Re: [complexity] ECCO Seminar: Exploring Mechanisms for closure

[Jeremy De Sy]

Dear, I would like to be removed from this mailing list. Thank you in advance. Best regards, Jeremy On 09/05/11 13:10, Weaver wrote: Please distribute to others who may be interested... You are hereby invited to the next weekly seminar in our interdisciplinary series on Evolution, Complexity and Cognition (ECCO). Time: Friday, May 13th 14:00-16:00 p.m (note: this year, all seminars take place on Fridays, 14-16 pm, unless announced otherwise) Place: Room B 0.036 (building B, level 0, close to the human sciences computer rooms), on the VUB Campus Etterbeek (Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels), in collaboration with MOSI. Coffee available. Free entrance: everybody welcome! Exploring the mechanisms that allowed the physical formation of the abstract closures that define the operator theory   Gerard Jagers op Akkerhuis (University of Wageningen)   Abstract   The talk will focus on the mechanisms behind closures. Yet, and even though this may sound strange, the closures in the operator theory do in principle not require a functional justification. The reason is that the operator theory focuses predominantly on the topological options that are available for any operator at a given level to construct any next higher level operator. A simple illustration of how topology limits the possibilities for constructing system types is the following. Starting with two separate circles (in a two dimensional world), there exist precisely two topological options. Either, two circles can connect via their outer border (this yields a topology of the form ∞) or, one circle can be placed inside the other (this yields a topology of the form ©). Whatever the kind of processes that allow the formation of a given topology, the outcome is predetermined, in its type, by topological possibilities. Evolution, when analyzed at this abstract level, may thus be much more predetermined and predictable than we normally are used to think. Despite the relative independence of the operator theory from real life processes, it remains an exciting challenge to find solid argumentation for the self organization processes that have allowed the formation of all the subsequent closure steps that define the operators in the operator hierarchy. In the talk the different levels of the operator hierarchy will be presented one by one, and everyone will be invited to discuss about the most likely mechanisms for the emergence of the different levels.   For preparation of the discussions, information about the operator theory (graphs, publications and power points) can be found at www.hypercycle.nl   Upcoming Seminars May 20 Corina Ciechanow Crowdsourcing May 27 Mario Vaneechoutte and Marc Verhaegen (University of Gent) Was Man more aquatic in the past? Fifty years after Alister Hardy's Waterside hypotheses of human evolution. June 3 Walter Dejonghe (University College of West-Flanders (Howest)) Experiences with stigmergic prototyping June 10 Francis Heylighen (ECCO, VUB) Challenges, Agents and Coordination: how an action ontology can help us tackle both practical and foundational problems June 17 David R. Weinbaum (Weaver) (ECCO, VUB) Complexity and the philosophy of becoming June 24 Viktoras Veitas (Economic Research Centre, Vilnius) Public policy design: formulating a mess. July 1 Mixel Kiemen (ECCO, VUB) TBA More info about the ECCO seminar program: http://ecco.vub.ac.be/?q=node/108 -- Jeremy De Sy Technology Transfer Officer Technology Transfer Interface Vrije Universiteit Brussel R&D Department - Pleinlaan 2 - 1050 Brussel [T] +32 2 629 18 32 - [M] +32 474 49 27 43 jeremy.de...@vub.ac.be Please consider the environment before printing this email. DISCLAIMER: Unless indicated otherwise, the information contained in this message and/or attachments is privileged and confidential, and is intended only for the use of the addressee(s) named above and others who have been specifically authorized to receive it. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this message and/or attachments is strictly prohibited. The Vrije Universiteit Brussel accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. Furthermore, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel does not warrant a proper and complete transmission of this information, nor does it accept liability for any delays. If you have received this message in error, please contact the sender and delete the message. Thank you.