We are a small research group, set up in 1971 as Arcturus and rechartered in 1982 as Sirius-Beta.

This new, integrated toolbox extends logic so that it can handle context and 'soft' forms of knowledge. Primary tools are situation theory (as a two-sorted context logic), category theory, narrative (as a framework for cognition) and functional programming.

This is our core system, targeted at practical, generic application. It has several implementations. It is designed for introspective clarity meaning that the “story” within the system can include the story of the system. A document that combines a description of the approach, a specification of an implementation and an example is in preparation. [More]

This is our ultimate target for the topoiesis concept. This system adds autonomy to the infons, in theory achieving some measure of self-awareness. Ambiguity, analogy and quantum interaction are fully realized here. [More]

Where sHeherazade is the most ambitious in terms of formal reach, this instance uses group theory instead of category theory. The goal is front end cognition and massive scalability over diverse sensor types and recognition modules. An implementation using IBM’s InfoSphere Streams architecture is underway. [More]

Topoiesis raises certain issues about ontological structure that require some reinvention. We therefore pull out our machinery and focus on ontological issues associated with analogy and dynamic re-interpretation. The notion of relative, conditional interpretation is handed in a logical way, without probabilities. [More]

We want to leverage new ideas to achieve practical benefit. If the ideas are new and good, the benefits should be disruptively beneficial. We have focused on three domains.

We’ve spent a great deal of our energy on this, managing a huge but now complete government investment. The idea is simple: allow small and medium-sized companies to opportunistically aggregate to appear as and outperform large corporations. Members can be strangers, remote and quite different. Agility is a key quality. [More]

Situated, collaborative reasoning over soft dynamics is essential to intelligence analysis of several kinds. Partnered with the now defunct Earl Research, we developed prototypes for two versions of work environments for the Community. This work is in suspension and will be revived for use in the open. [More]

This is a device to improve the generation of electrical power from wind energy. [More]

We consider narrative a robust model for cognition. Thus, it forms one basis of topoiesis. Just as the studies in spatial representation provide tactile knowledge that informs the work, so too does this. The domain is the ability of structured narrative to shape thought.

This is a long form work of autobiographical fiction in preparation. It is a story about a government sponsored project in concert with The Beatles, using the White Album to influence geometric cosmology. It has significant historical background and will likely appear as a multimedia on-line “book.” [More]

This is a long term study in the nature of cinematic narrative, and in particular the ways situations and attitudes are “folded” into the inner narrative. Long form narrative is essential and the emerging cinematic vocabulary for this is traced and cataloged by example. [More]

The idea here is that analogy and expression are best rooted in representations that derive from gesture in space. Language appeared about a millions years before speech. A practical understanding of this can only come through practice coloring talent, and can produce next generation expressive “languages.”

A web-based collaborative study. Soft logics require a measure of soft truth, or more precisely: rightness. This can be discovered by a combination of practice with the tools in concert with coherent discovery of functional form in nature. [More]

A project to greatly improve the effectiveness of computer interfaces. This project is paired with topoiesis, realizing that the introduction of radical logics inside the machine requires radical interface paradigms to support the human-machine dialog. [More]

A study of symmetry, form and tension. Performed in the context of the International Society for the Interdisciplinary Study of Symmetry (US). [More]

A study of outliners over several years sets this up. The focus is on graphical affordances for complexly structured text. That was preparation for the design of a new class of outliner that supports typed links as functions, media decomposition and situated collaboration. [More]

Design and building of numerous homes and carvings based on kutachi. Some examples can be found here. Recent work in carving consists of studies for 3D versions of kunji. [More]

The development of a new system of “writing,” not bound by the limits of paper technology. This leverages the other efforts in this group. The goal is a three dimensional calligraphic system probably using fluid dynamics and having internal structure. Dynamic characters and formal, knot-based relationships are intended. [More]