mooBlog 14-5-09: The Implication of Knowledge

"Tell me what's wrong, tell me what's right,
tell me how you want me to do it tonight!" 
      - Plain White T's

I've often contemplated the big questions in life. I don't usually come close to the answers, but that's not really the point. Human behaviour is usually the focus of my internal discussion.

Today, as I was on the tram home, I was contemplating intelligence and knowledge, and what they really are. The reason I was doing so, was because someone in my course was discussing artificial intelligence. I am currently studying Robotic & Mechatronic Engineering and this is something I’ve contemplated for many years. I find myself asking, “How can I make a computer intelligent?” The answer is both really simple, yet extremely complex. I was wondering this, until I was struck with the question “What is intelligence?”

Firstly, a definition of knowledge must be determined. When I think of the word ‘knowledge,’ connotations of all the facts and data that one can remember comes to mind. General knowledge masters are able to remember more than others, due to the internal process of storing that data. Using our senses, we take information from the world, interpret it and store it, but only if it is first determined important enough. The people we see winning quiz shows are able to remember more information, as they have subconsciously forged a path for that information to remain in the mind. Consider this: They do not see more, hear more, touch more, smell more or taste more. They do not experience any sensory situations that you or I do not. So how is it that they ‘remember’ more? Perhaps they don’t.

However, to define these people as intelligent would be a mistake. Do not misinterpret this though; there are many people who do retain a lot of knowledge that are, in fact, intelligent. Intelligence, as far as I’m concerned, is determined by what one does with that knowledge. They are able to choose the correct option, at two different pathways. The first occurs when one encounters the new information. The question asked is this: Is this information important? 99.9999999% of the time, the information is disregarded as unimportant, and is not stored in memory. The mind makes assumptions about our environment, after which, this process is quickened (the old saying, ‘You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,’ has something to do with this. The assumptions made about out world are so defined, that changing them takes a lot more effort.) The second stage to intelligence is correctly identifying what is to be done with this information when it has been appropriately stored. To decide yes or no. To decide red or blue. To go forward, back, left or right. The output for any given input.

In humans, the hard part is this part. The distinction between important and unimportant information is easy. In robotic systems nothing can state to it what is important, and what is not. Even systems which are capable of ‘learning,’ are at best, given hints to do so. Utilising the information in the most appropriate way is the easy part for a computer. If the data says 1, go left, 2, go forward, etc, (okay, it’s a little more complex in practice, but you get my point.)

So, with MY theory of intelligence, I can only see two ways of creating an ‘intelligent’ robot. One requires infinite memory, which is of course, impossible. The other requires good programming, allowing robotic systems the ability to decide what information is important, and what is not, which is a terribly difficult (but not impossible.) In terms of the literal sense that I have defined, I guess I am somewhat intelligent. Nevertheless, there’s still a incredible amount of progress that needs to be undertook.

The world is throwing so much important information at me so quickly. I’ve hardly the time or the ability to process it, let alone react accordingly. Perhaps this slowing down of the process, near eradication of reaction is a good thing. I’m accumulating knowledge. I’m watching and waiting. I’ve known for such a long time that patience is a virtue. Those things I’m learning and observing, one day they’ll be relevant. I might not be completely leading my most desirous life i.e. I still want a lot of what I see to be mine, attributes of people’s characters to be seen in me, skill that others have to flow from me and the deep friendships that some have to be the way others think of me. Intelligence or not, I am slowly building a battery of information, of which the battle has not yet been declared for.

mooBlog 8-05-09: Modern Control Theory

Another year down. It’d be quite an understatement to say it went quickly. On my last birthday, I also posted a blog about what I had learnt, what my expectations were, and what I was looking forward to. This year, the same thing…

What have I learnt? I guess I’ve learnt a lot about control. It’s one of the most vital parts of any interaction between living things.

When I was living in Germany five years ago, I recognized the first signs of control issues in another human. My host father was a control-freak, albeit a rather nice person at heart. He had to have everything his way. He always had to have people waiting for him. It was so bad, that even at the dinner table he always had to be the last one to finish eating, so that people were always waiting for him to finish. It was his way of showing that he had the control over how long we sat together. One day, I challenged this. After the first helping, I got another plate of food. I ate quickly, and waited. I waited until he was almost finished, and then I got another plate. This is when it all turned weird. Every time I did this, he would also get another plate of food. After severely stuffing ourselves, he eventually conceded and I learnt my first lesson about control; control or be controlled. However, I didn’t realize the full extent of this lesson until much later.

At university, I studied a subject titled, ‘Control and Automation.’ Fundamentally, it was an electronics subject; however, the theories presented were a lot more versatile. I learnt that in order to obtain the desired results, one must consider the shape of the input conditions. The second stage is to understand the ways in which these conditions can be manipulated and added to in order to reduce noise, and get vital data out. The final step is to take all of this and use it to benefit the environment in which the signal must be used.

The aforementioned process, as I have also found out, applies people. I know people who can control other’s opinions. The world changes to benefit them, as people conform, so that they can get what they want. The benefit is there, but the environment is usually localized to the controller. These people have spent time learning, so that they understand what makes people do the things they do. Once this knowledge is gained, using this information easily transforms into the desired end result. Although these people sound somewhat selfish and manipulative in their desire to control their world, especially others, I am constantly in awe of their abilities. I wish to myself that I was that charismatic and that the things that I wanted were so easily obtained. I see so many of the things that I want in life slip away, like water into sand. The saddest part is that all it would take for me to get these things that I want so badly, would be to take the situation by the proverbially horns and tame it.

Recently I met a girl who I find completely intriguing and attractive. I thought I would have had a chance. I just have no way of controlling that situation. It’s not a fact of not knowing my attractive qualities. I recognize that I am not bad looking and that I am relatively intelligent. I know that I can articulate my words and that I’m interested in interesting and worldly topics. I have a moral stance that would rival most UN delegates. Nevertheless, without the skills to control others and their opinions, I am unable to easily portray myself as that person. I know I appear as somewhat reserved and quiet, because I don’t have the ability to make myself seem attractive to this girl.

I read ‘The Game’ by Neil Strauss. In some ways, the point that I’ve been making about control was validated by this. I read that it in order to get the things that you want, you need to understand the environment you’re in, and that doing that constitutes the majority of the process. Strauss’ knew that he was already a great person, but in order for people to recognize it, he had to firstly control their opinions of him. He totally transformed himself, giving him the power he had only dreamed of. I guess I am afraid of that. I can’t simply switch off all I know and tap into that charm, that amazing ability to influence.

I have great ambition. I have an optimistic hope for this world. What I want to achieve is attainable, but I think an array of control techniques must first be initialized before I can show the world what exactly that is. Moreover, I want to show the world what it is capable of achieving and I hope that one day I’ll have the balls to do it.