In this article I raise empirical challenges for the claim tha area MT/V5 is the neural correlate for visual experience as of motion (Block 2005). In particular, I focus on the claim that there is matching content between area MT, on one hand, and visual experience as of motion, on the other hand (Chalmers 2000, Block 2007). I survey two lines of empirical evidence which challenge the claim of matching content in area MT. The first line of evidence covers new (...) results in neuroscience which emphasize the ongoing dynamics in cortical activity. The second line of evidence focuses on results regarding area MT in particular (Maier et al. 2007 and Cohen and Newsome 2008). Together, the empirical results indicate that neural processing is context sensitive in a way that challenges the attribution of content to local areas of cortex, to area MT in particular. In the final part of the article I explore alternative approaches and discuss remaining issues. (shrink)

We are pleased to inform you that the title Mindsponge Theory (MT) has now been available on the Harvard University Library HOLLIS system.

On July 24, 2023, a philosophical essay regarding the roles of editors with multiple retractions in the publishing system was officially published in Epistemes Metron Logos.

Johannes de Silentio, the pseudonymous author of Fear and Trembling, purports to be an individual who admires faith but cannot attain to its unearthly standards. The discontinuity between Kierkegaard, who self-identified as a religious author, and de Silentio, who approaches Abraham in self-doubt, is apparent—and as a result, some have argued for an utter dissociation between these two authors. I argue that such dissociation undermines the potency of the work, especially with regard to the perspective on faith presented therein. The (...) significance of de Silentio’s perspective becomes clear when set against the backdrop of Kierkegaard’s view of the relationship between anxiety and faith; in this light, de Silentio turns out to represent an early stage of the individual’s religious development, and Kierkegaard turns out to have recently surpassed this stage before writing the work. (shrink)

As of January 20, 2024, we recorded 168 documents (including articles, books, proceedings, and lectures) that have used Bayesian Mindsponge Framework (BMF) analytics/Mindsponge Theory (MT) substantively. This number has increased by 31.25% since the previous record on July 9, 2023. The documents have been authored or co-authored by 330 researchers from 215 institutions in 38 countries, of which 67% come from developing/emerging countries. Among 330 users, 32 are registered members of the SM3D Portal.

Peter Sloterdijk's 'In the Shadow of Mt. Sinai' and Alain Badiou's 'Our Wounds Are Not So Recent' represent distinctly different attempts to come to grips with the conflict between the West (the US, the UK, France) and the Muslim world after the September 11th attacks. Although Sloterdijk finds the source of conflict in the religious zealotry of the Abrahamic religions, while Badiou blames the multinational capitalist system for drating a disaffected underclass, the two complementary perspectives work together to make this (...) ongoing conflict intelligible, if not, finally, to stop the war on terrorism. (shrink)

The research team of Madrasah Tsanawiyah Negeri 1 Bolaang Mongondow Timur has a work program called NGOBRAS RISET (Talking About Research). NGOBRAS RISET is a mentoring and training activity on research and writing scientific papers. The purpose of this activity is to provide research training and write scientific papers for students and teachers accompanying the research group. In NGOBRAS RISET IV MTs Negeri 1 Boltim invited two assistants to discuss the research proposal prepared by the research team group. In the (...) process of training, they are given knowledge about the procedure for conducting research and writing scientific papers. The results show that the MTs Negeri 1 Boltim research team group can understand the procedures for research and writing scientific papers, as well as the shortcomings contained in the proposal of the MTs Negeri 1 Boltim research team group can be overcome. (shrink)

Because you know you exist with the cogito (I think therefore I am), you possess the fundamental capability to prove your own existence (science) and how you emerged (metaphysics). The act of 'metatheos' then, a metaphysical activity, serves to help you understand your own consciousness and its limitation, while simultaneously understanding God, what it is, and its limitlessness. God hereby, should begin to be conceivably understood as something well beyond our abilities to perceive, while also proving the definition that it (...) is everything, including nothingness. This eliminates the anthropomorphism of fundamentalist religions and the infinite regress of the material reductionists, as it makes them both valid and compatible. (shrink)

The success of the Bayesian approach to perception suggests probabilistic perceptual representations. But if perceptual representation is probabilistic, why doesn't normal conscious perception reflect the full probability distributions that the probabilistic point of view endorses? For example, neurons in MT/V5 that respond to the direction of motion are broadly tuned: a patch of cortex that is tuned to vertical motion also responds to horizontal motion, but when we see vertical motion, foveally, in good conditions, it does not look at all (...) horizontal. This article argues that the best Bayesian approach to this problem does not require probabilistic representation. (shrink)

This research explores the impact of media engagement on the identity perceptions of the Aeta Ambala, an indigenous group in the Philippines, particularly after the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption. This catastrophic event led to significant displacement and cultural shifts for the Aeta, who were forced to adapt to urban lifestyles. The study focuses on the differences in identity perceptions between the older and younger generations, with the former holding onto pre-eruption cultural norms and the latter aligning more with urban and (...) resettlement community cultures. Employing in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, the study finds that media representations often negatively portray the Aeta Ambala, leading to discrimination and altering self-perception. Despite this, the community maintains a strong sense of ethnic identity, viewing it as an immutable aspect of their heritage. Media engagement is seen as inevitable for staying informed, particularly in emergencies, but it also influences perceptions of the outside world and reshapes cultural and ethnic identity. Younger generations, more engaged with media, tend to adopt external beauty standards and lifestyles, leading to early marriages and cultural indifference. There is also a noted mistrust towards media organizations due to exploitation concerns. In conclusion, the study highlights the complex relationship between media interaction and self identification within the Aeta Ambala community, suggesting that while media engagement alters perceptions and behaviors, the core Aeta Ambala culture remains strong and resilient. (shrink)

We present a new justification for methodological triangulation (MT), the practice of using different methods to support the same scientific claim. Unlike existing accounts, our account captures cases in which the different methods in question are associated with, and rely on, incommensurable theories. Using a nonstandard Bayesian model, we show that even in such cases, a commitment to the minimal form of epistemic conservatism, captured by the rigidity condition that stands at the basis of Jeffrey’s conditionalization, supports the practice of (...) MT. (shrink)

Since 2019, I have been accompanying the development of the Mindsponge Theory (MT). In 2023, the book Mindsponge Theory was officially published, marking a significant milestone. During this period, I completed my doctoral research and explored new methods to enhance work efficiency. The journey was filled with challenges. Surprisingly, the difficulties arose from concepts that seemed small and basic, almost taken for granted as "already known." I was entrusted by my co-author—the father of the mindsponge mechanism—with the task of further (...) developing the theory. He was not satisfied with what seemed like the final form, encapsulating Mindsponge theory as an information mechanism of biological systems. This was a significant challenge because the next form could only be approached using scientific information from quantum physics, as predicted by Erwin Schrödinger. Indeed, our exploration traversed many realms of physics and information. This journey was greatly supported by books like Reality Is Not What It Seems by Rovelli and On the Origin of Time by Hertog, along with Shannon's principles of information theory. The more valuable information we gathered, the more we realized the vast contributions left by countless brilliant minds, highlighting our own limitations. I was driven by a seemingly simple yet profoundly challenging question: • What is value? What approach is needed to reach its deepest essence? (shrink)

Logical reasoning is not only a component of religious faith (cf., for instance, the "Golden rule"), but, in addition, the religious faith itself can be conceived as a logical pragmatic function applied to sentences and their meanings. Pragmatic role of religious faith is shown on the examples of the analogy of seed and spoken word (e.g., Mt 13:3-23) and on the degrees of faith described in the episode about Nicodemus (John 3). Pragmatics adds (different grades of) perseverance to the correctness (...) of reasoning and to the truth-preservation of the consequence relation. Correspondingly, religious faith is described by formally defined model and satisfaction relation, which are applied to and examined on the text of John 3. (shrink)

I provide an analysis of Hegel's interpretation of the faith exemplified in Abraham's journey to Mt. Moriah to sacrifice his son. I do so by looking at changes in Hegel's discussion of this episode in the Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion that were given over the last decade of his career. In the process of tracing the contours of the development of Hegel's thinking on this issue I argue that his social philosophy, on which persons are first and foremost (...) creatures of rational self-determination, is informed by his understanding of logic and metaphysics, and I suggest some of the rationalist and romantic elements animating Hegel's thought remain viable today. (shrink)

O artigo apresenta uma análise das formas literárias de Mt 20,20-28, que narra o pedido da mãe dos filhos de Zebedeu e a resposta de Jesus a respeito do servir. Será aplicado o referencial teórico proposto por Klaus Berger, em As formas literárias do Novo Testamento. Com a aplicação da análise formal a perícope é classificada com um gênero abrangente que contém características de texto simbulêutico, epidíctico e dicânico. Mediante um diagrama são identificados os subgêneros, que são categorias menores em (...) níveis diferentes e que aparecem combinados na perícope. A teoria comunicativa dos gêneros prioriza a relação autor/leitor e releva a importância do ambiente vital como sustentava a tese clássica dos gêneros literários de M. Dibelius e R. Bultmann. Assim os sinais e formas usados no texto produzem o efeito nos ouvintes/leitores. Eles permanecem no modelo dos dominadores do mundo ou vão aderir ao modelo de Jesus? Vão reproduzir a racionalidade da dominação ou a do serviço? A argumentação classificada como simbulêutica em Mt 20,26 visa modificar os pressupostos usados pelos ouvintes para julgar e tomar decisões. O critério não será o poder dominação, mas o serviço, o que resulta em relações igualitárias na comunidade de Mateus. Quem quiser tornar-se grande, deve ser servidor, não o primeiro, mas o último. (shrink)

The practice of trading forest carbon credits has gained significant attention as a strategy to combat climate change. By allowing companies to buy and sell credits representing forest carbon sequestration, it aims to create financial incentives for forest preservation. However, a recent report highlights the dangers of commodifying forest carbon if such financial mechanisms overshadow other vital environmental and social values. To understand the complexities of this issue, we can turn to the mindsponge theory (MT), particularly its information-value nexus hypothesis, (...) for valuable insights. (shrink)

Nghiên cứu này đánh giá tác động của du lịch đến tăng trưởng kinh tế tại vùng Kinh tế trọng điểm miền Trung (VKTTĐMT) giai đoạn 2010-2023. Kết quả cho thấy, Du lịch có tác động tích cực và ý nghĩa thống kê đến Tăng trưởng kinh tế VKTTĐMT. Vốn, Lao động, Chuyển đổi số và Đô thị hóa cũng có ảnh hưởng đáng kể. Trên cơ sở đó, nghiên cứu đề xuất một số giải pháp nhằm phát huy Du (...) lịch, Đầu tư hạ tầng, Phát triển nhân lực, Chuyển đổi số và Quản lý đô thị hóa. (shrink)

Đồng hành với lý thuyết MT từ 2019, tới 2023 cuốn sách Mindsponge Theory (MT) chính thức ra mắt, đánh dấu một chặng đường cá nhân tôi vừa hoàn thành các nghiên cứu tiến sỹ, vừa tìm tòi phát triển các phương pháp trợ giúp công việc hiệu quả hơn. Trên hành trình xuất hiện rất nhiều thách thức. Nhưng kỳ lạ ở chỗ khó khăn lại xuất hiện ở khái niệm tưởng như rất bé, rất cơ bản, thậm chí (...) gần như được mặc định là “đã biết”. Tôi được đồng tác giả—chính là người đã đưa ra cơ chế mindsponge—giao phó việc tiếp tục cùng phát triển ở tầng nấc sâu hơn nữa. Ông không hài lòng với nấc tưởng như đã tận cùng khi đóng gói MT là cơ chế thông tin của các hệ thống sinh học. Đây là điều rất thách thức, vì nấc tiếp theo chỉ có thể tiến hành dựa trên các thông tin khoa học từ vật lý hạt cơ bản, như dự báo của Erwin Schrödinger. Quả vậy, hành trình tìm tòi đã đi qua nhiều địa hạt của vật lý và thông tin. Hành trình này được sự hỗ trợ vô cùng hiệu quả của cuốn sách Reality is not what it seems của Rovelli cũng như On the origin of time của Hertog và bản chất thông tin của Shannon. Càng nhiều thông tin hay, những phát hiện lớn và tầng tầng lớp lớp những bộ óc thiên tài để lại cho nhân loại những kho báu kiến thức vô giá, một cá nhân lại càng cảm nhận sự nhỏ bé và hạn chế của bản thân. Tôi được thôi thúc với câu hỏi rất bé, cuối cùng hóa ra lại rất thách thức để trả lời: Vậy giá trị là gì? Cần cách tiếp cận nào để đến gần được bản chất sâu xa nhất của nó? (shrink)

In a country as linguistically diverse as India, the demand for localized video content is rapidly increasing. Dubbing English videos into Indian languages, such as Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Bengali, is critical to making content accessible to wider audiences. This paper presents a software solution that automates the dubbing process using a combination of technologies like Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), Machine Translation (MT), andText-to-Speech (TTS). The process begins by converting English audio into text using ASR, followed by translation into the (...) target Indian language through advanced Natural Language Processing (NLP) models. The translated text is then synthesized into natural-sounding speech using TTS engines like Google Text-to-Speech (gTTS). Finally, the dubbed audio is synchronized with the original video to ensure proper lip-sync and timing. This automated approach streamlines the dubbing process, reducing time and cost while maintaining translation accuracy, voice quality, and synchronization. The software offers an efficient solution for content creators, businesses, and educators looking to expand their reach across India’s multilingual population. (shrink)

A consistent finding in research on conditional reasoning is that individuals are more likely to endorse the valid modus ponens (MP) inference than the equally valid modus tollens (MT) inference. This pattern holds for both abstract task and probabilistic task. The existing explanation for this phenomenon within a Bayesian framework (e.g., Oaksford & Chater, 2008) accounts for this asymmetry by assuming separate probability distributions for both MP and MT. We propose a novel explanation within a computational-level Bayesian account of reasoning (...) according to which “argumentation is learning”. We show that the asymmetry must appear for certain prior probability distributions, under the assumption that the conditional inference provides the agent with new information that is integrated into the existing knowledge by minimizing the Kullback-Leibler divergence between the posterior and prior probability distribution. We also show under which conditions we would expect the opposite pattern, an MT-MP asymmetry. (shrink)

Neural machine translation (NMT) is one of the success stories of deep learning and artificial intelligence. Revolutionary innovations in the computational architectures made in 2015–2017 have led to dramatic improvements in the quality of machine translation (MT) and changed the field forever. Some professional translators welcome these changes with enthusiasm, others less so. But everyone has to deal with them. Historically, the relationship between human translation and MT has been uneasy and complicated, but an increasing number of players in both (...) fields are now coming to view it as synergistic. -/- OPUS-CAT is a collection of machine translation software based on a Windows implementation of Marian NMT—a stable production-ready neural machine translation framework used in many industrial and research applications. It can be installed on your PC, fine-tuned to specialized translation domains, and integrated into CAT tools. (shrink)

Thật vui mừng khi thấy sự hiện diện của cuốn Mindsponge Theory (MT) trong hệ thống Harvard Library HOLLIS của Đại học Harvard.

This paper will first provide a synopsis of Thompson's understanding of ideology and then apply it to two selected verses (Mt 5:3 & 4) from the Sermon on the Mount. An attempt will be made to reveal the existence of an ideology in the text, determine its symbolic form and construction, and confirm the suitability of Thompson's modes of operation of ideology and depth hermeneutics as tools of interpretation to be applied to the text. This methodology will disclose how one (...) could control the masses with an ideology that claimed to benefit them; how the text can be presenting an opposing ideology to the prevailing ideologies and finally show that the text also reveals an asymmetrical relation of power and dominion between God and the hearers of the text that ultimately will benefit them. Reading the text in its particular social-historical setting this article will endeavour to disclose and draw attention to symbolic phenomena that serve and sustain relations (domination being one aspect of this association) between God and his people who are the oppressed and persecuted. (shrink)

The target of Second- Language Acquisition (SLA), emerged in the second half of the 20th century, was to be helpful in foreign- language education/ teaching. It denotes mostly the study of individuals (or sometimes groups) who are learning a language consequent to learning their first language when they are young children. At the same time, it signifies the process of learning a second language. The added language is named a second language, but it might indeed be the third, fourth or (...) more which is going to be acquired. The range of SLA comprises informal Second- Language Learning occurring in natural milieus, formal second- language learning occurring in classroom or the one that contains a combination of them both, that is, settings and conditions. The three main aspects for the study of SLA process are the linguistic, psychological and social aspects. The Monitor Theory/ Model postulated by Krashen in the 1970s is a psychological approach in nature. With its five hypotheses (The Acquisition– Learning Hypothesis, The Monitor Hypothesis, The Natural Order Hypothesis, The Input Hypothesis, and The Affective Filter Hypothesis), it tries to find answers to the problems of SLA, such as what does a second- language learner come to know, how the acquisition process takes place, and why some learners are more successful than others? The Monitor Theory (MT) received extensively many criticisms after its appearance and was rejected. Its teaching implications were also at the centre of criticisms. What place does MT occupy in SLA today? This study aims to try to find an answer. The other questions are: How important is the MT for SLA? What kind of criticisms are expressed against it? How fair is the criticism by McLaughlin (1978, 1987)? The working hypotheses of the present work are: The hypotheses developed by Krashen are not/ will not be rejected. Because science is still lying in the so- called agony phase, and cannot find any answers to all questions in psychology (e.g. how exactly is the processing of language; in particular and of mind in general). Moreover, the problems related to memory etc., the thoughts emanated from the MT can probably not be refuted. They have evolved so far and will be evolved further, perhaps with small differences. This research is completely based on the literature written since the time the theory was developed. In other words, it was carried out using a descriptive method without using a special data collection tool. The sources written on the subject were reviewed and an answer to the research questions was tried to be found. Even though the theory is expressed with different names and different meanings today, it has survived all the criticisms made, and it has been concluded that it still occupies an important place in the discipline of second- language acquisition (SLA) and foreign- language teaching. Again, the inquiries carried out since the 1970s delineate that the implications in favour of language education are not very different from those stated by Krashen (1982), which were the products of his opinions in that period. There are still basic consequences grounded on MT for language teaching today. (shrink)

In this paper we discuss the new Tweety puzzle. The original Tweety puzzle was addressed by approaches in non-monotonic logic, which aim to adequately represent the Tweety case, namely that Tweety is a penguin and, thus, an exceptional bird, which cannot fly, although in general birds can fly. The new Tweety puzzle is intended as a challenge for probabilistic theories of epistemic states. In the first part of the paper we argue against monistic Bayesians, who assume that epistemic states can (...) at any given time be adequately described by a single subjective probability function. We show that monistic Bayesians cannot provide an adequate solution to the new Tweety puzzle, because this requires one to refer to a frequency-based probability function. We conclude that monistic Bayesianism cannot be a fully adequate theory of epistemic states. In the second part we describe an empirical study, which provides support for the thesis that monistic Bayesianism is also inadequate as a descriptive theory of cognitive states. In the final part of the paper we criticize Bayesian approaches in cognitive science, insofar as their monistic tendency cannot adequately address the new Tweety puzzle. We, further, argue against monistic Bayesianism in cognitive science by means of a case study. In this case study we show that Oaksford and Chater’s (2007, 2008) model of conditional inference—contrary to the authors’ theoretical position—has to refer also to a frequency-based probability function. (shrink)

The formation and existence of the Minsponge theory (MT) do not necessarily imply competition for position or influence with other theories in the fields of social sciences, humanities, or cognition. Instead, it plays a supportive role and creates a framework to improve the analytical approach, particularly through Bayesian Mindsponge Framework analytics. In other words, MT coexists harmoniously with the development of other theories.

The aim of the paper is the development of theoretical approaches and practical recommendations for the formation of a system to respond to the needs of consumers in the company that provides the service. Theoretical and methodological foundation work was to study and rethink works of Ukrainian and foreign scientists on improving marketing activities, services based on the formation of a system to respond to the needs of consumers. Based on systematic methods, structural analysis, causal analysis, synthesis and argumentation proposed (...) system respond to the needs of consumers in higher education (universities). The importance of formation of the system to respond to the needs of consumers for Ukrainian universities and determined its structural components; classified obstacles to implementation in Ukrainian university system to respond to the needs of consumers and the ways to overcome them; Chart systematization process designed event involving consumers and roadmap event (for example, of "Career Day"). (shrink)

Understanding the relationship between wilderness outings and the resulting experience has been a central theme in resource-based, outdoor recreation research for nearly 50 years. The authors provide a review and synthesis of literature that examines how people, over time, build relationships with wilderness places and express their identities as consequences of multiple, ongoing wilderness engagements (i.e., continued participation). The paper reviews studies of everyday places and those specifically protected for wilderness and backcountry qualities. Beginning with early origins and working through (...) contemporary research the authors synthesize what diverse social scientists have learned about the long-term and continual nature of wilderness participation and its impact on the formation of identity. The thrust of the paper points researchers, planners, and managers in non-traditional directions and reframes goals and objectives for visitor planning and management in wilderness and other protected areas. (shrink)

Cuộc sống này cần đến nhiều lòng biết ơn. Chỉ nguyên việc có thể sống yên bình, ta đã phải biết ơn nhiều thứ, nhiều người lắm. Riêng tôi luôn biết ơn hai người thầy. Lần lượt theo thời gian, trước tiên là GS Văn Như Cương (1937-2017). Tiếp theo là GS André Farber (1944-2017).

The article is devoted to the prospects of creation and functioning of cooperative banks and development banks in Ukraine. The article deals with the peculiarities of cooperative banks and development banks. Sci-entists analyzed the views on the activities of banks and their impact on economic development. The article deals with the peculiarities of development and operation of the cooperative banks of developed countries: Germany and Poland. A three-tier model of national cooperative bank system has been suggested. The influences of developments (...) banks operations on the national economy are defined. The main grounded differences between development banks and commercial banks are defined. The problems of creating devel-opment banks in Ukraine are analyzed. (shrink)

Thác như trong tiên cảnh tại Hòa Bình, chụp ngày 21-11-2023. -/- Một trong những điều khiến cho bức ảnh đẹp hơn là vẻ tinh khôi hầu như chưa bị can thiệp bởi công trình xây dựng, vật dụng hay vật liệu.

Ở trong cuốn tiểu thuyết Đảo Hoang của tác giả Tô Hoài, nhiều loại cây được miêu tả sinh động cả trong không gian thiên nhiên hoang dã, lẫn việc sử dụng trong đời sống...

Cây này rất vui, có hoa đang trổ, có chùm quả xanh, có chùm quả nửa chín nửa xanh, có chùm chín gần hết, và lại có cả chùm đã chín, khô quắt lại ở trên cao.