We depart from previous research on brokerage advantages in interorganizational networks by shifting focus to the dynamics of brokerage positions. We investigate causes of the disappearance of these positions and its influence on organizational performance. Using a subnetwork consisting of a broker and its two partners as the unit of analysis, we postulate that the brokerage position disappears either when the two partners develop ties or when the ties between the broker and the partners dissolve. We predict that the patterns of interactions in which this subnetwork is embedded exert multilevel influences on the disappearance, and that embedded structures promoting persistence constrain brokerage advantages. Our analysis of codeshare alliance data in the global airline industry supports the theory and demonstrates that the persistence of brokerage positions decreases broker performance. The findings explain why brokerage positions rarely persist and why the persistence of brokerage positions does not benefit brokers.

via Dynamics of Unclosed Triangles in Alliance Networks: Disappearance of Brokerage Positions and Performance Consequences1 – MIN – Journal of Management Studies – Wiley Online Library.

via Trends in Cognitive Sciences – What is so special about embodied simulation?.

Polysingularity of Expression is an ongoing research that proposes to look at the body and communication as a dynamic network. Individuals, in this case, can be represented as a dissipated structure, a limit-cycle pattern formation in the network, which is undergoing non-equilibrium stability. The network includes not only the body or the conceptual knowledge of the individual, but also whatever comes in relation to them – both actual and virtual. This point of view is not too far away from radical embodied cognitive science, which denies representation in favor of constant response as an ongoing process of one’s own individuation. A slight change in conditions produces a different individuation, therefore maintaining a stable persona with a constant point of view is actually very hard work.

A lot of effort goes into gluing together the pieces of disparately perceived entities, translating them into each other, negotiating the differences, and accepting whatever is the result as the “real”. In order to make it easier we have habits and norms that help us find the common ground with other individuals who are facing the same challenge. Each expression, however, already contains a hint of vastness that originated it.

One only needs to zoom out and see the immediately available surrounding in order to multiply the possibilities. Shifting through states, physicality, contexts, and meanings is one such practice that allows to expose the crevices between hastily glued constructs. That’s why the monkeys like to pretend like they don’t give a fuck, although in fact they do. It’s a well-known fact that guerrillas are intelligent animals and that each male guerrilla has several uses for his hand. One can use a hand to grab, to grasp, to hold, to hang, to slap and so on and so forth. No matter what he’s going to tell you, avoid falling into the same trap. We all know that people have different political views and therefore it’s important to spell out these differences one by one in order to undertand them better. Difference. Difference… difference. Difference, difference difference, difference difference. It’s just difference. And the difference is that instead of trying to formulate the sentence I choose to stop here and now instead and to also express how infinitely grateful I am, really, that you made it this far. As you can see this whole thing is in the very beginning, but hopefully I can finally leave whatever the limitations I have and explore the freedom of embodied formation free of obligations, consequences, rules of grammar, speech, and time.

This project is comprised of ongoing research into embodied network practices published by Nodus Labs, as well as performances and workshops that serve as public experiments to explore the concept of embodied polysingularity and share the findings of previous research.

Some footage of previous experiments are available below.

OK Performance
Politics
Keeping the Connection
 

Polysingularity is a condition where multiple solutions are possible and only one is actuated at every specific moment of time. It is present in our bodies, behavior, cognition, social interactions, and societies. The framework of networks seems to have the most appropriate tools to describe and explore this complexity.

Nodus Labs uses polysingular approach to create text network diagrams, visually summarizing the pathways of meaning circulation in their multiplicity. We also produce research that can help maintain dynamic, sustainable, and innovative communities using social network analysis. Our award-winning online mnenomic network ThisIsLike.Com is a freely available tool that helps people retain and share their knowledge outside of the “filter bubble” intentionally created by the most popular web tools.

Nodus Labs is the associate member of Gephi Consortium and Education Otherwise homeschooling association. We participated in a2n and re:publica conferences, hosted workshops at betahaus, and talks at TEDx in Berlin.

Learn more about our research and solutions on www.noduslabs.com

As of December 2011 there are more than 700 posters distributed around Berlin and a large group of people supporting the cause. The informational center that aggregates information about all the activities is available on www.plutobleibt.com.

• Gangs were not so important in organizing the riots, they actually helped stop unrest;
• Facebook and Twitter did not play an important role in organizing the protests, however Blackberry’s BBM inter-device message system was extensively used;
• The riots were provoked by the years of latent police violence and spurred with the police shooting of Mark Duggan;
•  One of the main motivations were to revenge the police, the excitement about suspension of normal rules, and a chance to take part in looting.

via ScienceDirect – Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization : Cognitive dissonance and social change.

via Contributions of Self-Explanation to Comprehension of High- and Low-Cohesion Texts – Discourse Processes – Volume 47, Issue 8.

via Relative Contribution of Perception/Cognition and Language on Spatial Categorization – Choi – 2011 – Cognitive Science – Wiley Online Library.

via Chemical Cocktail Turns Brain’s Gray Matter Transparent – NYTimes.com.

Mouse Neural Network

via Patents Google Bought From IBM Are “Weak” – Slashdot.

Most of what we know about placebos results from studies on how we process pain, since it’s more ethical to give someone a placebo instead of a painkiller than it would be to replace an anti-cancer drug or insulin. Some of the analgesic (painkilling) effect of placebo treatment is due to endogenous opioids, ones made by the body. Now, evidence has emerged that suggests an additional effect results from the cannabinoid pathway, according to a publication in Nature Medicine.

via Part of placebo effect ascribed to cannabinoids.

via Stability of Groups with Costly Beliefs and Practices.

via Crystal structure of a monomeric retroviral protease solved by protein folding game players : Nature Structural & Molecular Biology : Nature Publishing Group.

“Our interpretation of this initially puzzling effect is that the brain cares about representing the entire face, and needs to be highly sensitive to anything wrong with the face, like a part missing,” explains Ralph Adolphs, senior author on the study and Bren Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience and professor of biology at Caltech. “This is probably an important mechanism to ensure that we do not mistake one person for another and to help us keep track of many individuals.”

via Surprising responses to faces from single neurons in the amygdala | KurzweilAI.

Artists: Dorota Buczkowska, Rafał Dominik & Agata Wrońska, Maurycy Gomulicki, Marcin Gwiazdowski, Olga Lewicka, Gordon Matta-Clark, Jan Mioduszewski, Dmitry Paranyushkin & Diego Agullo, Magdalena Starska, Matthias Wermke & Mischa Leinkauf

From Arsenal Gallery’s website: “The title Love for What is Natural has been drawn from very simple and intentionally naive novel by Villiers de Isle, which belongs to the curious or even fantastical genre of stories. Curiosity and phantasy are the distinct tracks, on which the idea of the whole exhibition is founded; as well as the true joy, authentic experience, and a considerable dose of banality. Involving the initiating motto of the adventure – the category, which for unknown reasons is belittled and disregarded in the space of art. Vigilant or even tangible glance at reality which in the simple and innocent occurrences is capable of catching its phenomena. It is the redefinition of meaningless moments to the moments of little excitements which are full of passions and emotions. It is a will to explore the world with all the senses, it is observing the world with affection in order to be able to open one’s heart, be touched and become fascinated by its every detail.”

More on arsenal.art.pl

via Silk Road : un site de livraison de drogue à domicile en sursis- Ecrans.