Thinking metal? Caveot emptor

[PB666]

http://phys.org/news/2015-08-iron-bar-capable-decision-making.html

"As the researchers explain in their study, the only requirement for a physical object to exhibit an efficient decision-making ability is that the object must be "volume-conserving." Any rigid object, such as an iron bar, meets this requirement and therefore is subject to a volume conservation law. This means that, when exposed to fluctuations, the object may move slightly to the right or left, but its total volume is always conserved. Because this displacement resembles a tug-of-war game with a rigid object, the researchers call the method "tug-of-war (TOW) dynamics."

Basically they argue that propensity of nature events to change the environment can attract or repel solid objects that resist deformation. After several events the objects are able to decide which event is the most attractive.

[magnemoe]

Do not get it at all, they simply use the iron bar as an measuring tool, say move it to right 1 cm for each dollar won on right slot and one cm left for each lost, same on left side.

if you end up with an bar on the right side the right slot machine has best odds.

[Frida Space]

If true, that's mind-blowing for me. I get the whole lottery machine example, but how did they find that out? I mean, did they perform some kind of experiment, and if yes, what? Or is it just an assumption, a theory based on no experimental evidence?

[Tex_NL]

What a waste of money. I can't believe universities actually spend money on pseudo-science like this. Even calling this pseudo-science gives this crap too much credit.

All the iron bar does is serve as a physical marker to represent the overall success on both slot machines. The same thing can easily be done with pen and paper. (+1 for a win on machine A, -1 for a loss. And -1 for a win on B and +1 for a loss.) That iron bar does not make ANY decision. The operator does!

[AngelLestat]

yeah i am with tex_nl here. you can have computers using water doplets or simple mechanism, this is the same thing, but then take as conclusion that metal can think, I dont know where is that come from..

[sgt_flyer]

Yeah, the news article is completely useless as it is - was there several important things lost during translation (if the paper was released in japanese) or during the writing of the news ?

Wonder if those scientists tell that 'lower' lifeforms (true lifeforms, not iron bars ) simply have a simple mean within themselves to 'memorise' outcomes and act from it ?

[peadar1987]

There has to be something lost in translation here, right? There's no way people submitted a paper that actually posited that iron bars can think because they can be moved by people to keep track of things

[LordFerret]

I'd like to hear their explanation of this in light of a bi-metallic strip. Do they ever argue? lol

[ComradeWolfe]

Does this mean Space X's strut was actually going on strike over unfair working conditions?

[monstah]

Sorry to be blunt, but smells of BS to me.

[vger]

You sure it's a bad translation?

The "water can think" concept, as featured in "What the bleep do we know?" was a Japanese research project.

[Scotius]

I love many things Japanese: from sushi to anime, and from Godzilla flicks to design of their medieval castles. But every now and then i learn about this country things that render me speechless

[TheSaint]

It sounds to me like somebody blew their grant money on whiskey and dancing girls and had to publish something quick. They were sitting in front of a row of slot machines in Vegas with a stick in their hand, and inspiration struck.

[Bill Phil]

It's pretty obviously just a misleading title and maybe a misunderstanding of the study. It clearly shows that they moved it themselves...

[Slam_Jones]

This is something I'd more expect to read on the Onion :|

As far as I can work out, the bar is clearly not moving on it's own (or if it is, they forgot to explain how/why), but rather being moved by a human. What they've proved, effectively, is that if you move an object, that object has moved (but has conserved it's volume... which seems to be completely irrelevant). If an object is moved one direction more than the other, it will end up further that direction.

I'm not sure how this means the iron bar "decided" to move that way, though.

Rocks along the ocean floor will get swept a certain direction based on tides, currents, etc, but does that mean they're deciding to move? Clearly they're being affected by their environment, with no choice in the matter.

I'm really hoping this was just very badly translated...

What a waste of money. I can't believe universities actually spend money on pseudo-science like this. Even calling this pseudo-science gives this crap too much credit.

All the iron bar does is serve as a physical marker to represent the overall success on both slot machines. The same thing can easily be done with pen and paper. (+1 for a win on machine A, -1 for a loss. And -1 for a win on B and +1 for a loss.) That iron bar does not make ANY decision. The operator does!

Well said.

Edited August 26, 2015 by Slam_Jones

[magnemoe]

It sounds to me like somebody blew their grant money on whiskey and dancing girls and had to publish something quick. They were sitting in front of a row of slot machines in Vegas with a stick in their hand, and inspiration struck.

Think we have the explanation here.

Think we also have this year winner of the Lg price. http://www.improbable.com/ig/

[LordFerret]

Ah... the Onion. Great reporting. Love it. lol