Reflections on Elementary Cybernetics
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Heraclitus’s ideas; Cybernetics and neocybernetics; Constructive learning = cybernetic learning; Systems and models; Mathematics as the language; Challenges.
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Lectures on Elementary Cybernetics by Heikki Hyötyniemi
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| About neocybernetics
Before the first lecture, I had pretty much no idea what cybernetics actually mean. Only things that came to my mind were Arnold Schwarzenegger and the mighty Terminator. Therefore I didn’t have much preliminary expectations about this course. After the first lecture I’m a bit confused, but in a way I feel excited. Cybernetics is not an easy concept to understand.
I’m a recently graduated M.Sc. and I work as a researcher at the communications and networking department. My work is mainly concentrated around cognitive radio systems. Some of you might know what Cognitive Radio means, but probably that is a new concept for many. Perhaps after this course you are more familiar with it :) I think it relates to cybernetics as well.
I took this course because my supervising professor suggested it and I’m always willing to accept new challenges. Basically, I hope that this course would give me new perspectives to see my research problems and perhaps get some new ideas. I have not taken any courses about control theory or even from AS-department, so I’m sure there are plenty of work ahead.
Let’s have an interesting course!
– cyberia5
I was delighted to attend the first lecture of the cybernetics course last friday. My expectations were high, but they were fulfilled.
I am second year undergraduate student in bioIT study programme and I work as a research assistant in ICS in computational cognitive systems group (led by Timo Honkela). I am former musician (clarinet player) and have large variety of interest including music (naturally), philosophy, movies, guild activities etc.
As the research work usually leads to tinkering with some very specific problems and details, I find it very important and rewarding to search for a holistic approach on the same problems. It usually generates ideas regarding every field of life, as a side product. It might be easy to assimilate required mathematical or other skills to solve some very specific problems (even the tough ones, if you just “sit down” and concentrate on the problem). I find seeing the big picture and contexts of the problems more motivating (and also more challenging or course)…
I hope these vague ideas can work as a catalyst for interesting discussion in this new arena.
– Tommi