E43: The offloaded brain, part 3: dynamical systems

Scientists studying ecological and embodied cognition try to use algorithms as little as they can. Instead, they favor dynamical systems, typically represented as a set of equations that share variables in a way that is somewhat looplike: component A changes, which changes component B, which changes component A, and so on. Peculiarities of behavior can be explained as such systems reaching stable states. This episode describes two sets of equations that predict surprising properties of what seems to be intelligent behavior.

Source:

• Anthony Chemero, Radical Embodied Cognitive Science, 2011

Either mentioned or came this close to being mentioned

• James Clerk Maxwell, "On Governors", 1868 (PDF)
• Andy Clark, Being There: Putting Brain, Body, and World Together Again, 1997
• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, "Embodied Cognition", 2020
• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, "The Computational Theory of Mind", 2021
• Wikipedia, "Dynamical Systems Theory"
• Nick Bostrom, "Letter from Utopia", 2008/20

Credits

The image is from Maxwell's "On Governors", showing the sort of equations "EEs" work with instead of code.