I've followed with interest the signal vs. noise discussion over the last
few digests.
As touched on during the discussion, "noise" is critical to innovation. If
the information transmitted is 100% accurate all the time, there will be
no diversity, no innovation and no adaptation.
The prime example of this is the evolutionary process. Information
transmitted from generation to generation in the form of DNA is changed
randomly ("noise") as a result of mutation. This "noise" is what drives
continual adaptation to a changing environment.
Genetic algorithms have show that there is an optimum rate for mutation.
Too little or too much reduces the "learning" that the system does.
-- Regards, Peter von Stackelberg Applied Futures, Inc. PeterVS1@aol.com