Age friendly communities - achieving positive outcomes by working together

Across a broad scope of global challenges the decade from 2020 to 2030 represents a decisive time. It will, in many respects, be a time for action, one where we have the chance to formulate concrete solutions and enact strategies to ensure we all live well, longer

Retrocausal Effects as a Consequence of Orthodox Quantum Mechanics Refined to Accommodate The Principle of Sufficient Reason

The principle of sufficient reason asserts that anything that happens does so for a reason: no definite state of affairs can come into being unless there is a sufficient reason why that particular thing should happen. This principle is usually attributed to Leibniz, although the first recorded Western philosopher to use it was Anaximander of Miletus. The demand that nature be rational, in the sense that it be compatible with the principle of sufficient reason, conflicts with a basic feature of contemporary orthodox physical theory, namely the notion that nature's response to the probing action of an observer is determined by pure chance, and hence on the basis of absolutely no reason at all. This appeal to pure chance can be deemed to have no rational fundamental place in reason-based Western science. It is argued here, on the basis of the other basic principles of quantum physics, that in a world that conforms to the principle of sufficient reason, the usual quantum statistical rules will naturally emerge at the pragmatic level, in cases where the reason behind nature's choice of response is unknown, but that the usual statistics can become biased in an empirically manifest way when the reason for the choice is empirically identifiable. It is shown here that if the statistical laws of quantum mechanics were to be biased in this way then the basically forward-in-time unfolding of empirical reality described by orthodox quantum mechanics would generate the appearances of backward-time-effects of the kind that have been reported in the scientific literature.Comment: v3: Added extra descriptive material and background comment

Cooking with Mami

This action project is a cooking series on social media that I started with my mother. This project approached the problem of me not knowing how to cook. At the same time, I took this opportunity to share it with other people that are interested in cooking Hispanic recipes. Additionally, since I am graduating and moving out, this gave me a chance to bond with my mother. This action project was a mixture of service learning and also professional development

O/R

A woman crushes a stick of black chalk with a pestle and mortar, pinches the ground dust into a pile on the floor, leans down, inhales, exhales and blows the dust across the floor. The process is repeated through a grading spectrum of black to white. A second woman kneels beside her and writes on the floor in matching tones a record of the action taking place. They work in synch and in rhythm: one creates a physical action that the other interprets in words. Once the charcoal set is crushed to exhaustion the woman with the now blackened face sits up. Her documenter follows. The documentation of ‘O / R’ is as live as the performance itself. Each mode informs the other and benefits from the particular requirement imposed by a ‘site’. The site here is not just the physical location, but includes the artist's body, the anticipated audience, the environment, and the atmosphere. Rather than prioritising one form over another, each manifestation is seen as having generative potential for further creative responses. This reflexivity relies on the observation of each other’s movements and decisions throughout, and it is this construct that allows the problem of documentation to be analyzed. With no time to reflect, to square up a shot or rephrase a sentence after the event, the integral nature of the work’s document is exposed to complication and chance; it becomes as influential as the action it is intended to record. The ‘live’ context the work represents becomes threefold when exhibited by networked stream: through action, observation and record, and the mediation of these acts across digital terrain. 'O / R' is a five-minute adaption of 'Oral / Response’ produced as a new work exclusively for Low Lives 4 and performed and streamed 27th April 2012

An Aristotelian Account of Evolution and the Contemporary Philosophy of Biology

The anti-reductionist character of the recent philosophy of biology and the dynamic development of the science of emergent properties prove that the time is ripe to reintroduce the thought of Aristotle, the first advocate of a “top-down” approach in life-sciences, back into the science/philosophy debate. His philosophy of nature provides profound insights particularly in the context of the contemporary science of evolution, which is still struggling with the questions of form, teleology, and the role of chance in evolutionary processes. However, although Aristotle is referenced in the evolutionary debate, a thorough analysis of his theory of hylomorphism and the classical principle of causality which he proposes is still needed in this exchange. Such is the main concern of the first part of the present article which shows Aristotle’s metaphysics of substance as an open system, ready to incorporate new hypothesis of modern and contemporary science. The second part begins with the historical exploration of the trajectory from Darwin to Darwinism regarded as a metaphysical position. This exploration leads to an inquiry into the central topics of the present debate in the philosophy of evolutionary biology. It shows that Aristotle’s understanding of species, teleology, and chance – in the context of his fourfold notion of causality – has a considerable explanatory power which may enhance our understanding of the nature of evolutionary processes. This fact may inspire, in turn, a retrieval of the classical theology of divine action, based on Aristotelian metaphysics, in the science/theology dialogue. The aim of the present article is to prepare a philosophical ground for such project

The Sense of an Ending (Julian Barnes): A Study of Self Reflexive Journey

Collisions between worlds of imaginations and realities often create scope for introspection – a process of revisiting the past, and reevaluating actions with the support of memories and reconstructing a new perspective on the role of Time in Life. This new perspective throws new light on life, which has already been lived so far. When any immature action or behaviour of the past is realised, pricking of the guilty conscience is the only consequential feeling. If Time provides the chance to console the guilt stricken heart, or make amends for the guilty action, the remedy is most often found either in an apology or in self-inflicted punishment. If deprived even of these chances, the soul cries out loud but silent and one is left awestruck by the unresolved mystery of Time. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.340605

The Effect of Parent Volunteers on Reading Scores and Attitudes

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between student reading achievement and family involvement in urban schools. In this action research project, family members will be invited to participate as reading mentors during class time. In this study, the mentors will have the chance to impact the students by reading aloud to them in small groups. It is hypothesized that this will increase the student\u27s reading scores and motivate students to read for enjoyment