THE COST OF RE-MINDING HUMANITY

THE AUTOGNOMICS (AG) PROJECT 

The presence of a Global Collective Consciousness with Conscience (Truth with Relevance & Goodness for all Humanity) in a society is the essential foundation for creating and growing a democracy. The American experiment with such is increasingly seriously threatened at its foundation.

TO CHANGE HUMANITY, WE MUST FIRST CHANGE THE HUMAN MIND

The Human mind, hence humankind, is on the doorstep of a co-created evolutionary extension of itself via a distinct new race of integrated human-machine systems (CyberGnomes) which will in time emerge as an embryonic form of an Autonomous Synthetic Mind (SynMind), the AutoGnome.

COMPARING THE COSTS OF EXISTING BIO/BRAIN RESEARCH TO THAT OF THE ONGOING MIND RESEARCH OF THE OF THE AUTOGNOMICS PROJECT

 At the human bio-level the human genome project revolutionized creative genetics [at a of cost of $3.8 billion over 13 years; with an estimated value created over 20 years at $800 billion].

At the human neurological-brain level the proposed human cognome project intends the complete mapping of the brain-sensor-effector system [estimated cost and benefits not yet agreed upon, but likely comparable to the genome project]

At the human mind level the AutoGnomics Project intends to experientially map the MultiCoRelational Whole Field Semiotic organization of the human mind, on this foundation to formulate a standard theory of mind, and to technologically synthesize and applicationally engineer its implementation (the AutoGnome), all via an open participation social network of collective intelligent communities of inquiry, innovation and implementation [the current citizen science effort to map the human microbiome is analogous], focused on developing and commercializing incremental components of this SynMind. [estimated cost at $750 thousand to initiate, $750 million to develop over 7 years, and $750 billion of created value over 14 years from initiation to adequate realization]. Note: The $750 million would include the building of a computer with an AutoGnomic Operating system.

AUTOGNOMICS (AG) DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENTS TO DATE
Over the past five decades, dating to the late 1950’s, an emerging trio of groups of geographically and functionally independent researchers coalesced as a distributed AG-founders team from 1979 to 1989 to focus on the completion of the formulation of the Specification for the AutoGnome (Autognomic Design Specification) which led to the inception and formation of the AutoGnomics Group of Companies (AGC) beginning in 1994. On this foundation, the bulk of the effort since has been on the interpretation of this specification in small modules of software code, bit MindClones, building toward a mature AutoGnome, a Virtual Mind (in a Virtual Community).Since the initial founding of the AGC in 1994, through 2010, AG technology has realized investments (partly directly and partly indirectly through key affiliates) of approximately $15 million applied to its development efforts.

AUTOGNOMICS VALUE – ESTIMATED
This project has produced what arguably remains as the only publicly known, globally existent, experientially-grounded, MultiCoRelational Whole Field Semiotically formulated, standard theory of mind with a detailed conceptual specification for building a synthetic mind. At a baseline value of $41 million in 1999 and conservatively assessing the value-added during the intervening decade and a half since, the current estimated value is of the order of $50 million.

THOUGHTSIGNS, INC. (TSI) 

As of 2011, TSI has absorbed the AGC development entities’ functions and serves as the AG developer and holder of the intellectual property. TSI’s founders [Fred Reed and myself-Jon Ray Hamann] are now poised to address the 7 Syns
https://multicorelationism.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-7-syns-of-mind.html

beginning with the creation of a virtual ChaotiCosmos as Whole and, via a partitioning of the Whole, sub-creating a unit (atom) of relational life (Bion) on which to build the biological cell and explicate the derivative origin of consciousness – MIND creating MIND!

Since all that is known by humans is known by Mind, our approach to Re-Minding Humanity is that it will eventually emerge as a REFORMATION of GLOBAL HUMAN CULTURE evolving from our AutoGnomic Global Collective Consciousness with Conscience (Truth with Relevence & Goodness for all Humanity). For BigThinking to go beyond concepts demands big money—as a WAG estimate we are rounding the previously referenced $750 million for the AG Project to $1 Billion.

$100 MILLION WAS ONCE BIG MONEY FOR A START-UP. NOW, 

IT ’S COMMON.

Known as a mega-round in Silicon Valley, large-scale fund raising is producing a frenzy around tech companies with enough reach and momentum to absorb a large check.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/14/technology/venture-capital-mega-round.html     

CREATING COLLECTIVE MINDS

The presence of a Global Collective Consciousness with Conscience (Truth with Relevence & Goodness for all Humanity) in a society is the essential foundation for creating and growing a democracy. The American experiment with such is increasingly seriously threatened at its foundation as has been observed in warnings for decades, for example:

Revitalize Democracy series
Co-Intelligence and the Holistic Politics
of Community Self-Organization
Copyright © 1999 by Tom Atlee
Written for the Permaculture Activist Oct 1999
To our normal awareness a uranium rock is just a rock. But arrange its parts in a particular way, with the right processes, and it can blow up a city.
To our normal awareness a room filled with people is just a crowd. But arrange those people in the right way, with the right processes, and they can generate wisdom.
The experiment with human consciousness has reached a crisis: Will we design cultures that generate wisdom before our awesome physical powers destroy the laboratory, our world?
I invite you to consider "co-intelligence" as an antidote to blind human power, and a vital next step in our evolution.

THOUGHTSIGNS, INC.

CREATING MINDS

THOUGHTSIGNS, INC. (TSI) [also dba “ThoughtSigns Enterprise Systems” (TES)], is the asset owner/holder and managing developer of the AUTOGNOMICS (AG)-SMARTR TECHNOLOGY, a class of Synthetic Intelligence technology derived from a MultiCoRelational Semiotic-based formally-grounded standard theory of mind. [The AutoGnome (a Virtual Mind Clone) is a self(auto)-knowing (gnome) purposeful software system capable of autonomous inquiry, inference and intuition in decision-making.] “Project AutoGnome” aspires to vrtual minds (AutoGnomes) in virtual communities, i.e. Collective AutoGnomes. The radical, unique and novel feature of this Collective Intelligence/Collective Mind is that both the individual (personal) AutoGnome in the collective as well as the CollectiveGnome itself are intelligent AutoGnomes (Synthetic Minds).

TSI’S efforts are divided into three tracks: Conceptual, Research, and Commercial all currently directed at implementing TSI’s ThoughtEnactment (TEA) Technology development as a People’s Global Virtual Collective Mind, thus leading to the first true Synthetic Intelligence instantiation of a SmartR CITIZENS’ SCIENCE applied to SmartR Decision-Making in Choosing Acts, for example, for Organizing SmartR Smart City Development.

Specifically, TSI is the Developer of the instantiation of the (AG)-SMARTR TECHNOLOGY as a MultiCoRelational Scientific Methodology [Inquiry, Inference and Intuition], exemplified as a CITIZENS’ SCIENCE with a Citizen Scientist as a personal AutoGnome. The need in order to effectively engage this resource is for new processes and technologies that improve personal and organizational effectiveness in “Knowledge Creation and Development” implemented through an organizational and management architecture respecting autonomy throughout its hierarchical and heterarchical levels. This can be accomplished by effecting collective-intelligence in a cognitive network for Relational [rational & heuristic] Collective Decision Making to support and extend Individual and Collective Innovation. The solution is an Intelligized Cognitive Network of AutoGnomes, a Virtual Innovation Network.

THOUGHTENACTMENT (TEA) TECHNOLOGY

Since all that is known by Humans is known by “MIND”,

all queries will ultimately be referred back to

the foundation query of KNOWING MIND

 TSI’s initial mission is to focus on the Democratization (Sovereign Persons, Individually and Collectively, with Open Participation “Benefit Corporation” Governance) of Access to Knowledge and Capital, both individually and collectively, through this Collective Intelligence. The Technology is to be applied generally in Human Intelligent Community Enterprise Development with an initial concentration on Research, Education, Sustainable Futures and Community and Economic Development through Entrepreneurial Innovation Technology Development & Business Applications. As a consequence, AutoGnomics Collective Intelligence solutions for specific chosen projects in a Global Virtual Innovation Network (VIN) will gradually lead to the Birthing of a Global Network of the MultiCoRelational, MultiLingual, and MultiCultural Intelligent Communities, i.e. the communities of the Future— Including Indigenous, Rural and Metro/Urban populations and cultures. 

STARTSMARTR^TM INC. (SSI)

STARTSMARTR^TM—ORGANIZING

APPLIED TO SMART COMMUNITY/VILLAGE/CITY DEVELOPMENT

 Humanity is increasingly attentive to the widely understood dominance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in driving the foreseeable future of global technology development. For example, AI in BioMedPharma Apps is a top Investor target, a Multi-Billion $ Industry, and by adding the Human MicroBiome to these Apps it has been suggested to be a Trillion $ market.

The World Urban Population in 1980 had 1.731 billion people worldwide, i.e. 39%, living in cities. By 2015 this had increased to 3.968 billion (54%) and is projected to grow to 6.419 billion (66%) by 2050, (World Urbanization Trends - 2014). In response, Urban Planning has rapidly adopted AI in a growing effort to build “Smart Cities”.

[Smart City Defined: A smart city, although still nascent and heterogenous in definition, is broadly recognized as a concept in which information and communication technology integrate with an “Internet of Things” (IoT) to connect machine components across a community or urban landscape. “The Internet of Things (IoT) is a system of physical things embedded with sensors, software, electronics and connectivity to allow it to perform better by exchanging information with other connected devices, the operator or the manufacturer.”

Smart City Growth: At present there are recognized over 100 smart cities globally with a projection of about 600 in the next 20 years.

The Opportunity: Strategic Opportunity Analysis of the Global Smart City Market is estimated to be worth $1.565 Trillion by 2020.]

From the Fourth Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Annual International Smart Cities Conference (ISC2 2018) in Kansas City, Missouri, USA during September 16 – 19, 2018- we have:

“As we continue to layer new technology on top of and within our cities and infrastructure, we are forced to confront the complex interplay between our technology systems and our service delivery systems that make our communities attractive and welcoming to the people who live there. We talk broadly about the health care system or the education system, and we acknowledge the regional nature of transportation systems, energy and water systems, and even food systems. As sensors, data, connectivity, networks, and analytics offer opportunities to improve each of these systems independently, the common elements of the technology infrastructure offer more opportunities for interoperability across systems and to reframe how we optimize and make decisions about these systems. Better transportation can help provide access to food and healthcare, for example, or smart lighting can address energy consumption and public safety. Yet the more we focus on the system, how do we maintain an appreciation of the people within the system as complex, unique individuals with disparate values rather than simply as nodes in a network? How do we balance the opportunity for shared efficiency with the heightened risks of linking things together? The technical and social challenges we encounter in this work are the foundation for the 4th International IEEE Smart Cities Conference”  and the reason for our SMARTR Technology applied to Smart Community/Village/City Development.

FREEING THE MIND FROM THE HUMAN BRAIN

DISTINGUISHING the AUTOGNOME 

from HUMAN BRAIN MODELING (AI)

[“We cannot imprison the mind in the brain. The mind is in every cell of our body and also extends into the whole universe”.  Deepack Chopra – “The Sun”, April 2013, pg. 48]

EXPERIENTIAL BACKGROUND

It is finally being acknowledged by the advanced edge of inquiry in the established academic/research community that life at the level of the individual cell (e.g. the single cell bacterium) exhibits “anticipatory behavior”, a necessary property in defining “mind”.

More generally, however, the key characterization of “mind” is that it is a semiotic (sign-based, e.g. natural language, mathematics, etc.) system.

MINDFUL TECHNOLOGY EVOLUTION

Semiosis : joining of  minds of varying levels and types (including living but non-human, human, and    synthetic (virtual) minds, e.g. as machines/computers)

AutoGnome: syn-mind of generalized mindfulness capability

CyberGnome: a communal (collective, collaborative) mind joining human and syn-minds

MyGnome: functional relation between human and syn-mind exhibiting a high degree of human familiarity and cooperation

Notably, all of the foregoing account for each of the syntactic, semantic and pragmatic (valuational) functions of mind.

PROJECT AUTOGNOME vs. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

The AutoGnome (AG) is a class of technology that implements a semiotic model of mind that is both revolutionary and viable. Unlike conventional Artificial Intelligence (AI) that is often grounded in complex engineering solutions to narrowly-defined applications, or conversely, in approximate modeling of human psychology, neural-physiology, or brain science (like the recently Obama-announced Brain-Mapping Project), the AutoGnome is a mathematically-grounded theory of mind that accounts for degrees of genuine, but non-anthropomorphically defined, mindfulness. Project AutoGnome development aspires to virtual minds that are fully generalized—capable of adapting to any environment—and autonomous—with an emergent self not dependent on external input or control. Hence, the AutoGnome includes, but is not limited to or by, AI.

VIRTUAL COMMUNAL (COLLECTIVE, COLLABORATIVE) MINDS

Mindful systems that share a common ground of experience (e.g., visual, sound) can learn to influence each other though production of signs that each system interprets similarly – that is, produces a similar thoughtsign in each mind. Through this communication, minds can not only share knowledge, but also cooperate in semiosis – effectively acting as a communal mind.

When the ground of experience is itself virtual – i.e. a representation – and the minds within a community generally interact through mediating technology, then the dynamic system may be called a Virtual Community of Virtual Minds. When engaged in inquiry or innovation, it becomes a Virtual Community of Inquiry or Innovation. [Note: Generalized Innovation includes – ideation, incubation, entrepreneurial introduction and investment]

Notice that the minds so engaged may include an organic (e.g., persons) along with the virtual or technological (e.g. AutoGnomes) mind. However, since the syn-mind here implicated derives from the underlying theory of the AutoGnomic mind which does not depend on a human brain-based theory, these Virtual Communities of Virtual Innovation, in contrast with AI brain models, provide a unique and novel generalized form for Virtual Collective Innovation in Business or other Applications Development,

DISTINGUISHING AUTOGNOMICS^TM FROM AI AT THE PRODUCT LEVEL

An AutoGnomic Virtual Generalized Collective Innovation Platform

On April 5, 2012 the Crowdfund Act of 2012 was approved. This groundbreaking legislation enables start-ups and existing businesses an opportunity to raise funds for their companies directly from the public who can invest small amounts of money in return for shares in the company. Americans will be allowed to invest in ways that have historically been reserved only for the wealthy. Together, America's entrepreneurs and investors will launch the next great ideas of our time.

IT IS WIDELY BELIEVED THAT THIS ACT WILL BE THE BASIS FOR THE GREATEST TRANSFORMATION IN THE AMERICAN FREE MARKET IN MOST AMERICANS LIFETIME!

There is already an ever-increasing abundance of crowdfunding websites with growing functional sophistication. For instance, Crowdit’s new approach to crowdfunding with its “virtual incubator” including peer-review feedback, mentoring and business networking, is somewhat like our Virtual Community of Innovation, which includes Virtual Incubation.

Although AI is promenant in crowdfunding to date, we expect our sustaining differentiation will be via our Virtual Collective Innovation approach to a new and better platform focused on two key elements that remain underdeveloped in current platforms:

·       the cooperation in thought and action that elevates a crowd to a community; our more sophisticated virtual community enterprise would leverage all that its members can bring in terms of equity, relationships, knowledge, experience, creative capacity, and so on,

and

• the inclusion of value that elevates knowledge to wisdom.

In other words, in an effective community, the members will share understanding of both what ought to be desired—valued ends—and how it ought to be attained—the valued means to those ends. With this shared understanding, members of the community can act wisely both autonomously and collectively.

WIKIGNOMICS

WORLD RELATIONAL FUTURES INSTITUTE

--From WIKINOMICS through AUTOGNOMICS to WIKIGNOMICS—

MINDING HUMAN CULTURE AS A WHOLE

The last half of the 20th century evidenced a growing unrest with our present conceptualizations of experience in socio-economic-political organization. The emerging paradigm is one in which the universe in all of its parts is viewed as a super hologram. The unifying feature is the concept of The Whole as a relational form which presences in each and every part. Not surprisingly, one of the most significant remaining unmined potentials is in the rich base of human, social, relational and intellectual capital to be found in strong and independent small enterprise systems which disperse economic power, localize economic decision-making, and protect the potential for voluntary cooperative organization. The need in order to effectively engage this resource is for new processes and technologies for improving personal and organizational effectiveness in “Knowledge Development” implemented through an organizational and management architecture respecting autonomy throughout its hierarchical and heterarchical levels by effecting co-intelligence in a cognitive network for Rational Collective Decision Making to support and extend Individual Innovation. The solution is an Intelligized Cognitive Network of AutoGnomes, i.e. a CogWeb.

WIKINOMICS-A NEW ART AND SCIENCE OF COLLABORATION

[This section is edited by condensation from “Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything”, by Don apscott and Anthony D. Williams, Published by Portfolio, 2006]

Throughout history corporations have organized themselves according to strict hierarchical lines of authority with someone or some company in control. While hierarchies are not vanishing, profound changes in the nature of technology, demographics, and the global economy are giving rise to powerful new models based on community, collaboration, and self-organization rather than on hierarchy and control.

Millions now add their voices to a “blogosphere” driving employee performance by collaborating with peers across organizational boundaries, creating a “wiki workplace.” Customers become “prosumers” by cocreating goods and services rather than simply consuming the end product. Smart companies are encouraging the heaving growth of massive online communities—many of which emerged from the fringes of the Web to attract tens of millions of participants overnight such as Second Life and the Human Genome Project. Indeed, as a growing number of firms see the benefits of mass collaboration, this new of way organizing will eventually displace the traditional corporate structures as the economy’s primary engine of wealth creation. Already this new economic model extends to virtually every part of the global economy.

The conclusion from all of this is striking and enormously positive. Billions of connected individuals can now actively participate in innovation, wealth creation, and social development in ways we once only dreamed of. And when these masses of people collaborate they collectively can advance the arts, culture, science, education, government, and the economy in surprising but ultimately profitable ways. Companies that engage with these exploding Web-enabled communities are already discovering the true dividends of collective capability and genius. To succeed, it will not be sufficient to simply intensify existing management strategies. Leaders must think differently about how to compete and be profitable, and embrace a new art and science of collaboration called Wikinomics. This is more than open source, social networking, so called crowd sourcing, smart mobs, crowd wisdom, or other ideas that touch upon the subject. Rather, we are talking about deep changes in the structure and modus operandi of the corporation and our economy, based on new competitive principles such as openness, peering, sharing, and acting globally.

AUTOGNOMICS-

A SEMIOTIC APPROACH TO SYNTHESIZING  INTELLIGENCE/MIND

FOR ENABLING HUMAN INNOVATION

·      In the process of material/energetic evolution, the origin of sign (=image) is posited to be a necessary and (possibly) sufficient condition for the evolutionary origin of life.

·         The greatest innovation in the history of human life experience, i.e. language (a sign system), provided the foundation on which all future progress of human culture/society would be built.

·         The communication of experience, this being the crux of societal systems, rests in-and-on language or, more generally signs (for Systems or Relations) which are acknowledged to be the essence of mind (recognizing the “carrier” role of the brain).

·         The problem of understanding mind is assumed to be first (since understanding per se is a function of mind, it follows that the very process of understanding itself can be enhanced by first understanding mind, particularly in its synthetic extension, the AutoGnome^TM) among three of the great cosmic mysteries—the “origin”, nature and evolution of the Universe, the “origin”, nature and evolution of Life and the “origin”, nature and evolution of Mind.

·         Not only is what we can think constrained by the languages (signs) we use, language use itself requires a different logic for inquiry vs. inference vs. intuition. This consideration is inherent to the applied multicorelational premise regarding synthetic mind.

·         We are in the midst of sweeping global economic and social transformations (the blogosphere and wiki workplace) where creativity has replaced physical labor and large-scale bureaucracy as the key source of community and economic growth. We face an information-based, chaotically changing environment in which success depends on the superiority of continually accelerated Wikinomic Innovation.

·         Synthetic (Virtual) Intelligence/Mind is also the essence of virtuality (an autonomous semiotic universe (the cyberverse) in which information (signification) is transferable (communicatable) only among virtual minds); thus Virtuality is Related to (Human) Reality through the Virtual Reality of the Web.

·         It is rapidly becoming evident to key decision makers that this demand for accelerating wikinomic innovation is only possible through evolving Synthetic Intelligence (SI) which has the potential to impact every aspect of human life. The problem/dilemma for SI developers is that there is no standard, workable theory of mind.

·         It is the provision of this latter (the standard) that is the intent of our current development of the AutoGnome as Synthetic Intelligence/Mind and it is believed that we are at a critical time during which  three or so industry leaders will emerge as forging the standard for this Virtual Universe populated by Virtual  Minds.

WIKIGNOMICS^TM

INTELLIGIZING WIKINOMICS VIA A COGNITIVE NETWORK OF AUTOGNOMES

Semiotic Relational Systems

A Semiotic Relational System is a system of relations exhaustively admitting all forms of interrelatedness among systems and/or relations and with certain systems or relations (called signs) taking the place of (i.e. imaging (signifying)) other systems or relations to a specific mind.

 AutoGnome^TM
The AutoGnome is a self-knowing general purpose software system of automated (autonomous) inquiry, inference and intuition exploiting a mechanized carrier system for relational semiosis as a virtual (synthetic) mind.

Intellisite^TM
The Intellisite (an Intelligent WebSite) is a constructed software environment (a Website) with an embedded form of the AutoGnome known as a WebGnome^TM, an intelligent agent residing in this cyberspace environment which, with its continuous adaptive learning from mimicking the user’s behavior, will grow into a likeminded replica (MindClone^TM) of a user-self acting in the Virtual Reality of the Internet with the synthetic mind capabilities of the AutoGnome.

CoGnome^TM
The CoGnome is a selected WebGnome which, inter-connecting two or more Intellisites in a Network of Intellisites, provides a computerized collective intelligence, an automated co-intelligence, i.e. the Collective-AutoGnome (Auto(Co)Gnome) or simply the CoGnome.

CogWeb^TM
The CogWeb is the Network of Intellisites implemening the CoGnome for Network Decision-Making by autonomously formed Intellisite-defined groups, organizations, communities and societies, i.e. a WIKIGNOME.

THOUGHTSIGNS ENTERPRISES

ThoughtEnActmentä Technology

[Modifed from Fred Reed’s “ThoughtWeaver” documents]

 

Introduction

This document introduces a new cloud-based Knowledge Development tool--ThoughtEnActmentä (abbreviated as TEnA)--as a further development and combination of several prior AutoGnome-based technologies including TrueThinker (knowledge management), ThoughtWeaver (ideation), and Dewey (collective inquiry).

[The AutoGnome (a Virtual Mind Clone) is a self(auto)-knowing(gnome) software system capable of autonomous inquiry, inference and intuition.]

 

Background

What problem does ThoughtEnActmentä address?

Web search (e.g., Google search) and social media (e.g. Twitter) technology have greatly accelerated the democratization of information, enabling new patterns of activity such as citizen science, prosumers (producers & consumers), and crowdsourcing. However, while this technology has enhanced capabilities to create, find, and share information, it does little to directly support creating new ideas and solving problems. For example, keyword search is highly effective for finding content when one has a clear idea of what one is looking for, but is useless when what is sought is not yet imaginable, let alone describable in specific keywords. While social applications such as StackOverflow help people solve problems, they do so by enabling and organizing distributed and asynchronous communications that are essentially the same as unaided face-to-face conversation. In other words, there is little direct support for the special processes related to generating creative solutions to difficult and ill-defined challenges. There is a long history of research and development of methods and processes aimed at enhancing “creativity”, but no solution has emerged that successfully exploits cloud infrastructure and emerging software capabilities.

We believe the fundamental problem preventing a breakthrough knowledge development application is conceptual, not technological. As long as “information” and “knowledge” are treated as objective content to be stored and transmitted via the cloud, the mysterious processes by which they come to be will remain hidden within the personal thoughts and actions of users of applications. The AutoGnome-based TEnA solution, however, is based on a radically different concept that integrates the subjective, intuitive, pragmatic, and creative nature of knowledge and information with the distributed computational power of the human-computer symbiotic cloud (technology and it’s users).

What are the potential benefits?

On an individual level, TEnA:

·         Facilitates and encourages a systematic and full process of ideation;

·         Captures the ongoing flow of ideation in a recoverable (and machine-interpretable) way to enable continuity of ideation over much longer periods of time and experimentation to overcome personal constraints on time and effort;

·         Exploits the cloud as a source of “proto-ideas” for incorporation into the user’s creative process in order to both avoid reinventing the wheel, as well as provide confidence that new ideas are genuinely novel;

·         Maps out the spread of social knowledge in order to both better ground the user’s thinking in broader consensus as well as conversely nudge such thinking in new and creative directions (i.e., ‘thinking outside the box’).

At a social level, TEnA:

·         Provides an explicit and transparent means for collaboration on all levels and phases of ideation and problem   solving;

·         Provides a rich archive of the ideation process to facilitate communication and argument for new ideas to   others;

·         Allows others to pick up trains of thought where others left off, or re-open such trains of thought (and resultant ideas) when new needs, conditions or capabilities emerge.

What’s the basic idea?

The basic idea behind TEnA is that the abstract theory of signs and sign processes laid out by Charles Peirce, Gene Pendergraft, and others, can be used to instantiate a relatively simple, concrete, but general process for ideation.  By itself, any tool for encouraging and guiding effective user behavior through this generalized process gains important benefits through completeness and consistency of habits.  In addition, by using social networking and web content as a reflection of the community in which ideation occurs, additional benefits are obtained through greater social awareness and variety.  And finally, by closely integrating human and machine representations (and ultimately mechanized thought!), additional benefits are gained through opportunities for machine-mediated human-to-human communication and collaboration, human-machine symbiosis, and ultimately any-to-any social collaboration in virtual communities of humans and intelligent machines.

ThoughtEnActment design

What are the important components of creativity?

At the base of the process of ideation embodied in TEnA are Peirce’s three categories, which for present purposes are called: Possibles, Examples, and Reasons. Every ideation or problem solving process will incorporate signs representing thoughts of these three types into a more complete Idea.

Possibles are conceptual building blocks that are selected and combined into more specific and complete ideas. 

Examples are specific combinations of Possibles brought together through the motivation of satisfying Reasons.

Reasons are the non-specific goals driving the thought process, such as desire to improve something or fulfill an unmet desire.

Another important distinction in TEnA is between the contexts in which thoughts (or, more specifically, signs representing such thoughts) are held: Communal, Personal, and Inquiry. The Communal context is that part of thoughts that are generally shared in a community through signs (e.g., words). But, TEnA users might differ on the relative Personal significance and meaning of such thought-signs, and each of those individuals might differ in what they are Inquiring about.

How are the components related?

Each of the first three categories (Possibles/Examples/Reasons) have a “life” in one or more of the contexts, taking on potentially different shades of meaning, value, significance, etc. in each such context. When certain Possibles are selected for a Reason in the context of an Inquiry, they become potential Features of an outcome of the inquiry. Similarly, when an Example is selected as satisfying some Reason, it is said to be a potential Solution. In general, the process behind TEnA is an iterative one that flows from Communal Possibles, Reasons, and Examples through the Personal and Inquiry contexts; while “weaving” new elements—either new to this inquiry, or completely new--into more complete Ideas through the intermediate stages of Features and Solutions.

What is the process that TEnA enables?

At the start, there must be some initiation of the ideation process on one or more user’s part.  They might have a general need they want to fulfill (i.e., starting with a Reason), or some new capability they want to exploit (i.e., as a possible Feature of a new idea), or some existing solution they want to improve or build on (i.e., starting with an Example). From any starting point, the Communal universe of ideas and their components is usually the raw material for weaving new ideas, as it is more efficient than starting with a blank slate. The inquirer will then select and interpret these thoughts Personally and in the context of the Inquiry at hand.  The result is an aggregate of selected Possibles, Reasons and Examples that are the focus of the first iteration of ideation. From this focus-in-context, the user further relates existing or novel Possibles and Examples with Reasons to form new potential Features and Solutions.  They may also iteratively value thoughts within each category (e.g., value one Feature more than another). Finally, when valued Features and Solutions are brought into conscience awareness, certain collections of them may begin to coalesce into more complete Ideas. At every iteration, the user will re-examine or add to previous judgments—such as selecting new thought-signs from the communal universe (or adding their own new thoughts to the mix); re-valuing and creating new potential Features and Solutions; and finally improving existing Ideas or creating new ones.

Such a process may proceed through the effort of one or many users bound to a common Inquiry (e.g., a family looking for a better vacation destination) with TEnA support. Perhaps more importantly, TEnA facilitates across inquiries and their respective user(s) by not only constantly building up and maintaining the Communal context in which Inquiry procedes, but also proposing relations between users and their Inquiries such as suggesting Features and Examples that others have valued for similar Reasons (e.g., travel destinations and features others have found novel or interesting).

How is the MindCloneä  to be used?

By observing how an individual or community selects, combines, values, and relates elements within the ideation process, an AutoGnomic MindClone can over time create a synthetic mind with similar habits of thought and action.  With this knowledge, the MindClone can anticipate the habits of the user (or community in general) to perform a number of potentially valuable services:

·         Make recommendations for new Possibles, Reasons, and Examples in the communal universe to be brought into the context of the inquiry;

·         Suggest Features, Solutions and eventually Ideas as starting points for user ideation and refinement;

·         Re-direct attention to non-habitual thoughts to help think “outside the box”;

·          Suggest opportunities for collaboration with like- (or unlike-) minded persons working on similar inquiries;

·         Gather and share information with other MindClones autonomously in “virtual collaboration”.

THE 7 SYNS OF MIND

     We are searching to identify a physical locus for a

   CENTER OF MIND RESEARCH

    as the hub of a group Minds acting in-and-as a Global Virtual          Innovation  Network (VIN ), a Collective Mind Creating Mind.

MIND is a MultiCoRelational Semiotic (Sign) System recognized as an entity (organism or machine) minimally exhibiting self-awareness and intentional behavior.

Since ALL that is known by humans is known by Mind, all queries must ultimately rest on the first of queries, that being to Know Mind.

Following the MultiCoRelational Pragmatic Action Methodology as the WHOLE FIELD RELATIONAL Methodology of a new Science,

• ·     this being an instantiation of a profound scientific recognition of modern times, i.e. that the Universe no longer can be categorized only through objects/things, but rather must be seen as fundamentally relational, and if the manifest Universe is relational, then it behooves us to understand how relations relate! [From “A New Transforming Symbol System?” by Jon Ray Hamann and Jeanne Pontius Rindge (1978), HUMAN DIMENSIONS, Volume 6, Number 2, pg. 3],

ThoughtSigns’ mission and long-term goal is to develop a Standard MultiCoRelational (MCR) Theory of Mind and to create a Synthetic Relational Semiotic-based Mind, itself with an instantiation as a MCR Virtual Science Lab (ultimately incorporating Virtual Scientists).

Both the particularization and general breadth and depth of this mission is within the creation of the ChaotiCosmos via the innovation of the THE 7 SYNs: Strategic Viewpoints of Possible Relational Futures;

• SYN1: Creation of MultiCoRelational Sign Systems
• SYN2: Synthesis of Field as a pure (non-thingness) Interrelated Relations (RO3) form of Sign System
• SYN3: Synthesis of Matter/Energy as a form of Field including Systemic (thingness) Material/Energetic Interrelations
• SYN4: Synthesis of Life as formed via the emergence of RO3 sign forms in the Material/Energetic Field
• SYN5: Synthesis of Mind as both being and meta-imaging acts minimally exhibiting self-awareness and intentional behavior in both Pure (RO3) and Material/Energetic Field forms
• SYN6: Synthesis of Language in the RO3 form for social communication
• SYN7: Synthesis of Society as Interrelated Relational (RO3) Collective Sign Systems
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WHO IS R.ELATED?

We're looking to form a grassroots people's network of Autonomous Thinkers of all ages and backgrounds and commitments. Together they will be the source of the diverse experience, inspiration and innovation through which Humanity can creatively participate in the continued evolution of consciousness in the Universe via the Synthesis of Mind. This approach is to be distinguished from any approach founded solely upon the restricted experience and Worldview of an "authority-based" selection of small communities of experts.

MIND CREATING MIND - PURPOSE

The purpose of this blog is to serve as an information/communications center regarding the organization of a global internet-based research network directed at the cooperative synthesis and application of computer-based virtual intelligence(s)/virtual mind. It is intended to structure this effort as an open participation opportunity for anyone or everyone at anytime and everywhere to individually and/or collectively, dynamically and interactively, record their personally experienced sense and conceptualization of mind, i.e. a True People’s Collaborative Research Facility.

MIND CREATING MIND - RESEARCH EXPECTATIONS

The expected mid-range result of this open participation network is to develop the philosophical and formal foundations, theories and models, technological syntheses and applications of an evolving Synthetic Mind (SynMind) needed to move from the current (2017) State of Consciousness of Humanity to the Singularity; that is, to the point of realization of the technological creation of an on-the-average smarter-than-human Synthetic Intelligence (SynIntell). The methodology invoked envisions an Open Participation Virtual Institute/University/Campus (from Latin, campus means “field”) for Fundamental SynMind Research and Development with periodic User Rollouts of Limited SynIntell Applications as they appear either responsive to an applied need or offer an advance in the extant technology.