Hofstadter is the son of nobel prizewinning douglas richard hofstadter is an american scholar of cognitive science, physics, and comparative literature whose research. An eternal golden braid has widened the eyes of multiple generations of nerdy kids, and i was certainly no exception. Hofstadter uses crab canon as a jumping off point to explain number theory. One of those dialogues, titled crab canon, seems puzzling when. Crab canon hofstadter s entire dialogue structure emerged from writing a dialogue based on the musical offerings crab canon canon cancrizans. An eternal golden braid, and i am a strange loop, and more on. Hofstadter, a noted author, cognitive scientist and proud stanford son, returns to stanford in february, 2006, with a lecture called analogy as the core of cognition. Play help info a crab canon also known by the latin form of the name, canon cancrizans.
An eternal golden braid is still something of a marvel. Seaside canon, for douglas hofstadter raw audio sample values. Douglas hofstadters pulitzer prizewinning book godel, escher, bach. The crab canon is the first of several twopart canons in the musical offering. One interesting example is of crab canon, that precedes chapter eight. Godel, escher, bach, an eternal golden braid by douglas r. One dialogue in the book is written in the form of a crab canon, in which every line before the midpoint corresponds to an identical line. Bach made an impromptu visit to king frederick the great of prussia, and was. Escher and composer johann sebastian bach, discussing common themes in their work and lives. Achilles and the tortoise happen upon each other in the park one day while strolling. Through illustration and analysis, the book discusses how, through self. This canon was conceived after serendipitously finding a poem written by julia galef, who kindly granted me. The score is at imslp, in multiple free editions i attach one of them. Im too short on sleep to work on my book and too wired to take a nap.
This is a short but highly amusing piece that can be read, like the musical notes in bachs crab canon, in either directionfrom start to finish or from finish to start, resulting in the very. A crab canonalso known by the latin form of the name, canon cancrizansis an arrangement of two musical lines that are complementary and backward, similar to a palindrome. Escher, and composer johann sebastian bach, the book expounds concepts fundamental to mathematics, symmetry, and intelligence. Oct 09, 2014 the first example i could find of writing that was called a crab canon was in the book godel, escher, bach by douglas hofstadter. Ernest davis, ieee expert a wondrous book that unites and explains, in a very entertaining way, many of the important ideas of recent intellectual history. A palindromic poem for douglas hofstadter originally published here since it first came out in 1979, douglas hofstadters pulitzer prizewinning book godel, escher, bach. It is a philosophy book that reads like music, a work of art that many consider second to none. Godel, escher, bach won the 1980 pulitzer prize for general nonfiction.
A crab canon for douglas hofstadter 3 quarks daily. The book ends on this dialogue involving six characters. Hofstadter and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Achilles, tortoise, crab, dh, turing, and babbage, and ends in the most appropriate way it possibly could. Then again, as indicated by hofstadter, the formal framework that underlies all mental movement rises above the framework that backings it. Full text of godel, escher, bach an eternal golden braid see other formats. Readings godel, escher, bach experimental study group. An eternal golden braid which won the pulitzer prize for nonfiction. Jul 04, 2018 douglas hofstadters book godel, escher, bach.
An eternal golden braid, also known as geb, is a 1979 book by douglas hofstadter. Douglas hofstadters book is concerned directly with the nature of maps or links between formal systems. There is also a very neat animation that illustrates the moebius strip characteristics of bachs crab canon in this article. The tagline a metaphorical fugue on minds and machines in the spirit of lewis carroll was used by the publisher to describe the book. Dec 24, 2015 douglas hofstadters book is concerned straightforwardly with the way of maps or interfaces between formal frameworks.
In it, hofstadter wrote a dialogue between the tortoise and achilles that he called crab canon after bachs music because the dialogue is presented in one order, and then repeated in reverse order. In 1979 hofstadter a 34yearold professor of computer science at indiana university published a book called godel escher bach. The crab makes his first appearance in this dialogue. He is working on a book exploring the philosophical dimensions of the music of the band yes. Another incredibly complex dialogue from douglas hofstadter. A mu offering if i can pick any piece of the musical offering i want to listen to, its the allegro from the trio sonata at its center. The book is, like most of hofstadters previous works, a discussion of the nature of consciousness, the meaning of self, and the possibility of artificial. A crab canon also known by the latin form of the name, canon cancrizans. Escher and composer johann sebastian bach, geb expounds. Douglas hofstadter is teacher of software engineering and psychological science at indiana university. Hofstadter points out that the structures called palindromes in dna are the same. Crab canon hofstadters entire dialogue structure emerged from writing a dialogue based on the musical offerings crab canon canon cancrizans.
Nov 12, 2019 read the soft copy of this book anytime, anywhere and download it for free. The first example i could find of writing that was called a crab canon was in the book godel, escher, bach by douglas hofstadter. Hofstadter, well beyond having given him a word to fill out the book s title. Hofstadter, well beyond having given him a word to fill out the books title. Read the soft copy of this book anytime, anywhere and download it for free. Because of other troubles translators might have retaining the meaning of the book, hofstadter painstakingly went through every last sentence of geb, annotating a copy for translators into any language that might be targeted. The book draws all sorts of parallels between music, art, math, and computer science, ultimately shaping them into a bold thesis about how consciousness arises from selfreference and recursion. Godel, escher, bach geb debates the question of consciousness and the possibility of artificial intelligence. Sep 21, 2011 discover book depositorys huge selection of douglas hofstadter books online.
An eternal golden braid is a classic text thats had a strong influence on countless people. When i first came across a type of poetry called a crab canon, i was. I am a strange loop by douglas hofstadter issue 78. Full text of godel, escher, bach an eternal golden braid. It is perhaps the densest dialogue in the book in terms of formal trickery and. Discover book depositorys huge selection of douglas hofstadter books online. Hofstadter study guide and get instant access to the following biography. Oct 24, 2009 hofstadter decided to translate the french character as madame tortue, and the italian version as signorina tartaruga. Eschers crab canon engraving, and hofstadters own crab canon dialogue geb, pp. Canon by intervallic augmentation in this dialogue, they discuss modifying a tune to get different tunes but with the same ratio of note changes, e. Both are so named because crabs supposedly walk backwards.
It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account hofstadters law. Pulitzerprize winner douglas hofstadter takes on some weighty and wonderful questions in i am a strange loopamong them, the size of a soul and the vagaries of thoughtand proposes persuasive answers that surprised me both with their simplicity and their sense of optimism. By exploring common themes in the lives and works of logician kurt godel, artist m. In it, hofstadter wrote a dialogue between the tortoise and achilles that he called crab canon after bachs music. A dialogue based on a piece by the same name from the musical offering. However, according to hofstadter, the formal system that underlies all mental activity transcends the system that supports it. May 22, 20 this crab canon is different from my previous crab canon in the following aspects. Theres a section in the middle describing a figure in the book which disrupts the dialogue so skip over that. Its a venerated book among a certain stripe of computer scientist and mathematician, and its reputed to have inspired generations of people to pursue the study of logic and artificial intelligence.
Earlier diaries are here today well discuss crab canon pages 199203 i will leave the nex. The film is inspired by the crab canon presented in douglas r. Oct 11, 2017 the genius of j s bach crab canon visualized on a mobius strip audio hd. Its not just a crab canon, its also a palindrome canon. Hofstadter is college of arts and sciences professor of cognitive science and computer science at indiana university, bloomington, where he likewise coordinates the center for research on concepts and cognition. Seaside canon, for douglas hofstadter raw audio sample. Escher his 1965 work crab canon and doug hofstadter his pulitzer prize winning godel, escher, bach. Listen to the first canon from bachs musical offering.
Aug 18, 2012 a crab canonalso known by the latin form of the name, canon cancrizansis an arrangement of two musical lines that are complementary and backward, similar to a palindrome. Hofstadter isnt too shy to reveal both his devices themselves and, later. The dialogue makes use of several words with multiple meanings, e. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read. If life can grow out of the formal chemical substrate of the cell, if consciousness can emerge out of a formal system of firing neurons, then so too will. There has been nothing like it in computer science before or since. Since it first came out in 1979, douglas hofstadters pulitzer prizewinning book godel, escher, bach. Besides being a profound and entertaining meditation on human thought and creativity, this book looks at the surprising points of contact between the music of bach, the artwork of escher, and the mathematics of godel. Godel,escher,bachan enternal golden braid by douglas r. Start your 48hour free trial to unlock this douglas r. If life can grow out of the formal chemical substrate of the. Twenty years after it topped the bestseller charts, douglas r.
Why i dont love godel, escher, bach infinite negative utility. This time structured around a musical device employed by bach called a crab canon. Hofstadter is college of arts and sciences professor of cognitive science, and director of the center for research on concepts and cognition, at indiana university. The title of this book is godel, escher, bach and it was written by douglas r.
Its also a very playful book, full of puzzles, puns, and imagined dialogues between achilles and a tortoise which weave in and out of the main. A palindromic poem for douglas hofstadter julia galef. Originally it is a musical term for a kind of canon in which one line is reversed in time from the other e. The crab canon is a major point of discussion in douglas hofstadters classic book godel, escher, bach, and the reason why bach appears in the title. Hofstadter has 29 books on goodreads with 243069 ratings. Bachs endlessly rising canon gives the musical form of strange loopiness, continuing forever. I am a strange loop by douglas hofstadter, basic books, 2007, 436 pps. Douglas hofstadter y raconte par exemple le fonctionnement dune. Winner of the pulitzer prizea metaphorical fugue on minds and machines in the spirit of lewis carrolldouglas hofstadters book is concerned directly with the nature of maps or links between formal systems. The genius of j s bach crab canon visualized on a mobius. The book opens with the story of bachs musical offering. This crab canon is different from my previous crab canon in the following aspects. Notice that they are the same, only one forwards while the other goes backwards this is the defining property of the form called crab canon. Hofstadter douglas hofstadters book is concerned directly with the nature of maps or links between formal systems.
Inspired by the goedel, escher, bach book of douglas hofstadter and by the seaside. Fantasies and reflections on self and soul by douglas r. It is a book that attempts to discover what self really means. It was published by basic books and has a total of 824 pages in the book.
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