Systems Convening: leading social learning to transform your system – webinar with Etienne and Beverley Wenger-Trayner – 6 Feb 2023, 12:30pm UK time

Join our workshop with Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner to explore how Systems Convening skills can help you catalyse change and learning across boundaries. This is the the final workshop in our series on how to build and lead effective networks and communities.

6 Feb 2024
12:30 – 14:00

https://q.health.org.uk/event/systems-convening-leading-social-learning-to-transform-your-system/

CSCS Seminar | Twists, triangles, and tentacles: A guided tour of high-dimensional basins in networked dynamical systems – 1 Feb 2024, 11:30am, University of Michigan (in person only)

Yuanzhao Zhang, Postdoctoral Fellow, Santa Fe Institute

Thursday, February 1, 2024

11:30 AM-1:00 PM

747 Weiser Hall  Map

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets/tweet_button.2f70fb173b9000da126c79afe2098f02.en.html#dnt=false&id=twitter-widget-0&lang=en&original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Flsa.umich.edu%2Fcscs%2Fnews-events%2Fall-events.detail.html%2F117443-21839304.html&size=m&text=CSCS%20Seminar%20%7C%20Twists%2C%20triangles%2C%20and%20tentacles%3A%20A%20guided%20tour%20of%20high-dimensional%20basins%20in%20networked%20dynamical%20systems%3A%20Yuanzhao%20Zhang%2C%20Postdoctoral%20Fellow%2C%20Santa%20Fe%20Institute%20%7C%20U-M%20LSA%20Center%20for%20the%20Study%20of%20Complex%20Systems&time=1706697546377&type=share&url=https%3A%2F%2Flsa.umich.edu%2Fcscs%2Fnews-events%2Fall-events.detail.html%2F117443-21839304.html  Google  iCal  Email

https://www.facebook.com/v2.3/plugins/like.php?action=like&app_id=196603227047218&channel=https%3A%2F%2Fstaticxx.facebook.com%2Fx%2Fconnect%2Fxd_arbiter%2F%3Fversion%3D46%23cb%3Dfe0562266e12b514f%26domain%3Dlsa.umich.edu%26is_canvas%3Dfalse%26origin%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Flsa.umich.edu%252Ff6aa0402bf1cf1fd9%26relation%3Dparent.parent&container_width=337&href=https%3A%2F%2Flsa.umich.edu%2Fcscs%2Fnews-events%2Fall-events.detail.html%2F117443-21839304.html&layout=button_count&locale=en_US&sdk=joey&share=true&show_faces=true

Coffee and snacks will be provided. This talk will be recorded for later viewing.

Abstract: In this talk, I will explore the interesting geometries that emerge in high-dimensional attraction basins, which are important in applications such as protein folding, cell differentiation, and neural networks. Using simple networks of coupled oscillators, I will show that high-dimensional basins are generally highly nonconvex and nonlocal, with most of the basin volume concentrated in tentacle-like structures. Next, I will show that introducing non-pairwise interactions in the network can make basins deeper but smaller—the attractors become linearly more stable but much harder to find due to basins shrinking dramatically. I will end with a few applications to neuroscience.

CSCS Seminar | Twists, triangles, and tentacles: A guided tour of high-dimensional basins in networked dynamical systems: Yuanzhao Zhang, Postdoctoral Fellow, Santa Fe Institute | U-M LSA Center for the Study of Complex Systems

https://lsa.umich.edu/cscs/news-events/all-events.detail.html/117443-21839304.html

Saturday, February 10Mind, Ecology, Enaction: Encounters between Bateson and Varela – Feb 10, 2024 12pm UK time – SOLD OUT (sadly and rather oddly?)

In this conversation Evan Thompson, Bruce Clarke, and Dulmini Perera explore the relationships between Bateson and Varela’s work.

Saturday, February 10Mind, Ecology, Enaction: Encounters between Bateson and VarelaIn this conversation Evan Thompson, Bruce Clarke, and Dulmini Perera explore the relationships between Bateson and Varela’s work.

Mind, Ecology, Enaction: Encounters between Bateson and Varela Tickets, Sat, Feb 10, 2024 at 12:00 PM | Eventbrite

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mind-ecology-enaction-encounters-between-bateson-and-varela-tickets-808869298847

SCiO London Open Meeting – 18 March 2024, 09:30-17:00 London time, London

Face-to-Face Open Meeting: A series of presentations of interest to Systems and Complexity in Organisation’s members and others.

By SCiO – Systems and Complexity in Organisation

Date and time

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 09:30 – 17:00 GMT

Location

Conway Hall25 Red Lion Street London WC1R 4RL United KingdomShow map

Refund Policy

Contact the organiser to request a refund.

Eventbrite’s fee is nonrefundable.

About this event

  • 7 hours 30 minutes
  • Mobile eTicket

SCiO holds Open Meetings to provide opportunities for practitioners to learn and develop new practice, to build relationships, networks hear about skills, tools, practice and experiences. This meeting will be held face-to-face in London, with details of speakers confirmed shortly.

This open meeting explores specific application of systems thinking practice methods and learning, with five sessions. The programme for the evening is as follows:

09:30 – Introduction to Systemic Intervention (pre-event) – Simon MacCormac

10:00 – Welcome, SCiO notices and community exercise

10:45 – session 1 tbc

11:45 – Break

12:15 – What’s Stopping Us Stopping Climate Change? – Ed Straw

13:15- Lunch Break

14:30 – How to transform organisations by Managing Tensions not People – Russ Lewis

15:30 – Break

16:00 – session 4 tbc

17:00 – Later in the Bar social

Monday, 18 MarchSCiO London Open Meeting – 18th March 2024Face-to-Face Open Meeting: A series of presentations of interest to Systems and Complexity in Organisation’s members and others.By SCiO – Systems and Complexity in Organisation202 followers26% of attendees are repeat customersFollowingDate and timeMon, 18 Mar 2024 09:30 – 17:00 GMTLocationConway Hall25 Red Lion Street London WC1R 4RL United KingdomShow mapRefund PolicyContact the organiser to request a refund.Eventbrite’s fee is nonrefundable.About this event7 hours 30 minutesMobile eTicketSCiO holds Open Meetings to provide opportunities for practitioners to learn and develop new practice, to build relationships, networks hear about skills, tools, practice and experiences. This meeting will be held face-to-face in London, with details of speakers confirmed shortly.This open meeting explores specific application of systems thinking practice methods and learning, with five sessions. The programme for the evening is as follows:09:30 – Introduction to Systemic Intervention (pre-event) – Simon MacCormac10:00 – Welcome, SCiO notices and community exercise10:45 – session 1 tbc11:45 – Break12:15 – What’s Stopping Us Stopping Climate Change? – Ed Straw13:15- Lunch Break14:30 – How to transform organisations by Managing Tensions not People – Russ Lewis15:30 – Break16:00 – session 4 tbc17:00 – Later in the Bar social

SCiO London Open Meeting – 18th March 2024 Tickets, Mon 18 Mar 2024 at 09:30 | Eventbrite
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/scio-london-open-meeting-18th-march-2024-tickets-731845157567?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm_term=SCiO%20London%20Open%20Meeting%20-%2018th%20March%202024&utm_campaign=following_published_event&utm_content=follow_notification&utm_source=eventbrite&utm_medium=email&utm_experiment=follow_template.B&fbclid=IwAR2BvSXekTexcvXakBVdHAu-B_iXCtS2j6NpaxjL6e0aLkMKSv2ogFsN7Q4

Launching the Healthy System Indicators: A new way of relational working across local and national systems

Posted by:alexfleming and vanessalefton, Posted on:30 January 2024 –

How do we know if we are healthy? What do we look out for? We have a regular temperature, we know our energy levels, our body doesn’t ache. These are indicators of good health.  

Much like the body, we can understand the environment within which a policy or services is being delivered as a system and we can assess how well that system is functioning.

In our recent project with the Changing Futures team in Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), we created and tested Healthy System Indicators. We learnt that the Indicators can help policymakers and stakeholders assess a policy/ delivery system together, and diagnose where interventions can be made to ensure the system can improve, ultimately resulting in better outcomes for citizens. 

Launching the Healthy System Indicators: A new way of relational working across local and national systems – Policy Lab

Climate tipping point interactions and cascades: a review – Wunderling, von der Heydt et al (2024)

Earth systems dynamics

  1. Articles
  2. Volume 15, issue 1
  3. ESD, 15, 41–74, 2024

https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-15-41-2024

© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

26 Jan 2024

Climate tipping point interactions and cascades: a review

Nico Wunderling,Anna S. von der Heydt,Yevgeny Aksenov,Stephen Barker,Robbin Bastiaansen,Victor Brovkin,Maura Brunetti,Victor Couplet,Thomas Kleinen,Caroline H. Lear,Johannes Lohmann,Rosa Maria Roman-Cuesta,Sacha Sinet,Didier Swingedouw,Ricarda Winkelmann,Pallavi Anand,Jonathan Barichivich,Sebastian Bathiany,Mara Baudena,John T. Bruun,Cristiano M. Chiessi,Helen K. Coxall,David Docquier,Jonathan F. Donges,Swinda K. J. Falkena,Ann Kristin Klose,David Obura,Juan Rocha,Stefanie Rynders,Norman Julius Steinert,and Matteo Willeit

ESD – Climate tipping point interactions and cascades: a review

https://esd.copernicus.org/articles/15/41/2024/

National Multiple Disadvantage Summit, 22 May 2024, London (all day, charged)

Wednesday, 22 May

Clarity and complexity: the reality of systems change

Join the MEAM Approach network and Changing Futures to explore the reality of transforming systems for people facing multiple disadvantage.

By MEAM

50 followersFollow

Date and time

Wed, 22 May 2024 10:00 – 16:30 BST

Location

Church House, WestminsterGreat Smith Street London SW1P 3AZ United Kingdom

Clarity and complexity: the reality of systems change Tickets, Wed 22 May 2024 at 10:00 | Eventbrite

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/clarity-and-complexity-the-reality-of-systems-change-tickets-793240703297

Eryk Salvaggio: Conversations with Maverick Machines – On Gordon Pask and Generative AI

Often assumed to be derived from cybernetics, today’s generative AI ignores many of its concerns. This essay compares and contrasts two theories of the cyberneticist Gordon Pask with today’s thinking of AI, by looking at Pask’s conversation theory, black boxes, and “maverick machines”.

Eryk Salvaggio: Conversations with Maverick Machines

https://wiki.ljudmila.org/Eryk_Salvaggio:_Conversations_with_Maverick_Machines

Kempinski – Neïl Beloufa Jan 29 – Feb 4, 2024

Kempinski is the third installment of Uncomputables: On Cybernetics and Alien Intelligences, an online program of films and accompanying texts convened by Agnieszka Kurant as the thirteenth cycle of Artist Cinemas, a long-term, online series of film programs curated by artists for e-flux Film.

Uncomputables: #3Kempinski
Neïl Beloufa
2007

14 Minutes

Artist Cinemas

Date
January 29–February 4, 2024

Add to Calendar

In this science-fiction documentary, Beloufa takes us to a village in Mali where inhabitants are invited to express their visions of the future. They speak of their present, but also come up with futuristic accounts and visions, where men couple with cows, cars talk, and rockets spy on people’s lives.

Kempinski is the third installment of Uncomputables: On Cybernetics and Alien Intelligences, an online program of films and accompanying texts convened by Agnieszka Kurant as the thirteenth cycle of Artist Cinemas, a long-term, online series of film programs curated by artists for e-flux Film.

The film is presented alongside a text by Noam Segal.

Uncomputables: On Cybernetics and Alien Intelligences runs in six episodes released every Monday from January 15 through February 26, 2024, streaming a new film each week accompanied by a commissioned interview or response published in text form.

https://www.e-flux.com/film/556907/kempinski/

Systems thinking and systems dynamics interest group on 12manage.com

https://www.12manage.com/methods_forrester_system_dynamics.html

[not the best-informed I’ve seen]

Towards a Metaphysics of Worlds: Meta-commentary on the most fun talk I’ve done in years – Rao (2024

[Deeply cybernetic, in my view!]

VENKATESH RAO

JAN 27, 2024

Towards a Metaphysics of WorldsMeta-commentary on the most fun talk I’ve done in yearsVENKATESH RAOJAN 27, 2024

Towards a Metaphysics of Worlds – by Venkatesh Rao
https://studio.ribbonfarm.com/p/towards-a-metaphysics-of-worlds?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=9973&post_id=141086575&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=false&r=slo6&utm_medium=email

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1N_jCn-eX84Jh0DjRkbkE0H9rrUt6LKml-nuGZfOAelA/edit#slide=id.g29a0e17a986_0_40

See also

Fighting change with change:adaptive variation in an uncertain world – Ancel Meyers and Bull (2002)

  • December 2002
  • Trends in Ecology & Evolution 17(12):551-55

Meyers LA, Bull JJ. Fighting change with change. Trends Ecol Evol 17: 551-557December 2002Trends in Ecology & Evolution 17(12):551-55

Meyers LA, Bull JJ. Fighting change with change. Trends Ecol Evol 17: 551-557 | Request PDF

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222702429_Meyers_LA_Bull_JJ_Fighting_change_with_change_Trends_Ecol_Evol_17_551-557

https://www.academia.edu/17939474/Meyers_LA_Bull_JJ_Fighting_change_with_change_Trends_Ecol_Evol_17_551_557

via the tweet

Dissipative delusions – Petter Holme on Prigogine

[I wonder how, if it all, people will react to this?]

DECRYPTING THE DNA OF MEGAPROJECTS: A Model-based Management Approach using the Viable System Model (VSM) – Frahm and Pfiffner (2023)

FEATURED PAPER

By Michael Frahm

Baden-Württemberg, Germany

and

Dr. Martin Pfiffner

Pfäffikon, Switzerland


Abstract

The following article is an introduction to the design of megaproject organizations based on the viable system model. It combines approaches from project management with approaches from systems theory. The understanding of complexity and how it is effectively managed by the organizational code is a central theme. After referring to current research and a short introduction, the application is shown by using an example. The article shows how important the „applied“ management model is for a successful management of mega projects.

Keywords: Majorprojects, Megaprojects, System Theory, Viable System Model, Organisation, Complexity

DECRYPTING THE DNA OF MEGAPROJECTS A Model-based Management Approachusing the Viable System Model (VSM) FEATURED PAPERBy Michael FrahmBaden-Württemberg, GermanyandDr. Martin PfiffnerPfäffikon, SwitzerlandAbstractThe following article is an introduction to the design of megaproject organizations based on the viable system model. It combines approaches from project management with approaches from systems theory. The understanding of complexity and how it is effectively managed by the organizational code is a central theme. After referring to current research and a short introduction, the application is shown by using an example. The article shows how important the „applied“ management model is for a successful management of mega projects.Keywords: Majorprojects, Megaprojects, System Theory, Viable System Model, Organisation, Complexity

Decrypting the DNA of Megaprojects – PM World Journal

Algebraic Dynamical Systems in Machine Learning – Jones, Swan and Giansiracusa (2024)

Download PDF

Applied Categorical Structures

Aims and scope

Submit manuscript

Abstract

We introduce an algebraic analogue of dynamical systems, based on term rewriting. We show that a recursive function applied to the output of an iterated rewriting system defines a formal class of models into which all the main architectures for dynamic machine learning models (including recurrent neural networks, graph neural networks, and diffusion models) can be embedded. Considered in category theory, we also show that these algebraic models are a natural language for describing the compositionality of dynamic models. Furthermore, we propose that these models provide a template for the generalisation of the above dynamic models to learning problems on structured or non-numerical data, including ‘hybrid symbolic-numeric’ models.

Algebraic Dynamical Systems in Machine LearningOpen accessPublished: 18 January 2024Volume 32, article number 4, (2024)Cite this articleDownload PDFYou have full access to thisopen accessarticleApplied Categorical StructuresAims and scopeSubmit manuscriptAlgebraic Dynamical Systems in Machine LearningDownload PDFIolo Jones, Jerry Swan & Jeffrey Giansiracusa 83 AccessesExplore all metrics AbstractWe introduce an algebraic analogue of dynamical systems, based on term rewriting. We show that a recursive function applied to the output of an iterated rewriting system defines a formal class of models into which all the main architectures for dynamic machine learning models (including recurrent neural networks, graph neural networks, and diffusion models) can be embedded. Considered in category theory, we also show that these algebraic models are a natural language for describing the compositionality of dynamic models. Furthermore, we propose that these models provide a template for the generalisation of the above dynamic models to learning problems on structured or non-numerical data, including ‘hybrid symbolic-numeric’ models.

Algebraic Dynamical Systems in Machine Learning | Applied Categorical Structures

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10485-023-09762-9