511 research outputs found
A PC parallel port button box provides millisecond response time accuracy under Linux
No full textFor psychologists, it is sometimes necessary to measure people's reaction times to the nearest millisecond. This article describes how to use the PC parallel port to receive signals from a button box to achieve millisecond response time accuracy. The workings of the parallel port, the corresponding port addresses, and a simple Linux program for controlling the port are described. A test of the speed and reliability of button box signal detection is reported. If the reader is moderately familiar with Linux, this article should provide sufficient instruction for him or her to build and test his or her own parallel port button box. This article also describes how the parallel port could be used to control an external apparatus
The construction of Karen Karnak: The multi-author-function
No full textThis thesis is situated within the comparatively recent developments of Web 2.0 and the emergence of interactive WikiMedia, and explores the mode of authorship within a Read/Write culture compared to that of a Read/Only tradition. The hypothesis of this study is that the role of the audience has become merged with the author, and as such, represents new functions and attributes, distinct from a more conventional concept of authorship, in which the roles of audience and author are more separate. Read/Write and participatory culture, as defined by this study, is focused on collaboration, and includes the influences of D.I.Y. culture, Open-Source practices and the production of text by multiple authors. Multi-authorship presents a re-thinking of several concepts which support the notion of the individual author, since the focus of multi-authorship is not on attribution and ownership of a finished text, but on the continued malleability of a text. Modes of multi-authorship, demonstrated in the use of the pseudonyms Alan Smithee and Karen Eliot, represent declarative authors whose names signify multiple origins, whilst concurrently indicating a distinct body of work. The function of these names form an important context to this study, since primary research involves the construction of an experimental mode of multi-authorship utilising WikiMedia technology and the interaction of thirty nine participants, who are invited to create a body of work under the collective pseudonym Karen Karnak. The data generated by this experiment is analysed using aspects of Michel Foucault's author-function to identify and determine power structures inherent in the WikiMedia context. The interplay of power structures, including concepts such as identity, ownership and the body of work, affect the resulting mode of authorship and contribute to the construction of Karen Karnak, suggesting further areas of research into the emerging multi-author
Hyperloops Do Not Threaten the Notion of an Effective Procedure
No full textThis paper develops my (forthcoming) criticisms of the philosophical significance of a certain sort of infinitary computational process, a hyperloop. I start by considering whether hyperloops suggest that “effectively computable” is vague (in some sense). I then consider and criticise two arguments by Hogarth, who maintains that hyperloops undermine the very idea of effective computability. I conclude that hyperloops, on their own, cannot threaten the notion of an effective procedure
Nonlinear pedagogy : implications for teaching games for understanding (TGfU)
No full textNonlinear Dynamics, provides a framework for understanding how teaching and learning processes function in Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU). In Nonlinear Pedagogy, emergent movement behaviors in learners arise as a consequence of intrinsic self-adjusted processes shaped by interacting constraints in the learning environment. In a TGfU setting, representative, conditioned games provide ideal opportunities for pedagogists to manipulate key constraints so that self-adjusted processes by players lead to emergent behaviors as they explore functional movement solutions. The implication is that, during skill learning, functional movement variability is necessary as players explore different motor patterns for effective skill execution in the context of the game. Learning progressions in TGfU take into account learners’ development through learning stages and have important implications for organisation of practices, instructions and feedback. A practical application of Nonlinear Pedagogy in a national sports institute is shared to exemplify its relevance for TGfU practitioners
Linked Data - the story so far
No full textThe term “Linked Data” refers to a set of best practices for publishing and connecting structured data on the Web. These best practices have been adopted by an increasing number of data providers over the last three years, leading to the creation of a global data space containing billions of assertions— the Web of Data. In this article, the authors present the concept and technical principles of Linked Data, and situate these within the broader context of related technological developments. They describe progress to date in publishing Linked Data on the Web, review applications that have been developed to exploit the Web of Data, and map out a research agenda for the Linked Data community as it moves forward
Starting with RefWorks
No full textPen to Paper image by mbgrigby shared under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.This document is an introduction to RefWorks - an online research management, writing and collaboration tool designed to help researchers easily gather, manage, store and share all types of information, as well as generate citations and bibliographies - for staff and students. The workbook contains copies of a PowerPoint presentation that is also available on this site. A workbook for an introductory workshop explaining and demonstrating how to set up a small database of references and use it in preparing a document using MS-Word
Investigation into standardising the graphical and operator input device modules for tactical command and control man-machine interfaces
No full textIncludes bibliographical references.The operating environment of a Tactical Command and Control system is a highly tense one in which the operator needs to perform certain complex tasks with minimum confusion, and be able to obtain an instant response from the system. Since many of the systems designed for these types of environments are similar in nature with regard to the user-interface, a need has arisen to try and standardise certain elements of the systems. This report looks specifically at standardising certain graphical display element and operator input device interfaces. It investigates the problem from a systems design level, identifying the elements required and their associated functions, discussing the results of work already undertaken in this field, and making recommendations on the use of the elements. The main objective to standardising the Man-Machine Interface (MMI) design elements is to make the code easily transferable between different hardware platforms. To transfer the code, one would ideally like to change only the interface code to the new platform, in particular, the interface to a different set of operator input devices and a different type of graphics card. Various topics related to the standardisation process are discussed, including a description of MMI design, some definitions of tactical command and control environment subjects, and a look at code reusability, rapid prototyping of systems, and object-oriented design
The Metamathematics of Putnam's Model-Theoretic Arguments
No full textPutnam famously attempted to use model theory to draw metaphysical conclusions. His Skolemisation argument sought to show metaphysical realists that their favourite theories have countable models. His permutation argument sought to show that they have permuted models. His constructivisation argument sought to show that any empirical evidence is compatible with the Axiom of Constructibility. Here, I examine the metamathematics of all three model-theoretic arguments, and I argue against Bays (2001, 2007) that Putnam is largely immune to metamathematical challenges.
Hilary Putnam famously attempted to use model theory to draw metaphysical conclusions. Specifically, he attacked metaphysical realism, a position characterised by the following credo:
"[T]he world consists of a fixed totality of mind-independent objects." (Putnam 1981 p. 49; cf. 1978, p. 125).
"Truth involves some sort of correspondence relation between words or thought-signs and external things and sets of things." (1981, p. 49; cf. 1989, p. 214)
"[W]hat is epistemically most justifiable to believe may nonetheless be false." (1980, p. 473; cf. 1978, p. 125)
To sum up these claims, Putnam characterised metaphysical realism as an “externalist perspective” whose “favorite point of view is a God’s Eye point of view” (1981, p. 49). Putnam sought to show that this externalist perspective is deeply untenable. To this end, he treated correspondence in terms of model-theoretic satisfaction. This enabled him to deploy results from model theory against metaphysical realism. In particular, he presented two famous model-theoretic arguments: his Skolemisation argument and his permutation argument.
In this paper, I will investigate the metamathematical underpinnings of both arguments. Since both arguments require only extremely weak model-theoretic resources, it would seem that metaphysical realists cannot reasonably object to Putnam’s metaphysical conclusions on purely metamathematical grounds. Timothy Bays, however, has raised a challenge against Putnam on exactly those grounds. Bays’ main target is Putnam’s less famous constructivisation argument, which seeks to establish that any empirical evidence is compatible with the Axiom of Constructibility. However, Bays thinks that his challenge applies equally well against the Skolemisation argument.
I agree that Bays’ challenge poses considerable problems for the constructivisation argument. However, I shall show that it has no impact at all on either the Skolemisation or the permutation arguments. Perhaps Putnam’s arguments can be refuted on other grounds; but the metamathematics at the heart of Putnams model-theoretic arguments is completely secure
Dilemmas of the Author of Anthology
No full textKażda antologia jest wyzwaniem, a oczekiwania autora i czytelnika, nie mówiąc już o specjalistach, historykach czy krytykach literatury, często okazują się trudne do pogodzenia. Zawsze jesteśmy skazani na kompromis między subiektywną wizją a obowiązującym stereotypem, który bywa identyczny z utrwalonym od dawna kanonem. Gruntowna rewizja obrazu epoki, nurtu, prądu czy tematu zwykle graniczy z pewnym ryzykiem.
Tekst Dylematy autora antologii jest pisany z perspektywy humanisty-praktyka, który ma w swoim dorobku kilka prób stworzenia literackich kolekcji, a jeszcze więcej − z rozmaitych powodów − zaplanował, ale nie doczekały się one realizacji. Niestety, wnioski są mało optymistyczne, bo jak się zdaje, w dzisiejszych czasach antologie nie należą do przedsięwzięć popularnych. Wymagają żmudnej pracy, nakładów finansowych, wreszcie odwagi ze strony edytora, który raczej nie może liczyć na szybki komercyjny sukces. Nowym antologiom nie sprzyja również dość powszechna dostępność w sieci tekstów kiedyś mało znanych, starodruków i roczników dawnych czasopism nie wyłączając. Zdaniem autora, ten informacyjny aspekt pracy antologisty schodzi być może na dalszy plan, pozostaje jednak idea antologii jako dzieła artystycznego.Each and every anthology is a tremendous challenge as the expectations of the author and the reader, let alone the experts, historians, or literary critics, prove to be difficult to meet. We are doomed to accept a compromise between a subjective concept and a binding stereotype which often happens to correspond closely to the long-established canon. Revisiting the epoch, movement, or a subject matter is and has always been a perilous task.
The author of the article declares himself an experienced humanist who has already compiled some literary collections and arranged to compile more, but for some reason they still have not been brought into being. The situation does not appear to be optimistic as publishing anthologies is far from being a popular project to take on. Working on an anthology is tedious, financially exhausting and most of all it requires a great deal of courage on the part of an editor as they cannot expect it to be a thriving business. What makes the situation even more upsetting, current anthology releases are threatened by a widespread Internet access, which offers a wide range of rare texts such as old prints and old year’s issues of journals available at the click of a button. However, the author points out that perhaps the informative function of an anthology may be in eclipse, but the concept of an anthology as an artistic creation remains unshattered
Easy access to provenance: an essential step towards trust on the Web
No full textThis paper describes the mechanisms involved in accessing provenance on the Web, according to the new W3C PROV specifications, and how end-users can process this information to make basic trust assessments. Additionally, we illustrate this principle by implementing a practical use case, namely Tim Berners-lee's vision of the "Oh, yeah?" button, enabling users to make trust assessments about documents on the web. This implementation leverages the W3C PROV specification to provide user-friendly access to the provenance of Web pages. While the extension described in this paper is specific to one browser, the majority of its components are browser-agnostic
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