Information Renaissance

"The Prince" Full Text Online

Just a short entry...

I have found online a PDF version of The Prince, available in full text form...

http://www.constitution.org/mac/prince.pdf

Human Factors Institute Research Colloquium Flyer: Dr. Frank Michael Groom on "Unlimited Presence"

This is the publicity flyer for the Human Factors Institute research colloquium that discussed some of the issues around the life and work styles of knowledge workers in the 21st Century. The recommendations were to multiprocess work and life tasks; prepare your brain to think in these ways; and become a renaissance man or renaissance woman.

JEG

 

---

RESEARCH COLLOQUIUM

 

Friday, 25 February 2005

930-1030 AM

CICS Solutions Center

 

Center for Information and Communication Sciences

(CICS)

Human Factors Institute

of

User-Centered Design, Development and Deployment

(HFI-UCD3)

 

hosts an informal research discussion

 

 

 

 

featuring

Dr. Frank Michael Groom (CICS)

on

 

"Unlimited Presence"

or

"What's Bandwidth Got to Do With It?"

 

The concept to explore is the interaction and overlay of multiple life and work functions, supported by social structures and information and communication technologies (ICT), we hypothesize will become the norm for knowledge workers in the 21st century.

 

 

 

 

 

The colloquium will support the Human Factors Institute's

project on

Distributed Collaborative Community

 

 

(HFI Research Staff Work Session precedes and follows)

 

 

Jason Cray HFI Research Manager

Emmie Lancaster HFI Research Co-Manager

---

The System Clock of the Renaissance...

Back again into the time machine we go for a discussion about time...

In drawing comparison to how technologies have created an Information Renaissance in the world of today, it seems appropriate to look at some of the technologies of the European Renaissance.

One of the new inventions of that Renaissance was the mechanized clock. The clock was one of the first devices that was born of theory drawing upon the natural world. The idea that science would drive technology was utterly radical. The clock was based on a simple, natural concept that we too often take for granted - the swinging of a pendulum.

And who would discover such a radical concept... none other than a great radical, Renaissance man... Galileo.

The University of Houston has posted a fantastic Renaissance resource, "The European Renaissance As represented in: The Engines of Our Ingenuity" which has a wealth of information about the technologies of the day that showed the power of praxis, theory and practice!

---

Resources:
-The European Renaissance As represented in: The Engines of Our Ingenuity (University of Houston): http://www.uh.edu/engines/ren.htm
    --Engines of Ingenuity No. 1307:THE PENDULUM CLOCK: http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi1307.htm
-Image of Galileo from Willkommen im virtuellen Museum der Wissenschaft: http://www.amuseum.de/physik/exh96/mikhist.htm

Pietà (Mercy)

A pietà ( Italian for mercy) is an artwork depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Christ.
"The model is the nordic one, which Michelangelo assimilates and elaborates in a personal way. It is a work of extraordinary harmony and beauty, because it takes to the extreme the Renaissance idea of classic norm and measure."

I chose this image as i was impressed by the protrayal of  peaceful look of virgin mary when the crucifixed christ body is over her lap. There is no anger, no guilt, no emotions rather it gives me a message of extraordinary haromony and beauty. In reality, it is almost impossible for any one to handle such a painful situation in a cool manner. Yet, Michelangelo did a great work by bringing pietà as a model in this chaotic world. So much can be learned from this art when there is so much conflict going around the world.

Another interesting history that i found about pietà is "Michelangelo's Pietà was damaged on May 21, 1972 by Lazlo Toth, who hammered the sculpture, breaking its nose and other parts, while shouting "I am Jesus Christ." After the attack, the work was painstakingly restored and returned to its place in St. Peter's, just to the right of the entrance, between the Holy door and the altar of Saint Sebastian, and is now protected by an unbreakable glass panel"

The Passion for the Art of Warfare

Niccolo Machiavelli, the famous philosopher of the Italian Renaissance, presented his work "The Prince" in 1516 to the pope's nephew, Lorenzo de' Medici, who had replaced Giuliano as governor of Florence (Rudowski, Victor (1992). The Prince - A Historical Critique. Twayne Publishers. New York.)

Following excerpt is taken from "The Prince" (Chapter 14) in which Machiavelli describes the virtue of a prince, who should always be engaged in military thoughts and studies:

Philipoemen, Prince of the Achaeans, among other praises which writers have bestowed on him, is commended because in time of peace he never had anything in his mind but the rules of war; and when he was in the country with friends, he often stopped and reasoned with them: "If the enemy should be upon that hill, and we should find ourselves here with our army, with whom would be the advantage? How should one best advance to meet him, keeping the ranks? If we should wish to retreat, how ought we to set about it? If they should retreat, how ought we to pursue?" And he would set forth to them, as he went, all the chances that could befall an army; he would listen to their opinion and state his, confirming it with reasons, so that by these continual discussions there could never arise, in time of war, any unexpected circumstances that he could not deal with.
(from Machiavelli, Niccolo (1998). The Prince. Alfred A. Knopp, Inc. New York)

 

Florence Duomo

 

Here is the "Duomo" that me and my brother visited in Florence, Italy. My brother and I climbed about 1200 steps to get to the top. It's a beautiful building. You can also have a look at the roof tiles that I was talking about in lunch the other day. Florence is the home of the statue David and the home of the tomb of both Michelangelo and Machiavelli.

Tyranny of architecture?

Perhaps the title I have provided is a tad misleading for the nature of this posting, but it does grab attention, and it does relate to the content for which I speak today.

Welcome back friends of the Renaissance to another trip to the past

Today, I am looking specifically at architecture of the day, but I will not get too deep into the issue, instead providing you some linked resources for that. I feel that it is important to tie our journey through the Renaissance into the larger context of how our world of technological advance is so much like the days of excitement, fear, change, chaos and rebirth that was the European Renaissance.

Relating back to the title given to this post... A core concept of the Renaissance period was the drive to question conventions and grow beyond the status quo. Architecture of the day, as with so much else in that time, was driven by the concept of serving God. Yet, the definition of what God was and what He wanted of the architects was evolving and changing, as indicated by this quote...

In constructing churches, Renaissance architects no longer used the shape of a cross as a basis for their structures. Instead, they based them on the circle. Believing that ancient mathematicians equated circles with geometric perfection, architects used the circle to represent the perfection of God. © 1997-2005 Annenberg/CPB -- http://www.learner.org/exhibits/renaissance/symmetry_sub.html

A classic theme of science fiction writing is the to question the role of God and the spirit in the light of technology. Certainly you've probably heard of fears of "Godless technology" from theologians, fundamentalists, and those leery of change. I conjecture that this fear is indicative of a tyranny of architecture within the fabric of society that is by its nature hesitant to embrace the forward momentum of the day. This was certainly the case in the Renaissance, when architects dared to say that God was more than the symbolism of the cross, but was the perfection in a circle. Do you see the parallels with today? If you do, then perhaps you have the vision for success in the Information Renaissance

---

In the Information Renaissance—Play the role of Renaissance Man or Woman

[Some more of my writing on this topic. This segment written 2003-2005 in Muncie Indiana and Seattle Washington.]

 

In the Information Renaissance—Play the role of Renaissance Man or Woman

 

Copyright © 2005 by Jay Edwin Gillette

 

The role to play is renaissanceur—the renaissance man or renaissance woman.[1]

 

This person is an interested party.  They take a large view of their domain.  They pursue more than one goal at a time.  They use their time for more than one thing at a time. They pray for others while they go to sleep.  They help themselves by helping others.  They look to the future while they go about their business today.  They are confident and at the same time careful.  They read the text and the footnotes both.

 

Here is an example by Machiavelli, an archetypal renaissance man himself.  He wrote with admiration about a classical Greek prince who used trips in the country with friends for strategy sessions. 

 

While in the countryside, the prince would use the activity as a training exercise in military strategy and tactics for his friends, and doubtless social allies and staff.  For example, in passing a hill, he asked his companions what they would do to attack it in a battle.  It is a classic strategic planning “what if” exercise.  The prince would ask questions like, What if this was a war, and you had to attack that hill, what would you do? And if they retreated, what then?

 

The trips in the countryside must have been rich experiences for the conversations alone, no matter what they encountered. 

 

We would call this kind of activity “multiprocessing.”  The prince and his friends were working while playing, and playing while working.

 

The industrial economy wants you to be a one-dimensional man, or one-dimensional woman.  It’s 8 or 9 o’clock: now you work.  Now it’s 12 noon: time for lunch.  Now it’s quitting time, no more working.  Now it’s bar time; family time; play time.  Now it’s bedtime, 10 o’clock in the heartland, 11 o’clock in the cities and active coastal zones.  It’s a linear way to live.  Eat, eat your serial.

 

The information economy doesn’t work that way.  There’s too much going on at once to divide your time in neat boxes.  Managers mostly get about 20 minutes at a time to work on any one task.  Then they have to take up another, deal with interruptions and calls.  (Interruptions and calls in fact are the manager’s work).  Things come up, people come by. 

 

You’d better be a nonlinear editor.[2]

This is also a Michelangelo????

After talking to some of my fellow students, I was suprised how few people (including myself) actually know the work of the great master Michelangelo. Sure, many have heard his name, and many even know that he is considered the mastermind of Renaissance art... But it often occured that I would like a particular painting, and then much later realize that it's a Michelangelo...

Michelangelo was a painter, sculptor, poet and architect.

In an attempt to educate others and myself, I am posting one picture for each one of his creative areas. More details can be found on him through this link:

http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/michelangelo/

Michelangelo, the painter: "The Creation of Man" 

Michelangelo, the sculptor: "David"

Michelangelo, the architect: "St. Peters Dome"

And finally, Michelangelo, the poet: "Sonetts"

Over here it was that my love stole from me,
In his mercy, my heart and, farther on, my life.
Here with his beautiful eyes he promised me help,
And with the same eyes here he stole it back.
Over here he bound me and here released me;
For myself I wept here, and with infinite sorrow
From this rock I saw him leave,
He who stole myself from me and never turned back.

 

live in sin, dying to myself I live;
Life is no longer mine, but belongs to sin;
My good is from heaven, my evil I give to myself,
From my own unbound will, which has been stolen from me.
My freedom is a slave, my divinity has made itself
Mortal.
Oh, unhappy state!
To what misery, to what life I've been born!

 

If you would like to hear the background story to this sonett, just follow this link:

http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/REN/MICHEL1.HTM

 

 

 

Modern Renaissance Perspectives

A couple of interesting people have come to my attention. They are both reflective of the growing interest in the Renaissance and the parallels between our past and present.  It is too easy to call Neal Stephenson a science fiction writer.  His last work the Baroque Trilogy is set in the 17th and 18th Century.  He is interviewed at reason.com by Mike Godwin. These books are enormous 800-900 pages each.

Another writer Frans Johansson has been considering parallels between the Renaissance and the modern age. His book The Medici Effect focuses on the empowerment of the individual and the importance of cross-disciplinary factors in innovation.  His talk at Tech Nation is here.