Is It Reasonable For ‘Art’ To Have No Definition?

The concept ‘art’ has no definition. It is open to interpretation and change; what is constituted as art is based on a range of rational reasons, contextually different between individuals and situations. I will show that Wittgenstein’s theories about aesthetics (different from family resemblances) were on the right path, and that Morris Weitz’s open concept view was flawed, but can be revived by cluster accounts, such as Berys Gaut’s. However, I will also show that Gaut was mistaken to give set criteria that constitute a highly disjunctive concept (definition) of art, but that rational reasons in an epistemic field can provide individual concepts of art, allowing for an explanation to the vagueness in defining art. Thus, I shall begin with the anti-essentialists and move onto cluster accounts, finally finishing with a reason-based cluster account of art

Integrating Blockchains and Intelligent Agents in the Pursuit of Artificial General Intelligence

Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is the next greatest technological milestone. AGI can be defined as a realized artificial intelligence (AI) with the ability to understand and solve problems of various scope within constantly changing environments. To take steps toward this goal, a baseline of information will be provided regarding surrounding topics and the current state of AGI, itself. Through the culmination of swarms of highly optimized narrow AI agents, a collaborative effort will be extended toward general intelligence. Blockchains have been selected to facilitate this connection. A software deliverable will accompany this thesis to illustrate how this idea might be realized. The SingularityNET platform is utilized for this end due to its advanced protocols and methods for inter-AI communication

Survey of Modern Wittgensteinian Hinge Theories in Epistemology

The following essay is a survey of uses of hinge propositions in epistemological theories. I shall begin by looking at the sceptical paradox which is the main antagonist in Epistemology. I will then move on to look at the origins of the idea of hinge propositions, which had their root in late Wittgenstein. Finally I shall look at the two most prominent modern theories utilizing hinges; those of Crispin Wright and Michael Williams. In addition, I shall cover some of the main problems concerning these theories, and some brief possible responses

California sea lion interactions with commercial passenger fishing vessel fisheries: a review of log book data from 1994, 1995, and 1996.

Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessel (CPFV) logs were analyzed to determine the degree of sea lion interactions in the CPFV fishery. From 1994 to 1996, sea lions depredated over 152,000 fish representing more than 40 different species. Although the depredation total seems high, it is still less than 10% of the fish caught by anglers. In southern California, sea lions primarily depredated California barracuda and mackerels, while in central and northern California, they depredated salmonids. Depredations in central and northern California were seasonal with most occurring during March and April. Southern California depredations occurred year-round with a majority from May through September. Sea lions directly affect CPFV fishing by consuming bait and chum and depredating hooked fish that are being reeled in. As sea lion populations continue to increase we would expect to see an increase in the number and degree of CPFV interactions and depredations. (23pp.

The Farm Books: On Keeping, and Giving Up, a Book Collection

Graduate Winner: 2nd Place, 2008. 21st Annual Carl Neureuther Student Book Collection Competition

Summary of Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi, surveys in California, 1982 to 1995

The California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) initiated an annual Pacific harbor seal, Phoca vitulina richardsi, census along the California coast in 1981 as part of an assessment program conducted cooperatively with National Marine Fisheries Service. Surveys were conducted during the harbor seal molting season and census data were used as an index of abundance to detect changes in population abundance or distribution. Because not all harbor seals are hauled-out at the time of the surveys, the index estimates the total number of seals hauled-out on rocks and beaches rather than the total number of harbor seals in California. (51pp.

Charisma as attachment to the divine: Some Hasidic principles for comparison of social movements of Gandhi, Nasser, Ben-Gurion, and King (Volumes I and II)

This study provides a comprehensive theory of charismatic relationships which, consistent with the original meaning of the term charisma, emphasizes the followers\u27 belief that their leader is attached to their perception of the divine. In that the process of theory development shows its application to several modern leader-follower relationships, analysts can use the theory to examine such relationships in a variety of social settings. The theory was developed from an ideal type model based on Hasidism, a significant Jewish religious movement which centers on the zaddik. Literally, zaddik means righteous and is applied to an individual who is believed to have a special relationship with God, and in Hasidism his role expanded to include tasks of leadership in all spheres of Hasidic life. The ideal type model, constructed in twenty propositions, was compared to the characteristics of four twentieth century leader-follower relationships which occurred in political and civil, that is secular, mass movements. The empirical data came from biographies, historical accounts, and personal remembrances describing the political, social, and personal relationships of the following charismatic leaders: (1) Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi--India; (2) Gamal Abdul Nasser--Egypt; (3) David Ben-Gurion--Israel; (4) Martin Luther King, Jr.--United States. The comparative analyses revealed that the leader-follower relationships of Gandhi and Nasser conformed to the model, but that those of Ben-Gurion and King did not conform to all propositions. It was found that the distinguishing features of charismatic relationships are that followers (1) believe the charismatic leader to be imbued with superhuman qualities, (2) believe that he has a divinely sanctioned mission, and (3) express those beliefs by showing him reverence and paying him homage. In other words, followers regard their leader as having divinely ordained, superhuman qualities. Specific research for applications of the theoretical model is suggested, and a model for mass social movements, a by-product of the study, is also described

Focused on Freedom: Exploring the Potential of Grading Contracts to Support Writers in the Secondary English Language Arts Classroom

Drawing on qualitative methods, I engaged in a practitioner inquiry (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2009) to investigate the use of contract grading to promote educational freedom (hooks, 2009; Love, 2020) in the post-secondary writing classroom. In addition, I explored the potential of this practice in the secondary English language arts setting. To better understand the perspectives of both post-secondary writing instructors and secondary English teachers on the use of grading contracts, I conducted focus groups and engaged in artifact analysis (Billups, 2019). Results showed that post-secondary instructors who utilized grading contracts in their classroom saw changes primarily in their students’ engagement and communication compared to what they experienced when engaging in traditional grading practices. While secondary teachers appreciated the transparency that grading contracts promoted, they believed that any changes to their current grading practices would not deter their students from seeking motivation from grades, but rather would leave them feeling uneasy in their attempts to navigate a new system. Using the data derived from these results, I provided commentary on the necessity of professional learning within this conversation, as well as a discussion of future research that is necessary to better understand the potential of ungrading in the secondary English language arts class

How have people been coping during the COVID-19 pandemic? Patterns and predictors of coping strategies amongst 26,016 UK adults

Background: Individuals face increased psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it’s unknown whether choice of coping styles are influenced by COVID-19 in addition to known predictors. Methods: Data from 26,016 UK adults in the UCL COVID-19 Social Study were analysed from 12/4/2020 15/5/2020. Regression models were used to identify predictors of coping styles (problem-focused, emotion-focused, avoidant, and socially-supported): model 1 included sociodemographic variables, model 2 additionally included psychosocial factors, and model 3 further included experience of COVID-19 specific adverse worries or events. Results: Sociodemographic and psychosocial predictors of coping align with usual predictors of coping styles not occurring during a pandemic. However, even when controlling for the wide range of these previously known predictors specific adversities were associated with use of specific strategies. Experience of worries about finances, basic needs, and events related to Covid-19 were associated with a range of strategies, while experience of financial adversities was associated with problem-focused, emotion-focused and avoidant coping. There were no associations between coping styles and experiencing challenges in meeting basic needs, but Covid-19 related adversities were associated with a lower use of socially-supported coping. Conclusions: This paper demonstrates that there are not only demographic and social predictors of coping styles during the COVID-19 pandemic, but specific adversities are related to the ways that adults cope. Furthermore, this study identifies groups at risk of more avoidant coping mechanisms which may be targeted for supportive interventions