On Saturday 25^th we shall have our long waited virtual conference. At the end of this message, there is a Zoom URL and password that you will click to join. The time is:

• 12:00 noon Washington DC, Boston
• 11:00 am Chicago
• 17:00 pm Lisbon
• 18:00 pm Vienna, Humbug, Frankfurt, Paris
• In case your time zone is not listed here please figure it out yourself

Program (Expect two hours)

1-      Jason Hu:  Three Question Marks after Science that We Might Forget: What? How? & Why?

2-      Robert Martin:  Science – Realist Assumptions, Constructivist Operation

3-    Bernard Scott: Second-Order Cybernetics

4-      Lou Kauffman: The Possibility of Second-Order Science

5-    Stuart Umpleby:  A Discussion of Second-Order Science

6-      Edmundo Balsemao Pires: Second-Order Science – Future Work prospects

7-      Hans von Storch: Postnormal science – climate and epidemiology

8-      Eva Buchinger: Self-Reference and Second-Order Observation in Social Science

9-      Jason Hu: Three Exclamation Marks after Lessons: Wake Up! Learn! & Move Forward!

10-   Q&A: Mike Lissack relaying questions from ChatBox to the Presenters

11-   Free chat (beer and wine on your own)

Note to the presenters: When you enter the Zoom meeting your microphone is turned off by default. This is to avoid possible noises and mutual sound feedback. When it is your turn to present, please click the red muted mic icon at the lower-left corner of the screen to unmute yourself. When you are ready to show your PPT slides, please use the big green button “Share Screen” on the lower middle of the screen. If you are using multiple screens, the software will ask you which screen to share, you choose and click the “Share” button the confirm.

Every presenter please send me a one-paragraph brief bio to me (or to the whole group if you like) for later use in our video program.

Every presenter please try to be as brief/concise as possible because [1] you’re being recorded and [2] you can try to avoid making the same point that the previous speakers already said, but focus on your unique points. We are trying to produce a good documentary that will attract many more audiences later.  Please refer to materials in previous emails since my first invitation (URLs, cloud folder files), and fine-tune your presentation. 

REMINDER: Our goal is to produce a documentary that will be so interesting and engaging, that each viewer will be eager to pass it to N friends and colleagues. The number N here, I call Acceptance Index. I wish N=5, or at least 2. If N=0, we fail. Please use this criteria to decide what to say and what not to say.

Discussions:

All participants please use the ChatBox function of Zoom, to jolt down your questions during each presentation – yes you can type while the speaker is talking. One advantage of the virtual conference is that you can keep typing your question to the presenter while listening. We have our ChatBox Master, Mike Lissack, who will serve as moderator to direct your question to the presenter being asked.  The presenters will also have a chance to look at the ChatBox for questions, but I guess they will focus more on the speaker and jolting down their questions too. Thanks to Mike who volunteered to help with this housekeeping chore.  Everyone can download the content of the ChatBox for future reference.

We plan to finish the whole program within two hours. The unfinished discussion can continue on email.