What is Consciousness For?

What is Consciousness For? Lee Pierson and Monroe Trout Copyright © 2005 Abstract: The answer to the title question is, in a word, volition. Our hypothesis is that the ultimate adaptive function of consciousness is to make volitional movement possible. All conscious processes exist to subserve that ultimate function. Thus, we believe that all conscious organisms possess at least some volitional capability. Consciousness makes volitional attention possible; volitional attention, in turn, makes volitional movement possible. There is, as far as we know, no valid theoretical argument that consciousness is needed for any function other than volitional movement and no convincing empirical evidence that consciousness performs any other ultimate function. Consciousness, via volitional action, increases the likelihood that an organism will direct its attention, and ultimately its movements, to whatever is most important for its survival and reproduction

A Thom Isomorphism for Infinite Rank Euclidean Bundles

An equivariant Thom isomorphism theorem in operator K-theory is formulated and proven for infinite rank Euclidean vector bundles over finite dimensional Riemannian manifolds. The main ingredient in the argument is the construction of a non-commutative C*-algebra associated to a bundle E -> M, equipped with a compatible connection, which plays the role of the algebra of functions on the infinite dimensional total space E. If the base M is a point, we obtain the Bott periodicity isomorphism theorem of Higson-Kasparov-Trout for infinite dimensional Euclidean spaces. The construction applied to an even (finite rank) spin-c-bundle over an even-dimensional proper spin-c-manifold reduces to the classical Thom isomorphism in topological K-theory. The techniques involve non-commutative geometric functional analysis.Comment: Accepted for publication in Homology, Homotopy and Application

Heat protection apparatus Patent

Development of thermal insulation system for wing and control surfaces of hypersonic aircraft and reentry vehicle

Asymptotic Spectral Measures, Quantum Mechanics, and E-theory

We study the relationship between POV-measures in quantum theory and asymptotic morphisms in the operator algebra E-theory of Connes-Higson. This is done by introducing the theory of "asymptotic" PV-measures and their integral correspondence with positive asymptotic morphisms on locally compact spaces. Examples and applications involving various aspects of quantum physics, including quantum noise models, semiclassical limits, strong deformation quantizations, and pure half-spin particles, are also discussed.Comment: For journal version, see http://link.springer.de/link/service/journals/00220/bibs/2226001/22260041.ht

An assessment of plankton populations, toxic cyanobacteria, and potential impact of introduced marine alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) in Pawtuckaway Lake, New Hampshire

A field study was conducted during the summer, 2005 to evaluate the lake water quality and planktonic communities in Pawtuckaway Lake, NH. Of special concern was the condition of the plankton populations since the lake had been subjected to introductions of adult sea-run alewife Overall water quality ranged from mesotrophic to eutrophic based on total phosphorus (8-31 !g L-1), chlorophyll a (max South, 5.0 !g L-1) and Secchi disk transparency (max North 5.1 m, min South 2.8 m). Of the three sites sampled, Fundy, North and South, Fundy (Zmax \u3c 2 m) did not stratify and had the highest concentrations of total phosphorus, followed by North and South sites, respectively. North and South sites stratified throughout the summer and developed anoxic hypolimnia, with the most severe oxygen deficit at the North site Potentially toxigenic cyanobacteria were detected at all three sites. Throughout the summer, the concentrations of the cyanotoxin microcystin in the lake were well above the average for NH lakes. Lakewater concentrations of microcystins exceeded WHO drinking water standards (1000 ng L-1) at the North site (1204.0 ng L-1) on July 21. The two dominant cyanobacteria were Anabaena spp.. and Microcystis aeruginosa. Oscillatoria (Planktothrix) were also present, but only rarely and therefore were probably were not responsible for most of the microcystins present in the lakewater

Performance and Pollution Measurements of Two-Row Swirl-Can Combustor Having 72 Modules

A test program was conducted to evaluate the performance and gaseous-pollutant levels of an experimental full-annulus 72-module swirl-can combustor. A comparison of data with those for a 120-module swirl-can combustor showed no significant difference in performance or levels of gaseous pollutants. Oxides of nitrogen were correlated for the 72- and 120-swirl-can combustors by using a previously developed parameter