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MetapatternsofNature,Mind,andCulture

AdvancedHonorsSeminarSpring2017

AHSEM-UA.154/ENVST-UA.254Tuesdays11:00–1:30p.m.

TylerVolk

ProfessorofBiologyandEnvironmentalStudies1157BrownBuilding

(OFFICEHOURS:Mon.&Wed.,10:30AM–12:15,usually)takeWaverlyBuildingelevatorsto11thfloor,turnleft;

alsomeetingsbyappointment;orjustdropby)Mailbox:BiologyDepartment,1009Silver

PHONE:(212)998-3736EMAIL:tyler.volk@nyu.eduMetapatternsarefunctionalpatternsorprinciplescommonacrossavarietyof“things,”veryimportantinbothbiologyandculture.Westartwiththefactthatsystemsthatevolve—whetherbiological,cognitive,orcultural—areproducedfromaniterativesequenceofpropagation,variation,andselection.Therefore,thethingsthatresultarepatternsshapedbyinteractionandmust“work.”Inconsideringthegeneralprinciplesforthecreationofpatterns,includingthoseofphysicsandchemistry,youwilllearnandapplymetapatternsasgeneraltoolsforanalyzingsystems.Metapatternsincludebinaries,borders,layers,alphabet-likesystems,arrowsintime,andbreaksandcyclesintime.Yourexplorationandfindingsabouttheseandotherwide-ranging,logicalprinciples(suchassystemstheory,networks,positiveandnegativefeedbacks)canincludetopicsthatinterestyou,suchasthenatureofphysicallaws,patternsoflifefromphysicaltreestoevolutionarytrees,animalsocieties,language,music,symbols,architecture,mentalphenomena(i.e.,thetime-patternsofthoughts),politics,philosophy,andawidespectrumofenvironmentalissues.Forasenseofthematerial,seetheinstructor’sbookMetapatternsAcrossSpace,Time,andMind,ortheinstructor’spapersaboutmetapatternsavailablefromthiswebsite(http://metapatterns.wikidot.com/members:tylervolk;forexample,VolkandBloom(2007)),ortheinstructor’strioofYouTubevideosonmetapatterns(search“professortylevolk”and“metapatterns”).Cross-listedwithEnvironmentalStudiesasENVST-UA254.001,andforESstudents,thiscoursecancounttowardsthemajor.TylerVolkisProfessorofBiologyandEnvironmentalStudiesandarecipientoftheUniversity’sDistinguishedTeachingAward.HeistheauthorofMetapatternsacrossSpace,Time,andMindandofpapersthatpointtocommonfunctionalprinciplesatdifferentscales.Severalrelevantpaperscanbeaccessedathttp://metapatterns.wikidot.com/members:tylervolk.VolkconductsresearchontheglobalcarboncycleandEarth’sfuture.HisforthcomingbookforColumbiaUniversityPressisQuarkstoCulture:HowWeCametoBe(2017).

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Yourwork:Thisisprimarilyanactive,project-basedcourse,inwhichyouaregoingtobefacilitatedintoindependentresearchprettymuchrightfromthestart.Wemightuse“peerreview”forpapers.Therewillongoingclassroompresentations,usingpowerpointandothermedia(theboard,handouts,etc.).ANTICIPATEDFLOWOFWORK:Onemajorproject,withseveralpresentationsofotherprojectsalongtheway,ontopicsthatareaskedtobe“responses”tomaterialbeingpresentedandtothereadings.TheseresponsesmightinvolvepostingsontheClasseswebsitesitesootherscanmakeformalcommentsfollowingtheclassroomdiscussion.Themajorprojectwillbethefocusofthecoursefromweek10onward,withseveralpresentationsofconceptsinfocusgroupsandtotheoverallclass.Focusgroupswillserveasreviewpanelsandengagepeersinthetopicofcomparingandcontrastingmetapatternsandtheirapplicationstotheongoingresearchofeachstudent.Weekbyweektopics:Week1.Introductiontometapatterns,fromphysicstopsychology.Couldtherebeascience,orastudy,ofeverything?Ifso,wouldthephenomenabeingstudiedinvolvepatternitself?Wewillexplorethisquestionrightatthestart.Readingsandresponseswillbeassignedforthefollowingweek.Week2.Patternsfromthesmallestthingsofphysicstothecomplexitiesofculture.IwillgothroughthefundamentallevelsproposedinmyforthcomingbookforColumbiaUniversityPress(QuarkstoCulture:HowWeCametoBe).Theselevelsestablishvariousprinciplesanddynamicsofsystems:physical,biological,andcultural(includingmental).Thelevelsare:1.Fundamentalquanta;2.Protons,andneutrons(togethercallednucleons);3.Atomicnuclei;4.Atoms;5.Molecules;6.Prokaryoticcells(simplecellswithoutcellnuclei)andtheoriginoflife;7.Eukaryoticcells(morecomplexcellswithnucleiandothercomplex,functionalcomponents);8.Multicellularorganisms,includingplants,animals,fungi;9.Animalsocieties,suchasbirdflocks,antcolonies,andchimpanzeebands;10.Humantribalmetagroupsandtheoriginofculture;11.Agrovillages,atthetimeoftheNeolithicRevolution;12.Geopoliticalstates,startingwithancientcivilizations.Readingsandresponseswillbeassignedforthefollowingweek.Week3.Biologicalandculturalevolution.Weexaminethemetapatternofgeneralizedevolutionasasystemofcoredynamicsthatarecommontobothbiologicalandculturalevolution(2evolutionary“realms”thatcontainpatternsproducedacertainway).Herethisgeneralizedsystemwillbecalledevolutionarydynamics,conceptualizedasthreeinterwovenstrands:propagation,variation,andselection.Culturalevolutionappearstoconsistofacoupling,enabledbylanguage,betweentheolder,cognitiveevolutionarydynamics(firstinanimals)andthenewer,socialevolutionarydynamics(inhumanextendedgroups).Readingsandresponseswillbeassignedforthefollowingweek.Severalstudentswillpresent

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theirideasandwork.Week4.Giventhematerialsofar,wecandistinguish3scalesofmetapatterns:within-level,across-level,andacross-realm.Westartwiththemetapatternsofshape:spheres,tubes,andsheetsandexplorethemacrossphysics,biology,culture(includingmentalshapes).Spheres:maximumvolume,minimumsurface,containment;grapes,domes.Sheets:transfersurfaceformatter,energy,orinformation;gills,solarcollectors.Tubes:surfacetransfer,connection,support;leafveins,highways,chainsofcommand;“relationship”inthementalmodelswebuildoftheworld.Readingsandresponseswillbeassignedforthefollowingweek.Severalstudentswillpresenttheirideasandwork.Week5.Bordersofsystemsacrossscales.Borders:protection,openingsforcontrolledexchange;cellmembranes,nationalborders.Wetakeaspeciallookatthe“containermetaphor”ofcognitivelinguistics(GeorgeLakoffandco-authors)tothinkabouthowweusepartitioninginthinkingandorganizingourculturalworld.Readingsandresponseswillbeassignedforthefollowingweek.Severalstudentswillpresenttheirideasandwork.Week6.Binarysystems:theminimalandthusefficientsystem;twosexes,two-partypolitics,bifurcatingdecisionprocesses.Thisisareallyrich,importanttopicinthescholarshipofeverything!Readingsandresponseswillbeassignedforthefollowingweek.Severalstudentswillpresenttheirideasandwork.Week7.Centers:keycomponentsofsystemstability;DNA,socialinsectcenters,politicalconstitutionsandgovernment;conceptsinreligion(gods).Readingsandresponseswillbeassignedforthefollowingweek.Severalstudentswillpresenttheirideasandwork.Week8.LayersorHolarchy:levelsofwebs,inwhichsuccessivesystemsarepartsoflargersystems;biologicalnestingfrombiomoleculestoecosystems,humansocialnesting,engineeringdesigns,computersoftware.Readingsandresponseswillbeassignedforthefollowingweek.Severalstudentswillpresenttheirideasandwork.Week9.Webeginlookingthemetapatternsoftime.Arrows:stabilityorgradient-likechangeovertime;biologicalhomeostasis,growth,self-maintainingsocialstructures.Breaks:relativelysuddenchangesinsystembehavior;celldivision,insectmetamorphosis,coming-of-ageceremonies,politicalelections.Readingsandresponseswillbeassignedforthefollowingweek.Severalstudentswillpresenttheirideasandwork.Week10.Continuewiththemetapatternsoftime.Cycles:recurrentpatternsinsystemsovertime;proteindegradationandsynthesis,lifecycles,powercyclesofelectricitygeneratingplants,feedbackcycles,educationalgradelevels(cyclicdesign

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withinanarrowofoveralleducationalprogress).Readingsandresponseswillbeassignedforthefollowingweek.Severalstudentswillpresenttheirideasandwork.Week11.Duringthesefinalweekstheseminarisafully-dedicatedworkingseminar,inwhichstudentsleaddiscussionsbasedonwhattheyarereadingandthinkingabout,perhapsbuildingonwhattheyhavepreviouslypresentedand/orwrittenfortheClasseswebsiteforconsiderationbyothers.Everyoneisnowuptospeedwiththefundamentals:basiclevelsofdynamics,includingphysical,biological,andcultural(includingmental)aspattern-generatingrealms,andtypesofmetapatternsthatoccurinthoserealmsandacrossbasiclevels.Studentspresentwork.Week12.Studentspresentwork.(asinWeek11,continued)Week13.Studentpresentwork.Everyonesubmitspapersforaroundofpeerreviewbyothers.Week14.Submissionofreviewsofpapersandgeneraldiscussionsaboutconnectionsamongthepapers(atleast2paperswillbereviewedbyeverystudent)Week15.Finalpresentations(ifrequiredforsome),finaldiscussion,submissionoffinalpapers.Grading:Courseattendanceandparticipation:30%Workdoneintimelymanner:10%Short“response”-typepresentationsandClassespostings,bothfromselfandinreplytoothers:20%Finalproject,includingpre-paperpresentations,reviewsofpapersinvariousstagesbyothers,extendedabstract,andfinalpaper:45%Required,corereadings:Mainbook:Volk,Tyler.1995.MetapatternsAcrossSpace,Time,andMind,ColumbiaUniversityPress,298p.Mainwebsite:http://metapatterns.wikidot.comArticlesbytheinstructorthatwewilluse(willbesupplied):Volk,Tyler.2016.QuarkstoCulture(inprogressforColumbiaUniversityPress;selectionsfrom)Volk,Tyler.2008.Whatisasphere:Metapatternsandscale-transcendingfunctionalprinciples,GeneralSemanticsBulletin,74/75,69-72.(2007/2008;publicationdate2009).

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Volk,Tyler,andBloom,J.W.2007.Theuseofmetapatternsforresearchintocomplexsystemsofteaching,learning,andschooling,PartI:Metapatternsinnatureandculture,Complicity:TheInternationalJournalofComplexityandEducation,4,25-43.(Availableonlinefromthejournalorathttp://pages.nyu.edu/~tv1/Volk.htm)Bloom,J.W.andVolk,T.Theuseofmetapatternsforresearchintocomplexsystemsofteaching,learning,andschooling,PartII:Applications,Complicity:TheInternationalJournalofComplexityandEducation,4,45-68,2007.Availableonlinefromthejournal.Volk,Tyler;Bloom,J.W.,andJ.Richards.2007.Towardascienceofmetapatterns:BuildinguponBateson’sfoundation,Kybernetes:TheInternationalJournalofCybernetics,Systems,andManagementSciences,36,1070-1080.(Availableathttp://metapatterns.wikidot.com/members:tylervolk)Volk,Tyler.2004.Rhymesandreasons(Ascienceofeverything),ScienceandSpirit,15,5(Sept.-Oct.),44-50.Otherarticleswemightuse(willbesuppliedifwedo).Thislististogiveyouageneralideaofthekindofmaterialwewillwanttodigestandincorporateintoourseminar:Alexander,Christopher.2001.Thefifteenpropertiesoflife,WholeEarth,Winter,70-73.Arthur,W.Brian.2009.TheNatureofTechnology:WhatItIsandHowItEvolves,FreePress.(selectionsfromthis;plusabookreviewofthisbookinScience)Beinhocker,EricD.2006.TheOriginofWealth:Evolution,Complexity,andtheRadicalRemakingofEconomics,HarvardBusinessSchoolPress.(selectionsfrom)Bertalanffy,Ludwigvon.GeneralSystemTheory:Foundations,Development,Applications.NewYork:GeorgeBraziller,1968.Thereisa2015newrelease(selectionsfrom).Bronowski,J.1970.NewConceptsintheEvolutionofComplexity:StratifiedStabilityandUnboundedPlans,Zygon,5,18-35.Bunge,Mario.EmergencyandConvergence:QualitativeNoveltyandtheUnityofKnowledge.Toronto:UniversityofTorontoPress,2003(selectionsfrom).Burkart,J.M.,etal.“Theevolutionaryoriginofhumanhyper-cooperation.”NatureCommunications5(2014):Articlenumber4747.doi:10.1038/ncomms5747.Buskes,Chris.“DarwinismExtended:ASurveyofHowtheIdeaofCulturalEvolution

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Evolved.”Philosophia41(2013):661–691.(doi:10.1007/s11406-013-9415-8)Calvin,WilliamH.“TheSixEssentials?MinimalRequirementsfortheDarwinianBootstrappingofQuality.”JournalofMemetics1,1(1997;online).Coward,Fiona,andCliveGamble.“Bigbrains,smallworlds:materialcultureandtheevolutionofmind.”PhilosophicalTransactionsofTheRoyalSocietyB363(2008)1969-1979.(doi:10.1098/rstb.2008.0004)Diener,AlexanderC.,andJoshuaHagan.Borders:AVeryShortIntroduction.NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,2012(selectionsfrom).Ehrlich,PaulR,andAnneH.Ehrlich2008.TheDominantAnimal:HumanEvolutionandtheEnvironment,IslandPress.(selectionsfrom)Gontier,Nathalie.“Universalsymbiogenesis:Analternativetouniversalselectionistaccountsofevolution.”Symbiosis44(2007):167–181.Grosberg,RichardK.,andRichardR.Strathmann.“TheEvolutionofMulticellularity:AMinorMajorTransition?”AnnualReviewofEcology,Evolution,andSystematics38(2007):621-654.Hauser,MarcD.,NoamChomsky,andW.TecumsehFitch.“TheFacultyofLanguage:WhatIsIt,WhoHasIt,andHowDidItEvolve?”Science298(2002):1569-1579.Hazen,RobertM.“Theemergenceofpatterninginlife'soriginandevolution.”InternationalJournalofDevelopmentalBiology53(2009):683-692.Hill,KimR.,etal.“Hunter-GathererInter-BandInteractionRates:ImplicationsforCumulativeCulture.”PLOSONE9(2014):9pages,e102806(openaccess)Hodder,Ian.Entangled:AnArchaeologyoftheRelationshipsbetweenHumansandThings.Chichester,UK:Wiley-Blackwell,2012(selectionsfrom).Johnson,Steven.Emergence:TheConnectedLivesofAnts,Brains,Cities,andSoftware.NewYork:Scribner,2001(selectionsfrom).Lakoff,G.andM.Johnson.1980.MetaphorsWeLiveBy,UniversityofChicagoPress.(selectionsfrom).Lewens,Tim,"Culturalevolution",TheStanfordEncyclopediaofPhilosophy(Spring2013Edition),EdwardN.Zalta(ed.),URL=<http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2013/entries/evolution-cultural/>Mesoudi,Alex.“HowCulturalEvolutionaryTheoryCanInformSocialPsychologyandViceVersa.”PsychologicalReview116(2009):929-952.

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Mesoudietal.(2006)Towardaunifiedscienceofculturalevolution.BehavioralandBrainSciences,29,329-383.(selectionsfrom;availableonlinefromNYULibraries.).Morowitz,HaroldJ.TheEmergenceofEverything:HowtheWorldBecameComplex.Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress,2002(selectionsfrom).Pinker,Steven.“Thecognitiveniche:Coevolutionofintelligence,sociality,andlanguage.”ProceedingsoftheNationalAcademyofSciencesoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica107,2010:8993–8999.Pross,Addy.“Towardageneraltheoryofevolution:ExtendingDarwiniantheorytoinanimatematter.”JournalofSystemsChemistry2(2011):1-14.Salk,Jonas.AnatomyofReality:MergingofIntuitionandReason.NewYork:ColumbiaUniversityPress,1983(selectionsfrom).Salk,Jonas.“Thenextevolutionarystepintheascentofmaninthecosmos.”Leonardo41,no.3(1985):281-286.Wilson,DavidSloan,StevenC.Hayes,AnthonyBiglan,andDennisD.Embry.“Evolvingthefuture:Towardascienceofintentionalchange.”BehavioralandBrainSciences37(2014):395-460(whichincludes“OpenPeerCommentary”and“Authors’Response”).(doi:10.1017/S0140525X13001593)