Ok, so here is an example of the KIND of thing we might have discussed at a FRIAM meeting in the old days:
NICK: iF friction is negligible between two layers, how in fact do two layers come to affect one another? FRIAM MOB:: (affectionate exasperation) When you have read a physics book, a philosophy book, and 8 math books, come back and we'll explain it to you. NICK TO MOB: Nuthn' doin'. If you are so smart, you should be able to explain it to me NOW. MOB TO NICK: Oh, God. Do we have to? OH, OKAAAAAAAAAAY. SUB MOB 1 TO NICK: Any idiot knows that THIS is how it works SUB MOB 2 TO NICK: Any idiot knows that THAT is how it works. NICK TO MOBS: Any idiot knows that THIS and THAT can't both be true. ETC. I learned almost everything I know from those conversations. I miss them terribly. Nick On Wed, Feb 4, 2026 at 11:32 AM Gary Schiltz <[email protected]> wrote: > My feeling is that there was a bubble of activity in Santa Fe about > complexity in the late 1990s (see Wired’s article about “Silicon Mesa”) > that burst in about 2001. Many who were there are now old farts 😆 > > On Tue, Feb 3, 2026 at 7:47 PM Jon Zingale <[email protected]> wrote: > >> I know I came to this group in what appears to be its twilight. The >> in-person meetups are weirdly sad. I feel pressed to ask if it is the case >> that everyone is either: >> >> 1. on vacation/ too busy >> 2. too depressed / failing to find inspiration >> 3. moved on to greener forums >> 4. preferring the company of LLMs >> ... >> N. waiting for someone frail to post >> >> Sometimes I trawl reddit or whatever discord, but I cannot help but feel >> like beacons of inspiration are becoming fewer and further between. This >> group has managed to inspire me, keep my interest, for over a decade. In >> that time, I pushed myself to understand perspectives that I would never >> have dreamed existed. I hope there is still something to talk about. >> >> >> >> >> .- .-.. .-.. / ..-. --- --- - . .-. ... / .- .-. . / .-- .-. --- -. --. / >> ... --- -- . / .- .-. . / ..- ... . ..-. ..- .-.. >> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv >> Fridays 9a-12p Friday St. Johns Cafe / Thursdays 9a-12p Zoom >> https://bit.ly/virtualfriam >> to (un)subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com >> FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ >> archives: 5/2017 thru present >> https://redfish.com/pipermail/friam_redfish.com/ >> 1/2003 thru 6/2021 http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/ >> > .- .-.. .-.. / ..-. --- --- - . .-. ... / .- .-. . / .-- .-. --- -. --. / > ... --- -- . / .- .-. . / ..- ... . ..-. ..- .-.. > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Fridays 9a-12p Friday St. Johns Cafe / Thursdays 9a-12p Zoom > https://bit.ly/virtualfriam > to (un)subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com > FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ > archives: 5/2017 thru present > https://redfish.com/pipermail/friam_redfish.com/ > 1/2003 thru 6/2021 http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/ > -- Nicholas S. Thompson Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Ethology Clark University [email protected] https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson https://substack.com/@monist
.- .-.. .-.. / ..-. --- --- - . .-. ... / .- .-. . / .-- .-. --- -. --. / ... --- -- . / .- .-. . / ..- ... . ..-. ..- .-.. FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Fridays 9a-12p Friday St. Johns Cafe / Thursdays 9a-12p Zoom https://bit.ly/virtualfriam to (un)subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ archives: 5/2017 thru present https://redfish.com/pipermail/friam_redfish.com/ 1/2003 thru 6/2021 http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/
