MAN AS AN INTUITIVE STATISTICIAN.

CONSIDERS EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH THAT HAS USED PROBABILITY THEORY AND STATISTICS AS A FRAMEWORK WITHIN WHICH TO STUDY HUMAN STATISTICAL INFERENCE. EXPERIMENTS HAVE INVESTIGATED ESTIMATES OF PROPORTIONS, MEANS, VARIANCES, AND CORRELATIONS, BOTH OF SAMPLES AND OF POPULATIONS. IN SOME EXPERIMENTS, PARAMETERS OF POPULATIONS WERE STATIONARY; IN OTHERS, THE PARAMETERS CHANGED OVER TIME. THE EXPERIMENTS ALSO INVESTIGATED THE DETERMINATION OF SAMPLE SIZE AND TRIAL-BY-TRIAL PREDICTIONS OF EVENTS TO BE SAMPLED FROM A POPULATION. IN GENERAL, THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT PROBABILITY THEORY AND STATISTICS CAN BE USED AS THE BASIS FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL MODELS THAT INTEGRATE AND ACCOUNT FOR HUMAN PERFORMANCE IN A WIDE RANGE OF INFERENTIAL TASKS. (115 REF.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

THE PERPETUATION AND EVOLUTION OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE.

STUDENTS SHOULD BE TRAINED FOR THE FUTURE RATHER THAN THE PRESENT AND INCREASING EMPHASIS SHOULD BE PLACED ON INCREASING THE UNDERSTANDING OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR. "THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE EXISTS AND TO WHICH IT MUST ADAPT IS CURRENTLY IN A STATE OF RAPID AND COMPLEX CHANGE." THE ENVIRONMENT IS RIPE FOR THE RAPID DIVERSIFICATION AND EXPANSION OF BEHAVIORAL STUDIES. "ALL OF THE CONDITIONS ARE PROPITIOUS FOR PROMPT EVOLUTIONARY RADIATION OF THE PARENT SPECIES BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE . . . . VARIOUS COMBINATIONS OF NEUROLOGY, ENDOCRINOLOGY, MICROBIOLOGY, AND PSYCHOLOGY HAVE BEEN TRIED, AND SOME OF THEM HAVE YIELDED PROMISING RESULTS. NEW PERMUTATIONS MUST BE DEVISED AND THE RESULTING STRAINS OF BIOLOGY MUST BE GIVEN A CHANCE TO SURVIVE, TO REPRODUCE, AND TO EVOLVE STILL FURTHER . . . . MAN'S GREATEST PROBLEM . . . IS NOT TO UNDERSTAND AND EXPLOIT HIS PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, BUT TO UNDERSTAND AND GOVERN HIS OWN CONDUCT . . . . IF HE IS TO SURVIVE HE MUST PROCEED TO EXPLORE HIMSELF AND TO CONTROL HIS OWN ACTIVITIES." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adaptive-predictive game-playing programs

Abstract

predictive search (APS) is a new method by which systems can improve their search performance through experience. It is believed that the development of such methods is critical, as currently a tremendous number of computational results are potentially wasted by not integrating search and partial search results into the knowledge of a problem-solving system. In the APS model, pattern formation and associative recall are used to improve or replace search. In this paper, the theory, background, and motivations behind the model are presented and its application to two-player game-playing programs is discussed. In these programs, the system develops a knowledge base of patterns (boolean features) coupled with weights and, using pattern-oriented evaluation, performs only 1-ply search, yet competes respectably with programs that search more. The learning mechanism is a hybrid of machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques that have been successful in other settings. Specific examples and performance results are taken from the domains of Hexapawn, Tic-Tac-Toe, Pente, Othello, and chess.     

A light-emitting diode light standard for photo- and videomicroscopy

A light calibration system consisting of a compact light-emitting diode (LED) source with feedback control of intensity is described. The source is positioned in the focal plane of the microscope objective and produces flat-field illumination of up to 31 μW. The source can be easily used to determine the performance of microscope optics and camera response. It can also be used as a standard light source for calibration of experimental systems. Selectable light intensities are produced by controlling the LED input power via a feedback circuit consisting of a photodiode that detects output light intensity. Spectral coverage extends between 550 and 670nm using green, yellow and red LEDs mounted side by side, which are selected individually. The LED chips are encapsulated in plastic diffusers which homogenize the light, and a flat field of illumination is obtained through a thin 1-mm-diameter aperture positioned directly over each chip. Provision is made for insertion of Ronchi rulings over the aperture to enable measurements of contrast modulation in a uniform field. The light may be pulse-modulated to assess camera response times and the device can be synchronized with video frames. Narrow bandpass interference filters can be placed between the objective lens and the LED source to produce monochromatic light without affecting the spacing of controlled light intensities since emission spectra do not shift appreciably over the range of LED powers chosen in this design. Results of tests using controlled light intensity and uniform illumination are presented.