This came in today from the SNEC mailing list

[SNEC] Symposium on Synergetics and Morphology; Providence, RI; Nov 3-4

Who: The Synergetics Collaborative (SNEC) in collaboration with the Philomorphs and The Edna Lawrence Nature Lab at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)

What: Presenting our Fourth Symposium on

* * * Synergetics and Morphology: * * *
* * * Explorations into the Shapes of Nature * * *

The Synergetics Collaborative has teamed with the Philomorphs and The Edna Lawrence Nature Lab to present a two-day symposium on "Synergetics and Morphology: Explorations into the Shapes of Nature" at the RISD Auditorium on 2-4 Nov 2007. In addition to presenting an engaging program around the intriguing concept of "the Form of Nature", the event will include a reception on Friday 2 November and a dance performance on Saturday 3 November. The event will also feature an art exhibit on "Synergetics and Morphology" with the work of participants on display at the nearby Waterman Gallery and in the Nature Lab. The Arthur Loeb Design Science Teaching Collection, which now resides with the Nature Lab, will be highlighted during the event. The event will continue our efforts to build upon Buckminster Fuller's Synergetics legacy. It will also offer a reunion for Philomorphs. Finally, it will provide an opportunity to discuss and share diverse viewpoints among the Synergetics community, the Philomorphs, the RISD student and faculty communities, and other explorers of Form aboard SpaceShip Earth.

The symposium will appeal to a broad range of individuals who share a common interest in Morphology (the Art and Science of Form: Goethe is reported to be the first to study and define morphology), including artists, designers, naturalists, geometers, mathematicians, scientists, educators and students.

When:

• A Reception will be held on Friday, 2 November 2007 from 7PM - 9PM
• Saturday 3 November 2007, 8AM - 5PM (Symposium), 8PM - 10PM (Performance)
• Sunday 4 November 2007, 8AM - 5PM (Symposium)

Where: Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Auditorium
17 Canal Street (Canal Walkway at Market Square)
Providence, RI 02906

Travel Directions: http://synergeticists.org/risd.directions.html

Registration: The registration fee is $125 (includes lunch tickets for Sat & Sun, and the performance on Sat evening); $30 for students. RISD students enter at no charge but registration is required. Registrations received after 15 October will be subject to a $25 late processing fee. At the door registrations will be subject to a $50 surcharge.

Please fill out the on-line registration form at http://synergeticists.org/symposium.registration.html

Please mail checks to Synergetics Collaborative; 240 Copley Road; Upper Darby, PA 19082-4016.
Call 610-352-7086 if you have any registration questions.

Art Show: There will be space in the Waterman Gallery and The Edna Lawrence Nature Lab for exhibiting 2-D and 3-D pieces. Please request space by sending a note about your pieces including their dimensions to curator@synergeticists.org. Unless the pieces are large, we hope to accept some submissions from all interested participants.

If the space available is exceeded by the early submissions, we will need to select among a limited number of the larger pieces in a jurried process. Please request space by 30 September to allow time for the jury to notify participants about which pieces can be shown.

Poster Papers: There will be limited space for some participants to contribute Poster Papers. Please send requests to present a Poster Paper to papers@synergeticists.org.

Event Poster: Please let others know about this event by passing on this poster: Synergetics and Morphology Flyer at http://synergeticists.org/snec.2007.11.A.pdf

Symposium Home Page: http://synergeticists.org/snec.announce.meeting.2007.11.html

International Participants: Information for international participants is at http://synergeticists.org/international.html

About The Sponsors: Synergetics Collaborative (SNEC) was founded in 2002 as an organization to bring together a diverse group of people with an interest in Buckminster Fuller's Synergetics in face-to-face workshops, symposia, seminars, and other meetings to educate and support research and understanding of the many facets of Synergetics, its methods and principles.

Visit the Synergetics Collaborative on-line at http://synergeticists.org/

Philomorphs, the "lovers of form", is an ad hoc group founded by Cyril Stanley Smith, Steven J. Gould, and Arthur Loeb, to provide a forum for those interested in form to share ideas in process or new thinking with other interested parties. Two memorable examples of presentations were: the structure and behavior of clusters of soap bubbles by Cyril Smith or the structural jumps in changes of snail evolution by Steven Gould. For many years, the Philomorphs were hosted by Arthur Loeb in his studio in Sever Hall and then in the Carpenter Center at Harvard University. The following quote by Cyril Stanley Smith in 1979 exemplifies the main thinking of the Philomorphs: "There seems to be emerging a new philosophy of structural hierarchy applicable to change biological, intellectual, esthetic or social." Philomorphs has been in hiatus for several years. We hope the event on "Synergetics and Morphology" will provide a reunion for Philomorphs' participants to rekindle their passion for discussing their work on Form.

The Edna Lawrence Nature Lab at Rhode Island School of Design uniquely integrates a natural history collection, a lending library of natural specimens and a studio environment. With its growing collection of more than 80,000 natural history objects, books, visual resources, microscopes and a digital work station, the Nature Lab serves as an invaluable research facility for the RISD community. In 2003, The Nature Lab accepted the Arthur Loeb Design Teaching Collection. This hands-on collection of hundreds of three-dimensional polygons and two-dimensional patterns inspires students and faculty to examine nature's fundamental responses to design problems.

Visit the Nature Lab online at http://www.risd.edu/nature.cfm

CJ Fearnley | Explorer in Universe

cjf (at) CJFearnley (dot) com | Design Science Revolutionary

http://www.CJFearnley.com | "Dare to be Naive" -- Bucky Fuller

This came in today from the SNEC mailing list

* * * Workshop on Quantum Building * * *

in Oswego, NY, 22, 23, & 24 June 2007

Description: The Synergetics Collaborative's Fourth Annual Summer Workshop in Oswego will focus on "Quantum Building: The First 28 Most-Efficient-Minimum Geometrical Systems". The main workshop will be led by Thomas Miller who writes:


"The workshop is about learning to clone the four basic cloning grids that make the volume quanta (Fuller's term) the 'a' module, a-b module, mite and 't' module. We will concentrate on the first three. The grids become self-organizing which needs four abilities: self-stabilization, self-correction, self-regeneration and self-innovation. The overall idea is that these modules have a modular building system inside them and we will explore that system."

In addition, there will be artifact exhibit space for participants and a session for participants to discuss their work.

• When: Friday Reception 22 June 2006, 7 - 10PM ($15; pre-register to get directions), Saturday 23 June 2006, 8AM - 10PM (Registration: 8 AM), Sunday 24 June 2006, 8AM - 6PM
• Registration: Pre-registration is required! Please fill out the following form: http://synergeticists.org/workshop.registration.html
• Housing: Contact John Belt (belt (at) oswego (dot) edu) to make housing arrangements. On-campus housing is limited, and first come, first served. Reservations must be made by July 14th!!!
• Where:
  • SUNY Oswego
  • Department of Technology, Design Studio
  • Wilber Hall, Design Studio, Room 350
  • Oswego, NY
• Event Web Page:http://synergeticists.org/snec.announce.meeting.2007.06.html
• Travel Directions: http://www.oswego.edu/about/visit/directions/index.html
• Workshop Fee: $60 general ($30 for students)
• Publicity Poster: Please let others know about this event by passing on this poster: http://synergeticists.org/snec.2007.06.pdf
• Exhibit Space: Exhibit space will be available for showing artifacts. Space must be reserved by July 15. To make arrangements for space, send a request with the dimensions of your piece(s) to John Belt (belt (at) oswego (dot) edu). Please bring a card with a brief description of your work for display in the exhibit area.

CJ Fearnley | Explorer in Universe

cjf (at) CJFearnley (dot) com | Design Science Revolutionary

http://www.CJFearnley.com | "Dare to be Naive" -- Bucky Fuller

from Chris Fearnley [SNEC]
The Synergetics Collaborative (SNEC), the Philomorphs, and the Foundation for New Directions are holding a one-day Seminar on "Synergetics 3" in Cambridge, MA, Saturday, 4 November 2006.
Location: Foundation for New Directions \ 93 Belmont Street \ Cambridge, MA 02138
Cost: $10 for lunch

RSVP Required (the space has a limited capacity of 25 people)

Please send me an e-mail before 1 November so that we can order enough food from the caterer.

Directions: will be provided upon RSVP receipt

Agenda
1. 8:30 AM - Sign-in, Meet and Greet
2. 9 AM - 10 AM - Attendee Introductions & Show-n-Tell (bring your work!) \ Moderated by CJ Fearnley
3. 10 AM - 11 AM - Organizing a joint Symposium on "Form and Synergetics" between the Synergetics Collaborative and the Philomorphs in 2007 \ - We need a venue, please bring your thoughts - We need volunteers to help with illions of details
4. 11 AM - 12 PM - Reviving the Philomorphs - What will it take?
5. 12 PM - 1 PM - Lunch
6. 1 PM - 3 PM - Synergetics 3, Marvin Solit
7. 3 PM - 5 PM - Discussion on Synergetics 3, Moderated by CJ Fearnley \ Reflections on Synergetics 3, Joe Clinton
8. 5 PM - 7 PM - Visiting Bucky's grave \ Dinner at a nearby Chinese Restaurant \ Unstructured discussions

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