Contrasting the implications of "triple helix" -- cognitive and otherwise

Psychosocial Learnings from the Spiral Form of Hurricanes (Part #3)

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Contrasting usage: The term "triple helix" is used in a range of contexts in the literature, seemingly with little clarity on how these are fruitfully related, conflated or unfortunately confused:

• Triple-stranded DNA: There is a distinctive literature on the triple helix as a relatively uncommon molecular structure. The point is notably made that in the early quest for understanding of the structure of "DNA", a triple-stranded DNA model was proposed by Linus Pauling.
  
  
• Biomimicry inspired primarily by double-stranded DNA: Given the fundamental role played by DNA in genetics and the engendering of life forms, in terms of biomimetics its form lends itself to consideration in terms of innovation -- as the theme of the Triple Helix model (Janine M. Benyus, Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature, 2002; Yoseph Bar-Cohenon, Biomimetics: Nature-Based Innovation, 2011). This extends to speculation on the relevance of the pattern for psychosocial dynamics (DNA Supercoiling as a Pattern for Understanding Psycho-social Twistedness, 2004; Climbing Elven Stairways: DNA as a macroscopic metaphor of polarized psychodynamics, 2007).
  
  The double-stranded form would seem to have inspired reference to the implications of a triple helix form (Richard Lewontin, The Triple Helix: gene, organism, and environment, 2001; Michael Wheeler and Andy Clark, Culture, Embodiment and Genes: unravelling the triple helix, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, 2008). the latter suggests that self-created environmental structures and reliance on culturally-transmitted information have selected for cognitive modules for continual bootstrapping and increases in computational complexity. Triple helix models of mind recognize the role of genetic biases in sculpting key developmental trajectories, and the resulting space both for strong forms of genetically specified cognitive modularity and for weaker forms of emergent modularity resulting from trajectories marked by multiple bouts of culturally scaffolded experience and the self- selection of environments.
  
  This framing notably extends to innovation understood in evolutionary terms (Loet Leydesdorff, The Triple Helix: an evolutionary model of innovations. Research Policy, 29, 2000). The latter reinforces the biological inspiration through the use of the triple-stranded animation as the logo for a webpage providing access to an extensive set of related papers.

  Double helix	Triple helix
  Source: Wikipedia: Richard Wheeler (Zephyris) 2006	Source: webpage on triple helix of Loet Leydesdorff

  
  
• Model of innovation engendered by an institutional triplicity: There is a remarkable range of research and other initiatives under the banner of the Triple Helix model (Marina Ranga and Henry Etzkowitz, Triple Helix Systems: an analytical framework for innovation policy and practice in the knowledge society, Industry and Higher Education, 27, 2013; International Triple Helix Institute). This a provocation in terms of what it does not appear to address (as noted below).
  
  
• Model of learning as an extension of institutional innovation: It would seem that the institutional model has inspired exploration of a "triple helix" approach in domains such as learning, especially in the light of the cognitive implications of innovation (Eva Rydberg Fåhræus, A Triple Helix of Learning Processes: how to cultivate learning, communication and collaboration among distance-education learners. Stockholm University, 2003).
  
  At the University of Melbourne, the Triple Helix of research, learning and teaching and engagement. is the core organising principle of its strategy, and an enduring commitment, as illustrated below left, and described by its Vice-Chancellor (Glyn Davis, Growing Esteem: a discussion paper, University of Melbourne, 2014). As indicated therein, however, the challenge of "integrating" the labelled strands remains a challenge.
  
  To make this model a success, we will need to integrate further the three strands of the Triple Helix so that research, learning and teaching, and engagement powerfully reinforce each other....
  
  The University has employed considerable resources to pursue each of the strands of the Triple Helix. Yet the real power of the Triple Helix -- its integration -- remains only partially realised. Having pursued the individual goals of each strand, the University can now bind together all the strands of the Triple Helix through engagement....
  
  How does the University achieve its aims to deliver greater impact through research, offer an outstanding student experience in a digital world, and better integrate the strands of the Triple Helix? The answer lies not just in the goals we set for the institution, but in how we support our people, organise infrastructure, and align resources.
  
  

  Australian speciality?
  Triple Helix University of Melbourne	3-ball juggling pattern as a braid Monash University, Melbourne

  
  
• Juggling patterns as braids: As indicated by Burkard Polster (The Mathematics of Juggling, Monash University), the diagram above-right shows what the trajectories of juggling the basic 3-ball pattern look like (viewed from above). The three trajectories form the most basic braid. Braids are recognized as important mathematical objects. It has been shown that every braid can be juggled in that sense (Burkard Polster, The Mathematics of Juggling, 2003). The implications have been further discussed separately (Potential cognitive implications of toroidal helical movement, 2016; Category juggling reframed through visualization dynamics, 2016).
  
  
• Sociophysics: An effort was made to reconcile understandings of sociology and physics through a triadic framework by Paris Arnopoulos (Sociophysics: Cosmos and Chaos in Nature and Culture, 1993). As a consequence of the emergence of interest in the Triple Helix concept, Arnopoulos articulated the correspondence with that framework on the occasion of the Third Triple Helix International Conference (Braiding the Triadic Codex and Triple Helix: the sociophysics of nature-culture-nurture and academy-industry-polity, 2000). This provides a greater degree of articulation between the three strands than is seemingly available from other sources.
  
  
• Management approaches extending to considerations of spirituality and culture: Although the institutional model has that particular focus, the approach has been extended by drawing on both cultural and spiritual dimensions, notably as argued by Contantin Bratianu (The Triple Helix of the Organizational Knowledge. Management Dynamics in the Knowledge Economy, 2013):

  The new perspective is based on the metaphor that organizational knowledge is a field rather than a stock, or stocks and flows. It is a complex metaphor using the thermodynamics principles. The organizational knowledge is composed of three different fields: cognitive knowledge, emotional knowledge and spiritual knowledge. These fields are nonuniform, nonhomogeneous and they interact in a dynamic way. Cognitive field contains knowledge about what is, emotional field contains knowledge about how we feel, and the spiritual field contains knowledge about people's aspirations and life values....
  
  Cognitive knowledge, emotional knowledge and spiritual knowledge are the three components of the fundamental triple helix of the organizational knowledge, and they are in a continuous interaction and transformation.

  It is intriguing to note the manner in which a subtle insight from the culture of innovation in Japanese management has been associated with an enrichment of the Triple Helix model. This is explained by Balázs Lengyel in the following terms:

  One of the most known knowledge creation models - SECI - by Ikujiro Nonaka is based on the continuous interaction between personal and organizational tacit and explicit knowledge (Nonaka et al, 2000). The most extraordinary element of Nonaka's model is the concept of 'Ba' that provides the different contexts for the knowledge creation processes.... Ba -- providing the physical and virtual presence -- is necessary for the knowledge transfer and knowledge creation.

  For Lengyel, given its crucial importance, this is trnaslated as "Relation Space", understood as including physical, social, cultural and historical contexts.

  While tacit knowledge needs proximity and simultaneity, explicit knowledge can be transferred to big distance and long future. It is very important in the knowledge creation, especially in the externalisation and socialisation that the actors could develop such a common place and time where knowledge can be shared with the overlap of personal contexts. Relation space collects all the knowledge elements to a common place and time that these elements cannot be understood without. (Role of university-industry-government relations: knowledge transfer and Triple Helix mechanisms in Budapest. Budapest University of Technology and Economics, 2007)

  Of particular interest with respect to the spiral pattern explored in this argument is the presentation by Lengyel of the following schematic.

  SECI model of knowledge conversion dimensions
  Explicit and tacit knowledge SECI: knowledge conversion S: socialization E: externalization I: internalization C: combination Ba: originating interacting cyber exercising Comments: I: Individual, T: Team, O: Organisation
  Source: I. Nonaka, et al. SECI, Ba, and leadership: a unified model of dynamic knowledge creation, Long Range Planning, 33, 2000

  
  The pattern above is reminiscent of the All Quadrants All Levels (AQAL) schema of Ken Wilber's integral theory. Lengyel makes further use of the spiral form in his own argument, as follows.
  
  

  Knowledge creation in the Triple Helix

  Source: Balázs Lengyel. Role of university-industry-government relations (2007)

• Self-referential complexity: It would however appear that, as observers, physicists are inherently averse to exploring the implications of any form of "self-reference" in the quest for a Theory of Everything. This contrasts with concerns articulated from a cybernetic perspective in considering means of control of complex systems, and potentially those of significance to global governance (Maurice Yolles, Knowledge Cybernetics: a new metaphor for social collectives, Journal of Organisational Transformation and Social Change, 3, 2006, 1). From that perspective, feedback processes of first, second, third and possibly higher order are envisaged, engaging any observer to an ever higher degree, as discussed with respect to Cybernetics of cybernetics: complex adaptive systems? (Consciously Self-reflexive Global Initiatives, 2007).
  
  
• Traditional symbolic implications: These are recognized in terms of the enduring significance associated with the various forms of the triple spiral (Glenys Livingstone, Celebrating the Triple Spiral: a PaGaian cosmology, PaGaian Cosmology, 2007)

Analyses of Triple Helix literature: The extensive literature on the Triple Helix model of innovation has evoked analyses which clarify its limitations:

• Case study: A case study of the Triple Helix approach by Lukas Hohmann notes:

  Triple Helix constellations in the nanotechnological industry and in the context of different forms of security in society show that these structures are a useful instrument to generate intelligent solutions on certain societal problems. With regard to Smart Governance, Triple Helices are able to increase the intelligence of democratic structures and parts of their processes. In contrast, they lack influence on metarules. The capitalisation of knowledge is an influencing factor, which prevents a more general implementation of Triple-Helices. (To what Extent Is the Triple Helix Model of Etzkowitz and Leydesdorff of Use for the Implementation of Smart Governance: an analysis referring on implemented Triple Helix constellations).

• Semantic network: Another analysis of interest focuses on the relevance to a particular sector (Jang Hyun Kim, A Hyperlink and Semantic Network Analysis of the Triple Helix (University-Government-Industry): the interorganizational communication structure of nanotechnology, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 17, 2012, 2).
  
  
• Scientometrics: (Loet Leydesdorff and Martin Meyer, The Scientometrics of a Triple Helix of University-Industry-Government Relations, Scientometrics, 70, 2007, 2)
  

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