Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

Link to this comparison view

Both sides previous revision Previous revision
machine_ecology_designnotes [2015-11-26 15:53] – theunkarelsemachine_ecology_designnotes [2015-11-26 15:57] (current) – theunkarelse
Line 7: Line 7:
 === Theun's Team === === Theun's Team ===
  
-From the exploration in the morning around the Penryn estuary the image emerges of a creature that extends across the landscape and taps into the communication of tree roots and branches into varied parts of the environment. A creature as an indicator of hidden processes that is less like a body and more like a network.\\+From the exploration in the morning around the Penryn estuary the image emerges of a creature that extends across the landscape and taps into the communication of tree roots and branches into varied parts of the environment. A creature as an indicator of hidden processes that is **less like a body** and **more like a network**.\\
  
-From the list of parameters for developing wilderness machines 'reproduction' in particular raises questions in terms of machine creatures. We discuss if reproduction or replication should be the more appropriate term for our hybrid creature.\\+From the list of parameters for developing wilderness machines '**reproduction**' in particular raises questions in terms of machine creatures. We discuss if reproduction or replication should be the more appropriate term for our hybrid creature.\\
  
 The experience of walking through the reed beds is discussed; how it enables shifting paces and tracks. When you are small you don't even make a path, but can pass through. Could our creature meander through the reed bed and exchange information? What if it extends from up the creek down to the reed bed and it stores its data into the mud. Mud as a sedimentation of environmental data. A model from biology could be a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siphonophorae|Siphonophore]], a marine creature that is at once a single organism and many collaborating beings. Could there be a second species that reads the mud bed archive by digging through it? A librarian?\\ The experience of walking through the reed beds is discussed; how it enables shifting paces and tracks. When you are small you don't even make a path, but can pass through. Could our creature meander through the reed bed and exchange information? What if it extends from up the creek down to the reed bed and it stores its data into the mud. Mud as a sedimentation of environmental data. A model from biology could be a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siphonophorae|Siphonophore]], a marine creature that is at once a single organism and many collaborating beings. Could there be a second species that reads the mud bed archive by digging through it? A librarian?\\
  
-The team discusses the pros and cons of open information exchange between creatures. What are the risks to individual members and to the collaborative super-organism they form? Can it be necessary to withhold information from others? How do they create barriers to sharing information? If we want to maintain free information sharing, the super-organism needs to be able to handle that in terms of evolution. In robotics individuals actually don't need internal representation of the world to have behavior, maybe it could exist only externally; in the mud.\\+The team discusses the pros and cons of **open information exchange** between creatures. What are the risks to individual members and to the collaborative super-organism they form? Can it be necessary to withhold information from others? How do they create barriers to sharing information? If we want to maintain free information sharing, the super-organism needs to be able to handle that in terms of evolution. In robotics individuals actually don't need internal representation of the world to have behavior, maybe it could exist only externally; in the mud.\\
  
 Could the creatures that form our super-organism differ in functions? Is it cast-based? How does our creature tap into the different modes of communication from the many species in the environment it is tapping into? How do you find a common language. Maybe that is ritual based; ritual behavior remarks time and space. We discuss magical transformation. \\ Could the creatures that form our super-organism differ in functions? Is it cast-based? How does our creature tap into the different modes of communication from the many species in the environment it is tapping into? How do you find a common language. Maybe that is ritual based; ritual behavior remarks time and space. We discuss magical transformation. \\
  
-The thought emerges that the magical transformation may reflect the seasonal or periodic aggregation of these many creatures as if to form one being. The creatures exchange information with each other and the mud repository; some burrow deep to deposit information and possibly even end their lifecycles, and others dig up the information stored in these former receivers and transmitters of information. The physical form of this magically transformed tree-like, root-like being extending both above and below the ground, might reflect the reeds that inspired our imagination, both alive and dead. And when they come together thus, they might make strange, wonderful music through the passage of wind through their tubular being, like panpipes.\\+The thought emerges that the **magical transformation** may reflect the seasonal or periodic aggregation of these many creatures as if to form one being. The creatures exchange information with each other and the mud repository; some burrow deep to deposit information and possibly even end their lifecycles, and others dig up the information stored in these former receivers and transmitters of information. The physical form of this magically transformed tree-like, root-like being extending both above and below the ground, might reflect the reeds that inspired our imagination, both alive and dead. And when they come together thus, they might make strange, wonderful music through the passage of wind through their tubular being, like panpipes.\\
  
-Maybe another model from biology is a combination between [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydra_%28genus%29|Hydra]] and Plenaria. Our creature could consist of a water filled membrane that has sensors floating in it like organelles and has tentacles that can tap into communication flows and information layers. It could extend around the reeds in the reed bed and bore little holes in them, by which the data is sonified. It could climb up by the movement that is used in squeeze tubes; water filled toys that consist of a single surface that can travel along a straight line like a reed. It could also potentially extend filaments of its semi-fluid amoeba-like plasma membrane into its tubular body in order to direct air or water flow to enable movement in fluid environments. The creature might then be mobile not only along a substratum (like a reed) but also in the air or water, thus able to tap into information processes in different media.\\+Maybe another model from biology is a combination between [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydra_%28genus%29|Hydra]] and Plenaria. Our creature could consist of a **water filled membrane** that has sensors floating in it like organelles and has tentacles that can tap into communication flows and information layers. It could extend around the reeds in the reed bed and bore little holes in them, by which the data is sonified. It could climb up by the movement that is used in squeeze tubes; water filled toys that consist of a single surface that can travel along a straight line like a reed. It could also potentially extend filaments of its semi-fluid amoeba-like plasma membrane into its tubular body in order to direct air or water flow to enable movement in fluid environments. The creature might then be mobile not only along a substratum (like a reed) but also in the air or water, thus able to tap into information processes in different media.\\
  
 The creatures membranous body with its multiple information receptors emerged while considering the issue of how multiple creatures might connect and exchange information with each other. A membranous, semi-fluid body might provide a way for creatures to link up their bodies with each other and allow pieces of recorded information to flow through each others' membranes. The body may host many different kinds of mobile receptors floating around in the creatures membrane. Light, sound, touch, temperature and chemical receptors to name a few. These receptors may need a way to convert transitory incoming information, such as a light wave, into a more enduring record of this information which then remains in the body of the creature until it transmits it to another creature or to the repository. The idea emerged that the creature might 'wear' this recorded information which would be visible through its transparent membrane. While the information contained within these transitory incoming receptions could be converted into lasting records, the energy contained within them could be used towards the creatures survival and existence.\\ The creatures membranous body with its multiple information receptors emerged while considering the issue of how multiple creatures might connect and exchange information with each other. A membranous, semi-fluid body might provide a way for creatures to link up their bodies with each other and allow pieces of recorded information to flow through each others' membranes. The body may host many different kinds of mobile receptors floating around in the creatures membrane. Light, sound, touch, temperature and chemical receptors to name a few. These receptors may need a way to convert transitory incoming information, such as a light wave, into a more enduring record of this information which then remains in the body of the creature until it transmits it to another creature or to the repository. The idea emerged that the creature might 'wear' this recorded information which would be visible through its transparent membrane. While the information contained within these transitory incoming receptions could be converted into lasting records, the energy contained within them could be used towards the creatures survival and existence.\\
  
 === Amber's Team === === Amber's Team ===
-Our machine was called Fucus - as it was heavily inspired by seaweed: bladderwrack [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fucus_vesiculosus|Fucus vesiculosus]]+Our machine was called **Fucus** - as it was heavily inspired by seaweed: bladderwrack [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fucus_vesiculosus|Fucus vesiculosus]]
 \\ \\
 The group was very drawn to the beach and the mud - as soon as they were The group was very drawn to the beach and the mud - as soon as they were
Line 38: Line 38:
 china, glass, plastic - people talked about how this 'doesn't fit in', china, glass, plastic - people talked about how this 'doesn't fit in',
 yet it is 'part of the environment' and some things live on it. There yet it is 'part of the environment' and some things live on it. There
-was an idea to accelerate evolution to make creatures that fed on+was an idea to **accelerate evolution** to make creatures that fed on
 plastic - and talk about how plastic is made from oil, which is recycled plastic - and talk about how plastic is made from oil, which is recycled
 life - where does 'nature' start and end?\\ life - where does 'nature' start and end?\\
Line 46: Line 46:
 down to an anchor point when the tide went out, much like bladderwrack. down to an anchor point when the tide went out, much like bladderwrack.
 The group thought of MANY different iterations, before being encouraged The group thought of MANY different iterations, before being encouraged
-to think about the 'minimum viable design'. They ended up with an anchor+to think about the '**minimum viable design**'. They ended up with an anchor
 (like seaweed, to loosely anchor on the mud), a long string to allow the (like seaweed, to loosely anchor on the mud), a long string to allow the
 creature to rise to the surface as the water came in. There was a creature to rise to the surface as the water came in. There was a
  • machine_ecology_designnotes.1448553180.txt.gz
  • Last modified: 2015-11-26 15:53
  • by theunkarelse