Monday, July 31, 2017

Re: [Yasmin_discussions] steam: redesigning science...aesthetic computing

Paul

I think you make a very good point with : "Computer Science (CS) is a
case in point. We tend to association notations with the science.
Thiscreates an artificial emphasis on programming. At the center of CS
is understanding information processing and management"" I would add
meaning making driven by computational thinking.

to add to you line of argument:

In a special section of the July 7 Issue of Science Magazine,
researchers argue that AI is getting to the point where it can conduct
research ( http://science.sciencemag.org/content/357/6346/18 ). John
Bohannan calls this ' the cyberscientist' and states boldly : "for
interpreting data, generating hypotheses and planning experiments, the
ultimate goal is to get rid of human intuition". Whoa. The article
ends with a discussion on including AI systems as co authors, because
many of the ideas and conclusions were generated by the cyberscientist
not by the human, but in collaboration.

So we need artists, designers and humanities researchers, expert in
AI, to be part of redesigning science in this area. One example is Fox
Harrell, a true hybrid ( BFA arts, Master's degree in Interactive
Telecommunication from New York University, Ph.D. in Computer Science
and Cognitive Science ) has outlined an ambitious agenda in his
Phantasmal Media: An Approach to Imagination, Computation, and
Expression (MIT Press, 2013).
https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/phantasmal-media Harrell discusses,
"among other topics, the phantasm as an orienting perspective for
developers; expressive epistemologies, or data structures based on
subjective human worldviews; morphic semiotics (building on the
computer scientist Joseph Goguen's theory of algebraic semiotics".

So I agree with you, current discussions on computer science falsely
focus on code as the fundamental issues, rather than information
processing and meaning making. Peter Denning has been discussing these
issues and especially how computational thinking has been changing the
scientific method:
https://www.americanscientist.org/article/computational-thinking-in-science

So any other yasminers have suggestions on how
artists.designers.humanists can help redesign science and the
scientific method using stem to steam approaches ?

roger malina

>
> I've been working with the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas on an emerging approach of
> using "modeling" as an interpretive mechanism: art appreciation through modeling. By "modeling",
> I mean a variety of representations: from cognitive models (like semantic/concept maps) to
> models of geometry (e.g., meshes, scene graphs, flow graphs for generative geometry) and
> models of time (e.g., dynamic models). If the models can be made palatable to the average
> visitor, it may be possible to mix cultural relevance with learning how to model (which is integral
> to all aspects of education).
>
> Computer Science (CS) is a case in point. We tend to association notations with the science. This
> creates an artificial emphasis on programming. At the center of CS is understanding information
> processing and management. However, the information focus does not require a computer and
> can be learned through historical artifacts (stemming from the humanities). Being able to interpret
> the world through information also requires attention to detail (coming from the arts). The babbling
> brook and the flight of a dragonfly can be studied as information processes, but in CS, we are too
> focused on technology, and not enough on information.
>
> I have some recent papers if anyone is interested. One will come out in Julia Buntaine's SciArt magazine,
> and another is on defining modeling broadly to encompass the arts, humanities, and STEM (Winter
> Simulation Conference in December).
>
> -paul
>
>
> Paul Fishwick, PhD
> Distinguished University Chair of Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication
> Professor of Computer Science
> Director, Creative Automata Laboratory
> The University of Texas at Dallas
> Arts & Technology
> 800 West Campbell Road, AT10
> Richardson, TX 75080-3021
> Home: utdallas.edu/atec/fishwick
> Blog 1: medium.com/@metaphorz
>
>
> posts on a blog go to http://yasminlist.blogspot.com/

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