How friends and non-determinism affect opinion dynamics

The Hegselmann-Krause system (HK system for short) is one of the most popular models for the dynamics of opinion formation in multiagent systems. Agents are modeled as points in opinion space, and at every time step, each agent moves to the mass center of all the agents within unit distance. The rate of convergence of HK systems has been the subject of several recent works. In this work, we investigate two natural variations of the HK system and their effect on the dynamics. In the first variation, we only allow pairs of agents who are friends in an underlying social network to communicate with each other. In the second variation, agents may not move exactly to the mass center but somewhere close to it. The dynamics of both variants are qualitatively very different from that of the classical HK system. Nevertheless, we prove that both these systems converge in polynomial number of non-trivial steps, regardless of the social network in the first variant and noise patterns in the second variant.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figure

An Existential Perspective on Addiction Treatment: A Logic-based therapy case study

In this essay I argue that a comprehensive understanding of addiction and its treatment should include an existential perspective. I provide a brief overview of an existential perspective of addiction and recovery, which will contextualize the remainder of the essay. I then present a case study of how the six-step philosophical practice method of Logic-Based Therapy can assist with issues that often arise in addiction treatment framed through an existential perspective

The Boy Who Grew a New Brain: Understanding this Miracle from a Neuro-Quantum Perspective

In this paper, we present a case of a boy – Noah Wall, who till today surprises the world of neuroscience with his will to grow his brain and survive. The case presented in this study sets a stepping stone in understanding the advent of the will to make a choice, from a neuro-quantum mechanics interpretation. We propose that besides our internal states of choices (neurogenesis, neuroplasticity, cell differentiation, etc.) we also relate with external states of choices (love, compassion, empathy, emotions, etc.) that contributes to its emergence. Quantum uncertainty seems to support the existence of a fundamental property based on which the universe functions; which means that even the nothing of free space has a small chance of containing something. Outcomes are not determined by prior or random events but by consciousness that gives rise to these outcomes. This provides us a lead into understanding the existence of the will and the origin of choice when we look deeper into the realms of the implausible interpretations of quantum mechanics. Free will is the ability for the mind to choose between possible outcomes. Willful power is therefore not only a psychological intervention but also a biological and quantum intervention, where we have the capacity to make choices about what direction we will take, making a change to the systematic functioning of our body

A Categorical Framework for Quantum Theory

Underlying any theory of physics is a layer of conceptual frames. They connect the mathematical structures used in theoretical models with physical phenomena, but they also constitute our fundamental assumptions about reality. Many of the discrepancies between quantum physics and classical physics (including Maxwell's electrodynamics and relativity) can be traced back to these categorical foundations. We argue that classical physics corresponds to the factual aspects of reality and requires a categorical framework which consists of four interdependent components: boolean logic, the linear-sequential notion of time, the principle of sufficient reason, and the dichotomy between observer and observed. None of these can be dropped without affecting the others. However, in quantum theory the reduction postulate also addresses the "status nascendi" of facts, i.e., their coming into being. Therefore, quantum phyics requires a different conceptual framework which will be elaborated in this article. It is shown that many of its components are already present in the standard formalisms of quantum physics, but in most cases they are highlighted not so much from a conceptual perspective but more from their mathematical structures. The categorical frame underlying quantum physics includes a profoundly different notion of time which encompasses a crucial role for the present.Comment: 35 pages, 1 figur

Pay Attention: Children’s Understanding, Experience and Attitudes to Having a Say in Their Everyday Lives

Paying attention to children’s participation rights has gained momentum during the late 20th century. The study explored the views and experiences of children between 10 and 12 years in relation to ‘children having a voice in matters that affect them and their views will be given due weight in accordance with their age and maturity’ 10 years on from the National Children’s Strategy (NCS, 2000). Focus groups were employed to carry out the research. Children in the study demonstrated a limited understanding of the concept of rights. Children in this study provided a clear message that they wish to have a voice and that they often feel that they are not listened to. Children taking part articulated the reasons why they think they should be listened to. Children identified that adults play an important role in supporting children to exercise their right to have a voice. Children’s views on the reasons or factors why adults do not listen to them are interesting and unforeseen. The findings are discussed with reference to theories on childhood and children’s rights, past research on children’s rights and current practice. Gaps between policy and practice in recognising children’s rights, adults’ status as decision makers and unequal childparent interactions may all interact to constrain children’s experiences of exercising their right to a voice consistently

Determinism of Media Technology and Distortion of Siri’ Culture

The rapid development of communication technology, particularly in social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram, profoundly influences the entire human experience. The influence includes cultural shifts among adolescents, precisely distortions to the "Siri" culture that affect their self-concept, self-esteem, and self-image. This qualitative research aimed to analyze changes in the Siri’ culture in communication among adolescents, the impact of communication media technology, and indicators of Siri' character building. The data was collected through observations, surveys, and interviews. The results showed two main findings: first, in the culture of adolescents in Parepare City, Siri’ is interpreted as a local philosophy that emphasizes the importance of maintaining self-respect in the daily style, speech, and behavior. It has a direct impact on the formation of adolescents' self-concept. The second, media technology has a significant influence on cultural changes and adolescents' self-concept (macca, lempu, warani, getting), self-esteem (penggalik), and self-image (malebbi, mekkeade, makanja).

Risk: a fiction

Uncertainty creates anxiety so attempts have been made to reduce it using mathematical techniques. In the electronics industry the very large quantities of devices processed have provided reliable statistics and the opportunity to employ statistical methods. However, in fields such as decision-making and risk assessment there are strong criticisms of the probability calculus that have been triggered by discrepancies between the analysis of experts and non-experts. A radically different alternative is to view risk assessment and decision-making as exercises in rhetoric centred on storytelling language games. And to see the risk assessors as part of a political network attempting to influence action

Do academics doubt their own research?

When do experts doubt or question their own previously published research and why? An online survey was designed and distributed across academic staff and postgraduate research students at different universities in Great Britain. Respondents (n = 202 - 244) identified the likelihoods of six different (quasi) hypothetical occurrences causing them to doubt or question work they have published in peer reviewed journals. They are: two objective and two semi-objective citation based metrics, plus two semi-objective metrics based on verbalised reactions. Only limited support is found from this study to suggest that the authors of primary research would agree with any judgements made by others about their research based on these metrics. The occurrence most likely to cause respondents to doubt or question their previously published research was where the majority of citing studies suggested mistakes in their work. In a multivariate context, only age and nationality are significant determinants of doubt beyond average likelihoods. Understanding and acknowledging what makes authors of primary research doubt their own research could increase the validity of those who pass judgement