Monday, December 30, 2013

The creation of the universe.

The creation of the universe.

"Among the many curious implications of Linde's theory, one stands out for our present purposes: It doesn't take all that much to create a universe. Resources on a cosmic scale are not required. It might even be possible for someone in a not terribly advanced civilization to cook up a new universe in a laboratory. Which leads to an arresting thought: Could that be how our universe came into being?"

Friday, December 6, 2013

archipress - Aux origines de l'intelligence collective

archipress - Aux origines de l'intelligence collective

"La tradition fârâbîenne
L'intellectuel collectif a sans doute été thématisé explicitement et pensé avec rigueur pour la première fois entre le Xe et le XIIe siècle, en milieu musulman, par une lignée de théosophes persans et juifs qui se référaient à une interprétation néo-platonicienne d'Aristote. Al-Fârâbî (872-950), Ibn Sina (l'Avicenne des traductions latines, 980-1037), Abû'l-Barakât al-Baghdâdî (mort en 1164) et Maïmonide (1135-1204) comptent parmi les principaux penseurs de cette tradition (1)."

Friday, October 18, 2013

Complicated or complex – knowing the difference is important | sparksforchange

Complicated or complex – knowing the difference is important | sparksforchange

It complements the LfS Managing complex adaptive systems page, which provides annotated links to a number of key on-line resources in this area. The previous blog post provides an introduction to theories of change, and a set of annotated links to key resources in this area can be found from the LfS web page – Theory of change. The BetterEvaluation Blog also has a very useful and related posting Addressing complexity which discusses the growing topic of how to address complexity in evaluation. - See more at: http://learningforsustainability.net/sparksforchange/complicated-or-complex-knowing-the-difference-is-important-for-the-management-of-adaptive-systems/#sthash.qUYJlAMn.
It complements the LfS Managing complex adaptive systems page, which provides annotated links to a number of key on-line resources in this area. The previous blog post provides an introduction to theories of change, and a set of annotated links to key resources in this area can be found from the LfS web page – Theory of change. The BetterEvaluation Blog also has a very useful and related posting Addressing complexity which discusses the growing topic of how to address complexity in evaluation. - See more at: http://learningforsustainability.net/sparksforchange/complicated-or-complex-knowing-the-difference-is-important-for-the-management-of-adaptive-systems/#sthash.qUYJlAMn.dpuf
It complements the LfS Managing complex adaptive systems page, which provides annotated links to a number of key on-line resources in this area. The previous blog post provides an introduction to theories of change, and a set of annotated links to key resources in this area can be found from the LfS web page – Theory of change. The BetterEvaluation Blog also has a very useful and related posting Addressing complexity which discusses the growing topic of how to address complexity in evaluation. - See more at: http://learningforsustainability.net/sparksforchange/complicated-or-complex-knowing-the-difference-is-important-for-the-management-of-adaptive-systems/#sthash.qUYJlAMn.dpuf
It complements the LfS Managing complex adaptive systems page, which provides annotated links to a number of key on-line resources in this area. The previous blog post provides an introduction to theories of change, and a set of annotated links to key resources in this area can be found from the LfS web page – Theory of change. The BetterEvaluation Blog also has a very useful and related posting Addressing complexity which discusses the growing topic of how to address complexity in evaluation. - See more at: http://learningforsustainability.net/sparksforchange/complicated-or-complex-knowing-the-difference-is-important-for-the-management-of-adaptive-systems/#sthash.qUYJlAMn.dpuf
It complements the LfS Managing complex adaptive systems page, which provides annotated links to a number of key on-line resources in this area. The previous blog post provides an introduction to theories of change, and a set of annotated links to key resources in this area can be found from the LfS web page – Theory of change. The BetterEvaluation Blog also has a very useful and related posting Addressing complexity which discusses the growing topic of how to address complexity in evaluation. - See more at: http://learningforsustainability.net/sparksforchange/complicated-or-complex-knowing-the-difference-is-important-for-the-management-of-adaptive-systems/#sthash.qUYJlAMn.dpuf
It complements the LfS Managing complex adaptive systems page, which provides annotated links to a number of key on-line resources in this area. The previous blog post provides an introduction to theories of change, and a set of annotated links to key resources in this area can be found from the LfS web page – Theory of change. The BetterEvaluation Blog also has a very useful and related posting Addressing complexity which discusses the growing topic of how to address complexity in evaluation. - See more at: http://learningforsustainability.net/sparksforchange/complicated-or-complex-knowing-the-difference-is-important-for-the-management-of-adaptive-systems/#sthash.qUYJlAMn.dpuf
It complements the LfS Managing complex adaptive systems page, which provides annotated links to a number of key on-line resources in this area. The previous blog post provides an introduction to theories of change, and a set of annotated links to key resources in this area can be found from the LfS web page – Theory of change. The BetterEvaluation Blog also has a very useful and related posting Addressing complexity which discusses the growing topic of how to address complexity in evaluation. - See more at: http://learningforsustainability.net/sparksforchange/complicated-or-complex-knowing-the-difference-is-important-for-the-management-of-adaptive-systems/#sthash.qUYJlAMn.dpuf"

Friday, October 11, 2013

9 inspiring thoughts from Bill Clinton on interconnectedness : TreeHugger

9 inspiring thoughts from Bill Clinton on interconnectedness : TreeHugger

"Our consciousness, particular when under the kind of economic pressure we've been under, is still not where it needs to be to develop the solutions that are most-likely to work. What do I mean by that? If you want a future of shared responsibilities, shared opportunities and shared sense of community, you have to believe certain things. You have to believe that creative cooperation is better than constant conflict. You have to believe that we're all in this together. You have to believe that are differences are interesting, they make life more interesting. They are exciting, but our common humanity matters more. You have to be willing to look at science and let your eyes overcome your ideology."

Monday, September 23, 2013

Otto Scharmer's Blog

Otto Scharmer's Blog

"The symptoms of the current crises can be summarized in terms of three divides that disconnect self from the primary sources of life: ecological, social, and spiritual. The ecological divide manifests in symptoms like environmental destruction. We currently use 1.5 times the regeneration capacity of planet earth.  In other words, we actually use 1.5 planets! The social divide manifests in increasing rates of poverty, inequity, fragmentation and polarization. And the spiritual divide shows up in increased rates of burnout, depression and in an increasing disconnect of GDP from the actual well-being of people."

Friday, August 23, 2013

archipress - Aux origines de l'intelligence collective

archipress - Aux origines de l'intelligence collective

"L'intellectuel collectif a sans doute été thématisé explicitement et pensé avec rigueur pour la première fois entre le Xe et le XIIe siècle, en milieu musulman, par une lignée de théosophes persans et juifs qui se référaient à une interprétation néo-platonicienne d'Aristote. Al-Fârâbî (872-950), Ibn Sina (l'Avicenne des traductions latines, 980-1037), Abû'l-Barakât al-Baghdâdî (mort en 1164) et Maïmonide (1135-1204) comptent parmi les principaux penseurs de cette tradition (1)."

Pierre Levy's Blog | Various thoughts and papers in french and english

Pierre Levy's Blog | Various thoughts and papers in french and english

"We must ask ourselves how we can exploit this medium in order to augment our own social cognitive processes for human development.
Through a combination of a profound knowledge of humanities and social sciences, and an understanding of computer sciences, Pierre Lévy proposes a collaborative construction of a global hyper-cortex, coordinated by a computable metalanguage.
By fully recognizing the symbolic and social nature of human cognition, we could transform our current, opaque, global brain into a reflexive collective intelligence."

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Why the Global Brain needs a Therapist « Utopia or Dystopia

Why the Global Brain needs a Therapist « Utopia or Dystopia

"The idea that the world itself could be considered an overarching form of mind can trace its roots deep into the religious longings of pantheism- the idea that the universe itself is God, or the closest thing we will ever find to our conception of God. In large part, I find pantheists to be a noble group. Any club that might count as its members a philosophical giant like Spinoza, a paradigm shattering genius such as Einstein, or a songbird like Whitman I would be honored to belong to myself. But alas, I have my doubts about pantheism- at least in particular its contemporary manifestation in the form of our telecommunications and computer networks being granted the status of an embryonic “global brain”. I wish it were so, but all the evidence seems to point in the other direction."

Thursday, June 27, 2013

New approach can control large complex networks, from cells to power grids

New approach can control large complex networks, from cells to power grids

A breakthrough in the newly developed control approach is the development of a computational method that identifies small perturbations, which, after propagating through the network, will bring the system to the desired final state. In the parlance of dynamical systems theory, the authors exploit what are known as "basins of attraction"—sets of network states that eventually will converge to a given stable state (or "attractor") of the system.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-06-approach-large-complex-networks-cells.html#jCp
A breakthrough in the newly developed control approach is the development of a computational method that identifies small perturbations, which, after propagating through the network, will bring the system to the desired final state. In the parlance of dynamical systems theory, the authors exploit what are known as "basins of attraction"—sets of network states that eventually will converge to a given stable state (or "attractor") of the system.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-06-approach-large-complex-networks-cells.html#jCp
A breakthrough in the newly developed control approach is the development of a computational method that identifies small perturbations, which, after propagating through the network, will bring the system to the desired final state. In the parlance of dynamical systems theory, the authors exploit what are known as "basins of attraction"—sets of network states that eventually will converge to a given stable state (or "attractor") of the system.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-06-approach-large-complex-networks-cells.html#jCp
A breakthrough in the newly developed control approach is the development of a computational method that identifies small perturbations, which, after propagating through the network, will bring the system to the desired final state. In the parlance of dynamical systems theory, the authors exploit what are known as "basins of attraction"—sets of network states that eventually will converge to a given stable state (or "attractor") of the system.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-06-approach-large-complex-networks-cells.html#jCp
A breakthrough in the newly developed control approach is the development of a computational method that identifies small perturbations, which, after propagating through the network, will bring the system to the desired final state. In the parlance of dynamical systems theory, the authors exploit what are known as "basins of attraction"—sets of network states that eventually will converge to a given stable state (or "attractor") of the system.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-06-approach-large-complex-networks-cells.html#jCp
A breakthrough in the newly developed control approach is the development of a computational method that identifies small perturbations, which, after propagating through the network, will bring the system to the desired final state. In the parlance of dynamical systems theory, the authors exploit what are known as "basins of attraction"—sets of network states that eventually will converge to a given stable state (or "attractor") of the system.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-06-approach-large-complex-networks-cells.html#jCp
A breakthrough in the newly developed control approach is the development of a computational method that identifies small perturbations, which, after propagating through the network, will bring the system to the desired final state. In the parlance of dynamical systems theory, the authors exploit what are known as "basins of attraction"—sets of network states that eventually will converge to a given stable state (or "attractor") of the system.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-06-approach-large-complex-networks-cells.html#jCp

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

What are Complex Adaptive Systems?

What are Complex Adaptive Systems?

" Requisite Variety: The greater the variety within the system the stronger it is. In fact ambiguity and paradox abound in complex adaptive systems which use contradictions to create new possibilities to co-evolve with their environment. Democracy is a good example in that its strength is derived from its tolerance and even insistence in a variety of political perspectives."

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Global computational intelligence

Global computational intelligence

"In the second half of 20th century, with advances in cybernetics, theory of metasystem transition has been developed by Valentin Turchin, with explanation of how multiple parts organized together can evolve into new whole, operating at different level of control. Further, the notion of Global Brain has been introduced by Peter Russel. The term technological singularity has been used by John von Neumann and later Vernor Vinge to denote transition from social level of human interactions to higher-level cybernetic-based human interactions bringing the whole world to post-human state."

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Everett@50 - Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics: 50 years on

Everett@50 - Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics: 50 years on

"Some remarkable implications of probabilities without time - Andreas Albrecht
I consider the ambiguity in quantum gravity that arises from the choice of clock. As I emphasize in earlier work (gr-qc/9408023) this ambiguity leads to an absolute lack of predictability for the laws of physics, or more specifically a complete absence of physical laws. I review the clock ambiguity and then consider possible ways forward given this seemingly critical failure. Remarkably, there is an approach that could lead to a certain amount of predictability in physics. I describe this approach and assess its prospects. I also draw attention to possible flaws in the original assumptions on which the clock ambiguity is based, with special emphasis on the definition of probabilities in the absence of time."

News Blog: Hugh Everett: New film tackles "many worlds" theory of quantum mechanics

News Blog: Hugh Everett: New film tackles "many worlds" theory of quantum mechanics

"If everything physically possible happens in the universe, why do we only see one possibility at a time? That's the question philosophers are beating their heads bloody trying to answer," Byrne tells us.  "Everett's answer is there's more than one you, and you are splitting into trillions of copies of yourself every time there's a quantum interaction of a certain size."

Monday, March 25, 2013

Global Multi-Level Analysis of the ‘Scientific Food Web' : Scientific Reports : Nature Publishing Group

Global Multi-Level Analysis of the ‘Scientific Food Web' : Scientific Reports : Nature Publishing Group
"A network perspective is important, because in many complex systems (such as the scientific ecosystem), interaction effects can be more relevant for the resulting system behavior than the properties of the interacting entities themselves. For example, it has been shown that author teams manage to be more successful than single authors11, 12, 13, 14. The social, network-based character of knowledge diffusion underlines this perspective as well15, 16, 17."

Why Does the World Exist? An Existential Detective Story

Why Does the World Exist? An Existential Detective Story

"Krauss presented these anthropic arguments as “cosmic natural selection,” and a solution to the problem of where the universe comes from. But Jim Holt, author of “Why Does the World Exist? An Existential Detective Story,” pointed out that this line of thinking has a long and not-so illustrious history. What physicists today call the multiverse is known by philosophers as the “principle of plentitude” or “principle of fecundity”: every possible universe exists, and of all these possible worlds, the one we happen to live in is the known world."

Sunday, March 17, 2013

The nature of collective intelligence | Bounded Rationality and Beyond | Scoop.it

The nature of collective intelligence | Bounded Rationality and Beyond | Scoop.it

45 minute video presentation supported by slides on the nature of collective intelligence and the philosophical and technical construct behind the next level of the internet as a global mind.

How Much Longer Until Humanity Becomes A Hive Mind?

How Much Longer Until Humanity Becomes A Hive Mind?

"Warwick believes that the technologies required to build an early version of the telepathic noosphere are largely in place. All that’s required, he says, is “money on the table” and the proper ethical approval."

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Robert Lanza » Does Death Exist? New Theory Says ‘No’

Robert Lanza » Does Death Exist? New Theory Says ‘No’

"Death does not exist in a timeless, spaceless world. In the end, even Einstein admitted, “Now Besso” (an old friend) “has departed from this strange world a little ahead of me. That means nothing. People like us…know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.” Immortality doesn’t mean a perpetual existence in time without end, but rather resides outside of time altogether. "

Researchers solve biological mystery and boost artificial intelligence

Researchers solve biological mystery and boost artificial intelligence

"Being able to evolve modularity will let us create more complex, sophisticated computational brains," says Clune. 
"Being able to evolve modularity will let us create more complex, sophisticated computational brains," says Clune.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-01-biological-mystery-boost-artificial-intelligence.html#jCp
"Being able to evolve modularity will let us create more complex, sophisticated computational brains," says Clune.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-01-biological-mystery-boost-artificial-intelligence.html#jCp

"Being able to evolve modularity will let us create more complex, sophisticated computational brains," says Clune.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-01-biological-mystery-boost-artificial-intelligence.html#jCp
"Being able to evolve modularity will let us create more complex, sophisticated computational brains," says Clune.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-01-biological-mystery-boost-artificial-intelligence.html#jCp

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Complex Games Lead To Irrational Decision Making In Games And Markets - Science News - redOrbit

Complex Games Lead To Irrational Decision Making In Games And Markets - Science News - redOrbit
They went on to note that their findings could apply not only to enjoyable pastimes like games, but to financial trading on stock markets as well.