Journal

Senses

feeling, learning

Often when I don’t understand, when something doesn’t make sense, I don’t feel it yet, and I don’t feel it because I don’t live it, not trying.

Say, I walk, and if a walk is too short, I miss a-ha moments flying in the air!

Yeah, I’m getting a dog.

Fools

humanity, purpose

Some dig looking for the roots while others climb to ripe the fruits.

Tree trunk laughs:
I’m not your playground!
I have fruits to grow.
I’m a tree, you fool!

Oh, – human. – Mind!

Wakes

creativity, habits, process

So I wake. Too much light. No way to sleep. I need to leave the bed. Pijama? On. Body doesn’t want to move. Destination: Home Office. Sit. Wait… Go on! Write. Sketch. Write. Sketch. Write. Oh. Look! You woke up!! G’morning!!

Tunes

creativity, process

Like getting closer and closer to a tiny something on the forest floor I want to greet. And then I kind of fall inside. Into a project. For weeks, sometimes months. Tune-in. Sprint. And then I tune-out. Pause. For weeks.

Waster

entrepreneurship

Nondoing and being useless. How might we apply this in business?

So far I think that ideas need space. Periods of nondoing and being useless, wandering.

But wait! Here, I apply nondoing for the purpose of creativity. Oh.

What about communication as pull not push? Here too, there is underlying purpose of expecting interactions. Oh!

So could nondoing/uselessness fit into a business world?

Chaos

biomimicry, chaos, living systems collaboratory

This post is part of my exploration of Living Systems: Chaos.

Few months ago, I was wondering about fractals. Today I watched two videos (below) that link unrelated case studies through one example of fractals and one formula underneath. It talks about how fractal geometry is just a representation of underlying patterns in nature and in life, in general. We cannot see this pattern with our eyes though (oh, well, unless we look into tree branches for some quick example!). To see deeper, we need a different kind of language. And this formula with computer modelling seems to help with that. I guess that’s what MV meant by saying that ‘sciences helped to see Living Systems’. (15/05)

And here I continue to wonder, would we see those links without technology? How wow technology is for helping se these links. Making the invisible visible. (17/05)

[to be continued…]

Questions

biomimicry, chaos, living systems collaboratory, question

I continue to explore Living Systems philosophy based on Mansoor Vakili’s thinking. Here are my current questions.

Questions, Part One:

  1. Universe as Energy and Information Pattern:
    • What is this pattern’s representation? 
    • How does dynamism (‘dance of energy’) fit with static processes? 
  2. The 3rd Shift (Consciousness):
    • What does it mean “when we observe the universe it responds to our observation”? Does it mean that reality in our heads happen when we pause to pay attention?
  3. The 4th Shift (Networks):
    • How to study these processes and relationships as a beginner? What are the fundamentals/language/vocabulary of this study?
  4. The 6th Shift (Chaos and Order):
    • How to determine the balance of chaos and order in a living system?
    • What is some example approach for studying and understanding how chaos theory works in practice? 
  5. Modelling the Living Systems:
    • How can we model a minimum viable system, so that we understand and embody it? 

Questions, Part Two and Three:

  1. Synchronicity: “when a nonlinear network reaches a critical point of instability, a new order spontaneously emerges. In this stage, the elements synchronize in full cooperation, creating a whole”
    • What conditions are needed for this to happen?
    • How might we foster conditions for human synchronisation? 
  2. Randomness:
    • What’s the connection there: ‘6 degrees of separation in human population’ and randomness?
  3. Non-Linear Systems and Cause/Effect:
    • Hmm?
  4. Power-Law Distribution: “non-linear networks are mostly made of order with only a little randomness”
    • Hmm?
    • What is a healthy/balanced level of order and randomness is a system? How to go about it when creating a new system?
  5. Fractals:
    • How do we work with fractals? How to create a new system with this approach? Or how to analyse an existing system with this approach? How about some experimentation sessions to explore fractals hands-on and models?
  6. Spirituality:
    • Which spiritual traditions align with Living Systems ideas? Could we map these to extract patterns and align these what science is saying?

Breaks

random

How to rest… I’m gonna go so. Where is my jacket? The one with cats? Found it. Ok. To town please! Oh winds, noise, hello. I’ve missed you. I hear you. I hear all of you. Let me park it right there. Right. Wait. I’ll go find a bench. Wet as always. I love. Watching. You. One by one. Rushing bees. Xoxo. I’d like something. Italian icecream! Pistacio. With some sea salt. Nice? Nice. Alright. Let’s go. Let’s hang out! Hello buildings! Still here! Anything new? Apart of dog poo? How is my icecream? Oh, oh. I dropped it! When staring at the white noise. I hear you! C’mon. Let me inside. A new exhibition is on! A dead cow on display. Oh, it’s fake. Good. Ok. It took 5 years! Wow. Brave. And free. The artist, I mean! So silent. Nothing allowed. Well. It’s cold. And dark soon. Better go home. Where is my cab? A bike, I mean. Cycling in the rain… // Back to the sofa. Did you go to town? Me neither. Just typed this up! Feeling good. Rested!

Life Is

coexistence, living systems collaboratory, transformation
A draft of a reflection on “Living Systems Philosophy” seminar with Mansoor Vakili, part of Living Systems Collaboratory.

“If Universe created humans, how come we’re creating activities that are against it…”

Mansoor

Transformations

It seems to me that destruction is part of transformation process. So perhaps humans are going through personal transformation now, so that the minds evolve to a higher consciousness.

Let’s take a body pain as example. To me, a headache is always a signal to adjust my lifestyle/actions. So, what we’re seeing now in the world is a sea of signals to adjust our lifestyles.

Can transformation happen in some other way? … It can too, with more time, with millions of smooth transitions like water polishing the rock. A shift towards tiny smooth transformations is a transformation in itself.

Brain as Hub

I’m curious about Mansoor’s thought on “brain as a hub”. I don’t understand it yet, so I have no comments! Oh, I have questions. How come brain is a hub and not the entire body as a hub?

I’m exploring how gut is responsible for a human body wellbeing and how the wellbeing of the gut links with the brain. So, is brain the hub or the gut? Or …?

Awareness

When I walked the other day, I thought about someone’s comment on “fish doesn’t know they’re in the water”. So, would we say that humans developed the brain to see the whole and then look after the whole?

Hmm, but how do we know that fish doesn’t know they’re in the water? I’d like to be careful of praising humans for their ‘awareness’. 🙂

Left and Right Brain

When I walked today, I thought about words we use, “right brain” and “left brain”, “linear” and “non-linear”. I enjoyed Ilaria’s comments in LSC Lab Hours that from neuroscience perspective there’s no “right and left brain”.

But also I’m curious about ideas that different parts of the brain are activated when we “think creatively” and “think analytically”. I did some course a while back on “Learning How To Learn” and it showed some graphics on that… Today I was thinking, I notice a difference when I need to approach a logical task with imagination or just by pure “lets do it fast” approach. In the course, they referred to these states as “focused” and “defocused brain state”, where defocused state is about making unexpected links in the brain that leads to unexpected insights/solutions, while focused state is about employing the brain to bring back the facts (from one of the memories we have, I don’t remember how they are called now).

So, my challenge to myself now is to use more of defocused states for logical tasks – say fixing a website error – by going for a walk first. 🙂

Systems

A cool take-away from the talk was a reflection on my question:

“If bacteria, human body, Earth are all living systems. So, if we balance a lower-level system (bacteria), does it create cascading effects for a higher-level system (body, Earth)?”

Ruta

I discovered this question when writing MUTANTU comic book, and where I make links between climate change on Earth and heatwaves/inflammation in the human body. So, I was/am curious to explore, how this question can be tested at least as a thought/theory experiment.

Planetary Health

I appreciate the comments I got from LSC collabrarians. Tashka mentioned that ‘health’ can be measured through ‘homeostasis’. A new word for me! Ilaria mentioned that ‘human health leads to planetary health’ and shared some research links like “‘The Lancet Planetary Health‘”. This made me think that I could test the health of the microbiome of the soil and link that with the health of the microbiome of the human gut, to produce an insight of links (or non-links) between ‘health of Earth and Body and Bacteria’. (( I saw some soil testing kits on sale mentioned by Genspace at their upcoming online event on “Soil Analysis” ))

to be continued…

P.S. Did you notice I love walking?

Life as Systems

biomimicry, living systems collaboratory
Reflection on “The Systems View of Life” seminar with Fritjof Capra, part of Living Systems Collaboratory.

I love collecting words and blending them together. Here’s a collection from Fritjof Capra’s talk on Systems Thinking: “Everything is a self-organised system”, “Thinking in relationships and patterns, not things”, “Cooperative Dance”.

Conversations Spark Movements

Fritjof gave a brief intro on systems thinking as a blend of science, indigenous knowledge and arts, which was born in 1920 when biologists, psychologists, ecologists had a conversation.

That makes me wonder what would happen if more of such inter-disciplinary conversations would happen now? The power of conversations!

Pattern for Human Cooperation

The main idea of the talk was about shifting from seeing parts to patterns. Because the whole is more than its parts.

One way to look at this idea is to see similarities between disciplines and projects, and such to develop a generalist’s mind who sees a big picture rather than a specialist narrow mindset.

On a meta level, all disciplines are the same. With 0oo project, we aim to showcase links between disciplines through a simple pattern for human cooperation. What is it? It’s as simple as Question, Idea, Project. Sounds so basic, right? A basic rhythm? 🙂

Life can be overwhelming in these digital times. But with a mental model of questioning, ideating and creating, life welcomes a natural creative flow into a routine.

Network Mindset

I loved how F. Capra defines “mind as a process”. Here at 0oo we question, how can people from different cultures play a coherent (thinking) dance?

Like hundreds of people play a different instrument but together they are part of one concert, is it possible for inter-disciplinary collaborations?

“Mind is a process, not a Thing.

Mind is a mental activity.

The process of knowing is the process of Life.”

Fritjof Capra

Sure it is if we remember a basic rhythm of Questions, Ideas and Projects. Moreover, what happens if we put this exercise into a technology interface?

More so, what happens if people are encouraged to develop a creative (networked) mind? Just click everywhere and explore, and you will see how the world is connected.

New 0oo name and look

Caring for Fellow Cells

F. Capra looked at everything as a system with examples of cells being produced, repaired and regenerated by the Living Network.

Here, I imagine how 0oo community members would be looked after within the network. Overall, 0oo is a mutual human-to-human help system. We’ve thought of how a credit score (collected through online collaborations) going to minus indicates that a member needs someone to fund them, so that they get back to “balance”.

Community Interactions

“Each cell is a cognitive system,” repeats Fritjof. I wonder what can we learn from cells? With SAME community, we explore how each member is like a cell part of a larger whole (a community).

But wait! It’s not about “parts” but “patterns”! So, I noticed how members’ interactions fuel the community. Dance of Life.

Ideas Shape Culture

Obviously, I loved F. Capra comments on how social networks generate themselves, generate ideas and shape culture. That’s what we aim for with 0oo project, to be a space where culture shapes itself organically among world’s cultures and disciplines.

Ideas shaping culture relates so much with my work in general (KOKONO). I deeply believe that “human” is unique in its ability to create ideas and organise communities that shape our culture. (Have you read my Banana Break on that?) There’s space for everyone to ideate and create together!

Communities Regenerate Life

Guess what, I asked F. Capra a question: “What conditions are needed to welcome Regeneration in Society?” He said “life itself is regenerative. Networks regenerate. Sustaining life equals regenerating life. Engaging with regenerative activities, i.e. understanding of Life as a Living System”.

“How does nature sustain Life? By creating communities and maintaining communities (bacterial colonies).”

Fritjof Capra

Create and nurture communities. Be a web! “Be an octopus” ~ MUTANTU. 🙂

The Poetry of Data

creativity, living systems collaboratory
Reflection on “The Poetry of Data” seminar with Nathalie Miebach, part of Living Systems Collaboratory.

Outfits

The seminar felt like a rhythm that fuels life. A sequence of transformations. I loved seeing data becoming a visualization, then becoming music and sculptures. Every step is transforming the shape of the idea, but the idea stays the same! It’s like the idea is changing outfits. Love that.

What are some additional ways that data can be integrated/demonstrated in regards to a living system?

Data?

I’m curious to explore — what is data. I think, it depends on how one defines what is data. I see “data” as information and as information sources beyond my mind. But actually, even thoughts from my mind (when recorded) become data. So, everything is data when observed.

Diary

How can data be integrated? Simply put, when my thoughts are written down, they synthesise into an idea. A new living system is born right there.

Conversations

Things get even more interesting when “data of thoughts” is integrated with someone’s else’s “data of thoughts”. Simply through conversations and feedback loops. Here again, new ideas come to life! New living systems are born.

Projects Melting

Going further, data integrates, when an idea expands between projects (and mediums). Say with my book, I noticed links with a game project that friends is interested to start. Then, both of our projects would melt into something bigger than our individual projects.

Overall, creation and co-creation is where I see “data integration” happening.

What are some ways you can implement data in your project?

Mapping

I’m starting to link existing thinkers’ work with the spells my book character needs to learn. As the book’s purpose is to entertain but also to sink in deeper and shape people’s ways of thinking, so this is an important bit — to give nuggets of living systems philosophy and science that readers can explore afterwards.

Link-Building

Also, I’m curious to mention real projects throughout my book. Imagine a piece of comic (a scene) that is about a project that actually exists in the world. This way, a book links with websites. I’d show these in the appendix at the end of the book. Hmm!

—

Quotes

Legos

X RAZMA: Constructions toys very appreciated for building sense of imagination. also the ancient ones of sticks, stones

Ruta Danyte: Would be cool to see Legos expanding on a Living Systems look! #tetrahedron

Claudia Brenner: Information systems are like lego / modular pieces.

Together Alone

Ruta Danyte: Love hearing privacy mentioned in collaboration! I call it “my cocoon”

Stephen Bau: “There must be a time to retreat into my studio and think by myself” – reminds me of Susan Cain’s exploration of the power of introverts

Ruta Danyte: “collaboration is about hearing smth new” – !

Data Plays

Ruta Danyte: How might we play with data?

X RAZMA: Data scrapbooking // data collage

Lisa Naugle: The ability to translate from one medium to another and another is so critical for building knowledge, awareness, understanding

C A: Inclusive data viz through multiple translations

Natalya Sheveleva: Love this, data is the ingredient and then you play with different ways of cooking it up

Memes

Stephen Bau: An aural representation of a memetic virus? “Memes are to culture what genes are to biology: the base unit of evolution.”

Lisa Naugle: Yes, … sometimes it just takes one person to give a thumbs up!!

Discomfort Maps

Stephen Bau: When we think about human experience design, we tend to avoid the feeling of discomfort by amplifying the satisfaction of felt needs.

Stephen Bau: How does discomfort become an effective means of challenging blind spots and encouraging social evolution by centering discomfort?

Ruta Danyte: Showcasing discomfort opens up some space for transformation

Stephen Bau: We often use empathy maps in UX design. How might we design discomfort maps to rethink human experience design?

Transformations

Mansoor Vakili: How could we convert quantitative data to qualitative patterns ?

Ruta Danyte: Quant to qual, chaos to insight – hmm

Ruta Danyte: “being courageous by simply trying to figure smth out” – love this!

Natalya Sheveleva: You can endure the complicated after your hands are in it, naive simplicity is paramount to help you start. Great reflection for me

Natalya Sheveleva: Reminding me that trauma lives in sense processed data

Mark Wagnon: Aesthetics (including the beautiful representation of ‘raw data’) can move through the ‘mental machinery’ of the ‘conditioned mind’, as well as, the ’emotional trauma’ of our ‘heart intelligence’.