Replying to LO27363 --
Dear Organlearners,
Leo Minnigh <l.d.minnigh@library.tudelft.nl> writes:
>This is part II of a long walk to great heights and deep depths.
Greetings dear Leo,
What a wanderful walk it has not been.
I want to focus on one particular sentence which you wrote all alone as a
paragraph on its own.
>Ocean floor is permanently rejuvinated, whereas
>the continents become older and older.
We cannot see it happening because it is covered by the sea. We have to
use special instrumentation to observe it. It reminds me of creativity,
experience and tacit knowledge. They also happen under some or other "sea"
so that we cannot see it unless we use special mental tools. But it is
under this "sea" where our spirituality is continuously rejuvinated.
>This new mechanism is known as 'global tectonics',
>'plate tectonics', or 'continental drift'. Thos latter
>name is somewhat a misnomer because it reflects
>more to the model of the old days: drifting continents,
>like the woodblock model.
Tectonics is a nice word. It comes from the Greek word "tekton" which has
been used to refer to a person who creates constructively like a carpenter
or builder.
Now think of 'mental tectonics' rather than 'global tectonics'. Rote
learners think of learning only as the continental crusts -- thick,
restricted, ancient, eroded and tangible. Authentic learners think of
learning also by including the oceanic crusts -- thin, expanded, recent,
rugged and tacit. They can use the tectonic plates as a metaphor for
telling what goes on in their mind. Where two tectonic plates of the mind
meet [each with a tangible (continental) crust surrounded by a tacit
(oceanic) crust] is where all the exitement and passion happens -- the
ridges under the ocean.
>If we try to reverse the present film of plate
>tectonics, we could very well imagine that once
>both Americas were linked to Europe and Africa.
>That was some 150 my years ago. At that time
>there was a super continent with the old name of
>'Gondwana'. Nearly all the ocean older than
>150 my has disappeared in the great depths.
Leo, you had so much on your mind that no one can take exception that
you forgot to search for that movie on internet. Fellow learners may surf
to the following site:
< http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/geology/tectonics.html >
and select any of the animations like
< http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/geology/anim1.html >
It is really fantastic to see this global tectonics happening.
>First I like to mention the topographical phenomena
>of the earth and the topography of the landscapes
>that At has sketched for us. We probably all know the
>topography of mountain chains. Starting with the .....
(snip)
>But wht about mountains with a cleft at the summits?
>Well, this strange landscape occurs in the deep oceans.
>The spreading ridges in the oceans coincide perfectly
>with this description.
Fellow learners may try to find topographic maps of the ocean floor and
see whether they can picture these strange ridges with clefts in them
where all the fun happens!
>I will mention some aspects of our world of
>organizations and companies.
Dear Leo, you lifted astoundingly 5 corresponding patterns out. Thank you
for showing fellow learners that not only can the the living biosphere act
as a paradigm for Systems Thinking, but also the living geosphere.
>I am afraid that my story was too long, and
>I doubt if some of you had the courage to
>strougle through this long contribution. I was
>not able to be more concise in this complex
>matter that At has introduced.
You did like a master what the master had to do.
Now for getting the gooseflesh !!!
I have prepared a hypsograph of the topographic distribution of the earth's
crust. Rick, will you please archive it for us and supply the URL in the usual
manner. Thank you:
[Host's Note: Here is the URL for At's figure... ..Rick]
http://www.learning-org.com/graphics/LO27394_crustmind.gif
To the right you will find the integral hypsograph. To the left you will
find the differential distribution of the crusts at various heights. When
you add incrementally up the left parts from top to bottom, you will get
the figure on the right. The vertical axis express height (up) or depth
(down) in meters. The horizontal axis represents percentage of total area
of the globe. Above sea level (0 meters) are all the contributions of the
continental crusts. Below sea level are all the contributions of the
oceanic crusts.
Now think of the left figure as if it presents learning while the right
figure presents knowledge. The parts above zero level present all learning
and knowledge which were made tangible through creative expressions. The
below zero presents all tacit learning and tacit knowledge gained by those
who made some of the tacit tangible. Rote learners make use of only the
part above zero level. Authentic learners make use of both the upper and
lower parts!
Now for the "breaking news" as the media say. Can you Leo and fellow
learners spot the profound weakness of rote training? Look at the left
figure. The distrubution for the tacit (oceanic) crust is symmetric. But
the distribution for the tangible (continental) crust is as skew as can
be. (Most of the continental crust is below 1000 meters. In Holland, for
example, I think that there is not a single place above 100 meters.) The
tangible crust alo represents all the information in the world which rote
learners memorize, but which authentic learners digest along the path of
"Steigerung".
What will happen when a gigantic tidal schock wave hits the tangible
crust? Those living mentally close to zero level where information is flat
(simplistic) will get mentally drowned (traumatized into zombies) when the
shock wave hits the coast line and then sweeps over the land. But those
living close to the high rugged mountains will be saved when this happens.
Those living in a sea close to a tacit (oceanic) ridge like the whales do,
will not become drowned or shocked like those living on the tangible
(continental) crusts.
So is it with all those learenrs who are at least tacitly aware of entropy
and free energy landscapes.
PS. A certain South African A L du Toit played an immense role next to
Weneger in forming the idea of continental drifts. You may have a look at
< http://www.hartrao.ac.za/geodesy/tectonics.html >
< http://www.platetectonics.com/archives/archive14.htm >
With care and best wishes,
At de Lange <amdelange@gold.up.ac.za>
Snailmail: A M de Lange
Gold Fields Computer Centre
Faculty of Science - University of Pretoria
Pretoria 0001 - Rep of South Africa
--"AM de Lange" <amdelange@gold.up.ac.za>
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