Right, nature's method of using junk left over from the past is much better described as 'scavanging' than as 'collage'. Complex systems exploit their environments by discovering advantageous uses for what's lying around unused, and no, not by arranging them in pretty patterns to gaze at from a distance. When your misunderstanding of another scientists assertions tempts you to use a broad brush dismissal of the questions they raise, how about digging for an good question rather than giving in to temptation... ;-)
> -----Original Message----- > From: Nicholas Thompson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Sunday, August 10, 2008 10:39 PM > To: Phil Henshaw; The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group > Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: RE: [FRIAM] 1. Re: Rosen, Life Itself (Marcus G. Daniels) > > All, > > Collage is a valid artform just _because_ it juxtaposes images in a > manner > that is unsettling ... raises questions about connections. In a verbal > medium, poetry can play a similar role. But in the world of > exposition, > "collage" is a pejorative for me. Communication of ideas between > people > is a true rarity ... a treasure. Any time one ask others to listen to > one's ideas, one is obligated to make EVERY effort to be clear. I > think > there is altogether too much word-collage going on in computerland ... > people comfusing marketing with actual communication. And too much > writing > is done by people who seem to think that others have an obligation to > read. > > > Yeah, I know, if ever a pot called a kettle, "black", it is me with my > voluminous email messages. There is that OTHER function of writing: > creating an internal dialectic by which to clarifiy one's own ideas. > [sigh] Thus, in the [failed] effort to become clear on something, I > am > inclined to sacrifice my readers. > > Just know that your sacrifice is made in a noble cause. > > Nick > > Nicholas S. Thompson > Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Ethology, > Clark University ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) > > > > > > [Original Message] > > From: Phil Henshaw <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; The Friday Morning Applied > Complexity > Coffee Group <[email protected]> > > Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Date: 8/10/2008 5:46:46 AM > > Subject: RE: [FRIAM] 1. Re: Rosen, Life Itself (Marcus G. Daniels) > > > > Word collage?? I don't think what my mom would do in the 60's in > our > > church ladies group, making collages with colored magazine clippings, > pretty > > things to arrange, is how nature scavenges wastes and turns them into > it's > > most valued resources... > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Nicholas Thompson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Sent: Saturday, August 09, 2008 10:58 PM > > > To: Phil Henshaw; The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee > Group > > > Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Subject: RE: [FRIAM] 1. Re: Rosen, Life Itself (Marcus G. Daniels) > > > > > > I am not so sanguine about what I think of as word collage. I know > it > > > is > > > old fashioned, but I am REALLY (now I _am_shouting) committed to > the > > > notion > > > that the test of communication is how well one has been > understood, > > > not > > > whether one has used the words that make one proud. > > > > > > Nick > > > > > > Nicholas S. Thompson > > > Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Ethology, > > > Clark University ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Original Message] > > > > From: Phil Henshaw <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; The Friday Morning Applied > > > Complexity > > > Coffee Group <[email protected]> > > > > Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > Date: 8/9/2008 11:05:57 AM > > > > Subject: RE: [FRIAM] 1. Re: Rosen, Life Itself (Marcus G. > Daniels) > > > > > > > > Interesting observation. That's rather common in how > conversations > > > and > > > > languages evolve I think, reusing pieces snatched from old ones, > > > without > > > the > > > > whole. In culture the 'compost' is very nutritious. Natural > > > systems, > > > > biology and economies often find new uses for the compost of > prior > > > > constructs left over, bent a bit maybe, used in combination with > > > other > > > bits > > > > of things from other origins maybe. That's how technologies > cross > > > fertilize > > > > too. The most natural thing around, really. > > > > > > > > Phil > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:friam- > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > On > > > > > Behalf Of Nicholas Thompson > > > > > Sent: Friday, August 08, 2008 2:38 PM > > > > > To: [email protected] > > > > > Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > Subject: [FRIAM] 1. Re: Rosen, Life Itself (Marcus G. Daniels) > > > > > > > > > > As I continue to struggle, page by page, with Rosen, I begin to > > > realize > > > > > that much of his LINGO is category theory LINGO. > > > > > > > > > > As I read Daniels and Riopella below, I wonder if much of THEIR > > > lingo > > > > > isnt > > > > > category theory lingo. > > > > > > > > > > So, I am beginning to wonder, is it possible that Category > Theory > > > is > > > > > one of > > > > > those intellectual developments that has been roundly rejected > by > > > the > > > > > mainstream, but whose language has crept into the mainstream to > a > > > very > > > > > great degree? > > > > > > > > > > N > > > > > > > > > > Nicholas S. Thompson > > > > > Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Ethology, > > > > > Clark University ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ============================================================ > > > > > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > > > > > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > > > > > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
