[Antiracism] Invitation to CPE Special Event featuring Sam Bowles

[Heidi]

The Center for Popular Economics 
invites you to join us at

The Montague Book Mill (directions below)

on November 10, 2005 
from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Sam Bowles, a founding member of CPE and the author of 
"The Moral Sentiments and Material Interests: 
The Foundations of Cooperation in Economic Life,"

will be presenting a talk on 
public versus private knowledge in the information age
entitled, 
"The future of the weightless economy: 
the invisible hand or the communism of ideas" 
(see abstract below)
 
We look forward to seeing you there!
====================================================

Abstract:
The Weightless Economy: Invisible Hand and the Communism of Ideas
Samuel Bowles
Center for Popular Economics, Santa Fe Institute and University of Massachusetts

Why are good ideas like antelopes? For most of human history - the first 90,000 years of it at least - valuable resources such as large game were difficult to own individually and as a result when captured, they were shared. The emergence of agriculture 11,000 years ago allowed for the evolution of the modern idea of individual property rights in land, domesticated animals, goods and other valuable contributions to our livelihood.
But the economy of grain and steel is being displaced by the economy of ideas and information. In the new weightless economy most goods cannot be weighed, measured, or fenced. Good ideas are indeed like the large game that once formed a major part of our subsistence: the pursuit of a new operating system, a new drug, or a hit tune is uncertain, and when the hunt is succ! essful, it is not only wasteful not to share the prey, it is often impossible to prevent it from being stolen.
I provide a history of the long term development and transformation of property rights drawing on recent behavioral experiments in hunter gatherer societies. I also use computer simulations of how systems of property rights might respond to the challenges of the weightless economy. Will the reform of intellectual property rights succeed in domesticating the antelope? Or will innovations like Linux and Napster foster a new communism of ideas?

Directions to the Book Mill:

>From Amherst: 
Take Route 63 north eight miles, to the Montague Center exit (junction with 
Route 47).  Take a left and go to the stop sign (200 yards), then take a 
right.  Go through Montague Center, bear left past the village green and 
continue 1/4 mile to a small bridge.  The Mill is on the left.

>From Northampton and points south:
Take 91 North to exit 24.  Make a right off the exit onto Routes 5 &10 north; 
right at the lights onto Rte 116.  In Sunderland Center go left at the lights 
onto Route 47, follow about eight miles, go through Montague Center, bear left 
past the village green and continue 1/4 mile to a small bridge.  The Mill is on 
the left.

>From Greenfield and points west:
Rte. 91 south to Rte. 2 east to Turners Falls. At the lights by the Turners 
Falls Bridge (Gas station across on your left) go right, cross bri! dge, then 
left onto 1st street after the bridge past the Town Offices and Police Station. 
Go up the hill to end, turn left, go up hill, go past Scotty's Market, then 
right fork onto Turners Falls Road. Follow this into Montague about 5 miles - 
the Bookmill will be on your right. 
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