86,550 research outputs found
Francis Crick and the Hard Problem of Consciousness = Francis Crick e il problema difficile della coscienza
No full textWhether or not consciousness can be explained scientifically constitutes a philosophical problem per se. In his seminal article, Facing Up to the Hard Problem of Consciousness, David Chalmers (1995) presented two different kinds of problem related to the scientific explanation of consciousness: ‘easy' problems, i.e. those that can be explained in terms of mechanism and functions and the Hard Problem, i.e. the problem of phenomenal consciousness. While the easy problems represent a difficult challenge for science, they still seem to fit in the theoretical framework neuroscience are familiar with. On the other hand, the Hard Problem and the subjective character of experience seem to pose a different kind of challenge. A pivotal moment in the field of consciousness studies was the publication by Francis Crick and Christof Koch of their seminal paper Towards a Neurobiological Theory of Consciousness (1990). In this article and his subsequent book, The Astonishing Hypothesis (1994) Crick argued in favor of a strong reductionist theory of consciousness, namely that consciousness was nothing more than the activity of a certain set of neurons. In this article, I provide an analysis of Crick's theoretical approach to consciousness in order to clarify its explanatory strategy. More specifically, I show that Crick's approach fails to engage with the Hard Problem therefore contradicting the premises that this kind of reductionist explanation does not leave anything unexplained. Finally, I show the impact that Crick's research program had over the major contemporary theories of consciousness
Quasi-complete intersections in and syzygies
No full textLet C⊂ P2 be a reduced, singular curve of degree d and equation f= 0. Let Σ denote the jacobian subscheme of C. We have 0 → E→ 3. O→ IΣ(d- 1) → 0 (the surjection is given by the partials of f). We study the relationships between the Betti numbers of the module H∗0(E) and the integers, d, τ, where τ= deg (Σ). We observe that our results apply to any quasi-complete intersection of type (s, s, s)
Facing up to the Hard Problem of Consciousness as an Integrated Information Theorist
No full textIn this paper we provide a philosophical analysis of the Hard Problem of consciousness and the implications of conceivability scenarios for current neuroscientific research. In particular, we focus on one of the most prominent neuroscientific theories of consciousness, integrated information theory (IIT). After a brief introduction on IIT, we present Chalmers’ original formulation and propose our own layered view of the hard problem, showing how 2 separate issues can be distinguished. More specifically, we argue that it’s possible to disentangle a core problem of consciousness from a layered hard problem, the latter being essentially connected to Chalmers’ conceivability argument. We then assess the relation between the Hard Problem and IIT, showing how the theory resists conceivability scenarios, and how it is equipped to face up to the hard problem in its broadest acceptation
Gonality, Clifford index and multisecants.
No full textAbstractThe gonality of a projective curve C is the minimal degree of a morphism f:C→P1. It is a classical invariant which has been refined by the introduction of the Clifford index. If C⊂P3 is a smooth, connected curve, Gon(C) is said to be computable by multisecants if Gon(C)=deg(C)−l where l is the highest order of a multisecant to C. In this paper we prove that the gonality is computable by multisecants and that Cliff(C)=Gon(C)−2 for most subcanonical curves in P3. We also describe the stratification by multisecants of the Hilbert schemes of complete intersections and rational curves
Ellia, F., Chis-Ciure, R. - Consciousness and Complexity: Neurobiological Naturalism and Integrated Information Theory (2022)
No full textIn this paper we take a meta-theoretical stance to compare two frameworks that endeavor to explain phenomenal experience. In particular, we compare Feinberg & Mallatt’s Neurobiological Naturalism (NN) and Tononi and colleagues’ Integrated Information Theory (IIT), given that the former pointed out some similarities between the two theories (Feinberg & Mallatt 2016c-d). To probe how similar they are, we first give a general introduction to both frameworks. Next, we provide a ground plan for carrying out our analysis. We move on to articulate a philosophical profile of NN and IIT, addressing their ontological commitments and epistemological foundations. Finally, we compare the two point-by-point, also discussing how they stand on the issue of artificial consciousness. We find the two theories to be constitutionally different. IIT treats consciousness as a fundamental feature of the world (its ontology) and investigates its structure from the mathematical standpoint of integrated information (its epistemology). NN, by contrast, treats consciousness as an emerging feature confined to living organisms with complex brains (its ontology) and investigates with neurobiology, complex systems theory, and the tenet of irreducible subjectivity (its epistemology)
Variations on the Author
No full text“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
[Newspaper Clipping: Author Claims Evidence of Second JFK Assassin #1]
No full textNewspaper article titled "Author Claims Evidence of Second JFK Assassin." The article states that author Richard J. Whalen concluded "that there is circumstantial evidence to support the theory of a second assassin in the shooting of President John F. Kennedy.
Also By The Same Author: AKTiveAuthor, a Citation Graph Approach to Name Disambiguation
No full textThe desire for definitive data and the semantic web drive for inference over heterogeneous data sources requires co-reference resolution to be performed on those data. In particular, name disambiguation is required to allow accurate publication lists, citation counts and impact measures to be determined. This paper describes a graph-based approach to author disambiguation on large-scale citation networks. Using self-citation, co-authorship and document source analyses, AKTiveAuthor clusters papers, achieving precision of 0.997 and recall of 0.818 over a test group of eight surname clusters
John F. Kennedy telegram to Roosevelt
No full textJersey Homesteads (later the Borough of Roosevelt) was established in the 1930s as an agro-industrial cooperative community. It was established specifically for urban Jewish garment workers, many of whom had emigrated from Europe. President John F. Kennedy sent a telegram to the citizens of Roosevelt, New Jersey, apologizing for not being able to attend the memorial dedication in honor of former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. (Jersey Homesteads became Roosevelt in 1945 in honor of the president.) President Kennedy expressed his gratitude to the people of Roosevelt for constructing the memorial, and commented that it will serve as a constant reminder of Roosevelt's good works
Logarithmic variance profiles and the corresponding f-1 spectra of temperature fluctuations in turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection
No full textWe report experimental results for the temperature variance 2(z) and the corresponding frequency spectra P(f) in turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection (RBC) in a cylindrical sample of aspect ratioT= D/L = 1:00 (D = 1:12 m is the diameter and L = 1:12 m the height). The measurements were conducted in the Rayleigh-number range 1011 < Ra < 1:35 1014 and Pr ' 0:8. For Ra = 1:35x1014, 2(z) could be described well by a logarithmic dependence on the vertical position z in a range of z 1 < z < z 2 with z 1 ' 70 and z 2 = 0:1L. Here L=(2Nu) is the thickness of a thin thermal sublayer adjacent to the horizontal plate where the heat flux (denoted by the Nusselt number Nu) is carried mostly by thermal diffusion. In the log layer, we found that the temperature spectra had a significant frequency range over which P(f) f with close to 1. As Ra decreased, increased so that the log layer became thinner. At Ra = 2:05 1011, z 2 < z 1 and therefore there was no range for a log layer. Correspondingly, the temperature spectrum near the horizontal plate did not have the f1 scaling form either
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