Self-organization and beyond

[Chris Corrigan]

I've been lately spending a lot of time on planes, and when you fly a lot,
you become acutely aware that air is actually a fluid medium, just one a lot
less dense than water.  So, yes, we open space in water.

*blurb!*

Chris

On 6/18/07, Scott Willard <revscott_2000 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Ralph,
> This was a really good find.  Thanks for spelling out.
>
> If we go with the water principle then we may have to consider adding
> another principle to OST, "clothing is optional."  I'm not ready for that,
> yet;)
>
> *Ralph Copleman <rcopleman at comcast.net>* wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> I was paging through a book the other day called "Biomimicry" by Janine
> Benyus, a science journalist.  From the back cover: "She introduces the
> maverick researchers who are studying proteins to make blindingly fast
> computers, discovering new drugs by observing what animals eat, and more."
>
> Benyus identifies four "tricks of the trade" that nature employs when
> making things.  The third one is "self-assembly".  That sounded to me a lot
> like self-organization, and since I'm always on the lookout for analogies to
> open space, I took a further look...
>
>
>    1. ...nature's first trick of the trade is that nature manufactures
>    its materials under life-friendly conditions – in water, at room
>    temperature, without harsh chemicals or high pressures."  She's reflecting
>    on the difference between nature and human industrial processes, but as I
>    read between these lines with OS in mind, this was interesting.
>    2. ..."ordered hierarchical structures" - by this she does NOT mean
>    organizational pyramids.  She's referring to the added strength that comes
>    from having multiple, connected bands of materials, as in steel bridge
>    cables or human muscles and tendons.  These items are extra strong and
>    resilient because they are many similar parts joined in function rather than
>    one solid piece.  Think: humans sitting in a circle to address the same
>    theme.
>    3. ...self-assembly – nature "grows its materials from the ground
>    up, not by building but by self-assembling."  Sounds like every OS meeting
>    I've ever seen.
>    4. "...the ability to customize materials through the use of
>    templates" – She says most human industrial processes are "heat, beat, and
>    treat" in their primary methodology and produce a lot of waste material.
>     "...nature makes only what she wants and when she wants.  No waste on the
>    cutting room floor."
>
>
> This fourth one intrigues me.  It sounds like the community market place
> to me and recalls to mind how every posted topic in an OS gathering
> contributes something important to the overall collective consciousness and
> ultimate sense of the meeting that is a form of final product.  No waste at
> all.
>
> I've always believed OS is the closest thing we have to humans behaving in
> harmony with nature and evolution.  Now I'm more convinced then ever.
>
> The only thing is that bit in the first item, where it implies nature
> produces everything in water.  Does this mean we only open space in lakes or
> pools from now on?
>
> Ralph Copleman
>
>
>
> * * ==========================================================
> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU ------------------------------ To
> subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of
> oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about
> OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
>
>
>
>
> Scott Willard
> Affinity Consulting Group
> affinity-scottwillard.com
>
> ------------------------------
> Yahoo! oneSearch: Finally, mobile search that gives answers<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=48252/*http://mobile.yahoo.com/mobileweb/onesearch?refer=1ONXIC>,
> not web links. * *
> ==========================================================
> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU ------------------------------ To
> subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of
> oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about
> OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
>



-- 
CHRIS CORRIGAN
Facilitation - Training
Open Space Technology

Weblog: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot
Site: http://www.chriscorrigan.com

Principal, Harvest Moon Consultants, Ltd.
http://www.harvestmoonconsultants.com

*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html

To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.openspacetech.org/pipermail/oslist-openspacetech.org/attachments/20070618/1cbb3c6d/attachment-0016.htm>