ReadingNotes

The Things We Do

The Things We Do: Using the Lessons of Bernard and Darwin to Understand the What, How, and Why of Our Behavior by Gary Cziko - ISBN 0262032775 - MIT Press & Gary Cziko 2000

Motivation

Reading Gary Cziko earlier book Without Miracles: Universal Selection Theory and the Second Darwinian Revolution (published by MIT Press as a Bradford Book in 1995) raised from interest in universal darwinism and finding it brillant.

Pre-reading model

Draw a schema (using PmGraphViz or another solution) of the situation of the area in the studied domain before having read the book.

Reading

1 Introduction to Template by Author
- "interesting quote." (p1)
- note
- ...

Overall remarks and questions

this? that?

Synthesis

So in the end, it was about X and was based on Y.

Critics

Point A, B and C are debatable because of e, f and j.

Vocabulary

(:new_vocabulary_start:) new_word (:new_vocabulary_end:)

Post-reading model

Draw a schema (using PmGraphViz or another solution) of the situation of the area in the studied domain after having read the book. Link it to the pre-reading model and align the two to help easy comparison.

Earlier notes

Does Varela reference Claude Bernard?
- especially since he said sth close to "perception drives action" in a loopy way (have to quote it), precisely what Varela proposed (have to quote too)?
- Why does Cziko does not reference Varela?
- Why no reference to enaction in general?

Could even be a good model for relationship : you extend your circle (metaphor for homeostasis) to include someone else. One classical example is that you expect and appreciate when someone cares for you, as if his survival was mutually dependant, thus extended bernardism.

bernardism

advantages of cycles
- being able to leverage the generated momentum, in a way, is this the EvoDevo principle?
disadvantages
- unable to break the momentum
  - another form of stress
inspired by "hijacking" plants mechanisms for nutrition yet, necessity to water them constantly

Can we consider all biotechnologies, from agriculture to bioengineering, as technology related to life and thus on managing Bernard's cycles (homeostasis)? Can it be extended to synthesic cycles like loops and recursion in programming?