SIMULTANEOUS EFFECTS
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 3055 ▶ |
| Object type | General information, Epistemology, ontology or semantics |
Simultaneous perception by neurons is not absolute.
J.von NEUMANN writes: “…Wherever ”simultaneity“ is mentioned in the above (note: i.e. in nerve stimulation), it cannot and does not mean actual, exact simultaneity. In each case there is a finite period of grace, a summation time, such that two pulses arriving within such a time period still act as if they had been simultaneous. Actually, things may even be more complicated than this — the summation time may not be a sharp concept. Even after a slighly longer time, the previous pulse may still be summed to the subsequent one, to a gradually decreasing, partial extent” (1958, p.55-56).
Perfect simultaneity thus seems to be still one more abstract concept, which conceals a practical observational impossibility, even at the receivers end.