This whole discussion is one of the many reasons I think a new study of what
time is and how it works needs to be engaged in. That was what my father was
beginning to do, via Complexity (the book he was writing), but he didn't get
far enough before he died, unless it's in those hand-written notes... but I
don't think it's likely. If he'd had a breakthrough of that magnitude, I
would have gotten a phone call in the middle of the night.
However, it seems to me that the ideas are all laid out in Anticipatory
Systems... the history of the current beliefs about time and the reason
biology affords a more comprehensive lens through which to observe the
behavior of time, itself. Time is peculiar. There is more than one way to
interact with it, more than one way it is expressed via systems in the
universe. If I had the educational background for it, I'd attempt to do the
study myself. But, failing that, it seems to me that we have the equivalent
here on the list of a really well-rounded educational background and spheres
of expertise that could allow for a pretty comprehensive treatment of time.
Tell you what... I'm getting ready to launch a new page on my website that
is based on my father's notion for a way out of Academia for new
science/scientists. He called it BioTheory. His vision of it was different
from what I'm going to be able to do, simply because he isn't here to drive
the process and be the draw. But his name is. What I intend to do is create
an internet based journal, of sorts, which will be capable of several
functions: It will publish new work that is based on "Rosennean" principles;
It will give non-traditional thinkers a forum for their work, with my
father's name and reputation as the draw; It will serve as a marketplace for
those whose work might otherwise not get past the gatekeepers of mainstream
journals (because the work is not "mainstream enough"); And it will
hopefully inspire people to continue working on original work that questions
long-held assumptions based on flawed logic, and add ultimately to real
understanding of how the universe works (Natural Law).
So what I propose is this: I'm going to write up a summary of what my father
points out about time in Anticipatory Systems. All of you are invited and
challenged to write a paper expressing a discussion of what you think time
is, how it works, and how (means/modes) to study it more fully. I will
publish them all together on the BioTheory page to launch the journal.
Deadline: Launch is set for sometime around Sept 10th.
Below is part of my father's notes on what he wanted to create. It's rather
rough, just personal notes that aren't much more than musing to himself at
the typewriter, but I thought the list might appreciate seeing this.
Judith
FISCAL ASPECTS OF BIOTHEORY
I now have to think about the terms of my offer.
The basis is, of course, that I no longer wish to
make my work available to the general scientific public
through normal channels; journals and books. Nor do I
wish to continue participating in what has become normal
academic life. These have become increasingly inappropriate to the nature
of my research work. On the other
hand, I do not intend to curtail my scientific work, but
rather to expand it. What I hope to achieve by leaving
Academia is to do it better, and in peace; I intend to
concentrate on it fully, in a way no longer possible in Academia.
I wish to continue to make the products of this work
available to those interested in it, but privately, and
in limited quantity.
Hence, I have decided to invite subscriptions for
this work. I will limit myself initially to 500 sub-
scribers worldwide. Subscribers may be individuals or
organizations.
Subscriptions will be made available at an initial fee of $500 per
annum. In return, subscribers will receive titles and abstracts of all of
my forthcoming research work. Only subscribers will be thus informed;
there will be no other distribution or information to the
scientific community at large. If a subscriber wishes to
receive the complete manuscript, a copy will be forwarded.
There will be no other distribution of this material.
Copies will be individually numbered.
In addition to research manuscripts, I intend to pre-
pare, from time to time, more discursive articles and re-
views, as seems appropriate. I will also, from time to
time, invite other scientists to prepare contributions
for BIOTHEORY subscribers; as usual, distribution of
these contributions will be limited to subscribers.
A novel feature of this subscription service will
be its interactive nature. I will invite subscribers to
suggest issues they feel to be of particular interest,
either to themselves or to the broader community of sub-
scribers in general. In other words, BIOTHEORY will
also function as a consultation service, responding as
appropriate to specific subscriber interests.
There may be additional fees involved in this con-
sultatory mode, depending upon the time and effort such
requests require. These will be determined on a case-by-
case basis. But as far as possible, such consultations
will be included within the primary subscription service.