3WaySym-Scal: three-way symbolic multidimensional scaling

Multidimensional scaling aims at reconstructing dissimilarities between pairs of objects by distances in a low dimensional space.However, in some cases the dissimilarity itself is not known, but the range, or a histogram of the dissimilarities is given. This type of data fall in the wider class of symbolic data (see Bock and Diday (2000)). We model three-way two-mode data consisting of an interval of dissimilarities for each object pair from each of K sources by a set of intervals of the distances defined as the minimum and maximum distance between two sets of embedded rectangles representing the objects. In this paper, we provide a new algorithm called 3WaySym-Scal using iterative majorization, that is based on an algorithm, I-Scal developed for the two-way case where the dissimilarities are given by a range of values ie an interval (see Groenen et al. (2006)).The advantage of iterative majorization is that each iteration is guaranteed to improve the solution until no improvement is possible. We present the results on an empirical data set on synthetic musical tones.2WaySym-Scal;interval data;multidimensional scaling;symbolic data analysis;three-way data

Putting races on the ontological map: a close look at Spencer’s ‘new biologism’ of race.

In a large and impressive body of published work, Quayshawn Spencer has meticulously articulated and defended a metaphysical project aimed at resuscitating a biological conception of race—one free from many of the pitfalls of biological essentialism. If successful, such a project would be highly rewarding, since it would provide a compelling response to philosophers who have denied the genuine existence of race while avoiding the very dangers that they sought to avoid. I argue that if a “new biologism” about race is a live and attractive possibility, it will have to employ many of the moves that Spencer employs. The aim of this paper is to subject those moves to careful scrutiny and thereby appraise the prospects for a new biologism about race

A modest defense of geoengineering research

This paper examines the ethics of geoengineering research--particular research regarding solar radiation management using stratospheric aerosols. It takes a broadly consequentialist approach. The goal is to estimate the expected utility of conducting the research itself. The approach is to make no appeals to fundamental research freedoms; nor to simply assume from the fact that the expected utility of pursuing geoengineering implementations presently looks negative, that the research itself has negative expected utility. The paper asks, instead: Assuming that the balance of risks at the present moment looks stacked against the wisdom of pursuing a particular implementation, are there in fact good reasons for opposing mere research into geoengineering strategies? It concludes that a modest defense of this research is warranted

Putting races on the ontological map: a close look at Spencer’s ‘new biologism’ of race.

In a large and impressive body of published work, Quayshawn Spencer has meticulously articulated and defended a metaphysical project aimed at resuscitating a biological conception of race—one free from many of the pitfalls of biological essentialism. If successful, such a project would be highly rewarding, since it would provide a compelling response to philosophers who have denied the genuine existence of race while avoiding the very dangers that they sought to avoid. I argue that if a “new biologism” about race is a live and attractive possibility, it will have to employ many of the moves that Spencer employs. The aim of this paper is to subject those moves to careful scrutiny and thereby appraise the prospects for a new biologism about race

A modest defense of geoengineering research

This paper examines the ethics of geoengineering research--particular research regarding solar radiation management using stratospheric aerosols. It takes a broadly consequentialist approach. The goal is to estimate the expected utility of conducting the research itself. The approach is to make no appeals to fundamental research freedoms; nor to simply assume from the fact that the expected utility of pursuing geoengineering implementations presently looks negative, that the research itself has negative expected utility. The paper asks, instead: Assuming that the balance of risks at the present moment looks stacked against the wisdom of pursuing a particular implementation, are there in fact good reasons for opposing mere research into geoengineering strategies? It concludes that a modest defense of this research is warranted

A modest defense of geoengineering research

This paper examines the ethics of geoengineering research--particular research regarding solar radiation management using stratospheric aerosols. It takes a broadly consequentialist approach. The goal is to estimate the expected utility of conducting the research itself. The approach is to make no appeals to fundamental research freedoms; nor to simply assume from the fact that the expected utility of pursuing geoengineering implementations presently looks negative, that the research itself has negative expected utility. The paper asks, instead: Assuming that the balance of risks at the present moment looks stacked against the wisdom of pursuing a particular implementation, are there in fact good reasons for opposing mere research into geoengineering strategies? It concludes that a modest defense of this research is warranted

Hawking Radiation and Analogue Experiments: A Bayesian Analysis

We present a Bayesian analysis of the epistemology of analogue experiments with particular reference to Hawking radiation. First, we prove that such experiments can be confirmatory in Bayesian terms based upon appeal to 'universality arguments'. Second, we provide a formal model for the scaling behaviour of the confirmation measure for multiple distinct realisations of the analogue system and isolate a generic saturation feature. Finally, we demonstrate that different potential analogue realisations could provide different levels of confirmation. Our results provide a basis both to formalise the epistemic value of analogue experiments that have been conducted and to advise scientists as to the respective epistemic value of future analogue experiments.Comment: 25 pages, 5 figure