[ECCO] (Reminder) Seminar: Designing Self-Organizing Systems
Please distribute... You are hereby invited to our nineteenth http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/ECCO/Evolution, Complexity and Cognition (ECCO) seminar of 2005: A General Methodology for Designing Self-Organizing Systems by http://homepages.vub.ac.be/%7Ecgershen/Carlos Gershenson (http://www.bioacademy.gr/EN.htmECCO) Place: room 3C204 (building C, 3rd floor), VUB campus Oefenplein Time: Friday, June 17, at 17:30 h. Abstract: I will present a conceptual framework for speaking about self-organizing systems. The aim is to provide a methodology useful for designing and controlling systems developed to solve complex problems. The ideas that will be presented are general enough to be useful in a wide variety of areas, where solutions to problems cannot be foreseen or unpredicted changes require a constant adaptation of the system. In other words, the proposed methodology assists the engineering of systems that need to find solutions by themselves. More info: Gershenson, C. (2005). A General Methodology for Designing Self-Organizing Systems. Submitted. (ECCO Working Paper 2005.05) http://uk.arxiv.org/abs/nlin.AO/0505009 Gershenson, C. (2005). Self-Organizing Traffic Lights. Submitted. (ECCO Working Paper 2005.02) http://uk.arxiv.org/abs/nlin.AO/0411066 ECCO seminar programme coming weeks 24 Jun: Tom Erez: Postext: a cognitively-apt formalism for knowledge management ECCO seminars normally take place each Friday at 17h30 in room 3C204 of the VUB Campus Etterbeek. Everyone interested is welcome. The seminars are very interactive, with small groups (about 8-10 people). The intention is to discuss in depth the research being proposed, and to look for interdisciplinary connections with other ECCO-related themes. Seminars last about two hours, after which the remaining participants go to take a drink or a snack in the Opinio Caf on the campus, to continue the discussion in a more relaxed setting. -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition research group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.htmlTitle: Seminar: Designing Self-Organizing Systems Please distribute... You are hereby invited to our nineteenth Evolution, Complexity and Cognition (ECCO) seminar of 2005: A General Methodology for Designing Self-Organizing Systems by Carlos Gershenson (ECCO) Place: room 3C204 (building C, 3rd floor), VUB campus Oefenplein Time: Friday, June 17, at 17:30 h. Abstract: I will present a conceptual framework for speaking about self-organizing systems. The aim is to provide a methodology useful for designing and controlling systems developed to solve complex problems. The ideas that will be presented are general enough to be useful in a wide variety of areas, where solutions to problems cannot be foreseen or unpredicted changes require a constant adaptation of the system. In other words, the proposed methodology assists the engineering of systems that need to find solutions by themselves. More info: Gershenson, C. (2005). A General Methodology for Designing Self-Organizing Systems. Submitted. (ECCO Working Paper 2005.05) http://uk.arxiv.org/abs/nlin.AO/0505009 Gershenson, C. (2005). Self-Organizing Traffic Lights. Submitted. (ECCO Working Paper 2005.02) http://uk.arxiv.org/abs/nlin.AO/0411066 ECCO seminar programme coming weeks 24 Jun: Tom Erez: Postext: a cognitively-apt formalism for knowledge management ECCO seminars normally take place each Friday at 17h30 in room 3C204 of the VUB Campus Etterbeek. Everyone interested is welcome. The seminars are very interactive, with small groups (about 8-10 people). The intention is to discuss in depth the research being proposed, and to look for interdisciplinary connections with other ECCO-related themes. Seminars last about two hours, after which the remaining participants go to take a drink or a snack in the Opinio Caf on the campus, to continue the discussion in a more relaxed setting. -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition research group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
[ECCO] Fwd: BusinessWeek article on collective intelligence
A good overview of recent applications of collective intelligence... From: Korakot Chaovavanich [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: gbrain [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: BusinessWeek article I found an article in BusinessWeek about mass collaboration on the internet. I think this express our progress towards global brain. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_25/b3938601.htm -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition research group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
[ECCO] funding opportunities
Hi all, You can search for lots of opportunities at http://europa.eu.int/eracareers/index_en.cfm (I should add this on the wiki when CLEA is back online...) Best regards, Carlos Gershenson... Centrum Leo Apostel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Krijgskundestraat 33. B-1160 Brussels, Belgium http://homepages.vub.ac.be/~cgershen/ Life is a constant adaptation
[ECCO] Seminar: The anticipation-control theory of mind
Title: Seminar: The anticipation-control theory of mind Please distribute... You are hereby invited to our eighteenth Evolution, Complexity and Cognition (ECCO) seminar of 2005: Towards an anticipation-control theory of mind by Francis Heylighen (ECCO) Place: room 3C204 (building C, 3rd floor), VUB campus Oefenplein Time: Friday, June 10, at 17:30 h. Abstract: After the failure of the symbolic approach to cognitive science and AI, several alternative models of intelligence have been brought forward: neural networks, situated and embodied cognition, and dynamical systems. I will present the first sketch of a new framework, inspired by evolutionary cybernetics and recent results in neurology, that further integrates and extends these approaches, while moreover addressing the problem of consciousness. Building on the ideas of Hawkins, McCrone and Neisser, I call it the anticipation control theory of mind. The basic idea is that the brain uses its stored experience of covariation between phenomena to fill in as yet lacking data, and anticipate phenomena that are likely to be perceived, preparing or priming the neural circuits to detect them. The whole of these implicit expectations triggered by a phenomenon constitutes our feel, subjective experience, or understanding of it. When anticipation does not match perception, this error triggers a control signal, moving up the hierarchy of abstraction to find more general, invariant patterns that could explain the anomaly, and feeding back down the hierarchy towards more concrete sensory-motor schemes to seek additional information or stimulate reinterpretation of low-level data. References: Hawkins J. (2005): On Intelligence McCrone J. (2000): Going Inside. A tour around a single moment of consciousness (Faber and Faber, London) Neisser U. (1976): Cognition and Reality, San Francisco: Freeman. ECCO seminar programme coming weeks 17 Jun: Carlos Gershenson: A methodology for designing self-organizing systems 24 Jun: Tom Erez: Postext: a cognitively-apt formalism for knowledge management ECCO seminars normally take place each Friday at 17h30 in room 3C204 of the VUB Campus Etterbeek. Everyone interested is welcome. The seminars are very interactive, with small groups (about 8-10 people). The intention is to discuss in depth the research being proposed, and to look for interdisciplinary connections with other ECCO-related themes. Seminars last about two hours, after which the remaining participants go to take a drink or a snack in the Opinio Café on the campus, to continue the discussion in a more relaxed setting. -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition research group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
Re: [ECCO] Seminar: The Precautionary Principle
Francis, Ik zal er vrijdag niet zijn. Kun je me excuseren bij Laetitia. Dirk Francis Heylighen wrote: Please distribute... You are hereby invited to our seventeenth Evolution, Complexity and Cognition (ECCO) http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/ECCO/ seminar of 2005: * * *The Precautionary Principle -* *Towards Sustainable Multidimensional Governance?* by Laetitia De Jaegher http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be:8000/ECCO-web/13 (ECCO) http://www.bioacademy.gr/EN.htm *Place:* room 3C204 (building C, 3rd floor), VUB campus Oefenplein *Time:* Friday, June 3, at 17:30 h. *Abstract:* The precautionary principle has emerged not only as one of the most controversial principles of environmental law bu as one of the most remarkable legal developments of the last decade. Its introduction in the European Treaty brought a lot of discussion on its interpretation and use as a decision-making tool. I will briefly introduce the global context for its appearance, its meaning in the light of the communication of the European Commission and the jurisprudence of the European Court of Justice. The precautionary principle is at the intersection of two fundamental questions for the European Union's policy: sustainable development and competitive innovation. The EU aims to introduce an integrated model combining these apparently contradictory ambitions, under pressure to find news ways of articulation. The question is whether the precautionary principle allied with the latest developments in information technology could incarnate the emergence of that new articulation: a new type of regulatory process or collective decision-making that would allow an integrated vision of the EU, not only in risk management but as a guiding principle for sustainable governance. If so, the principle's articulation could leas us to interpret the regulatory rule not as an idealized rule of right or wrong, but as the expression of a reality here and now which is open to discussion, change and evolution. *ECCO seminar programme coming weeks* *10 Jun*: Francis Heylighen: Foundations for an anticipation-control theory of mind *17 Jun*: Bertin Martens (?): the cognitive mechanics of economic and institutional development *24 Jun*: Tom Erez: Postext: a cognitively-apt formalism for knowledge management ECCO seminars normally take place each Friday at 17h30 in room 3C204 of the VUB Campus Etterbeek. Everyone interested is welcome. The seminars are very interactive, with small groups (about 8-10 people). The intention is to discuss in depth the research being proposed, and to look for interdisciplinary connections with other ECCO-related themes. Seminars last about two hours, after which the remaining participants go to take a drink or a snack in the Opinio Café on the campus, to continue the discussion in a more relaxed setting. -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition research group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html -- Dirk Bollen, Evolution, Complexity and Cognition (ECCO) group Free University of Brussels http://users.telenet.be/dirkbollen begin:vcard fn:Dirk Bollen n:Bollen;Dirk note;quoted-printable:blah=0D=0A= kdjkd=0D=0A= kfdj version:2.1 end:vcard
[ECCO] Seminar: The Precautionary Principle
Title: Seminar: The Precautionary Principle Please distribute... You are hereby invited to our seventeenth Evolution, Complexity and Cognition (ECCO) seminar of 2005: The Precautionary Principle - Towards Sustainable Multidimensional Governance? by Laetitia De Jaegher (ECCO) Place: room 3C204 (building C, 3rd floor), VUB campus Oefenplein Time: Friday, June 3, at 17:30 h. Abstract: The precautionary principle has emerged not only as one of the most controversial principles of environmental law bu as one of the most remarkable legal developments of the last decade. Its introduction in the European Treaty brought a lot of discussion on its interpretation and use as a decision-making tool. I will briefly introduce the global context for its appearance, its meaning in the light of the communication of the European Commission and the jurisprudence of the European Court of Justice. The precautionary principle is at the intersection of two fundamental questions for the European Union's policy: sustainable development and competitive innovation. The EU aims to introduce an integrated model combining these apparently contradictory ambitions, under pressure to find news ways of articulation. The question is whether the precautionary principle allied with the latest developments in information technology could incarnate the emergence of that new articulation: a new type of regulatory process or collective decision-making that would allow an integrated vision of the EU, not only in risk management but as a guiding principle for sustainable governance. If so, the principle's articulation could leas us to interpret the regulatory rule not as an idealized rule of right or wrong, but as the _expression_ of a reality here and now which is open to discussion, change and evolution. ECCO seminar programme coming weeks 10 Jun: Francis Heylighen: Foundations for an anticipation-control theory of mind 17 Jun: Bertin Martens (?): the cognitive mechanics of economic and institutional development 24 Jun: Tom Erez: Postext: a cognitively-apt formalism for knowledge management ECCO seminars normally take place each Friday at 17h30 in room 3C204 of the VUB Campus Etterbeek. Everyone interested is welcome. The seminars are very interactive, with small groups (about 8-10 people). The intention is to discuss in depth the research being proposed, and to look for interdisciplinary connections with other ECCO-related themes. Seminars last about two hours, after which the remaining participants go to take a drink or a snack in the Opinio Café on the campus, to continue the discussion in a more relaxed setting. -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition research group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
[ECCO] ECCO is expanding!
It seems that as summer comes near, and people start thinking about where to work next academic year, ECCO is again in an expansion phase: I received several promising applications from people wishing to make a PhD/PostDoc in our center. As always, the biggest problem will be to find: 1) funding; 2) office space. As to funding, the applicants themselves seem eager to explore different avenues. Otherwise, the general ECCO policy applies: money that becomes available for ECCO projects in general (e.g. FWO or GOA) will go in priority to the people who joined ECCO first, but haven't yet found funding for themselves. The present waiting list is: Laetitia, Erden and Dirk. Concerning office space, I am trying to argue with the director of CLEA that ECCO should be entitled to one floor of the CLEA house, i.e. about 6 people, but even if that succeeds, it won't be enough for long. Therefore, our priority should be to find office space wherever it may be available on campus! So please, continue to explore all possibilities... I'll inquire about our pending official recognition, and once that is done, I'll contact the rector or vice-rector research to tell them about our requirements. But since space is so tight at the VUB, I doubt whether an ideal solution will come about, and we may have to scatter around the campus. Now on to an overview of the potential new members: G. Nagarjuna is a cognitive scientist from India whom I met 10 years ago at the Evolution of Complexity symposium I organized. He will come to work in ECCO in July and August as a visiting research, on metasystem transitions in life and cognition. He is still looking for free or inexpensive accomodation during that period. Any suggestions? Lito Kyritsi is a Greek bio-informatics researcher who would like to work part-time in ECCO on a PhD about a systems/complexity model of cancer. She will present her project at the seminar this week. Steve Edgerton is a Belgian-British health researcher who would like to make a PhD on an evolutionary theory of health and quality of life. He will come to ECCO on the day of Lito's seminar to discuss possibilities with me and Jan Bernheim. Tom Erez is an Israeli mathematician/complexity scientist, an acquaintance of Carlos, who would like to make a PhD on his Postext system of bootstrapping knowledge representation. He will probably visit us on 21-24 june, and give a seminar then. Prabakaran Sudhakaran is a young Indian molecular biologist, who should finish his PhD on molecular psychiatry in Cambridge University in September. He is interested to come for a PostDoc stay in ECCO to work on self-organization in the brain and society, and is exploring funding opportunities. Edward Bandiouk is a Russian/American computer scientist, interested to make a PhD on cybernetics and global brain technologies. Livio Noto is an Italian communication scientist interested to make a PhD on memetics, but I haven't heard from him recently. -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
[ECCO] Seminar: Systems Modelling of Cancer
Title: Seminar: Systems Modelling of Cancer Please distribute... You are hereby invited to our sixteenth Evolution, Complexity and Cognition (ECCO) seminar of 2005: Systems Modelling of Cancer by Lito Kyritsi (Foundation for Biomedical Research, Athens Academy) Place: room 3C204 (building C, 3rd floor), VUB campus Oefenplein Time: Friday, May, 27, at 17:30 h. Abstract: The bioinformatics era has witnessed a focusing of biological research on the bits and pieces that make up living organisms. The sequencing of complete genomes initially generated an enthusiastic expectation that the keys to life, health and disease would soon be available in the form of lists of genes and proteins; this expectation, however, has gradually been replaced by the realisation that complex processes, occurring in a complex environment (the cell - the body), cannot be understood through reductionistic approaches alone. The body and its phenomena have to be studied as a complex system of dynamic, interconnected elements, not only as isolated parts. Cancer, a complex disease that continues to be one step ahead of even very sophisticated treatments, lends itself as an excellent field for studying the intricacies of decision-making and information-processing in living systems. The use of pluralistic, and novel approaches of modelling cancer through a systems perspective (using mathematical / in silico models, cybernetic models, ecological models, as well as ontologies and metaphors) may allow a better understanding of this dysbiotic entity but also in general possibly of the behaviour, decision-making and communication between different organisational levels in nature. More info: project about cancer as an emergent phenomenon: http://www.csc.liv.ac.uk/research/biocomp/chess.html ECCO seminar programme coming weeks 3 Jun: Laetitia De Jaegher: Towards sustainable development: the precautionary principle as a call for a new theory of law to support multi-dimensional governance ECCO seminars normally take place each Friday at 17h30 in room 3C204 of the VUB Campus Etterbeek. Everyone interested is welcome. The seminars are very interactive, with small groups (about 8-10 people). The intention is to discuss in depth the research being proposed, and to look for interdisciplinary connections with other ECCO-related themes. Seminars last about two hours, after which the remaining participants go to take a drink or a snack in the Opinio Café on the campus, to continue the discussion in a more relaxed setting. -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition research group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
Re: [ECCO] Seminar: reminder and laptop problem
i WILL ALSO BRING A LAPTOP Jan At 17:54 19/05/2005, you wrote: Just to remind you that tomorrow we have a guest speaker who drives down especially from the Netherlands to present his very interesting research to our group: I hope you will all try to be there! One technical issue: Gerard planned to bring his Powerpoint presentation on a memory stick, and I said we would provide a PC to connect to the beamer, assuming Carlos would be there with his laptop. However, Carlos is still in Venice. Therefore, I would ask if someone else can bring a laptop to the lecture room: Mixel, Klaas, ...? Or, to be on the safe side, Gerard, can you bring a laptop yourself? There also seems to be a PC in the seminar room, but we have never tried it out, and I have no idea whether it would accept a memory stick as it seems to be an older model... Closure and the modular evolution of matter by Dr. Gerard Jagers op Akkerhuis (Alterra, Wageningen University Research Center, The Netherlands) Place: room 3C204 (building C, 3rd floor), VUB campus Oefenplein Time: Friday, May 20, at 17:30 h. Abstract: Ever since the big bang, the dynamic processes in the universe have created a broad spectrum of systems that have been arranged from quarks to hadrons, atoms, molecules, organelles, cells, organisms, ecosystems, suns and planets, solar systems and galaxies. However familiar the above 'hierarchy' may look, it may not be the best basis for analyzing the evolution of system types. The reason is that evolution does not require a focus on what is bigger, but a focus on what came first. It is here that closure fits in. As I will show, a strict step-by-step analysis of evolution is possible when using first-next possible closures to mark the transitions to higher level systems. The range of systems linked via first-next closures forms a highly special, limited family, the elements of which I have named 'operators' and their strict hierarchical ranking the 'operator hierarchy'. Systems outside this family either don't show closure, or when they do, the closure is not part of the pedigree of first-next possible closures. In the presentation, I will discuss the operator hierarchy and use it's strictness for extrapolation towards not yet existing system types giving us a preview of the future of evolution. More info: G. Jagers op Akkerhuis (2001): Extrapolating a Hierarchy of Building Block Systems Towards Future Neural Network Organisms, Acta Biotheoretica 49 (3): 171-189. As a preparation to the lecture you are invited to visit the site HYPERCYCLE.NL where you may find an introduction to the operator hypothesis and answers to frequently asked questions. ECCO seminar programme coming weeks 27 May: Lito Kyritsi: Systems Modelling of Cancer 3 Jun: Laetitia De Jaegher: Towards sustainable development: the precautionary principle as a call for a new theory of law to support multi-dimensional governance ECCO seminars normally take place each Friday at 17h30 in room 3C204 of the VUB Campus Etterbeek. Everyone interested is welcome. The seminars are very interactive, with small groups (about 8-10 people). The intention is to discuss in depth the research being proposed, and to look for interdisciplinary connections with other ECCO-related themes. Seminars last about two hours, after which the remaining participants go to take a drink or a snack in the Opinio Café on the campus, to continue the discussion in a more relaxed setting. -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition research group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
[ECCO] Fwd: int. conf. NEW ROLES OF SYSTEMS SCIENCES
From: MULEJ Matjaz [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sender: barbara [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: FW: international conference on NEW ROLES OF SYSTEMS SCIENCES Date: Wed, 18 May 2005 14:51:22 +0200 -Original Message- From: barbara [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of MULEJ Matjaz Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2005 2:47 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: international conference on NEW ROLES OF SYSTEMS SCIENCES Dear Sirs and Ladies, we are proud to be able to help to sponsor the international conference on NEW ROLES OF SYSTEMS SCIENCES. Please find details below. Let us summarise very quickly: systems sciences are about holistic thinking, integration of knowledge and depth of insight. United Nations, European Union, many international opinion leaders find officially that mankind is in trouble because we specialists poorly combine our special knowledge with holistic thinking. This conference is supposed to help all of us find a new way out of the blind alley and survive as individuals, as society, mankind, and Planet Earth. Please, join us! Sincerely, Prof. Emeritus dr. Matjaz Mulej (systems and innovation theory), convention board member 8f1b254a.jpg IFSR 2005 The New Roles of Systems Sciences The First International Congress of the International Federation for Systems Research 8f1b2569.jpg November 14- 17, 2005 International Conference Centre Kobe, Japan 8f1b2588.jpg 8f1b25a8.jpg Systems Engineering Society of China 8f1b25c7.jpg Konan University 8f1b25e6.jpg J. Kepler University Linz Call for Papers A knowledge-based, technology-supported society is the key to solving current problems of mankind. The ability to understand and manage a complex, dynamic knowledge society of the future and the overall systemic framework supporting it is vital. Systems Sciences carry the promise of promoting the creation, management, exchange, integration, and application of knowledge by applying holistic / systemic paradigms and principles. Systems Sciences provide a basis for balancing the divergent needs and interests between individuals and society worldwide, between ecology and economy, between nations of various levels of development and between differing worldviews. They enable us to understand the conflict potential, to search for suitable policies, to harness complexity, and to provide adequate methods and technological tools for their resolution. The guiding themes of this congress are the new directions, challenges and roles for Systems Sciences and their potential beneficial impact on an emerging knowledge society. .Symposium-1: Technology Creation Based on Knowledge Science (chair: T. Kobayashi) Symposium-2: Creation of Agent Based Social Systems Sciences (chair: H. Deguchi) Symposium-3: Intelligent Information Technology and Applications (chair: H. Nakayama) Symposium-4: Meta-synthesis and Complex Systems (chair: X. Tang) Symposium-5: Data/Text Mining from Large Databases (chair: T. Ho) Symposium-6: Vision of Knowledge Civilization (chair: Andrzej Wierzbicki) Symposium-7: Foundations of the Systems Sciences (chair: Gary Metcalf) Workshop:New Roles of Systems Sciences in a Knowledge Society (chair: Matjaz Mulej) Panel Discussion: New Roles of Systems Science in a Knowledge Society (chair: K. Kijima) Details on the program: http://www.sea.uni-linz.ac.at/ifsr05/http://www.sea.uni-linz.ac.at/ifsr05/ Details on the organisation http://ifsr2005.jtbcom.co.jp/http://ifsr2005.jtbcom.co.jp/ Regular Papers: Authors are invited to submit an extended abstract (2 3 pages) to the symposia and the Workshop by July 1, 2005. Final papers (8 pages) are due by Oct. 1, 2005. Position Papers: Short Position Papers (1-2 pages) are invited for the Workshop, describing visions and predictions of the future impact and effects of Systems Sciences by July 1, 2005. Final position papers (2 pages) are due by Oct. 1, 2005. Conference proceedings and will be published by JAIST Press. All submissions must be in electronic form to http://ifsr2005.jtbcom.co.jp/http://ifsr2005.jtbcom.co.jp/ Detailed instructions for submission: http://www.sea.uni-linz.ac.at/ifsr05/guidelines.htm Early registration fee (until August 17, 2005): 30.000 Yen (ca. 285 Dollar), students: 10.000 Yen Regular registration fee: 35.000 Yen (approx. 330 Dollar). Students: 15.000 Yen Convention Board (Chairs): Jifa Gu (Chinese Academy of Sciences) Yoshiteru Nakamori (JAIST, Japan) International Program Committee (chairs): Gerhard Chroust (Kepler Univ. Linz, Austria) Andrzej Wierzbicki (JAIST. Japan) Zhichang Zhu (J. Systems Res. and Behavioral Sc.) -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
[ECCO] Seminar: reminder and laptop problem
Title: Seminar: reminder and laptop problem Just to remind you that tomorrow we have a guest speaker who drives down especially from the Netherlands to present his very interesting research to our group: I hope you will all try to be there! One technical issue: Gerard planned to bring his Powerpoint presentation on a memory stick, and I said we would provide a PC to connect to the beamer, assuming Carlos would be there with his laptop. However, Carlos is still in Venice. Therefore, I would ask if someone else can bring a laptop to the lecture room: Mixel, Klaas, ...? Or, to be on the safe side, Gerard, can you bring a laptop yourself? There also seems to be a PC in the seminar room, but we have never tried it out, and I have no idea whether it would accept a memory stick as it seems to be an older model... Closure and the modular evolution of matter by Dr. Gerard Jagers op Akkerhuis (Alterra, Wageningen University Research Center, The Netherlands) Place: room 3C204 (building C, 3rd floor), VUB campus Oefenplein Time: Friday, May 20, at 17:30 h. Abstract: Ever since the big bang, the dynamic processes in the universe have created a broad spectrum of systems that have been arranged from quarks to hadrons, atoms, molecules, organelles, cells, organisms, ecosystems, suns and planets, solar systems and galaxies. However familiar the above 'hierarchy' may look, it may not be the best basis for analyzing the evolution of system types. The reason is that evolution does not require a focus on what is bigger, but a focus on what came first. It is here that closure fits in. As I will show, a strict step-by-step analysis of evolution is possible when using first-next possible closures to mark the transitions to higher level systems. The range of systems linked via first-next closures forms a highly special, limited family, the elements of which I have named 'operators' and their strict hierarchical ranking the 'operator hierarchy'. Systems outside this family either don't show closure, or when they do, the closure is not part of the pedigree of first-next possible closures. In the presentation, I will discuss the operator hierarchy and use it's strictness for extrapolation towards not yet existing system types giving us a preview of the future of evolution. More info: G. Jagers op Akkerhuis (2001): Extrapolating a Hierarchy of Building Block Systems Towards Future Neural Network Organisms, Acta Biotheoretica 49 (3): 171-189. As a preparation to the lecture you are invited to visit the site HYPERCYCLE.NL where you may find an introduction to the operator hypothesis and answers to frequently asked questions. ECCO seminar programme coming weeks 27 May: Lito Kyritsi: Systems Modelling of Cancer 3 Jun: Laetitia De Jaegher: Towards sustainable development: the precautionary principle as a call for a new theory of law to support multi-dimensional governance ECCO seminars normally take place each Friday at 17h30 in room 3C204 of the VUB Campus Etterbeek. Everyone interested is welcome. The seminars are very interactive, with small groups (about 8-10 people). The intention is to discuss in depth the research being proposed, and to look for interdisciplinary connections with other ECCO-related themes. Seminars last about two hours, after which the remaining participants go to take a drink or a snack in the Opinio Café on the campus, to continue the discussion in a more relaxed setting. -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition research group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
[ECCO] Reminder Seminar Joahn Bollen
Title: Reminder Seminar Joahn Bollen Don't forget the seminar this evening with Johan, my former PhD student who now works in the US. For those who would like to meet him beforehand, he will arrive at my office in CLEA some time before the seminar... Social network indicators of scientific impact by Johan Bollen (Los Alamos National Laboratory Old Dominion University) Place: room 3C204 (building C, 3rd floor), VUB campus Oefenplein Time: Friday, May 13, at 17:30 h. Abstract: I discuss a methodology developed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to determine article and journal impact from logs of user actions captured across a range of distributed information systems. We derive journal and article co-download graphs from the resulting log data which can complement existing citation data. Social network metrics which exploit the structural features of the generated co-download graphs provide an alternative assessment of article and journal impact relative to the particular user community of a digital library. The aggregation of log data across different institutions and communities may lead to a standardized, generally applicable set of usage-based article and journal impact data. I discuss how the Los Alamos National Laboratory has studied the nature, structure and characteristics of its own customer base by an application of this methodology and provide the results of a recent analysis. ECCO seminar programme coming weeks 20 May: Gerard Jagers op Akkerhuis: Closure and the modular evolution of matter 27 May: Lito Kyritsi: Systems Modelling of Cancer 3 Jun: Laetitia De Jaegher: Towards sustainable development: the precautionary principle as a call for a new theory of law to support multi-dimensional governance ECCO seminars normally take place each Friday at 17h30 in room 3C204 of the VUB Campus Etterbeek. Everyone interested is welcome. The seminars are very interactive, with small groups (about 8-10 people). The intention is to discuss in depth the research being proposed, and to look for interdisciplinary connections with other ECCO-related themes. Seminars last about two hours, after which the remaining participants go to take a drink or a snack in the Opinio Café on the campus, to continue the discussion in a more relaxed setting. -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition research group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
[ECCO] Gary Cziko's freely downloadable books
I am regularly asked about good introductory books to the domain of evolution, cybernetics and cognition00..., and I generally answer that these are difficult to find. However, Gary -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition research group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
[ECCO] working paper 2005-05: A General Methodology for Designing Self-Organizing Systems
Greetings, I finished yesterday the first version of a paper I submitted to the 2nd European Conference on Complex Systems. I hope that you might find it interesting, and I would welcome any comment. A General Methodology for Designing Self-Organizing Systems Carlos Gershenson ECCO working paper 2005-05 http://uk.arXiv.org/abs/nlin/0505009 Abstract: This paper presents a conceptual framework for speaking about self-organizing systems. The aim is to provide a methodology useful for designing and controlling systems developed to solve complex problems. A brief introduction to complexity and self-organization is given before introducing the conceptual framework and the methodology. A case study on self-organizing traffic lights illustrates the ideas presented in the paper. Related work can be found at http://homepages.vub.ac.be/~cgershen/sos/ Best regards, Carlos Gershenson... Centrum Leo Apostel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Krijgskundestraat 33. B-1160 Brussels, Belgium http://homepages.vub.ac.be/~cgershen/ Life is a constant adaptation
Re: [ECCO] Seminar: Organisation of Public Health Service
Sorry. I will be away in the NL. PS Just a couple of thoughts on this subject: - A few decades ago, old age set in at 50, and death came at 70. Soon, old age will set in at 70, and death will come at 90: more shift than change. - In advanced countries, more more people are likely to choose 'early' (e.g. at age 90) death with dignity, and request obtain euthanasia Jan At 15:27 3/05/2005, you wrote: Please distribute... You are hereby invited to our thirteenth Evolution, Complexity and Cognition (ECCO) seminar of 2005: A Cybernetic Approach to the Organisation of the Public Health Service by Julien Libbrecht, Ph.D (UVC-Brugmann) Place: room 3C204 (building C, 3rd floor), VUB campus Oefenplein Time: Friday, May 6, at 17:30 h. Abstract: In the next few years all Western countries will be confronted with both a qualitative and a quantitative increase of needs in the public health service, because of the following reasons: 1) growth in life expectation with three months per year; the ever increasing older part of the population will need more care and more cure; 2) expectation studies demonstrate a growth in chronic diseases which need a lifelong follow-up. The conclusion must be that public health will become ever more expensive and that the available means must be used as carefully and as effectively as possible. The effectiveness of organisation, as found in indicators like performance, is a means for the optimal utilisation of available public sources. The challenge for the coming years will be twofold: 1) How can we organise care on the workfloor in a way that meets people's different needs? 2) How can we build a public health care system which meets the professionals' as well as the patients' needs in the most optimal way? Cybernetics can be of great help in developing models and methods to optimize care and cure. The objective of the cybernetic approach, first, is to understand care and cure as an interaction (anatomy of interaction), second to understand how we can use that interaction in the most effective way. This can be done by the application of Ross Ashby's law of requisite variety and the five-system model of Stafford Beer on care as interaction system. ECCO seminar programme coming weeks 13 May: Johan Bollen: Self-organization of Document Networks 20 May: Gerard Jagers op Akkerhuis: Closure and the modular evolution of matter 27 May: Lito Kyritsi: Systems Modelling of Cancer 3 Jun: Laetitia De Jaegher: Towards sustainable development: the precautionary principle as a call for a new theory of law to support multi-dimensional governance ECCO seminars normally take place each Friday at 17h30 in room 3C204 of the VUB Campus Etterbeek. Everyone interested is welcome. The seminars are very interactive, with small groups (about 8-10 people). The intention is to discuss in depth the research being proposed, and to look for interdisciplinary connections with other ECCO-related themes. Seminars last about two hours, after which the remaining participants go to take a drink or a snack in the Opinio Café on the campus, to continue the discussion in a more relaxed setting. -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
[ECCO] Seminar: The primacy of context:
Title: Seminar: The primacy of context: Please distribute... You are hereby invited to our twelfth Evolution, Complexity and Cognition (ECCO) seminar of 2005: The primacy of context: Framing the rational information handling process of active externalism by Mixel Kiemen (ECCO, VUB) Place: room 3C204 (building C, 3rd floor), VUB campus Oefenplein Time: Friday, April 29, at 17:30 h. Abstract: In the philosophy of mind a compromise has been found between externalism and individualism: active externalism, better known as the extended mind. We propose an agent model with such an extended mind. The simulation is about an agent learning to make tools, as an investigation of the evolution of innovation or creativity . From a biological naturalism and anthropology background we came up with the capability of external context creation (used to engineer the behaviour). Although our design starts with the assumption that an agent always is in a context, we show that the context is evolving and needs to be redefined from time to time. In this way it is possible to define the primacy of context, giving us more insight into constructivism and the process of creativity. The design helps us to explain the concrete psychological phenomenon of change blindness, while raising interesting questions about the interaction between creativity, presence and awareness. While creativity seems to require some kind of awareness, what happens in the model is clearly different from the awareness we subjectively experience. As such the main question of our current research is: can this model give us an insight into awareness? More info: extended mind: http://consc.net/papers/extended.html biological naturalism: http://www.arrod.co.uk/essays/biological-naturalism.php strong AI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strong_AI change blindness: http://nivea.psycho.univ-paris5.fr/ ECCO seminar programme coming weeks 6 May: Julien Libbrecht: Application of cybernetic principles to the organization of health care 13 May: Johan Bollen: Self-organization of Document Networks 20 May: Laetitia De Jaegher: Towards sustainable development: the precautionary principle as a call for a new theory of law to support multi-dimensional governance 27 May: Lito Kyritsi: Systems Modelling of Cancer 3 Jun: Gerard Jagers op Akkerhuis: Closure and the modular evolution of matter ECCO seminars normally take place each Friday at 17h30 in room 3C204 of the VUB Campus Etterbeek. Everyone interested is welcome. The seminars are very interactive, with small groups (about 8-10 people). The intention is to discuss in depth the research being proposed, and to look for interdisciplinary connections with other ECCO-related themes. Seminars last about two hours, after which the remaining participants go to take a drink or a snack in the Opinio Café on the campus, to continue the discussion in a more relaxed setting. -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
[ECCO] Lodging for Greek visitor?
I have been emailing for a while with Lito Kyritsi, a Greek researcher, who is interested to make a PhD in ECCO. She would like to build a complex systems model of cancer as a self-organizing system, using a bioinformatics approach. We agreed that she would first come to visit us for 2-3 days to discuss practical issues, and give a seminar to present her work. The seminar would normally be on May 27 (if that fits for Jan Bernheim, who, as our only cancer specialist, would also like to discuss her approach.). Since hotel accommodation in Brussels is quite expensive, I proposed that I would ask whether any ECCO member could offer her lodging for that period. Does someone have a guest room/spare bed to offer for a couple of days? (normally about May 26-28) Francis -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
[ECCO] ECCO dinner tomorrow
First, let me remind you of the seminar that Marko, his friend Dan (via the Internet), and I will give tomorrow Friday. Second, since this is also the last day that Marko will stay in Belgium (he is leaving for Nicaragua first, and Los Alamos afterwards, and will only come back many months from now), we thought to do something a little more special as a way of saying goodbye. Instead of just going to the Opinio cafe as usual, Carlos proposed to go to a restaurant for dinner. Any suggestions for a good place that is easy to reach from the campus, and preferably close to the metro? We'll decide where to go after the seminar... So, for those who would like to stay on after the seminar, just plan your evening so that you can stay a little longer than usual... Francis -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
[ECCO] Seminar: embodied and situated cognition
Title: Seminar: embodied and situated cognition Please distribute... You are hereby invited to our ninth Evolution, Complexity and Cognition (ECCO) seminar of 2005: Knowledge sharing and creativity in social software systems by Tanguy Coenen (MOSI, VUB) Place: room 3C204 (building C, 3rd floor), VUB campus Oefenplein Time: Friday, April 8, at 17:30 h. Abstract: The last couple of years have seen the growing success of social software. This is software aiming to expand the social network of the user. Examples include systems for dating, finding friends, finding business contacts or finding academic partners. Especially the business and academic variants seem to offer the promise of knowledge being shared over computer mediated communication channels. However, it is uncertain if such sharing will occur, as many contacts created over social software systems have not met face-to-face and may therefore lack the relational attributes which lead to knowledge sharing in non-computer mediated environments. Possible variables influencing the occurrence of knowledge sharing processes over computer mediated communication channels in social software environments will be presented. As our social context in part influences the information to which we have access, social software systems may allow information from a greater diversity of domains to be assimilated by users of the system. The second part of the presentation will discuss how creativity may be influenced by this. More info: Tanguy Coenen - Working paper - How social software and rich computer mediated communication could influence creativity ECCO seminar programme following weeks 15 Apr: Nick Deschacht: Complexity Theory and Marxism 22 Apr: M. Rodriguez, D. Steinbock F. Heylighen: Particle-Flow Networks for Individual and Collective Intelligence Systems 29 Apr: Mixel Kiemen: The primacy of context: bootstrapping from intuitive ideas 06 May: Julien Libbrecht: Application of cybernetic principles to the organization of health care 13 May: Johan Bollen: Self-organization of Document Networks ECCO seminars normally take place each Friday at 17h30 in room 3C204 of the VUB Campus Etterbeek. Everyone interested is welcome, although the largest group of attendants are usually ECCO researchers. The seminars are very interactive, with small groups (about 8-10 people). The intention is to discuss in depth the research being proposed, and to look for interdisciplinary connections with other ECCO-related themes. Seminars with discussion last about two hours, after which the remaining participants go to take a drink or a snack in the Opinio Café on the campus, to continue the discussion in a more relaxed setting. -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition research group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
Re: Fwd: [ECCO] Photos and Bios of ECCO members
Jan Bernheim: Dag Francis, ECCO wordt mooier mooier! Ik zou niet weten hoe ik login kan gebruiken en editen (kan je me dat makkelijk uitleggen?) Hierbij alvast in Attach - kort CV - enkele geselecteerde publicaties - foto Hoe kan ik ze zelf inbrengen? Bovenaan de pagina (http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be:8000/ECCO-web/9) zie je een edit icoon. Als je daar op klikt wordt je een username en paswoord gevraagd. Hiervoor typ je in respectievelijk: ECCO mediators Je krijgt dan een veld met de tekst die je wil editeren. Schrik niet van de HTML codes (bvb. tdtr ... of | ) die hierin staan: je hebt die zelf niet nodig om iets toe te voegen: laat ze gewoon staan waar ze staan. Scroll helemaal naar beneden waar jouw bio staan en je kan de tekst beginnen veranderen. Voor meer uitleg (wat betreft formatering e.d.) , klik op het help icoon bovenaan dezelfde pagina. Ik heb zelf al de nieuwe versie van je foto ingebracht (in essentie nu wat groter en scherper dan de vorige versie). Wat betreft je kort CV: dit is het goede formaat, maar ik zou wat meer het onderzoek relevant voor ECCO vermelden (vooruitgang, evolutionair wereldbeeld, cognitieve revolutie...), zoals in de versie die ik maakte. Wis mijn versie dus best niet helemaal uit, maar integreer de twee... Als je er nog moeite mee hebt, doe ik het wel voor je... -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
[ECCO] No seminar this week...
As it is Easter vacation and not so many people are around, we decided to have a pause in our ECCO seminar series this week. We start again next week with: 08 Apr: Tanguy Coenen: The influence of social software and knowledge sharing on creativity We further rescheduled several planned seminars, in part to accommodate some new speakers (e.g. Johan Bollen, the brother of Dirk, visiting ECCO from Los Alamos on May 13, and Gerard Jagers op Akkerhuis, a Dutch systems scientist on June 10). Check the new program on http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be:8000/ECCO-web/11 -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
[ECCO] Reminder: ECCO Seminar: Self-organizing Peer-Review
Title: Reminder: ECCO Seminar: Self-organizing Peer-Review Please distribute... You are hereby invited to our second Evolution, Complexity and Cognition (ECCO) seminar of 2005: A Self-Organizing and Collective-Intelligence Approach to the Peer-Review Publication Process by Marko Rodriguez (ECCO, VUB, and Collective Intelligence Research Group, University of California, Santa Cruz) http://www.soe.ucsc.edu/~okram/ Place: room 3C204 (building C, 3rd floor), VUB campus Oefenplein Time: Friday, Feb. 4, at 17:30 h. Abstract: The peer-review process is the foundation by which the scientific community publishes its research findings. With advancements in the communication medium brought on by the Internet, some journals have been able to reduce their costs by providing electronic publications. This work is an attempt to further the advancement of electronic publishing by providing the scientific community with a software system that is able to collect, review, and ultimately disseminate articles without the involvement of a 3rd party entity. Such a system relies heavily on the social networks created by the scientific community as a mediating factor to steer the dissemination of pre-prints for review, the selection of reviewers to evaluate the paper's quality, and the spread of publications after acceptance. The promise is to further reduce the cost of publications in order to meet the desires of the OAI (Open Access Initiative). (This work is an advancement to candidacy talk and will discuss some preliminary insights into how this research will be carried out.) Preliminary ECCO seminar programme Next week: Francis Heylighen: The role of mediators in the self-organization of biological, social and cognitive systems Coming weeks: Frank Van Overwalle: A connectionist simulation of distributed cognition Klaas Chielens: Empirical measurement of memetic selection criteria Laetitia De Jaegher: The need for new systems of governance in a complex, changing society Erden Göktepe: Complex systems models of the emergence of actors in international relations Dirk Bollen: Situated and embodied cognition with applications to sensor networks Nathalie Gontier: A systems/symbiotic view of evolution Nick Deschacht: A systems view of Marxist theory -- -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
RE: [ECCO] erden - Turkish coffee?
Hi Margeret, I'm bringing the coffee tomorrow to the university, I'll be there in the morning and also for Marko's presentation. How can I find you? Here is my mobile number, you can reach me there; 0484 076 899 By the way, I figured out that I made another phrase mistake in my last mail, it's not "...it seems like I'm good at it as far ..." but the opposite "...it seems like I'm NOT good at it as far ..." See you soon, Erdenmargeret heath [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Got you! Lovely! Thank You, Erden. Travel safely, Margeret " ... capacities that belong to spontaneity are in play in actualizations of receptivity.." (Mc Dowell, Mind and World) -Original Message-From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of erden goktepeSent: Sunday, January 30, 2005 12:03 AMTo: evolcomp@listserv.vub.ac.beSubject: RE: [ECCO] erden - Turkish coffee? let me express myself more clearly, here I open the phrase:); "I think I have enough quantity of coffee with me that I bring to Brussels 'cause I like to drink turksih coffee a lot", what is in the paranthesis is a joke and it seems like I'm good at it as far as the internet communucation is concerned. so don't worry Margeret I have got five pacs of turkish coffee and one is for you. erdenmargeret heath [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Oh dear no. Errhm, no. I meant, bring ME some Turkish coffee. Seeing as you offered to bring something through! Definitely genetically Md, margeret " ... capacities that belong to spontaneity are in play in actualizations of receptivity.." (Mc Dowell, Mind and World) -Original Message-From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of erden goktepeSent: Saturday, January 29, 2005 6:45 PMTo: evolcomp@listserv.vub.ac.beSubject: RE: [ECCO] erden - Turkish coffee? :)) I think I have enough coffee as I'm a Turkish Coffee addict (nothing genetic though). Francis I've got your CD's as well. Ihope you'lllike them. I'm also bringing one of the best and most known turkishflute (ney) player (neyzen) of recent times.He's called Neyzen Tevfik. See allmonday and tuesday! Erdenmargeret heath [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Glorious Turkish Coffee? Baskets full of those succulent dates, figs, apricots and olives? My office 3c217 is very close to your meeting room!!! Ill happily pay you for the coffee!!! The rest is just a compliment to your country! I wish you well, Erden. Margeret " ... capacities that belong to spontaneity are in play in actualizations of receptivity.." (Mc Dowell, Mind and World) -Original Message-From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of erden goktepeSent: Wednesday, January 26, 2005 11:01 AMTo: evolcomp@listserv.vub.ac.beSubject: Re: [ECCO] erden Hello again, I'm arrving to Brussels on the 31st of january. Anyone needing anything from TR? I'll try to my best about it! See you all soon. Erden Carlos Gershenson [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi Erden, I finally received the news from the Belgium authorities, I received the student visa and will probably be in Brussels sometime next week, maybe the weekend or the latest, monday the 31st.Great news!Do you have a place to stay? If not, you can stay with us while yousettle in... Also if we can help with anything else, just ask.Best regards,Carlos Gershenson...Centrum Leo Apostel, Vrije Universiteit BrusselKrijgskundestraat 33. B-1160 Brussels, Belgiumhttp://homepages.vub.ac.be/~cgershen/"We can control much better how we accept thingsthan things themselves" "Reality always represents an effort ofabstraction of a fragmented aggregate, yet, that's all one would see as the becoming whole." Erden Göktepe ECCO TEAM Do you Yahoo!?Yahoo! Search presents - Jib Jab's 'Second Term' "Reality always represents an effort ofabstraction of a fragmented aggregate, yet, that's all one would see as the becoming whole." Erden Göktepe ECCO TEAM Do you Yahoo!?Yahoo! Mail - 250MB free storage. Do more. Manage less. "Reality always represents an effort ofabstraction of a fragmented aggregate, yet, that's all one would see as the becoming whole." Erden Göktepe ECCO TEAM Do you Yahoo!?Yahoo! Search presents - Jib Jab's 'Second Term'"Reality always represents an effort ofabstraction of a fragmented aggregate, yet, that's all one would see as the becoming whole." Erden Göktepe ECCO TEAM Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Search presents - Jib Jab's 'Second Term'
RE: [ECCO] erden - Turkish coffee?
Got you! Lovely! Thank You, Erden. Travel safely, Margeret ... capacities that belong to spontaneity are in play in actualizations of receptivity.. (Mc Dowell, Mind and World) -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of erden goktepe Sent: Sunday, January 30, 2005 12:03 AM To: evolcomp@listserv.vub.ac.be Subject: RE: [ECCO] erden - Turkish coffee? let me express myself more clearly, here I open the phrase:); I think I have enough quantity of coffee with me that I bring to Brussels 'cause I like to drink turksih coffee a lot, what is in the paranthesis is a joke and it seems like I'm good at it as far as the internet communucation is concerned. so don't worry Margeret I have got five pacs of turkish coffee and one is for you. erden margeret heath [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Oh dear no. Errhm, no. I meant, bring ME some Turkish coffee. Seeing as you offered to bring something through! Definitely genetically Md, margeret ... capacities that belong to spontaneity are in play in actualizations of receptivity.. (Mc Dowell, Mind and World) -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of erden goktepe Sent: Saturday, January 29, 2005 6:45 PM To: evolcomp@listserv.vub.ac.be Subject: RE: [ECCO] erden - Turkish coffee? :)) I think I have enough coffee as I'm a Turkish Coffee addict (nothing genetic though). Francis I've got your CD's as well. Ihope you'lllike them. I'm also bringing one of the best and most known turkishflute (ney) player (neyzen) of recent times.He's called Neyzen Tevfik. See allmonday and tuesday! Erden margeret heath [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Glorious Turkish Coffee? Baskets full of those succulent dates, figs, apricots and olives? My office 3c217 is very close to your meeting room!!! Ill happily pay you for the coffee!!! The rest is just a compliment to your country! I wish you well, Erden. Margeret ... capacities that belong to spontaneity are in play in actualizations of receptivity.. (Mc Dowell, Mind and World) -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of erden goktepe Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2005 11:01 AM To: evolcomp@listserv.vub.ac.be Subject: Re: [ECCO] erden Hello again, I'm arrving to Brussels on the 31st of january. Anyone needing anything from TR? I'll try to my best about it! See you all soon. Erden Carlos Gershenson [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi Erden, I finally received the news from the Belgium authorities, I received the student visa and will probably be in Brussels sometime next week, maybe the weekend or the latest, monday the 31st. Great news! Do you have a place to stay? If not, you can stay with us while you settle in... Also if we can help with anything else, just ask. Best regards, Carlos Gershenson... Centrum Leo Apostel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Krijgskundestraat 33. B-1160 Brussels, Belgium http://homepages.vub.ac.be/~cgershen/ We can control much better how we accept things than things themselves Reality always represents an effort ofabstraction of a fragmented aggregate, yet, that's all one would see as the becoming whole. Erden Gktepe ECCO TEAM Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Search presents - Jib Jab's 'Second Term' Reality always represents an effort ofabstraction of a fragmented aggregate, yet, that's all one would see as the becoming whole. Erden Gktepe ECCO TEAM Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - 250MB free storage. Do more. Manage less. Reality always represents an effort ofabstraction of a fragmented aggregate, yet, that's all one would see as the becoming whole. Erden Gktepe ECCO TEAM Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Search presents - Jib Jab's 'Second Term'
RE: [ECCO] erden - Turkish coffee?
Glorious Turkish Coffee? Baskets full of those succulent dates, figs, apricots and olives? My office 3c217 is very close to your meeting room!!! Ill happily pay you for the coffee!!! The rest is just a compliment to your country! I wish you well, Erden. Margeret ... capacities that belong to spontaneity are in play in actualizations of receptivity.. (Mc Dowell, Mind and World) -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of erden goktepe Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2005 11:01 AM To: evolcomp@listserv.vub.ac.be Subject: Re: [ECCO] erden Hello again, I'm arrving to Brussels on the 31st of january. Anyone needing anything from TR? I'll try to my best about it! See you all soon. Erden Carlos Gershenson [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi Erden, I finally received the news from the Belgium authorities, I received the student visa and will probably be in Brussels sometime next week, maybe the weekend or the latest, monday the 31st. Great news! Do you have a place to stay? If not, you can stay with us while you settle in... Also if we can help with anything else, just ask. Best regards, Carlos Gershenson... Centrum Leo Apostel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Krijgskundestraat 33. B-1160 Brussels, Belgium http://homepages.vub.ac.be/~cgershen/ We can control much better how we accept things than things themselves Reality always represents an effort ofabstraction of a fragmented aggregate, yet, that's all one would see as the becoming whole. Erden Göktepe ECCO TEAM Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Search presents - Jib Jab's 'Second Term'
RE: [ECCO] erden - Turkish coffee?
Oh dear no. Errhm, no. I meant, bring ME some Turkish coffee. Seeing as you offered to bring something through! Definitely genetically Md, margeret ... capacities that belong to spontaneity are in play in actualizations of receptivity.. (Mc Dowell, Mind and World) -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of erden goktepe Sent: Saturday, January 29, 2005 6:45 PM To: evolcomp@listserv.vub.ac.be Subject: RE: [ECCO] erden - Turkish coffee? :)) I think I have enough coffee as I'm a Turkish Coffee addict (nothing genetic though). Francis I've got your CD's as well. Ihope you'lllike them. I'm also bringing one of the best and most known turkishflute (ney) player (neyzen) of recent times.He's called Neyzen Tevfik. See allmonday and tuesday! Erden margeret heath [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Glorious Turkish Coffee? Baskets full of those succulent dates, figs, apricots and olives? My office 3c217 is very close to your meeting room!!! Ill happily pay you for the coffee!!! The rest is just a compliment to your country! I wish you well, Erden. Margeret ... capacities that belong to spontaneity are in play in actualizations of receptivity.. (Mc Dowell, Mind and World) -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of erden goktepe Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2005 11:01 AM To: evolcomp@listserv.vub.ac.be Subject: Re: [ECCO] erden Hello again, I'm arrving to Brussels on the 31st of january. Anyone needing anything from TR? I'll try to my best about it! See you all soon. Erden Carlos Gershenson [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi Erden, I finally received the news from the Belgium authorities, I received the student visa and will probably be in Brussels sometime next week, maybe the weekend or the latest, monday the 31st. Great news! Do you have a place to stay? If not, you can stay with us while you settle in... Also if we can help with anything else, just ask. Best regards, Carlos Gershenson... Centrum Leo Apostel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Krijgskundestraat 33. B-1160 Brussels, Belgium http://homepages.vub.ac.be/~cgershen/ We can control much better how we accept things than things themselves Reality always represents an effort ofabstraction of a fragmented aggregate, yet, that's all one would see as the becoming whole. Erden Gktepe ECCO TEAM Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Search presents - Jib Jab's 'Second Term' Reality always represents an effort ofabstraction of a fragmented aggregate, yet, that's all one would see as the becoming whole. Erden Gktepe ECCO TEAM Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - 250MB free storage. Do more. Manage less.
Re[4]: [ECCO] Re: Irreducible Complexity
Can you say me what the status will be fo the master gene in this novel constellation? It remains a master gene, in the sense that if it mutates back, all the genes it controls will be repressed again. Or I didn't understand the question? Carlos Gershenson... Centrum Leo Apostel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Krijgskundestraat 33. B-1160 Brussels, Belgium http://homepages.vub.ac.be/~cgershen/ Knowledge brings more questions than answers
RE: Re[4]: [ECCO] Re: Irreducible Complexity
Thank you !! -Oorspronkelijk bericht- Van: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] C. Gershenson Verzonden: dinsdag 25 januari 2005 15:31 Aan: Julien Libbrecht Onderwerp: Re[4]: [ECCO] Re: Irreducible Complexity Can you say me what the status will be fo the master gene in this novel constellation? It remains a master gene, in the sense that if it mutates back, all the genes it controls will be repressed again. Or I didn't understand the question? Carlos Gershenson... Centrum Leo Apostel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Krijgskundestraat 33. B-1160 Brussels, Belgium http://homepages.vub.ac.be/~cgershen/ Knowledge brings more questions than answers --- Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.809 / Virus Database: 551 - Release Date: 9/12/04 --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.809 / Virus Database: 551 - Release Date: 9/12/04
[ECCO] ECCO Seminar: Self-organizing Traffic Lights
Title: ECCO Seminar: Self-organizing Traffic Lights You are hereby invited to our first Evolution, Complexity and Cognition (ECCO) seminar of 2005: Self-organizing traffic lights by Carlos Gershenson (ECCO/CLEA, VUB) The seminar will take place in room 3C204 (building C, 3rd floor) on the VUB campus Oefenplein, this week Friday, Jan. 28, at 17:30 h. Abstract: Steering traffic in cities is a very complex task, since improving efficiency involves the coordination of many actors. Traditional approaches attempt to optimize traffic lights for a particular density and configuration of traffic. The disadvantage of this lies in the fact that traffic configurations change constantly. Traffic seems to be an adaptation problem rather than an optimization problem. We propose a simple and feasible alternative, in which traffic lights self-organize to improve traffic flow. We use a multi-agent simulation to study three self-organizing methods, which are able to outperform traditional rigid and adaptive methods. Using simple rules and no direct communication, traffic lights are able to self-organize and adapt to changing traffic conditions, reducing waiting times, stopped cars, and increasing average speeds. More info and simulation at: http://homepages.vub.ac.be/~cgershen/sos/index.html#sotl -- More info on the Evolution, Complexity and Cognition (ECCO) research group: http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/ECCO/ -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition research group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
Re: [ECCO] Re: trends thoughts in political legal philosophy
This sounds like another formulation of Ashby's law of requisite variety (see http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/REQVAR.html) I am reading Darwin's Origin of Species, and already there the explanation of diversity (although he uses a different term) is given by natural selection: if organisms have to compete for the same resources, only few ones will survive. If some are able to be different, they can survive from other resources, to occupy a different niche (I am using modern terminology, but the idea is there). This process of specialization causes species to diverge, and thus drive evolution... which is in part responsible for the differentiation and therefore growth in complexity during evolution: http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/compgrow.html I believe Darwin did not speak yet in terms of complexity, but he does explain why there should be more and more different species (and why most of them will become extinct)... so YES, we all agree with Etchegoyen, life is a process of differentiation. Best regards, Carlos Gershenson... Centrum Leo Apostel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Krijgskundestraat 33. B-1160 Brussels, Belgium http://homepages.vub.ac.be/~cgershen/ We can control much better how we accept things than things themselves
Re: [ECCO] DISC PhD scholarships
I didn't got the newsletter. (I know Karla is going to give the presentation.) Will it be about DISC in general or about BeSTin? I'll be on the VUB all day (workshop about KMIT) so if it is at lunch-time I'll try to go to it. I'm doing the presentation on CRAB Friday at Flagey, but hope to give a tryout the 16th at ECCO to get some feedback. cheers, Mixel On 13-dec-04, at 15:51, C. Gershenson wrote: Hi all, In the VUB Nieuwsbrief they announced that there would be a lunch-discussion the 16th of DISC in the Convivum. Mixel, do you know if it would be worth going??? Also to the event on Friday @ Flagey? Also, probably some might be interested in this: VLIR-oproep voor doctoraatsbeurzen voor onderzoekers verbonden aan een Vlaamse universiteit 2005 De oproep tot het indienen van kandidaturen voor het programma 'Doctoraatsbeurzen voor onderzoekers verbonden aan een Vlaamse universiteit 2005' (met aanvangsdatum 1 oktober 2005) werd recent gelanceerd. Dit programma heeft tot doel de expertise inzake Derde Wereld en ontwikkelingssamenwerking aan de Vlaamse universiteiten te handhaven en te vergroten. Graag vestigen wij de aandacht op de wijziging in de manier van indiening van de dossiers bij de VLIR. De aanvraagdossiers moeten door de verantwoordelijke coordinator van de Vlaamse universiteit ingediend worden bij de VLIR uiterlijk op 15 maart 2005, zowel in hard copy (een exemplaar) als in elektronische vorm. Tot dusver werden de dossiers rechtstreeks door de kandidaten bij de VLIR ingediend. Dit systeem wijzigt dus vanaf 2005. Aangezien de ontvankelijkheid door de Vlaamse universiteit wordt gecontroleerd, wordt er een interne deadline uitgeschreven. Ook de referees moeten voortaan hun commentaren rechtstreeks naar de coordinator van de Vlaamse universiteit sturen, eveneens binnen de interne deadline. Er dient rekening te worden gehouden met het doorlopen van de eigen gangbare procedure voor het bekomen van een formele toelating tot het doctoraat. Ook dit document - de officiele toelating door de bevoegde doctoraatscommissie - dient deel uit te maken van het dossier. Interne deadline van de Vrije Universiteit Brussel voor het volledige dossier is 3 maart 2005, bij mevr. J. Couder, gebouw M, lokaal M003, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Deze deadline zal zeer strikt worden gehanteerd. Je vindt de oproep hier http://www.vlir.be/ . Best regards, Carlos Gershenson... Centrum Leo Apostel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Krijgskundestraat 33. B-1160 Brussels, Belgium http://homepages.vub.ac.be/~cgershen/ Knowledge brings more questions than answers --- --- --- --- Mixel Kiemen: http://www.mixel.be/
[ECCO] lunch discussion and seminar on DISC
Title: lunch discussion and seminar on DISC Mixel: I didn't get the newsletter. (I know Karla is going to give the presentation.) Will it be about DISC in general or about BeSTin? Below you'll find the program. I'm sending it to the whole EvolComp list since it addresses itself specifically to groups that want to develop an interdisciplinary and interuniversity collaboration within the Brussels region. Since ECCO also would like to collaborate with some people in the ULB, this should interest us. For those who haven't followed Mixel's recent activities, DISC is particularly interesting for us as Mixel has gotten a one-year contract to work there, but which would allow him to develop an intensive collaboration with ECCO. Moreover, DISC is working on information systems to support collaborative research, which is one of the topics that interest us and in which we have a lot of expertise. Thus, it seems that ECCO and DISC have quite a lot of potential synergies, and it seems worthwhile for ECCO people to attend the DISC lunch discussion announced below. I'm doing the presentation on CRAB Friday at Flagey, but hope to give a tryout the 16th at ECCO to get some feedback. I have also included the announcement of the presentation at Flagey, and I suggest Mixel would do his tryout for ECCO now Thursday in room 3C204 at 17h30 so that those who went to the DISC lunch meeting still have the ideas fresh in their mind. This means that I'll postpone my own seminar until next week (or after the vacation), giving me more time to prepare while catching Mixel in the heat of the activity... Mixel, please send me a short abstract/title of what you will talk about, and I'll announce it on our mailing list. By the way, is the seminar at Flagey on Friday the same one that Tanguy Coenen invited us to earlier? If so, I should perhaps go there as well... Francis --- DISC lunchdiscussie op do 16/12 in het CONVIVIUM - 12u tot 14u THE FUTURE OF DISC - Are you in it? Iets meer dan een jaar geleden werd het Brussels ICT expertisecentrum DISC opgericht door VUB en ULB met het oog op de promotie van interuniversitaire en interdisciplinaire projecten. De activiteiten van DISC zijn gericht op de volgende vier polen : wetenschapsverspreiding -dialoog (1), vorming (2), onderzoeksprojecten innovatie (3) en industriële ontwikkeling valorisatie (4). Door de wetenschappelijke, educatieve en industriële valorisatie know how van VUB en ULB aan mekaar te koppelen, verhoogt de inhoudelijke slagkracht maar ook de visibiliteit, het impact en de kans op het uitbouwen van grotere projecten met een dito budget. Het opzet van deze middagontmoeting is u te informeren over de eerste realisaties en lopende projecten van DISC en u uit te nodigen tot verdere reflectie over en ontwikkeling van toekomstige plannen en projecten. DISC richt zich niet alleen op ICT verwante wetenschappen en departementen maar tot de hele universiteitsgemeenschap om projecten op te zetten die een breedmaatschappelijke impact hebben. De infosessie is dan ook een directe uitnodiging voor VUB vorsers om DISC te contacteren als potentiële partner voor iedereen die een op Brussel gericht interuniversitair en interdisicplinair project wilt opstarten en uitbouwen. PROGRAMMA 12u - 12u30 : sandwiches zijn beschikbaar al naargelang de bestellingen 12u30 - 12u35 : verwelkoming en inleiding op het DISC project en haar missie door vice-rector Onderzoek Jan Cornelis 12u35 - 12u45: voorstelling Pool 1 door Karla De Vuyst (verantwoordelijke e-BIB) 12u45 - 12.55u : voorstelling Pool 2 door Marleen Wynants (CROSSTALKS en VUB liaison officer van DISC) 12u55 - 13u15 : voorstelling Pool 3 en 4 door Jan Cornelis met klemtoon op de lopende en ingediende onderzoeksprojecten 13u15 - 13u30 : voorstelling BeSTin project door Marc Verpoorten (VUB bib Systeembureau) 13u30 - 14u : vragen en discussie PRAKTISCH U kunt uw deelname te bevestigen bij Sara Engelen - [EMAIL PROTECTED] of 02 6291832. Gelieve er meteen bij te vermelden of u een sandwich(en) wenst te bestellen via deze weg of niet, kwestie van tijdig en collectief de bestelling te kunnen doorgeven. Warme en koude dranken zullen worden voorzien. BESTIN seminarie, vrijdag 17 december vanaf 9u30 in de lokalen van DISC Het Brussels Electronic Scientific Technical Information Network (BESTIN) is een gemeenschappelijk project van de Vrije Universiteit Brussel, de Université Libre de Bruxelles en DISC, met de steun van het Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest. Met het oog op een optimale ontwikkeling van het wetenschappelijk onderzoek in de Brusselse Regio, wil BESTIN een eenvoudige toegang tot wetenschappelijke informatie creëren, de onderzoeksresultaten van wetenschappers in de Brusselse regio beter toegankelijk maken en ook de onderzoekscompetentie in de regio in kaart brengen. Het eerste doel is gerealiseerd: Article Database geeft toegang tot de artikelbeschrijvingen van 16.000 internationale wetenschappelijke tijdschriften.
[ECCO] Re: Wisdom of Crowds
Title: Re: Wisdom of Crowds Gottfried: I just started listening to The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki (2004). He describes some old observations by Galton[...]: There was a contest to estimate the weight of an ox and he found that the average of all the guesses was very close to the correct value. Apparently this has been confirmed by many experiments of estimating the number of jellybeans in a jar. [...]So I was wondering if this is just some simple statistical property of random guesses or what the current status of research is on these issues (the book seems to be more anecdotal than scientific). At 20:49 +0700 12/5/04, Korakot Chaovavanich wrote: Suppose that everyone is likely to guess it correctly (no inherent bias to this specific problem) and solution is only one dimension (in this case, just a number). According to central limit theorem, the eventual average will have the same mean (u) with deviation reduced by square root of n times. So, if everybody is likely to guess with the deviation 2 (+-), 16 people averaged will reduce the deviation to 2/root(16) = 0.5 (approximately). But the assumption may not hold. For example, if there is systemic bias from a large porportion of the crowd, the average will be affected, and they may not appear so wise. Averaging the guesses of many different people will come closer and closer to the optimal solution if we assume that individual guesses deviate from the correct one by a random number. In that case, as Korakot pointed out, the statistical law of large numbers will lead the deviations to cancel each other out the larger the number of guesses that are averaged. This wisdom of the crowds or collective intelligence phenomenon has many useful applications. For example, Craig Kaplan, in the paper he presented at our Global Brain Workshop (http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/Conf/GB-0-abs.html#Kaplan), used it to successfully forecast stock prices. Norman Johnson from the Los Alamos National Laboratory made a nice simulation demonstrating how the average decision of many agents trying to find their way through a maze is better than that of any individual agent. (the simulation and my interpretation are described below in a quote from my paper on Collective Intelligence and its Implementation on the Web (http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/papers/CollectiveWebIntelligence.pdf) However, this assumes that there is no collective bias, i.e. a common factor that makes people systematically overestimate or underestimate the true value. Of course, we know of plenty such cognitive and social biases (e.g. people tend to overestimate the size of an object surrounded by smaller objects, and to underestimate it when surrounded by bigger objects). But since these biases are common to all of us, the wisdom of the crowds won't do worse than the guess of an individual. More dangerous are the situations were the bias is of an inherently social nature, i.e. engendered by the interactions between individuals. For example, social psychologists have shown that groups often take more extreme decisions than individuals, because the individual opinions reinforce each other (conformity), and people feel more confident making a doubtful decision when supported by others. That problem can be avoided by making people vote independently on the preferred outcome, a feature of many group decision support systems. An important research issue in collective intelligence would be to systematically list all these different individual and social biases, so that we could take them into account, or try to avoid them, when making collective decisions. In the examples about the weight of an ox or the number of candies in a jar, there probably aren't any specific individual biases (e.g. we can assume that the ox is not surrounded by unusually small members of the same species), while the independent guessing eliminates social biases, so that is why it works. But it would be interesting to do the experiment with many different types of questions and settings to see under what circumstances biases appear. Since our cognitive apparatus has been finetuned by evolution to be as accurate as possible, conditional to our limited capacity for perception and information processing, shared individual biases are probably the exception rather than the rule. While that is the case, individuals still have idiosyncratic biases, that depend wholly on their personal experience (e.g. having encountered mostly heavy, respectively light oxen until now). But since everyone's experience is different, these biases can be assumed to be random, and therefore they will be reduced and eventually eliminated through the averaging of an increasing number of guesses. That would seem to imply that we just need a sufficiently large number of people voting independently to come to good solutions. But that assumes that these people have a sufficient diversity of relevant experiences. Democracy shows that this is not at all obvious.
RE: [ECCO] Seminars and GOA evaluation
Title: Seminars and GOA evaluation Dag Francis, Ik zal er op 16 en 23/12 bij zijn. Groeten. Julien. -Oorspronkelijk bericht-Van: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]Namens Francis HeylighenVerzonden: vrijdag 3 december 2004 19:56Aan: Evolution, Complexity and Cognition groupCC: Frank Van OverwalleOnderwerp: [ECCO] Seminars and GOA evaluation ECCO Seminar series For our seminars, I have reserved a room in the psychology faculty (3C204) on Thursdays, starting from 5 pm, for the rest of the year. This is a large room with an inbuilt projector for computer presentations. Since we will normally be with a relatively small group, we may move the tables and chairs to create a more close setting. I chose the room in the PE faculty, because the LW faculty, to which I am administratively connected, does not have any rooms available for seminars, and normal lecture rooms have to be paid for if they are not used for teaching. But if anybody knows a pleasant room somewhere else that we could use, I can still change the reservation... Since all those who reacted noted that Thursday was OK, while no other days were unproblematic for everybody, it seems that Thursday will be our weekly activity day. Moreover, since some ECCO members are normally working off-campus until 5 pm, I suggest to start the seminars a little later, at 5.30, until about 7.30. The preliminary program for the next few weeks is the following (this will be confirmed in the coming days): Dec. 9: Francis Heylighen: The origins of organization. A general introduction to the ECCO theme Dec. 16: Carlos Gershenson: Self-organizing traffic lights: a simple simulation of the mediated emergence of cooperation Dec. 23: Marko Rodriguez: Towards a computer-support system for societal decision-making Evaluation of our GOA project Most of you will know that Frank Van Overwalle and I proposed an ambitious "GOA" project on the emergence and evolution of distributed cognition, which unfortunately was not funded. Today we got the referee reports, which are generally quite positive. Two referees thought we definitely deserved funding (one enthusiastically so), the third one was a little doubtful. A strong point of the proposal was the quality of the research team, which was basically a combination of the embryonic ECCO as it existed in April, and Frank's Social Cognition group. All referees agreed on the excellent scientific reputation and high activity level of the main promotors, and the broad complementarity of backgrounds and experience of the other members. The only criticism for the ECCO group was that we needed more publications in high-impact journals, which is indeed a weak point. The referees also mostly agreed on the importance, originality and cohesion of the project, but two were more doubtful about the practical feasibility, noting that while we were likely to produce very interesting results, the overall aim of creating an integrated theory of distributed cognition seemed overambitious given the 5 year time-frame of the project. The referees further made some more detailed suggestions for improvement of the proposal. In conclusion, it definitely seems worth resubmitting an improved version of this proposal next time a call is opened. -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition groupFree University of Brusselshttp://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
[ECCO] Seminars and GOA evaluation
Title: Seminars and GOA evaluation ECCO Seminar series For our seminars, I have reserved a room in the psychology faculty (3C204) on Thursdays, starting from 5 pm, for the rest of the year. This is a large room with an inbuilt projector for computer presentations. Since we will normally be with a relatively small group, we may move the tables and chairs to create a more close setting. I chose the room in the PE faculty, because the LW faculty, to which I am administratively connected, does not have any rooms available for seminars, and normal lecture rooms have to be paid for if they are not used for teaching. But if anybody knows a pleasant room somewhere else that we could use, I can still change the reservation... Since all those who reacted noted that Thursday was OK, while no other days were unproblematic for everybody, it seems that Thursday will be our weekly activity day. Moreover, since some ECCO members are normally working off-campus until 5 pm, I suggest to start the seminars a little later, at 5.30, until about 7.30. The preliminary program for the next few weeks is the following (this will be confirmed in the coming days): Dec. 9: Francis Heylighen: The origins of organization. A general introduction to the ECCO theme Dec. 16: Carlos Gershenson: Self-organizing traffic lights: a simple simulation of the mediated emergence of cooperation Dec. 23: Marko Rodriguez: Towards a computer-support system for societal decision-making Evaluation of our GOA project Most of you will know that Frank Van Overwalle and I proposed an ambitious GOA project on the emergence and evolution of distributed cognition, which unfortunately was not funded. Today we got the referee reports, which are generally quite positive. Two referees thought we definitely deserved funding (one enthusiastically so), the third one was a little doubtful. A strong point of the proposal was the quality of the research team, which was basically a combination of the embryonic ECCO as it existed in April, and Frank's Social Cognition group. All referees agreed on the excellent scientific reputation and high activity level of the main promotors, and the broad complementarity of backgrounds and experience of the other members. The only criticism for the ECCO group was that we needed more publications in high-impact journals, which is indeed a weak point. The referees also mostly agreed on the importance, originality and cohesion of the project, but two were more doubtful about the practical feasibility, noting that while we were likely to produce very interesting results, the overall aim of creating an integrated theory of distributed cognition seemed overambitious given the 5 year time-frame of the project. The referees further made some more detailed suggestions for improvement of the proposal. In conclusion, it definitely seems worth resubmitting an improved version of this proposal next time a call is opened. -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
[ECCO] CFP: Adaptive Models of Language Cognition
I have been invited to join the programme committee of the following symposium, which seems quite interesting for people working on the self-organization of distributed cognition... Date: Fri, 26 Nov 2004 16:06:32 -0500 Subject: Invitation to AMKLC'05 From: Ann Russell [EMAIL PROTECTED] The special symposium on Adaptive Models of Knowledge, Language and Cognition. AMKLC'05 will be organized as part of AKRR'05, an International and Interdisciplinary Conference on Adaptive Knowledge Representation and Reasoning, that will be held in Espoo, Finland, June 15-17, 2005. The AMKLC'05 symposium focuses on emergence, complexity and self-organization in cognitive and social systems: how knowledge is being created and established within human and computer-mediated networks and the role of language as an adaptive medium for knowledge building. Following researchers like Maturana, Varela, Von Foerster, Gardenfors, Glenberg, MacWhinney, Steels and many others, the symposium encourages investigation on the relationship between knowledge, language and cogntion. An underlying assumption for the symposium is that in order to analyze, model and understand the individual cognitive and social level of knowledge formation and the role of language in such contexts, one has to take into account underlying dynamic adaptation processes and the embodied nature of cogniton. For your information, the important dates for AMKCL'05 are as follows: - Paper submission due: 29 January 2005 - Acceptance notification: 14 March 2005 - Deadline for early registration: 21 March 2005 - Camera-ready paper due: 8 April 2005 - Symposia and conference: 15-17 June 2005 You can find more information on the symposium at http://www.cis.hut.fi/AKRR05/amklc05/ Ann Russell Institute for Knowledge Innovation and Technology (IKIT) and Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto (OISE/UT) 252 Bloor Street West, 9-114 Toronto, Ontario M5S 1V6 Phone: (416) 923-6641, ext 2454 Fax: (416) 926-4713 http://ikit.org -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
[ECCO] New ECCO member: Dirk Bollen
Today I interviewed the last candidate on the present waiting list for joining ECCO (though I'm sure new applications will shortly appear), and my impressions were wholly positive. So, we can welcome Dirk Bollen as a new member. Dirk is a psychologist with a specialization in AI/cognitive science, with particular interest in situated and embodied cognition and the emergence of global, intelligent organization from local interactions between simple components. You can check some of his ideas and papers on his websites: http://www.dirkbollen.tk/ and http://users.telenet.be/dirkbollen/research/index.html After finishing his studies last year at the University of Maastricht, Dirk will shortly start to work full-time in software, but hopes to find enough free time, and eventually get some kind of scholarship, to continue his research towards a PhD. He plans to participate actively in our ECCO seminars and other activities. Some of you probably know his older brother, Johan Bollen, a former PhD student of mine who is now an assistant professor at Old Dominion University in the US, and who has always stimulated Dirk in pursuing his scientific interests. -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
[ECCO] Fwd: Fwd: Scientists get their own Google
Probably some of you already saw this, which Sven Aerts sent to some of us... It seems it is much related to the database we were speaking about... Proabably a way of getting into it would be better by trying to join efforts with Google (and resources). We should make a paper describing what the current search engine is lacking, and how to overcome it, and then suggest it to the Google people... Carlos Gershenson... Centrum Leo Apostel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Krijgskundestraat 33. B-1160 Brussels, Belgium http://homepages.vub.ac.be/~cgershen/ Knowledge brings more questions than answers This is a forwarded message From: Ricardo Barbosa [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Monday, November 22, 2004, 7:25:22 PM Subject: Fwd: Scientists get their own Google ===8==Original message text=== Scientists get their own Google Declan Butler http://www.nature.com/news/about/aboutus.html#Butler *New search engine ranks papers by importance, and finds the free versions.* Google Scholar searches for scientific articles instead of web pages. /© Google/ Media box javascript:void(0) Imagine searching the Internet and being able to restrict your results to academic texts. Today Google launched a free search engine that aims to do just that. Google Scholar searches only journal articles, theses, books, preprints, and technical reports across any area of research. A test version of the search engine is available at http://scholar.google.com http://scholar.google.com/, so you can try it out. In a search for the phrase human genome, for example, a normal Google web search throws back 450,000 or so hits, with genome centres and databases and other websites ranked top. In contrast, Google Scholar returns just 113,000 hits, and all the top-ranked items are not websites but seminal papers on the subject. In fact, the number one hit is the landmark article Initial sequencing and analysis of the human genome^1 http://www.nature.com/news/2004/041115/full/041115-13.html#B1 published in /Nature/ in 2001. *On the links* The tool is based on principles similar to those of Google's web search. The original search manages to make the most useful references appear at the top of the page using algorithms that exploit the structure of the links between web pages. Pages with many links pointing to them are considered 'authorities', and ranked highest in search returns. The ranking is refined by taking into account the importance of the origins of links to a paper. We don't just look at the number of links, says Sergey Brin, a cofounder of Google. A link from the Nature home page will be given more weight than a link from my home page, he explains. Google Scholar works in much the same way, using the citations at the end of each paper, rather than web links. It automatically identifies the format and content of scientific texts from around the web, extracts the references and builds automatic citation analyses for all the papers indexed. This approach has been pioneered in computer science by ResearchIndex, software produced by the information technology company NEC. *Search for success* Much of the peer-reviewed material has been made available to Google by publishers, including Nature Publishing Group, the Association for Computing Machinery and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, through a pilot cross-publisher search engine called CrossRef Search. Publishers have arranged for Google robots to scan the full texts of their articles. Users clicking on a hit returned by Google Scholar are directed to the article on the publisher's site, where subscribers can access full text and non-subscribers get an abstract or information on how to buy an article. Google Scholar has a subversive feature, however. Each hit also links to all the free versions of the article it has found saved on other sites, for example on personal home pages, elsewhere on the Internet. ===8===End of original message text=== Scientists get their own Google Declan Butler New search engine ranks papers by importance, and finds the free versions. Google Scholar searches for scientific articles instead of web pages. Google Media box Imagine searching the Internet and being able to restrict your results to academic texts. Today Google launched a free search engine that aims to do just that. Google Scholar searches only journal articles, theses, books, preprints, and technical reports across any area of research. A test version of the search engine is available at http://scholar.google.com, so you can try it out. In a search for the phrase "human genome", for example, a
[ECCO] Fwd: CfP Socially Inspired Computing @ AISB
Date: Tue, 02 Nov 2004 11:35:39 + From: Bruce Edmonds [EMAIL PROTECTED] X-Accept-Language: en, en-us To: PCP List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [pcp-discuss:] Last CfP and announcement of studenships: Socially Inspired Computing @ AISB 3rd and FINAL Call for Papers for Socially Inspired Computing - Engineering with Social Metaphors DEADLINE APPROACHING: 15th Nov. 2004 *** Three 250 Euro studentship grants available *** A 2-day workshop at the AISB convention on Social Intelligence and Interaction in Animals, Robots And Agents, 12-15 April 2005, at University of Hertfordshire, de Havilland Campus, Hatfield, England. Co-organised by: David Hales and Bruce Edmonds. Further Details: Workshop webpage: http://cfpm.org/sic Convention website: http://aisb2005.feis.herts.ac.uk Important Dates: Deadline for submissions: 15th Nov. 2004 Notification of acceptance: 7th Dec. 2004 Deadline for submission of final versions: 21st Dec. 2004 Workshop: 12-13th April 2005 Posting to [EMAIL PROTECTED] from Bruce Edmonds [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- Francis Heylighen Evolution, Complexity and Cognition research group Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
[ECCO] Luc Steels talk in English?
From: Nathalie Gontier [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] if there are a lot of English speakers that want to come to the presentation, I will ask Luc to give the talk in English, which will not be a major problem but then I have to be absolutely sure that many of you will be coming. I think there may be a couple that would be interested, such as Marko, but the problem is that you won't get many reactions from English speakers if the original announcement is in Dutch. Maybe you should ask Luc himself, as he probably would prefer to do it in English given that most of his work is anyway in that language... For those who may not know the speaker (are there such?), the talk below is definitely worth attending! Luc Steels is an international authority on computer models of the evolution of language, and the work done in his AI-lab is very inspiring. The subject of his talk, the self-organization of language and meaning, also fits in directly with our core ECCO themes... A note for Nathalie: if you want to distribute further DITO or other announcements to the evolcomp mailing list, you better do it from your own email address, because mails from the address below are bounced by the mailserver. ok, I will The address from which you sent this mail was still not accepted by the mailserver, as you are subscribed under [EMAIL PROTECTED]. If you want I can change your subscription, but unfortunately there is no clean way to subscribe you under different addresses unless you don't mind getting several copies of evolcomp mails. -- Francis Heylighen Center Leo Apostel Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
RE: [ECCO] is there a meeting today?
Hello All- is there a meeting this afternoon and must I still organize the room?
[ECCO] Invited Talk: Self-organization and Dynamical Systems - what should we be thinking about?: Monday 11th 4pm in 3C
Title: CLEA seminar 16/09: Resource Allocation as Evolving St Dear All, On Monday the 11th at 4pm on level 3 in C block we kindly invite you to a talk on some possibilities for understanding Self-Organization in systems such as we study in PE. Alain will be giving us a special talk to indicate how his PhD findings might be of benefit to those of us working in the non-exact sciences! For this talk he will tailor his insights to issues in the social and psychological sciences, and discuss issues like modeling of brain dynamics, or learning, or inter-group dynamics, trust, and so on, focusing on how we could understand the process and structure by which a system self-organizes. He has an interesting tool to offer us, and he is a clear speaker, and pedagogically gifted! Alain, I hope I have done you some justice. And perhaps some interesting questions before your public defense on Wednesday! I append below another talk that Alain gave for another group at the VUB more interested in the quantum implications of his work. I have yet to finalize which room we will use, and shall confirm it on Monday morning with everyone. Kindest, margeret ... capacities that belong to spontaneity are in play in actualizations of receptivity.. (Mc Dowell, Mind and World) Alain Gaetan Njimolu Anyouzoa: Resource Allocation as an Evolving Strategy in a Free Entry and Exit Setting Keywords:Distributed Resource Allocation, Game Theory, Evolutionary Game Theory, Classical Mechanics, Statistical Mechanics, Quantum Mechanics, Self-Organization, Load balancing, Complexity Theory, Price Dispersion, Quantum Price, Opportunity Sets, Cooperative Games with Stochastic Payoffs, Cooperation, Coordination, Mutualism, Information Imperfection, Dynamical Systems Analysis, Mesoscopic Physics. Abstract: see attachment -- Following the view point of Evolutionary Dynamics, we have built a multi-agents system to study the emergence and disappearance of replicators in an heterogeneous network of resources. The class of systems we are looking at are systems facing structural uncertainties (supply structure and growth, concentration level, substitute products, ...). In our approach [1, 2] resources are modeled as strategies, and agents distribute processing requirements onto resources using imperfect information and local decision making. Although our agents are endowed with bounded rationality [4], they still have to face the challenge of dealing with imperfect understanding of the feedback structure from resources which use unintendedly rational heuristics to set resources' unit prices. Our intent is to achieve cooperative equilibrium using competitive dynamics by controlling congestion through capacity pricing. To achieve this, we have relaxed Olafsson's [1] model and built into it a distributed differentiate pricing scheme to improve loose coupling between agents and resources. In this paper, we explore its dynamics from the perspective of both agents and resources. --
[ECCO] Fwd: Cognitive Systems on the IST 2004 Conference in The Hague ( Novem ber 15-17, 2004)
Title: Fwd: Cognitive Systems on the IST 2004 Conference in T Interesting opportunity to explore EU funding opportunities for ECCO... X-Original-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Delivered-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Subject: Cognitive Systems on the IST 2004 Conference in The Hague ( Novem ber 15-17, 2004) Date: Thu, 7 Oct 2004 14:44:38 +0200 X-Spam-Checker-Version: maxi.ulb.ac.be SA 2.63 (2004-01-11) X-Spam-Status: No, hits=2.0, level=* Dear Colleague, We are pleased to announce that the Cognition theme will be present at IST 2004 in a double-headed Networking Session, Tuesday 16th November, 2004, IST 2004 Conference, The Hague, Netherlands. The first part aims to raise awareness and exchange information about recent successes and potential for new applications of Cognitive Vision research. It is organised by our ECVISION thematic network (contact point is Patrick Courtney of ECVISION). The second part will be held by our unit, with Colette Maloney and her colleagues. They will highlight the 30 Meuro package of newly launched Cognitive Systems projects under the sixth Framework Programme and the prospects for the upcoming IST Call 4. Between the two sessions, we plan to organise a demonstration of a cognitive robot. How to participate: First, register at the general conference site (http://europa.eu.int/information_society/istevent/2004/cf/registration.cfm). Secondly, go to the Networking Session pages and subscribe to one or both of the Cognitive Systems Networking sessions: - Networking Session 437: A Vision for Cognition: Cognitive Vision and Cognitive Systems in Europe, Tuesday 16th November, 9h00 http://europa.eu.int/information_society/istevent/2004/cf/vieweventdetail.cfm?ses_id=437eventType=networking - Networking Session 420, Cognitive Systems in the FP6 IST Programme , Tuesday 16th November, 11h00 http://europa.eu.int/information_society/istevent/2004/cf/vieweventdetail.cfm?ses_id=420eventType=networking Important: if you are considering to submit a proposal for IST Call 4, which to be published in November this year, you should definitely use this opportunity to help build up your consortium and to gain the latest insights into the call scope, aims and mechanisms. If you wish to meet a member of the Cognitive Systems staff individually or if you would like to present a project idea (on a 5 min/2 slides basis) please let me know in advance. With best regards (and apologies for cross-posting) Christine Michaut --- Information Communication Officer Cognition (Unit 5 of Directorate E) Directorate-General Information Society European Commission Rue Alcide de Gasperi, EUFO 2255 Phone+352-4301-34071 / Fax +352 4301 33530 Website: www.cordis.lu/cognition *** The views expressed are purely those of the writer and may not in any circumstances be regarded as stating an official position of the European Commission. Please excuse any cross-postings for this mailing. -- Francis Heylighen Center Leo Apostel Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
[ECCO] Fwd: Invitation: Workshop on Ontology Modularization and context, at VUB
This is a forwarded message From: Mustafa Jarrar [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mustafa Jarrar [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Tuesday, October 5, 2004, 12:48:59 PM Subject: Invitation: Workshop on Ontology Modularization and context, at VUB ===8==Original message text=== Dear colleague, I don't know if everyone interested already received this invitation... better to receive it twice than never? You are kindly invited to attend the Workshop on Ontology Modularization and context, http://www.starlab.vub.ac.be/staff/mustafa/OMAC.htm (Or see the program below) Date: Thursday 14/10/2004, Venue: STARLab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium. All participants must register (Free) before 10/10/2004. Please send email to Mustafa Jarrar ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Program === 10:15 Welcome and program revision 10:30 DB approaches to module Integration; Stefano Spaccapietra, École Politechnique Fédérale, (Switzerland) 11:30 Ontology modularization and composition; Mustafa Jarrar, VUB STARLab (Belgium) 12:30 Lunch 14:00 Ontological Context; Aldo Gangemi, Laboratory for Applied Ontology (Italy) 15:00 C-OWL: representing contextual ontologies; Fausto Giunchiglia, University of Trento (Italy) 16:30 Coffee Break 16:03 Semantic coordination: ontologies, contexts and schemas; Paolo Bouquet, University of Trento (Italy) 17:00 Close === Best Regards, Mustafa Jarrar ~~~ STARLab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel http://www.starlab.vub.ac.be/staff/mustafa Tel:+32 2 6293487 , Fax:+32 2 6293308 ~~~ ===8===End of original message text=== Carlos Gershenson... Centrum Leo Apostel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Krijgskundestraat 33. B-1160 Brussels, Belgium http://homepages.vub.ac.be/~cgershen/ Describing and understanding problems will not solve them...
RE: [ECCO] Choosing interesting books for ECCO
I vote for Mixels idea. It has the additional benefit of ensuring some discussion between folk on the books requested, which means that one benefits from interpretative aspects of the other, and not just from a subjective private read. It also builds friendships and collaborative possibilities. And I certainly do not feel comfortable digging around in CLEAs basement! However, to facilitate co-ordonation and housing of books, we still need to find a *neutral* place where they can live. Given the fight for space in CLEA, ECCO could temporarily benefit from another library place, as CLEA would definitely be uncomfortable. A suggestion for discussion: It appears that I will be reassigned to a new office in C building which because of voice-dictation I shall have to my self (am I blessed or what?). I am happy to suggest that I leave a spare key with out secretary with a list of people who belong to ECCO, and if I am not there, or it is outside of the strange hours I generally keep, perhaps they could respectfully browse the library in there as it seems that there will be space. There should be no problem with security for example, as anything I own of value () would be in my filing cabinet anyway. If anyone has any other idea along these lines perhaps it should be examined? I have Dan Dennetts Freedom Evolves (on its way from Canada), but suggest that what we begin to do is move away from the more popular science versions of the subjects of common interest (not that Dennetts book is exactly non-academic), and that we start getting into the meat of some of these issues. (Apologies if they are needed ?). I really think we should be striving for rigour, and whilst most subjects are often approached through softer versions of the subject initially (a necessary step), ramping-up our expectations would be a good thing. Of course I speak for myself, intellectually, too. I would like the online data base to have information that includes the academic papers touching in some significant way on these subjects (selected by ourselves and the next-neighbourhood of colleagues), and papers which critique the ideas in the book. I see no reason why the digital database should not commence immediately. Why wait? We will all just get busier and busier, so now is as good a time as any. Margeret ... capacities that belong to spontaneity are in play in actualizations of receptivity.. (Mc Dowell, Mind and World) -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mixel Kiemen Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 2004 2:52 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [ECCO] Choosing interesting books for ECCO On 29-sep-04, at 13:18, Francis Heylighen wrote: I have some other books on memetics in my personal library here as well but I foresee that they will move to the CLEA library or to my office there pretty soon. The idea I have in mind is too pool our personal belongings into a shared library in the following way. If somebody owns an interesting book, but does not need it at the moment and is willing to let other ECCO members read it, that person can store that book in a place accessible for ECCO members (e.g. the book cupboards in the basement of the CLEA house), but including a label or ex-libris that clearly identifies the owner, so that no discussion can arise about who owns what. If someone sees that book in the library and wants to borrow it for reading, that person inserts a piece of cardboard with his/her name, date of borrowing, and title of the book in the space where the book used to be. If someone else (including the owner) would like to get the borrowed book, they then immediately know who to ask for it. The same system would apply for books that belong to ECCO as a group (or even to CLEA, which has also quite a collection). In this way, the scattered collections of books that we have built upt individually or collectively can be easily converted into a pretty extensive and easy-to-use library. It will help *me* at least to create some more space and order in my own book cupboards at home and in the office, while supporting the research of others... In a later stage, we can enter all books titles, authors, and perhaps keywords in a database that can be consulted and edited over the web, so that you can check from a distance which books are available in the library and who has borrowed what. -- I've got some interesting books as well. I like to have them near to look something up, storing them in the CLEA house would be uncomfortable. Still with a good database readable form the internet it would be as easy to borrow this books as they where in the house. So I like to skip the first stage and get more involved in the later one. I would love to start talking about webhosting for ECCO. We could create a separated workgroup on it. The book I had planed to order, could be interesting for ECCO: On Becoming Aware: A Pragmatics of
[ECCO] Creating an ECCO database
Margeret: I vote for Mixel's idea. It has the additional benefit of ensuring some discussion between folk on the books requested, which means that one benefits from 'interpretative' aspects of 'the other', and not just from a subjective 'private' read. It also builds friendships and collaborative possibilities. And I certainly do not feel comfortable digging around in CLEA's basement! I understand your problem with the CLEA basement, but one reason to centralize most books there is because CLEA itself owns quite some interesting books that are hardly ever consulted by anybody (e.g. things on evolution, cognition and consciousness ordered by Liane who has now left CLEA). It would be silly not to make use of that potential. Moreover, I expect that most ECCO PhD students would have at least a (temporary) residence in CLEA. But I agree with Mixel's idea: making a good database that can be consulted over the web is the most efficient way to provide access to the literature. The database should include where you can find a book or paper (e.g. in CLEA, in the VUB central library, in the CLWF collection, in someone's private collection, on the web) and provide an as efficient as possible connection to that location (e.g hyperlink to VUB library webpage or PDF file on the web, email to owner or library administrator to request a book...). In that way you should be able to request a book stored in a place to which you don't have direct access (e.g. message to Mixel Could you please bring me your copy of Clark?) A suggestion for discussion: It appears that I will be reassigned to a new office in C building which because of voice-dictation I shall have to my self (am I blessed or what?). I am happy to suggest that I leave a spare key with out secretary with a list of people who belong to ECCO, and if I am not there, or it is outside of the strange hours I generally keep, perhaps they could respectfully browse the library in there as it seems that there will be space. There should be no problem with security for example, as anything I own of value () would be in my filing cabinet anyway. If anyone has any other idea along these lines perhaps it should be examined? Ideally, ECCO would have its own offices, including a library, somewhere in an unused VUB wing, but given the scarcity of space that is merely an ideal for the future. While some of the books could be stored in your office (at least your own books), a solution with a key that is to be requested from a secretary who has to check who you are, and who may not be around much of the time, seems at least as awkward as the CLEA basement, and has the disadvantage that it cannot include the CLEA books... I have Dan Dennett's Freedom Evolves (on its way from Canada), but suggest that what we begin to do is move away from the more 'popular science' versions of the subjects of common interest (not that Dennett's book is exactly non-academic), and that we start getting into the meat of some of these issues. (Apologies if they are needed ?). I really think we should be striving for rigour, and whilst most subjects are often approached through 'softer' versions of the subject initially (a necessary step), ramping-up our expectations would be a good thing. Of course I speak for myself, intellectually, too. I think we need both more introductory/popular books for the people starting with a new subject AND more advanced books. I would like the online data base to have information that includes the academic papers touching in some significant way on these subjects (selected by ourselves and the next-neighbourhood of colleagues), and papers which critique the ideas in the book. I see no reason why the digital database should not commence immediately. Why wait? We will all just get busier and busier, so now is as good a time as any. Mixel: Still with a good database readable form the internet it would be as easy to borrow this books as they where in the house. So I like to skip the first stage and get more involved in the later one. I would love to start talking about webhosting for ECCO. We could create a separated workgroup on it. As I said, the database, and by extension the website, for ECCO are priorities for me too, and if people like Mixel are volunteering to help set these up, I see no reason to wait. I have plenty of ideas for the kind of functionalities such a database/website should have, and I suggest we discuss these at our next meetings. At the least I would like to see some intelligent recommender system that tells you which papers/books are most likely to be relevant for your specific research interests. This would require some possibility to search for keywords (which can be part of the title/abstract/personal reviews) and an easy way to enter personal evaluations of how good you found a book that you read. The generalized co-occurrence/Hebbian algorithsm that I have been developing should be able to derive taylormade recommendations from this, so that
Re: [ECCO] Creating an ECCO database
More generally, a collective intelligence will emerge most easily if it provides immediate INDIVIDUAL benefits, i.e. if the database would be so handy and useful that you would enter data for your own use (e.g. maintaining a bibliography of papers you read for your PhD thesis), even if it this didn't have any collective benefits (e.g. being able to use part of other people's bibliographies relevant to your work). If the database could generate Bibliographies (BibTeX for LaTeX users, and html or pdf with a predefined format, easy to copy-paste, for other text-editor users), that would do the trick... (well, actually once in BibTeX you can generate with any format you want with a bibstyle file to a pdf, and then copy-paste, but this could be automated...) Best regards, Carlos Gershenson... Centrum Leo Apostel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Krijgskundestraat 33. B-1160 Brussels, Belgium http://homepages.vub.ac.be/~cgershen/ We can control much better how we accept things than things themselves
Re: [ECCO] Creating an ECCO database
I've been using latex for a while as a programmer I was interested in the limits of Latex, BibTex, etc. If you are ready I can give you an introduction. Mixel On 30-sep-04, at 17:09, Klaas Chielens wrote: If the database could generate Bibliographies (BibTeX for LaTeX users, and html or pdf with a predefined format, easy to copy-paste, for other text-editor users), that would do the trick... I am currently testing something called wikindx which can generate these kinds of bibliographies (in APA/MLA/MHRA/some funky australian style). You can find it running as test on http://wikindx2.chielens.net or the project development page on http://sourceforge.net/wikindx/. I am very interested in the bibtex format as I am going to try to get a grip on latex one of these days ( a good introduction would be most welcome). K. --- --- --- --- Mixel Kiemen: http://www.mixel.be/ PhD student at ECCO: http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/ECCO/
[ECCO] Accommodation in Brussels for Marko?
Does anyone have suggestions for inexpensive accommodation for Marko (who is coming to work with us for at least this academic year), or is willing to help him look around? To: Francis Heylighen [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Comming to Brussels. Hello Francis. I'm currently in Australia and will be leaving here on the October 9th for Amsterdam. I have that Cybernetics conference until October 13th then will be heading to Brussels. I'm currently looking for housing. I plan on arriving and then looking, but in the meantime I am interested in temporary housing. Do you know of any hostels near and around the area where the ECCO group meets and conducts their research? Thanks for your help, Marko. http://www.soe.ucsc.edu/~okram -- Francis Heylighen Center Leo Apostel Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
RE: [ECCO] Choosing interesting books for ECCO
These are the books that I find interesting for our bibliography: - The Meme Machine by Susan Blackmore. Especially interesting for my field as it is the first book that makes a considerable attempt to expand and broaden the idea and theory of memetics beyond the point where Dawkins had brought it after first creating the concept in 1976. (isbn: 019286212X) The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. I have always found it interesting how many people claim to be able to go without a decent style-guide. I have both used this MLA handbook and the St Martin's Guide to Writing and have found to benefit from the use of these books. As some our researchers are not mothertonguespeakers of English and as most of our mails are written in English it will be a useful asset to have some of these books (as well as a good thesaurus) in the ECCO collection. I would also recommend the books by Richard Dawkins which can be found in Francis' bibliography, more specifically the Selfish Gene (chapter 11 iirc is devoted to and the actual place of birth of 'memes'). Most of the books I have in my collection are dealing with memetics and evolution, some with cognition and I have a wide selection of sociolinguistic books as well as grammars. Books from Cambridge uni: - 15.99£ http://titles.cambridge.org/catalogue.asp?isbn=0521606276 The Selfish Meme - obviously one for my field; to be published It would probably be a good idea to include some books about cognition and evolution but I think those are already available. I have some other books on memetics in my personal library here as well but I foresee that they will move to the CLEA library or to my office there pretty soon. K.
Re: [ECCO] Choosing interesting books for ECCO
On 29-sep-04, at 13:18, Francis Heylighen wrote: I have some other books on memetics in my personal library here as well but I foresee that they will move to the CLEA library or to my office there pretty soon. The idea I have in mind is too pool our personal belongings into a shared library in the following way. If somebody owns an interesting book, but does not need it at the moment and is willing to let other ECCO members read it, that person can store that book in a place accessible for ECCO members (e.g. the book cupboards in the basement of the CLEA house), but including a label or ex-libris that clearly identifies the owner, so that no discussion can arise about who owns what. If someone sees that book in the library and wants to borrow it for reading, that person inserts a piece of cardboard with his/her name, date of borrowing, and title of the book in the space where the book used to be. If someone else (including the owner) would like to get the borrowed book, they then immediately know who to ask for it. The same system would apply for books that belong to ECCO as a group (or even to CLEA, which has also quite a collection). In this way, the scattered collections of books that we have built upt individually or collectively can be easily converted into a pretty extensive and easy-to-use library. It will help *me* at least to create some more space and order in my own book cupboards at home and in the office, while supporting the research of others... In a later stage, we can enter all books titles, authors, and perhaps keywords in a database that can be consulted and edited over the web, so that you can check from a distance which books are available in the library and who has borrowed what. -- I've got some interesting books as well. I like to have them near to look something up, storing them in the CLEA house would be uncomfortable. Still with a good database readable form the internet it would be as easy to borrow this books as they where in the house. So I like to skip the first stage and get more involved in the later one. I would love to start talking about webhosting for ECCO. We could create a separated workgroup on it. The book I had planed to order, could be interesting for ECCO: On Becoming Aware: A Pragmatics of Experiencing, Natalie Depraz, Francisco J. Varela, Pierre Vermersch The Hidden Connections: A Science for Sustainable Living, Fritjof Capra Freedom Evolves, Daniel C. Dennett Steps to an Ecology of Mind: Collected Essays in Anthropology, Psychiatry, Evolution and Epistemology, Mary Catherine Bateson (Foreword), Gregory Bateson Politics of Nature: How to Bring the Sciences into Democracy, Bruno Latour, Catherine Porter A Devil's Chaplain: Selected Writings, Richard Dawkins (still need to be published)=> Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive (Allen Lane Science S.), Jared Diamond Interesting books for ECCO that I posses: Natural-Born Cyborgs, Andy Clark Pandoras hope: Essays on the Reality of Science Studies, Bruno Latour Nature via Nuture, Matt Ridley Rationality in action, John Searle The Rise of the Creative Class and How It's Transforming Work, Life, Community and Everyday Life, Florida Richard Growing Artificial Societies, Joshua M. Epstein and Robert Axtell Artificial Minds, Stan Franklin Self-Organization and the City, Juval Portugali Machine consciousness edited by Holland Owen Francis Heylighen Center Leo Apostel Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html --- --- --- --- Mixel Kiemen: http://www.mixel.be/ PhD student at ECCO: http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/ECCO/
[ECCO] CfP: Memetic Theory in Artificial Systems and Societies
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 2004 11:20:29 +0100 Reply-To: Nigel Gilbert [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: Nigel Gilbert [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: CfP: Memetic Theory in Artificial Systems and Societies To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] NAACSOS - http://www.casos.cs.cmu.edu/naacsos/ - AISB 2005 Symposium *** Memetic Theory in Artificial Systems and Societies (METAS) 12-13 April 2005 University of Hertfordshire, de Havilland Campus, Hatfield, England A symposium withint the AISB 2005 Convention with the theme: ``Social Intelligence and Interaction in Animals, Robots and Agents'' - Memetic Theory and Artificial Societies (METAS) is the first edition of a series of international symposia dedicated to qualitative and quantitative aspects of memetic research as applied to artificial (and natural) systems and societies. Since Dawkins inception in 1976 of the meme concept, we have witnessed enormous advances in computational and communication technologies, not least the creation and popularisation of the Internet. These computational and communication advances allow researchers to simulate large and complex systems of interactive agents in scales not dreamt-of a short time ago. At the same time, these same resources represent sophisticated evolving computational substrates in which artificial societies (could) exist and where the science of memetics could be tested, developed and exploited. This symposium will bring together researcher working at the cutting-edge of memetic theory as applied to artificial systems and societies. METAS aim is to promote multidisciplinary studies and promote the best science on memetics. Some of the themes covered by METAS are: * Fundamental concepts on memetics and theoretical frameworks for Memetics (eg., evolutionary, cognitive, societal and computational mechanisms, etc) * Memetics as an evolutionary model of information transmission * Qualitative and Quantitative issues of memetics in artificial and natural societies (eg. the impact of memes in the individual VS the society, etc) * Computer simulations of memetics systems and dynamics * The memetics nature of information processing in networks (in general) and the Internet (in particular) * The memetics of software evolution * Memetics simulations in economy, marketing, policy-making, conflict resolution, game playing * Memetics in artificial and natural problem solving, software engineering and multi-agent systems. * Requirements for effective memetics systems (computational substrates, communication mechanisms, etc) This symposium will provide a unique opportunity for researchers in artificial intelligence, artificial life, robotics, cognitive science, biologist, social sciences, political studies and distributed systems engineering to interact with memetic scientist and to share a forum for discussion. The symposium will also serve as a common publication outlet for interdisciplinary research in these areas. The papers collected in the symposium will be extended and fully reviewed and will be published after the symposium in a book (preliminary agreement with the Natural Computation Series in Springer). The interdisciplinary programme committee will select the papers to be presented during the symposium and will also advice on which papers should appear latter (in extended version) in the book. The symposium will consist of 2 plenary talks, one on each of the two day of the symposium. The symposium will continue with papers presentations where each author will be given the opportunity to speak to the audience on his work. The symposium will finish with a round-panel discussion in the last day. - IMPORTANT DATES 01 Sept. 2004: Call For Papers 31 Oct. 2004: Paper Submissions Deadline 22 Nov. 2004: Paper Acceptance Notification Deadline 17 Dec. 2004: Camera-ready Deadline 14 Jan. 2005: Early registration deadline 12-15 April 2005: AISB 2005 convention - SUBMITTING A PAPER Short, self-contained papers, between 3-6 pages, should be emailed to both [EMAIL PROTECTED] and [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the SUBJECT: AISB 2005 Submission. The paper format should be similar to AAAI style, i.e. two-column. The symposium chairs strongly recommend using Latex (a style file will be provided shortly on the symposium website). Papers should be between 3-6 pages in length, although longer submissions are possible. - PROGRAMME COMMITTEE Yaneer Bar-Yam - New England Complex Systems Institute, Boston, USA Mark Bedau - Editor in Chief of Artificial Life Journal, USA Elhanan Borenstein - Dept. of Computer Science,
[ECCO] CLEA seminar 16/09: Resource Allocation as Evolving Strategy
Title: CLEA seminar 16/09: Resource Allocation as Evolving St Subject: reminder/correction CLEA seminar 16/09 From: Ellie D'Hondt [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Thu, 9 Sep 2004 17:07:11 +0200 Status: RO Hi all, You are all invited to participate in our next seminar, which takes place on Thursday the 16th of September, 3pm, room 10F720 (so building F, 10th floor, room 720). Alain Gaetan Njimolu Anyouzoa: Resource Allocation as an Evolving Strategy in a Free Entry and Exit Setting Keywords:Distributed Resource Allocation, Game Theory, Evolutionary Game Theory, Classical Mechanics, Statistical Mechanics, Quantum Mechanics, Self-Organization, Load balancing, Complexity Theory, Price Dispersion, Quantum Price, Opportunity Sets, Cooperative Games with Stochastic Payoffs, Cooperation, Coordination, Mutualism, Information Imperfection, Dynamical Systems Analysis, Mesoscopic Physics. Abstract: see attachment Only 3 days after his PhD defense he will talk about the splendid interdisciplinary work done in his thesis. The idea is to have a discussion afterwards, specifically on the philosophical/ontological aspects of the quantum behaviour discovered in his thesis. I hope to see you all then! Ellie Ellie D'Hondt CLEA Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) Krijgskundestraat 33 / B-1160 Brussel / BELGIUM mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.vub.ac.be/CLEA/ellie/homepage/welcome.html Phone : +32-2-644 26 77 Fax : +32-2-644 07 44 -- Following the view point of Evolutionary Dynamics, we have built a multi-agents system to study the emergence and disappearance of replicators in an heterogeneous network of resources. The class of systems we are looking at are systems facing structural uncertainties (supply structure and growth, concentration level, substitute products, ...). In our approach [1, 2] resources are modeled as strategies, and agents distribute processing requirements onto resources using imperfect information and local decision making. Although our agents are endowed with bounded rationality [4], they still have to face the challenge of dealing with imperfect understanding of the feedback structure from resources which use unintendedly rational heuristics to set resources' unit prices. Our intent is to achieve cooperative equilibrium using competitive dynamics by controlling congestion through capacity pricing. To achieve this, we have relaxed Olafsson's [1] model and built into it a distributed differentiate pricing scheme to improve loose coupling between agents and resources. In this paper, we explore its dynamics from the perspective of both agents and resources. -- Francis Heylighen Center Leo Apostel Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
RE: [ECCO] Testing the mailing list
Works works -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Francis Heylighen Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 2004 12:38 PM To: Evolution, Complexity and Cognition group Subject: [ECCO] Testing the mailing list test, test... -- Francis Heylighen Center Leo Apostel Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
[evolcomp] Practical Training Workshops for VUB researchers
http://www.vub.ac.be/docop/phpsurveyor/index.php?sid=1 Here you can register for a variety of courses that teach practical skills for researchers/PhD students, such as writing scientific papers in English, preparing presentations, or searching for bibliographic information. Since many of these courses are very popular you need to register ASAP or put yourself on the waiting list... For general info on the courses, see: http://www.vub.ac.be/docop/workshops/agenda.htm -- Francis Heylighen Center Leo Apostel Free University of Brussels http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html
