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Who ought to look towards the horizon? A qualitative study on the collective social responsibility of scientific research European Journal for Philosophy of Science (IF 1.5) Pub Date : 2024-04-19 Vincenzo Politi
There is a growing concern for the proper role of science within democratic societies, which has led to the development of new science policies for the implementation of social responsibility in research. Although the very expression ‘social responsibility of science’ may be interpreted in different ways, many of these emerging policy frameworks define it, at least in part, as a form of anticipative
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Explanation versus Understanding: On Two Roles of Dynamical Systems Theory in Extended Cognition Research Foundations of Science (IF 0.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-17 Katarzyna Kuś, Krzysztof Wójtowicz
It is widely believed that mathematics carries a substantial part of the explanatory burden in science. However, mathematics can also play important heuristic roles of a different kind, being a source of new ideas and approaches, allowing us to build toy models, enhancing expressive power and providing fruitful conceptualizations. In this paper, we focus on the application of dynamical systems theory
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Landscapes of Sociotechnical Imaginaries in Education: A Theoretical Examination of Integrating Artificial Intelligence in Education Foundations of Science (IF 0.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-14 Dan Mamlok
The vision of integrating artificial intelligence in education is part of an ongoing push for harnessing digital solutions to improve teaching and learning. Drawing from Jasanoff (Future imperfect: Science, technology, and the imaginations of modernity. In S. Jasanoff, & S. H. Kim (Eds.), Dreamscapes of modernity: Sociotechnical imaginaries and the fabrication of power (pp. 1–33). The University of
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Up with Categories, Down with Sets; Out with Categories, In with Sets! Philosophia Mathematica (IF 1.1) Pub Date : 2024-04-13 Jonathan Kirby
Practical approaches to the notions of subsets and extension sets are compared, coming from broadly set-theoretic and category-theoretic traditions of mathematics. I argue that the set-theoretic approach is the most practical for ‘looking down’ or ‘in’ at subsets and the category-theoretic approach is the most practical for ‘looking up’ or ‘out’ at extensions, and suggest some guiding principles for
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A matter of where and when—the appearance of Late Blight of potato in Australia Historical Records of Australian Science (IF 0.3) Pub Date : 2024-04-04 Malcolm J. Ryley, Andre Drenth
Late Blight, also called Irish blight and brown rot, devastated potato crops in Ireland and countries in Europe in the 1840s, and led to famines, deaths, and the emigration of tens of thousands of poor farmworkers. The outbreaks were blamed on many factors, but finally it was demonstrated that the causal agent was an oomycete (water mould) Phytophthora infestans. The Queensland Government Entomologist
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Anthropocene, planetary boundaries and tipping points: interdisciplinarity and values in Earth system science European Journal for Philosophy of Science (IF 1.5) Pub Date : 2024-04-06 Vincent Lam, Yannick Rousselot
Earth system science (ESS) and modelling have given rise to a new conceptual framework in the recent decades, which goes much beyond climate science. Indeed, Earth system science and modelling have the ambition “to build a unified understanding of the Earth”, involving not only the physical Earth system components (atmosphere, cryosphere, land, ocean, lithosphere) but also all the relevant human and
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Subjectness of Intelligence: Quantum-Theoretic Analysis and Ethical Perspective Foundations of Science (IF 0.9) Pub Date : 2024-04-02
Abstract Recent developments in artificial intelligence urge clarification of its ethical and legal status. The issue revolves around the concept of subjectness, distinguishing active and responsible conduct from inert performance. We analyze this notion from a physical viewpoint, building on the quantum-theoretic refinement of the concept of uncertainty into quantum and classical types: quantum uncertainty
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How geographic thought happens: The autobiography of a mutable mobile Journal of Historical Geography (IF 1.031) Pub Date : 2024-04-04 Tim Cresswell
This article approaches the history of geographic thought through a partial autobiography that covers the last 40 years – a period that corresponds with the existence of the History and Philosophy of Geography Research Group of the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers). The paper is informed by both memory and a personal archive of material from the mid to late 1980s
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The contributions of Rupert Best to the modern concept of the nature of viruses Historical Records of Australian Science (IF 0.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-28 Andrew D. W. Geering
Rupert Jethro Best (1903–91), working alone at the Waite Agricultural Research Institute in Adelaide between 1934 and 1937, was among the first to purify tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and to propose that it was a complex macromolecule containing protein and another reactive group that was responsible for infectivity of the virus. However, his research was completely overshadowed by that of Wendell Stanley
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Cosmic topology, underdetermination, and spatial infinity European Journal for Philosophy of Science (IF 1.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-27 Patrick James Ryan
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Writing/Righting the world: Reflections on an engaged history and philosophy of geographical thought Journal of Historical Geography (IF 1.031) Pub Date : 2024-03-25 Richard T. Harrison
This paper argues for the relevance of the history and philosophy of geography and provides a personal perspective on the origins of the Working Party/Study Group/Research Group by one of its founders. Intellectually, the paper identifies the role of its history and philosophy as the construction and sanctioning of meta-narratives by which meaning is conferred on ‘geography’. Practically, the paper
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Exploring the Methodological Foundation of A Systemic Approach in Grey Systems Theory Foundations of Science (IF 0.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-23 Rafał Mierzwiak
The article focusses on grey system theory and its methodological foundations. Key topics include: axiomatisation of the concept of grey, comparison of grey systems theory with fuzzy logic and probabilistic approaches, and methodological development of the systems approach in grey data modelling. The article discusses in detail the challenges of defining grey space, grey functions, and their applications
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My Discussions of Quantum Foundations with John Stewart Bell Foundations of Science (IF 0.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-20 Marian Kupczynski
In 1976, I met John Bell several times in CERN and we talked about a possible violation of optical theorem, purity tests, EPR paradox, Bell’s inequalities and their violation. In this review, I resume our discussions, and explain how they were related to my earlier research. I also reproduce handwritten notes, which I gave to Bell during our first meeting and a handwritten letter he sent to me in 1982
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Where do we go from here? Reflections on the idea of progress in the history of geography Journal of Historical Geography (IF 1.031) Pub Date : 2024-03-19 Innes M. Keighren
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Criteria of success for engineering accident investigations: a question-centered account European Journal for Philosophy of Science (IF 1.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-18
Abstract Engineering accident investigations are systematic inquiries into the facts and causes of engineering accidents. The aims of an engineering accident investigation include identifying significant truths about an accident, learning lessons to prevent similar future accidents, and authoritatively communicating the investigative results to the stakeholders. An important normative dimension along
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‘From Snowy River, up by Kosciusko’s side’: a virus, a beetle, and a PhD Historical Records of Australian Science (IF 0.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-18 P. L. Guy
A chance discovery early in 1980 led to a body of work on a virus and a rare species that lasted until the end of the decade. The discovery and characterisation of turnip yellow mosaic virus (TYMV-Cd) infecting one-fifth of the fragmented population of Cardamine robusta at Mt Kosciuszko, New South Wales, revealed a puzzle that remains unresolved. There is no clear explanation as to why there is a population
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The Anatomy of Galileo’s Anagram Early Science and Medicine (IF 0.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-15 Eileen Reeves
This essay offers a new reading of Galileo’s most celebrated anagram, incorporating both the prehistory of his late-1610 disclosure concerning the moon-like phases of Venus, and the awkward “leftover letters,” o and y, of the eventual cypher. It argues for a sustained analogy between components of the optical instrument, musical instruments, and particular anatomical structures described by Galen and
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Book Publishing and Geometrical Skills in the Career of Sébastien Le Clerc Early Science and Medicine (IF 0.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-15 Oded Rabinovitch
Sébastien Le Clerc was born into a family of goldsmiths in Lorraine, and received classical artisanal training. Yet over the course of a highly successful career as an engraver, he also became a widely published scientific author. This paper argues that geometrical skills played a key role in the dual development of Le Clerc’s career, and in his striving for recognition as a man of letters, as well
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Forbidden Books and Royal Horoscopes: the Practice and Censorship of Astrology in Early Modern Portugal Early Science and Medicine (IF 0.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-15 Luís Campos Ribeiro, Francisco Malta Romeiras
In sixteenth-century Lisbon, Aires Vaz and Manuel Rodrigues were summoned to the Inquisition on account of their astrological practices. Records of the trial of Vaz and Rodrigues provide valuable information regarding the training and practice of an astrologer in sixteenth-century Portugal. Prior to this study, however, our knowledge on these matters was scarce and mostly indirect. In this article
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Mathematics and Experience Foundations of Science (IF 0.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-13
Abstract The question of whether mathematics depends on experience, including experience of the external world, is problematic because, while it is clear that natural sciences depend on experience, it is not clear that mathematics depends on experience. Indeed, several mathematicians and philosophers think that mathematics does not depend on experience, and this is also the view of mainstream philosophy
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Revising historical geography reviews Journal of Historical Geography (IF 1.031) Pub Date : 2024-03-13 Emily Hayes, Roberto Chauca Tapia
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Unexpected quantum indeterminacy European Journal for Philosophy of Science (IF 1.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-11 Andrea Oldofredi
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Joseph Bancroft’s discovery of Fusarium Wilt of banana Historical Records of Australian Science (IF 0.3) Pub Date : 2024-03-06 Malcolm J. Ryley, Andre Drenth
In the early decades of British settlement at Sydney Cove in 1788, the struggling colonials tried their hand at growing edible bananas but invariably failed. However, they grew extremely well in the Moreton Bay colony (Brisbane) and over time banana growing became an important agricultural industry there, particularly after the introduction of the Cavendish variety. All was progressing well until a
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Contrast classes and agreement in climate modeling European Journal for Philosophy of Science (IF 1.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-07 Corey Dethier
In an influential paper, Wendy Parker argues that agreement across climate models isn’t a reliable marker of confirmation in the context of cutting-edge climate science. In this paper, I argue that while Parker’s conclusion is generally correct, there is an important class of exceptions. Broadly speaking, agreement is not a reliable marker of confirmation when the hypotheses under consideration are
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Using Pictorial Representations as Story-Telling Foundations of Science (IF 0.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-04 Sim-Hui Tee
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The Intersection of Knowledge Management, the Jacobi Method, and Operational Research: A Paradigmatic Example of Serendipity Foundations of Science (IF 0.9) Pub Date : 2024-03-01 F. D. de la Peña, D. Lizcano, J. Pazos, P. Smith
In this paper we present a paradigmatic example of the use in knowledge management of techniques from other fields, namely mathematical analysis. We also highlight that the Jacobi method presented here takes precedence over the better known Hungarian method. Finally, we signify that the Jacobi method represents the first known or recognized case of serendipity in both knowledge management and operational
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Securing the boundaries of wilderness in northern Alaska, 1892–1950 Journal of Historical Geography (IF 1.031) Pub Date : 2024-02-26 Jonathan Luedee
This paper examines the socio-ecological implications of reindeer-caribou hybridization during the rise and collapse of the reindeer industry in Alaska. Following their introduction in the late nineteenth century, reindeer populations increased dramatically as herds spread throughout the territory. As populations increased, domesticated reindeer often escaped from their herds and ran off with migratory
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G. P. Darnell-Smith and the introduction of copper carbonate ‘dry pickling’ of wheat seed Historical Records of Australian Science (IF 0.3) Pub Date : 2024-02-23 G. M. Murray
George Percy Darnell-Smith (1868–1942) was the second plant pathologist appointed to the New South Wales Department of Agriculture. Although he founded the Microbiology Branch (later Plant Pathology Branch) and wrote articles on many plant diseases, his noteworthy contribution was developing the ‘dry pickle’ treatment for common bunt of wheat during the 1910s. Darnell-Smith built on the knowledge gained
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How interdisciplinary researchers see themselves: plurality of understandings of interdisciplinarity within a field and why it matters European Journal for Philosophy of Science (IF 1.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-23 Jaana Eigi-Watkin, Katrin Velbaum, Edit Talpsepp, Endla Lõhkivi
It is widely acknowledged that interdisciplinarity (ID) is very diverse. Our contribution is a demonstration that considerable diversity exists also on the level of understandings of ID that researchers working in the same ID field express. Specifically, we analyse qualitatively, building on the method of culture contrast, six interviews with researchers working in computational linguistics and language
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The epistemic status of reproducibility in political fact-checking European Journal for Philosophy of Science (IF 1.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-23 Alejandro Fernández-Roldan, David Teira
Fact-checking agencies assess and score the truthfulness of politicians’ claims to foster their electoral accountability. Fact-checking is sometimes presented as a quasi-scientific activity, based on reproducible verification protocols that would guarantee an unbiased assessment. We will study these verification protocols and discuss under which conditions fact-checking could achieve effective reproducibility
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Physicists’ views on scientific realism European Journal for Philosophy of Science (IF 1.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-21 Céline Henne, Hannah Tomczyk, Christoph Sperber
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Quantum ontology without textbooks. Nor overlapping European Journal for Philosophy of Science (IF 1.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-21 Cristian Lopez
In this paper, I critically assess two recent proposals for an interpretation-independent understanding of non-relativistic quantum mechanics: the overlap strategy (Fraser & Vickers, 2022) and the textbook account (Egg, 2021). My argument has three steps. I first argue that they presume a Quinean-Carnapian meta-ontological framework that yields flat, structureless ontologies. Second, such ontologies
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Is it Possible to Empirically Test a Metatheory? Foundations of Science (IF 0.9) Pub Date : 2024-02-20 Ariel Jonathan Roffé, José Díez
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Adding causality to the information-theoretic perspective on individuality European Journal for Philosophy of Science (IF 1.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-16 Pierrick Bourrat
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Demons, spirits, and haunted landscapes in Palestine Journal of Historical Geography (IF 1.031) Pub Date : 2024-02-15 Amer A. Al-Qobbaj, David J. (Sandy) Marshall, Loay A. Alsaud
In recent decades, a spectral turn has animated geography and related fields like archaeology, memory studies, and landscape studies, examining how places can be haunted by the ghosts of the past, with heavy emphasis on metaphorical specters and spirits. The geography of spirits and other unseen forces presented here takes a less metaphorical approach to haunted landscapes. This paper examines how
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“A new power: Photography in Britain, 1800–1850” 1 February – 7 May 2023 ST Lee Gallery, Bodleian Weston Library, Oxford Journal of Historical Geography (IF 1.031) Pub Date : 2024-02-13 Susan C. Squibb
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The color of preservation: Black historic placemaking in New York City Journal of Historical Geography (IF 1.031) Pub Date : 2024-02-12 Brian J. Godfrey
Since 1965, New York City's Landmark Preservation Commission (LPC) has listed over 37,900 buildings and sites, overwhelmingly located in 156 historic districts. While official landmark criteria have not changed, designation reports reveal shifting narratives of place and race. I examine historic placemaking in Black-identified districts, focusing on how designation rationales have evolved. Evidence
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Introduction: The Future of Religion as Humans Expand into Space Theology and Science (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-11 Jaimie Gunderson, J. W. Traphagan
This special issue addresses some of the many discourses related to religion and outer space with attention to the impacts that space exploration, space expansionism, and encounters with extraterre...
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Compassionate AI and the Alignment Problem Theology and Science (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-11 Mark Graves, Jane Compson, Ali-Reza Bhojani, Cyrus Olsen, Thomas Arnold
Published in Theology and Science (Vol. 22, No. 1, 2024)
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Do You Trust Science? Theology and Science (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-11 Ted Peters
Published in Theology and Science (Vol. 22, No. 1, 2024)
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What Can We Reasonably Predict Concerning Alien Religion and Ethics? Theology and Science (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-02-11 Kelly C. Smith
It is very easy to be pessimistic concerning what we can know of possible aliens, much less what we can know of their religious or ethical beliefs. Nevertheless, I make the attempt by laying out a ...
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Being Perspectivist on Information System Ontologies Foundations of Science (IF 0.9) Pub Date : 2024-02-07 Timothy Tambassi
Insofar as disagreement may in principle regard most of (maybe all) facets of information system ontologies’ [ISOs] debate, it may also produce a plurality of views – sometimes inconsistent with each other – on ISOs’ development and design. This paper analyzes a view that makes the recognition of – and provides a theoretical foundation for – such a plurality of views a trademark: perspectivism (on
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Reactivity in the human sciences European Journal for Philosophy of Science (IF 1.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-08 Caterina Marchionni, Julie Zahle, Marion Godman
The reactions that science triggers on the people it studies, describes, or theorises about, can affect the science itself and its claims to knowledge. This phenomenon, which we call reactivity, has been discussed in many different areas of the social sciences and the philosophy of science, falling under different rubrics such as the Hawthorne effect, self-fulfilling prophecies, the looping effects
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Identity and Extensionality in Boffa Set Theory Philosophia Mathematica (IF 1.1) Pub Date : 2024-02-08 Nuno Maia, Matteo Nizzardo
Boffa non-well-founded set theory allows for several distinct sets equal to their respective singletons, the so-called ‘Quine atoms’. Rieger contends that this theory cannot be a faithful description of set-theoretic reality. He argues that, even after granting that there are non-well-founded sets, ‘the extensional nature of sets’ precludes numerically distinct Quine atoms. In this paper we uncover
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Ethnobiological kinds and material grounding: comments on Ludwig European Journal for Philosophy of Science (IF 1.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-05 Thomas A. C. Reydon, Marc Ereshefsky
In a recent article, David Ludwig proposed to reorient the debate on natural kinds away from inquiring into the naturalness of kinds and toward elucidating the materiality of kinds. This article responds to Ludwig’s critique of a recently proposed account of kinds and classification, the Grounded Functionality Account, against which Ludwig offsets his own account, and criticizes Ludwig’s proposal to
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Science and values: a two-way direction European Journal for Philosophy of Science (IF 1.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-05 Emanuele Ratti, Federica Russo
In the science and values literature, scholars have shown how science is influenced and shaped by values, often in opposition to the ‘value free’ ideal of science. In this paper, we aim to contribute to the science and values literature by showing that the relation between science and values flows not only from values into scientific practice, but also from (allegedly neutral) science to values themselves
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Extra-Terrestrials or Terrestrial Heretics? Being Green in the Middle Ages Theology and Science (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-31 Rosamund M. Gammie, Adam Foxon
In this paper, we seek to propose a novel solution to the Green Children of Woolpit, a twelfth-century “alien” mystery by approaching the “otherworldly” through a terrestrial, theological lens. In ...
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Geobiographies of prominent Polish painters: Changing hierarchies of art cities and patterns of artistic migrations from 1760 to 1939 Journal of Historical Geography (IF 1.031) Pub Date : 2024-01-29 Jarosław Działek
In the field of art studies, there is a growing interest in data-driven approaches to analyse the spatial organisation of art worlds. Biographical databases of notable individuals have been used to uncover the emergence and decline of globally significant art cities, while less attention has been given to peripheral art systems. This paper aims to address this gap by utilising a curated dataset that
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Habitability as a historical category for interpreting the Anthropocene Journal of Historical Geography (IF 1.031) Pub Date : 2024-01-27 Mauricio Onetto Pavez
The article examines the development of a new discourse on habitability in the sixteenth century, which breaks with the ancient notion that distinguished between habitable and uninhabitable spaces according to their climate and location. In it, a new conception of the world as completely habitable and exploitable is articulated, and the European ideal of a temperate climate as a reference to characterize
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Broken brakes and dreaming drivers: the heuristic value of causal models in the law European Journal for Philosophy of Science (IF 1.5) Pub Date : 2024-01-25 Enno Fischer
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Contesting monuments, challenging narratives: Divergent approaches to dealing with the colonial past and its legacies in Lisbon, Portugal Journal of Historical Geography (IF 1.031) Pub Date : 2024-01-22 Sofia Lovegrove, Raquel Rodrigues Machaqueiro
Portugal was the longest modern European imperial power, yet the dominant historical narrative is characterised by a celebration of the ‘Discoveries’ and a denial of colonial violence. This is visible in Lisbon's public space, dotted with monuments and statues glorifying the imperial past, while occluding less convenient histories. Especially since 2017, more attention has been given to Portugal's
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Raymond Leslie Martin 1926–2020 Historical Records of Australian Science (IF 0.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-19 Lisandra L. Martin
Ray Martin (1926–2020) was a talented and successful academic and leader, who won numerous awards and made discoveries that changed fundamental knowledge of the sub-discipline of physical inorganic chemistry. His journey over more than 90 years is one that demonstrates that he was one of nature’s gentlemen, who enjoyed sports, arts and people. He was passionate about science and discovery, and through
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Theorem proving in artificial neural networks: new frontiers in mathematical AI European Journal for Philosophy of Science (IF 1.5) Pub Date : 2024-01-20
Abstract Computer assisted theorem proving is an increasingly important part of mathematical methodology, as well as a long-standing topic in artificial intelligence (AI) research. However, the current generation of theorem proving software have limited functioning in terms of providing new proofs. Importantly, they are not able to discriminate interesting theorems and proofs from trivial ones. In
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To Make a Mind—A Primer on Conscious Robots Theology and Science (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-18 Mois Navon
The dream of making a conscious humanoid – whether as servant, guard, entertainer, or simply as testament to human creativity – has long captivated the human imagination. However, while past attemp...
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Wattle gall—the quintessential Australian plant disease Historical Records of Australian Science (IF 0.3) Pub Date : 2024-01-11 Malcolm J. Ryley
Acacia (the wattles) is the largest genus of plants in Australia and its species occupy almost every habitat in the country. Hard galls on the branches, phyllodes and flower parts of wattle trees were noticed from the very early days of British colonisation, but their causes were unknown. Some insects were believed to be involved, but they were not the only cause of wattle galls. In 1889, the Italian
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Preserving whose city? Memory, place, and identity in Rio de Janeiro, Brian J. Godfrey. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Lanham (2021), 223 pages US$39.00 paperback Journal of Historical Geography (IF 1.031) Pub Date : 2024-01-16 Ana Gisele Ozaki
Abstract not available
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Transubstantiation Through the Lens of Spacetime Substantivalism Theology and Science (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-13 Travis Dumsday
The doctrine of transubstantiation (as understood by Aquinas and much subsequent Roman Catholic theology) involves the counter-intuitive claim that accidents can come to exist independently of any ...
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Original Sin, Human Evolution, and Gene–Culture Interactions Theology and Science (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-05 Phillip Goggans, Patrick McDonald
We engage Robin Collins' Historical Idealist model, i.e. that the Fall occurred in history though not as a “one-off” distorting our “spiritual substance”. God aimed to bring humans closer to the Go...
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Space Expansion and Politico-Religious Ideology: A Consideration of Civil Religion and the Future of Space Exploration Theology and Science (IF 0.6) Pub Date : 2024-01-05 J. W. Traphagan
In this article, I focus on the question of how religion may evolve as a social institution that shapes behavior as colonization of the solar system unfolds. I argue here that space exploration in ...
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Metaphysical indeterminacy in Everettian quantum mechanics European Journal for Philosophy of Science (IF 1.5) Pub Date : 2024-01-04 David Glick, Baptiste Le Bihan
The question of whether Everettian quantum mechanics (EQM) justifies the existence of metaphysical indeterminacy has recently come to the fore. Metaphysical indeterminacy has been argued to emerge from three sources: coherent superpositions, the indefinite number of branches in the quantum multiverse and the nature of these branches. This paper reviews the evidence and concludes that those arguments