Newsletter 9/15

Hey Team,

This week we discussed emergence, holism, reductionism and, of course, post modernism. One can only guess at the ism we'll address next week.

• Suggested reading for next week is GEB: English French German Suite (pg 366) and the following chapter (pg 369)
• As of now, we'll be meeting in our usual place (Learning Center Conference Room) at our usual time (5:00 PM).
• Thanks to Joe for bringing coffee to the meeting.
• Don't forget, everyone's welcome to post stuff on Centophilia. Get to it.

I'll see everyone next week,

-Nick

Newsletter 9/8

Hey Team,

Here's this week's really late newsletter.

• Next week (9/15 at 5:00 PM) we're back in the Learning Center's Conference room. If anything changes, I'll do my best to let everyone know.
• Suggested reading for this week is ...Ant Fugue and Ch. 11: Brains and Thoughts (GEB: 311-365).
• There was some discussion about reading parts of ...Ant Fugue out loud.
• There should be a few new members attending next week.

Once again, if anyone wishes to be taken off this mailing list, please let me know.

I'll see you Tuesday,

-Nick

Newsletter 9/1

Hey Team,

As we begin to move into the fall, things are being mixed up quite a bit. If you are on my newsletter list and don't wish to be, please let me know, I'll fix that.

This Week's notes:

• Suggested reading for next wee (9/8) is Prelude... (GEB pg 275) and Chapter X (pg 285-310).
• As we begin Part II of GEB, we're losing a few members of our group, but remember that this is also a great time to bring new members in.
• If you (or someone you know) would like to join us next week via webcam, let me know a few days a head of time, and I'll come prepared.
• Our meeting time is now 5 PM, the day and place haven't changed.

See you next week,

-Nick

Newsletter 8/4

Hey Team,

Very valuable presentation by Micah today, very interesting, informal and enlightening. Also: Mormons.

Next week we'll be discussing Part 1 of GEB (pg. 1-272)

Soon Micah will be posting his presentation on Centophilia, be sure to check it out.

Happy Birthday to Micah's sister.

-Nick

Newsletter 7/28

Hey Team,

This week we discussed MU, TNT, different based arithmetic, Zen, Godel Numbering and Pirates.

• Next week is Micah's Presentation
• 8/11-- General Discussion of Part 1 (1-272)
• We played a Pirate Game I found on Wikipedia today. Click the link if you want to know more.

Have a good week,

-Nick

Newsletter 7/21

Nick sent this in an email to us, but I wanted to upload it to keep our documentation up. The response from Joseph is posted as well.

Hey Team,

As usual, an excellent meeting. A lot of notes this week:

• Our schedual as of right now:
• 7/28 -- Mu Discussion (231-272)
  
• 8/4 -- Micah's Presentation
• 8/11-- General Discussion of Part 1 (1-272)
• 8/18 -- There was some discussion of doing a Chess day this day.
• There was a lot of Chess discussion in general today, anyone who wants to play email chess with me, let me know (by responding to this email).
• We played a game I found in This Book in which the rules were to "pick the smallest number that is not chosen by anyone else." The results are included below as well as in the Excel attachment.
• In reference to the TNT, we discussed mathematical induction. on Centophila, I'll be posting a short paper on the subject.

Game Results:

Joe	5	4	4	3	2	2
Eric	7	2	5	6	4	5
John	5	2	1	2	2	2
Veronica	7	3	1	6	1	1
Derek	3	3	3	3	3	3
Nick	27	4	8	4	4	4
Kera	9	1	2	3	1	4

 
See you next week,

-Nick

FYI, for those not present today, the results of 6 iterations of the game below
can be interpreted as follows:  

1. "game" results are the columns
2. the "winner" is the smallest positive integer not chosen by anyone else
(so, for example, the winner of game 1 is Derek, game 3 winner is Kera, etc.)
3. "learning" (of some sort) occurs because the results of each game's choices
are publicly known and the cumulative choices are part of the group's "memory"
as well.  

Obviously, the game is NOT interesting if there are just 2 players, since the 
right choice is 1 in each case (if you choose 1, you can't lose) and there should 
never be a winner.  With as little as 3 players, it gets interesting.  With too many 
(say, 25 or more) players, it also is probably not very interesting.  In between 2 and 
"too many" is where the interest lies. 

/Joe

Newsletter 7/14

Hey Team,

Here's a new and improved (proposed) game plan for the next few weeks:

7/21 -- TNT Discussion (199-230)
7/28 -- Mu Discussion (231-272)
8/4 -- Micah's Presentation
8/11-- General Discussion of Part 1 (1-272)

We did not discuss GEB again this week, instead we had a great discussion about Santa, and his relationship to both the platonic realm and Eric's mom, and a little bit of logic. Next week we should pick up from where we left off a while ago.

Note that before reading Chapter 9: Mumon and Godel (246-272), you should first read Chapter 1: The MU puzzle (33-42).

I'll see everyone next week,

-Nick

Newsletter 7/7

Hey Team,

Here's a (proposed) game plan for the next few weeks:

7/14 -- TNT Discussion (199-230)
7/21 -- Mu Discussion (231-272)
7/28 -- General Discussion of Part 1 (1-272)
8/4 -- Micah's Presentation

We did not discuss GEB this week because we were running on depleted numbers, next week we should pick up from where we left off a while ago.

Note that before reading Chapter 9: Mumon and Godel (246-272), you should first read Chapter 1: The MU puzzle (33-42).

I'll see everyone next week,

-Nick

Newsletter 6/30

Hey Team,

So I a few days late this week, sorry.

Some points:

• For next week (7/7) read Crab Canon (pg 199) and Chap. 8 (pg 204).
  
• Big thanks to Kera for an enlightening presentation.
• At the end of this month (7/28) Micah will be doing a presentation.

-Nick

This Week's Newsletter

Hey Team,

Thanks again to everyone for challenging me this week. Big thanks to Hope for giving us a place to meet.

Some announcements:

• We're reading Chromatic Fantasy, And Feud (pg 177) and Crab Canon (pg 199).
• Chapter VII (pg 181) is Propositional Calculus. This is probably going to be one of the hardest things for most of us. Write down your questions.
• I'm really going to try to bring food this time. Seriously.
• Two weeks from now, Kera will be presenting (6/30).
  
• While you're here on Centophilia, leave some comments.

-Nick

This week's Newletter

Hey Team,

Everyone already got this as an email, this is mostly for me to make sure I get what I'm doing.

Just some reminders:

• Next Tuesday we'll be back in the Learning Center's Conference Room.
• We'll be reading Little Harmonic Labyrinth (p 103) and Canon by Intervallic Augmentation (pg 153).
• I'm planning on resuming my duties as food bringer (not really a reminder... but what the hell).
• Three weeks from now, Kera will be presenting (6/30)
  

Also, we briefly discussed our mutual love for Arrested Development. For those of you out of the loop, WATCH IT HERE. Seriously, one of the best shows ever.

Used copies of Godel, Escher, Bach are really cheap on Amazon. (under $10 including shipping!)

Thanks everyone for this phenomenal opportunity to push my mind to the limit, and a cosmic sized thanks to Joe for dinner.