Le manoir hanté (An Introduction to Cybernetics)

extrait du livre de Ross Asbby, An Introduction to Cybernetics.

" Greveside "
Wit's End
Haunts.

Dear Friend, Some time ago I bought this old house, but found it to be haunted by two ghostly noises - a ribald Singing and a sardonic Laughter. As a result it is hardly habitable. There is hope, however, for by actual testing I have found that their behaviour is subject to certain laws, obscure but infallible, and that they can be affected by my playing the organ or burning incense. In each minute, each noise is either sounding or silent - they show no degrees. What each will do during the ensuing minute depends, in the following exact way, on what has been happening during the preceding minute : The Singing, in the succeeding minute, will go on as it was during the preceding minute (sounding or silent) unless there was organ-playing with no Laughter, in which case it will change to the opposite (sounding to silent, or vice versa). As for the Laughter, if there was incense burning, then it will sound or not according as the Singing was sounding or not (so that the Laughter copies the Singing a minute later). If however there was no incense burning, the Laughter will do the opposite of what the Singing did. At this minute of writing, the Laughter and Singing are both sounding. Please tell me what manipulations of incense and organ I should make to get the house quiet, and to keep it so. Please tell me what manipulations of incense and organ I should make to get the house quiet, and to keep it so. Does the Singing have an immediate effect on the Laughter ? Does the incense have an immediate effect on the Singing ?"

Quelles sont vos réponses ?

Nous avons été surpris (un peu) en nous rendant compte que l'on ne trouvait pas l'utilisation de ce livre sur la Toile. Or son utilisation par les enseignants permettrait d'appliquer le rasoir d'Occam dans bien des cours. Mais c'est bien connu, ce qui a été publié il y a plus de 5 ans ne vaut rien. Et redire est dire. Il est vrai que le mot cybernétique n'est plus à la mode. Nous avons cependant à Nantes un labo qui s'appelle Irccyn (Institut de Recherche en Communication et Cybernétique de Nantes - Unité Mixte CNRS). Quant à l'AFCET (Association Française de Cybernétique Economique et Technique) elle est morte.