Integration of Action and Language Knowledge: A Roadmap for Developmental Robotics

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Topography of Generically Folded Spacecapes: Towards a Cognitive Metatheory in Architectural Design

If we visualize philosophy as a science of the sciences (in the tradition of Hans Heinz Holz), then theories within the philosophical framework are always meta-theories of the respective field of interest in question with which philosophy is actually dealing. Hence, a philosophy of architecture in particular, shows up as a meta-theory of theories of architecture with respect to all the possible conditions that are necessary to actually constitute its characteristic field of interest (including the social modes of communication). As we can easily see, it is also a cognitive meta-theory in the first place (i.e. one of the human condition). If then, traditionally, philosophy can also be visualized as being primarily constituted by four components that turn to its topic, namely by means of historical analysis, scientific approach, aesthetical and ethical conceptualizations, respectively, we can recognize that the second and the third overlap somehow with the architectural activities. This is certainly true since the establishment of architecture as a field of activity of its own, separated from building and engineering, as was achieved in the epoch of the Italian Renaissance by Brunelleschi, Alberti, and others.Peer Reviewe

Problems and Solutions in Knowledge Transfer

A central feature of innovation systems is that innovation arises from interaction between organizational units. This requires 'cognitive distance' that is sufficiently large to yield novelty of combinations, but not too large for mutual understanding. Two problems and solutions in the transfer of knowledge, especially to small firms, are identified and discussed. There is a problem not only of expressing tacit knowledge, but also of absorbing new knowledge when it needs to replace existing tacit knowledge. Next to issues of learning or competence development there are also issues of governance, in the management of relational risk of dependence and spillover. The analysis yields a number of tasks and functions for regional systems of innovation.knowledge transfer;regional innovation systems;small business;technology policy

The emergence of information systems: a communication-based theory

An information system is more than just the information technology; it is the system that emerges from the complex interactions and relationships between the information technology and the organization. However, what impact information technology has on an organization and how organizational structures and organizational change influence information technology remains an open question. We propose a theory to explain how communication structures emerge and adapt to environmental changes. We operationalize the interplay of information technology and organization as language communities whose members use and develop domain-specific languages for communication. Our theory is anchored in the philosophy of language. In developing it as an emergent perspective, we argue that information systems are self-organizing and that control of this ability is disseminated throughout the system itself, to the members of the language community. Information technology influences the dynamics of this adaptation process as a fundamental constraint leading to perturbations for the information system. We demonstrate how this view is separated from the entanglement in practice perspective and show that this understanding has far-reaching consequences for developing, managing, and examining information systems