The Problem of the Rock and the Grammar of Consciousness

The “Problem of the Rock” (PoR) is a famous objection to Higher-Order (HO) theories of consciousness. According to PoR, the HO theorists’ claim that a mental state is conscious iff there is a higher-order mental state about it implies that a rock is also conscious iff there is a higher-order mental state about it. In this paper I show that this argument confuses two grammatically distinct attributions of consciousness, and that if the consequent equivocation fallacy is avoided, PoR is either a straw man argument or has an unproblematic conclusion

Eastward, ho!

California ; Population

Value Creation in Asia-Pacific Region

Perihal budaya, baik budaya perusahaan maupun budaya masyarakat di mana sebuah perusahaan beroperasi, dewasa ini kian mendapat perhatian bisniswan. Penciptaan budaya perusahaan dan pemahanan akan budaya masyarakat setempat merupakan bagian dari kunci keberhasilan bisnis. Tulisan ini mengetengahkan hasil pengamatan tentang bagaimana budaya masyarakat sebuah negeri mempengaruhi organisasi dan operasionalisasi suatu perusahaan, bagaimana pihak perusahan menyelaraskan budaya korporatnya sehingga kemudian sukses dalam bisnis yang dijalankan. Di Asia, sukses bisnis berhubungan erat dengan dan sekaligus mencerminkan kemampuan dalam menyesuaikan diri dengan budaya lokal. Ini berartiâantara lainâmanajer-manajer barat seyogianya tidak 17 ten taksakan standar dan Fromm sena nilai-nilai mereka sendiri, melainkan beradaptasi dengan kultur lokal. Bersinarnya perekonomian di wilayah Asia-Pasifik, kendati dalam setahun terakhir agak meredup, antara lain juga berkat peleburan nilai nilai Timur dan Barat yang berlangsung sejak awal dasawarsa ini. Menghadapi Abad XXI nanti, penerapan Dalil Nilai Pelanggan (Customer Value Proposition) dapat menjadi faktor-kunci keberhasilan bisnis. Itu berarti: alih-alih bersaing dalam hal semua aspek produk atau jasa yang dilayankan, sebuah perusahaan lebih balk memilih untuk unggul dalam salah satu di antara tiga aspek bisnis berikut: kepemimpinan produk, keunggulan operasional, atau keakraban dengan pelanggan. Untuk menakar seberapa jauh sebuah perusahaan berhasil atau mendekati sukses dalam bersaing di salah satu dari aspek-aspek bisnis tadi, konsep Untaion Nilai (Value Chain) Michael Porter dapat digunakan sebagai ukuran atau alat analisis. Keywords: culture corporatefounding fathersAmerican cultural valuesJapanese cultural values: evolution: revolutio

The influences of holmium on the solidification, microstructure and mechanical properties of elektron 21 magnesium alloy

The solidification parameter of Elektron 21 magnesium alloys with various Ho concentrations were investigated using computer-aided cooling curve thermal analysis system, and the solidification microstructure and phase constitution of the investigated alloys were characterized by SEM, EDX, and XRD. The mechanical properties were also investigated comparatively. The Ho was selected due to the ability to develop new intermetallic phases together with Mg and have a positive potential to reflect the properties of Mg alloys. As the outcome from this study, the cooling parameter of Elektron 21 with lower addition Ho content, the nucleation and growth temperature of α-Mg in Elektron 21 magnesium alloy decreased, where the Ho changed the solution degree of Zn, which resulted in refinement of microstructure. The results of solidification parameters showed the addition of 0.083 and 0.16 wt. % Ho cause a decrease of the solidification temperature alloys, which lead to the grain size about 64.0 %, which being a most effective addition. The microstructure of the result indicated that the intermetallic phases in the Elektron 21 cast alloy consisted mainly of α-Mg matrix, Mg12Nd, Mg41Nd5, Mg3Gd and Mg3Nd phase. The lower addition of Ho consists of Mg-Zn-Ho phase appears in the cast alloys. However, after adding 0.5 to 3.0 wt. % Ho, the Mg-Zn-Ho phase was suppressed and the phase has earlier been mixed Mg2Ho and Mg3Ho phase. Moreover, the addition of 0.083 wt. % of Ho exhibited an excellent improvement of ultimate tensile strength, yield strength and hardness of 139.7 MPa, 105.62 MPa and 103.52 Hv, respectively. The solidification, microstructure and mechanical properties of Elektron 21 magnesium alloys influenced by the Ho concentration in the magnesium alloys; Elektron 21 with 0.083 wt.% Ho exhibited the refinement of microstructure and displayed the best properties compared to other alloys

Cepheid theoretical models and observations in HST/WFC3 filters: the effect on the Hubble constant Ho

We present a complete theoretical scenario for classical Cepheids in the most commonly used HST/WFC3 filters, going from optical (F555W, F606W and F814W) to near-infrared (F160W) bands. The importance of such a study is related to the recent release of new classical Cepheids observed with HST/WFC3 in 8 distant galaxies where SNIa are hosted. These observations have posed sound constraints to the current distance scale with uncertainties on the Hubble constant Ho smaller than 3%. Our models explore a large range of metallicity and Helium content, thus providing a robust and unique theoretical tool for describing these new and future HST/WFC3 observations. As expected, the Period-Luminosity (PL) relation in F160W filter is linear and slightly dependent on the metallicity when compared with optical bands, thus it seems the most accurate tool to constrain extragalactic distances with Cepheids. We compare the pulsation properties of Cepheids observed with HST/WFC3-IR with our theoretical scenario and we discuss the agreement with the predicted Instability Strip for all the investigated galaxy samples including the case of NGC4258. Finally, adopting our theoretical F160W PL relation for Z=0.02 and log P>1.0, we derive new distance moduli. In particular, for NGC 4258, we derive a distance modulus mu0 = 29.345 +- 0.004 mag with a sigma = 0.34 mag, which is in very good agreement with the geometrical maser value. Moreover, using the obtained distance moduli, we estimate the Hubble constant value, Ho=76.0 +- 1.9 km s-1 Mpc-1 in excellent agreement with the most recent literature values.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures, 4 tables, MNRAS, accepte

Passió i motivació pels videojocs online

Un estudi ha analitzat els motius pels quals els joves s'impliquen tant en els videojocs online. Els resultats obtinguts mostren que els joves que juguen per socialitzar-se, explorar el joc i obtenir recompenses, ho fan perquè la seva passió és compatible amb d'altres activitats. En canvi, els que ho fan per evadir-se de la realitat mitjançant els personatges que creen o la immersió en el món virtual ho fan guiats per una passió obsessiva i absorbent. Aquests resultats confirmen que l'alta dedicació als videojocs online no és necessàriament perjudicial

Lucky Achievement: Virtue Epistemology on the Value of Knowledge

Virtue epistemology argues that knowledge is more valuable than Gettierized belief because knowledge is an achievement, but Gettierized belief is not. The key premise in the achievement argument is that achievement is apt (successful because competent) and Gettierized belief is inapt (successful because lucky). I first argue that the intuition behind the achievement argument is based wrongly on the fact that ‘being successful because lucky’ implicates ‘being not competent enough’. I then offer an argument from moral luck to argue that virtue epistemologists should maintain that knowledge is no more valuable than Gettierized belief

POLYMORPHIC TRANSFORMATION OF TITANIUMDIOXIDECAUSED BY HEAT TREATMENT OF PROTONIC LEPIDOCROCITE TITANATE

ABSTRACT The polymorphic phases of titanium dioxide were successfully prepared by heat treatments of protonic lepidocrocite titanate, HO.5T4i1.86sOo.13.0s.054HzOat various temperatures. The prepared powders were characterized with EDX (Energy Dispersive X-ray), Scanning Electron M~croscopy(SEM), X-rays Diffractometer (XRD), Raman Spectroscopy, and High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM). The effect of calcination temperature on the phase structure and morphology of the heated samples was investigated. The research indicated that the protonic titanate, Ho.54Ti1.86sOo.13504\u270.5(0Hz=Ovacancy), lost the inter/ayer water by being heated up to 200°C toproducea dehydratedphase,HO.54Th~o. 13S04.Above 300°C, the dehydrated phase, Ho.54Ti1.86500.1350", completely transformed to TiOz(B)and anatase was obtained as pure phase at 600°C. The phase transformed as the following process: HO.54Th86s00. 13504\u270. 5HzO -+ HO.54Ti1. 86sOo.13504\u270.25Hz -+ HO.54Ti1.86s00.13S04-+ TiOz(B) -+ TiOranatase. \u27 Keywords: layered compound, titanium dioxide, lepidocrocite, phase transformation, heat treatmen