What Can Consciousness Anomalies Tell Us About Quantum Mechanics?

In this paper, I explore the link between consciousness and quantum mechanics. Often explanations that invoke consciousness to help explain some of the most perplexing aspects of quantum mechanics are not given serious attention. However, casual dismissal is perhaps unwarranted, given the persistence of the measurement problem, as well as the mysterious nature of consciousness. Using data accumulated from experiments in parapsychology, I examine what anomalous data with respect to consciousness might tell us about various explanations of quantum mechanics. I examine three categories of quantum mechanics interpretations that have some promise of fitting with this anomalous data. I conclude that explanations that posit a substratum of reality containing pure information or potentia, along the lines proposed by Bohm and Stapp, off er the best fit for various categories of this data

Does Australia need new anti-terror laws?

Australia does need new anti-terror laws, but many of the measures being proposed by the Abbott government go far beyond what is required, according to this speech presented at the Lionel Murphy Memorial Lecture 2014. Introduction My topic today is one of great contemporary concern. Next week, Parliament will debate the most significant new anti-terrorism measures introduced in Australia since the London bombings of 2005. The so-called Foreign Fighters Bill is a large piece of legislation. It runs to nearly 160 pages, and deals with some of the most contentious aspects of Australian law. It seeks to greatly expand the reach of government power in a number of new areas, such as by jailing Australians for up to 10 years for entering any area declared a no-go zone by the government. You might think that Parliament will take a long, considered look at this Bill. The reality will be different. After a rushed committee process that has recommended largely cosmetic changes to the Bill, debate will begin in the Senate on Monday. This will likely conclude the next day. The Bill will then come on for debate in the House of Representatives, where it will be passed before Parliament rises on Thursday. This truncated timetable matches the government’s desire to have this legislation enacted as quickly as possible. We know the government will almost certainly get its wish because the opposition has agreed to facilitate this. Indeed, the leader of the opposition has written to the Prime Minister indicating that the opposition will ensure the bill is enacted by the end of October, that is, by the end of next week. I wonder what Lionel Murphy would have made of this process. I doubt he would have been complementary

The High Court on constitutional law: the 2013 statistics

Introduction: This article presents statistical information about the High Court’s decision making for 2013 at both an institutional and individual level, with an emphasis on constitutional cases as a subset of the total. The results have been compiled using the same methodology employed in studies of earlier years. Likewise, we maintain our customary advice to readers about the inevitable limitations that must apply to the results of an empirical study of the decisions of any final court over the space of a single calendar year. In particular, the fact that constitutional cases comprise just a portion of the High Court’s annual work means that we strive to make observations leaning more towards circumspection than boldness. Nevertheless, taking stock of the cases handed down by the Court in the preceding year and the way in which the justices have, as individuals within the institution, decided their outcomes is illuminating. As ever, we are careful not to attribute greater or lesser ‘influence’ to particular individuals simply through tracking the rates of consensus, dissent and co-authorship experienced within the Court

The new terrorists: the normalisation and spread of anti-terror laws in Australia

This article explores the dynamic by which once exceptional measures become normalised and then extended to new extremes. Abstract Since September 11, Australia’s federal Parliament has enacted a range of exceptional measures aimed at preventing terrorism. These measures include control orders, which were not designed or intended for use outside of the terrorism context. What has followed, however, has been the migration of this measure to new contexts in the states and territories, especially in regard to what some have termed the ‘war on bikies’. This has occurred to the point that this measure, once considered extreme, has become accepted as a normal aspect of the criminal justice system, and has in turn given rise to even more stringent legal measures. This article explores the dynamic by which once exceptional measures become normalised and then extended to new extremes. It explores these issues in the context of the role that constitutional values have played in this process

The High Court on constitutional law: the 2011 statistics

This article presents statistical information about the High Court’s decision making for 2011 at both an institutional and individual level, with an emphasis on constitutional cases as a subset of the total. The authors emphasise the importance of acknowledging the limitations that inhere in an empirical study of the decision-making of the High Court over just one year. In particular, care must be taken not to invest too much significance in the percentage calculations given the modesty of the sample size, especially in respect of the smaller set of constitutional cases. Nevertheless, this annual exercise remains worthwhile in that it offers assistance to those followers of the Court’s decisions who are interested in the way in which the dynamics between its individual members translate into institutional outcomes. It provides simple empirical data about the functioning of the Court that may otherwise be left merely to impression. The authors endeavour to draw readers’ attention to trends and patterns observed in earlier years where these enhance understanding of the significance of these results. As it turns out, the results of our 2011 survey of decision-making on the Court provide a clear demonstration of the value of looking at the Court on a yearly basis. They are, in several key respects, notably different from those of the immediately preceding years. Statistical representations of the way in which the High Court and its Justices decided the cases of any given year are only a supplement, rather than any kind of substitute, for scholarship that subjects the legal reasoning contained in the cases to substantive analysis or examines the impact of the Court’s decisions upon government and the community. The authors also refrain entirely from making the exercise one from which they presume to make inferences about the particular working relationships amongst the Court’s members. The results are drawn only from what may be observed from the public record of the Court’s decided cases. This remains inadequate source material from which to assess, for example, the level of influence which any Justice has amongst his or her colleagues

Regional tectonic analysis of Venus equatorial highlands and comparison with Earth-based Magellan radar images

Research on regional tectonic analysis of Venus equatorial highlands and comparison with earth-based and Magellan radar images is presented. Over the past two years, the tectonic analysis of Venus performed centered on global properties of the planet, in order to understand fundamental aspects of the dynamics of the mantle and lithosphere of Venus. These include studies pertaining to the original constitutive and thermal character of the planet, as well as the evolution of Venus through time, and the present day tectonics. Parameterized convection models of the Earth and Venus were developed. The parameterized convection code was reformulated to model Venus with an initially hydrous mantle to determine how the cold-trap could affect the evolution of the planet

Avionics systems integration technology

A very dramatic and continuing explosion in digital electronics technology has been taking place in the last decade. The prudent and timely application of this technology will provide Army aviation the capability to prevail against a numerically superior enemy threat. The Army and NASA have exploited this technology explosion in the development and application of avionics systems integration technology for new and future aviation systems. A few selected Army avionics integration technology base efforts are discussed. Also discussed is the Avionics Integration Research Laboratory (AIRLAB) that NASA has established at Langley for research into the integration and validation of avionics systems, and evaluation of advanced technology in a total systems context

Generalized Stochastic Gradient Learning

We study the properties of generalized stochastic gradient (GSG) learning in forwardlooking models. We examine how the conditions for stability of standard stochastic gradient (SG) learning both di1er from and are related to E-stability, which governs stability under least squares learning. SG algorithms are sensitive to units of measurement and we show that there is a transformation of variables for which E-stability governs SG stability. GSG algorithms with constant gain have a deeper justification in terms of parameter drift, robustness and risk sensitivity