Re: [SwarmFest2004] Me + SwarmFest = not this year

[Rick Riolo]

hi steve,

i'm sorry to hear you won't be able to make swarmfest2004.
but i can understand being too busy.

- r

-- 
Rick Riolo                           address@hidden
Center for the Study of Complex Systems (CSCS)
4477 Randall Lab                
University of Michigan         Ann Arbor MI 48109-1120
Phone: 734 763 3323                  Fax: 734 763 9267
http://cscs.umich.edu/~rlr

On Sun, 29 Feb 2004, Steve Railsback wrote:

> Date: Sun, 29 Feb 2004 20:09:53 -0800
> From: Steve Railsback <address@hidden>
> To: "address@hidden" <address@hidden>
> Subject: [SwarmFest2004] Me + SwarmFest = not this year
> 
> I have just decided that I will not be able to get to SwarmFest this 
> year; not out of lack of enthusiasm or interest. But I was just notified 
> by our publisher that they want our book on individual-based modeling 
> and ecology produced by the end of April. I feel like the book is the 
> biggest contribution I can make to the community. And I am planning to 
> defend a PhD dissertation at the University of Bergen in late May.
> 
> I will keep trying to help with planning as I can.
> 
> And I hope to continue pursuing some serious funding for SDG. 
> Unfortunately my most recent experience has been a little discouraging. 
> A very prominent ecologist who sits on SFI's science board provided 
> comments on our draft book; these comments indicate (a) a persistent 
> reluctance to accept agent-based modeling as science, even as a way to 
> study complex systems (!!); (b) a lack of understanding of what Swarm is 
> and its history with SFI. For example, this person said something 
> indicating that they think Swarm left SFI because the scientists didn't 
> think it was relevant. I would love the opportunity to talk to the SFI 
> science board about what Swarm really is and how it can be used.
> 
> So please accept my apologies for not being at SwarmFest. If I can 
> participate in the board meeting via phone, I will.
> 
> Steve
> 
>