Category: Science

• 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…

  walterstiers

  2025-01-28

  #Sensemaking, #Wicked, Complexity, Decision Intelligence, Information Technology, Science

  #ActiveInference, #DecisionIntelligence, #TheInformationLens, #Uncertainty, AI, data-science, machine-learning, philosophy, Science

• The Cognitive Life of Maps

  The “mapness of maps”—how maps live in interaction with their users, and what this tells us about what they are and how they work.Available as PDF for download. In a sense, maps are temporarily alive for those who design, draw, and use them. They have, for the moment, a cognitive life. To grapple with what…

  walterstiers

  2025-01-27

  #sense-making, Information Technology, Practical Wisdom, Science, Social-Technical

  #DecisionIntelligence, #TheInformationLens, cartography, maps

• 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…

  walterstiers

  2025-01-27

  #sense-making, Complexity, Decision Intelligence, Practical Wisdom, Science

  #DecisionIntelligence, #TheInformationLens, probability, Science

• 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,…

  walterstiers

  2025-01-22

  Science, Uncategorized

  #DecisionIntelligence, #TheInformationLens

• 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…

  walterstiers

  2025-01-22

  #Sensemaking, Biology of Information, Life Ideas, Practical Wisdom, Science

  #DecisionIntelligence, #TheInformationLens, biology, food, health, immunology

• 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…

  walterstiers

  2025-01-02

  #sense-making, Biology of Information, Complexity, Decision Intelligence, Neurobiology/psychology, Science

  #DecisionIntelligence, #Neuroscience, #ProblemSolvingMind, #TheInformationLens, brain, health, mental-health, Science

• The primacy of doubt

  “The Primacy of Doubt“, By Tim Palmer discusses topics from climate change to quantum physics, how the science of uncertainty can help predict and understand our chaotic world. Tim Palmer brings us his first foray into popular science writing with a carefully considered and often expert exposition on a vast range of subjects. The credo…

  walterstiers

  2024-12-02

  #sense-making, #Wicked, Complexity, Decision Intelligence, Information Technology, Science, Social-Technical

  #DecisionIntelligence, #TheInformationLens, #Uncertainty, chaos-theory, climate, Science, weather

• 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…

  walterstiers

  2024-11-19

  #sense-making, Active Inference, AI, Biology of Information, Complexity, Decision Intelligence, Neurobiology/psychology, Science

  #ActiveInference, #DecisionIntelligence, #HumanAI, #TheInformationLens, AI, artificial-intelligence, data-science, machine-learning, statistics

• Thinking more or thinking differently?

  “Thinking more or thinking differently? Using drift-diffusion modeling to illuminate why accuracy prompts decrease misinformation sharing“ Recent experiments have found that prompting people to think about accuracy reduces misinformation sharing intentions. The process by which this effect operates, however, remains unclear. Do accuracy prompts cause people to “stop and think,” increasing deliberation? Or do they…

  walterstiers

  2024-11-14

  #sense-making, Complexity, Decision Intelligence, Life Ideas, Practical Wisdom, Science, Social-Technical

  #DecisionIntelligence, #TheInformationLens, misinformation, news, social-media, technology

• A History of Bodies, Brains, and Minds

  We’re being spoiled by MIT Press Open Access. Not just did we just receive access to the great title “From Sensing to Sentience” , but also “A History of Bodies, Brains, and Minds: The Evolution of Life and Consciousness” became available for download. A panoramic view of the evolution of life on our planet, from…

  walterstiers

  2024-11-04

  #Wicked, Biology of Information, Complexity, Life Ideas, Neurobiology/psychology, Science, Social-Technical

  #DecisionIntelligence, #emergence, #TheInformationLens, brain, consciousness, evolution, philosophy, Science