Rodrick Wallace Libri

Focusing on the dynamics of conflict among hierarchical cognitive entities, this book employs cognitive and evolutionary theories to address challenges posed by imprecision and stress in real-time situations. It highlights the detrimental effects of friction and uncertainty on institutional cognition, particularly within organizations like the US military. Through formal essays and a mathematical appendix, it examines how learning from conflict influences strategic procedures, proposing models and policy solutions to enhance strategic competence.

Exploring the limitations of traditional gene-centered evolutionary theories, this work advocates for a broader understanding of evolution that incorporates cognitive processes. By drawing on the insights of Maturana and Varela, it proposes a series of probability models rooted in information and control theories. These models aim to provide statistical tools for analyzing various evolutionary phenomena across biological, social, and cultural contexts. The essays present a cohesive argument for expanding evolutionary theory beyond its 1950s foundations.

Exploring the dynamics of arousal and distraction, the book introduces a modified Kadanoff picture of phase transitions in consciousness, linked to the breaking of groupoid symmetries and fundamental equivalence class algebras. It presents probability models aimed at developing new statistical tools for analyzing cognitive and consciousness-related observational data, bridging the gap between abstract theory and empirical research. This innovative approach promises to enhance our understanding of complex cognitive processes.