Abstract: Based upon previous research and inquiry, I propose a unique interdisciplinary program of study that has as its basis the articulation and elaboration of a form of advanced systems science to natural phenomenal patterning upon multiple levels of integration. I propose three basic levels of primary application involving work in the three basic levels of the natural sciences as I have identified these in my previous work Natural Systems (2000): i.e., 1. the physical, 2. the biological and 3. the anthropological. In each of these areas I propose basic theoretical sets that are comprehensive, and methodological and teleological extensions of these to real world problem sets that are pivotal to the challenges of human adaptation and survival on earth. I propose as well basic work in three other related areas--a. basic metasystems science that includes mathematical and philosophical theory and the elaboration of basic methodological and operational designs in statistical and representation procedures; b. alternative systems development that involves centrally and primarily the extension of work in artificial intelligence to the problems of exploration, technological development and automation; and c. applied solutions to practical problems research and development at multiple levels of integration. The theoretical and conceptual aspects of this outline are being elaborated in the book I am currently undertaking. It is my proposal to extend this work in a systematic level upon as many levels as I can successfully and practically carrry forward, given severely limited means, and to apply for as many grant applications in as short a period of time within this framework to hopefully extend the platform for its further development. In this regard, I propose the implementation on a basic level of a heuristic system based primarily upon a modeling laboratory that seeks to build both scale working models and nonscalable simplified simulations of complex systems in both real time and in virtual space. It is most important to emphasize in this preliminary proposal that it is the metasystem as a whole, and the challenge of its integration on multiple levels and in numerous alternative areas, that remains foremost in my mind and efforts. The outcome of this proposed research work should be: 1. An articulated experimental framework for a working basic metasystem; 2. A blue-book for alternative development in which many basic designs and plans are elaborated in substantial detail; 3. A theoretical and methodological primer for metasystems science. The remainder of this paper is devoted to a synoptic outline of the main points of this work, and then, in summary, a rationalization and justification for this kind of work.

The primary object is in heuristic problem solving over a very broad range of central issues in the natural sciences in a coordinated manner, and in the development of alternative lines of inquiry and avenues of practical solution for any give problem set within a larger frame of reference. The basic presumption of metasystems science is that in reality all systems are interconnected in complex ways, however indirectly, and we cannot realistically define a system independently of its natural contexts of articulation. On the other hand, from a philosophical and metalogical point of view, the presupposition is adopted that there exists abstract forms of reality and truth, as for instance in mathematical language and logic, for which there are no necessary real manifestations--nevertheless as forms of possible knowledge these abstract systems are internally coherent and as real as any substantive empirical pattern in reality.

The basis for metasystems rests upon certain finite conclusions:

1. The forms it adopts must be amenable and derivable from the challenges of adaptation of human culture and biological systems to outer space. The solutions to the challenges of survival in space must be also solutions to the challenge of survival upon earth. The same systems that permit humans to live in outer space in significant numbers, to carry forward evolutionary systems under artificial conditions, and to travel and explore increasing depths of space, will also allow humans to set up an alternative infrastructural and institutional framework upon earth that permits humankind to progress without the undue destructive effects of current technological trends.

2. A solar-hydrogen energy platform is the best and most necessary form of energy to adopt for both earth and space. All future human power needs can be met, and soon overpast, with this form of energy that is fundamentally non-polluting and that would allow us to step up by several orders of magnitude in the amount of net energy production that human civilization has at its disposal. Current predominance and control of the global political economy by elite fossil fuel interests is interfering and impeding with this alternative development to the point that the situation is becoming critical, especially in conjunction with other global issues of pollution, loss of net biological diversity, human over-population, socio-economic underdevelopment and increasing militarization.

3. Natural biological systems must be further protected from human selective and disruptive forces than they have been in the past or are now. These natural systems must be further augmented with artificial biological systems that are controlled by people. Humans must accept their metaethical responsibility for stewardship towards biological life forms of all kinds, and in this we can elaborate a foundation for biological ethics. It becomes important not to isolate nature from humankind's activities, but to restrict humankind's activities from nature. We need to develop a sophisticated system of habitation, resource utilization and space-allocation that serves to target the zoning of human systems, rather than the zoning of biological systems.

4. Cultural systems must be elaborated that promote the symbolic mediation of stress and potential for conflict in saturated and enclosed social systems. Metacultural systems must and can be elaborated that provide the foundations for the realization of human rights and potential for human development, and that adequately deal with problems relating to violence and human development in a rehabilitative manner.

5. Hybrid, light-based alternative intelligence systems that are autonomously robotic systems, that are distributed, integrated and that articulate directly with the environment in terms of in-out feedback loops need to be developed and elaborated. These represent an extension of the power of human intelligence over the issue of metasystems integration by many orders of magnitude of informational processing power than what has heretofore been realized.

6. Applied systems need to be developed in conjuction with other work that are auxiliary and necessary to the establishment of a single metasystem model, as well as extensions of the model to various problem sets.

Science achieves productivity by establishing feedback between theory and method, between abstract notions and realized actions. For the most part, this has been achieved in the history of science in a serendipitous and somewhat myopic manner--by trial and error in a disparate way. There exists the possibility that this form of development can proceed in a more deliberative and intentional manner with resources for research and development coordinated at multiple levels in a manner of systems integration that has heretofore only been achieved by default and by implicit integration. I propose a single integrative metasystem that is a teleological extension of natural systems theory, the implementation of which at multiple levels, locally, regionally and globally, would serve the purposes of humanity in helping to establish long term equilibrium of human systems in relation to all biological systems, and which allows the extension of these same systems into outer space. It is not the only answer to our shared problems--other issues such as population control and promotion of equality and the reduction of violence in the world needs to simultaneously cooccur with the wide-scale implementation of a metasystem.

I propose that there are three main operational levels of scientific inquiry and involvement--the physical, the biological and the human. Beyond this, there is an integrated super-level that I have called metasystems science, and at the same time that as an extension of uniquely human systems, there occurs a fourth level of alternative intelligent systems that has experienced increasing integration and development in the information age. In the natural patterning of physical reality, these systems are in essence inseparable, though in our normal sciences we proceed out of necessity as if they were separate and isolated. We find that we cannot ultimately distantiate or alienate the human knower from the thing being known, even in the most basic of physical systems. The natural stratification of physical phenomenal patterning, that can be considered the principle substantive basis for most scientific inquiry, constitutes a natural hierarchy of determinations that is stratified on several main levels and in numerous sub-levels, and these serve to define in a natural manner the stratigraphy and landscape of scientific knowledge beyond academic labels and disciplinary boundaries. We can seek to impose certain forms of relativistic frames of reference over these natural systems--they are in some way or another mechanical systems, they involve some level or another of complex informational patterning, they are non-linear stochastic systems in the sense that they are inherently underdetermined in a chaotic and probabilistic manner.

This proposal intends to work on basic and key problem sets and basic projects related to these problem sets at all levels, at least heuristically on paper if not in any practical form. As many separate aspects and individual projects will be undertaken as possible, with the caveat that it is the question of the integration of the entire metasystem, as a single functional entity, that is the overriding consideration.

Reality is naturally interconnected upon multiple levels. It is people, in their knowledge systems, who have defined the boundaries around certain areas and sets. It is the case that natural patterning tends to stratify in a non-arbitrary way upon different levels and in different areas of information--but it remains the human prerogative how we cut the pie and then try to piece it all back together. Problem sets cannot be solved individually without solving holistically the entire framework.

Outline of Metasystems Theory & Application

A. Metasystems theory

1. Metasystems Philosophy
2. Alternative Number Theory
3. Advanced Set Theory
4. Intercorrelational Analysis
5. Systematic Contextual Analysis
6. Heuristic Procedures & Operations

B. Physical systems theory

1. Gravitational Dynamics - Gravitational Engineering Systems
2. Electro-dynamic systems-Light Engineering Systems
3. Solar-Hydrogen power systems-Hydrogen Engineering Systems

C. Biological Systems

1. Advanced artificial ecosystems--Biotronic systems
2. Artificial coevolutionary ecosystems
3. Advanced zoning/monitoring systems
4. Feeding/Breeding systems: Intensive & Extensive Applications

D. Human Systems

1. Symbolic mediation of stress & conflict in enclosed and saturated systems
2. Cultural mediation of complex social relations in artificial environments
3. Experimental long term human habitation systems
4. Advanced knowledge systems and alternative metaculture
5. Complex social systems & analysis
6. Human symbolic framing & applications
7. Strategic organization

E. Alternative Systems

1. Non-anthropomorphic intelligence
2. The anthropological component of cognitive science application
3. Distributed hybrid information processing systems
4. Autonomous input-output articulatory systems
5. Light based intelligence

F. Applied Systems

1. Working models of the integrated metasystem
2. Hybrid earth-space metasystems
3. Extensive applications & functional experiments

The entire project of the metasystem is completely scalable--it can be articulated on a local scale, and integrated up to a global or even broader level. It is clearly the case that under the current circumstances, I lack the means to carry forward this work on any significant scale, except to produce working models of the system on a basic level, and perhaps an extended lower level model, along with guidelines and plans for scaling up the model. In closing, it must be reiterated that what is of primary strategic focus is the concept of a single integrated meta-system, and of the primary components necessary to such a system and its organization and mechanical function in real time.