Conversational Topics
Written By: Larry Richards on July 14, 2010
4 Comments
I am curious if ideas for conversational topics that are embedded in comments to individual statements of interest will get central (organizer) attention as conference options. See, for example, Willie Yee, Robert Martin, Alan Stewart, Philip Guddemi and Christiane M. Herr. Or, is more work required on my part? Or, will this all be handled at the conference? (See Christiane Herr’s comments to Larry Richards’ Statement of Interest.)
I prefer sorting out any changes to the list of conference themes before the conference.
The exchanges in the comments your are referring to are currently carried by a few only, while the proposed three conference themes are carried by all who have expressed their interest. I hope that any change to the list of conference themes will be carried by a broader consensus and maintain the breadth amongst, and connections between, Cybernetics, Art, Design and Mathematics in the way the orignal three themes do.
Naturally, those who are discussing on this website will be present at the conference and able to represent and to contribute their perspectives and concerns. I’ll be ready and happy for example to talk and listen to matters of learning and teaching, for example – committed to relating this to Cybernetics, Art, Design and Mathematics and to asking new questions in new ways.
Tom: I did not intend to deviate from the conference themes, although perhaps I am stretching them too far. Try these:
Art (performance): (1) relationship between learning to play guitar (or any musical instrument) and cybernetics; (2) where does humility start and performance start (with reference to sloppy thinking, social change and activisim); (3) conversation, participation and art
Design (as conversation): (4) thinking about language in conversations to generate the new
Art, Design and Mathematics (connections): (5) learning and teaching cybernetics as design, through art (both composition and performance) and/or mathematics
One idea that I like, which I read into what you say, Larry, is taking insights, smaller questions. and so on as strategies to investigate the larger themes, and to open us up when we close down. Perhaps everyone should come with a few such questions to ask, possibly quite often!
As to what others have proposed as what you refer to as conversational topics can be handled in this way. Is this what you’re getting at, Larry?
Yes, Ranulph, that’s the idea.