The Inescapable Fuzziness of Being - can something so simple be useful?
The originality and mathematical importance of Fuzzy Set Theory have been greatly exaggerated, which has led to controversy about whether it has any value at all. Although its value in some areas, especially in control applications, is well established, it has not been well accepted in some other fields despite indications that it could be a very useful approach. This talk will focus on its place in research and management. Specific topics covered will be its use in analysing a time series of effects associated with a fish farm in Eilat and its potential for regulating environmental impacts, but the emphasis will be on the general applicability of fuzzy logic to problems in the natural sciences and the kinds of issues that the use of fuzzy sets raises.