🚀 go-pugleaf

The Intelligent Use of Intelligent Systems at Campus on the Mall

      Speakers include: Zadeh (fuzzy logic), Saaty (analytic
hierarchies for "expert choice"), Jeannerod (The Brain Machine),
Helferich (materials and logistics), Campbell (NASA's information
processing), Brooks (Genghis the robot and other critters from
the MIT AI Lab), Badler ("Jack" software animation of a human in
Virtual Reality), Huberman (chaos and ecology in computer nets).
      Each of these speakers is internationally known.  Together they
represent a good sampling of the diverse fields whose convergence is
required to design the computer and telecommunications mediated
services which have already pervaded so many aspects of life and work. 
You don't have to be an expert in all of these areas (indeed, no one
could be) to appreciate the innovative contributions of these
individuals.
      The class (course # 309-702) meets Wed. evenings here in DC
from 8 to 9:30 pm for 8 weeks beginning Apr. 21. Sign-up information 
follows the chronological list.


4/21 From Outer Space to Inner Space: Scientific Data Management
Intelligent fusion of information from multiple sources, neural nets
for image understanding, object-oriented databases and visualization.
Generic techniques apply to pictures from satellites or CAT-scans.
Bill Campbell, Head, Info. Sci. and Techn. Office, NASA

4/28 Robots and Social Change: Towards a Philosophy of Automation
Small, flexible robots with goal-directed hierarchical behavior.
What they can do now, and some of the amazing things to come soon.
Rodney Brooks, Prof. of Robotics, AI Lab., MIT

5/5  The Invisible Hand and the Computational Marketplace
How people (and computer programs) can use cooperation for improved
performance.  An heuristic approach to cyberspace, making possible the
robust sharing of computational resources and fault-tolerant software.
Bernardo Huberman, Research Fellow, Xerox PARC

5/12 How the Brain Selects Goals for Behavior
Advanced technology has led to significant new knowledge about the
ways in which humans organize perception and action.  This
understanding is critical in designing technology to be useable.
Marc Jeannerod, Prof. of Physiology, Claude Bernard Univ.

5/19 Information Systems for Infrastructure and Environment
How business and government have a "win-win" situation by applying
artificial intelligence techniques to databases and coordination.
First steps toward an international earth sciences information net.
Omar Keith Helferich, Dir. Mat'l and Logistics Mgt., Mich. State U.

5/26 Guns or Butter: How Technology Can Improve Decision-Making
An easy to use expert system draws on implicit mathematical theory to
form the best prioritization from individual choices.  This "analytic
hierarchy method" is now applied as an operations research tool.
Thomas L. Saaty, Prof. of Management Science, U. of Pittsburgh

6/2  Computing Reasonable Approximations: Fuzzy Logic and Neural Nets
Intelligent problem solving always adjusts the degree of accuracy.
This idea is making possible natural language programming and improved
performance for industrial and consumer products.
Lotfi Zadeh, Prof. of Computer Science, U. of Cal., Berkeley

6/9  Animated Humans in Virtual Reality
Three-dimensional human figures geometrically inhabit a virtual world
where they operate machinery, climb obstacles and look for objects
according to natural language instructions.  Visualizing behavior.
Norman Badler, Chairman, Computer and Information Science, U. of Penn.

There will also be a study tour of the information age exhibition at
the National Museum of American History (days to be arranged), given
by David Allison, curator of computers, information and society.

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      Anyone who is interested in learning more about data management,
robotics, decision science, fuzzy logic and cyberspace, and how these
topics are influencing our lives, should consider signing up for the
course, THE INTELLIGENT USE OF INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS (#309-702), given at
the Smithsonian's Campus on the Mall on Wed. evenings (8 to 9:30).  To
register for the eight lectures beginning 4/21, call 202-357-3030 or FAX
202-786-2034.  Registration is $99, with a $40 fee to join the
Smithsonian's Associates Program if you are not already a member.
      These lecturers have been selected not only for their
intellectual leadership but also for their ability to communicate to a
general audience.  Any intelligent, well-read person should have no
difficulty in following most of the arguments, and there will also be
substantial graphics to illustrate the ideas.  This is an excellent
opportunity to gain an overview of several important fields and how
they fit together in designing systems. A "literate family activity."