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Title
Proceedings of the National Physical Laboratory Symposium 'Mechanisation of Thought Processes' Volume 2
Reference
DENI/B/02
Production date
1959 - 1959

Creator

National Physical Laboratory Biography Biography
National Physical Laboratory (NPL) was founded in 1900 at Bushy House, Teddington, London "for standardising and verifying instruments, for testing materials, and for the determination of physical constants." It is one of the oldest standardising laboratories in the world. It was originally conceived as an extension of Kew Observatory, which was situated round the corner in Old Deer Park at Richmond, and for the first 18 years of its existence, NPL was under the control of the Royal Society. Since its establishment, the research work at NPL has included all branches of physics, light, electricity and magnetism, radio communication, engineering, metallurgy, aeronautics and ship design. Many of Britain's most renowned scientists have been involved in work at NPL, including Alan Turing, Louis Essen and Donald Davies. Some of the most notable achievements carried out at NPL include the invention of the Automatic Computer Engine (ACE), packet switching, radar and the atomic clock. Their current address is National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 0LW.

Scope and Content
A book containing proceedings of a symposium held at the National Physical Laboratory on 24th, 25th, 26th and 27th November 1958. It includes the following papers divided into sections: Implications for Biology 1. Sensory mechanisms, the reduction of redundancy and intelligence, Dr H.B. Barlow 2. Stimulus analysing mechanisms, Dr N.S. Sutherland 3. Agatha Tyche: Of nervous nets - the lucky reckoners, Dr W.S. McCulloch 4. Medical diagnosis and cybernetics, Dr F. Paycha 5. Models and the localization of function in the central nervous system, Mr R.L. Gregory 6. Some questions concerning the explanation of learning in animals, Mr A.J. Watson 7. Information, redundancy and decay of the memory trace, Dr John Brown Implications for Industry 1. Automation in the legal world, Dr L. Mehl 2. The mechanization of literature searching, Prof Y. Bar-Hillel 3. To what extent can administration be mechanized?, Mr J.H.H. Merriman and Mr D.W.G. Wass 4. Possibilities for the practical utilization of learning processes, Dr S. Gill 5. Automatic control by visual signals, Dr W.K. Taylor 6. An analysis of non-mathematical data-processing, Mr E.A. Newman 7. Physical analogues to the growth of a concept, Mr G. Pask Lecture - Demonstrations List of Lecture-Demonstrations (with reference to papers describing them) Machina Reproducatrix Conditional Probability Computer A Simple Computer for Demonstrating Behaviour Automatic Pattern Recognition Library Retrieval
Extent
1 item
Language
English
Level of description
ITEM
Repository name
Science Museum, London
Conditions governing access
Open Access
Conditions governing Reproduction
Copies may be supplied in accordance with current copyright legislation and Science Museum Group terms and conditions