[Gamoe]

If there's anyone here from South Florida or Miami, specifically:

I'm trying to organize interested people to form A Thinker's Group.

Take a look at http://gabrielmorales.net/thinkersgroup.pdf for more info.

[ManOfSteal]

Whodathunkit.®

[IceEnclosure]

I'm in the area, but I don't want to think about anything.

oops.

[The Godfather]

Any hot chicks sign up yet?

[Gamoe]

Originally posted by IceEnclosure:
I'm in the area, but I don't want to think about anything.

Well, that's too bad.

Originally posted by The Godfather:
Any hot chicks sign up yet?

No, but this would be an unexpected bonus. :-)

[Gamoe]

A revised version of the PDF can be found at:

<http://GabrielMorales.net/thinkersgroup.pdf>

[TheBadgerHunter]

Hmm, the majority of us don't live in Florida. Those of us who do... well thinking is probably not an activity they engage in very often.

Why not use the internet? I can't imagine a better place to gather a bunch of people who think they're smart.

[Twilly Spree]

Good idea, but I'm too usually too busy to do any organized thinking outside my job

I just arrived back to civilization after a 2 week wildlife research in the Virgin Island national park. I may be heading out again soon.

Good luck!

[rozwado1]

Originally posted by IceEnclosure:
I'm in the area, but I don't want to think about anything.

Seconded™

..unless, of course, the 'thinking' is actually drinking and there's hot young women involved.

[Psychonaut]

I'm part of a thinkers group in my area. It was great a couple years ago, but word of warning: it will quikcly develop into a group of liberal old farts who constantly nag about politics, but whom all essentially agree. It's a bitch to reign them into discussing more interesting developments in science and philosophy.

[Gamoe]

Originally posted by Psychonaut:
I'm part of a thinkers group in my area. It was great a couple years ago, but word of warning: it will quikcly develop into a group of liberal old farts who constantly nag about politics, but whom all essentially agree. It's a bitch to reign them into discussing more interesting developments in science and philosophy.

Really, Psychonaut? Please, tell me about your group, how it got started, under what circumstances and why, if there was any other specific reason or sentiment. Also, how many people are you, and what are the ranges in ages and interests?

[IceEnclosure]

what if you all come up with a really great idea and one guy runs off and makes it his, collecting fame and fortune in the process?? that'd suck.

[Gamoe]

Originally posted by IceEnclosure:
what if you all come up with a really great idea and one guy runs off and makes it his, collecting fame and fortune in the process?? that'd suck.

Unlikely IceEnclosure, as the kind of discussion in a Thinker's Group would be more introspective and philosophical in nature. It'd be more likely that someone would be inspired to draw something or write something, based on his or her own take on what was being discussed. In which case, I'd welcome it. It's all about sharing and gaining more/better perspective through discussion.

But, this is one of the problems today-- Everybody's so worried about being sued or someone taking advantage of them in some way, that it hinders our ability to share and become closer with others. Remember The Homebrew Computer Club-- That was a group of a much more practical/technological nature than what I'm proposing, and it worked out just fine back in the day. I mean Wozniak freely distributed his schematics for the Apple (I) Computer.

I bet things like that are harder to come by these days, due to the increasing environment of distrust in our society. Even then, though, marvelous things like the open source movement survive and thrive. This demonstrates that it is still possible for people to cooperate and work together for a common good without the constant debilitating fear of betrayal or the promise of financial gain.

But, no, I don't think anything like what you describe would be likely to happen in a Thinker's Group.