Monday, January 24, 2005
WIKI: Human Singularity
http://sl4.org/wiki/HumanSingularity
"I don't think that it's really necessary that we modify individual human minds in order to see a HumanSingularity.
Rather, all we need do is modify the organization of individual human minds, in order to see a HumanSingularity.
Take a group of sympathetic people. They work towards the same effort, say. You could treat this group of people as a single "super-person."
Now, rearrange the people. Perhaps you can make them more efficient. You can form them into an organized company. Or you can put them all near each other. Or you can blow them out at a vast distance. All of these reorganizations of the group will (I think) affect the group intelligence.
I'm saying that I think it's possible that we may see a HumanSingularity on the Internet. If people learn how to organize themselves and their conversations in new, super-efficient ways, we'll end up with both smarter individuals, and smarter organizations. It may happen that sympathetic interests on the Internet will figure out how to coordinate effectively with one another. And they may become very conscious of this process, and teach it.
This, in my mind, is what a HumanSingularity would mean. It would mean that the humans reconfigure how they connect with each other, in dramatic ways, with the aid of technology, and that this process would be self-enhancing.
I think the developments in Free Software and things like Wikipedia are signs of a HumanSingularity."
http://sl4.org/wiki/HumanSingularity
ECO-PLASTIC: Polylimonene Carbonate
http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Jan05/Orangeplastic.deb.html
Biochemists at Cornell University have created a way to make plastic from citrus and CO2. Combining limonene oxide and carbon dioxide, they've produced polylimonene carbonate, which has many of the characteristics of polystyrene.
Biochemists at Cornell University have created a way to make plastic from citrus and CO2. Combining limonene oxide and carbon dioxide, they've produced polylimonene carbonate, which has many of the characteristics of polystyrene.
"Almost every plastic out there, from the polyester in clothing to the plastics used for food packaging and electronics, goes back to the use of petroleum as a building block," Coates observes. "If you can get away from using oil and instead use readily abundant, renewable and cheap resources, then that's something we need to investigate. What's exciting about this work is that from completely renewable resources, we were able to make a plastic with very nice qualities."
Sunday, January 23, 2005
Permaculture Information Web
The Permaculture Information Web offers information about the relationships between biota including plants, animals, microorganisms, and other elements of living systems in order to assist with the process of Permaculture design.
PIW is a work in progress but you can search the current dataset (7300+ plants) . Look for collaborative capabilities in early 2005.
PIW is a work in progress but you can search the current dataset (7300+ plants) . Look for collaborative capabilities in early 2005.
"Because it is relationship-oriented and highly specific to local conditions, it can be difficult to practice. Instead of discretely selecting individual plants, relationships between biota must be woven together carefully, in consideration of a plants relationships to fellow organisms, to the overall ecosystem, and to the people whose needs it may satisfy. Although numerous databases offer information about individual plants, none offer information about the relationships between plants, or between plants and other biota, along with other Permaculture-centric characteristics. Knowledge of such relationships is critical to the practice of Permaculture design, our understanding of ecological processes, our capacity for systems thinking. The Permaculture Information Web will provide an online database of relationships between biota, to facilitate the process of Permaculture design."
"People practicing Permaculture worldwide are discovering relevant and useful information about plant relationships. But, because Permaculture as a field is somewhat un-institutionalized, no central repository for collecting and presenting such information exists. PIW seeks to help fill this void, providing an infrastructure for the cross-pollination of information. PIW itself mimics a natural system, harvesting vital resources in this case valuable information and distributing them appropriately."
"The Permaculture Information Web is created by and for the members of the Permaculture community. The PIW team is constructing and maintaining the website, but the content itself will be contributed by you interested parties at the grassroots level. In attempt to manifest Permaculture principles in its own design and function within the Permaculture field, the PIW hopes to act as a dynamic organism, co-evolving with the needs and preferences of the Permaculture community, and grow with the information imparted by its members. The PIW team hopes you will both feed from and nourish this fertile resource... "
Thursday, January 20, 2005
BLAG: le brixton linux action group
http://www.blagblagblag.org/
blag - le brixton linux action group
works to overthrow corporate control of information and technology through community action and spreading Free Software.
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blag - blag linux and gnu
blag is an operating system. blag has a suite of graphics, internet, audio, video, office, and peer to peer file sharing applications. you can replace a windoz installation with blag. if you would like to install and run blag, download and burn it to cd.
http://www.blagblagblag.org/
blag - le brixton linux action group
works to overthrow corporate control of information and technology through community action and spreading Free Software.
-->
blag - blag linux and gnu
blag is an operating system. blag has a suite of graphics, internet, audio, video, office, and peer to peer file sharing applications. you can replace a windoz installation with blag. if you would like to install and run blag, download and burn it to cd.
http://www.blagblagblag.org/
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Course:Systems Thinking for Sustainable Enterprise
Instructor: Drew Jones, Sustainability Institute
Day/Time: Friday, April 15, 2005, 9:30am – 4:30pm
Friday, April 22, 2005, 9:30am – 4:30pm
This course will meet for two day-long seminars. Students are required to attend both sessions in order to received course credit.
Course Credit: 1.0 credit hours
Course Description:
As we work to create enterprises and industries that enhance the sustainability of life on Earth, persistent challenges such as pollution, resource consumption, and lack of motivation to work for the common good share certain characteristics: they defy quick fixes, they build and dissipate slowly over time, they are rarely “owned” by any department or business but affect all, and their components are tightly coupled. These challenges are often called “systems problems.”
The Sustainability Institute’s approach to addressing these systems problems is “systems thinking,” which was invented in the 1950s at MIT. Systems thinking uses diagramming and simulation modeling to understand how to improve the performance of a social/physical system such as a business, an ecosystem, an industry, or the Earth. Together with other approaches designed to accelerate learning among groups of people (approaches such as visioning and reflective conversation), systems thinking can boost the effectiveness of individuals and teams.
Many leaders who never have studied the academic field of system dynamics or built a computer model find the principles and techniques of systems thinking to be helpful as they design strategies to address complex challenges.
This course will be offered in two day-long seminars, on April 15 and April 22. (Students must attend both sessions in order to receive course credit.) The goals of the seminars are to introduce principles and tools of systems thinking to the participants and to gauge further interest in these areas.
Seminar 1: Introduction to Systems Thinking – April 15
This first seminar will introduce the motivation for systems thinking and two primary tools: “behavior over time” graphing and system mapping with feedback diagrams. The seminar will include interactive thinking exercises, short physical challenges, small group work, applications to sustainable enterprise, and lecture.
Reading: Meadows, Donella. “Leverage Points: Places to Intervene in a System.” Report published by The Sustainability Institute, 1999.
Seminar 2: Application of Systems Thinking: Case Study – April 22
This second seminar will support students in using systems thinking tools and principles as they address a business case created by the Sustainability Institute and UVA’s Darden School of Business on the sustainability of the sawmill industry in northern New England. Students will read the case before the class, create feedback diagrams, and bring their diagrams to the class. In class, the instructor will facilitate the creation of a system map of the issue and use an interactive simulation model to experiment with different management strategies. Students will role-play various actors in the industry as they work to create sustainable enterprises.
Case: “The Sustainability of the Sawmill Industry of Northern New England”
Published by The Sustainability Institute and Darden Graduate School of Business Administraion, University of Virginia.
Assignment: Students will prepare a short case writeup, which will include two applications of systems thinking—a “behavior over time” graph and a causal loop diagram.
About the Instructor:
Andrew Jones, Sustainability Institute
Andrew Jones has trained a wide range of leaders in systems thinking and simulation modeling. He has run workshops for dozens of nonprofit organizations, taught students at MIT, and co-designed a course for business consultants at Arthur Andersen. He was lead trainer for Visteon Corporation’s (an outgrowth of Ford) systems thinking and modeling course for two years and co-developed LEAD International’s systems thinking course, which is now being taught by 20 trainers in 20 developing countries around the world. Other training clients include the World Bank/IFC, The Foundation Incubator, and the Red Cross. He teaches system dynamics at the University of North Carolina at Asheville and has given guest lectures on system dynamics at the Darden Business School at the University of Virginia and the Fuqua Business School at Duke University.
He studied system dynamics simulation modeling through an undergraduate degree at Dartmouth and a Master’s degree at MIT (where he studied and did research under John Sterman and Peter Senge).
Many of the examples from the Sustainability Institute workshops he leads grow out of the organization’s research and consulting work in forestry, public health, community development, manufacturing, urban growth, global climate change, public health, and other public interest areas.
More information about the Sustainability Institute: www.sustainer.org
Day/Time: Friday, April 15, 2005, 9:30am – 4:30pm
Friday, April 22, 2005, 9:30am – 4:30pm
This course will meet for two day-long seminars. Students are required to attend both sessions in order to received course credit.
Course Credit: 1.0 credit hours
Course Description:
As we work to create enterprises and industries that enhance the sustainability of life on Earth, persistent challenges such as pollution, resource consumption, and lack of motivation to work for the common good share certain characteristics: they defy quick fixes, they build and dissipate slowly over time, they are rarely “owned” by any department or business but affect all, and their components are tightly coupled. These challenges are often called “systems problems.”
The Sustainability Institute’s approach to addressing these systems problems is “systems thinking,” which was invented in the 1950s at MIT. Systems thinking uses diagramming and simulation modeling to understand how to improve the performance of a social/physical system such as a business, an ecosystem, an industry, or the Earth. Together with other approaches designed to accelerate learning among groups of people (approaches such as visioning and reflective conversation), systems thinking can boost the effectiveness of individuals and teams.
Many leaders who never have studied the academic field of system dynamics or built a computer model find the principles and techniques of systems thinking to be helpful as they design strategies to address complex challenges.
This course will be offered in two day-long seminars, on April 15 and April 22. (Students must attend both sessions in order to receive course credit.) The goals of the seminars are to introduce principles and tools of systems thinking to the participants and to gauge further interest in these areas.
Seminar 1: Introduction to Systems Thinking – April 15
This first seminar will introduce the motivation for systems thinking and two primary tools: “behavior over time” graphing and system mapping with feedback diagrams. The seminar will include interactive thinking exercises, short physical challenges, small group work, applications to sustainable enterprise, and lecture.
Reading: Meadows, Donella. “Leverage Points: Places to Intervene in a System.” Report published by The Sustainability Institute, 1999.
Seminar 2: Application of Systems Thinking: Case Study – April 22
This second seminar will support students in using systems thinking tools and principles as they address a business case created by the Sustainability Institute and UVA’s Darden School of Business on the sustainability of the sawmill industry in northern New England. Students will read the case before the class, create feedback diagrams, and bring their diagrams to the class. In class, the instructor will facilitate the creation of a system map of the issue and use an interactive simulation model to experiment with different management strategies. Students will role-play various actors in the industry as they work to create sustainable enterprises.
Case: “The Sustainability of the Sawmill Industry of Northern New England”
Published by The Sustainability Institute and Darden Graduate School of Business Administraion, University of Virginia.
Assignment: Students will prepare a short case writeup, which will include two applications of systems thinking—a “behavior over time” graph and a causal loop diagram.
About the Instructor:
Andrew Jones, Sustainability Institute
Andrew Jones has trained a wide range of leaders in systems thinking and simulation modeling. He has run workshops for dozens of nonprofit organizations, taught students at MIT, and co-designed a course for business consultants at Arthur Andersen. He was lead trainer for Visteon Corporation’s (an outgrowth of Ford) systems thinking and modeling course for two years and co-developed LEAD International’s systems thinking course, which is now being taught by 20 trainers in 20 developing countries around the world. Other training clients include the World Bank/IFC, The Foundation Incubator, and the Red Cross. He teaches system dynamics at the University of North Carolina at Asheville and has given guest lectures on system dynamics at the Darden Business School at the University of Virginia and the Fuqua Business School at Duke University.
He studied system dynamics simulation modeling through an undergraduate degree at Dartmouth and a Master’s degree at MIT (where he studied and did research under John Sterman and Peter Senge).
Many of the examples from the Sustainability Institute workshops he leads grow out of the organization’s research and consulting work in forestry, public health, community development, manufacturing, urban growth, global climate change, public health, and other public interest areas.
More information about the Sustainability Institute: www.sustainer.org
