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Defining intelligence: Bridging the gap
“Defining intelligence: Bridging the gap between human and artificial perspectives“ Achieving a widely accepted definition of human intelligence has been challenging, a situation mirrored by the diverse definitions of artificial intelligence in computer science. By critically examining published definitions, highlighting both consistencies and inconsistencies, this paper proposes a refined nomenclature that harmonizes conceptualizations across the two disciplines.…
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As For Protocols
Explicitly—or not—protocols determine much of what we do. Far exceeding traditional notions of “good manners,” protocols are systems of language that regulate how we relate to each other, to our cultural, social, and political environments, and to the technologies that create them. The first publication to critically examine protocols across a wide range of disciplines, As…
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Is Ockham’s razor losing its edge?
Is Ockham’s razor losing its edge? New perspectives on the principle of model parsimony The preference for simple explanations, known as the parsimony principle, has long guided the development of scientific theories, hypotheses, and models. Yet recent years have seen a number of successes in employing highly complex models for scientific inquiry (e.g., for 3D…
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A hidden Gem – Residuality
Software architecture for a rapidly changing world – with Barry O’Reilly describes the marvelous journey of Residues as an ‘Antifragile’ Software Architecture decision process (but also scalable to solution and Enterprise Architecture) Residuality theory is a revolutionary new theory of software design that aims to make it easier to design software systems for complex business…
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Why probability probably doesn’t exist
(but it is useful to act like it does) David Spiegelhalter All of statistics and much of science depends on probability — an astonishing achievement, considering no one’s really sure what it is. In our everyday world, probability probably does not exist — but it is often useful to act as if it does.— David…
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Incompleteness and Computability
Incompleteness and Computability, An Open Introduction to Gödel’s Theorems is “Remixed by Richard Zach”. It is a textbook on Gödel’s incompleteness theorems and computability theory, developed for Calgary’s Logic III course, based on the Open Logic Project. The book covers recursive function theory, arithmetization of syntax, the first and second incompleteness theorem, models of arithmetic,…
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Explanation in Biology
The most recent publication from the series “Philisophy of Biology” is “Explanation in Biology“, available for free download at the site. The book introduces and elaborates scientific explanations in biology and the life sciences. Explanations are viewed as a “primary” objective of science – theyoffer deep understanding and knowledge of the world, as opposed to…
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ostracism across contexts
“Psychosocial and behavioural consequences of ostracism across contexts“ Ostracism (being ignored and excluded) thwarts basic psychological needs fundamental for human survival. As a painful experience, ostracism has various mental health, cognitive and behavioural consequences. In this Review, we outline the main psychosocial and behavioural consequences of ostracism and consider how these consequences might be unique…
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The unbearable slowness of being …
The unbearable slowness of being: Why do we live at 10 bits/s? This article is about the neural conundrum behind the slowness of human behavior. The information throughput of a human being is about 10 bits/s. In comparison, our sensory systems gather data at ∼109 bits/s. The stark contrast between these numbers remains unexplained and touches…
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Penguin Update 12/2024
The Leif Penguinson article I wrote a while ago refers to an article in Nature, which got updated 12/2023 and also 12/2024. Of course, you always can have your regular “Can you spot the penguin?” when you follow the Nature Briefings
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Deciding how to decide (urban infrastructure maintenance)
“Deciding how to decide: A conceptual model for consensually fostering urban infrastructure maintenance” discusses infrastructure owners facing challenges in effective maintenance decision-making due to the process’s multidisciplinary nature, spanning mathematics to cognitive science. This study delves into enhancing maintenance for complex infrastructure systems, specifically in scenarios where a single primary owner must consider the preferences…
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Bayesian Models of Cognition
“Bayesian Models of Cognition Reverse Engineering the Mind” is a new MIT-press Open Access book available for online reading. The definitive introduction to Bayesian cognitive science, written by pioneers of the field. How does human intelligence work, in engineering terms? How do our minds get so much from so little? Bayesian models of cognition provide…
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Predecisional information search adaptively reduces uncertainty
“Predecisional information search adaptively reduces three typesof uncertainty“ How do people search for information when they are given the opportunity to freely explore their options? Information search is an integral part of the decision-making process. Every choice we make is based on information that must first be obtained. In many cases, information search is inherently…
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Does expertise protect?
“Does expertise protect”Does expertise protect against overclaiming false knowledge?“ Highlights Recognizing one’s ignorance is a fundamental skill. We ask whether superior background knowledge or expertise improves the ability to distinguish what one knows from what one does not know, i.e., whether expertise leads to superior meta-knowledge. Supporting this hypothesis, we find that the more a…
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The power of parsimony
“Walking the talk on multi-level interventions: The power of parsimony“ There is strong consensus regarding the need for multi-level interventions (MLIs) to address today’s complex health problems. The greatest public health burdens globally (e.g., chronic and infectious diseases) derive from a mix of causal and contributing factors and are inherently complex, operating interdependently and reflexively…
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Seven Kinds of Decisions…
“Seven Kinds of Decisions Sports Coaches Make” The article describes the main kinds of decisions coaches make on a regular basis, based on the nature of the thought processes involved. We distinguish seven primary types and one special type. The primary types are roughly ordered from the fast, simple and intuitive at one end, to…
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The Universal Optimism of the Self-Evidencing Mind
“The Universal Optimism of the Self-Evidencing Mind“:Karl Friston’s free-energy principle casts agents as self-evidencing through active inference. This implies that decision-making, planning and information-seeking are, in a generic sense, ‘wishful’. We take an interdisciplinary perspective on this perplexing aspect of the free-energy principle and unpack the epistemological implications of wishful thinking under the free-energy principle.…
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