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AIList Digest Volume 5 Issue 153
AIList Digest Saturday, 20 Jun 1987 Volume 5 : Issue 153
Today's Topics:
Queries - Computer Composition of Music &
AI in Criminal Investigation &
Expert Systems in Process Control,
AI Tools - Unix LISPs in C,
Speculation - Nanotechnology,
Psychology - Why Did The $6,000,000 Man Run So Slowly?
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Date: 17 Jun 87 19:50:07 GMT
From: pwa-b!mmintl!johnt@gr.utah.edu (John Tangney)
Subject: Computer composition of music
Composing music -- procedurally:
Until 1981 I had been doing some research on computer composition
of music. I have now taken up where I left off. Even back then
I was not up to date with the latest advances. A lot must have
happened in this field since then.
I want to contact people who know something about composing by
computer. Some of the researchers I read about (like Max
Mathews, Lejaren Hiller, Iannis Xenakis, Stephen Smoliar to name
a few off the top of my head) must still be out there. Also,
people like myself, who do this in their spare time, must have
ideas, suggestions, sources of information. What about journals,
books, papers on the subject?
If anyone in net.land knows anything about computer composition
of music, or knows anyone who does, then I beg you to let me
know. E-mail is most sensible. Who knows? Maybe we could end
up with our own news.group! A phone call or Snailmail reply
would be most welcome too.
John Tangney ...inhp4!philabs!pwa-b!mmintl!johnt
52 Oakland Ave, East Hartford, CT 06108. Phone: (203) 522-2116
------------------------------
Date: 19 Jun 87 08:21 PDT
From: gaska.pasa@Xerox.COM
Subject: Use of AI in Criminal Investigation
Does any one have any pointers to papers, books, persons, etc. that deal
with the use of AI in criminal investigation and forensic science? Any
and all leads will be greatly appreciated.
Len Gaska
GASKA@PASA.XEROX.COM
------------------------------
Date: 18 Jun 1987 11:58:37 EST
From: Herve.Lambert@PS3.CS.CMU.EDU
Subject: Expert Systems in Process Control
I have to find some literature about actually operational expert systems in
process control. All I know is the example of PICON used at a Texaco's
refinery. Any informations, pointers very much aprreciated...
If I get interesting enough info, and if some people express the desire to
have the result of my query posted, I will do so...
Thanks in advance
- Herve
Net-address: herve@ps3.cs.cmu.edu
[How about this blurb from Business Week, "The 'Renaissance Man' of
Expert Systems?", Emily T. Smith, May 11, 1978, p. 141:
The trouble with using so-called expert system computer programs
in the factory is that very few manufacturing operations involve
only one realm of expertise. It's tough enough getting two experts
in the same field to agree, let alone a gaggle of experts from
different disciplines. So Major Stephen R. LeClair, head of
research in artificial intelligence for manufacturing at the
Materials Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, decided
it was time to devise a new type of expert system -- one that
could embrace multiple "domains" of expertise, automatically
resolve any conflicts, and "learn" from the process.
In its first real-world test, LeClair's multiexpert knowledge
system (MKS) recently turned in a stunning performance. It
discovered, on its own, that the accepted guidelines for curing
complex plastics composites are all wet. The aerospace industry
has been taking 12 hours to bake a 256-layer, graphite-reinforced
lamination used for airframe parts. By synthesizing the knowledge
from various fields, MKS came up with a complicated scheme for
curing the composite in less than three hours. No one believed
it could work, but it does. LeClair asserts that MKS may similarly
confound convential wisdom in other process-control applications.
The same page has another short report about a system that measures
rough gemstones (other than diamonds), plans the optimal cuts, and
cuts the stones. It reduces wasted stone by 10%, cost by 70%,
and makes marginal stones useable. -- KIL]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Jun 87 12:11:16 EDT
From: dml@nadc.arpa (D. Loewenstern)
Subject: Unix LISPs in C
In response to your request for Unix LISPs written entirely in C, I
believe I can recommend Kyoto Common Lisp. It has no real editor (it
shells out to vi!!) but it implements nearly the entirety of Common
LISP. The compiler translates to C, then invokes the C compiler. I
know of VAX, ECLIPSE, and Sun versions. Write to:
IBUKI
399 Main Street
Los Altos, CA 94022
David Loewenstern
Naval Air Development Center
code 7013
Warminster, PA 18974-5000
<dml@nadc.arpa>
------------------------------
Date: Thu 18 Jun 87 17:21:23-CDT
From: Jonathan Slocum <AI.Slocum@MCC.COM>
Subject: nanomachinery
The book "Engines of Creation," by one K. Eric Drexler, describes this
technology and discusses the societal ramifications of its introduction.
Whether one believes in the possibility of such things or not (Drexler
is a persuasive advocate), it makes for good reading in my opinion. He
was (is?), I believe, associated with MIT in some way (don't have the
book with me, so can't refer to the jacket) -- perhaps a student??
-Jonathan Slocum
------------------------------
Date: 18 Jun 87 07:35:44 edt
From: Walter Hamscher <hamscher@ht.ai.mit.edu>
Subject: Nano-Engineering
Date: 16 Jun 1987 09:10-EDT
From: DAVSMITH@A.ISI.EDU
The recent discussion of the $6M man reminded me of an oddity
which someone out there in Net-land might be able to clarify. Early
one morning on NPR (National Public Radio) I was surprised to hear
a feature from someone at the MIT AI Lab entitled Nano-Engineering.
* * *
Can anyone confirm (a) that this was perpetrated and (b) that
it came from MIT?
Its proponents call it Nanotechnology. The most well known spokesman
seems to be Eric Drexler, who has written a book about it called
"Engines of Creation." I think it's from MIT Press. Below I have
included an announcement of a two day symposium that was held during
IAP (Independent Activities Period, known as "January" to the world
outside MIT). As you can see from the header of the
message, there is a mailing list called nanotechnology@oz.ai.mit.edu,
or, from outside MIT a better bet would be to try
nanotechnology@ai.ai.mit.edu.
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 87 02:35 EST
From: Christopher Fry <cfry@OZ.AI.MIT.EDU>
Subject: Nanotechnology Symposium
To: nanotechnology@OZ.AI.MIT.EDU, MACROMOLECULES-MIT@OZ.AI.MIT.EDU,
ROBOTICS-SEMINARS@OZ.AI.MIT.EDU, *BBOARD@OZ.AI.MIT.EDU
Exploring Nanotechnology
An IAP 87 Symposium
All technology rests ultimately on our ability to arrange atoms.
Foreseeable technological advances will enable us to build devices
to atomic specifications. This "nanotechnology" will have profound
consequences, forcing a reevaluation of our expectations regarding the next
several decades. In the symposium, we will explore paths to the
development of nanotechnology, consequences of the technology in
various disciplines, and we will critically examine the premises of
these assertions via panel discussions which will include experts
in several fields.
Tuesday, 20 January 1987, 10-250
10:00 - 11:00 am Overview: Eric Drexler (BS '77, MS '79)
will describe various paths to the
development of replicating assembler systems, capable of manufacturing
complex components to atomic specification. Some potential
applications, such as mechanical nanocomputers, and their
consequences will be discussed. We strongly recommend you attend this talk
in order to follow the subsequent discussions in context.
11:05 - 11:45 am Materials Science and Protein Engineering: Kevin Ulmer
will discuss the protein engineering techniques which could be used to
create new alloys and composites. New materials made
to atomic specifications promise order of magnitude improvements in
performance. One consequence is space transportation costs equivalent
to current airline costs.
Noon - 1:00 pm Lunch Break
1:00 - 1:40 pm Panel Discussion I.
A panel of experts will discuss the technical
feasibility of various aspects of nanotechnology, including consideration
of the time frame. A panel moderator will take questions from the
audience.
1:45 - 2:25 pm Economics: David Friedman
will discuss the consequences of
nanotechnology, such as extreme decentralization of the economy.
On-site, personal manufacturing stations could virtually eliminate
mass production. What will happen to our economy during the transition
to this technology?
2:30 - 3:10 pm Society, Technology and Policy: Arthur Kantrowitz
will share his thoughts on
how society may be affected, and what kind of future may be in store
for the human race. How can our government adapt to this new technology
and what legislation, if any, should be enacted to control its development?
3:10 - 3:25 Break.
3:25 - 4:05 pm Thought and Intelligence: Marvin Minsky
will speak on intelligent
systems which could employ Avogadro's number of parallel nanocomputers.
Achieving artificial intelligence by mimicking human brain architecture
is a rapid route to true AI with nanotechnology.
4:10 - 4:40 pm Concluding Points: Eric Drexler
will wrap up by describing life
extension possibilities using cell repair machines.
4:10 - 5:00 pm Panel Discussion II.
A panel of experts will discuss the
societal implications of nanotechnology, including steps we might take
to avoid some of the dangerous consequences of nanotechnology. A panel
moderator will take questions from the audience.
Thursday, 22 January 1987 7:30 - 10:00 pm Advanced Topics:
NE43-773
As an extension to the symposium we will hold a special session
during the regular meeting time of the MIT Nanotechnology
Study Group. We will discuss, in depth, critical issues regarding the
development of nanotechnology such as control of assemblers, guidance
of technology development, and prevention
of abuse. Eric Drexler will be with us. Recommended only for those who
attend the symposium on Tuesday, or who have attended NSG introductory lectures
in the past.
Sponsored by the MIT Nanotechnology Study Group,
the Dept. of Applied Biological Sciences,
the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory,
the Office of the Associate Provost,
the Graduate Student Council,
the Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering,
and the Dept. of Political Science.
Special thanks to the AI Lab for its generous support of this activity.
Contact cfry@@MIT-OZ
------------------------------
Date: 18 Jun 87 08:53:01 CDT (Thu)
From: ernst%home%ti-csl.csnet@RELAY.CS.NET
Subject: Nanotechnology
The "nano-engineering" that David Smith heard about on an
early-morning NPR show is, indeed, no joke. Its chief proponent is
K. Eric Drexler, who describes the theory in his 1985 book _Engines of
Creation_. He is associated with MIT, and he has a stong following
there. In particular, Marvin Minsky wrote the forward to the
above-mentioned book and spoke, along with Eric Drexler and others, at
a recent day-long symposium on nano-technology at MIT.
The idea behind nanotechnology is the creation of tiny machines which
would be built up molecule by molecule by "molecular assemblers",
which would function much like DNA or RNA in fishing for the right
component to add to a structure. Because of their small size, their
manipulators would move a million times a second, resulting in
extraordinarily quick construction. Mechanical nanocomputers (that
is, they would contain tiny gears made of a handful of atoms and such,
on the order of Hillis's mechanical tic-tac-toe player) orders of
magnitude more powerful than current machines but small enough to fit
in dust-speck sized nanomachines would carry instructions and direct
work.
Drexler envisions the construction of assemblers within a few decades
as a result of advances in bioengineering and other sciences. It is a
technology he believes will powerfully leverage off itself: after the
first assembler is built, uncountable trillions more will follow
almost immediately, and scientific breakthroughs in many fields (all
of which will be able to use nanotechnology or its products as a tool)
will be made in days rather than years.
Drexler's book is more about what changes will be made in society with
the advent of nanomachines than their technical aspects; after all, no
one is close to the advances he envisions. He discusses jet engines
built in hours, self-repairing machines, AI workstations of
unprecedented power, and world hypertext systems as well as more
sinister possibilities like the capability to build tiny airborne
surveillance devices or supergerms that could destroy life on earth in
hours.
Although much of the material is hard to believe, I recommed the book
for an interesting mix of philosophy and forward-sighted scientific
thought (or science fiction, call it what you like).
-Michael Ernst
MIT AI Lab Texas Instruments AI Lab
mernst@oz.ai.mit.edu ernst%home%ti-csl@csnet-relay.arpa
...!eddie!mernst
The opinions expressed above are not only not those of my employer,
they may well not be my own.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Jun 87 14:48 EDT
From: Nichael Cramer <nichael@JASPER.PALLADIAN.COM>
Reply-to: Nichael Cramer <NICHAEL%JASPER@LIVE-OAK.LCS.MIT.EDU>
Subject: Re: Why Did The $6,000,000 Man Run So Slowly?
>>
>> Date: Fri, 12 Jun 87 00:51:41 EDT
>> From: tim@linc.cis.upenn.edu (Tim Finin)
>> Subject: why did the $6,000,000 man run so slowly?
>>
I had always assumed that he ran slowly for the same reason that the
people on "Kung Fu" always fought so slowly; namely that it's
technically much easier to depict graphic, physical motion (and
violence) in this way. You have the first actor throwing punches that
actually connect with the second actor's jaw, except that he's moving
more slowly in real time, and so not crippling the second actor with
every blow. Once you slow this down a lot, the viewer loses all sense
of how much the time is really altered; i.e. the slow motion camera
technique masks the slowed down "acting".
In the present case, slow motion has the effect of distorting your
time sense and allowing the film makers to use other (cheaper?)
methods to suggest high-speed to the viewer, e.g. swooshing sounds or
tense music.
(With regard to these non-visual cues used to suggest high-speed: As
others have pointed out, watch the opening of "Star Trek" with the
sound turned off. The Enterprise, which would normally sweeping
across the screen at Warp N, will, with the usual swooshing sound
missing, simply creep across the screen.)
NICHAEL
------------------------------
Date: 15 Jun 87 19:36:28 GMT
From: tektronix!teklds!zeus!bobr@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Robert Reed)
Subject: Re: Why did the six-million dollar man run so slowly?
Because it was cheaper to take slow motion footage to show SOMETHING was
happening than to make a believable high speed effect. Of course, they
could taken blue screen shots of Steve Austin running normally and
composited in a high speed background, but many of the shots involved his
feet. Making a believable shot under those conditions would have been a lot
more expensive.
It is interesting to note that the recent reunion of the "bionic family"
represented the new generation of bionic technology by having his son blur
(it actually looked like defocused multiple exposures) during the slow
motion "high speed" running shots.
--
Robert Reed, Tektronix CAE Systems Division, bobr@zeus.TEK
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Jun 87 17:15:04 edt
From: amsler@flash.bellcore.com (Robert Amsler)
Subject: Re: AIList Digest V5 #145
Incidentally.... Re: Dr. Who's TARDIS. I've decided most of the
discussions were wrong. Few people considered the function of the
`relative dimensions stabilizer circuits' which are intended to
compensate for dimensional anomalies. It would be QUITE possible to
have the inside view of the TARDIS look either miniturized or like
a small window into a larger room. One should recall that anomalies in
the circuit can cause the TARDIS inhabitants to actually BE smaller
when they emerge. Anyway... wrong discussion. `pop'
Re: bionics. It has been my belief for some time that the mind
operates using movie techniques when examining moving image memories.
That is, we employ cuts, zooms, view angles, props, etc. in such
memory recording and dreams. It would seem reasonable that we have
borrowed this acceptable form of imaging and used it in films--why,
for instance, should a cut between two views be acceptable
cinamatography. Some cinematographic techniques violate our `dream'
view methods. For instance, when one holds the camera at a bad angle
the impact is typically to introduce the concept of the camera into
the film, i.e. one way to show something is being seen through a
camera lens in a film, is to have the camera do bad cinematographic
techniques--ones which make the artificiality of the instrument apparent
(another problem is whenever things get on the lens, such as rain or
ocean spray or dust, etc.)
Now, the speed to slow motion effect is interesting in that I don't
believe it does have a natural human moving image memory counterpart.
We never see things in slow motion ourselves, except as they have
been slowed down by the use of film etc. That indeed explains to me
why this is being discussed in AILIST. I.e. it is an artificial
learned moving-image association. The interesting thing is that is
SEEMS to be possible to introduce this into the visual recording
system for memories in the brain without causing the ``Oh, this is
being shot through a camera'' phenomena.
I suspect what is happening is that this is analogous to the focusing
of attention on the events which happened in a real moving image
memory. That is, if one attempts to reconstruct an event that
happened very quickly in real time after the fact, one will
artificially create something like slow motion.
---- Note: I am NOT saying that we really have moving images in the
brain. It is unclear we have images at ALL; however, the mapping
between what we do have and what we accept in cinematographic
portrayals is an interesting one.
------------------------------
End of AIList Digest
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