7,966 research outputs found

    Minds Online: The Interface between Web Science, Cognitive Science, and the Philosophy of Mind

    Get PDF
    Alongside existing research into the social, political and economic impacts of the Web, there is a need to study the Web from a cognitive and epistemic perspective. This is particularly so as new and emerging technologies alter the nature of our interactive engagements with the Web, transforming the extent to which our thoughts and actions are shaped by the online environment. Situated and ecological approaches to cognition are relevant to understanding the cognitive significance of the Web because of the emphasis they place on forces and factors that reside at the level of agent–world interactions. In particular, by adopting a situated or ecological approach to cognition, we are able to assess the significance of the Web from the perspective of research into embodied, extended, embedded, social and collective cognition. The results of this analysis help to reshape the interdisciplinary configuration of Web Science, expanding its theoretical and empirical remit to include the disciplines of both cognitive science and the philosophy of mind

    Artists and the Mind in the 21st Century

    Get PDF
    In 2008, Lesley University Professors Geoffrey Koetsch and Ellen Schön conducted an informal survey of New England artists to ascertain the degree to which recent work in neuroscience had impacted the visual arts. The two curators mounted an exhibition (MINDmatters May-June, 2008) at the Laconia Gallery in Boston in which they showcased the work of artists who had chosen mental processes as their primary subject. These artists were reacting to the new vision of the mind revealed by science; their inquiry was subjective, sensory, and existential, not empirical. They approached consciousness from several vantage points. Some of the artists had had personal experience with pathologies of the brain such as dementia or cancer and were puzzling out the phenomenon consuming the mind of a loved one. They looked to neuroscience for clarity and understanding. Some artists were personally involved with new techniques of cognitive psychotherapy. Others were inspired by the sheer physical beauty of the brain as revealed by new imaging technologies. Two of the artists explored the links between meditation, mindfulness practice and neuroscience. Issues such as the “boundary” and “binding” problems were approached, as well as the challenge of creating visual metaphors for neural processes. One artist visualized the increasing transparency of the body as researchers introduce more and more invasive technologies

    From Biological to Synthetic Neurorobotics Approaches to Understanding the Structure Essential to Consciousness (Part 3)

    Get PDF
    This third paper locates the synthetic neurorobotics research reviewed in the second paper in terms of themes introduced in the first paper. It begins with biological non-reductionism as understood by Searle. It emphasizes the role of synthetic neurorobotics studies in accessing the dynamic structure essential to consciousness with a focus on system criticality and self, develops a distinction between simulated and formal consciousness based on this emphasis, reviews Tani and colleagues' work in light of this distinction, and ends by forecasting the increasing importance of synthetic neurorobotics studies for cognitive science and philosophy of mind going forward, finally in regards to most- and myth-consciousness

    A Complex Adaptive Systems Perspective to Appreciative Inquiry

    Get PDF
    Appreciate Inquiry (AI) is utilized to facilitate organizational change by encouraging stakeholders to explore positives and generative capacities within their organization. In the literature, analysis of the effectiveness of AI is confined to psychological and managerial explanations such as highlighting the promotion of positive mindset and collective organizational planning. This paper will discuss a Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) perspective and present a new model for understanding the functionality of AI. The emphasis of this paper is placed on exploring the effects of AI on the behavior and interactions of agents/employees related to how they cope with change. An analysis of AI’s functionality through the lens of CAS reveals two critical insights: a) AI enhances adaptability to change by strengthening communication among agents, which in turn fosters the emergence of effective team arrangements and a more rapid collective response to change and b) AI possesses the potential to generate a collective memory for social systems within an organization. Furthermore, a systematic analysis of AI indicates a close connection between this method and CAS-based styles of management. This paper concludes by suggesting that AI might represent a potential method with the capacity to place organizational teams in “the edge of chaos”.Keywords: appreciative inquiry, organizational change, management, complex adaptive systems, edge of chao

    Backwards is the way forward: feedback in the cortical hierarchy predicts the expected future

    Get PDF
    Clark offers a powerful description of the brain as a prediction machine, which offers progress on two distinct levels. First, on an abstract conceptual level, it provides a unifying framework for perception, action, and cognition (including subdivisions such as attention, expectation, and imagination). Second, hierarchical prediction offers progress on a concrete descriptive level for testing and constraining conceptual elements and mechanisms of predictive coding models (estimation of predictions, prediction errors, and internal models)

    Consciousness as a State of Matter

    Full text link
    We examine the hypothesis that consciousness can be understood as a state of matter, "perceptronium", with distinctive information processing abilities. We explore five basic principles that may distinguish conscious matter from other physical systems such as solids, liquids and gases: the information, integration, independence, dynamics and utility principles. If such principles can identify conscious entities, then they can help solve the quantum factorization problem: why do conscious observers like us perceive the particular Hilbert space factorization corresponding to classical space (rather than Fourier space, say), and more generally, why do we perceive the world around us as a dynamic hierarchy of objects that are strongly integrated and relatively independent? Tensor factorization of matrices is found to play a central role, and our technical results include a theorem about Hamiltonian separability (defined using Hilbert-Schmidt superoperators) being maximized in the energy eigenbasis. Our approach generalizes Giulio Tononi's integrated information framework for neural-network-based consciousness to arbitrary quantum systems, and we find interesting links to error-correcting codes, condensed matter criticality, and the Quantum Darwinism program, as well as an interesting connection between the emergence of consciousness and the emergence of time.Comment: Replaced to match accepted CSF version; discussion improved, typos corrected. 36 pages, 15 fig

    Being in the Digital World: A Heideggerian Perspective

    Get PDF
    The rapid advancement of the digital age has dramatically reshaped various aspects of human existence. Drawing from Martin Heidegger’s philosophical insights, this study explores the profound implications of digital technology on human life, particularly focusing on the concepts of enframing, alienation, authenticity, and the transformation of human relationships and temporality. Employing a qualitative, theoretical analysis, the study delves into Heidegger’s philosophical constructs of “Dasein,” “being-with-others,” and “enframing” to interpret the contemporary digital experience. The analysis synthesizes insights from Heidegger’s works with current digital phenomena, examining the impact of technology on human identity, relationships, and the perception of time. The study reveals that the digital age, while offering connectivity and efficiency, engenders a sense of alienation and challenges to authenticity. Digital interactions often lack the depth of face-to-face encounters, altering the nature of “being-with-others.” The perpetual flow of digital information disrupts traditional temporal experiences, impacting the contemplative nature of “Dasein.” Moreover, the construction of online identities poses questions about the authenticity of self in the virtual domain. The findings underscore the tension between the benefits and challenges of digital technology. While digital advancements facilitate unprecedented global connections, they also risk commodifying human experiences and relationships. The study highlights the need for critical engagement with technology, advocating for a mindful approach that fosters genuine human connection and preserves authenticity in the digital er

    Avatar actors

    Get PDF
    In this text I wish to discuss, as well as illustrate through pictorial examples, how the Live Visuals of three dimensional online virtual worlds may be leading us into participatory and collaborative Play states during which we appear to become the creators as well as the actors of what may also be described as our own real-time cinematic output. One of the most compelling of these stages may be three dimensional, online virtual worlds in which avatars create and enact their own tales and conceptions, effectively bringing forth live, participatory cinema through Play
    • 

    corecore