Perceptual content and the content of mental imagery

The aim of this paper is to argue that the phenomenal similarity between perceiving and visualizing can be explained by the similarity between the structure of the content of these two different mental states. And this puts important constraints on how we should think about perceptual content and the content of mental imager

Bringing the Moon Into the Classroom

Understanding the phases of the Moon is a perennial stumbling block in introductory astronomy classes. In the film, A Private Universe, for instance, both Harvard graduates and gifted high-school students display serious misconceptions about the Moon\u27s phases, believing, among other things, that the Earth\u27s shadow on the Moon is the cause of it all. Part of the problem may stem from textbook illustrations that show a view of the Moon in orbit around the Earth with the Sun of to one side. Students have trouble converting mentally from this God\u27s eye perspective into the geocentric perspective we experience as observers on the Earth looking at the Moon. As an aid in developing this skill of visualizing the same phenomenon from different frames of reference, I have lately taken to employing video techniques in the classroom. [excerpt

A review of data visualization: opportunities in manufacturing sequence management.

Data visualization now benefits from developments in technologies that offer innovative ways of presenting complex data. Potentially these have widespread application in communicating the complex information domains typical of manufacturing sequence management environments for global enterprises. In this paper the authors review the visualization functionalities, techniques and applications reported in literature, map these to manufacturing sequence information presentation requirements and identify the opportunities available and likely development paths. Current leading-edge practice in dynamic updating and communication with suppliers is not being exploited in manufacturing sequence management; it could provide significant benefits to manufacturing business. In the context of global manufacturing operations and broad-based user communities with differing needs served by common data sets, tool functionality is generally ahead of user application

Waltz - An exploratory visualization tool for volume data, using multiform abstract displays

Although, visualization is now widely used, misinterpretations still occur. There are three primary solutions intended to aid a user interpret data correctly. These are: displaying the data in different forms (Multiform visualization); simplifying (or abstracting) the structure of the viewed information; and linking objects and views together (allowing corresponding objects to be jointly manipulated and interrogated). These well-known visualization techniques, provide an emphasis towards the visualization display. We believe however that current visualization systems do not effectively utilise the display, for example, often placing it at the end of a long visualization process. Our visualization system, based on an adapted visualization model, allows a display method to be used throughout the visualization process, in which the user operates a 'Display (correlate) and Refine' visualization cycle. This display integration provides a useful exploration environment, where objects and Views may be directly manipulated; a set of 'portions of interest' can be selected to generate a specialized dataset. This may subsequently be further displayed, manipulated and filtered

Exploring the Design Space of Immersive Urban Analytics

Recent years have witnessed the rapid development and wide adoption of immersive head-mounted devices, such as HTC VIVE, Oculus Rift, and Microsoft HoloLens. These immersive devices have the potential to significantly extend the methodology of urban visual analytics by providing critical 3D context information and creating a sense of presence. In this paper, we propose an theoretical model to characterize the visualizations in immersive urban analytics. Further more, based on our comprehensive and concise model, we contribute a typology of combination methods of 2D and 3D visualizations that distinguish between linked views, embedded views, and mixed views. We also propose a supporting guideline to assist users in selecting a proper view under certain circumstances by considering visual geometry and spatial distribution of the 2D and 3D visualizations. Finally, based on existing works, possible future research opportunities are explored and discussed.Comment: 23 pages,11 figure

Reductive Representationalism and Emotional Phenomenology

A prominent view of phenomenal consciousness combines two claims: (i) the identity conditions of phenomenally conscious states can be fully accounted for in terms of these states’ representational content; (ii) this representational content can be fully accounted for in non-phenomenal terms. This paper presents an argument against this view. The core idea is that the identity conditions of phenomenally conscious states are not fixed entirely by what these states represent (their representational contents), but depend in part on how they represent (their representational attitudes or modes). The argument highlights the myriad liabilities and difficulties one must accrue when one tries to appeal only to what phenomenally conscious states represent in accounting for their phenomenal individuation

EFL Students’ Use of the Verb ‘See’: A Conceptual Metaphor Analysis

This study investigated Indonesian EFL university students’ use of conceptual metaphor with the English perception verb ‘see’. The idea of a conceptual metaphor refers to how people understand someone's idea represented by linguistics elements. The use of perception verbs in everyday life combined with other words that do not correlate with the five senses can inform readers of the state of language use in certain contexts. The methods employed in this research were descriptive and qualitative. The data were collected from the essays of Indonesian EFL university students (n = 27 students and 390 essays) and were processed and analyzed using AntFileConverter and AntConc concordance software. The researchers classified the perception verb ‘see’ based on its form, structure and meaning, and analyzed the conceptual metaphors. Five concepts of metaphors were found for the English perception verb ‘see’, including impression, fantasy, understanding, assumption, and prediction.  Keywords: conceptual metaphors, source domain, target domain, English perception verb, verb ‘see’&nbsp

Mental imagery and fiction

Fictions evoke imagery, and their value consists partly in that achievement. This paper offers analysis of this neglected topic. Section 2 identifies relevant philosophical background. Section 3 offers a working definition of imagery. Section 4 identifies empirical work on visual imagery. Sections 5 and 6 criticize imagery essentialism, through the lens of genuine fictional narratives. This outcome, though, is not wholly critical. The expressed spirit of imagery essentialism is to encourage philosophers to ‘put the image back into the imagination’. The weakened conclusion is that while an image is not essential to imagining, it should be returned to our theories of imagination

Belief-like imaginings and perceptual (non-)assertoricity

A commonly-discussed feature of perceptual experience is that it has ‘assertoric’ or ‘phenomenal’ force. We will start by discussing various descriptions of the assertoricity of perceptual experience. We will then adopt a minimal characterization of assertoricity: a perceptual experience has assertoric force just in case it inclines the perceiver to believe its content. Adducing cases that show that visual experience is not always assertoric, we will argue that what renders these visual experiences non-assertoric is that they are penetrated by belief-like imaginings. Lastly, we will explain why it is that when belief-like imaginings—as opposed to beliefs (and other cognitive states)—penetrate visual experience, they render visual experiences non-assertoric