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A Panorama of Understanding: in a Panorama for helping to find and share Orientation and Understanding * |
BEING - FEELING - THINKING - HEALING International Medical Scientific Network 1996 |
International Society for ISSS
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SEMINAR QUESTION:
What
Wholeness means to me? -
How can it be best imparted to others?
by Heiner Benking
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The beginning of knowledge is not experiment but rather the observation and design of a complete picture on which all knowledge and all observation are integrated K. R. Popper / I. Kant
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from an analysis of just the parts. Bela Banathy
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The proposal is:
1. to visualize multi-hierarchical coherent nested orders,
2. to propose a simple unifying vision by using cognitive space-scapes,
3. to implement a conceptual mirror between the real world objects
and conceptual subjects and terms,
4. to map concepts in their context, and
5. to trace metaphorical language, semantics and topologies in one
common and mnemonic framework
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by forcing focus on specifics. Steve Kurtz
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Analysis and Synthesis A century simply concerned with analysis and which is at the same time afraid of synthesis is not on the right path for only both together like breathing in and out comprise the life of science J.W. v. Goethe
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We need to underline that we are working only with a conceptual map or model, not the terrain of Nature, Culture, and Society.
Conceptually, the smallest common denominator across cultures for easy illustration of complexity seems to be to embody space as 3-dimensions. Our thinking and language is based on spacial orientations - whatever reference system is selected. As there is a spacial intelligent as defined by Gardener as an independent capacity, we feel it is time for acknowledgement of the spacial, the deep, 3-dimensional character of navigation and orientation. This even though only a small, but growing fraction of people is prepared for looking deeper.
Architects are obliged to cultivate the sense of depth and in
environmental
research it was necessary to make a distinction between spatial
2-dimensional
and spacial 3-dimensional in alpine environmental research and
management
(Kluwers Academic Publishers 1988 - details on request).
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The emergence at another place. Franz Marc
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How do children react? Where does it make a difference? What are the lessons learned? (HeBe) |
The answer? Easy. Just by playing with children, without any prepared, somber and educated answers. Just by presenting them a complete and coherent layout and inviting them to be part of the nested schemes. And inviting their simple and well-packed questions and answers.
The journalist and futurist Robert Jungk challenged me to focus more on children, as seeing wholeness and interconnectedness is a question of acceptance and consciousness. Children are concerned, eager and not willing to wait for theories to change with generations of researchers. A lot could be written how they pick it up, what questions they ask and what conceptual stumbling blocks in the design have been removed by the simple and innocent questions, which I call free floating, panning and zooming in onto themes, without the preconceived and presupposed "educated" handicaps.
Most satisfying and reassuring was the children's consideration that the meaning of situation world or space is in a way native to them. They said they were often thinking is such an associative way. And while full of phantasm and imagination, yet considered valid in some way, situation space allows talk about such issues even with parents and teachers!!!!
The spacial design for an architecture of exploitable thinking spaces (maybe we should call it a world-view? ) invites us to find and share positions and perspectives INSIDE of the cognitive spaces. It is not another outmoded anthropocentric world-view but a scaffolding where you can embody, live in and take away thematical regions or territories.
Maybe the metaphor of the ocean of knowledge and orientation and navigation fits here best, and its need to dive deeper and interconnect areas and levels.
Wholeness is very much connected by the author with the concept of Jan C. Smuts, who defined Holism in the 1920s, and the recent work of Stephen J. Kline, who worked on the Conceptual Foundations for Multidisciplinary Thinking (1995) and the Powers and Limitations of Reductionism and Synoptism (1996). Both authors are looking for the big integrated picture, inviting scaling, bridging domains, and avoiding fixation.The author has presented a proposal for a Conceptual Superstructure (1992) based on the Blackbox Nature (1990) a concept in line with the hierarchies of constitution as proposed by Kline and the concept of Holism. Smuts was aware of levels and interactions along and across scales (!) and was able to integrate views ranging from microbiology to statesmanship into one coherent and appealing organic concept.
Creatively, this paper and proposal intends to built on Smuts and Kline, going one step further by embody and visualizing conceptual and cognitive nested spaces. By making space-scapes (deep-structures spaces) inhabitable, it is possible to live, take part, and share situations, that is why they were called Situation Spaces, or Spaces of Meaning.
The backbone is an agreed upon layout or scaffolding that helps to connect conceptual territories and dissolve artificial barriers separating concepts, domains and views.
The start and Nucleus of the design (the Blackbox Nature) was proposed for the display of wholeness and connectedness in search for common frames of references . It was not planned or ordered, but had evolved out of the necessity to bring elements into one coherent picture. The task, in a public exhibition called GLOBAL CHANGE - Challenges to Sciences and Politics , was to answer simple questions, like: What is Ecology?, What are Ecologist doing, or Which fields, scales and approaches are used? How can Science support decision making? How can science find ways to explain to the public, politics, and sciences how they and all can cooperate dealing with the problems ahead.
The challenge is to demonstrate in a simple fashion, to attract and invite further thinking, and even to leave puzzled the politicians, scientist, lay(wo)man, and children. Hopefully, the proposed embodying of imaginary nested spaces might help to bring together utterly disparate phenomena by allowing them to co-exist in connected frames. Complexity and dynamics which we have no notation for, which makes us puzzled or perplexed, or makes us at awe as we gaze, is not helpful. Instead I propose a framework or overview providing us with insights, allowing orientation and helping us find land-marks to better communicate dangers, magnitudes, levels, and the challenges involved.
Cognitive multi-hierarchical and multi-medial spaces might be the smallest common denominator for communicating complex issues across cultures and schools of thought.
As the proposed realm or the Blackbox Nature allows to index what we know and mark as dark spots what we do not know, we have defined a translator space or switchboard between real and abstract object and issues, solid realities and fuzzy terms. In such a complete, coherent and simple model we can discuss frames and artificial thematic barriers, build them and take them away.
The idea to embody thought and use spatial metaphors as image schema was developed in an International Harmonization Project which should be properly credited for these studies. The task was to look for meta-databases for annotations which were language independent and able to track Environmental Change related data whatever the compartment, region, scale or measurement technique applied. To make sure, just in an overview or global index pathfinder mode, helping to find and relate to comparable, not only compatible data and concepts!
What we are talking her about is a paradigm shift integrating the reductionistic and the synoptic -- the one and the multi-dimensional holarchy -- enabling adopting a view of Life which allows to us feel concerned not only as an individual only, but as a whole. The panorama approach allows us able to discuss and point out issues before not visible or considered tangible.
This article is an synopsis of seven years of thinking of an foreigner, almost like a alien, not only having problems with foreign languages, but living voluntarily in parallel worlds or connected cognitive spaces, checking the feasibility through all domains and its relevance and acceptability in different schools of thought and fields. As requirements differ and technologically we see mayor shifts in the field of human interface design and cognitive spaces, I will only summarize that times change fast and the reception is far better by children than by serious scientists and philosophers.
The model presented here is only one, best used for finding an overview and seeing the coherence and connectedness from a birds eye perspective without all possible local processes and interactions blinding us to the forest. There is a great need for a whole orchestra of views and models, a symphony, but, at the same time, which can talk to each other and play one theme at a time!
As motion in spaces must be considered as a means of communication, a means even older than language, we might be able re-establish a feeling of being connected and involved/concerned. We can see the body languages and subsequently how to secure meaning and create contagious information and immediate action !
As a necessary Paradigm Shift is discussed in many environments, the author would like to inform the seminar about an event organized with the COUNCIL OF EUROPE http://pconf.terminal.cz, where both Members of the CLUB OF BUDAPEST focused on paradigm changes under title: New Spaces for Culture and Society . First the past president of ISSS Ervin Laszlo gave a presentation on new scientific paradigms and the author with the last presentation, summarizing work under way and some future perspectives.
Heiner Benking
A CONTINUATION OF ARTICLE
AS EXCERPTED FROM PAPER IN WORLD FUTURES PRESENTED AT ISSS 40TH
ANNIVERSARY
BUDAPEST, SEPTEMBER 1996
The Panorama design uses three reference frames, related to SUBJECT, OBJECT and their relationship or CONTEXT. What is also important, however, is that SPACES left between them. In fact, what we do NOT know or understand may be far more important than what we DO know and understand. The spaces represent the questions for addressing the challenge of how to know, connect, and transcend.
The scaffolding or framework provides a top-down perspective. There seems to be agreement that no single model can suffice to organise all our knowledge. However, the Panorama three-fold design (3xspace/time) matches many other perspectives and can be recast in their terms, so that we can translate fairly easily from one micro-paradigm to the other. For example:
The subject-box enables us to map out how we are looking at the objects in the object-box and the context-box enables us to map the metaphors of understanding the kind of reality in which this is taking place. Cognitive images provide means of transport between the different elements of the display, representing movements of thought. By having such an extended space-representation of our concepts, it is possible to discover patterns of thinking that are dynamic and integrative. The Panorama design uncouples the rigid connections that usually operate in our thinking, giving the elements space to breathe and produce new life.
The centrepiece of the proposed Panorama of Knowledge and meta-knowledge is called Blackbox Nature and can be understood as a mirror or translator between objects and subjects (see Jung/Pauli). The proposed architectonic of open real or abstract spaces links entities (real and abstract objects) and concepts into a common context or layout (PANORAMA).
Mobility in a physical and cognitive sense, using also vehicles like images and metaphors, allows to transcend situations and carry meaning between conceptual and mental models by cultivating the mind s eye. It is hoped that such a mental locomotion will allow to see a bigger picture and ease understanding.
Each of the three domains of the Panorama design is a depiction in three-dimensional space, so each has three axes which, again, can be correlated and translated into other versions. This makes it possible for different world-views to be mapped and compared and also for us to navigate amongst them. Similarities and differences can be made clear to all parties and a concentrated attention can be given to gaps and unknowns.
A unifying overview towards a Natural Philosophy of Wholeness ?
A remedy for the problems given above may be to provide orientation within a Panorama of Understanding . Designed in the following three modules it allows integral thinking and coalescence of different aspects, facets, and views:
1. The definition and concept of Ecology to visually and conceptually integrate and interact along and across hierarchical scales (like the subjects axis, and magnitude and time scales), to present proportions and consequences and allow indication and communication about the interconnectedness of Nature. This building block is called: Black Box Nature or Rubik's Cube of Ecology and was developed 1990 for the German Chancellery to exhibit GLOBAL CHANGE - Challenges to Science and Politics (presently up-dated). The Cube combines high resolution art work and scientific visualisations to show selected windows or frames into the precious scale-transcending germ we call Nature. With many windows left blank or black we are to realise our limited understanding, our only intuitive approach to beauty and harmony we find in Nature, and why decency and cautioning any action is recommended.
As black-box is a term which typically used in engineering to
approach
a subject as a whole, taking as a first preliminary step the details
not
into question, we feel it is indicated to not only say that the box
could
also be called a 'white open space'. But as the box is physically a
black
box exponat and does not allow to look inside, with the intention to
make
us curious, widen our attention and make us humble the more we gaze and
as the term blackox was used in the intended sense of an INNOVATIVE
SOCIETAL
LEARNING tool and concept in an early Club of Rome report as follows:
"Innovative
societal learning seeks to restore active learning to those in society
conventionally confined to a passive role of assimilation. Key to this
goal is participation that goes beyond mere invitations to accept given
products. To encourage innovative societal learning, true participation
must enable people to open and inspect the "black-boxes" of knowledge,
to question their relevance and meaning, and to re-design, re-combine,
and re-order them where necessary. Effective participation therefore
does
not mean paying lip service to those who in the past have been deemed
to
count less than others, but rather ensuring a real contribution of the
entire society". ("A Report to the Club of Rome") Mo Limits to
Learning;
bridging the human gap, James W Botkin, Mahdi Elmandjra, Mircea
Malitza,
(pp 80-81) Oxford, Pergamon Press, 1979
2. Integrate what we know and focus on what we do not know in one framework or picture. As this framework needs to be deeply structured within a higher order, (similar to implicate orders), we propose the following set of three connected nested scaffoldings, which form one conceptual superstructure and leave time as a dimension ruling all master reference schemes.
2.1 The land-scape as the native and basic space for human
experience
and understanding, for panning and zooming, using telescopic approaches
to scapes (deep structured spaces). As optics and ethics are
etymologically
grounded we see approaches from varying distance in any environment as
a way to clarify and enlighten structures and patterns. (The resulting
understanding and transparence through means like lenses, the
characterisrica
universalis by Leibniz, or computing in modern times was always
exciting
and considered mystic as long as people could not see and follow what
was
going on). - Scape is a term we use to indicate deep structured spaces.
It should be noted that children accept the concept easily and are
ready
for new conceptual or abstract understanding at about ten years of age.
They then can focus conceptually beyond the immediate environment into
abstract or virtual contexts. Before the age of ten, their thing is to
experience space, motion and time physically and conceptually. After
ten
years of age they can float in abstract realms (fantasia) and sometimes
have good command of imagination (eidetic). Children liked the
framework
as a way to explain teachers and parents what is going on and that the
'View-of-Life' they learn at schools is 'too flat'. Children have
reported
and written that at a Childen Communication Camp, where tehy were
introduce
to the concept of the blackbox model after interviewing all futrists of
the world about what the elder have in store for the futures of the
younger
generations. As the concept of models is very central in this article,
a citation from a scholary book on models will follow to support the
experience
with children and some conmclusions the author has drawn in his work
over
the last years. Excerpt from: Models in Science Education, George Marx
and Esther Tóth, In: Models of Reality - Shaping Thoughts
and
Action, Lomond Books in cooperation with UNESCO 1984 (eds: Jacques
Richardson)
After the first chapter Man and his Models starting with Man is a model
making animal. .. His outstanding predictive power gives him selective
advantages over his physically stronger rivals... starts the second
chapter:
Models in Schools with: According to Piaget, the school-aged children
think
in a concrete operational way. If the teacher refutes one of
two alternatives, his pupils will not accept the other until they can
visualise
it much as a motion picture. What they imagine, they would also like to
catch , to build and to take apart. Abstract logic matures in them only
at the end of the secondary school.
;
2.2 The word-scape or term- /theme-scape (semantic space) based on samples used in universal library organisation systems. One such scheme or global index is based on the square lambdoma, which is more suitable than spherical representations for this purpose, and is called the Information Coding and Classification (ICCa) by Ingetraut Dahlberg from the International Society for Knowledge Organisation (ISKO). The matrix of global subjects and general form concepts, and a depth dimension (specific facets or categories) is a semantic exploratory navigation space, based on harmonic principles, enabling storage without redundancies as well as access and permutations within underlying structures and patterns.
3. Navigation and Orientation in the three realms or conceptual
spaces,
including cut and paste operations allow overarching retrieval,
correlations
and configurations beyond narrow category definitions, semantic
hurdles,
and cultural stipulations.
Synthesis and Synopsis
Making use of the creative and integrative conceptualisation powers of humankind by using the visual and cognitive discrimination powers and imagine and construct relations in real and abstract ThinkScapes. As cognitive psychology and terminological and semantic studies prove to be deeply rooted perception and experience, and space is mathematically not reducible, it makes sense to integrate the genuine visual and senso-motorical powers of humankind for conceptual analysis and synthesis.
The Panorama invites thinking within, between and beyond boxes, words, knowledge, categories, and cultures. Thus it can trigger lateral and diagonal thinking within a unifying broader picture. It opens windows and doors and builds bridges between interest, items and issues, between a physical and virtual terra incognita. It is a simplistic, superficial configuration of Real- & Cyberspace modules. The self-generating mental mobility increases continually, as we experience that real and abstract worlds can be crossed by metaphoric s. Thus we can we map complex realities and avoid getting too perplexed.
Viewpoint generation and transportation are the native and cheapest form of therapy and healing. This broader concept of virtual mobility and mental locomotion is critical for the recent trend towards dematerialisation and sustainability. Using the eidetic and creative powers of humankind to plot mental maps and cognitive models might help chart our course in conceptual worlds, rationalise alternative paths of development , and help searching for wisdom and sensible, responsible action. We find in orientation, cognitive metaphoric concepts known to many traditions and teachings, a true treasure of humankind - why not get more conscious about the way our ideas move?
Fig 6 Providing a Topos for Topics or Issues, and engendering space, place and situation will bring more transparency, clarify positions and bring proportions and horizons of issues into sight . I can be done with the visual powers of the eye and the mind s eye and it is worth a try, any effort to fight resignation, and a mandate the futurist Robert Jungk urged to work with children when developing such concepts.
We can take the cross-category approach we need in ecology for harmonization and apply it for even wider complex and dynamic object-subject-time consciousness realms, but we should not forget that the scaffolding must not be confused with Nature itself. As Korbyski warned: the map is not the territory . As we create and perceive the world, we revolutionise consciousness, this telescopic and poly-sopic approach will make as more aware about what we see where and help us pan&zoom, cut&paste, focus, and oscillate between or sphere of interest, a floating process known from cognitive research.
Some critical questions remain: Can humankind ? accept and apply our
common powers of visualising and conceptualising, and look for nested
orientation
which can be easily communicated? ? afford walls of segregation,
reductionism,
and sectarianism? ? avoid looking for broader visions, ? neglect fields
such as eidetics ? accept co-existence of models, perspectives and
metaphors?
? create enough time to learn to be more aware about hard and soft
imaginative
reasoning?
The trick is to use modular open spaces which can be analytically and visually explored, referenced and remembered - they bring more transparency for informed decision, but it also has drawbacks, and can be misused as picures are more easily considered correct and real. The proposal might help to navigate, explore and filter also immaterial objects and focus on the quality and context of information.
Steps towards common, broader and integral views:
Fig 7: A top-down global index linking physical, thematic and
semantic
spaces - in-scape, reference-scape and out-scape - 3xSpace/Time. This
reference
and representation paradigm is a high stand or bird s eye - an OPEN
SPACE
and map of what we know and do not know - a trick to avoid getting lost
in details but seeing context by developing the mind's eye, fostering
imaginism
and developing conceptual realms.
Let us take the design or map as a way to find be curious, play and try to find out what might be there and in that way change ourselves by generating viewpoints and training mental mobility. The next step is to look for the quality of what is there. It helps to float between and find again and again context, neighbourhood, the origin, and the level and scope. It is just one layout to store whatever we know or search for, accommodating coherence and chaos - complexity and perplexity - and allowing us to keep our store of knowledge in order.
There is strength always in and between both: diversity and isolation, analysis and synthesis, local and global, mythos and logos, chaos and coherence. As we sometimes need to exchange ideas and agree on objects, and subjects, terms, and issues, we are well advised to agree on what we are talking about, common platforms, references, and co-ordinates for understanding, the location and neighbourhood also within real or virtual scenes, material and conceptual worlds.
The proposal exploits the potential of concepts like: space and place, concept and context, and metaphors like: orientation, picture, and vision. We find such analogies and metaphoric expressions in many figurative contagious and poetic language, but in this case we want to go another step further, help to not only talk about common objects, but about common subjects and issues - The focus is on integrating different views and aspects, not to develop filters or brokers, to invite the idea of poly- or pan-scopic perception, to get used to look for factual, literal and metaphorical meaning, to look for similarities and differences and oscillate between positions, thereby establishing depth (to apply the stereo-scopic model or picture here). By mapping the Known, Unknown, and Unknowable we might find new ways, see with different eyes, and develop new kinds of composed consensual views and perspectives.
This section was included in the CLUB OF BUDAPEST and ISSS 40th
anniverary
proceeding:
Publications and Activities showing the development of the Blackbox - Panorama design: For my "scientific and practical roots" see Chapter I (orientation) and the acknowledgements below:
Benking, H., Lessing, H. 1989, Large Scale Biomonitoring for Renaturation, 1. International Geoecological and Geomorphological Conference, Frankfurt
Benking, H. Braun, v. H. 1989, Geo-/Object-Coding for Local Change Assessment, Planning, Execution, Accounting, and Research Demand Repeatability and Validity of Geotope/Biotope Information, GLOBAL CHANGE '89 Moscow Conference Volume~ GeoJournal 20.2, 167-173, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht/Boston/London
Benking, H. 1990, Information about Environmental Information: Discussion Paper, Proposals and feasibility studies for the first UNEP-HEM International Expert Group meetings
GLOBAL CHANGE 1990, exhibition, contributions for AGF in German Chancellery, May 1990 and Benking, H. 1991, LOCAL AND GLOBAL CHANGE exhibition Research and Co-ordination Tasks of International Organizations, geotechnica, Köln 1991
Keune. H., Murray, B., Benking, H. 199 1, Harmonization of Environmental Measurement, GeoJournal 23.3 249-255, Kluwer Academic Publishers
Benking, H., Kampffmeyer, U. 1992, Access and Assimilation and on: Pivotal Environmental Information Challenges, Linking Archiving and Exploiting Multilingual Multi-Scale Environmental Information Repositories, GeoJournal 26.3 323-334, Kluwers
Benking H. 1992, Bridges and a Masterplan for Islands of Data in a Labyrinth of Economic Environmental Information, - The HEMIS Design Proposal as a 'Subset and Extention of Information Management Systems, Workshop M and Systems, ICSU-CODATA, Beijing
Benking, H., Kampffmeyer, U. 1992, Harmonization of Environmental Meta-Information with a Thesaurus-based multi-lingual and multi-medial Information System, ISY ESSIS International Space Year Conference on Earth and Space Science Information Systems, Pasadena
unknown: Our View of Life is too flat 1992, Knowledge Spiral Children Newsletter zur World Futures Studies Federation (WFSF), Turku, Finland
Benking, H., Schwitte, J. 1993, Leitziel: Interdisziplinäre Umweltwissenschaft, Prinzip Verantwortung - Wege zu einer integralen Umweltwissenschaft; Symposium in Memoriam Hans Jonas, white paper,- Evangelische Akademie Hofgeismar und Fachbereich Evangelische Theologie der Philipps Universität Marburg, Hofgeismar
Benking, H. 1993, Visual Access Strategies for Multi-Dimensional Objects and Issues, A new World View, based on the Hyperlink ECO-CUBE, for better understanding and communications about multi-disciplines like Ecology, Poster etc., FAW Technical Report - 93019, WFSF - World Futures Studies Federation, Turku
Benking, H., Judge, A.N.J., Uhlir, P. 1993, Linking Hetereogeneous Environmental Data for Multipurpose Applications - A Conceptual Superstructure, Outline; NAS-NRC, Washington, in co-operation with UIA, Brussels (internal documents)
Benking, H. 1993, Organisation and Navigation aspects of the Knowledge Panorama, A work report; on special invitation by the Chairman Dr. Noel Morrison: AUTO - CARTO I I - Eleventh Intern. Symp. on Computer-Assisted Cartograpy, GIS/LIS, Minneapolis
Benking, H. 1994, Proposing a Conceptual Superstructure - A Work Report and a Vision to explore issue-scapes as virtual landscapes by making use of surveyors' Abilities and Views, FIG XX, key-note representing Dr. Noel Brown, Director of UNEP New York in Melbourne
Benking, H., Brauer, G.W. 1994, Visual Access and Assimilation Strategies to prestructure Bodies of Environmental Knowledge: Proposals and Lessons Learned, In: Environmental Knowledge Organization and Information Management, ISKO International Society for Knowledge Organization - Conference, Bratislava, INDEKS Verlag, Frankfurtl/Main
Benking, H., Judge, A.J.N. 1994, Design Considerations for Spatial Metaphors Reflections on Viewpoint transportation systems, Invited workshop at on Spatial User Interface Metaphors for Hypermedia Systems, Hypermedia. Technology (acm-ECHT) 94), Edinburgh
Benking, H., Brauer G.W., Grossmann W.D. 1994, Information for Global Understanding of Environmental Problems: A proposal for visually displaying a knowledge metabase - A Conceptual Superstructure of Knowledge - Quality and Content in Organisation, management, and Awareness, ICSU-CODATA, Chambery
Benking, H. 1994, The Hyperlink ECO-CUBE: Proposing a Knowledge Panorama for Clearinghouse Organisation & (Environmental) Education, International Workshop on Computer-based Environmental Education, IFIP - GI Hamburg
Benking, H., Goppold, A. 1994, Wissenswelten: Gedanken zur Organisation und Orientierung In: Wissen und Macht - Die Krise des Ftegierens, Sonderband in Gedenken an den 10. Todestag von Michel Foucault Talheimer Verlag, Tubingen
Benking, H. 1995, Wissenskosmos oder Wissenspanorama? Quo vadis Medien, Bildung, Bewußtsein? Ökologie und Kommunikation Workshop, FU-Berlin Inst. für emp. Sozialforschung, Bonn
Benking H. 1995, Scales, Horizons, Proportions, and Consequences in Perspective, Group III: Eco-Philosophy/Environmental Ethics, World Futures Studies Federation (WFSF) Conference "Futures Beyond Poverty, Nairobi
Benking, H. 1995, Kreatives Probleml6sen durch Querdenken, ThüringenOlympiade Technik im Rahmen von "Jugend forscht", Rede vor der Preisverleihung; Padagog. Hochschule Erfurt
Benking, H. 1996, Can World-Views ease Translation and Understanding? - Bridges between and beyond Subjects and Objects, Fremdsprachenlernen und interaktive Medien, Europa Univ. Viadrina, Inst. für interkulturelle Komm., Institute für Medienintegration, Frankfurt/Oder
Benking, H. 1996, Nature as a Blackbox in a "Panorama of Understanding" between and beyond "What we Know and Miss", WORLD FUTURES - The Journal for General Evolution -Research Notes, Gordon and Breach Publ., forthcoming
Benking, H. 1996, Generation, Transportation and Composition of Viewpoints and Perspectives; In: Creativity and Cognition 2, Intersections between Art, Technology and Science, Intern. Symp., Loughborough University & College of Art and Design & LUTCHI Research
Benking, H. 1996, SPACES OF MEANING - Reflections on Wholeness, Interconnectedness, Consciousness, Presentation and World Member's Meeting of THE CLUB OF BUDAPEST, to appear in INTUITIVO and homepage, Budapest
Benking, H. 1996, SITUATION SPACES - Scales, Proportions, Patterns, and Consequences in Perspective, In: COMPLEX PROBLEM SOLVING, Cognitive Psychological and Methodological Decision Support for Societal Policy Making, World Association for CASE METHOD RESEARCH AND CASE METHOD APPLICATION, Munich
Benking, H. 1996, Mental Models, Metaphors, and the Mind's Eye - Orientation and Mapping in Spaces of Meaning, VISION Plus 2 SEHEN, FÜHLEN, VERSTEHEN: Kontroversielle Ansichten fiber Entwicklungen auf dem Gebiet der Kommunikation, HID Internationales Institut für Informations Design, Schwarzenberg
Benking, H. 1996, CONCEPT and CONTEXT Mapping - Towards common frames of reference, In: Trialoges at the Edge of Terms and Pictures, Section I Terminology and Philosophy of Science (planned with: Budin, Galinski, Oeser), TKE '96 Terminology and Knowledge Engineering, Association for Terminology and Knowledge Transfer, International Centre for Terminology (termnet) , TU Vienna, 26.- 28. August 1996.
Benking, H. 1996, Conceptual topologies and macro-structures; Contributions from the Exact and Fine Arts towards terminology and context mapping, Multilingual Information Society and Terminology Standardization, on the occasion of 25th anniversary of INFOTERM and 60th anniversary of ISO/TC 37, Budapest
Benking, H. 1996, Now Horizonte und Orientierungen dank einer
Architektur
für Denkräume In: MENSCH - MASSE - MEDIEN, Interaktion oder
Manipulation,
IFG Ulm Internationales Forum far Gestaltung, Ulm School of Design
Foundation,
Ulm
Acknowledgements; and Milestones
It is of great concern to the author to make obvious and very clear that the work presented was only possible thanks to a large group of supporters and collaborators. Through contact to a broad variety of people with power, insights and perspective, it was possible to continue and step onto the shoulders of writers and philosophers in the literature to see other horizons (please check first chapter (conceptual orientation)). The summary below comes to mind at once in the very limited time-frame which was available for this paper:
First and last Alfred Schinz Herrsching, the authors professional "father", mentor and friend, one of the few scholars (-maybe like Ralph Siu-) of the exact and fine arts, experienced in all quarters, who taught me about work and dedication, architectonics, ecology, ekistics, and eidetics, Eberhard Gockel, Bonn, a transdisciplinary writer, organiser and master of many arts and cultures, "besides" in charge of the public eye into the German National Research Centres (AGF) and with Manfred Lange key-editors of the Global Change exhibition, Francesco di Castri and Malcolm Hadley, UNESCO and International Union for Biological Sciences - IUBS, Paris with the definition of Ecology in textbooks, where indispensable to make this collage or puzzle of what we "know and do not know" become true and real, Hartmut Keune, UNEP - Harmonisation of Environmental Measurement - HEM, Nairobi Munich, who provided space for unorthodox ideas, approaches and design for cross-cultural multi-lingual meta-database and harmonisation projects, Friedrich Strauch, who allowed my as president of the Alfred Wegener Foundation to put international, geosciences, ethics and environment ito perspective, by giving me a "card blanche" in organizing the AWS and LOCAL AND GLOBAL CHANGE contributions at geotechnica, Franz-Josef Radermacber, for vision and the merger of technological and humanitarian perspectives, Robert Jungk, the humane futurist from Salzburg, who focused my thinking in 1992 on the impact we can have by working with children instead of designing cross-cultural multi-lingual repositories, Anthony J. N. Judge, Union of International Associations UIA, Brussels, who with his dear and analytic mind, his work on the Yearbook and the Encydopaedia of World Problems and Human Potential, its hidden function bases and aggregation of relations, his contributions to the subject of metaphors and viewpoint generation and transportation (physical and virtual/mental mobility/locomotion), Emile Dubois, Edgar Westrum, and David Abir, International Council of Scientific Unions Conference for Data in Science and Technology - ICSU - CODATA, for their openness and help, Merete Mattern, for helping met to see the arts in the sciences and the sciences in the arts, Ingetraut Dahlberg, International Society for Knowledge Organisation ISKO, Frankfurt, she taught me how to survive at least at the surface of some epistemological riddles, bridge semantics and terminology's, and seamed my basic design of the Rubik's Cube with the basic axis: in-animated nature, animated nature, culture by allowing me to context to her apt and spirited ICC? governed by the Sytemificalor? and design along with harmonic rules, Noel Brown, UNEP, New York, who invited me to give a keynote to review the challenges of AGENDA 2 1, Felix Unger, Academia Scientiarum et Atrium Europaea, and Christian Galinski, termnet for advise, Yehezkel Dror and Ralp G. H. Siu in deep appreciation. Last not least Farah Lenser, Alf Ammon, Johannes Heinrichs, Ann Kervin, and Ervin Laszlo who helped to carry on and keep an "embryonic design" (John O'Connor, WORLD BANK) on the road. Real fun was the work with children. Their direct questions and their reasoning "to explain to teachers and parents" were rewarding and showed deep understanding, as their "View of Life is too flat".
PS: 
July 2001 I
will
up-date these links as they provide a quite easy acces about my focus,
intentions, perspectioves and whereabouts... in the 90ies...
