How Symbolic and Iconic Languages Bridge the Two Worlds of the Chemist: A Case Study from Contemporary Bioorganic Chemistry

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily R. Grosholz ◽  
Roald Hoffmann
Keyword(s):  
Philosophy Of Science ◽  
Predicate Logic ◽  
The Other ◽  
Alternative View ◽  
Symbolic Language ◽  
Composition And Structure ◽  
Analysis And Synthesis ◽  
Reliable Knowledge ◽  
New Compounds

Chemists move habitually and with credible success—if sometimes unreflectively—between two worlds. One is the laboratory, with its macroscopic powders, crystals, solutions, intractable sludge, things which are smelly or odorless, toxic or beneficial, pure or impure, colored or white. The other is the invisible world of molecules, each with its characteristic composition and structure, its internal dynamics and its ways of reacting with the other molecules around it. Perhaps because they are so used to it, chemists rarely explain how they are able to hold two seemingly disparate worlds together in thought and practice. And contemporary philosophy of science has had little to say about how chemists are able to pose and solve problems, and in particular to posit and construct molecules, while simultaneously entertaining two apparently incompatible strata of reality. Yet chemistry continues to generate highly reliable knowledge, and indeed to add to the furniture of the universe, with a registry of over ten million well-characterized new compounds. The philosophy of science has long been dominated by logical positivism, and the assumptions attendant upon its use of predicate logic to examine science, as well as its choice of physics as the archetype of a science. Positivism thus tends to think of science in terms of an axiomatized theory describing an already given reality and cast in a uniform symbolic language, the language of predicate logic. (See especially the locus classicus of this position, Carnap’s book.) The authors of this paper wish to question certain positivist assumptions about scientific rationality, based on an alternative view brought into focus by the reflective examination of a case study drawn from contemporary chemistry. Our reflections owe something to Leibniz,2a Husserl,2b Kuhn,2c and Polanyi,2d and draw upon the earlier writings of both authors, Hoff mann3a and Grosholz.3b We will offer a nonreductionist account of methods of analysis and synthesis in chemistry. In our view, reality is allowed to include different kinds of things existing in different kinds of ways, levels held in intelligible relation by both theory and experiment, and couched in a multiplicity of languages, both symbolic and iconic.

How Symbolic and Iconic Languages Bridge the Two Worlds of the Chemist: A Case Study From Contemporary Bioorganic Chemistry

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily R. Grosholz ◽  
Roald Hoffmann
Keyword(s):  
Philosophy Of Science ◽  
Predicate Logic ◽  
The Other ◽  
Alternative View ◽  
Symbolic Language ◽  
Composition And Structure ◽  
Analysis And Synthesis ◽  
Reliable Knowledge ◽  
New Compounds

Chemists move habitually and with credible success—if sometimes unreflectively—between two worlds. One is the laboratory, with its macroscopic powders, crystals, solutions, and intractable sludge, as well as the things that are smelly or odorless, toxic or beneficial, pure or impure, colored, or white. The other is the invisible world of molecules, each with its characteristic composition and structure, its internal dynamics and its ways of reacting with the other molecules around it. Perhaps because they are so used to it, chemists rarely explain how they are able to hold two seemingly disparate worlds together in thought and practice. And contemporary philosophy of science has had little to say about how chemists are able to pose and solve problems, and, in particular, to posit and construct molecules, while simultaneously entertaining two apparently incompatible strata of reality. Yet chemistry continues to generate highly reliable knowledge, and indeed to add to the furniture of the universe, with a registry of over ten million well-characterized new compounds. The philosophy of science has long been dominated by logical positivism, and the assumptions attendant on its use of predicate logic to examine science, as well as its choice of physics as the archetype of a science. Positivism thus tends to think of science in terms of an axiomatized theory describing an already given reality and cast in a uniform symbolic language, the language of predicate logic. (See especially the locus classicus of this position, Carnap, 1937.) We here wish to question certain positivist assumptions about scientific rationality, based on an alternative view brought into focus by the reflective examination of a case study drawn from contemporary chemistry. Our reflections owe something to Leibniz (1686, 1695, 1714), Husserl (1922), Kuhn (1970), and Polanyi (1960, 1966), and draw on the earlier writings of both of us—Hoffmann (1995; Hoffmann & Laszlo, 1991) and Grosholz (1991; Grosholz & Yakira, 1998). We will offer a nonreductionist account of methods of analysis and synthesis in chemistry.

Prototype Theory in the Interpretation of Stereotypes (Case Study of Runet)

2020 ◽  
pp. 53-56
Author(s):  
Anna Mikhailovna Oleshkova
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Science ◽  
The Other ◽  
Alternative View ◽  
Prototype Theory ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Element Bearing ◽  
Basic Level ◽  
Center Periphery

Cognitive disciplines have developed an alternative view of the categorization process. The theory of E. Rosch, who became one of the key figures in cognitive science, is known under the name “The prototype theory of categorization and the notion of basic-level categories”. It suggests the dichotomy “center-periphery” which allows to hierarchize the best and the worst representatives of a given cate-gory, since the members of one category occupy different hierarchical positions in the consciousness of the subject. An element bearing a set of the most typical features characteristic of a given category is called a prototype. The basic level of categorization is of particular importance. At this level, the process of recognizing the members of categories is easier for the subject, since they are associated with gen-erally accepted understanding of a topic or issue, and have evolved naturally. In the context of the theory of prototypes, the present research reveals the features of the process of stereotypization as well as proposes the algorithm for analyzing stereo-types, with the help of which the subject stigmatizes 'the Other' and creates a simplified image of soci-ocultural reality.

scholarly journals Simplicity of what? A case study from generative linguistics

Synthese ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulia Terzian ◽  
María Inés Corbalán
Keyword(s):  
Philosophy Of Science ◽  
Scientific Practice ◽  
Interesting Case ◽  
Minimalist Program ◽  
The Other ◽  
Language Faculty ◽  
Generative Linguistics ◽  
To Come ◽  
The One

Abstract The Minimalist Program in generative linguistics is predicated on the idea that simplicity is a defining property of the human language faculty, on the one hand; on the other, a central aim of linguistic theorising. Worryingly, however, justifications for either claim are hard to come by in the literature. We sketch a proposal that would allow for both shortcomings to be addressed, and that furthermore honours the program’s declared commitment to naturalism. We begin by teasing apart and clarifying the different conceptions of simplicity underlying generative inquiry, in both ontological and theoretical capacities. We then trace a path towards a more robust justification for each type of simplicity principle, drawing on recent work in cognitive science and in philosophy of science, respectively. The resulting proposal hinges on the idea that simplicity is an evolved, virtuous cognitive bias—one that is a condition of our scientific understanding and, ultimately, of successful scientific practice. Finally, we make a case for why minimalists should take this proposal seriously, on the one hand; and for why generative linguistics would make for an interesting case study for philosophy of science, on the other.

scholarly journals Case study of mesospheric front dissipation observed over the northeast of Brazil

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 311-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amauri Fragoso Medeiros ◽  
Igo Paulino ◽  
Cristiano Max Wrasse ◽  
Joaquim Fechine ◽  
Hisao Takahashi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle Atmosphere ◽  
Vertical Wind Shear ◽  
The Other ◽  
Atmospheric Composition ◽  
Meteor Radar ◽  
Composition And Structure ◽  
Waves And Tides ◽  
Wind Profiles ◽  
The One

Abstract. On 3 October 2005 a mesospheric front was observed over São João do Cariri (7.4∘ S, 36.5∘ W). This front propagated to the northeast and appeared in the airglow images on the west side of the observatory. By about 1.5 h later, it dissipated completely when the front crossed the local zenith. Ahead of the front, several ripple structures appeared during the dissipative process of the front. Using coincident temperature profile from the TIMED/SABER satellite and wind profiles from a meteor radar at São João do Cariri, the background of the atmosphere was investigated in detail. On the one hand, it was noted that a strong vertical wind shear in the propagation direction of the front produced by a semidiunal thermal tide was mainly responsible for the formation of duct (Doppler duct), in which the front propagated up to the zenith of the images. On the other hand, the evolution of the Richardson number as well as the appearance of ripples ahead of the main front suggested that a presence of instability in the airglow layer that did not allow the propagation of the front to the other side of the local zenith. Keywords. Atmospheric composition and structure (airglow and aurora) – meteorology and atmospheric dynamics (middle atmosphere dynamics; waves and tides)

Development and regional planning within the decentralized administrative frame: case study (the Jordanian Experiment)

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 60-72
Author(s):  
Mansour Safran
Keyword(s):  
Regional Planning ◽  
The Other ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Administrative Procedures ◽  
The Way

This aims to review and analyze the Jordanian experiment in the developmental regional planning field within the decentralized managerial methods, which is considered one of the primary basic provisions for applying and success of this kind of planning. The study shoed that Jordan has passed important steps in the way for implanting the decentralized administration, but these steps are still not enough to established the effective and active regional planning. The study reveled that there are many problems facing the decentralized regional planning in Jordan, despite of the clear goals that this planning is trying to achieve. These problems have resulted from the existing relationship between the decentralized administration process’ dimensions from one side, and between its levels which ranged from weak to medium decentralization from the other side, In spite of the official trends aiming at applying more of the decentralized administrative policies, still high portion of these procedures are theoretical, did not yet find a way to reality. Because any progress or success at the level of applying the decentralized administrative policies doubtless means greater effectiveness and influence on the development regional planning in life of the residents in the kingdom’s different regions. So, it is important to go a head in applying more steps and decentralized administrative procedures, gradually and continuously to guarantee the control over any negative effects that might result from Appling this kind of systems.   © 2018 JASET, International Scholars and Researchers Association

The Relationship between Working Environment and Internship Satisfaction Level: A Case Study Of A 4-Star Hotel Restaurant In Germany

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 276-291
Author(s):  
Chatarina Natalia Putri
Keyword(s):  
Career Development ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
The Other ◽  
Satisfaction Level ◽  
Supervisory Support ◽  
Support Organization ◽  
The Relationship

There are many factors that can lead to internship satisfaction. Working environment is one of the factors that will result to such outcome. However, many organizations discarded the fact of its importance. The purpose of this study is to determine whether there is a significant relationship between working environment and internship satisfaction level as well as to determine whether the dimensions of working environment significantly affect internship satisfaction. The said dimensions are, learning opportunities, supervisory support, career development opportunities, co-workers support, organization satisfaction, working hours and esteem needs. A total of 111 questionnaires were distributed to the respondents and were processed by SPSS program to obtain the result of this study. The results reveal that learning opportunities, career development opportunities, organization satisfaction and esteem needs are factors that contribute to internship satisfaction level. In the other hand, supervisory support, co-workers support and working hours are factors that lead to internship dissatisfaction. The result also shows that organization satisfaction is the strongest factor that affects internship satisfaction while co-workers support is the weakest.

‘Behind the Poetic Fiction’: Freud, Schnitzler and Feminine Subjectivity

2004 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-223
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Goodstein
Keyword(s):  
Sigmund Freud ◽  
The Other ◽  
Modernist Literature ◽  
Arthur Schnitzler ◽  
Feminine Subjectivity ◽  
The Uncanny ◽  
Poetic Fiction ◽  
Psychoanalytic Theories

In 1922 Sigmund Freud wrote to fellow Viennese author and dramatist Arthur Schnitzler: ‘I believe I have avoided you out of a sort of fear of my double’. Through a series of reflections on this imagined doubling and its reception, this paper demonstrates that the ambivalent desire for his literary other attested by Freud's confession goes to the heart of both theoretical and historical questions regarding the nature of psychoanalysis. Bringing Schnitzler's resistance to Freud into conversation with attempts by psychoanalytically oriented literary scholars to affirm the Doppengängertum of the two men, it argues that not only psychoanalytic theories and modernist literature but also the tendency to identify the two must be treated as historical phenomena. Furthermore, the paper contends, Schnitzler's work stands in a more critical relationship to its Viennese milieu than Freud's: his examination of the vicissitudes of feminine desire in ‘Fräulein Else’ underlines the importance of what lies outside the oedipal narrative through which the case study of ‘Dora’ comes to be centered on the uncanny nexus of identification with and anxious flight from the other.

Interrelationships between municipal spatial policy strategy and airport operation and development. Lodz Airport case study

2018 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-79
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Nikorowicz-Zatorska
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Urban Planning ◽  
Cultural Development ◽  
The Other ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Spatial Management ◽  
The One ◽  
Surrounding Areas

Abstract The present paper focuses on spatial management regulations in order to carry out investment in the field of airport facilities. The construction, upgrades, and maintenance of airports falls within the area of responsibility of local authorities. This task poses a great challenge in terms of organisation and finances. On the one hand, an active airport is a municipal landmark and drives local economic, social and cultural development, and on the other, the scale of investment often exceeds the capabilities of local authorities. The immediate environment of the airport determines its final use and prosperity. The objective of the paper is to review legislation that affects airports and the surrounding communities. The process of urban planning in Lodz and surrounding areas will be presented as a background to the problem of land use management in the vicinity of the airport. This paper seeks to address the following questions: if and how airports have affected urban planning in Lodz, does the land use around the airport prevent the development of Lodz Airport, and how has the situation changed over the time? It can be assumed that as a result of lack of experience, land resources and size of investments on one hand and legislative dissonance and peculiar practices on the other, aviation infrastructure in Lodz is designed to meet temporary needs and is characterised by achieving short-term goals. Cyclical problems are solved in an intermittent manner and involve all the municipal resources, so there’s little left to secure long-term investments.

Improving the integrated reporting of electric-power industry companies

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (8) ◽  
pp. 922-939
Author(s):  
N.V. Malinovskaya ◽  
M.D. Malinovskii
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Electric Power ◽  
Electric Power Industry ◽  
Power Industry ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Strategic Objectives ◽  
Methods Of Analysis ◽  
Analysis And Synthesis ◽  
Guiding Principles

Subject. This article deals with the issues relating to improving integrated reporting in terms of dovetailing strategic objectives with capital changes. Objectives. The article aims to develop a system of indicators for disclosure of capital types in integrated reporting of electricity generating companies, as well as recommendations aimed at implementing the fundamental concepts and guiding principles of integrated reporting. Methods. For the study, we used the methods of analysis and synthesis, comparison, generalization, and abstraction. As a case study, we conduct a comparative analysis of the disclosure of six types of capital by the largest electricity generating companies, namely PAO Inter RAO, AO Rosenergoatom and PAO RusHydro. Results. The article formulates proposals for disclosure of capital information to address such a lack of accountability as a contradiction to the principle of coherence. It proposes a system of indicators (core and additional) for disclosure of six types of capital by electricity generating companies. Conclusions. A significant reporting problem is the lack of correlation between key strategic objectives and capital changes. The formulated recommendations for disclosure of capital information can help solve this problem, and increase the attractiveness of the integrated report for capital providers.

Deep Reinforcement Learning for Multiparameter Optimization in de novo Drug Design

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niclas Ståhl ◽  
Göran Falkman ◽  
Alexander Karlsson ◽  
Gunnar Mathiason ◽  
Jonas Boström
Keyword(s):  
Reinforcement Learning ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
De Novo ◽  
De Novo Drug Design ◽  
Generative Process ◽  
New Methods ◽  
Multiparameter Optimization ◽  
Long Short Term Memory ◽  
New Compounds

<p>In medicinal chemistry programs it is key to design and make compounds that are efficacious and safe. This is a long, complex and difficult multi-parameter optimization process, often including several properties with orthogonal trends. New methods for the automated design of compounds against profiles of multiple properties are thus of great value. Here we present a fragment-based reinforcement learning approach based on an actor-critic model, for the generation of novel molecules with optimal properties. The actor and the critic are both modelled with bidirectional long short-term memory (LSTM) networks. The AI method learns how to generate new compounds with desired properties by starting from an initial set of lead molecules and then improve these by replacing some of their fragments. A balanced binary tree based on the similarity of fragments is used in the generative process to bias the output towards structurally similar molecules. The method is demonstrated by a case study showing that 93% of the generated molecules are chemically valid, and a third satisfy the targeted objectives, while there were none in the initial set.</p>

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