The Role of Time in the Creation of Knowledge

ABSTRACT In this paper I assume that in humans the creation of knowledge depends on a discrete time, or stage, sequential decision-making process subjected to a stochastic, information transmitting environment. For each time-stage, this environment randomly transmits Shannon type info rmation-packets to the decision-maker, who examines each of them for relevancy and then determines his optimal choices. Using this set of relevant information-packets, the decision-maker adapts, over time, to the stochastic nature of his environment, and optimizes the subjective expected rate-of-growth of knowledge. The decision-maker's optimal actions, lead to a decision function that involves, over time, his view of the subjective entropy of the environmental process and other important parameters at each time-stage of the process. Using this model of human behavior, one could create psychometri c experiments using computer simulation and real decision-makers, to play programmed games to measure the resulting human performance. KEYWORDS decision-making, dynamic programming, entropy, epistemology, information theory, knowledge, adaptive, event-time based sequential process, subjective probability Scientists seek to understand the experience of our environment. Some build hypothetical, mathematical models that reflect our view of reality as they adumbrate the laws of nature, enabling them to conduct experiments leading to the validation of a hypothesis as they reach out for even more truths about nature.