Warren McCulloch and the British Cyberneticians

Abstract

Warren McCulloch was a significant influence on a number of British cyberneticians, as some British pioneers in this area were on him. He interacted regularly with most of the main figures on the British cybernetics scene, forming close friendships and collaborations with several, as well as mentoring others. Many of these interactions stemmed from a 1949 visit to London during which he gave the opening talk at the inaugural meeting of the Ratio Club, a gathering of brilliant, mainly young, British scientists working in areas related to cybernetics. This paper traces some of these relationships and interactions.

Epilepsy, digital technology and the black-boxed self

“…Meanwhile over in Britain a number of early members of the Ratio Club, including Jack Cowan and W. Grey Walter, would combine their interest in the new field of cybernetics with research into epileptiform brain wave patterns and seizure thresholds (Husbands and Holland, 2012;Pickering, 2010). Placing the 'neurological gaze' at the heart of technological advances at mid century, in a very real sense cybernetics originated and developed within a broader context of epilepsy research and not the other way around.…”

“…At the same time that he was advancing the field of cybernetics, McCulloch continued to follow clinical advances in epileptology both as part of his role as Head of the Neurophysiology Laboratory at the University of Illinois, luring Frederic and Erna Gibbs there from Harvard to continue their work on epilepsy and EEG (Hughes et al, 1994), and later when he moved to MIT. Meanwhile over in Britain, a number of early members of the Ratio Club, including Jack Cowan and W. Grey Walter, would combine their interest in the new field of cybernetics with research into epileptiform brain wave patterns and seizure thresholds (Husbands and Holland, 2012; Pickering, 2010). Placing the ‘neurological gaze’ at the heart of technological advances at midcentury, in a very real sense, cybernetics originated and developed within a broader context of epilepsy research and not the other way around.…”