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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Dear Friends and Colleagues,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'>Here is a first response to Pedro’s pre-manifesto. As a chemist, I note first that for crystallization of something new to occur, you have to have the right reactants, but after the reaction is complete, the solution (in both senses) must cool down. Here, I would simply like to add to the reaction mix the concept of the value of “Eastern” forms of thought: openness, vagueness and change. No pontification or claims of eternal validity. If anything is certain about our discussions to date, most attempts at finding “clear” definitions and other analytic approaches have failed. What I would hope to see is an avant-garde that could produce new syntheses, combining Pedro’s position, my suggestion and others with an also necessary scientific rigor.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'>Best,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'>Joseph<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>