Models to detect scientific creativity: Why something simpler than Fréchet Metric Manifolds?

We claim that the models needed to describe scientific creativity (and, in particular, suitable to effectively detect it) have to be very sophisticated. Indeed, the process of creating original and predictive scientific theories is manifestly the most complex ever investigated by the human mind (There are also some paradoxical aspects in the action of a mind that is investigating its own way of functioning, but we are confident that it will be possible to avoid them). In mathematical physics one of the most complex state space structures is given by Frechet Metric Manifolds. We conjecture that they will be needed to model the state of complexity of the mind of a scientist (However, we will not be surprised if an even more complex structure could be needed). The obtained models have a very important application: they are essential to design and rule the selection process that assigns a university chair (or a research grant). Recently some algorithms have been introduced to calculate some bibliometric indices. We claim that it is not reasonable to use them to evaluate the scientific quality of researchers, chair or grant holders, departments or whole universities. Instead, the only presently viable process must involve carefully designed procedures, similar to those used for forming juries. These procedures must be enforced to rule the formation and functioning of ad hoc peer committees entrusted to evaluate academic institutions and nominate professors, chairs or research grant holders. Bibliometrics and Scientometrics are too young as disciplines and therefore it is not possible yet, by means of the theoretical insight gained thanks to them, to design a more effective evaluation process. Only when game and artificial intelligence theories become sufficiently advanced will it become possible to efficiently replace selection peers committees (i.e. academic juries)

Book Reviews

Book Reviews of: Stephen Jay Gould, The Mismeasure of Man (Norton) Saul Bellow, The Dean\u27s December (Harper and Row) John Noble Wilford, The Mapmakers (Alfred Knopf

Mismeasuring Humanity: Dangers of The Contemporary Orthodoxy

The various unjust discriminations (racism, sexism, xenophobia, etc.) that plague society are tied to the larger question of how human lives and minds are regarded in society as a whole. Humans have always had a problem of mismeasuring the “other,” but this problem is compounded by promotion, from powerful voices, of the view that humans are just so much physics and chemistry, that the mind is the brain, and that humans are deluded about the power of consciousness and freedom. Daniel Dennett refers to the latter as “the contemporary orthodoxy,” as though it is the view of humanity that all educated people should take for granted (many do). On the other hand, there has been something of a growing flood of protests against this “orthodoxy,” and it is by no means coming only from theologians. This article will review some studies that protest what they see as the mismeasuring of humanity, and will aim to show that such re-evaluation is essential as an aspect of the battle not only against racism and sexism, but also for our amazing capacities for love, justice, and peace

Sistema de vigilância em viagens

Soothing sounds, calming light, appeasing stories about security screeners and X-ray machines that can see the skin under clothing — all of these are implements have slowly come to airports near all of us thanks to a total makeover of airport security measures planned mainly by the Transportation Security Administration. Recently, the TSA’s Checkpoint Evolution project has aimed soothe passengers in the screening line with music designed to calm us down while light panels complement it by emitting agreeable colors. Calmed while stainding in line, passengers can read stories about the security officers, which the TSA hopes will make travelers feel comfortable with their screeners. The ideal is that most of the security implementations we are subjected to as we travel are perceived to be invasive, or control us, but rather to “protect us” from unforeseen catastrophes. This paper looks at how the original insidiousness of surveillance methods is slowly being erased making surveillance acceptable as design parameters are incorporated into all sorts of surveillance technologies in order to make traveling more “comfortable”.Sonidos apacibles, luces calmantes, historias amables sobre guardias de seguridad y las máquinas que pueden ver la piel bajo nuestra ropa. Todas estas innovaciones han llegado lentamente a nuestros aeropuertos gracias a la reconfiguración total de las medidas de seguridad planeadas principalmente por la agencia de transporte y seguridad TSA. Esta agencia, con su nuevo Checkpoint Evolution Project busca tranquilizar al pasajero que espera pasar por aparatos de seguridad mediante paneles de luces agradables. Tranquilizados mientras esperan en fila, los pasajeros también pueden leer historias sobre los oficiales de seguridad, que según las expectativas de la TSA, les ayudará a sentirse más cómodos con sus escrutadores. El proposito final es que la mayoría de las medidas de seguridad sean percibidas como medidas protectoras en lugar de prácticas invasivas y controladoras. Este escrito analiza cómo la insidia de los métodos anteriores de escrutinio y monitorización han sido reemplazados por tecnologías sutiles que los hacen socialmente más "aceptables" en la medida que facilitan nuestros viajes y tránsitos por áreas de control.Sons acolhedores, luzes relaxantes, histórias amáveis sobre seguranças e detectores que podemver através de nossas roupas. Todas estas inovações chegaram lentamente aos nossos aeroportos graças às reconfigurações totais das medidas de segurança inseridas principalmente pela agência estadunidense de transporte e segurança (TSA). Esta agência, através de seu novo Checkpoint Evolution Project, busca tranqüilizar o passageiro a espera por passar pelos sistemas de segurança ambientando estas áreas com painéis de agradáveis luzes. Tranqüilos durante a espera, os passageiros podem ler amenidades sobre os trabalhadores da segurança para que, segundo a TSA, possam-se sentir mais cômodos com os procedimentos de controle e incluso apreciar positivamente todos os procedimentos de segurança. Este texto analisa como os métodos anteriores de vigilância foram substituídos por tecnologias mais sutis que transformam as vistorias em algo mais aceitável socialmente enquanto os passageiros precisam acessar distintas áreas de controle

Bias In, Bias Out? Evaluating the Folk Wisdom

We evaluate the folk wisdom that algorithmic decision rules trained on data produced by biased human decision-makers necessarily reflect this bias. We consider a setting where training labels are only generated if a biased decision-maker takes a particular action, and so "biased" training data arise due to discriminatory selection into the training data. In our baseline model, the more biased the decision-maker is against a group, the more the algorithmic decision rule favors that group. We refer to this phenomenon as bias reversal. We then clarify the conditions that give rise to bias reversal. Whether a prediction algorithm reverses or inherits bias depends critically on how the decision-maker affects the training data as well as the label used in training. We illustrate our main theoretical results in a simulation study applied to the New York City Stop, Question and Frisk dataset

The Comparative Growth of Goods and Services Prices

For several decades, the prices of services have been rising more rapidly than the prices of goods in Canada and the other major industrialized countries. In 2002, this gap between the growth rates of these two components of the consumer price index (CPI) widened considerably, leading researchers to ask if this was the beginning of a trend. Analysis reveals, however, that the gap is based on short-term dynamics and that it appears to be independent of the trend in the development of the overall price level. Evidence also shows that the gap is eventually reabsorbed. The authors examine a number of potential causes for the prices of services to rise faster than those of goods. These include the more rapid pace of productivity growth in the goods sector, the greater openness of goods to foreign trade, and stronger growth in the demand for services.

¿Que medidas contam para o interesse público?

The “measure” of this article is a bit different from most -there are almost as many words in the endnotes as in the body of the text. Endnotes, as endnotes, are a significant part of my writing, both in terms of recognizing the connections and complexities among issues, trying to capture the richness of interdisciplinary teaching, and in terms of strengthening our struggles by (when relevant) referring to each other’s work so that our individual work becomes understood as part of collective work to move mathematics education in the direction of the public interest. A quote I love that I often start my talks with, after saying how I talk in parentheses, although eventually closing most of them, is from a Hmong saying that translates “to speak of all kinds of things”. It is often used at the beginning of an oral narrative as a way of reminding listeners that the world is full of things that may not seem to be connected but actually are; that no event occurs in isolation; that you can miss a lot by sticking to the point; and that the storyteller is likely to be rather long-winded (Fadiman, 1998:12-13). Teaching in an interdisciplinary way means there are a lot of endnotes and a lot of parentheses, not all of which get closed…that is how to do this kind of teaching, without having to know everything, and without needing a zillion years to research and teach one lessonLa "medida" de este artículo es algo diferente a la mayoría – cuenta casi con tantas palabras como pies de página que en el cuerpo del artículo. Los pies de página, como tales, son una parte importante de mi escrito. De un lado, ayudan a reconocer las conexiones y la complejidad de lo escrito tratando de captar la riqueza de la enseñanza interdisciplinar. Además, fortalecen la lucha (cuando procede) por impulsar la educación matemática en la dirección del interés público. Una frase con la que a menudo comienzo mis conferencias es un dicho de Hmong que dice “hablo de todo tipo de cosas”. A menudo se utiliza en el comienzo de una narración oral como una forma de recordar a los oyentes que el mundo está lleno de cosas que pueden no parecer estar conectadas, pero en realidad lo están; que ningún suceso se produce de forma aislada; que se puede perder mucho si te quedas estancado; y que el narrador suele ir más allá (Fadiman, 1998:12-13). La enseñanza interdisciplinar significa que hay una gran cantidad de notas y paréntesis, algunos de los cuáles no se cierran... es justo así como se hace este tipo de enseñanza, sin tener que saber todo, y sin necesidad de un trillón de años de investigación para enseñar una lecciónA "medida" deste artigo é algo diferente à maioria –conta quase com tantas palavras em notas de rodapé quanto no corpo do artigo. As notas de rodapé, como tais, são uma parte importante de meu escrito. De um lado, ajudam a reconhecer as conexões e a complexidade do escrito tratando de captar a riqueza do ensino interdisciplinar. Ademais, fortalecem a luta (quando procede) por impulsionar a educação matemática na direção do interesse público. Uma frase com a qual frequentemente começo minhas conferências é um dito de Hmong que diz “falo de todo tipo de coisas”. Com frequência utiliza-se no começo de uma narração oral como uma forma de recordar aos ouvintes que o mundo está cheio de coisas que podem não parecer estar conectadas, mas que em realidade estão; que nenhum acontecimento se produz de forma isolada; que se pode perder muito ao ficar estancado; e que o narrador costuma ir além (Fadiman, 1998:12-13). O ensino interdisciplinar significa que há uma grande quantidade de notas e parênteses, alguns dos quais não se fecham... tal e qual como se faz este tipo de ensino, sem ter que saber todo, e sem necessidade de um trilhão de anos de investigação para ensinar uma liçã