Perhaps in many cases, if “X wants Y” then that means X will do or bring about Y unless it is prevented by something external. In some cases X is an unconscious optimization procedure, which therefore “wants” the thing that it is optimizing, in other cases X is the output of some optimization procedure, as in the case of a program that “wants” to complete its task or a microorganism that “wants” to reproduce, but optimization is not always involved, as illustrated by “high-pressure gas wants to expand”.
I get what you are saying an as such it may well be harmless. However, it’s a bit odd to say the light wants to stay, so I have to toggle the switch to prevent it from staying on.
Yes, that is true but in reality it is really that the electrons “want” to flow to ground and will do so through the light bulb, so producing the illumination, as they flow. So if we don’t know much about electricity, saying the “light wants” may lead to a lot of troubleshooting of the bulb when the circuit breaker has been thrown.
And that is part of my musing here. How often might we simplify, abstract or rely on metaphor when we lack more specific knowledge.
Perhaps in many cases, if “X wants Y” then that means X will do or bring about Y unless it is prevented by something external. In some cases X is an unconscious optimization procedure, which therefore “wants” the thing that it is optimizing, in other cases X is the output of some optimization procedure, as in the case of a program that “wants” to complete its task or a microorganism that “wants” to reproduce, but optimization is not always involved, as illustrated by “high-pressure gas wants to expand”.
I get what you are saying an as such it may well be harmless. However, it’s a bit odd to say the light wants to stay, so I have to toggle the switch to prevent it from staying on.
Yes, that is true but in reality it is really that the electrons “want” to flow to ground and will do so through the light bulb, so producing the illumination, as they flow. So if we don’t know much about electricity, saying the “light wants” may lead to a lot of troubleshooting of the bulb when the circuit breaker has been thrown.
And that is part of my musing here. How often might we simplify, abstract or rely on metaphor when we lack more specific knowledge.