A SCIENTIST AND A THEOLOGIAN SEE THE WORLD: COMPROMISE OR SYNTHESIS?

Abstract. A scientist (for whom the world is the universe) and a theologian (for whom the world is planet Earth) engage in dialogue, not contrived Platonic or Galilean dialogue, but true bidisciplinary dialogue that strives for higher viewpoint. S: Is the preservation of the human species a primary human responsibility? T: It may be a responsibility we share with God. S: The human species has a limited future if confined to the planet Earth. We must diversify our habitat by colonizing space. T: We are responsible for other life on the planet as well. The discussants conclude that besides protecting Earth ecologies, we should create new ecologies in space.     

The approximation of a group stimulus space by averaging responses to selected subsets of the stimuli

This paper presents a simple random procedure for selecting subsets of stimulus pairs for presentation to subjects. The resulting set of ratings from the group of subjects allows the construction of a group (average) space through the use of the computer program TORSCA-9 or equivalent programs. The procedure is applied to both real and simulated data. It is found that subjects need only make between 20% and 50% of the usual judgements to reconstruct a reasonably accurate group space.     

A dialogue on Zeno's paradox of Achilles and the tortoise

The five participants in this dialogue critically discuss Zeno of Elea's paradox of Achilles and the tortoise. They consider a number of solutions to and restatements of the paradox, together with their philosophical implications. Among the issues investigated include the appearance-reality distinction, Aristotle's distinction between actual and potential infinity, the concept of a continuum, Cantor's continuum hypothesis and theory of transfinite ordinals, and, as a solution to Zeno's puzzle, the distinction between infinite and indeterminate or inexhaustible divisibility.     

内隐学习“三高”特征的实验研究

本研究在社会认知的人物特征识别范畴内,探讨在高强度练习和准确反馈条件下,内隐学习的高选择力、高潜力以及高密度贮存三大特征。实验采用一种测量内隐和外显学习的新方法,要求被试学会把像片按其组合特征分类。这些特征包括人物姿势的正侧面(显著维度特征),人物容貌的美丑(非显著维度特征)。结果表明:(1)非显著特征的学习,内隐被试表现出更大且显著的底层规则的迁移,比外显被试具有更高的选择力。(2)内隐被试表现出高潜力的内隐知识。(3)信息论处理揭示了内隐知识传递和贮存的高密性和高效性。     

Creative Potential and Multicultural Experiences: The Mediating Role of Creative Self-Efficacy

In two studies, one in Mexico and another one in Germany, we examined the indirect influence of self-reported multicultural experience on creative potential, through its influence on creative self-efficacy, and its direct influence on creative personal identity. In both studies, business students from Mexico and Germany completed a battery of questionnaires assessing creative self-efficacy (with two different operationalizations), creative personal identity, multicultural experiences, and a divergent thinking task designed to generate ideas to solve two different business problems. Structural equation modeling was used to test our hypotheses. Results from both studies found a positive relationship between self-reported multicultural experiences and creative personal identity. Similarly, multicultural experiences had an indirect, positive relationship with originality scores from a divergent thinking task, through its influence on creative self-efficacy. Hence, the positive influence of multicultural experience on creative potential, through creative self-efficacy, was established in two countries and with different operationalizations, trait like versus state like, of creative self-efficacy. The implications of the results were discussed.     

两宋瘟疫灾害考述

两宋时期爆发的瘟疫次数比较多,在时间上,不是呈平均之势,而是不规则,无周期的;空间分布上呈现出南方比北方多,东部比西部多的特征。由于瘟疫造成的危害比较大,当时人们在和瘟疫的多次斗争中摸索出一些防治措施,积累了相当丰富的经验。     

Neural localization of semantic context effects in electromagnetic and hemodynamic studies

Measures of electrical brain activity (event-related potentials, ERPs) have been useful in understanding language processing for several decades. Extant data suggest that the amplitude of the N400 component of the ERP is a general index of the ease or difficulty of retrieving stored conceptual knowledge associated with a word, which is dependent on both the stored representation itself, and the retrieval cues provided by the preceding context. Recordings from patients with brain damage, intracranial recordings, and magnetoencephalographic data implicate a (probably large portion of) the left temporal lobe as the largest source of the N400 semantic context effect, with a substantial but lesser contribution from the right temporal lobe. Event-related functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) studies using semantic context manipulations are dominated by observations of greater hemodynamic activity for incongruent sentence completions or semantically unrelated words than congruent or related words, consistent with the direction of the ERP effect. The locations of the hemodynamic effects show some variability across studies, but one commonly identified region is the left superior temporal gyrus, which is compatible with the electrophysiological results. A second commonly identified region in the fMRI studies is the left inferior frontal gyrus, which does not appear to make a substantial contribution to the N400 effect.     

一种新的智力观--塞西的智力生物生态学模型述评

美国心理学教授塞西在对传统智力心理测量学理论批评的基础上于1990年提出了信息加工取向的智力的生物生态学模型。这一模型主要有四个基本假设,即智力是一个多种资源系统;生物潜能与环境力量的相互作用;适宜的“最近过程”是智力发展的“引擎”;把“动机”整合到智力发展中。塞西智力的生物生态学模型为我们揭示人的智力的本质提供了一个新的视角。     

On Potentiality And Respect For Embryos: A Reply To Mary Mahowald

In order to understand the nature of human embryos I first distinguish between active and passive potentiality, and then argue that the former is found in human gametes and embryos (even in embryos in vitro that may fail to be implanted) because they all have an indwelling power or capacity to initiate certain changes. Implantation provides necessary conditions for the actualization of that prior, active potentiality. This does not imply that embryos are potential persons that do not deserve the same respect as actual persons. To claim that embryos become persons is to understand the predicate person as a phase sortal, roughly equivalent to adult person. This entails that we would not be essentially persons. In order to explain the traditional understanding of person as a proper sortal rather than a phase sortal, the author distinguishes between proximate and remote potentiality, and shows that, unlike feline embryos, human embryos, by their genetic constitution, possess the remote potentiality to later exercise the typically human activities. It follows that they are already persons essentially.     

基于认知特性的信息显示方式

大规模信息的不断涌现使目前的WIMP界面显示方式已无法满足信息显示的要求,同时也给人们处理和理解信息带来极大的困难.本文从认知工效学的角度,深入分析了目前WIMP界面中信息显示与交互方式所存在问题及其原因,并对近年来信息可视化领域中出现的焦点与场景(focus+context)显示技术作了简要的介绍,进一步分析了该技术所面临的挑战.