Exploring Intelligible Associations Ontological and process issues

1
Exploring Intelligible AssociationsOntological
and process issues

• Anthony Judge and Nadia McLarenUnion of
  International AssociationsatGerman Research
  Center for Artificial Intelligence GmbH(Saarland
  University, Saarbrücken)

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Scope of presentation

• UIA
• Associations and complexity cognitive and
  otherwise
• Crisis of meaning faith-based vs evidence-based
  reality
• Policy challenges of the emergent knowledge
  society
• Challenges of knowledge organization
• Integrative modes and metaphors ways of
  knowing
• Comprehension gap core challenge of governance
• Design challenge Roundtables Keystones
  Rosetta stones
• Integrating new metaphors with configurative
  software
• Implications for a global brain ?
• Higher order strategic questions ?
• Challenges for a Union of Intelligible
  Associations

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1. Union of International Associations
4
Overview Union of International Associations

• Non-profit clearinghouse for information on
  international organizations, their activities,
  their concerns
• Develop and manage large databases
• Largely self-financed through information
  services
• Concerned with meaningful use of information
• Strong association with knowledge organization
  issues
• Universal Decimal Classification (from 1910)
• Operates from Brussels since 1910

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Pault Otlet (1868-1944) Internet visionaryThe
man who wanted to classify the world
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Services Union of International Associations

• Book versions of online services
• Yearbook of International Organizations (2005,
  42. ed)
• International Congress Calendar (2005, 45. ed.)
• Whos Who in International Organizations (2005,
  5. ed.)
• Encyclopedia of World Problems and Human
  Potential (1995, 4. ed)

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UIA Prime data sets
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UIA Integrative focus

• Problems (world, regional, social, etc)
• Strategies and initiatives in response
• Responsible international organizations
• Values guiding initiatives
• Human development objectives and modes
• Bibliographical and web resources
• Comprehensibility for governance

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UIA Project examples

• Information Context for Biodiversity Conservation
  (Ecolynx)
• Interactive Contextual Environmental Planning
  Tool for developing countries (InfoDev)
• Cultivating Knowledge Ecosystems Adapting visual
  arts and music to sustain new patterns of
  community knowledge work
• Global Knowledge Grid A New Infrastructure for
  Understanding Globalization
• Gateway to Civil Society Organization Information
  
• Local Action Dynamics Knowledge patterns for
  local, participatory implementation of the Lisbon
  Strategy
• Procedural Framework for the Interoperability of
  Decentralized Knowledge Management Processes

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UIA Approach / Assumptions /Bias

• Real entities orgs. / problems / solutions /
  values
• Global comprehensive / pro-variety / world
• Matching networks problems/orgs./strategies/etc
• Collecting biases / misrepresentations
• Incomplete / long-term
• Low-resource / geared to income stream
• Innovative low-tech / continuity

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Hyperlinking datasets between institutions
Marine habitats
Protectedareas
Plants
Forest habitats
Animals
Bibliography
Problems
Organizations
Strategies
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UIA Interlinked knowledgebases
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2. Associations and complexity cognitive and
otherwise
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Evolving pattern of associationsin a learning
society

• Associations of ideas, concepts, theories
• Associations of different technologies
• Associations across cultures
• Associations across faiths and beliefs
• Associations of values (for quality of life)
• Aesthetic associations
• Associations of people and other bodies

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Strategic opportunities for association

• New associations of ideas, concepts, theories
• New associations of different technologies
• New associations across cultures
• New associations across faiths and beliefs
• New aesthetic associations
• New metaphors
• New associations of people and other bodies

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Implementing associative strategies

• Exploring new patterns of concepts, theories
• Exploring new inter-modal technologies
• Exploring cross-cultural fertilization
• Exploring dialogue across faiths and beliefs
• Exploring new aesthetic associations
• Exploring new metaphors
• Exploring new associations of people, groups,etc

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3. Crisis of meaning-- faith-based vs
evidence-based reality
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Contemporary crisis of meaning

• Conceptual incoherence in strategy
• global
• local
• Loss of sense of direction
• Loss of faith in systems and beliefs
• Fragmentation of initiatives
• Inter-disciplinary chaos and disrespect
• Conceptual and policy gridlock
• Severe erosion of institutional credibility

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Frenetic strategic desperation

• Overproduction of
• appeals
• manifestos, declarations
• resolutions
• Mutual recrimination
• Unrelated new initiatives
• unrealistic action plans
• proliferation of organizations
• content-free conferences

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Individual and collective uncertainty

• Crises in financial system
• From employment to unemployment
• Social insecurity (safety net inadequacy)
• Urban violence and personal safety
• Environmental fragility
• Erosion of moral and ethical standards
• Institutional corruption
• Policy indecision Leadership vacuum
• Policy discontinuity -- broken promises

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Global values ?

• Whose values?
• whose values are recognized?
• whose values are neglected?
• what meaning do they have locally?
• Who designs the system of global values?
• how are the values related?
• Who imposes the values?
• what of alternative values?
• and those who disagree?
• How do new values emergefor the future?

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4. Policy challenges of the emergent knowledge
society
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Information overload underuse

• A truism -- there is too much information
• Overproduction of information
• Limited dissemination / readership
• Diminishing collective attention span
• Fragmented disorganized information
• Dumbing down public information
• Unreliable information -- misinformation
• An analogous problem? overpopulation

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The Information Game
Numbers !!!Gatekeepers !!!
Access
Misrepresentation !!!Hype !!!
Junk mail !!!Overload !!!
Dissemination
Disinformation
Complexity !!!Fragmentation !!!
Restrictive practices !!!
Property
Interpretation
Penetration
Classification
Security !!!Secretiveness !!!
Dirty tricks !!!
Credibility
Surveillance
Mistrust !!!Conspiracy !!!
Dubious informants !!!
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The Relationship Game???
Competition !!!Gatekeepers !!!
AccessIntroduction
Misrepresentation !!!Hype !!! Stories !!!
Memetic overload !!!
Planting the genes
Disinformation
Fragmentation !!! Complexity !!!Meaning ???
Restrictive practices !!!
Possessiveness
Interpretation
Penetration
Privacy
Security !!!Secretiveness !!!
Dirty tricks !!!
Credibility
Surveillance
Mistrust !!!Conspiracy !!!
Dubious informants !!!
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Inappropriate policy metaphorsfor a rapidly
evolving society

• Military metaphors (for peaceful purposes)
• targeting... population groups
• mobilizingsupport
• waron drugs
• Simplistic, selective, static, linear metaphors
• vision (but no other sense)
• programming...people and organizations
• points in a line of argument
• state of the world / environment / etc

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5. Challenges of knowledge organization
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Knowledge organization Technical challenge

• scope / comprehensiveness
• response to detail
• mathematical representation (modelling /
  simulation)
• visualization (geometry / topology)
• user interactivity change of perspective and
  degree of detail
• compatibility / consonance with popular
  frameworks (possibly as carriers)
• intuitive/psychological consonance
• memorable / mnemonic challenge
• adaptability / openness

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Knowledge organization Strategic challenge

• complementarity of incommensurable / opposing
  perspectives (keystone function)
• global comprehension (grokability)
• strategic insight for governance and
  communication channelling
• compatibility / consonance with popular
  frameworks (possibly as carriers)
• intuitive/psychological consonance
• memorable / mnemonic challenge

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Knowledge Psycho-cultural challenge

• Axes of methodological bias (W T Jones)
• Order vs disorder Static vs dynamic Continuity
  vs discreteness Inner vs outer Sharp focus vs
  soft focus This world vs other world
  Spontaneity vs process
• Epistemological mindscapes (Magoroh Maruyama)
• H (homogenistic, hierarchical, classificational)
  I (heterogenistic, individualistic, random) S
  (heterogenistic, interactive, homeostatic) G
  (heterogenistic, interactive, morphogenetic)
• Work-related values (Geert Hofstede)
• Power distance Uncertainty avoidance
  Individualism Masculinity
• Modalities in dialogue (Kinhide Mushakoji)
• Affirmation Negation Affirmation and negation
  Non-affirmation and Non-negation
• Modes of reality construction (Will McWhinney)
• Analytic Dialectic Axiotic Mythic
• Forms of intelligence (Howard Gardner)
• Linguistic Musical Logical/mathematical
  Spatial Bodily-kinaesthetic Personal

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Ontology

• Formal description of categories and relations
• Derived from shared discourse of a knowledge
  community
• Pragmatic, not intended to be true
• Used to provide a common framework into which
  disparate data sets can be translated
• Not created in a pristine state

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Ontology - Phase 1 Focus on the data level

• Identify iniitial set of data providers and form
  a consortium of data providers
• The GDG as a VO
• Perhaps á la the Gene Ontology Consortium
• Clean and normalize existing data sets (according
  to internal standards of data provider)

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Ontology -- Phase 2 Focus on the ontology level

• Collaboratively define an ontology of
  globalization.
• A series of workshops
• Involve representatives of stakeholder groups
  data providers, users and developers
• Choose an encoding standard for the ontology
• OWL?
• Define a methodology for ontological mapping of
  contributor data sets

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Ontology -- Phase 3 Focus on the middleware level

• Build a grid hub at Princeton University (see
  diagram at end of document).
• Develop an ontology filter to process incoming
  data sets.
• Develop a data aggregation caching mechanism for
  ontologically filtered data sets, which will be
  accessible by the analytical services.

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Ontology -- Phase 4 Focus on the analytical and
visualization level

• Choose a flexible application development
  framework
• Create a NetMap client for data users
• Provide an interface with basic functions
• search, select, sort, count, etc. of data
• Provide interface with higher-order functions
• E.g. data mining.
• Use a participatory design process

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6. Integrative modes and metaphors ways of
knowing

• Popular symbol systems (astrology, tarot, leys,
  etc)
• Lists (selected, prioritized, nested, search hit
  lists)
• 2-D Matrix (4-cell, n-cell)
• Triangular mapping
• Complementarity diagrams (correspondences)
• Network mapping (self-organizing network maps)
• Models, simulations, interactive games
• Circular relationship maps (loop representation)
• Multi-media, sonification
• Mapping complexity plane (Mandelbrot set fractal)
• Spherically configured 3-D structures (polyhedra,
  etc)
• Transformable structures , morphable images

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Mode 1 Traditional symbol systems
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Insights into policy cycles in Imperial China
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Hindu yantra
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Mode 2 Lists unstructured and otherwise

• Book of Lists
• Prioritized lists (political key issues)
• Nested lists (asystemic)
• UN/OECD Macrothesaurus
• Agenda 21
• Hit lists (web search engine results)
• Bulleted lists (as this slide !!!)

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UIA Links

• Anthony Judge
• Email Anthony.Judge_at_gmail.comWeb
  http//www.laetusinpraesens.org
• This presentation http//www.laetusinpraesens.or
  g/docs00s/untelos2.pdf
• Associated text (and references)
  http//www.laetusinpraesens.org/musings/untelos.ph
  p
• UIA home page
• http//www.uia.org/
• Online database access
• http//www.uia.org/data.htm

50
Some related texts

• Humour and Play-Fullness essential integrative
  processes in governance, religion and
  transdisciplinarity (2005)
• Animating the Representation of Europe (2004)
• Spherical Accounting using geometry to embody
  developmental integrity (2004)
• Simulating a Global Brain using networks of
  international organizations, world problems,
  strategies, and values (2001)
• Dynamically Gated Conceptual Communities
  emergent patterns of isolation within knowledge
  society (2004)
• Knowledge Gardening through Music patterns of
  coherence for future African management as an
  alternative to Project Logic (2000)
• Coherent Policy-making Beyond the Information
  Barrier (1999)
• From Information Highways to Songlines of the
  Noosphere Global configuration of hypertext
  pathways for meaningful collective transformation
  (1996)
• Poetry making and Policy making marrying Beauty
  and the Beast (1993)
• Aesthetics of Governance in the Year 2490 (1990)

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Mode 3 2-D Matrices

• 4-cell (Wilber quadrants)
• Input-Ouput diagrams (resources, accounting)
• N-cell (Int. Concept Classification)
• N-cell (UIA Functional classification)

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UIA Functional classification matrix
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Mode 4 Triangular mappingICA Social process
triangles framework
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Triangular relationships
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Mode 5 Complementarity diagrams
(correspondences)
UIA Interlinked knowledgebases
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12 Languages of governance
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Mode 6 Network mapping

• Static maps
• Self-organizing network (spring) maps
• Touchgraph
• Decision Explorer

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Knowledge organization relating to terror
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Strategic Decision Explorer
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Conference mind-mapping
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Conference mind-mapping
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VRML Example Organizations - network
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Scalable vector graphics
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Problem loops sustaining irresponsible policies
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Network spring map
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Mode 7 Models, simulations, interactive games

• Economic models
• Limits to Growth
• World modelling
• World building games

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Interactive modelling Soda constructor
http//sodaplay.com/constructor/player.htm?
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Mode 8 Circular relationship maps loop
representation

• Netmap
• UIA maps
• Loops

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Crop rotation as a policy metaphor
Red policy in
Mauve policy in
Mauve washed out
Blue washed out
Blue policy in
Illustration of a sustainable 4-cycle policy
Brown policy in
Red washed out
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VRML Example World problem loop interlocks
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VRML Example World problem loop interlocks
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Netmap transaction analysis
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Mode 9 Multi-media, aesthetics

• Multi-media
• Beyond text gtgt Visualization
• Interactivity
• Sonification
• Comprehending complex pattern through sound

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Mode 10 Mapping complexity plane Mandelbrot set
fractal (vertical axisreal, negative at top
horizontal imaginary)
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Comprehensible mapping of complexity

• Search for a surface onto which complexity can
  be mapped
• Challenge of mapping strategic value dilemmas
• Real vs Imaginary
• Mapping network of terror (real and
  imaginary)
• Psycho-social Significance of the Mandelbrot Set
  a sustainable boundary between chaos and order
  (2005)
• Sustainability through the Dynamics of Strategic
  Dilemmas in the light of the coherence and
  visual form of the Mandelbrot set (2005)

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Mode 11 Spherically configured 3-D structures

• Polyhedra
• Tensegrity (Syntegration)
• Virtual reality
• Spherical accounting

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VRML Example Organizations (World Bank system)
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Tensegrity in virtual reality
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VRML Example Organizations (EU system)
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Mode 12 Transformable structures , morphable
images

• Vector equilibrium (Jitterbug)
• Morphable images

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Resonance hybrids key to future sustainability ?
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Dodecameral integration
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Transformations of vector equilibrium
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7. Comprehension gap core challenge of
governance
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Polyhedral complexity comprehension gap
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Core challenge for governance

• challenge for any "council of the wise"
• the greater the consonance (namely the lesser the
  "gap") between "outer" and "inner" comprehensive
  (or "global") understanding,
• the more complex must be the mapping surface --
  and hence the more difficult to understand it in
  its "globality", and conversely,
• challenge of any media "public relations"
  presentation
• the simpler the mapping surface required to
  articulate any strategic governance initiative,
• the greater the "gap" between "outer" and "inner"
  comprehensive (or "global") understanding -- and
  hence the higher the degree of cognitive
  dissonance that may be experienced (whether by
  the governors or by the governed)

97
New Strategic Vision vs. Policy Halitosis?

• Dependence on a single global vision?
• Dependence on a single metaphor - vision?
• no sound an unsound future?
• no smell great visions that
  stink?
• no touch for future
  untouchables?
• no taste towards a
  tasteless future?
• From vision to super-vision?
• Vision myopia or presbyopia?

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Beyond policy billboards !!!

• Dependence on strategic vision metaphor
• vision myopia, blindness, billboarditis
• Complementary metaphors
• sound hearing the voice of the people
  (soundscapes)
• touch touching the hearts of the people
  (touchscapes)
• smell policies that stink !!! (policy
  smellscapes)
• taste tasteless policy (policy tastescapes)
• Sound (as opposed to Vision)
• as the metaphoric key to strategic harmony

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8. Design challenge ofknowledge organization
meeting roundtables keystonesRosetta
stones
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Integrating the 12 integrative modes

• Individually insufficient as ways of knowing
• Ashbys Law of Requisite Variety
• Need insights via all of them
• Challenge is how to integrate the distinct
  modalities
• Self-reflexively each may be used to integrate
  the others
• Potential of most value
• Those capable of formally encompassing the others
• Therefore the interest of the cuboctahedron model
• Modelling 12-degrees of freedom

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Meeting insight capture

• 7,000 future int. meetings key events?
• Binding moments
• Speed vs Configuration
• Eliciting patterns
• Cognitive resonance with patterns
• Maps / Morphs / Melodies
• Time binding vs Ever-rolling present

102
Implicit roundtable within meetings
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Interlocking pathways of strategic dilemmas
(from Rio Earth Summit, 1992)
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Sustainability through cyclic interlocking
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Communication protocols (for the semantic web?)

• Construction of interlocking cycles
• Interlocking in 3-D, beyond web rings
• Sustaining higher patterns of order via protocols
• Sustaining more complex virtual entities
• Configurations of incommensurable concepts
• Configurations of incommensurable strategies
• Configurations of incommensurable stakeholders
• Ensuring the emergence of more complex entites
• New kinds of profile matching to enable links

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9. Integrating new metaphors with configurative
software

• marrying Beauty and the Beast
• towards insight scaffolding prosthetics

108
Beyond Active Worlds ??http//www.activeworlds
.com/

• Home to hundreds of thousands of users and
  millions of kilometers of virtual territory.
• In Active Worlds you can
• explore over 1000 unique virtual worlds (3D
  conferences ?)
• build your own 3D world on the Internet (own
  conference centre?)
• make new contacts and chat with people from all
  over the world
• play interactive 2D and 3D games
• choose from a vast range of identities
  (conference roles?)
• shop online in a 3D virtual mall
• Future relevance to policy elaboration ???

109
Gardening Knowledge !!!

• Cultivating patterns of knowledge
• from menus to petals
• Ecologies of policies
• conserving policy ecosystems
• Working virtually with patterns of hyperlinks
• towards memetic engineering
• Integrating musical feedback
• towards resonant knowledgescapes

110
Psycho-technical challenges

• Massaging active (web) information into memorable
  integrative configurations
• Enabling (web) users to explore their own
  aesthetic/imaginative preferences in doing so
• Converting such structures into communication
  templates (patterning/filtering message flow)
• Converting such evolving templates into evolving
  policy, legal and funding structures
• Ensuring the emergent and movement of strategic
  metaphors

111
10. Implications for a Global Brain ?
112
GB-relevant conceptual entities

• Organizations
• Globally connected distributive knowledge systems
  (of global brain?)
• Problems
• Collective phobias, neuroses (of global brain?)
• Strategies
• Collective procedure, best practices (of global
  brain?)
• Human values
• Attractors / Repulsors (of global brain?)
• Meetings
• Binding moments (of global brain?)

113
GB-relevant integrative features

• Global world / unitary / integrative
• Interrelating different kinds of entity
• Interaction with information sources
• Hyperlink context and generated links
• Hypertext editing
• Use of multi-media for conceptual integration
• Feedback loops

114
GB-relevant challenges

• Reflection of real-world preoccupations
• Perceptions vs Facts
• Exaggerated claims and contradictory statements
• Non-closure and incompleteness
• Global modelling and simulation
• Subject matrix
• Humour

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GB-concerns in practice

• Knowledge corruption and diseases of GB
• Funding development of a GB
• Limits to collaboration in GB development
• Global brain What for?
• Because it is possible?
• Because it is needed?
• Because it is a powerful symbol?
• Because it would engender new learnings?
• Because it is effectively emerging?

116
GB challenging assumptions

• Cultural assumptions
• Styles of global brain
• Volatility and coherence within a GB
• Expanding knowledge universe
• Globality of person // Resonance with GB
• Hemispheric organization?
• Higher order functions and self-awareness

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Dimensions of a global brain?
Integrative knowledge
Dynamics/Speed
Intensive / Interface
Machine intensive
Collective intelligence
Configurative/Static
Extensive/Distributive
New knowledge
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Higher order strategic questions?

• Richer cognitive frameworks enable
• More relevant questions to be asked
• More relevant answers to be comprehended
• What are the strategic questions the future would
  wish us to ask at this time?
• How can polarizing frameworks be transcended?
• Engaging with Questions of Higher Order
  cognitive vigilance required for higher degrees
  of twistedness (2004)

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12. Challenges for a Union of Intelligible
Associations

• Mathematical limitations
• Provision of meaningful integrative tools
• Integrating multimedia tools into h/l editing
• Role of metaphor
• Quality intelli-work / Fruitful input

120
Future challenges -- for memorable policies with
soul

• Aesthetics of governance in the future
• Agenda 21 versus the Mahabarata (or Dynasty !)
• A singable Declaration of Human Rights -- to
  make it memorable rather than just signable
• UN Charter as a poem integrated by a pattern of
  resonant associations
• The set of UN Specialized Agencies as an
  integrated mythological pantheon
• A pattern of intelligible associations embodied
  in the EU Constitution through song meaningful
  to the peoples of Europe

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UIA Links

• Anthony Judge
• Email Anthony.Judge_at_gmail.comWeb
  http//www.laetusinpraesens.org
• This presentation http//www.laetusinpraesens.or
  g/docs00s/untelos2.pdf
• Associated text (and references)
  http//www.laetusinpraesens.org/musings/untelos.ph
  p
• UIA home page
• http//www.uia.org/
• Online database access
• http//www.uia.org/data.htm

122
Some related texts

• Humour and Play-Fullness essential integrative
  processes in governance, religion and
  transdisciplinarity (2005)
• Animating the Representation of Europe (2004)
• Spherical Accounting using geometry to embody
  developmental integrity (2004)
• Simulating a Global Brain using networks of
  international organizations, world problems,
  strategies, and values (2001)
• Dynamically Gated Conceptual Communities
  emergent patterns of isolation within knowledge
  society (2004)
• Knowledge Gardening through Music patterns of
  coherence for future African management as an
  alternative to Project Logic (2000)
• Coherent Policy-making Beyond the Information
  Barrier (1999)
• From Information Highways to Songlines of the
  Noosphere Global configuration of hypertext
  pathways for meaningful collective transformation
  (1996)
• Poetry making and Policy making marrying Beauty
  and the Beast (1993)
• Aesthetics of Governance in the Year 2490 (1990)