Creativity in Action: Exploring Cross-Cutting Models of Self-Organization and Emergence in Science and Technology

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (02) ◽  
pp. 135-150
Author(s):  
Manfred Euler

This review presents a sequence of exemplary experience-based encounters with self-organizing systems on different levels of difficulty. Based on hands-on experiments and creative modeling it provides a viable educational road to build up a deeper understanding of self-organization principles and their comprehensive nature. Theories of self-organization describe how patterns, structures and new types of behavior emerge in energetically open systems, resulting from the local interaction of many components. As an external control instance is missing, the underlying philosophy is counterintuitive to our habits of causal thinking. This thematic and conceptual framework impacts on many STEM domains and presents a blueprint for modeling emergent structures and complex functions in natural and technological systems. It reveals unifying principles that can help in reducing, in structuring and, finally, in understanding and controlling the emerging complexity. An overview across diverse STEM domains highlights the role of this overarching concept. This cross-disciplinary approach can help in improving the dialogue and the knowledge exchange between the individual fields. Moreover, in a self-referential fashion, the modeling of self-organization provides us with fresh perspectives to reflect our own creative processes.

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norbert Fenzl

How order emerges from noise? How higher complexity arises from lower complexity? For what reason a certain number of open systems start interacting in a coherent way, producing new structures, building up cohesion and new structural boundaries? To answer these questions we need to precise the concepts we use to describe open and complex systems and the basic driving forces of self-organization.   We assume that self-organization processes are related to the flow and throughput of Energy and Matter and the production of system-specific Information. These two processes are intimately linked together: Energy and Material flows are the fundamental carriers of signs, which are processed by the internal structure of the system to produce system-specific structural Information (Is). So far, the present theoretical reflections are focused on the emergence of open systems and on the role of Energy Flows and Information in a self-organizing process. Based on the assumption that Energy, Mass and Information are intrinsically linked together and are fundamental aspects of the Universe, we discuss how they might be related to each other and how they are able to produce the emergence of new structures and systems. 


2013 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-119
Author(s):  
Pamela E. Guess

The pervasive incidence of depression is predicted to increase even more exponentially over the next 2 decades; by 2030, depression will likely be among the most common causes of disability (Mathers & Loncar, 2006). Although efficacious interventions for depression have been established, these treatments are, paradoxically, accessed by and/or available to only a small percentage of affected individuals. Furthermore, the most frequently used interventions—traditional psychotherapy and antidepressant medications—are conceptually based within an external control model as opposed to a holistic model of care. Interventions are reactive as opposed to proactive, and they highlight the role of agents external to the individual. This conceptualization opposes a more expansive approach that incorporates medical, psychological, and social factors as equivalent contributors to health. An alternative lens through which prevention and management of depression can be viewed emphasizing the influence of client participation is described. Citing results from research in which outcomes from use of antidepressant medications only slightly exceeded the influence of placebos (Kirsch, 2010), an often overlooked intervention resource, the influence of the patient himself/herself and the “contextual healing” suggested through placebo research is highlighted. Presenting literature on hope models (Jacoby, 2003) and positive psychology (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000), the role of the individual as a powerful resource for depression intervention, is emphasized. Examples of therapeutic strategies that capitalize on this resource are described along with a discussion regarding the ethical responsibility of health care providers to include such strategies in practice.


Author(s):  
Серій Ілліч Доценко

It is performed an analysis of the causes and consequences of the crisis of classical cybernetics, created by N. Wiener and W. R. Anby. N. Viener has shown that the basis of the crisis is the exclusion from the consideration of the process of forming the goal of activity for physiological and cybernetic systems. However, the study of the crisis of classical cybernetics is conducted from the historical point of view. N. Wiener's opinion on the role of the goal of the cybernetic system in management processes is not taken into account. The main focus is on the study of information management and transfer processes. The main direction of the development of classical cybernetics is determined by the further development of computer science, as well as new cybernetics. In the study of the crisis of classical cybernetics, an analysis of its initial hypotheses is not conducted in the formation of the principles of organisation and self-organization. Therefore, in the article the formation of the content of these concepts was made and on their basis an attempt was made to form initial hypotheses of the organization of physiological and cybernetic systems in their "existence", as well as self-organization in their "activities". It is shown that for the principle of organization and for the principle of self-organization in classical cybernetics, there is no unambiguous content. It is also shown that the crisis of classical cybernetics is due to the crisis of the methodology of the general theory of systems. The main lesson of the crisis of classical cybernetics is that the very purpose of the activity, the mechanism of formation of which was derived outside the cybernetic system, proved to be a fundamental factor both for the formation of the principle of organization of the system in its existence and for the formulation of the principle of its self-organization in its activities. Therefore, classical cybernetics should go to the research of information-open systems. To know the mechanism of the formation of the purpose of the activity, it is necessary to investigate the mechanism of the formation of heuristics in the model of the natural neural network by analogy with the problem of self-organization on the basis of heuristics for the model of the Rosenblatt perceptron, which was considered by A. G. Ivakhnenko. To know the mechanism of the change of the sign of feedback it is necessary to study the architecture of the functional system in accordance with the theory of functional systems of Academician P. K. Anokhin


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (56) ◽  
pp. eabd0272
Author(s):  
J. F. Boudet ◽  
J. Lintuvuori ◽  
C. Lacouture ◽  
T. Barois ◽  
A. Deblais ◽  
...  

A swarm of simple active particles confined in a flexible scaffold is a promising system to make mobile and deformable superstructures. These soft structures can perform tasks that are difficult to carry out for monolithic robots because they can infiltrate narrow spaces, smaller than their size, and move around obstacles. To achieve such tasks, the origin of the forces the superstructures develop, how they can be guided, and the effects of external environment, especially geometry and the presence of obstacles, need to be understood. Here, we report measurements of the forces developed by such superstructures, enclosing a number of mindless active rod-like robots, as well as the forces exerted by these structures to achieve a simple function, crossing a constriction. We relate these forces to the self-organization of the individual entities. Furthermore, and based on a physical understanding of what controls the mobility of these superstructures and the role of geometry in such a process, we devise a simple strategy where the environment can be designed to bias the mobility of the superstructure, giving rise to directional motion. Simple tasks—such as pulling a load, moving through an obstacle course, or cleaning up an arena—are demonstrated. Rudimentary control of the superstructures using light is also proposed. The results are of relevance to the making of robust flexible superstructures with nontrivial space exploration properties out of a swarm of simpler and cheaper robots.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-18
Author(s):  
Kaitlynn N Milvert

This paper reexamines African-American writer and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston’s presentation of the self in Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937), generally considered one of the most important African-American novels of the twentieth century. Originally criticized by Hurston’s contemporaries as a retrograde folk portrait of African-American life, Their Eyes presents the oral narrative of Hurston’s protagonist, Janie, a woman surrounded by natural and social cycles. Building on the novel’s allusive title and the convergent Biblical and folkloric frameworks of the work, I trace the evolving concept of “God” throughout the novel as external forces continually shape and reshape Janie’s world for her, questioning whether she can retain any individual agency navigating through these cyclical, predetermined pathways. The redefined vision of the individual that emerges from this reading counters the criticism of Hurston’s contemporaries, as Janie herself assumes the role of “God” at the novel’s conclusion and gains the power to create her own cycles, free from external control. I thus argue that the novel transcends its supposed function as a depiction of the African-American self to make a broader, humanistic claim for the power of the individual, not contingent on social distinctions. 


Author(s):  
Ann Kipling Brown

This chapter discusses the role of arts/dance education in the lives of both children and pre-service teachers in Canada today. Through reports at the national and international level and specific initiatives in the province of Saskatchewan, the importance and implementation of arts/dance education for all is identified. A curriculum is encouraged that positions students to become active creators of knowledge, to acquire critical, open, and exploratory perspectives, to work independently, to use a variety of research tools, and to express themselves using a range of symbol systems and therefore dance. There is evidence that such creative processes empower communities and improve the health and wellbeing of individuals. An example from a teaching context is provided to consider the role of dance both as personal expression and wellbeing that intertwines the history and personal voice of the individual and as a means to examine pedagogical practice.


2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 126-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frosso Motti-Stefanidi ◽  
Ann S. Masten

Academic achievement in immigrant children and adolescents is an indicator of current and future adaptive success. Since the future of immigrant youths is inextricably linked to that of the receiving society, the success of their trajectory through school becomes a high stakes issue both for the individual and society. The present article focuses on school success in immigrant children and adolescents, and the role of school engagement in accounting for individual and group differences in academic achievement from the perspective of a multilevel integrative model of immigrant youths’ adaptation ( Motti-Stefanidi, Berry, Chryssochoou, Sam, & Phinney, 2012 ). Drawing on this conceptual framework, school success is examined in developmental and acculturative context, taking into account multiple levels of analysis. Findings suggest that for both immigrant and nonimmigrant youths the relationship between school engagement and school success is bidirectional, each influencing over time the other. Evidence regarding potential moderating and mediating roles of school engagement for the academic success of immigrant youths also is evaluated.


2008 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 134-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel C. Voelkle ◽  
Nicolas Sander

University dropout is a politically and economically important factor. While a number of studies address this issue cross-sectionally by analyzing different cohorts, or retrospectively via questionnaires, few of them are truly longitudinal and focus on the individual as the unit of interest. In contrast to these studies, an individual differences perspective is adopted in the present paper. For this purpose, a hands-on introduction to a recently proposed structural equation (SEM) approach to discrete-time survival analysis is provided ( Muthén & Masyn, 2005 ). In a next step, a prospective study with N = 1096 students, observed across four semesters, is introduced. As expected, average university grade proved to be an important predictor of future dropout, while high-school grade-point average (GPA) yielded no incremental predictive validity but was completely mediated by university grade. Accounting for unobserved heterogeneity, three latent classes could be identified with differential predictor-criterion relations, suggesting the need to pay closer attention to the composition of the student population.


Acta Naturae ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. V. Elizar’ev ◽  
D. V. Lomaev ◽  
D. A. Chetverina ◽  
P. G. Georgiev ◽  
M. M. Erokhin

Maintenance of the individual patterns of gene expression in different cell types is required for the differentiation and development of multicellular organisms. Expression of many genes is controlled by Polycomb (PcG) and Trithorax (TrxG) group proteins that act through association with chromatin. PcG/TrxG are assembled on the DNA sequences termed PREs (Polycomb Response Elements), the activity of which can be modulated and switched from repression to activation. In this study, we analyzed the influence of transcriptional read-through on PRE activity switch mediated by the yeast activator GAL4. We show that a transcription terminator inserted between the promoter and PRE doesnt prevent switching of PRE activity from repression to activation. We demonstrate that, independently of PRE orientation, high levels of transcription fail to dislodge PcG/TrxG proteins from PRE in the absence of a terminator. Thus, transcription is not the main factor required for PRE activity switch.


2019 ◽  
pp. 22-29
Author(s):  
Н. В. Фрадкіна

The purpose and tasks of the work are to analyze the contemporary Ukrainian mass culture in terms of its value and humanistic components, as well as the importance of cultural studies and Ukrainian studies in educational disciplines for the formation of a holistic worldview of modern youth.Analysis of research and publications. Scientists repeatedly turned to the problems of the role of spirituality in the formation of society and its culture. This problem is highlighted in the publications by O. Losev, V. Lytvyn, D. Likhachev, S. Avierintsev, M. Zakovych, I. Stepanenko and E. Kostyshyn.Experts see the main negative impact of mass culture on the quality approach, which determines mass culture through the market, because mass culture, from our point of view, is everything that is sold and used in mass demand.One of the most interesting studies on this issue was the work by the representatives of Frankfurt School M. Horkheimer and T. Adorno «Dialectics of Enlightenment» (1947), devoted to a detailed analysis of mass culture. Propaganda at all socio-cultural levels in the form is similar in both totalitarian and democratic countries. It is connected, according to the authors, with the direction of European enlightenment. The tendency to unify people is a manifestation of the influence of mass culture, from cinema to pop. Mass culture is a phenomenon whose existence is associated with commerce (accumulation in any form – this is the main feature of education), in general, the fact that it exists in this form is related to the direction of the history of civilization.Modern mass culture, with its externally attractive and easily assimilated ideas and symbols, appealing to the trends of modern fashion, becomes a standard of prestigious consumption, does not require intense reflection, allows you to relax, distract, not teach, but entertains, preaches hedonism as the main spiritual value. And as a consequence, there are socio-cultural risks: an active rejection of other people, which leads to the formation of indifference; cruelty as a character trait; increase of violent and mercenary crime; increase in the number of alcohol and drug addicts; anti-patriotism; indifference to the values of the family and as a result of social orphanhood and prostitution.Conclusions, perspectives of research. Thus, we can conclude that modern Ukrainian education is predominantly formed by the values of mass culture. Namely, according to the «Dialectic» by Horkheimer and Adorno, «semi-enlightenment becomes an objective spirit» of our modern society.It is concluded that only high-quality education can create the opposite of the onset of mass culture and the destruction of spirituality in our society. It is proved that only by realizing the importance of cultivating disciplines in the educational process and the spiritual upbringing of the nation, through educational reforms, humanitarian knowledge will gradually return to student audiences.Formation of youth occurs under the influence of social environment, culture, education and self-education. The optimal combination of these factors determines both the process of socialization itself and how successful it will be. In this context, one can see the leading role of education and upbringing. It turns out that the main task of modern education is to spread its influence on the development of spiritual culture of the individual, which eventually becomes a solid foundation for the formation of the individual. Such a subject requires both philosophical and humanitarian approaches in further integrated interdisciplinary research, since the availability of such research will provide the theoretical foundation for truly modern educational and personal development.


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