Issue N°02::trIal & errorsprINg 2011

i’mazine www.I-mazINe.com

Cover

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prefaCe

things never really turn out the way we want them to.because what we want, is too much fantasy not enough reality.

nevertheless, we try, we fail, we try again, then we achieve something—not quite sure what—but definitely something. in fact, this something might turn out to be better than whatever our imagination could ever come up with, or merely just another compromise we make with the world.

either/or these ‘somethings’ are what really makes us who we are, whether we like it or not, and this is the zine about those ‘somethings.’

sebit minspring 2011creator and designer of i'mazine

prefaCe

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By definition

TRIAL

IllustratIoN credIts tess yooNjI lee

By definition05

| trial |test to assess its suitability or performance

| error |the state or condition of being wrong in conduct or judgment

| trial & error |learning doesn't happen from failure itself but rather from analyzing the failure, making a change, and then trying again

eRRoR

Trial And

Error

methodology

this approach is more successful with simple problems and in games, and is often resorted to when no apparent rule applies. this does not mean that the approach need be careless, for an individual can be methodical in manipulating the variables in an attempt to sort through possibilities that may result in success. Nevertheless, this method is often used by people who have little knowledge in the problem area.

SimpleSt applicationS

ashby (1960, section 11/5) offers three simple strategies for dealing with the same basic exercise-problem; and they have very different efficiencies: suppose there are 1000 on/off switches which have to be set to a particular combination by random-based testing, each test to take one second.

the strategies are:* the perfectionist all-or-nothing method, with no attempt

at holding partial successes. this would be expected to take more than 10^301 seconds, [i.e. 2^1000 seconds, or 3·5×(10^291) centuries!];* a serial-test of switches, holding on to the partial successes (assuming that these are manifest) would take 500 seconds; while a parallel-but-individual testing of all switches simultaneously would take only one second.

Note the tacit assumption here that no intelligence or insight is brought to bear on the problem. However, the existence of different available strategies allows us to consider a separate (“superior”) domain of processing — a "meta-level" above the mechanics of switch handling — where the various available strategies can be randomly chosen. once again this is ‗trial and error”, but of a different type.

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By definition

trial-and-error hierarchieS

ashby's book develops this “meta-level” idea, and extends it into a whole recursive sequence of levels, successively above each other in a systematic hierarchy. on this basis he argues that human intelligence emerges from such organization: relying heavily on trial-and-error (at least initially at each new stage), but emerging with what we would call “intelligence” at the end of it all. thus presumably the topmost level of the hierarchy (at any stage) will still depend on simple trial-and-error.

traill (1978/2006) suggests that this ashby-hierarchy probably coincides with piaget's well-known theory of developmental stages. after all, it is part of piagetian doctrine that children learn by first actively doing in a more-or-less random way, and then hopefully learn from the consequences — which all has a certain to ashby's random “trial-and-error”.

tHe basIc strategy IN maNy fIelds ?

traill (2008, espec. table “s” on p.31) follows jerne and popper in seeing this strategy as probably underlying all knowledge-gathering systems — at least in their initial phase.

four such systems are identified:

* darwinian evolution which "educates" the dNa of the species,* the brain of the individual (just discussed);* the “brain” of society-as-such (including the publicly-held body of science); and* the immune system.

an ambiguity: can we have “intention” during a “trial”

In the ashby-and-cybernetics tradition, the word "trial" usually implies random-or-arbitrary, without any deliberate choice. However amongst non-cyberneticians, “trial” will often imply a

deliberate subjective act by some adult human agent; (e.g. in a court-room, or laboratory). so that has sometimes led to confusion.

of course the situation becomes even more confusing if one accepts ashby’s hierarchical explanation of intelligence, and its implied ability to be deliberate and to creatively design — all based ultimately on non-deliberate actions. the lesson here seems to be that one must simply be careful to clarify the meaning of one's own words, and indeed the words of others. Incidentally it seems that consciousness is not an essential ingredient for intelligence as discussed above.

By definition07

leFt to right :jean piagetNiels Kaj jernewilliam ross ashby

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drilling errors

so what does this procedure tell us about hydraulic fracturing? Not too much, but just enough for us to realize, there’s far too many risks taken for granted during the fracking process.

already 52,616 wells have been drilled in just the year 2008—a 41% increase in four years. How many holes does it take to fulfill the needs? How many holes does it take before things start to crumbles down upon itself and everything on it?

find out more at

1 gasland, 2010. directed by josh fox, Hbo documentary films2 nofracking.com

hydraUlic FractUring

Natural gas is the big thing— you see it increasingly on signage of public transportation, on new automobiles, power plants, and even in your home as your main source of electricity. the demand has been growing at an alarming rate for nearly a decade and to match the public need, more wells are drilled into the very land we live on.

at first, nothing seems to come off the wrong foot. Natural gas companies explain thoroughly about how their method of hydraulic fracturing can’t possibly be of any harm to neither the ground beneath nor the air above. what goes in—“chemical constituents in additives/chemicals” used during the process of fracturing— all comes out. No damage done.

but wait, let’s say miraculously, the concrete walls built around the drilled holes are ever so ‘concrete’ and let’s even take for granted that everything coming out from that hole is 100% pure, just what we’re looking for natural gas. what happens to the stuff used during the fracturing, the ‘stuff’ that all came out?

the stuff, a mixture of Voc—volatile organic compounds—and wastewater, is evaporated and steamed off, 24 hours a day, seven days a week (the word organic does not necessarily correspond with the organic veggies or organic kombucha tea one might find in local grocery store). the remaining wastewater is then trucked to water treatment facilities and is long forgotten.

drilling errors09

Image credIts gaslaNd

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karma

comes around

I was in no familiarity with terence Koh or his style of work prior to my visit to his show, but I wanted to keep it that way just to prevent any premature judgment. Not knowing what to expect, I walked into the gallery where a huge pile of salt was sitting in the middle of the vast white space. such simplicity stroke me right away, and I started to wonder what the title “nothingtoodoo” has to do with the installation. did he build this crystalline cone of salt following a zen routine or just out of pure boredom? as I began to discuss the mysterious intentions of Koh with a friend,

the artist silently appeared from the other side of the pile, making his way slowly around it on his knees. I almost shrieked in surprise, then the next instant, felt sorry for possibly causing a scene in his art performance. the encounter left me confused and very awkward.

this performance is repeated everyday from morning till night—similar to abramovic’s performance “artist is present” at the moma— however there was no hint of pain on his face. the empty look on his eyes and the stark white clothes he wore made the whole performance seem

even more strange. the dualistic aspects of sadism and masochism of the show—for making the artists and the audience feel pain in a way that can/can’t be relieved— made me feel guilty just standing there looking at his labour, with growing pressure under the silence. by stepping inside the gallery, not only did I become a spectator, but also interacted as a part of the performance.

jinah kim brooklyn 2011hellofrengers.com

nothingtoodoo11

terrence Koh @ mary Boone gallery“nothingtoodoo”

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Chaos & order

Chaos & order13

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hope

서울

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jongno-gu uam

street 10-1

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pHotograpHy credIts romaNtIc studIo.

hope15

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The fuTure is noT wiThouT hope

hope Flyer project: to give and to communicate the message of hope was harder than expected. for some, the 130 flyers—or the 1040 tokens of hope—might have come off as an unexpected surprise in their daily life, while for others, just another piece of junk that needed to be thrown away.

the present’s worthless hours balance off the future’s hope. the activeness imagined in my dreams substitutes the present's passiveness.in end, the future is not without hope.

jerry kimseoul 2011romantic studio.

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hope

hope17

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Colophon

pHotograpHy credIts arNold geNtHe / coNdé Nast arcHIVe

colophon

photographyromaNtIc studIo.

illUStrationtess yooNjI leeunless otherwise noted,sebIt mIN

deSignsebIt mIN

inStrUctorrIcHard meHl

typeFaceSprestIge elIte bodoNI poster ItalIc INterstate edwardIaN scrIpt Itc Hammer tHIN

paper acceNt opaque 80

printedjml prINtINg, Nyc

Statement

i’mazine is a zine, as it speaks for itself, based on d-i-y indie culture. restricted number of prints will be distributed throughout local venues of Nyc, portland, and seoul; and will also be available upon request online.

zine submissions are always welcome—digital or analog.

for questions, comments, criticisms, and/or shoutouts of love, please contact:i-mazine@hotmail.com

i’mazine268 devoe st apt 2fbroooklyn, Ny 11211u.s.a

contribUtorS

helloFrengerS.comI'm an artist based in New york, currently studying dreams and stream of consciousness. share your thoughts at

hellofrengers@gmail.com

romanticStUdio.comno stress studio/or heavenhomage to my romantic muse, sebito & special thx to josée

dj.purplecut@gmail.com

edItIoN /20

copyrIgHt © I’mazINe New yorK 2011 all rIgHts reserVed

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