Your expression "complexity-thinking" reminded me that I first came
across you in a different forum, namely NECSI's complex-science
list. Indeed the various terms you quote after that would be more
appropriate for that list than the "everything" list. The everything
list was not intended for discussing every possible topic, but rather
"Ensemble theories of everything" or "Ensemble TOEs". This is quite a
focussed topic, which has by and large been adhered to by the list
participants.
The big problem with complex-science was that there were several
prolific people there who would use the terminology of complex systems
in ways totally different to how they're conventionally employed
complex systems. I'm not saying that they're wrong, but I am saying
that I didn't have a clue what they were talking about, and that no
amount of reading their postings helped me to make any kind of
sense. I once complained on that list about there being two languages
on that discussion list.
Ultimately, and perhaps a little sadly, I have had to take the
pragmatic strategy of censoring those individuals - simply deleting
their postings without reading them, as I just don't benefit from
reading them.
Cheers
John M wrote:
> Idea I have, wording is hard. I may mention some key-phrases without
> contextual explanations (and without asking Wei Dai to reformulate the list
> in favor of these <G>) as stirring around lately in select speculations:
> -- "complexity-thinking", -- extending the limits of reductionism:
> induction-buildup, to deduction-analysis, -- extending the limited models
> of reductionist science, -- natural systems as networks of networks, --
> total interconnectedness -- etc., but I am afraid that whatever I mention
> opens another Pandora's box of worms.
> We (working in these lines) have still arguments how to understand (then
> formulate) concepts like impredicative, endogenous, emergent, etc., beside
> the re-identification of 'older' terms galore.
>
> Sorry to have aggrevated you
>
> John Mikes
>
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Received on Sun Jan 12 2003 - 19:08:02 PST