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March 31, 2004

无疆界的领域

这是Vannevar Bush经典文章的话。科学是没有穷尽的。”世界上不存在对多样性的任何限制。靠少量原始元素的组合，是能够产生出无穷无尽的种类的。“

所以，Simon接着说：“存在着一个趋向多样化和复杂性的长期趋势。”

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March 29, 2004

关于黑暗

“我们每个人都处在一个很长的大厅中的一由一盏小灯照亮的圈子内。灯光只照亮大厅中的前后几步远，然后很快地减弱，在未来与过去的大片黑暗包围之中黯淡下来。

我们对于那些黑暗是好奇的...... 历史学，考古学，地质学和天文学给我们提供了几条通向遥远过去的狭窄光线，但只是时明时暗地照亮而已......要确定遥远事件中那些是巨大成就，那些是灾难，谁是英雄，谁是恶魔，都是困难的。”

1969冬天, Herbert Simon写下这些的时候，赖公小学一年级的学生们正在早自习的教室里齐声跺脚取暖。

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March 27, 2004

相变和瀑布

"合作“的起源和演化固然迷人，在信息通讯技术猛进的今天格外重要。深究下去，信息”瀑布传播“的相变效应似乎是根本所在。新的”合作“模式的涌现或者可以看作是网路系统的相变过程，而临界条件，相关尺度，耦合强度，正反馈和稳定性等等概念则可能有切实的意义。

waterfall

是的，瀑布。

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March 26, 2004

Power at the Edge

HR mentioned the Reed's Law several times. Equally worth investigating more is the Dean campaign tools, especially about "the power coming from the edges of the networks."

You have been thinking of this kind of "edge tools" for a long time. Now those software applications are emerging from the Net, enable people to coordinate collective actions at the edges of a network. Blogs, Get Local, Dean link, forums, chat, wikis and friend-to-friend systems..... "The primary distinction of an edge tool is that people can use the tools to quickly connect with others and develop persistent relationships. They require some for of identification for individuals, and some form of publishing of a persons opinions or thoughts. The more "open", the better. "

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March 23, 2004

Autopoiesis

Marianne introduced this book 《Self-Producing Systems: Implications and Applications of Autopoiesis》, by John Mingers.

There is also a quite clear introduction page written by Randall Whitaker.

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March 22, 2004

回到原点

十二年后，（二零零四年三月二十日十二点四十八分），再次面对半穹山。
half dome
这一次，你不再是孑然一身。

waterfall
飞流直下，重新校定方向。

rainbowl
你们看见了彩虹。

Posted by Xiao at 02:16 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 19, 2004

即将来到的散步（以及继续）

是在Mill Valley的青色山丘上。一些问题渐渐显形了，但是似乎又不尽然。
在这个自建的世界上，人们是醒着的，还是如苏菲所言，在门口的房间里熟睡呢？

这环绕的一切（技术）究竟是从那里来又向何处去？人们是完全被动的吗？最大程度地兴利抑弊是可能的吗？得益和责任能分离吗？

自牛顿以来的证据是不乐观的，而浮士德的诱惑会有终结吗？

－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－

（继续于三天后，半穹山再次见证。）

冥想，反文化与数字文明，剑刃，囚徒悖论与演化对策论，松林中的兰花（Treo留下但又没有保存的记忆），你们在青春的墓地前驻足，留下了岩块和花朵，远方是夕阳下的太平洋。

于是有了“合作工程”。（Cooperation Project ）


Biology


Fundamental Readings


  • Axelrod, The Evolution of Cooperation (annotated bibliography of Axelrod’s on the evolution of cooperation)

  • Wikipedia on Evolution of Cooperation

  • Darwin's Blind Spot by Frank Ryan

  • The Origins of Virtue, Matt Ridley

  • (perhaps)Nature's Magic: Synergy in Evolution and the Fate of Humankind, Peter Corning

  • The Cooperative Gene, Mark Ridley



    Sociology



    Fundamental Readings




    Economics




    Fundamental Readings




    Politics




    Fundamental Readings




    Technology of Cooperation




    Fundamental Readings





    Cultural Evolution




    Fundamental Readings




    Mathematics




    Fundamental Readings




    Collective Intelligence




    Fundamental Readings



    • Swarm Intelligence: From Natural to Artificial Systems (Santa Fe Institute Studies on the Sciences of Complexity) by Eric Bonabeau

    • Swarm Intelligence, Russell

    • Artificial agent societies & computational sociology, Michael Macy

    • Global Brain Group

      Posted by Xiao at 11:07 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

      March 18, 2004

      “自我”

      从“素朴”起就有这样的问题。在“空”和“我们”之间，“自我”真的存在吗？或者说，骑手的“选择”真的存在吗？系统的稳定性是整体关系（结构）的稳定，而不是元素本身。这里，尺度的概念重新出现了。只有确定尺度，描述才可能有意义。但是不同尺度之间是交叉作用的。这种交叉作用本身消解了“自我”的绝对价值，主体在建构系统的过程中本身也被系统（其稳定的秩序）所建构；更何况“系统”是一个动力学的概念，和环境又是共演的关系。

      不过，凝视于存在的这一点，列维－斯特劳斯的结尾是平静的：

      ”就像个人并非单独存在于群体里面一样，就像一个社会并非单独存在于其他社会之中一样，人类并不是单独存在于宇宙之中。当有一天人类所有文化所形成的色带或彩虹终于被我们的热狂推入一片空无之中；只要我们仍然存在，只要世界仍然存在，那条纤细的弧型，使我们与无法达致之点联系起来的弧型就会存在，就会展示给我们一条与通往奴役之路相反的道路......“（《忧郁的热带》）

      Posted by Xiao at 09:19 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

      March 17, 2004

      集体意识的显现版

      列维－斯特劳斯谈城市：“城市代表文明最复杂最精纯的面貌，在一片小小的空间里吸引集中了一大堆人，再加上城市发展的不同阶段所经历的时间，提供一个使各种潜意识的态度得以沉淀的熔炉。”

      这种集体潜意识的显现，是迷信吗？作者在《忧郁的热带》里这样说：“我把...看做是一种智慧，野蛮人实践起来，有天机兴发之妙。现代世界拒斥这种智慧，才是真正疯狂。野蛮人常能不费吹灰之力，即得到心理平衡。如果我能心甘情愿接受人类经验的真实条件，能觉悟到我们并不能完全逃离其模式与律动，我们将可以免除多少的伤害、劳累和一无是处的不满！“

      Posted by Xiao at 03:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

      March 13, 2004

      Trust in Journalism

      "Journalism, if it is to deserve the name, is not about the quality of the camera, but about the journalist's intuition, integrity, courage, inquisitiveness, analytic and expressive capabilities, and above all, the trust the journalist has earned among readers.

      Good journalists discern compelling stories in events, cultivate and mobilize networks of sources, double check and triple check facts, develop reputations that can only be won by getting the story right week after week, year after year. "

      This is from Howard Rheingold's article on OJR last year. The article was about moblogging.

      Posted by Xiao at 10:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

      March 11, 2004

      Technocitizen

      This link is from Canada.

      "To reflect on the core issues of communications, democracy and citizen engagement and to push the margins of thinking and debate around entry points such as methodologies, social practices, theoretical frameworks, technical design, institutional relations and citizen needs."

      Posted by Xiao at 10:58 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

      March 09, 2004

      P2P for Grownups

      Susan Ayers Walker wrote on AlwaysOn: " Just as follow-up phonecalls are often a likely development from talking to people in person, secure peer-to-peer networking could be a natural consequence of the rapid growth in both business and personal online social networking. "

      Posted by Xiao at 09:50 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

      New Approach on Science of Networks

      In general, a network is a collection of objects connected to each other in some fashion.

      The science of networks: constructing a language for talking about networks that is precise enough to describe not only what a network is but also what kinds of networks there are in the world.

      In mathematics, a network is a graph. But in traditional graph theory, networks have been viewed as objects of pure structure whose properties are fixed in time. But real networks represent populations of individual components that are actually doing something.

      "Networks are also dynamic objects not just because things happen in networked systems, but because the networks themselves are evolving and changing in time, driven by the activities or decisions of those very components. In the connected age, therefore, what happens and how it happens depend on the network. And the network in turn depends on what has happened previously.

      It s this view of a network - as an integral part of a continuously evolving and self-constituting system - that is truly new about the the science of networks. " (from Duncan Watts)

      Physicists and mathematicians have analytical and computational skills. Sociologists, psychologists and anthropologists have thought deeply about the relationship between networks and society - thinking that is now turning out to be relevant to surprising range of problems from biology to engineering.

      Posted by Xiao at 09:26 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

      Flip Side of Complex System

      Complex connected system: "more is different"
      How does individual behavior aggregate to collective behavior?

      Biology: Although genes, like people, exist as identifiable units, they function by interacting, and the corresponding patterns of interactions can display almost unlimited complexity. (sounds like Go)

      Sociology is even more complex.

      However, there is the flip side of complex systems: While knowing the rules that govern the behavior of individuals does not necessarily help us to predict the behavior of the mob, we may be able to predict the very same mob behavior without knowing very much about the unique personalities and characteristics of the individuals that make it up. (from Duncan Watts)

      Posted by Xiao at 09:09 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

      March 03, 2004

      Weblogging Workshop

      John's timely recommendation: "Weblogging Ecosystem" workshop on May 18.

      "The weblogging microcosm has evolved into a distinct form, into a community of publishers. The strong sense of community amongst bloggers distinguishes weblogs from the various forms of online publications such as online journals, 'zines and newsletters that flourished in the early days of the web and from traditional media such as newspapers, magazines and television. The use of weblogs primarily for publishing, as opposed to discussion, differentiates blogs from other online community forums, such as Usenet newsgroups and message boards. Often referred to as the blogsphere, the network of bloggers is a thriving ecosystem, with its own internally driven dynamics.

      The cross-linking that takes place between blogs, through blogrolls, explicit linking, trackbacks, and referrals has helped create a strong sense of community in the weblogging world. There is work underway to understand the dynamics of the weblogging network, much of which springs from bloggers themselves. The self-publishing aspect of weblogs, the time-stamped entries, the highly interlinked nature of the blogging community and the significant impact of weblog content on politics, ideas, and culture make them a fascinating subject of study. "

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