After the very successful Web publication of Joel de Rosnay's book "The
Macroscope" (which has drawn many positive responses), we are preparing a
Web version of another difficult-to-find classic book on cybernetics and
systems thinking: "The Phenomenon of Science. A cybernetic approach to
human evolution" by PCP editor Valentin Turchin. The book should be
available on PCP Web in the coming weeks.
We are preparing the annual meeting of the Principia Cybernetica Editorial
Board (F. Heylighen, C. Joslyn, V. Turchin and J. Bollen) in Brussels. It
is likely to take place during the last week of June, and to include a
visit to Paris for discussions with PCP associate Joel de Rosnay. It might
also be accompanied by a seminar on Metasystem Transition Theory at the
Free University of Brussels.
The "Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information
Transmission", associated with PCP, is ready to go on-line with its first
issue. After peer review, four papers and a book review have been accepted
for publication. Once the website has been thoroughly tested, its URL will
be announced through this and other mailing lists. Richard Dawkins has
agreed to join the Journal's advisory board.
WHAT'S NEW IN PCP WEB
The following nodes in Principia Cybernetica Web have undergone substantive
editing, or have been newly added during the months of March and April,
1996. All documents are available via http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/recent.html
* Apr 30, 1997: F. Heylighen: Biographical Sketch (updated)
* Apr 28, 1997: Cybernetics and Systems Societies (links added)
* Apr 10, 1997: several new papers :
Joslyn, Cliff: "Semiotic Aspects of Control and Modeling Relations
in Complex Systems" to appear in: Control Mechanisms for Complex Systems,
ed. Michael Coombs, Addison-Wesley, Redwood City CA
Heylighen F.: "Objective, subjective and intersubjective selectors
of knowledge", Evolution and Cognition (to be published in the Spring issue
devoted to D.T. Campbell's evolutionary epistemology)
Johan Bollen & Francis Heylighen: "Dynamic and adaptive structuring
of the World Wide Web based on user navigation patterns". Proceedings of
the Flexible Hypertext Workshop (ACM)
Johan Bollen: "Cognitive Complexity vs. Connectivity: efficiency
analyses of hypertext networks", in: F. Heylighen (ed.) The Evolution of
Complexity (Kluwer, Dordrecht). [in press]
* Apr 4, 1997: The Evolutionary Causes of Aging and Death (links on aging
added)
* Apr 3, 1997: Arguments for and Against the Existence of God (new!)
* Apr 3, 1997: God (new!)
* Apr 3, 1997: About Cliff Joslyn (updated)
* Mar 28, 1997: Classic Publications on Complex, Evolving Systems (links
added)
* Mar 28, 1997: Pantheism (new!)
* Mar 26, 1997: Contributing to the Principia Cybernetica Project (updated)
* Mar 26, 1997: Node Organization (updated)
* Mar 26, 1997: Submitting Nodes for Inclusion in Principia Cybernetica Web
(new!)
* Mar 26, 1997: About Valentin Turchin (new photo)
* Mar 21, 1997: Welcome to the Principia Cybernetica Web (updated)
* Mar 20, 1997: Ethics (expanded)
* Mar 20, 1997: Cybernetic Immortality (expanded)
* Mar 20, 1997: Biological immortality (expanded)
* Mar 20, 1997: Creative immortality (expanded)
* Mar 20, 1997: The Evolutionary Causes of aging and Death (new!)
* Mar 20, 1997: Workbook of the 1991 Principia Cybernetica Workshop
(converted to HTML)
* Mar 20, 1997: Links on Complexity, Self-organization and Artificial Life
(links added)
* Mar 10, 1997: Memetic Scenarios for Evolving Cooperation (new!)
* Mar 10, 1997: Genetic Scenarios for Evolving Cooperation (new!)
* Mar 10, 1997: Evolution of Cooperation (expanded)
* Mar 10, 1997: Towards a Global Brain. Integrating Individuals into the
World-Wide Electronic Network (Paper by F. Heylighen for the Proceedings of
the conference "The Sense of the Senses") (new!)
DISCUSSIONS ON PRNCYB-L
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 March
and April. The full text of all original messages and replies is available
via the PRNCYB-L archive:
http://www.fmb.mmu.ac.uk/~bruce/PRNCYB-L/thread.html
* Sociocybernetics sessions at 1998 World Congress of Sociology - Felix Geyer
* New book on sociocybernetics - Felix Geyer
* New member: Reda Benkirane - Cliff Joslyn
* New member: Nathan Lauster - Cliff Joslyn
* New member: Philippe Egret - Cliff Joslyn
* New member: Gavin Ritz - Cliff Joslyn
* New member: Jae S. Choi - Cliff Joslyn
* New member: John Zavacki - Cliff Joslyn
* New member: John Jay Kineman - Cliff Joslyn
* New member: Claude Rochet - Cliff Joslyn
* New member: Vsevolod Shakin - Cliff Joslyn
* Discussion list on Context - Bruce Edmonds
* The Spirit in the Machine - Dan Parker
* New PCP papers - Francis Heylighen
* Re Discussion: Complexity and Scientific Modelling - Bruce Buchanan
* Discussion paper announcement: Complexity and Scientific - Bruce Edmonds
* Ivan Havel on Transdisciplinarity [fwd] - Francis Heylighen
* CFP: Complexity & information-theoretic approaches to biology - Francis
Heylighen
* Reply to John Kineman on submitting PCP nodes - Francis Heylighen
* Int. Conference on COMPLEX SYSTEMS [fwd] - Francis Heylighen
* CFP: Chaos Theory in Psychology & Life Sciences [fwd] - Francis Heylighen
* "Re: SCI`97 / ISAS`97" - The Filter of bruce@alpheratz
* Modelling and the identification of noise - Bruce Edmonds
________________________________________________________________________
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