The Evolution
17
An Analysis of a Type III Intersection
Assume that the concept "eggs" has a probability of .0001 and
that given its occurrence the probability of "toast" being seen next
is .5, "bacon" .25, and "orange juice" .04. These probabilities may
be conveniently expressed as follows:
"eggs" ------------------> "toast" (.5)
-----------------> "bacon" (.25)
------------------> "orange juice" (.04)
And assume as well that the concept "Florida" occurs with a probability
of .0001, and that its profile is:
"Florida" -----------------> "sunshine" (.2)
-----------------> "beaches" (.04)
------------------> "orange juice" (.01)
Now it is clear from the "eggs" profile that if an optimized
memory perceived only "eggs," "toast" would be yielded as being most
likely to occur next, as its probability (.5) is substantially higher
than any of the other probabilities.
But if the concept "eggs" occurred, having been immediately pre-
ceded by the concept "Florida," then memory should not merely give
great weight to the statistical information offered by "eggs," but
should also give some weight to the information offered by "Florida,"
on grounds that as a concept that occurred almost as recently as
"eggs," the information it provides should be of considerable value;