Anticipatory Systems Theory

What the science of Life and Mind can teach us about

Science, Itself.

Dr. Robert Rosen (1934-1998) was the scientist

who developed Anticipatory Systems Theory.

(And for those who don't know; he was also my father.)

What's it for?

Anticipatory Systems Theory elucidates

* Why living organisms are alive; what causes life* How the signature of life-- the behaviors and capacities peculiar to living organisms-- can be fully characterized in a rigorously scientific manner* What aspects or qualities of the system are generating that signature

Life is information-based. All living organisms have a system organization

type that incorporates the modeling relation, itself, into the system.

All living organisms use a model-based system guidance and control strategy.

All living organisms have sensory capacity for information-gathering purposes and have internal capacities for interpreting incoming sensory information (i.e. predicting what it means).

The Modeling RelationRepresents a Law Of Nature

When we build a model that is in this relation to the system it represents, then-- and ONLY then-- we can safely rely on the predictions it generates about the system of interest.

What do models deal with?Entailment!

There are two types of Entailment: Causal Entailment and Inferential Entailment Encoding of causal entailment into inferential

entailment, when done correctly, allows accurate prediction of causal processes.

This is how life and mind both work. It is, in fact, responsible for the Anticipatory nature of life, and is the source of the signature we recognize as life or mind.

Evidence That Both Life And Mind Are Model-Based?

The Rampant Error Behaviors Peculiar To Modeling, Such As: False Positives, False

Negatives, Identification Mistakes, Assumptions, etc.

The truth is that you can fool a model!

Somatic Anticipatory Error:False prediction of the meaning of

sensory information, by models acting at the somatic level.

Mental Anticipatory Error:

Intelligent organisms as Dual Anticipatory Systems: Both soma and mind generate predictions independently of one another, but those predictive/interpretive capacities also constantly interact with one another... New Mental Model: Orange and black (Monarch) butterflies are BAD!

Training vs Instinct (Acquired Models vs Inherited Models)

News Flash: We Are All “Pavlovian”

Why Monogamy Is Hard: Human Mind vs Human Libido

More Evidence of Model-Guided Behavior: Blind Auto-Pilots

Pareidolia: The human tendency to see faces everywhere.

That Kind Of Model-Based Identification Error Is Not Just A Human Experience...

For example, several species of orchid have evolved flowers which mimic the shape and scent of virginal female bees of various species-- to the degree that males of those species regularly try to mate with the flowers, thereby pollinating them.

Mental “Auto-Pilot” Models-- Manifested As Behaviors, Habits, And Compulsions.

Once we encode and reinforce a behavior pattern, it can be VERY difficult to change it.

Mind/Body Interactions: Somatic Models and Mental Models Interpreting One Another...

(sometimes incorrectly) Psychosomatic Illness Placebo Effect Post-Traumatic Stress

Disorder (PTSD) Panic Attacks Addictive and Aversive

Behavior

Given That The Modeling Relation Is About Entailment,

And Models Are Prone To Error... What Does That Mean For Science?

Science is a Human Pursuit. It's about building a model of how the universe works. Because the human mind is, itself, model-based... it is natural that Science would be also.

From my point of view, one of the biggest problems in Science is due to the fact that

Rene Descartes was not a Biologist. This has led to a very

poor conceptualization of how life works.

Reductionist approaches work fairly well with Machines

and with non-living systems...

However, when we treat living organisms as if they really are “just like machines”, we get into serious trouble-- and don't understand why.

Because of the Machine Metaphor, Science has become synonymous with a

machine-perspective. We define “Objectivity” accordingly.

Another legacy of the Machine Metaphor is the lack of any notion of “health” in

Science-- even Medical Science.

The concept of “Function” is not supported by the foundations of Science because it seems, from within the Model we have built of the universe, to suggest the fingerprint of God.

The models upon which all other models are based in every living organism are:

An internal model for “Self”

An internal model for “Health” (of “Self”)

An internal capacity for interpreting all incoming sensory information according to “Optimality” (what is better or worse for Health of Self)...

What should a New Definition for Scientific “Objectivity” Be, if it is not

useful to base it on a machine mindset?A commitment to

ALWAYS decode to Reality instead of Belief: A firm commitment to anchor oneself to Nature and refuse to be seduced by money or prestige into doing anything less.

The Similarities and Differences Between Beliefs and Science...

Both involve mental modeling activities. Both seek to answer some of the same questions. Both discuss entailment.

HOWEVER... Science anchors itself to-- and checks itself

against-- Nature/Reality. Belief relies on mental models that have not been,

and often cannot be, decoded to Reality.

Anchoring to Nature/Reality is Hard Work-- and Often Uncomfortable!

The Difference Between Science Fiction and Science...

Science models must be anchored to reality and constantly checked against reality.

Science Fiction models need only be internally consistent.

And yet, the thought- experiments of Science Fiction can be incredibly useful in Science. Consider Star Trek and its many inspirations...

Star Trek Medical TriCorder

Other Star Trek Technologies...

The Common Aspect of Science, Belief, Fiction, Life, and Mind...

Is ModelingWhere some

encoded, constructed, or otherwise chosen system represents a different, separate system of interest.

The Aspect of Modeling That Differentiates Science From All Other

Model-Based Activity is Arrow #4DECODING:

Checking the predictions generated by the model against the behavior of the system it represents. Are they accurate?

A General Theory Of Modeling Would Be A Natural Consequence of

Anticipatory Systems Theory

Aspects To Be Included In The Development Of Such A Theory Would Be:

*Elucidate the Modeling Relation Fully *Investigate All The Ways That Modeling Can Fail*Create Diagnostic Maps Whereby Error Behaviors Predict Causes and Remedies

* OTHER

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