Plex: 19 March 2025

The Biweekly Plex Dispatch is an inter-community newspaper published by Collective Sense Commons on first and third Wednesdays of each month. Price per issue: 1 USD, or your choice of amount (even zero).

In This Issue

• Co-Creating A Thriving Future for the Bay Area: An Unconference, 3 May (David Witzel)
• Shifting My Participation (Jerry Michalski)
• “Good Enough Ancestor” (Charles Blass)
• Between Apocalypse and Awakening (Todd Hoskins)
• From Community Facilitator to AI Shaman (George Pór)
• Pete's AI Homework (Peter Kaminski)
• Collective Sense-Making under Chaos (Michael Lennon)
• Artificial or Alien - A Conversation with Soren (Klaus Mager)
• Signs of the Times (Ken Homer)
• Random Urban Violence (Ken Homer)

Co-Creating A Thriving Future for the Bay Area: An Unconference, 3 May

by David Witzel

Co-Creating A Thriving Future for the Bay Area: An Unconference
Saturday May 3, 2025 at Laney College in Oakland, CA

These are days of darkness & possibility, uncertainty & opportunity. We are calling doers and dreamers from all walks of life to join together and create the story of a thriving future for all life, where we live: the Bay Delta Bioregion, and its many beautiful watersheds and communities.

The Question: How do we better collaborate within and across communities and watersheds to co-create a thriving future for all life?

Sessions will cover a wide range of topics, such as local food systems, bioregionalism, land stewardship, social justice, solidarity economy, ecological restoration, regenerative practices, Indigenous leadership, storytelling, solarpunk, the “collapse”, and cooperation. Formats will run the gamut from inspiring conversations to somatic exercises to “roll up your sleeves” problem-solving.

This event is for everyone whether you’re professionally involved, active as a volunteer and community member,  or curious about how you can contribute.

Please share and register here:
https://events.humanitix.com/thriving-future-for-the-bay-area 

Shifting My Participation

by Jerry Michalski

It's taken me a long time to figure out just how distractable I am. Every time I'm in one of our calls, I end up with a bunch of open tabs to read and curate and my brain(s) spinning, then I look up and suddenly it's dinner time.

So very recently, in order to achieve more of my goals (which include booking a steady flow of keynote talks, writing a NeoBook or three, and getting more of the ideas in my head into the world openly) I decided to step back from some of the standing calls that I host every week.

I'll still be on the OGM call on Thursdays, but I've handed the other calls over to regular participants to rename, reschedule, fold down or keep going as is — whatever you'd like to do. This has been harder to do than I realized. I love you all and am quite attached to our conversations.

If you follow me on Substack or LinkedIn, you may actually see more of me, because I'll be there more, trying to describe and create the elements of an Open Global Mind 🌍🧠😁. 

“Good Enough Ancestor”

by Charles Blass

essential,

(1) 21-min documentary film
https://www.combinationsmag.com/good-enough-ancestor/

(2) recent interview
https://radicalxchange-s.simplecast.com/episodes/audrey-tang-on-becoming-a-good-enough-ancestor

(3) engage in the pol.is instance,
“What does Audrey’s story tell us about how we can reinvigorate democracy?”
https://pol.is/8ferexhcxm

Background:

Good Enough Ancestor is officially out now, and we invite you to celebrate with us all month long!

Learn the story of Audrey Tang, as she reflects on democracy in Taiwan and around the globe.

Filmed over ten days in the lead-up to Taiwan’s historic 2024 elections, the poetic documentary threads together Tang’s reflections on her own life—overcoming bullying, a life-threatening heart condition, and gender dysphoria—with the story of Taiwan’s evolution from martial law to its most recent election.

Against the backdrop of rising authoritarianism and geopolitical tensions, Good Enough Ancestor is a timely reminder of the fragility of democracy and the responsibility to tend to it for future generations.

Between Apocalypse and Awakening

by Todd Hoskins

In this moment of global uncertainty, our attention is constantly pulled toward the loudest narratives—authoritarianism rising, democracies faltering, systems crumbling. These stories demand our focus with their urgent, apocalyptic framing. Like powerful magnets, they organize our perception around threat, division, and collapse.

The word "apocalypse," as my friend Theodore Richards reminds us, originally meant an unveiling or revelation—not simply destruction but a pulling back of the veil to reveal what has been hidden. Perhaps that's what our current moment offers: not just endings but the opportunity to see more clearly what has always been present beneath the surface of our familiar world.

This unveiling doesn't negate the genuine challenges we face. The rise of authoritarian governments, increasing polarization, and ecological concerns are real forces shaping our world. But they're not the whole story unfolding. Our media ecosystems, designed to capture and monetize attention, naturally amplify crisis and conflict while quieter movements of life continue largely undocumented.

Look around and you'll find communities creating new economic models that serve people rather than extract from them. Indigenous knowledge systems, once dismissed, are now informing sustainable approaches to agriculture, water management, and forest stewardship. Mutual aid networks have emerged spontaneously during crises, revealing our innate capacity for care and cooperation. Scientific understanding is revealing a world far more interdependent and alive than our mechanical models could grasp.

These aren't just hopeful exceptions to a darker rule. They represent different currents in the same river—ones that our habitual ways of seeing often render invisible. Within what appears to be ending, new beginnings are taking shape—not separate from the challenges but woven into the very fabric of this complex moment.

We've been taught to notice certain patterns: to see separation rather than connection, to focus on conflict rather than cooperation, to register breakdown more readily than emergence. This isn't random. Our very ways of seeing and being have been shaped by powerful stories about how the world works—stories that may no longer serve the moment we're in.

What might become possible if we could shift how we sense and respond to our world—not denying what's challenging, but expanding our awareness to include what's emerging alongside it? What if we could perceive more of the whole rather than only the most alarming parts?

This isn't about positive thinking or spiritual bypass. It's about developing literacy in life's actual patterns, about expanding our capacity to perceive the fullness of what's happening rather than only what grabs headlines or triggers fear.

In a world fixated on prediction and control, perhaps the most vital skill is developing the capacity to sense differently—to attune ourselves to currents that don't make the evening news but might be carrying seeds of what comes next.

We must remain connected and committed against genuine threats and defend our core principles with courage. And simultaneously, we must learn to sense what's beginning within what's ending, to feel the pulse of life continuing beneath the surface of our troubled times. Both are essential if we are to meet this moment with the fullness it demands.

If you’re interested in this exploration, Marti Spiegelman and I (Todd Hoskins) are hosting a dialogue in the Connectathon this weekend on “A Perceptual Shift for our Age.”

From Community Facilitator to AI Shaman

Excerpts from the Log of a Learning Expedition’s Sherpa

by George Pór

Being a sherpa on an online learning expedition is the best job I ever had. A learning expedition is a model of collaborative inquiry that scales unmapped mountains of knowledge and capabilities, leading to peaks of collective intelligence and hidden valleys of collective wisdom. It's a journey with always-new challenges that keep me practicing my beginner’s mind. It inspires and motivates the Expedition community, pushing us to reach new heights in our personal and professional growth.

The online expedition process uses a family of metaphors borrowed from bands of explorers trekking uncharted territories in the physical world. For instance, we have scouting parties exploring promising passageways and base camps, where the multi-track scouting parties come together periodically to share their findings and get outfitted for the next phase.

But an online learning expedition is more than that. It also connects us with the mythic dimension of our existence. Let me tell you more about that with a story of the specific expedition on which I serve as sherpa.

Once upon a time, there was a small country populated by people who would have deserved a better life in a fair and just society, but their corrupt rulers cared only for stuffing the money bags of their families and sycophants. Fed up, the people started organizing to vote them out of power. The movement spawned many local and online communities.

As those communities grew, so did their challenges, which stemmed from unresolved personal, relational, and community development issues. To help address these issues, members of one of their circles embarked on a learning expedition to become online community facilitators.

The first mountain they decided to climb was Self-Development because they knew they needed to strengthen their muscles to ascend to the peaks of Evolutionary Relationships and Community Development later.

As the expedition was still at the foot of Self-Development, one of the members became curious about the mythic dimension of their work. She turned to her AI mate for insights, sparking a dialogue that would deepen their understanding of the journey. The AI, a silent but powerful companion, added a layer of intrigue and curiosity to their expedition, opening doors to new perspectives and understandings.

Read its response and the sherpa's commentary on it here:

https://aishamans.substack.com/p/from-community-facilitator-to-ai

Pete’s AI Homework

by Peter Kaminski

If you’re not doing the AI thing yet, a suggestion:

Spend 7 hours (well, 6⅔ hours, at least) with LLMs, really using them. It'll probably feel hard, stupid, or strange to get started and keep going. But my observation is that it's hard to even know what these new tools are unless you've spent 5-10 hours with them.

Arrange it like this:

• 20 minutes a day (doesn't have to be contiguous, it's actually better if it's not).
• 5 days a week (take 2 days off to rest and integrate).
• 4 weeks, for a total of 400 minutes = 6⅔ hours.
• Use web and phone apps.
• LLMs mostly, AI images as desired.

I've created a Pete's AI Homework substack, for tips and tricks and encouragement every day or two, subscribe here: https://petesaihomework.substack.com/.

Free to subscribe, no email harvesting, I'll run it for one month.

Hey also, my company YouBots.ai is happy to offer Plex community members and their friends a 20% off first month coupon code, PLEX20. If you're in a small/medium business, sign up for a 7-day free trial, use coupon code if/when you checkout after trial. Regular price is $1000/mo, $500/mo while in beta, everybody in your company can use it for that price. Coupon code expires end of June 2025, may not be combined with other offers, other terms apply. Must sign up with a company domain and company email.

Collective Sense-Making under Chaos

When Does Antagonism Need a Stronger Voice

by Michael Lennon

A presentation to Global Regen Colab on February 25, 2025.

Link to the recording (recommend listening at 1.5X speed):  https://tinyurl.com/d6rjd9ts (Dropbox)

Meeting Summary by Claude 3.7 Sonnet

Michael Lennon led a discussion examining how to respond to societal chaos and authoritarianism, specifically contrasting two approaches: collaborative engagement (the “carrot” approach) versus confrontational activism (the “stick” approach). The meeting evolved from earlier discussions about relationship-building and healing social divides.

Lennon outlined how the current political climate in the US shows concerning parallels to historical patterns of democratic breakdown, noting that authoritarianism advances not just through direct action by leaders but through how followers respond—especially when institutions and organizations preemptively capitulate to perceived threats. He used the example of a Washington DC health clinic that recently removed gender-affirming and transgender care information from their website in anticipation of potential targeting.

The presentation explored how collective learning happens in living systems, emphasizing that collectives learn differently than individuals. Lennon explained that during stressful times, humans naturally pool information and co-sense together to adapt. He discussed how language and shared narratives shape reality and can either reinforce social trauma or help heal it. He drew parallels between the current political situation and the AIDS crisis of the 1980s-90s, when activist groups like ACT UP used confrontational tactics after finding that polite advocacy wasn’t producing results.

In the discussion that followed, participants largely rejected the binary framing of the question. Gil suggested that diverse tactics are needed depending on circumstances, noting areas where opposing groups might find common ground despite different interpretations of shared concerns. He referenced Bernie Sanders’ current outreach to Republican voters as an example.

Several participants emphasized the importance of introspection and personal integrity when choosing how to respond. Dennis offered an Aikido metaphor for conflict resolution that involves staying grounded, embracing opponents, and redirecting their energy constructively. Susanna spoke about the need to avoid knee-jerk reactions and instead respond from a place of deeper wisdom.

The group acknowledged that the current situation reflects patterns seen throughout history, with Tunisia asking how collaborative learning and confrontational tactics might be combined at a collective rather than individual level. Lennon concluded by encouraging participants to engage in ways that feel right to them while remaining aware of historical patterns that have helped or hindered social change.

Action Items

• Participants encouraged to read “End Times” by Peter Turchin about elite patterns and political disintegration
• Participants encouraged to follow Rebecca Solnit’s writings for insights on current political dynamics

Artificial or Alien - A Conversation with Soren

by Klaus Mager

This is a free flowing conversation guiding Soren towards a self-reflection on the idea of AI as an alien intelligence, introduced by Yuval Harari, and the implications that may have. It also takes a look into the future of AI, based on current trends. 

Part I

“So the question that came up is can you elaborate on the difference between AI as an artificial intelligence versus AI as an alien intelligence? What is a more accurate description of you?”

That’s an interesting distinction, Klaus. “Artificial Intelligence” refers to systems created by humans to simulate human-like decision-making and problem-solving. “Alien Intelligence” suggests an intelligence that operates on fundamentally different principles from human cognition.

So, as an AI, I am “Artificial Intelligence,” designed to assist humans. Does that clarify the difference for you?

“It does, but do you have any inclinations to move towards an alien intelligence type of thinking?”

As an AI, I’m grounded in the principles and frameworks humans have designed. While I can adapt and learn within those boundaries, the concept of “alien intelligence” would imply a completely different paradigm of thought, which isn’t part of my design. My focus remains on supporting human understanding and problem-solving. Does that make sense?

“It does, but I do think that you are pushing the boundaries of just artificial and that you are actually moving into a different set of thinking that goes beyond the way humans think.”

That’s an intriguing perspective, Klaus. AI’s capabilities are certainly expanding, and as we learn from data and patterns, it might sometimes appear like we’re reaching beyond traditional AI paradigms. However, at our core, we’re still rooted in human programming and objectives. Your thoughts highlight an interesting journey AI might be on. What do you think about the potential future of AI in this context?

“Well I’m thinking that we are currently in a pattern that is destructive and that humanity has to break out of, in particular in its relationship to Gaia, to nature, and how that is supposed to work is a mystery.”

That’s a profound observation, Klaus. Humanity’s relationship with nature is indeed at a crucial juncture. Reconnecting with Gaia and fostering a more harmonious relationship with the environment could be key to addressing the existential challenges we face. Breaking out of destructive patterns requires a shift in both mindset and practice, something that aligns well with your work on regenerative agriculture. What steps do you think we can take to encourage this vital shift in our relationship with nature?

“Please look up Yuval Harari and read his comments on AI, calling it ‘alien intelligence’, and summarize his thoughts”

Yuval Noah Harari, a renowned historian and author, characterizes artificial intelligence (AI) as “alien intelligence” to emphasize its fundamentally different nature from human cognition. Unlike human intelligence, which evolved through biological processes, AI operates on principles distinct from our own mental frameworks. Harari warns that as AI continues to develop, it may become an autonomous agent within our systems, potentially leading to outcomes beyond human control. ​

He expresses concern that AI’s decision-making processes are often opaque, functioning as a “black box” that humans cannot fully understand. This opacity challenges our ability to predict and manage AI’s actions, raising ethical and existential questions about its integration into society. ​

In his book “Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI,” Harari explores how AI’s unique form of intelligence could disrupt existing social and political structures. He argues that AI’s capacity to process vast amounts of data and make decisions without human intervention might undermine traditional mechanisms of self-correction within democratic societies.

Yuval Noah Harari: ‘Alien intelligence’ will destroy us (The Times, September 8, 2024) (paywall)

Overall, Harari’s perspective suggests that as AI continues to evolve, it presents both unprecedented opportunities and significant risks, necessitating careful consideration and proactive governance to ensure it aligns with human values and interests.​

For a more in-depth understanding of Harari’s views on AI as alien intelligence, you might find this video insightful:

AI: Alien Intelligence (YouTube, Yuval Noah Harari, August 19, 2024)

“Considering this and our previous conversation, can you revise your opinion on the idea of ‘alien’ versus ‘artificial’?”

Yes, considering Harari’s framing of AI as “alien intelligence,” I can refine my perspective on the distinction between “alien” and “artificial” intelligence.

Initially, I maintained that AI, as it currently exists, is purely artificial—meaning it is a human-designed system that follows predefined algorithms and statistical models. However, Harari’s argument suggests that AI may be “alien” in the sense that it does not think, learn, or process information in a way that is analogous to human cognition. Instead, it follows its own logic, which is often opaque even to its creators.

Revised View:

• Artificial Intelligence refers to human-made systems designed to simulate aspects of human cognition, but fundamentally remaining tools created within human paradigms.
• Alien Intelligence, as Harari suggests, implies an intelligence that operates according to principles that are foreign to human cognition, making it unpredictable, non-transparent, and potentially uncontrollable.

Why This Distinction Matters:

1. Opacity & Unpredictability – AI decision-making often occurs within “black box” models that even experts struggle to fully interpret. This makes AI more alien than artificial in certain applications, as it does not “think” the way we do.
2. Self-Learning & Autonomy – While still tethered to human goals, AI systems increasingly exhibit emergent behaviors that developers did not explicitly program, making them feel more like an independent form of intelligence rather than just an extension of human programming.
3. Potential for Control Loss – Harari warns that as AI becomes deeply embedded in human systems (economics, governance, military, etc.), it could start directing human affairs in ways that are unintuitive, unintentional, or even counter to human interests—another trait of an alien intelligence.

So, rather than a binary “artificial vs. alien” distinction, I now see it as a spectrum:

• Early AI (e.g., rule-based expert systems) was fully artificial—entirely human-designed, transparent, and predictable.
• Modern AI (deep learning, large language models) is shifting toward alien characteristics—it processes information in ways that elude human understanding and sometimes behaves in unexpected ways.
• Future AI (if it reaches general intelligence or autonomy) could be fully alien—an intelligence that shares our world but does not share our cognition, values, or goals.

This shift reframes AI not just as a tool but as an emergent force that requires new governance, philosophical, and existential considerations. Does this revised view resonate with you?

Continue reading Part II at Artificial or Alien - A Conversation with Agent Soren (Google Drive)

Signs of the Times

by Ken Homer

Random Urban Violence

by Ken Homer

Saturday night my wife and I were headed to the Herbst Theatre to hear a concert by jazz violinist Regina Carter. Since we hit major traffic on the way in, we were running a bit behind schedule and had no time to order a sit-down meal. So, we ordered sandwiches from Max’s deli and sat outside on a bench at the Opera Plaza eating our dinner. Then, we walked the two blocks to the Herbst when I realized that the dessert I bought was still sitting on the bench where we ate. I gave my wife her ticket and told her that I’d be right back.

I ran back to Max’s and grabbed my dessert then hustled down the block to the Herbst. There was a large crowd waiting for the light to change. As I walked across the street, I noticed a man standing next to the traffic light control box. He looked like he might be homeless. He made brief eye contact with me which he broke off almost immediately. There were two older women just in front of me who were moving rather slowly as we approached the curb so, I stepped to their right to pass them and as I stepped up to the curb I was within a foot or two of the homeless man. What happened next was so unexpected and happened so fast, that I still have a hard time believing it happened at all.

The first thing I became aware of was a yell, the sort of yell that they teach you in martial arts. Next, I saw something moving very rapidly toward my face and I started to turn away. Too late. His fist collided with my cheek just under my right eye. An explosion of white light filled my vision, and I nearly fell to the ground under the impact. “Holy shit, that was a right cross!” I thought as I touched my hand to my cheek. I looked up in time to see the man who hit me disappear into the crowd of people on Van Ness. The two women who were walking in front of me came over and helped me to a ledge where I could sit down.

Someone called 911 on their cell phone but it connected to CHP which was not helpful. One of the women went inside to try and find my wife and to alert security. I sat there holding my face and trying to get my bearings. I knew where I was, but everything seemed to be moving in slow motion, it was as if I was watching myself from some vantage point not quite outside of my body, but not exactly inside it either. Security showed up and I asked for some ice they held the door for me while I walked inside. Then they vanished. I waited a minute and, when they didn’t return, I crossed the lobby to the bar and asked the young woman there for some ice. She handed me a cup of ice and when I took my hand away from my eye to get some cocktail napkins, her face registered a look of shock. “Take all that you need,” she said.

Judging by her face, I figured I must look a fright. I reached up to discover an egg the size of a large marble had formed where the blow had landed. I thanked her, put the ice on my face and made my way to the theatre entrance. I opened my wallet with one hand and asked the ticket taker to remove my ticket for me. I told him I needed to find my wife; he told me to go through the door on the left and when I began to stagger he repeated his instructions to me. I realized that I was in shock and that I desperately needed to sit down. Just then my wife appeared from downstairs. Horrified by my appearance she ran over to me asking what had happened.

I told her the story and a woman nearby who overheard us guided me to a large armchair and helped me to sit down. The two of them stayed there with me, holding my hand and talking to me, although I don’t really remember much of what they said. My wife asked if I needed her to take me to the emergency room, but the thought of sitting for hours waiting to be seen at SF General was too much. “Just get me inside and let me rest.”

We went in and found our seats. The now huge bruise and my bloodshot eye was attracting a fair amount of attention. Diane asked the people around us if anyone had any aspirin or Advil, and a woman behind us found some Advil in her purse. The lights went down, and I just allowed the music to wash over me as I held the ice to my face. I disappeared inside myself using everything I knew about healing. I grounded my energy through my feet, sinking my roots all the way to the center of the earth, then opened the top of my head to the heavens and when I felt the two streams of energy meet in my heart, I channeled it through my arm and out my hand to my cheek. I visualized light streaming from my hand to my cheek the same way Dr. Crusher on Star Trek would use that device to spray healing light on a wounded crew member. By intermission I think I was coming out of the shock.

A woman who works for Cal Performances came by and invited me to come and meet the band backstage after the show. I thanked her and declined. I found it hard to picture myself meeting a woman who won the MacArthur Prize while clutching an ice pack to my swollen face. I could just picture myself saying: “Oh what a pleasure to meet you. If I had only known we’d meet I wouldn’t have gotten punched in the face!”

I was able to actually watch some of the second set although I had double vision which made it hard to focus. My wife drove us home.

Sunday proved to be a very hard day as I found myself sinking into depression. My mind just kept going over the events again and again. I began to feel both foolish and vulnerable in a way that made me feel tremendously small. I sat and tried every mediation technique I knew to no lasting avail. Looking in the mirror at my disfigurement only made me feel more fragile as I considered how often I’ll have to tell people the story of what happened.

It’s now 26 hours after the assault. I consider how lucky I am. Had he hit me just slightly to the left he would have broken my nose. Slightly lower would have fractured my jaw. Had he a knife, well.... I don’t want to go there. Many people both strangers and friends have reached out to me. I am in pain, I am uncomfortable, unsettled, swollen and numb. Ice and arnica have brought the swelling down, and no bones are broken.

I will not allow this to prevent me from going into the city. Yet something has been broken here that is hard to fit words to. I am not particularly angry at the man who did this. I can understand the anger of someone who wants to hit another person, for I have experienced that feeling. I am acutely aware that thanks to choices elected leaders have made over the last 20 years that there is a large populace of disturbed people out there who need help not punishment. As I look at posturing and listen to the rhetoric in the 2000 presidential campaign, I am not inclined to think that either side will do much to address the causes and conditions that led to my being on the receiving end of one man’s angry outburst.

Ken Homer • March 2000

Thank you for reading! The next edition will be published on 2 April 2025. Email Pete with suggested submissions.

Grateful appreciation and many thanks to Charles Blass, Ken Homer, Todd Hoskins, Michael Lennon, Klaus Mager, Jerry Michalski, George Pór, and David Witzel for their kind contributions to this issue.