scholarly journals How many angels can dance on the head of a pin? Understanding ‘alien’ thought

AI & Society ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasha Lushetich
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Instrumental Rationality ◽  
University Of Minnesota ◽  
Deleuze And Guattari ◽  
To Come ◽  
And Function ◽  
Distributed Thinking

AbstractInitially coined by Weizenbaum in 1976, ‘alien' thought refers to the radical difference with which ‘thinking machines’ approach the process of thinking. The contemporary paradox of over-determination and indeterminacy—caused largely by algorithmic decision-making in the civic realm—makes these differences both more entangled and more difficult to navigate. In this essay, I trace over-determination to Leibniz and Turing’s axiomatic procedures and to instrumental rationality, and I trace indeterminacy to the mid-twentieth century co-development of computers and neurosciences to advance the following proposition: understanding alien thought requires understanding incomputability, temporal swarming, and inscriptive-significational errance. Understanding these phenomena in turn requires understanding thinking by doing, distributed thinking, and ontological indeterminacy. All are present in machinic operations as well as in the twentieth century experimental artistic practices of artists such as Duchamp, Cage, and Xu. These practices rely on indeterminate procedures and function as diagrammatic machines. A diagrammatic machine is neither abstract nor particular; neither an idea that is determining in the supreme instance, nor an infrastructure that is determining in the last instance, but rather instantiates a real yet to come (Deleuze and Guattari in A thousand plateaus: capitalism and schizophrenia: Trans. Massumi B, University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, 1987). In this essay, indeterminate artistic practices are used as an entry into alien thought and its correlates—infinity and complexity—by way of aesthetic analogy.

The Open Society and the Democracy to Come: Bergson, Deleuze and Guattari

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 352-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce Baugh
Keyword(s):  
Political Philosophy ◽  
The State ◽  
Open Society ◽  
Minor Literature ◽  
Deleuze And Guattari ◽  
The People ◽  
To Come ◽  
Polar Opposite ◽  
A Minor ◽  
Gain Access

In Bergsonism, Deleuze refers to Bergson's concept of an ‘open society’, which would be a ‘society of creators’ who gain access to the ‘open creative totality’ through acting and creating. Deleuze and Guattari's political philosophy is oriented toward the goal of such an open society. This would be a democracy, but not in the sense of the rule of the actually existing people, but the rule of ‘the people to come,’ for in the actually existing situation, such a people is ‘lacking’. When the people becomes a society of creators, the result is a society open to the future, creativity and the new. Their openness and creative freedom is the polar opposite of the conformism and ‘herd mentality’ condemned by Deleuze and Nietzsche, a mentality which is the basis of all narrow nationalisms (of ethnicity, race, religion and creed). It is the freedom of creating and commanding, not the Kantian freedom to obey Reason and the State. This paper uses Bergson's The Two Sources of Morality and Religion, and Deleuze and Guattari's Kafka: For a Minor Literature, A Thousand Plateaus and What is Philosophy? to sketch Deleuze and Guattari's conception of the open society and of a democracy that remains ‘to come’.

A Mucin-Specific Protease Enables Molecular and Functional Analysis of Human Cancer-Associated Mucins

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacy A. Malaker ◽  
Kayvon Pedram ◽  
Michael J. Ferracane ◽  
Elliot C. Woods ◽  
Jessica Kramer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Cultured Cells ◽  
High Resolution Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Human Cancer ◽  
Glycosylation Sites ◽  
Bacterial Protease ◽  
Specific Protease ◽  
To Come ◽  
And Function

<div> <div> <div> <p>Mucins are a class of highly O-glycosylated proteins that are ubiquitously expressed on cellular surfaces and are important for human health, especially in the context of carcinomas. However, the molecular mechanisms by which aberrant mucin structures lead to tumor progression and immune evasion have been slow to come to light, in part because methods for selective mucin degradation are lacking. Here we employ high resolution mass spectrometry, polymer synthesis, and computational peptide docking to demonstrate that a bacterial protease, called StcE, cleaves mucin domains by recognizing a discrete peptide-, glycan-, and secondary structure- based motif. We exploited StcE’s unique properties to map glycosylation sites and structures of purified and recombinant human mucins by mass spectrometry. As well, we found that StcE will digest cancer-associated mucins from cultured cells and from ovarian cancer patient-derived ascites fluid. Finally, using StcE we discovered that Siglec-7, a glyco-immune checkpoint receptor, specifically binds sialomucins as biological ligands, whereas the related Siglec-9 receptor does not. Mucin-specific proteolysis, as exemplified by StcE, is therefore a powerful tool for the study of glycoprotein structure and function and for deorphanizing mucin-binding receptors. </p> </div> </div> </div>

scholarly journals What Happened to Your College Town: The Changing Relationship of Higher Education and College Towns, 1940–2000

2021 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 320-340
Author(s):  
Kate Rousmaniere
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
History Of Higher Education ◽  
Campus Housing ◽  
College Towns ◽  
Education Enrollment ◽  
History Of ◽  
To Come ◽  
And Function ◽  
Relationship Of

AbstractThis essay examines the history of what is commonly called the town-gown relationship in American college towns in the six decades after the Second World War. A time of considerable expansion of higher education enrollment and function, the period also marks an increasing detachment of higher education institutions from their local communities. Once closely tied by university offices that advised the bulk of their students in off-campus housing, those bonds between town and gown began to come apart in the 1970s, due primarily to legal and economic factors that restricted higher education institutions’ outreach. Given the importance of off-campus life to college students, over half of whom have historically lived off campus, the essay argues for increased research on college towns in the history of higher education.

Comparative study on e-bikes’ decision-making behaviors under flashing green and green countdown

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Haoyang Meng ◽  
Sheng Dong ◽  
Jibiao Zhou ◽  
Shuichao Zhang ◽  
Zhenjiang Li
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Critical Issue ◽  
Trajectory Data ◽  
Decision Points ◽  
Binary Logit ◽  
The One ◽  
Common Signal ◽  
And Function ◽  
Decision Behaviors ◽  
Stop Line

Green flash light (FG) and green countdown (GC) are the two most common signal formats applied in green-red transition that provides drivers additional alert before termination of green phase. Due to their importance and function in stop-pass decision-making process, proper use of them has become a critical issue to greatly improve the safety and efficiency of signalized intersections. Gradually e-bike riders have become more important commuters in China, however, the influence of FG or GC on them is not clear yet and need pay more attention to it. This study chooses two almost identical intersections to obtain highly accurate trajectory data of e-bike riders to study their decision-making behaviors under FG or GC. The e-bike riders’ behavior is classified into four categories and is to identify their stop-pass decision points using the acceleration trend. Two binary-logit models were built to predict the stop–pass decision behaviors for the different e-bike rider groups, explaining that the potential time to the stop-line is the dominant independent factor of the different behaviors of GC and FG. Furthermore empirical analysis of decision points indicated that GC provides the earlier stop-pass decision point and longer decision making duration on the one side while results in more complexity of decision making and greater risk of stop-line crossing than FG on the other side.

scholarly journals Forecasting Global Developments and Challenges in Olive Oil Supply and Demand: A Delphi Survey from Spain

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 191
Author(s):  
Samir Mili ◽  
Maria Bouhaddane
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Olive Oil ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
International Expansion ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Oil Companies ◽  
Traditional Markets ◽  
Future Supply ◽  
Oil Sector ◽  
To Come

Forecasting future supply and demand is a topical subject in the olive oil sector due to its relevance for decision making and the lack of comprehensive and consensual estimates at the global level. This study aims at overcoming this gap in research by providing a foresight of global supply and demand for olive oil for the years to come. We use the Delphi technique to estimate the expected annual growth rates in the olive oil production and consumption worldwide as well as their likely impact on Spanish exports by 2025. Another key objective of the study is to elicit expert judgements on the factors that are likely to shape the predicted changes as well as the international challenges ahead. Results suggest substantial future increases in production in new-producing countries, in parallel with a slower growth in the European traditional suppliers whose focus will increasingly be placed on quality and sustainability rather than quantity. In addition, a significant growth in the world’s demand for olive oil is expected in non-traditional markets, which will be driven by greater awareness of the positive health and sustainability attributes of this product, jointly with the changes in lifestyles and rising incomes of several consumer segments. These emerging markets offer promising prospects for the international expansion of olive oil companies. Future international challenges facing the olive oil industry include new market entry, worldwide product promotion, quality standards’ harmonization, enacting trade facilitation schemes, and dealing with the COVID-19 impacts. Findings improve market predictability and transparency, and ultimately support decision-making and strategic planning in the olive oil sector.

scholarly journals Decision Making for Treatment After ACL Injury From an Orthopaedic Surgeon and Patient Perspective: Results From the NACOX Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 232596712110050
Author(s):  
Hanna Tigerstrand Grevnerts ◽  
Sofi Sonesson ◽  
Håkan Gauffin ◽  
Clare L. Ardern ◽  
Anders Stålman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
High Activity ◽  
Treatment Decision ◽  
Acl Injury ◽  
Treatment Decisions ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Knee Instability ◽  
Acl Injuries ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
And Function

Background: In the treatment of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, there is little evidence of when and why a decision for ACL reconstruction (ACLR) or nonoperative treatment (non-ACLR) is made. Purpose: To (1) describe the key characteristics of ACL injury treatment decisions and (2) compare patient-reported knee instability, function, and preinjury activity level between patients with non-ACLR and ACLR treatment decisions. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. Methods: A total of 216 patients with acute ACL injury were evaluated during the first year after injury. The treatment decision was non-ACLR in 73 patients and ACLR in 143. Reasons guiding treatment decision were obtained from medical charts and questionnaires to patients and orthopaedic surgeons. Patient-reported instability and function were obtained via questionnaires and compared between patients with non-ACLR and ACLR treatment decisions. The ACLR treatment group was classified retrospectively by decision phase: acute phase (decision made between injury day and 31 days after injury), subacute phase (decision made between 32 days and up to 5 months after injury), and late phase (decision made 5-12 months after injury). Data were evaluated using descriptive statistics, and group comparisons were made using parametric or nonparametric tests as appropriate. Results: The main reasons for a non-ACLR treatment decision were no knee instability and no problems with knee function. The main reasons for an ACLR treatment decision were high activity demands and knee instability. Patients in the non-ACLR group were significantly older ( P = .031) and had a lower preinjury activity level than did those in the acute-phase ( P < .01) and subacute-phase ( P = .006) ACLR decision groups. There were no differences in patient-reported instability and function between treatment decision groups at baseline, 4 weeks after injury, or 3 months after injury. Conclusion: Activity demands, not patient-reported knee instability, may be the most important factor in the decision-making process for treatment after ACL injury. We suggest a decision-making algorithm for patients with ACL injuries and no high activity demands; waiting for >3 months can help distinguish those who need surgical intervention from those who can undergo nonoperative management. Registration: NCT02931084 ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier).

scholarly journals Internationalization of SMEs and Effectuation: The Way Back and Forward

Proceedings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (24) ◽  
pp. 1422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamza El Guili ◽  
Driss Ferhane
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Business Growth ◽  
Entrepreneurial Behavior ◽  
Entrepreneurship Research ◽  
Early Stages ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Theoretical Paper ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
The Creation ◽  
To Come

Business growth is considered as one of the main topics of entrepreneurship research. Due to the increased interest on entrepreneurship, new theoretical perspectives have emerged to explain entrepreneurial behavior. One of these emergent theories is effectuation. It is widely known that entrepreneurs and owner-managers count on different decision-making logics during the internationalization of their ventures, including causal and effectual reasoning. Despite that the use of effectual reasoning has been generally linked to the early stages of the creation of a venture; it has recently been introduced to on the internationalization of SMEs research. Introduced by Sarasvathy (2001), effectuation logic is stated to grow in an unstable operating context where it is complicated to predict and in contrast, it is likely to unexpectedly respond to changes in the environment. Furthermore, it represents a typical shift in approaching entrepreneurship. In this theoretical paper, we first aim to highlight the evolution of the concept and the development of the effectuation theory within the literature. Furthermore, we explain the similarities and differences existing between causation and effectuation reasoning. Finally, we use the lens of effectuation to come up with an understanding of the internationalization of SMEs.

scholarly journals In situ acoustic analysis of two twentieth-century heritage carillons

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Allan Orr
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
Mechanical Action ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Physical Acoustics ◽  
Acoustic Characteristics ◽  
Dynamic Level ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
And Function

AbstractCarillons are a diverse and global form of musical and civic heritage: musical instruments comprised of a series of 23 or more bells, typically hung in a tower-like structure, tuned chromatically and played from a touch-sensitive manual and pedal console using an elaborate mechanical action. Carillon bells have a distinct series of musical overtones which should be accurately tuned to one another and with other bells they sound alongside. Although these overtones have been previously studied ex situ, this study assesses the acoustic characteristics of two early-twentieth century carillons in Toronto, Canada as a combination of structure, bells, and mechanical action. Thus, the instrument and its context are considered holistically, more accurately reflecting the musical sensitivity of a carillonist. Spectral analysis of audio samples of each bell at different musical dynamic levels enabled the analysis of the acoustic qualities of the bells and the mechanical action of the instruments. The tuning of bells in the instruments varied; most importantly, there was a significant difference between the audial intensity of the bell tones produced by the instruments, demonstrating the importance of the mechanical action as part of the ‘carillon system’. This was represented with a resistive power-law model, that represents the sensitivity of intensity to carillonist musical dynamic level. A discussion of the implications for artistic and heritage practice follows. Understanding the in situ physical acoustics of the carillon as a holistic instrument in its context informs performers, arrangers, and composers of how they can best embrace the instrument’s unique qualities to improve artistic pursuits and support the appreciation of carillons as heritage instruments and function as civic voices.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document