Visualizing knowledge interaction in the multiverse of knowledge

This paper discusses early experiments of Paul Otlet that visualize multidimensional knowledge organization and interaction. It examines their potential for future information retrieval. "Likeness" has been a recurrent theme in classification theory; here we discuss the concept of "likeliness" and illustrate the role of cognitive and cultural forces of perception in knowledge interaction with examples from artistic expressions in various media that are more or less likely to interact. The implications for information retrieval will be explored in two ways: empirically and theoretically. The empirical research will build upon the analysis of two types of experiments with multi-modal non-semantic information retrieval: 1) experiments with search engines that query for similar structural features of multimedia expressions (likeness); and 2) experiments with collaborative filtering technology measuring the likeliness of similar associations. In a previous outline of an elementary theory of knowledge interaction in a multiverse of knowledge, we challenged the universe of knowledge metaphor. Our next step will be to analyze two visualizations aimed at making classification of sciences compliant to the laws of quantum physics, and explore the possibility of combining these approaches with the UDC for entities in the multiverse of knowledge.