Poet Tim Kahl reads a poem of his entitled “Stigmergy.”
Philosophy and the Martial Arts
I want to plug the call for papers and the conference being put on by Damon Young and Graham Priest. Of all the recent popular philosophy themes that have been floated, this is the one, that in my view, has the most plausibility. Of course I would say that as someone with a foot in both worlds.
Embodied Economics
Here’s a freely available download of an article entitled “Embodied economics: how bodily information shapes the social coordination dynamics of decision-making” from the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. The article references many of the major embodiment theorists and refreshingly there is much on Hayek and of course The Sensory Order.
The Phenomenal Qualities Project
I want to bring your attention to The Phenomenal Qualities Project. With a Whose Who of theorists involved, it promises to offer a wonderful forum for ecumenical discussion:
Objectives:
There are four main objectives.
To investigate a set of fundamental questions concerning phenomenal qualities – such as the colours, sounds and so on, of which we are immediately aware in perceptual experience – and their place in the physical world. The research will focus upon issues connected with the role of phenomenal qualities in perceptual experiences, their relation to cognitive states of mind, their ontological status, and the way they fit in with the best current theories about the fundamental nature of physical things.
To encourage and co-ordinate research focused on the above questions by organising a series of seminars, workshops and an international conference on the nature of phenomenal qualities, and through publication of research material. An interactive website will be set up, facilitating the dissemination and discussion of research on the issues raised.
To stimulate dialogue between theorists of different philosophical persuasions, and with cognitive scientists working on perception and attention, on problems connected with the nature of experience and phenomenal qualities. This project will bring together philosophers and cognitive scientists of international standing from different traditions to advance our understanding of these problems.
To communicate to a wider non-academic audience, through public lectures and the internet, the nature and relevance of this project for existing work in Consciousness Studies, Cognitive Science and Physics.
I Drink Therefore I Am
Here is a review of Roger Scruton’s recent offering. Also a review from The Guardian. I recently heard him on Radio 4 plugging the book – he’s a terrific and highly cultured writer but more often than not, a poor public performer – odd for someone one might consider a public intellectual. Had I known of this book, we’d have had much to talk about when I saw him this past November in Texas.
The Bionic Body
As is usual for the National Geographic, here is a super article beautifully illustrated on the latest developments in bionics. Check out the hard copy for more detailed case studies and real world applications.
Hayek: cognitive scientist avant la lettre
Here is the uncorrected proof of my essay – do not cite.
How to Train the Aging Brain
Here’s an article from the New York Times
The brain, as it traverses middle age, gets better at recognizing the central idea, the big picture. If kept in good shape, the brain can continue to build pathways that help its owner recognize patterns and, as a consequence, see significance and even solutions much faster than a young person can.
Habermas and the Internet
Here’s an interesting article entitled “Does Habermas Understand the Internet? The Algorithmic Construction of the Blogo/Public Sphere“
The Social Epistemology of Experimental Economics
A new book by Ana Cordeiro dos Santos has come to my attention. Aside from the title which caught my eye – The Social Epistemology of Experimental Economics – what recommends checking the book out is that Ana’s pedigree is notable – her PhD was supervised by Uskali Mäki and Jack Vromen, both top-draw minds – the former kindly contributing to an early issue of EPISTEME. Economics is a growth area from the perspective of social epistemology – and rightly so.
manwithoutqualities 