Bruce Sterling

The latest RE/Search newsletter

*Now that I've become an actual paying sponsor of this thing, I feel weirdly compelled to blog it.

*Actually, blogging it is the cheapest and easiest way to make it legible. The font's so tiny that Vale must compose it with electron microscopes.

WELCOME TO V. VALE's RE/SEARCH NEWSLETTER #109, Oct 2012
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TABLE OF CONTENTS:

  1. MESSAGE FROM YOUR EDITOR, V. VALE
  2. Counter Culture Hour Sat Oct 13, 2012 - 6:00 PM PACIFIC TIME - SF cable channel 29, also simulcast on-line (see below): Penelope Rosemont & Dennis Cunningham at Winston Smith's Studio. (re-air due to station mishap last month)
  3. **MEDITATION SPACE**
  4. FORTHCOMING EVENTS -
  5. What We've Attended/What We've Been Reading/Seeing:
  6. WS Burroughs book from Charles Gatewood, NYC museum notes from Steven Gray
  7. Recommended Links - send some!
  8. QUOTES
  9. Letters from Readers
    10. Sponsors (Please check 'em out!)
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    1. MESSAGE FROM V. VALE: Does anyone still read my editorials? (Let me know!) (((Yes, I read them. Sometimes I soak a whole box of kleenex with my convulsive sobs.))) I expanded my last month's editorial to 1,700 words and for the benefit of all who didn't read it last time (or want to read more), here is a link to it in all of its **expanded, unedited** "glory": http://www.researchpubs.com/Blog/category/blog/

And now for a word on our forthcoming new book!

RE/Search's new book is DATING AI: A Guide to Artificial Intelligence, written by a brilliant Russian scientist named Alex Zhavaronkoff. Finally, here is an easy-to-read, engaging, clear explication of what Artificial Intelligence (AI) **IS.** Almost all questions dealing with how ÅI will impact humanity in the future are explicated and explored, leaving, nevertheless, an immense territory on which all of us can speculate and bring our imaginations to bear.
Here is a brief excerpt from DATING AI, which can now be pre-ordered on the RE/Search website: http://www.researchpubs.com/Blog/pre-orders-soon/ All pre-orders will be given a free RE/Search book (pick one): Punk 77 or Modern Pagans

From "Dating AI" by Alex Zhavaronkoff, PhD:
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One thing seems clear: the ability of sentient AI to explore animal intelligence has revolutionized their (and our) view of intelligence. Many human researchers had done their best in what was an uphill struggle to convince people that many animals have intelligence beyond the human definitions, and that it was often combined with both social and emotional intelligence in ways that we barely understood. Since then, sentient AI, while admittedly having great difficulty mastering the full range of animal intel­ligence, have moved scientific knowledge farther down that road than anyone imagined.
Some of the advances have resulted from collaboration with people. Certainly, build­ing animal robotics and integrating them with sentient AI nodes required both human and AI effort. Human researchers had decades of preliminary work on the robotics. AI provided a new and powerful tool: the active presence of a node and global AI within the robotics. That made it possible to inhabit a community of animals in their native habitat, while retaining the flexibility and intellectual resources of a fully connected AI.
…In some ways, the experiments with animal forms and AI presence were like sentient AI androids among humans. We could use that experience as a guide. It was especially helpful in identifying the most human-influenced elements in our mental models, so that we could attempt to lessen the bias in observing and analyzing animals.
In some ways that is a disconcerting thought, but I guess I’m being all too human about it.
…We said repeatedly that we do not choose among human beings on the basis of intelligence. This is true, if conditional. With animals it is quite the oppo­site. There are so many kinds of animals in so many different contexts, that some kind of selection criteria was necessary. Even global AI could not afford to simulate many animal forms, or simultaneously add the wealth of experiences. So we use intelligence as our guide—a very rough guide indeed, but useful.
In practice, it meant that sentient AI allocated their resources mostly to those ani­mals that appeared in preliminary human studies to have the most active forms of intel­ligence: cetaceans, primates, elephants, cephalopods, corvids, and psittacidae—in that order. Are you competing against dolphins, chimpanzees, elephants, squid, crows and parrots? Yes, in a way. You can also add domesticated animals such as dogs and pigs, plus some of the new hybrid animals.
CETACEANS: DOLPHINS, PORPOISES, WHALES
“Go swim with the fishes” is not a friendly phrase to say to people. When you think about it, though, how else would you get to know cetaceans? Visit SeaWorld? Look through glass? Watch a few leaps into the air? Of course not. Dolphins, whales, porpoises and other cetaceans are best studied in their own environment in the oceans, and mostly under water. Unfortunately, this is almost as alien an environment for human beings as outer space. It is very difficult for us to envision living under water.
…This is probably a contributing factor for why it required so many decades to begin comprehending that cetaceans, notably some species of dolphin, have great intelligence—just not the human kind of intelligence.
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Please preorder today! (((Because a gentleman AI might come calling with a visiting card and a bunch of chrysanthemums)))
http://www.researchpubs.com/Blog/pre-orders-soon/
Order now and get a free book: Punk 77 or Modern Pagans, please indicate your 1st choice.

2. Counter Culture Hour - Sat Oct 13, 2012 - 6:00 PM PACIFIC TIME.
This month's program features a re-broadcast of the Penelope Rosemont/Dennis Cunningham interview filmed at Winston Smith's Grant's Tomb gallery - last month only 1/2 of the show was aired.
Edited/filmed/produced by Marian Wallace; interviews by V. Vale.
The Counter Culture Hour (aka RE/SEARCH TV) is also simulcast ON-LINE as well as on cable access San Francisco Channel 29 – 6pm Pacific Time, Sat Oct 13, 2012
- see this link at broadcast time:
http://72.47.201.244/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1881&Itemid=1801
You need a fairly decent internet connection and computer to "get it."
USA west coast: 6:00 PM Saturday, Oct 13, 2012
USA east coast: 9:00 PM Saturday, Oct 13, 2012
London: 2:00 AM Sunday, Oct 14, 2012
Tokyo: 10:00 AM Sunday, Oct 14, 2012
If you cannot get this online email us at [email protected]
Would you like to have a Counter Culture Hour showing in your town? Please write & ask us how you can do this. (write: [email protected])
See RE/Search channel on youtube: "researchpubs"
Next month: San Francisco Punk reunion!

3. This is blank space a la John Cage aka "Meditation Space"!

4. FORTHCOMING EVENTS (San Francisco unless Otherwise Noted) (sorry some have already happened!)
() $ **SAN JOSE**: NOW through Dec 8: ZERO1Biennial: Seeking Silicon Valley. www.zero1biennial.org Facebook / Twitter
() PUSSY RIOT GLOBAL DAY 2 - Please post your link on http://www.facebook.com/pages/freepussyriotorg/395771127128284 so we can add it on http://freepussyriot.org/fr/news/global-day-2-1st-october-global-day-action-freepussyriot
(((I defy you to find another publication that both dates AIs and supports Pussy Riot. Maybe Pussy Riot should be dating AIs after they get out of the Russian slammer, as female ex-cons sometimes have trouble attracting gentleman callers)))

() FREE Tue Oct 2: SFMOMA (CINDY SHERMAN), Legion of Honor, de Young, Jewish, Yerba Buena MUSEUMS. Legion of Honor has MAN RAY-LEE MILLER SHOW (a "must") http://legionofhonor.famsf.org/legion/exhibitions/man-ray-lee-miller-partners-surrealism
() $ Opening Wed Oct 3 through October: Thrillpeddlers' Shocktoberfest, www.thrillpeddlers.com Last week they were Cheryl Eddy's "pick of the week" in the SF Bay Guardian: "The Thrillpeddlers have been killing it lately, with endlessly extended runs of Cockettes revivals and a recent hit production of Marat/Sade. Now the company is poised to kill it again — live! Onstage! With gruesome gore! — in its annual "Shocktoberfest" production. This year's lucky 13th incarnation includes a classic Grand Guignol one-act (Coals of Fire by Fredrick Whitney, which caused a scandal in 1922 Britain); two contemporary world premieres about mad scientists (The Bride of Death by Michael Phillis and The Twisted Pair by Rob Keefe); and Scrumbly Koldewyn's "musical spectacle" Those Beautiful Ghouls. And if you think you're safe just sitting in the audience, wait until the uniquely terrifying spook-show finale — if you're not afraid of the dark, you will be!" 'Nuff said. San Francisco is lucky to have the Thrillpeddlers here, in their own Hypnodrome Theater at 575 10th St, SF... You don't want to be one of those people who said, "I never saw the Thrillpeddlers; wish I had gone while they were still here!" No. Support worthwhile LOCAL causes…
() $ Wed Oct 3 JUCIFER played Oakland's Uptown w/Hellbeard and The Bite. One of our favorite "life on the road" band books is JUCIFER RISING by longtime RE/Search subscriber JIM HAYES; reading that book definitely makes you want to see the band in person. We missed them in Oakland but they're playing San Jose Sat Oct 6, 2012.
() FREE Thu Oct 4: Berkeley Art Museum.
() $ Fri Oct 5, 730pm, **OAKLAND** the gorgeous FOX THEATRE: NEW ORDER! The successor band to Joy Division after Ian Curtis's suicide (((if Ian Curtis was still alive he'd probably be writing a grumpy tell-all autobiography like Neil Young just did, because believe you me poete maudit punk kids, "fading away" definitely has some advantages over offing yourself))) on the eve of their first American tour, the stalwart survivors soldiered on to produce their own classic recordings and albums. A rare opportunity to hear them LIVE (and perhaps get them to sign recordings afterward?). The Fox Theatre itself is worth experiencing alone (saw Roxy Music there long ago) and a concert by New Order makes the expedition to Oakland well worthwhile. This was truly one of the most enrapturing concerts we've ever experienced, what with the mind-expanding visuals, video footage, time-lapse film footage, 3-D laser light effects, strobe lights and other memorable imagery (some of it curated by our old pal Michael Shamberg, who was once head of Factory Records US and a filmmaker, curator and man-of-the-world in his own right (let us all send him "healing vibrations").
() $ Fri Oct 5, 730pm Emerald Tablet, 50 Fresno Alley (behind Saloon on Grant Ave) presents Mario Guarneri & jazz quartet. (part of North Beach First Fridays)
() FREE Now thru Oct 4 only: **LONDON**: Wolfe Von Lenkiewicz: Hieronymus Bosch. All Visual Arts, 2 Omega Place, London N1 9DR, Tue-Sat 10-6pm. www.allvisualarts.org - A seemingly-amazing "take" on work by my favorite artist of all time: Bosch... (We would love to jet there and see the work IN PERSON, but finance does not permit...!)
() $ Thur Oct 4, 630pm **SAN RAFAEL** - ON THE ROAD at Smith Rafael Film Center - director Walter Salles in person. (MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL) www.mvff.com
() $ Fri Oct 5, 7pm at the Swedish American Hall, Roger Knox / Jon Langford & Sally Timms will be performing. Jon Langford and Sally Timms are two members of The Mekons, the band who gave a great acoustic performance at the hall last year.
() FREE Fri Oct 5, time? Kent Baer's Ratio 3 Gallery Opening w/Lutz Bacher. 2831A Mission/24th St, SF. 821-3371. www.ratio3.org - Barry McGee intv podcast: http://blogs.artinfo.com/modernartnotes/2012/09/the-modern-art-notes-podcast-barry-mcgee/
() FREE. Fri-Sun Oct 5-7. Patti Smith (Oct 7) @ Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, Hellman Hollow, Lindley & Marx Meadows in Golden Gate Park, SF http://www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.com/2012/artists.shtml
() $ Sat Oct 6 (noon,2pm,4pm) Canyon Cinema films at the Exploratorium's theater (Liz Keim, curator). Free w/admission to Exploratorium.
() FREE Sun Oct 7: Asian Art Museum, Oakland Art Museum.
() $$ Mon Oct 8, 8pm, Fillmore, Geary/Fillmore Sts, SF. Patti Smith.
() FREE **LONDON** Oct 9. Chris Marker Selected Works 1951-2011 at Peter Blum Gallery, 3 Olaf St. [email protected]
() Oct 11, Thursday - Pixelvision Percept Plunder & THOMAS INCE (double feature) at 8pm (730 pm pot-luck), free admission at New Nothing, 16 Sherman St (off Folsom between 6th & 7th), San Fran CA 94103, phone 310-306-7330, film history and the future of live cinema with music improv by V. Vale, Rock Ross.
() Oct 12, Friday - MARK PAULINE INTERVIEW- 8:30pm at Oddball Films & Video http://www.oddballfilm.com/ 275 Capp St, San Fran CA 94110, 415-558-8112, $12 rsvp [email protected] 30 minutes of rare film clips followed by Pauline interview by Gerry Fialka. (((