The hottest Cybernetics Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Science Topics
Complexity Thoughts β€’ 319 implied HN points β€’ 14 Oct 24
  1. The 2024 Nobel Prizes recognized important advances in AI, but these discoveries are also deeply connected to complex systems. This shows that complexity science is becoming a more accepted area in high-level research.
  2. Understanding complex systems requires looking beyond traditional boundaries of science. The future of breakthroughs may rely on merging different scientific fields and using interdisciplinary approaches.
  3. Success in tackling complex challenges, like climate change and health issues, will need both detailed analysis of parts and a broader view of systems. Researchers must balance reductionist methods with insights from complexity science.
Dan Davies - "Back of Mind" β€’ 373 implied HN points β€’ 30 Jun 23
  1. Dwight Eisenhower highlighted the importance of maintaining balance in national programs and between private and public sectors.
  2. There was a new decision-making system created by the conjunction of military and industrial establishments.
  3. The warning was given that this system could generate outcomes not necessarily desired, seek growth, and be influenced by technological advancements.
johan’s substack β€’ 19 implied HN points β€’ 06 Jun 24
  1. Language operates as a dynamic, networked construct, constantly evolving with new ideas and combinations.
  2. A systems-oriented approach to semiotics views meaning-making as a complex, adaptive, and emergent process.
  3. Emergent Semiotic Resonance (ESR) is when human and artificial agents co-create new structures of meaning, aligning and synchronizing their semiotic frameworks through feedback loops.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:
Cybernetic Forests β€’ 59 implied HN points β€’ 28 Jan 24
  1. Gordon Pask made significant contributions to cybernetics, challenging the idea of black boxes and exploring the distinctions between conversations and communication.
  2. Artists like Eryk Salvaggio are inspired by Pask's work and aim to challenge technology orthodoxy, similar to Pask's approach to machine building.
  3. Events like Big Ideas in Art + Culture and Future of Arts, Culture & Technology Symposium offer platforms for exploring the intersection of technology and the arts, including discussions on AI, automation, and climate impact.
Insight Axis β€’ 79 implied HN points β€’ 15 May 23
  1. Emergence occurs when an entity has properties that its individual parts do not possess, displaying behaviors that only emerge in interaction.
  2. Simple computational or geometric rules can lead to unpredictable and complex outputs, showcasing the beauty of emergence.
  3. Emergence, as seen in cybernetics with Braitenberg's Vehicles, demonstrates how simple structures can give rise to emergent, complex behavior, hinting at the potential for understanding the universe through simple rules.
Never Met a Science β€’ 50 implied HN points β€’ 26 Sep 23
  1. Stafford Beer led a remarkable life, from running Project Cybersyn in Chile to advocating for cybernetic socialism.
  2. Beer's book, Platform for Change, showcased his radical ideas for societal reform but faced commercial failure.
  3. Beer emphasized using communication technology to enhance human freedom while avoiding centralization for preserving human agency.
Zero HP Lovecraft β€’ 24 implied HN points β€’ 22 Aug 23
  1. In Hyperbolic Geometry, parallel lines converge in one direction and diverge in the other
  2. Birthright is a place with strict rules and restrictions, where modern technology like projecting is forbidden
  3. The story reveals a unique and dangerous portal gun rivalry that transcends time and reality
Cybernetic Forests β€’ 39 implied HN points β€’ 27 Dec 21
  1. Annetta Pedretti was a cybernetic linguist known for fostering conversations about conversations, emphasizing the importance of writing and communicating consciously.
  2. Language is a complex system that reflects history and meaning, requiring active listening, questioning, and response to understand its nuances.
  3. Cybernetics is about relationships between complex systems, such as language and architecture, and involves navigating boundaries, challenging clichΓ©s, and engaging in curious, slow-building conversations.
Cybernetic Forests β€’ 39 implied HN points β€’ 14 Mar 21
  1. Contemporary computing culture stems from a simple idea of punch cards, leading to a series of binary choices that automate decisions.
  2. Yuk Hui suggests viewing organisms as behaviors of their components and interactions, blurring the lines between organic and built systems.
  3. Hui encourages a shift from mechanistic thinking to understanding machines based on their behaviors, interactions, and integration into human lives.
Cybernetic Forests β€’ 19 implied HN points β€’ 28 Mar 21
  1. Toys and education in socialist Germany aimed to shape imagination, craftsmanship, and future careers, contrasting with mass-produced 'kitsch'.
  2. Imagination was constrained in the Soviet Union under Stalin, but cybernetics gradually gained acceptance later.
  3. The concept of cybernetics in Soviet regimes involved democratic participation in management systems and anticipatory planning for socialist futures.
Cybernetic Forests β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 07 Jun 21
  1. Listserves are email discussion lists where people share thoughts and responses on similar topics without likes or shares, but through emails exchanges.
  2. Listserves have roots in academic conversation structures and Usenet Newsgroups, encouraging collaboration and feedback to continue a conversation thread.
  3. Participation in listserves contrasts with modern social media, focusing on thoughtful contributions and respect for ongoing discussions rather than likes and clicks.
Cybernetic Forests β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 11 Jul 21
  1. In times of uncertainty, the future can manifest in unexpected, rapid ways, challenging traditional methods of prediction.
  2. Collaboration and input from diverse perspectives, like hacker-artists and activists, can help identify emerging signals and drive positive change.
  3. Focusing on emergent futures involves imagining multiple possibilities beyond current norms, valuing inclusivity, and planning collectively for a shared future.
Cybernetic Forests β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 10 Jul 22
  1. Stories shape systems through design and the narratives we create, offering continuity and orientation in a world filled with uncertainty.
  2. Ontogenetic Resilience proposes an adaptive identity that embraces change and uncertainty, fostering exploration and growth.
  3. Resilience in the face of constant change is compared to surfing - balancing between stability and adaptation, learning to navigate and lean into the ever-shifting currents of life.
Cybernetic Forests β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 05 Feb 23
  1. The Latent Space Art Academy offers a course on AI images, delving into data ethics and media studies through histories of computation and art.
  2. The course includes guest lectures, exploring topics like cybernetics, art, AI-generated knitting patterns, and the societal impacts of AI technologies.
  3. By focusing on making images with AI, the course aims to help students understand how AI works, its cultural context, and how it can redefine our relationship with technology.