicon

1988 ◽  
Vol 46 ◽  
pp. 624-625
Author(s):  
A. Garg ◽  
W.A.T. Clark ◽  
J.P. Hirth
Keyword(s):  
Electron Diffraction ◽  
Local Minimum ◽  
Boundary Energy ◽  
Coincidence Site Lattice ◽  
Boundary Plane ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Site Lattice ◽  
Kikuchi Pattern ◽  
Analysis Techniques

In the last twenty years, a significant amount of work has been done in the theoretical understanding of grain boundaries. The various proposed grain boundary models suggest the existence of coincidence site lattice (CSL) boundaries at specific misorientations where a periodic structure representing a local minimum of energy exists between the two crystals. In general, the boundary energy depends not only upon the density of CSL sites but also upon the boundary plane, so that different facets of the same boundary have different energy. Here we describe TEM observations of the dissociation of a Σ=27 boundary in silicon in order to reduce its surface energy and attain a low energy configuration.The boundary was identified as near CSL Σ=27 {255} having a misorientation of (38.7±0.2)°/[011] by standard Kikuchi pattern, electron diffraction and trace analysis techniques. Although the boundary appeared planar, in the TEM it was found to be dissociated in some regions into a Σ=3 {111} and a Σ=9 {122} boundary, as shown in Fig. 1.

Transfer optics for high spatial resolution electron spectroscopy

1988 ◽  
Vol 46 ◽  
pp. 666-667
Author(s):  
G. G. Hembree ◽  
Luo Chuan Hong ◽  
P.A. Bennett ◽  
J.A. Venables
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Objective Lens ◽  
State University ◽  
Arizona State University ◽  
Initial Field ◽  
Resolution Electron ◽  
Scanning Transmission ◽  
Low Energy Electrons

A new field emission scanning transmission electron microscope has been constructed for the NSF HREM facility at Arizona State University. The microscope is to be used for studies of surfaces, and incorporates several surface-related features, including provision for analysis of secondary and Auger electrons; these electrons are collected through the objective lens from either side of the sample, using the parallelizing action of the magnetic field. This collimates all the low energy electrons, which spiral in the high magnetic field. Given an initial field Bi∼1T, and a final (parallelizing) field Bf∼0.01T, all electrons emerge into a cone of semi-angle θf≤6°. The main practical problem in the way of using this well collimated beam of low energy (0-2keV) electrons is that it is travelling along the path of the (100keV) probing electron beam. To collect and analyze them, they must be deflected off the beam path with minimal effect on the probe position.

Performance Evaluation of a Novel Type of Low-Energy Electron Microscope

1990 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 354-355
Author(s):  
Bertholdand Senftinger ◽  
Helmut Liebl
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscope ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Field Strength ◽  
Numerical Aperture ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Energy Electron ◽  
High Resolution Imaging ◽  
Lens System ◽  
Resolution Imaging ◽  
Low Energy Electron

During the last few years the investigation of clean and adsorbate-covered solid surfaces as well as thin-film growth and molecular dynamics have given rise to a constant demand for high-resolution imaging microscopy with reflected and diffracted low energy electrons as well as photo-electrons. A recent successful implementation of a UHV low-energy electron microscope by Bauer and Telieps encouraged us to construct such a low energy electron microscope (LEEM) for high-resolution imaging incorporating several novel design features, which is described more detailed elsewhere.The constraint of high field strength at the surface required to keep the aberrations caused by the accelerating field small and high UV photon intensity to get an improved signal-to-noise ratio for photoemission led to the design of a tetrode emission lens system capable of also focusing the UV light at the surface through an integrated Schwarzschild-type objective. Fig. 1 shows an axial section of the emission lens in the LEEM with sample (28) and part of the sample holder (29). The integrated mirror objective (50a, 50b) is used for visual in situ microscopic observation of the sample as well as for UV illumination. The electron optical components and the sample with accelerating field followed by an einzel lens form a tetrode system. In order to keep the field strength high, the sample is separated from the first element of the einzel lens by only 1.6 mm. With a numerical aperture of 0.5 for the Schwarzschild objective the orifice in the first element of the einzel lens has to be about 3.0 mm in diameter. Considering the much smaller distance to the sample one can expect intense distortions of the accelerating field in front of the sample. Because the achievable lateral resolution depends mainly on the quality of the first imaging step, careful investigation of the aberrations caused by the emission lens system had to be done in order to avoid sacrificing high lateral resolution for larger numerical aperture.

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