Frequently Asked Questions

 

Following is the second narrative connected with the complex of articles concerning Information Dynamics. Its theme? Frequently Asked Questions. Why no Scientific Articles? What does it mean to be 'a mathematical model of behavior'? How can mathematical mechanisms influence behavior? Why is Fractal Regeneration the appropriate mathematics to study Living Systems? What is the equation for BD? & What is the purpose? These were the questions that the Zen men posed on their sailing retreat to Catalina Island at the end of July 2010.

The Zen men pepper him with Questions

Embarking upon their 7th decade upon this planet 4 life long friends (since elementary school) decided to sail to Catalina Island for a sort of Zen experience – a break from the stress and strain of everyday life. The organizer of the trip, an airplane pilot professionally and a sailor recreationally, was nicknamed The Captain. There was also a Lawyer, a Waiter, and an educator, nicknamed Socrates due to his leading Socratic seminars.

Before setting off they loaded up on supplies appropriate for a bachelor retreat – guacamole, chips, beer, nuts, cheese, and bourbon – Gentleman Jack, to be specific. Stocked for the voyage they had their last meal on land at a substandard Mexican restaurant on Marina Del Rey – liquid guacamole and canned salsa.

After copious amounts of beer and the normal lighthearted banter, things turned to more serious topics, including career, relationships and children.

 

The Captain: "You were very good in mathematics in high school. Do you ever use this talent?"

Waiter: "Actually used my mathematical skills to create a new science."

Lawyer: "A new science? That's a mighty bold claim. What's its name and what is it about?"

Waiter: "Information Dynamics – the study of Human Behavior from a mathematical perspective."

Socrates: "Math as applied to organic, neural, chemical, or psychological systems?"

Waiter: "No. Mechanisms of math that operate on behavior independent of the material world. Have developed a mathematical model for behavior."

Captain: "Independent of the material world? Sounds New Age mystical."

Waiter: "Actually more Pythagorean – 'Math rules all.'"

Socrates: "How do these mathematical mechanisms of yours influence behavior – independent of matter?"

Waiter: "They exhibit the inherent mechanisms of Life as an information processor."

Lawyer: "A mathematical model for behavior? What the hell does that mean?"

Waiter: "Have these computer-generated graphs that reflect human behavior."

Socrates: "What type of behavior?"

Waiter: "Creativity. Discovered this mechanism called the Creative Pulse."

Lawyer: "How would this apply to me? I don't have a creative bone in my body."

Waiter: "Actually the Creative Pulse applies to everyone, as it has to do with the miraculous effects of Sustained Attention. There are myriad applications - including attaining the Zone, inspiration, anxiety, mob action, and depression."

Captain: "A multitude of diverse behavioral specials from our waiter friend."

Lawyer: "What's your equation?"

Waiter: "There is no traditional equation per se. Behavior is too complicated for that."

Captain: "No-equation science is very in right now. What humans do is more important than why they do it. Researchers just come up with correlations from population studies."

Waiter: "Exactly. The shift from Why to What created modern science.

Lawyer: "How you can predict anything without an equation?"

Waiter: "The mathematical models make the predictions. They are generated with context-based equations, instead of traditional content-based equations. They only reveal their mysteries in action. I derived a traditional content based equation (like you are used to). Gorgeous, but unusable – too complicated – except as a fractal model for beauty."

Captain: "A fractal model for beauty. I like the sound of that."

Socrates: "Does your no-equation science employ normal math, like we learn in school?"

Waiter: "Although based in the principles of normal math, it is unique. Information Dynamics is based upon the mathematics of Fractal Regeneration."

Lawyer: "Fractal Regeneration?"

Captain: "I think you've taken too many drugs."

Waiter: "It's the mathematics of the regenerative process – a mechanism that is unique to life. Matter decays; only life regenerates itself. This why Fractal Regeneration is the perfect math for the study of behavior."

Lawyer: "Why haven't the millions of scientists discovered this already?"

Waiter: "Due to so many miraculous discoveries Science became obsessed with Matter. Accordingly traditional scientists have focused most of their attentions upon that component of life – ignoring the rest."

Socrates: “If you are intent on disseminating your discoveries, have you written or are you going to write some articles for scientific journals?”

Waiter: “No. There is an inherent resistance from the Scientific Community to new paradigms as a whole, and especially those introduced by Outsiders (for instance Waiters). We don’t speak their language. We don’t know their conventions. And paradigm creation, especially new ones, is not the task of normal scientists, who are problem solvers, paradigm refiners, extenders of current ways of thinking and/or article writers. They have too much on their plate already – no time to do research into uncharted territory." (Check out ‘Why No Scientific Articles'?)

Captain: "How in the world did you ever come up with these theories of yours? Lots of drugs?"

Waiter: "My Calling. Actually mentioned something about this to you guys in my early 20s when I came down here to go UCLA. (What a disaster that was.) Someone asked what I was studying. To impress everyone made the casual comment that I wanted to 'investigate the mathematics of behavior'. Strangely enough this revealed my life's course."

Lawyer: "What's the overall purpose of Information Dynamics, this new Science of yours?"

Socrates: "What's your mission statement? To become famous? Win the Nobel Prize? Or to help out? And if the latter, in what way? "

Waiter: "Not sure. Haven't really thought about this before."

Captain: "Is this Creative Pulse of yours like a wave that we are attempting to catch?"

Waiter: "Exactly. That's it. The purpose of BD is to enable humans to maximize health, productivity, and inspiration, by tuning into the naturally occurring mathematical energy waves."

Captain: "How about fun? Leave me out if there is no fun. This productivity stuff is a turn off."

Waiter: "Now that you mention it the Creative Pulse Theory applies to fun as well."

Lawyer: "Way to go Captain. Keep this guy on course."

Socrates: "He was becoming a little too serious."

Waiter: "In fact the Captain's prohibition of work-related materials on this trip was a way of minimizing Interruptions so we could focus our entire Attention upon our experience to reach the Zone."

Socrates: "So this BD is the Science of maximizing Health, Inspiration and Fun?"

Waiter: "Sounds good to me."

Lawyer: "Me too. When do we start?"

Waiter: "We're already there."

Captain: "I'll drink a beer to that."

Epilogue and Links

So these astute questions got our Waiter's brain percolating - crackling actually - woke him up before sunrise to write down his cascading insights - eventually leading to this series of articles – which catalyzed his writings upon Scientism, Logic, and historical precedent. Check out the 3rd narrative for the connections between these articles.