Principia Cybernetica News - July/August 1996

Francis Heylighen (fheyligh@VNET3.VUB.AC.BE)
Mon, 9 Sep 1996 16:15:31 +0200


Last August, a new study group, associated with PCP, has been started, to
discuss the emergence of a "global brain" out of the computer network,
which would function as a nervous system for the human "superorganism".
Participation is limited to people who have been doing active research and
published books or papers on this subject. Present members are: Peter
Russell, Gottfried Mayer-Kress, Gregory Stock, Lee Chen, Johan Bollen, Ben
Goertzel, Joel de Rosnay, Valentin Turchin and Francis Heylighen. For more
info, see http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/suporgli.html or contact Francis
Heylighen.

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The following nodes in Principia Cybernetica Web have undergone substantive
editing, or have been newly added during the months of July and August,
1996. (all documents are available via
http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/recent.html)

* Aug 30, 1996: About Francis Heylighen (updated)
* Aug 27, 1996: The Adaptive Hypertext Experiment (further references added)
* Aug 16, 1996: From Society to Superorganism / Global Brain (references
and picture added)
* Aug 16, 1996: Cybernetics and Systems Journals (J. Social and
Evolutionary Systems added)
* Aug 13, 1996: From Society to Superorganism / Global Brain (expanded and
reference to Teilhard added)
* Aug 6, 1996: The trial-and-error method (new!)
* Aug 6, 1996: The Direction of Evolution (new!)
* Aug 5, 1996: Selection (expanded)
* Aug 5, 1996: Fitness (new!)
* Jul 25, 1996: The Adaptive Hypertext Experiment (new!)
* Jul 16, 1996: Changes-Additions 1994-95 (new!)
* Jul 10, 1996: Basic Books on Cybernetics and Systems Science (now links
to direct ordering of books)
* Jul 1, 1996: Searchable Index (added Altavista search of PCP Web)

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The following topics were announced or discussed on the PRNCYB-L mailing
list (see http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/mail.html) during the months of July and
August. The full text of all original messages and replies is available via
the PRNCYB-L archive: http://bruce.edmonds.name/PRNCYB-L/thread.html

* New Journal: Evolution of Communication [fwd] - Francis Heylighen
* Interfacing - Dan Parker
* sceptics and superbrain - John Earls
* Wired parodies the evolution of the Super-Being ;-) - Francis Heylighen
* Umpleby on Systems Thinking [fwd] - Francis Heylighen
* Preparing a TV program on the "superhuman" transition - Francis Heylighen
* Ancient life on Mars? [fwd] - Francis Heylighen
* The 200 most frequent nouns and adjectives used on PRNCYB - Johan Bollen
* A "Thank You" Note for PCP [fwd] - Francis Heylighen
* Conference panel on "Disarmament of Informatics? - Peace Work - Cliff Joslyn
* CFP: Dynamics, Synergetics Autonomous Agents [fwd] - Francis Heylighen
* CONFERENCE ON COMPUTER SIMULATION & SOCIAL SCIENCES - Francis Heylighen
* [Fwd: A Useful Conference] - Hans Speel
* Change og E-Mail address - Arik Ariely
* [Fwd: at home in the universe] - Hans Speel
* Development aid as "stimulated self-organization"? - Francis Heylighen
* New member: Czeslaw Mesjasz - Cliff Joslyn
* New member: Paulo Garrido - Cliff Joslyn
* new papers - Onar Aam
* CFP: conference and electronic conference - Cliff Joslyn

________________________________________________________________________
Dr. Francis Heylighen, Systems Researcher fheyligh@vnet3.vub.ac.be
PESP, Free University of Brussels, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
Tel +32-2-6292525; Fax +32-2-6292489; http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HEYL.html