Don't go to sleep, please I think our institutions are more robust and durable than you do.
Frank --- Frank C. Wimberly 505 670-9918 Santa Fe, NM On Fri, Mar 20, 2020, 12:55 PM <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi, Y’all, > > > > Just got done with the FRIAM ZOOM session, which seemed to divide into two > sessions, equally interesting, but quite different. Session one was an > expert discussion of the complexity dynamics of the pandemic and how > technology could be used to maximize privacy while slowing transmission. > Session two was an exploration of what it is actually going to be like to > live through the next six months, and what, if anything we should be doing, > psychologically and practically, to prepare ourselves for it. > > > > Most riveting quote of the day, perhaps more riveting because it was so > paradoxical: > > > > “One thing you better have in mind as you plunge into a phase transition > is a clear idea of how you want the world to look like after you come > through it.” > > > > Most actionable suggestion of the day: > > > > Insist by every means possible that local and state election officials > begin to plan (and practice in the primaries) a non-in-person voting system > that will be regarded as legitimate by the general public. > > > > Personally, speaking for myself, I was left with one meta-question: > > > > How much time do we devote to trying to imagine the unimaginable. One the > one hand, it seems like we have to; on the otherhand, trying to do it is so > scarey that it runs the risk of bringing all thought to a stop. > > > > I know how to handle it individually: If I start to panic, I just climb > into bed, imagine that I am never going to wake up, and go to sleep. But > conversation-wise, I am not so sure. Perhaps agree to devote small portion > of the conversation to catastrophic thinking, with a clear boundary? > Assuming we can do that, here is my suggestion for a catastrophic > discussion: > > > > Worse than the worst predictions for the virus acting alone, are the > consequences of the virus acting in concert with a total collapse of our > institututions, food production, distributution, our elections, public > order, etc. (e.g., Who is going to plant and pick the crops if the borders > are closed? Draft out-of-school college students?) Our country is run by > a gerontocracy, which, being human, will try above all to protect > themselves. But they will mosty fail, in any case, because they are the > most vulnerable. What if, in their vain attempt to protect themselves, they > bring down the whole? > > > > Ok. Now I am going to bed. > > > > Nick > > > > Nicholas Thompson > > Emeritus Professor of Ethology and Psychology > > Clark University > > [email protected] > > https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/ > > > > > > *From:* Friam <[email protected]> *On Behalf Of *Jon Zingale > *Sent:* Friday, March 20, 2020 12:02 PM > *To:* [email protected] > *Subject:* Re: [FRIAM] Outbreak Simulation > > > > At home, we are discussing the effect of the virus and the effect > > of social distancing on individuals that rely on soup kitchens. > > What strategies can Friam produce for feeding these people > > that is consistent with the social distancing strategy? > > For bonus points, please justify posted strategies with a model, > > or simulation. > > > > Jon > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com > archives back to 2003: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/ > FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ by Dr. Strangelove >
============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com archives back to 2003: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/ FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ by Dr. Strangelove
