It's the 21st century and we're still coming to terms with the primary organizing force of living systems - emotion.
At the crossroads of…
and Concentric Ring Theory
…you'll find the Thermodynamics of Emotion Symposium.
In this conference, you will:
Engage in conversations on the physics of all living systems.
See and understand the patterns of emotions as real physical forces that shape our daily lives - at work, home, in the natural world and in our public institutions.
Learn to influence how these patterns drive and structure our relationships and organizations.
Connect with an ever-expanding community of like minds in complex systems
Where this conversation takes us is wide-ranging - from medicine to technology, from the corporate world to the wildest natural ecosystems, from old-time traditional wisdom to bleeding-edge science.
Concentric Ring Theory - from wildlife trackers’ traditional folk science models of how animal ecologies behave like a liquid in response to events (for more info see the Concentric Rings section of our Resources page)
Events propagate through ecologies just like concentric rings on water - interacting in consistent patterns.
The Kennedy School Hotel in Portland, OR, the home of the symposium.
willem larsen, event co-chair
Author of the Language Hunter's Kit, co-author of 5 Rules For Accelerated Learning, founder of Language Hunters (a non-profit organization dedicated to a renaissance in how communities of practice learn together in technology, language, science, and music), and both a wildlife tracker and Search and Rescue tracker.
Jenya chernoff, event co-chair
An artist and photographer from Oakland, CA, Jenya Chernoff began studying Natural Dog Training in 2009 while rehabilitating an aggressive Doberman Pinscher. She approaches the topics at the conference from the perspective of dog training and animal consciousness.
The “Intelligence of the Heart” keynote is from our second year.
The "Boiler Room" bar at the Kennedy School Hotel
at the historic kennedy school hotel in portland, or
A Portland landmark, the Kennedy School is a former elementary school refurbished into a hotel packed with nooks and crannies and plentiful bars and meeting spaces, in a beautiful residential neighborhood in northeast Portland. A perfect location for our small conference.
Schedule for October 4th-6th, 2024
All times Pacific time zone.
FRIDAY
Day
8am — Meet and greet with coffee and tea
9am — Introductions and welcome.
9:30am — Open Space Marketplace and morning sessions
12pm — Lunch
1:30pm — Open space sessions
4pm — Report outs and debriefs.
5pm — Day ends
Saturday
Day
8am — Coffee and tea
9am — Morning news.
9:30am — Open Space Marketplace and morning sessions
12pm — Lunch
1:30pm — Open space sessions
4pm — Report outs and debriefs.
5pm — Day ends
sunday
Day
8am — Coffee and tea
9am — Morning news.
9:30am — Open Space Marketplace and morning sessions
12pm — Lunch
1:30pm — Report-outs and debriefs.
3pm — Event ends
RESOURCES
constructal law
Willem Larsen’s 2019 keynote, “Tracking on the Living Earth.”
A short video introduction to Adrian Bejan and Constructal Law.
Adrian Bejan's keynote at the 2017 symposium.
The official definition of Constructal Law.
A community hub for Constructal Law.
Willem Larsen interviews Adrian Bejan, Art of Tracking Radio
immediate moment theory
Kevin Behan’s 9 minute keynote, “An Introduction to the Thermodynamics of Emotion”, at the 2019 Symposium.
Kevin Behan’s keynote, “the Intelligence of the Heart”, at the 2018 symposium.
Brand’t Stickley’s keynote, “Emotion is a Direction”, at the 2018 symposium.
Kevin Behan's keynote at the 2017 symposium.
Willem Larsen's keynote at the 2017 symposium.
The Natural Dog Training online study group.
Kevin Behan’s online animated presentations at showme.com.
Kevin Behan’s in-progress book available for preview on the Body Language of Dogs.
Willem Larsen blogs here and here on the thermodynamics of emotion.
Willem Larsen interviews Kevin Behan Pt. 1, Art of Tracking Radio
Willem Larsen interviews Kevin Behan Pt. 2, Art of Tracking Radio
Willem Larsen interviews Kevin Behan Pt. 3, Art of Tracking Radio
concentric ring theory and tracking
A wildlife-based introduction can be found at Bird Language.com.
And a short video by bird language leader Jon Young.
The Bird Language youtube channel.
Willem Larsen's video series on Forensic Tracking and Flow System Analysis.
human systems dynamics
Visit the Human Systems Dynamics site.
community voices
Tom Perry’s series on software/organizational agility:
Agile Tools: The Thermodynamics of Emotion
Agile Tools: Organizational Batteries
Agile Tools: The Preyful Manager
Agile Tools: Thermodynamics and Organizational Assessment
Agile Tools: Further Ideas on the Thermodynamics of Emotion
And Tom’s slides from his presentation on “Business Thermodynamics” at Agile 2019
Sang Koh’s blog
Honor the Dog
CODE OF CONDUCT
The Thermodynamics of Emotion Symposium is dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, age, race, or religion. We do not tolerate harassment of participants in any form.
This code of conduct applies to all Thermodynamics of Emotion Symposium spaces, both online and off. Anyone who violates this code of conduct may be sanctioned or expelled from these spaces at the discretion of our staff and host.
Some Thermodynamics of Emotion Symposium spaces may have additional rules in place, which will be made clearly available to participants. Participants are responsible for knowing and abiding by these rules.