Madison Chaos and Complex Systems Seminar

Summer 2019 Discussions

At the seminar on May 5, 2015, we decided to make our long-standing summer discussions slightly more formal by having a topic, a facilitator, and a web-accessible reading or video. The reading or video should take no more than 20 minutes, and the facilitator should be prepared to give at most a 5-minute introduction to the topic and lead the ensuing discussion. All discussions are Tuesday noon on the Memorial Union Terrace (under the  big tree, or in Lakeview Lounge in the event of bad weather). Anyone interested in facilitating a topic should contact Myrna Casebolt.

Short List


Topics

May 7, 2019

Topic: Open
 
Facilitator: N/A

Reading: N/A


May 14, 2019

Topic: Building and Using Models.

Facilitator: George Hrabovsky

Reading: Mathematical Model and Computer Simulation


May 21, 2019

Topic: Economic Inequality

Facilitator: Jim Blair

Reading: Basic Income and EITC: The Right-Left Reversal


May 28, 2019

Topic: How To Die Young at a Ripe Old Age

Facilitator: Russ Gardner

Reading: How To Die Young at a Ripe Old Age


June 4, 2019

Topic: Extraterrestrial life

Facilitator: Terry Allard

Reading: Where are all the Aliens?


June 11, 2019

Topic: Climate Variability

Facilitator: Clint Sprott

Reading: Is Climate Variability Increasing?


June 18, 2019

Topic: Unidentified Flying Objects

Facilitator: Peter Sobol

Reading: Glowing Auras and Black Money and The Roswell UFO Incident and Majestic 12 and Creature Comforts


June 25, 2019

Topic: Encounters of the Fourth Kind

Facilitator: Michael Winokur

Reading: Alien Abduction and Explaining Those Vivid Memories of Martian Kidnappers and The Surprising Origin of Alien Abduction Stories


July 2, 2019

Topic: Can Rich, Intelligent Donors Finance America Out of Our Current Socio-Political Doldrums?

Facilitator: Bernard Z. Friedlander

Reading: Can Rich, Intelligent Donors Finance America Out of Our Current Socio-Political Doldrums


July 9, 2019

Topic: The Psychology of Political Polarization

Facilitator: Guillermo Dopico

Reading: The Psychology of Political Polarization  and Hidden Tribes


July 16, 2019

Topic: History or Hoax?

Facilitator: Jim Blair

Reading: Vikings in Minnesota in 1362? and Vikings in California? and Chinese Discover America in 1421?



July 23, 2019

Topic: Air-Conditioning and Indoor Air Quality after 2030

Facilitator: Raj Gopal

Reading: Air-Conditioning and Indoor Air Quality after 2030


July 30, 2019

Topic: Nonlinear Dynamics in Psychology and Life Sciences

Facilitator: Myrna Casebolt

Reading: What is Complexity Science and Science Evolves: An Introduction to Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology, and Life Sciences


August 6, 2019

Topic: The Zero Marginal Cost Society

Facilitator: Jeff Mattox

Reading: After Words with Jeremy Rifkin and The Third Industrial Revolution (More than 20 minutes, but quit as desired)


August 13, 2019

Topic: Two 20th Century Pianists and Their Phobias

Facilitator: Damien Wilson

Reading: Creativity and Madness and The Pianist and the Lobster and Glenn Gould


August 20, 2019

Topic: Baseball Mud

Facilitator: Jeff Mattox and Damien Wilson
 
Reading: Baseball Mud


August 27, 2019

Topic: Are we living in a simulation? - Let's not find out

Facilitator: Peter Sobol

Reading: Are We Living in a Simulation? and Cosmic Rays Offer a Clue


September 3, 2019

Topic: Open discussion of the seminar, past and future

Facilitator: N/A

Reading: N/A