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POPSFalse Journalistic Balance (On Oreskes, Schulte, ...) There are far too many false controversies in the American public discourse, which are not so elsewhere. There is a difference between Ethical statements, Factual statements, Convention statements and Taste statements. Many of the current debates are treated by the media as if they were Ethical, Convention or Taste statements, although they really are Factual statements. In other words, many policy debates, which should rely on readily available empirical information are treated as if they were matters of mere opinion. And all opinions are equal .
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POPSThe Simulated Universe ... In this article, I provide an exposition of the Simulated Universe argument and explain why some philosophers believe that there is a high possibility that we exist in a simulation. I will then discuss the type of evidence that we would need to determine whether we exist in a simulation. Finally, I will describe two objections to the argument before concluding that while interesting, we should reject the Simulated Universe argument. This article is a critique on Nick Bostroms article Are You Living in a Computer Simulation?
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POPSCivilization Threatened by Global Warming - Six Leading Scientists Say See first source for the full article. Present knowledge does not permit accurate specification of the dangerous level of human-made GHGs. However, it is much lower than has commonly been assumed. If we have not already passed the dangerous level, the energy infrastructure in place ensures that we will pass it within several decades. We conclude that a feasible strategy for planetary rescue almost surely requires a means of extracting GHGs from the air. Development of CO2 capture at power plants, with below-ground CO2 sequestration, may be a critical element. Injection of the CO2 well beneath the ocean floor assures its stability (House et al. 2006). If the power plant fuel is derived from biomass, such as cellulosic fibres grown without excessive fertilization that produces N2O or other offsetting GHG emissions, it will provide continuing drawdown of atmospheric CO2.
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POPSInfant Collaborators & the Evolution of Speech Full paper We argue for the importance of processes of shared intentionality in children's early cognitive development. We look briefly at four important social-cognitive skills and how they are transformed by shared intentionality. In each case, we look first at a kind of individualistic version of the skill – as exemplified most clearly in the behavior of chimpanzees – and then at a version based on shared intentionality – as exemplified most clearly in the behavior of human 1- and 2-year-olds. We thus see the following transformations: gaze following into joint attention, social manipulation into cooperative communication, group activity into collaboration, and social learning into instructed learning. We conclude by highlighting the role that shared intentionality may play in integrating more biologically based and more culturally based theories of human development.
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POPSA Simpler Origin for Life - by Robert Shapiro Shapiro's article (1st link) outlines the case against an "RNA First"-theory and presents some basic ideas of a competing "Metabolism First" group of theories. 2nd link points (indirectly) to comments on the article. 3rd link provides the Reply by Shapiro on some of those comments. Interesting stuff. Recommended reading for anybody who has a slight interest in how life (could have) originated.
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POPSDiscovery and Confirmation in Evolutionary Psychology - By Machery E From the (unclippable) pdf: In this article, I propose to clarify and evaluate various aspects of evolutionary psychologists’ methodology, with a special focus on their heuristics of discovery—i.e., their methods for developing plausible hypotheses—and their strategies of confirmation—i.e., their methods for providing empirical support for these hypotheses.2 I will also evaluate several well-known objections raised against evolutionary psychology. Source points to other publications by Machery (who focuses on theoretical issues that are raised by psychology and cognitive science)
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POPSThe Denial Industry very interesting article on climate change denial, its deniers, frontgroups, funding & the so called 'debate'. must read
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POPSReflections on the Philosophy of Technology
a 49 page article on the philosophy of technology. Philosophy of technology is a critical, reflective examination of the nature of technology as well as the effects and transformation of technologies upon human knowledge, activities, societies and environments (Umwelt). The goal of philosophy of technology is to understand, evaluate and criticize the ways in which technologies reflect as well as change human life individually, socially and politically. It also examines the transformations effected by technologies on the natural world and nonhuman life and the ecospeheres. The assumption underlying the philosophy of technology is that the devices and substances we make and use transform our experience in ways that are philosophically relevant. That is, technology not only enlarges and extends our capacities and effects of changes in the natural and social worlds but also does so in ways that are interesting with respect to fundamental areas of philosophical inquiry.
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POPSEthical Acts in Robotics (pdf file) Some central questions: "Can computers/robots act morally?, Are there human actions in Computer science/Robotics? This is the underlying mission: In the long run, the new systems, robots or highly networked systems, have the characteristics to be ever able to “act” more autonomously, to be able to unreel without being able to reach "autonomy" in an ethical sense. To untether the behaviour of programs in the long run will also in certain frameworks and certain necessary decisions, could have serious consequences for human beings. Programs could lose their character as tools and instead become autonomously active participants. In the robots existing today, humans must still intervene by controlling, steering, supervising, etc., but the degree of automization is growing. Thus, it raises the responsibility question for the behaviour of robots and AI expert systems, as well as for that of their technical designers and users.
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POPSParapsychology In Intelligence - by K Kress a pdf article Abstract — The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was deeply involved with assessing both the scientific merits and potential intelligence utility of the potpourri of phenomena called parapsychology in the early 1970s. Although no thing that would meet the rigorous test of science was ever achieved, there were tantalizing events and experiences that suggest the possibility of acute perceptions, either elicitation or parapsychological, in some individuals. This article summarizes selected highlights of the experiences of the author and others. The intent is to reveal some likely interesting and hopefully useful data and opinions .
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