On Horgan's Causal Compatibilism

It is quite obvious why the antireductionist picture of mental causation, which rests on supervenience, is such an attractive theory. On one side it secures the mental a preservation of its unique and different nature; on the other side it tries to place the mental in our world in a way that is compatible with the physicalistic view. But Kim's argument from supervenience reminds us that while trying to do so the antireductionists face the following dilemma: if mental properties have causal powers we risk a violation of the causal closure of the physics and threaten our physicalistic position; if they do not have them we adopt epiphenomenalism, which denies the mental causal powers of any sort. So, either we violate the causal closure of the physics or we adopt epiphenomenalism. We can write it as an argument in the form of a constructive dilemma and may call it the causal dilemma

Actitudes sociales ante el lenguaje de la cumbia y del rock

El presente trabajo se propone estudiar las actitudes sociales (Labov 1983) que sujetos adolescentes de clase media baja toman ante el lenguaje de la cumbia y del rock. El consumo de un género musical determinado es de particular importancia para la construcción de identidades, especialmente entre el público adolescente (Frith 1987), y permite la construcción de grupos que despiertan actitudes explícitas de adhesión o rechazo. Dado que en trabajos anteriores (Bregant 2011) se concluyó que, debido al carácter estereotipado de las canciones de estos géneros y la estrecha correlación que se establece entre texto y melodía (Förmas 1997), el material puramente verbal es, en general, suficiente para establecer la pertenencia de una canción a un género musical, se solicitó a un grupo de sujetos adolescentes que adscribieran un conjunto de canciones a un género mediante la lectura de sus textos y que explicaran cuáles eran los motivos de tal elección. En este trabajo se hará un estudio cualitativo de los rasgos lingüísticos que los sujetos identifican con los géneros estudiados, ya sean fonéticos ("Se comen letras"), léxicos ("Tiene palabras cumbieras") o temáticos ("Habla de la sociedad") y se analizarán las actitudes sociales que los sujetos toman ante estos rasgos ("Habla de manera inapropiada"), con el fin de contribuir al estudio sociolingüístico de este grupo socio-etari

In Brain We Trust

The central question of Churchland’s book Braintrust1 is where do moral values come from? She answers it in terms of the latest research in neuroscience, evolutionary biology, experimental psychology, and genetics. By explaining and understanding our social practices via scientific research Churchland tries to provide a neurobiological platform for morality and thus illuminates the usually neglected account that moral properties are in some sense natural properties. She puts the results of the latest empirical experiments into the philosophical framework in such a way that it forms a foundation for our moral behaviour. The book is therefore about the biological approach to human morality. However, in what sense moral properties are (via social properties) natural (neurobiological) properties, as the naturalistic approach to the origins of human morality suggests, remains murky. To blame is presumably the resently limited powers of neurobiological explanations of social, and consequently, moral behaviour since the complex neural mechanisms of our brains are still not clear enough

Frequency locking to a high-finesse Fabry-Perot cavity of a Frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser used as the optical phase modulator

We report on the frequency locking of a frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser to a 45 000 finesse, 87-cm-long, Fabry-Perot cavity using a modified form of the Pound-Drever-Hall technique. Necessary signals, such as light phase modulation and frequency correction feedback, are fed direcly to the infrared pump laser. This is sufficient to achieve a stable locking of the 532 nm visible beam to the cavity, also showing that the doubling process does not degrade laser performances.Comment: submitted to Review of Scientific Instrument

Mathematical Competence of a Child – Life Success of an Adult

Aims: To provide a brief overview of literature studying the relationship between mathematical competences in childhood and adult life success measured in academic achievements, socioeconomic status, and health measures. Results: Mathematical competences are determined by the ability to process mathematical symbols and quantity determination which is partially inborn. We can stimulate mathematical abilities by preschool stimulation, which leads to a less difficult behavioural pattern. Better mathematical competences correlate with positive socio-emotional control and positive attitudes towards learning and school which contribute to a more engaged academic life-style. Higher mathematical achievements correlate with better paid positions and also increased gross domestic product (GDP) on the national level. The Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth showed that their adult careers, accomplishments, and psychological well-being far exceeded base-rate expectations. On the other hand, children who are born preterm or near term experience mathematical learning difficulties which, despite the absence of overt health problems, present an obstacle into leading an otherwise fulfilling life. Conclusions: We can conclude from the findings, that mathematical precocity early in life predicts later creative contributions and leadership in critical occupational roles. Mathematical abilities are partially inborn. However, mathematical literacy can be further nurtured in preschool and school programmes. Since it is connected to a higher prosperity on individual as well as on national level, mathematical intervention should be offered especially to those who are underprivileged. When stimulating mathematical competences, a greater prosperity for all can be anticipated

Absolute Configuration of 3-Amino-2-methylpropanol

It is known that natural (-)-2-methylbutanol, a convenient r eference standard for branched-chain structures, has the configuration F. 3-Amino-2-methylpropanol can also b e useful for correlations of branchedchain compounds

Optical Fibres Contactless Sensor for Dynamic Testing of Lightweight Structures

With dynamic testing, engineers describe activities focused on the identification of some properties of vibrating structures. This step requires for the measurements of excitations and responses signals, applying appropriate sensors directly on the test article. These instruments modify the system's mass and stiffness distributions and eventually the eigen-properties of the structure. These errors become unacceptable especially when testing lightweight structures. This paper shows the results of some tests performed on a small compressor with the purpose of identifying the blades' natural frequencies and modes. It compares the acquisitions performed with standard accelerometers and two different contact-less systems using as exciters either a micro-hammer or a micro inertial shaker. The paper shows how the contact-less sensors provide good quality data and consistent results in the mode identification phase

Configuration of ( + )-Dihydrothymine and Related Compounds

A description of the preparation of (-)-~-ureidoisobutyric acid (III) and (+)-dihydrothymine (IV) from (-)-~-aminoisobutyric acid is given. (-)-2,6-Dioxo-4-propylhexahydropyrimidine (VI) was prepared from L-~-amino-n-caproic acid. Optically active III, IV, and VI are new compounds, and evidence is presented for their absolute configuration