Modeling Mental Qualities

Conscious experiences are characterized by mental qualities, such as those involved in seeing red, feeling pain, or smelling cinnamon. The standard framework for modeling mental qualities represents them via points in geometrical spaces, where distances between points inversely correspond to degrees of phenomenal similarity. This paper argues that the standard framework is structurally inadequate and develops a new framework that is more powerful and flexible. The core problem for the standard framework is that it cannot capture precision structure: for example, consider the phenomenal contrast between seeing an object as crimson in foveal vision versus merely as red in peripheral vision. The solution I favor is to model mental qualities using regions, rather than points. I explain how this seemingly simple formal innovation not only provides a natural way of modeling precision, but also yields a variety of further theoretical fruits: it enables us to formulate novel hypotheses about the space and structures of mental qualities, formally differentiate two dimensions of phenomenal similarity, generate a quantitative model of the phenomenal sorites, and define a measure of discriminatory grain. A noteworthy consequence is that the structure of the mental qualities of conscious experiences is fundamentally different from the structure of the perceptible qualities of external objects

The Qualities of Qualia

This essay is a defence of the traditional notion of qualia - as properties of consciousness that are ineffable, intrinsic, private and immediately apprehensible - against the eliminative attempts of Daniel Dennett in the influential article "Quining Qualia." It is suggested that a thorough exploration of the concept is an appropriate starting point for future explanations of qualia, and the essay ends with some possible explanations of the four traditional properties

Emotional Qualities of VR Space

The emotional response a person has to a living space is predominantly affected by light, color and texture as space-making elements. In order to verify whether this phenomenon could be replicated in a simulated environment, we conducted a user study in a six-sided projected immersive display that utilized equivalent design attributes of brightness, color and texture in order to assess to which extent the emotional response in a simulated environment is affected by the same parameters affecting real environments. Since emotional response depends upon the context, we evaluated the emotional responses of two groups of users: inactive (passive) and active (performing a typical daily activity). The results from the perceptual study generated data from which design principles for a virtual living space are articulated. Such a space, as an alternative to expensive built dwellings, could potentially support new, minimalist lifestyles of occupants, defined as the neo-nomads, aligned with their work experience in the digital domain through the generation of emotional experiences of spaces. Data from the experiments confirmed the hypothesis that perceivable emotional aspects of real-world spaces could be successfully generated through simulation of design attributes in the virtual space. The subjective response to the virtual space was consistent with corresponding responses from real-world color and brightness emotional perception. Our data could serve the virtual reality (VR) community in its attempt to conceive of further applications of virtual spaces for well-defined activities.Comment: 12 figure

Flying qualities criteria for superaugmented aircraft

An overview of Dryden superaugmented aircraft flying qualities research is presented. This includes F-8 digital fly by wire flight experiments, orbiter flying qualities, shuttle improvements, AFTI/F-16, flying qualities and control system alternatives, Vertical Motion Simulator Shuttle evaluation and Total in Flight Simulator pitch rate criteria

Characteristic qualities affecting landed house prices

The research was conducted to find the characteristics quality of houses in Malaysia. The aim of this research was to produce the ranking characteristics of house qualities and determining its weightages. The methodology used in this research was primarily by using the Delphi Method to ascertain characteristics quality and also Analytical Hierarchy Process to determine the ranking of the characteristics quality. Data collection gathered through a structured questionnaire that incorporates the element of Saaty’s Scale using variables outlined from review and interview. A theoretical framework of the research was established from this that will lead to future research model

Brentano on Sensations and Sensory Qualities

This chapter has three sections. The first introduces Brentano’s view of sensations by presenting the intentional features of sensations irreducible to features of the sensory objects. The second presents Brentano’s view of sensory objects —which include sensory qualities— and the features of sensations that such objects allow to explain, such as their intensity. The third section presents Brentano’s approach to sensory pleasures and pains, which combines both appeal to specific modes of reference and to specific sensory qualities

Flexible aircraft flying and ride qualities

A brief analytic exposition is presented to illustrate a central principle in flexible mode control, some of the pertinent pilot centered requirements are listed and discussed. The desired features of the control methodology are exposed and the methodology to be used is selected. The example Boeing supplied characteristics are discussed and approximated with a reduced order model and a simplified treatment of unsteady aerodynamics. The closed loop flight control system design follows, along with first level assessments of resulting handling and ride quality characteristics. Some of these do not meet the postulated requirements and remain problems to be solved possibly by further analysis or future simulation

Leibniz's Alleged Ambivalence About Sensible Qualities

Leibniz has been accused of being ambivalent about the nature of sensible qualities such as color, heat, and sound. According to the critics, he unwittingly vacillates between the view that these qualities are really just complex mechanical qualities of bodies and the competing view that they are something like the perceptions or experiences that confusedly represent these mechanical qualities. Against this, I argue that the evidence for ascribing the first approach to Leibniz is rather strong, whereas the evidence for imputing the second approach to him is rather weak. The first, "mechanistic" approach should therefore be regarded as his considered view

Exploratory piloted simulator study of the effects of winglets on handling qualities of a representative agricultural airplane

The effects on handling qualities of adding winglets to a representative agricultural aircraft configuration during swath-run maneuvering were evaluated. Aerodynamic data used in the simulation were based on low-speed wind tunnel tests of a full scale airplane and a subscale model. The Cooper-Harper handling qualities rating scale, supplementary pilot comments, and pilot vehicle performance data were used to describe the handling qualities of the airplane with the different wing-tip configurations. Results showed that the lateral-directional handling qualities of the airplane were greatly affected by the application of winglets and winglet cant angle. The airplane with winglets canted out 20 deg exhibited severely degraded lateral directional handling qualities in comparison to the basic airplane. When the winglets were canted inward 10 deg, the flying qualities of the configuration were markedly improved over those of the winglet-canted-out configuration or the basic configuration without winglets, indicating that proper tailoring of the winglet design may afford a potential benefit in the area of handling qualities