Overview of Stigmergy
Here is a slideshow giving an overview of the concept of stigmergy and its applications.
Monthly Archive Browsing Month: September 2008
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Putnam on Jewish Philosophy
Here is an interesting insight into Putnam’s conciliation of being a Jewish philosopher with his being a philosopher. This brief interview is to plug his latest book Jewish Philosophy as a Guide to Life.
Rare Late Oakeshott Photograph
Durham c. 1985
Grayling vs. Fuller on Intelligent Design
In the latest issue of the New HumanistAnthony Grayling pulls no punches in attacking Steve Fuller’s latest book. Steve Fuller responds; Grayling comes back. Part 1: Grayling – Origin of the specious Part 2: Fuller – Against the faith Part 3: Grayling – Bolus of nonsense A month ago, I did say that this controversy will run and…
The Social Epistemology of Blogging
Alvin Goldman, the doyen of analytic social epistemology, has a draft paper posted on his website entitled “The Social Epistemology of Blogging.” What’s gratifying to me is that via Richard Posner (whom Goldman cites), Hayek, who I have argued is the social epistemologist par excellence, makes an appearance. I have recently argued that if Hayek was centrally…
Hobbes: Oakeshott to Watkins
Here is a letter from Oakeshott to Watkins that for some reason belatedly (2001) surfaced in Political Theory: both Oakeshott and Watkins, of course, highly distinguished Hobbes interpreters. An aside. Though I never met Watkins, I happen to meet his widow Micky who was one of the “three widows” who were so gracious in their support of…
Swarm Intelligence: special issue on Swarm Robotics
Another journal plug – this time for a special issue of Swarm Intelligence on Swarm Robotics. Check out the announcement on Simon Garnier’s blog.
Special Double Issue: Mind and Behavior
The special double issue of Mind and Behavior on Evolutionary Biology and the Central Problems of Cognitive Science is now available. Click for contents Click for abstracts
Words are all we have, really!
Of all the obituaries I’ve come across on George Carlin, this one by Marty Beckerman in Reason hits the nail on the socio-philosophical head. Bravo! Postscript: It drives me mad to hear airline staff preface announcements or propositions with “at this time . . .”
Georg Christoph Lichtenberg
One of my favourite writers is Georg Christoph Lichenberg (1742-1799) to whose aphorisms I turn to when I need some light (though not trivial) mental relief. I list some of my favourites below (his ascerbic tone bound to upset several constituencies), culled from his notebooks and translated by the great Reg Hollingdale in Aphorisms published by…
manwithoutqualities 