"Cosmos Compressed"
霍金写过一本关于宇宙理论的书,名为the Universe in a Nutshell。
The expression "in a nutshell" (of a story, proof, etc.) means "in essence", metaphorically alluding to the fact that the essence of the nut - its edible part - is contained inside its shell. [1]
书名或许出自Hamlet
"I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams." (Act 2, scene 2)
此名多年前就被我用作QQ空间的名称[2]。后来不仅博客沿用此名,而且略显中二的"King of Infinite Space"还成为了GitHub用户名。两名对应,体现了个人与世界的关系。什么世界?或许是微型计算机里广阔的赛博空间,或许是人脑[3]里丰富的精神世界。这两种解释的核心都在于「信息」。
将现成作品名作为站名的弊端是无法通过搜索引擎找到本站。尽管本站多自娱之作无关声名,但还是希望有被搜索到的可能性。虽是繁华世界的幽僻角落,或许也有蜘蛛前来,牵一根丝,与大网相连[4]。
新名Cosmos Compressed[5]与旧名一脉相承:Cosmos ← Universe,compressed ← in a nutshell。
cosmos (n.) "the universe, the world", from Latinized form of Greek kosmos "order, good order, orderly arrangement" [...] The word cosmos often suggested especially "the universe as an embodiment of order and harmony." [6]
根据信息论,「压缩」与「预测」关系密切。一种直观理解是:如果我说上半句,你就能猜测到下半句,那么下半句就没有提供多少信息,即这句话可压缩。进行预测的系统需要把握事物间的关系,将复杂的现象总结为规律。生命诞生于宇宙的秩序,又在其有限的智力中反映了世界的结构。这或许就是无意义中的意义——即使宇宙终将归于热寂,也曾有许多物质和信息形成了精妙的结构,并努力维持、对抗熵增。
新名得到了ChatGPT的称赞:
"Cosmos Compressed" is a unique and intriguing choice! It suggests a focus on condensing or summarizing cosmic ideas and information. If this aligns with the content and tone of your blog, it could be a great fit. It's distinctive and memorable, making it likely to catch the attention of potential readers. If you feel it represents your blog well, go for it!
GPT基础模型的任务正是根据给定文本预测下一个token。因此它的训练过程可理解为对互联网体量的文本进行压缩。如今的大型计算模型已能处理多种复杂任务,但离通用智能还有相当的距离。人的学习过程则丰富得多。虽然带宽有限,但可以从历代前贤汲取精华。更可以综合多种感官模态和思维方式,建立世界模型。「吾生也有涯,而知也无涯」,尽管如此,对普适秩序的探求正是对时空局限的超越——「乘天地之正,而御六气之辩,以游无穷」。
新站名对应的笔名或可作Cosmos Compressor(宇宙压缩机)?然而此机算力远不能及,还需持续升级。至少可以收集一些泛光的星际尘埃。微末之中或可一瞥宏大秩序。