Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcvax!ukc!strath-cs!glasgow!gilbert
From: gilbert@cs.glasgow.ac.uk (Gilbert Cockton)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Human-human communication
Message-ID: <1315@crete.cs.glasgow.ac.uk>
Date: 2 Jun 88 07:18:09 GMT
References: <32403@linus.UUCP> <238@proxftl.UUCP>
Reply-To: gilbert@cs.glasgow.ac.uk (Gilbert Cockton)
Organization: Comp Sci, Glasgow Univ, Scotland
Lines: 33

In article <238@proxftl.UUCP> tomh@proxftl.UUCP (Tom Holroyd) writes:
>
>Name one thing that isn't expressible with language! :-)
Many things learnt by imitation, and taught by demonstration ;-)

I used to be involved in competitive gymnastics.  Last year, I got
involved in coaching.  The differences between the techniques I
learnt and the ones now taught are substantial.  There is a lot less
talk, and much more video.  Many moves are taught by "shaping"
gymnasts into "memory positions"  (aiming for some of these positions
will actually put you somewhere else, but that's the intention).  With
young children especially, trying to describe moves is pointless.
Even with adults, dance notations are a real problem.

We could get pedantic and say that ultimately this is describable.
For something to be USEFULLY describable by language

	a) someone other than the author must understand it
	    (thus we comment programs in natural language)
	b) it must be more accurate and more efficient than
	   other forms of communication.

Anyone who's interested in robot movement might find some inspiration
in gymnastic training programs for under-5s.  The amount of knowledge and
skill required to chain a few movements together is intriguing. As
with all human learning, the only insights are from failures to learn
(you can't observe someone learnING).  Perhaps the early mistakes of
young gymnasts may give a better insight into running robots :-)
-- 
Gilbert Cockton, Department of Computing Science,  The University, Glasgow
	gilbert@uk.ac.glasgow.cs !ukc!glasgow!gilbert

	     The proper object of the study of humanity is humans, not machines