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Ricard Solé @ricardsole.bsky.social · 8d

What is agency? How did it emerge through evolution? Why is it key to understanding complexity? Check out this brilliant Open Access book by my dear colleagues Alvaro Moreno & @julipereto.bsky.social. A deep exploration of a crucial concept. Highly recommended! link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...

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Mark Rubin @markrubin.bsky.social · 9d

The Epistemology of Logic

"The generalisation ‘All swans are white’ does not explain *why* swans are white; for that, we require a genetic or evolutionary model."

New book by Ben Martin

Open Access: www.cambridge.org/core/service...

#PhilSci #Epistemology #AcademicSky

Abstract: Compared to our appreciation of the epistemology of the empirical sciences and mathematics, we have a relatively poor understanding of the epistemology of logic. This Element highlights three causes of this lack of progress: (i) failure to distinguish between the epistemology of logical theorising and that of good (logical) reasoning; (ii) hesitancy to base our accounts of the epistemology of logic on how logicians actually justify their logics, rather than our own presumptions about logic; and (iii) a presumption that the epistemology of logic must be significantly different to other research areas, such as the recognised sciences. The Element ends by highlighting what can be achieved by avoiding these pitfalls, presenting an account of theory-choice in logic, logical predictivism, motivated by actual logical practice, which suggests that the mechanisms of theory-choice in logic are not that different to those in the recognised sciences. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

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mj @malthusjohn.bsky.social · 3d

We escape from the main paradox of 1/many only by stepping outside of the either/or view. The malleability of <information> from & to its other forms doesn't just 'allow' this, it demands it. There are no information vacuums; we do not create the past by viewing it, we just join the awareness of it.

mj @malthusjohn.bsky.social · 3d

I think there's a good (albeit inadvertent) critique of QM built into this exposition of 'it from bit'. It's the error of the ultimate reductionist view that y/n answers to binary questions are how we get the Universe that we have.

Even the separation of Epis & Onto is contrived this way.

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mj @malthusjohn.bsky.social · 4d

Nationalism is a disease that AI will only inflame.

mj @malthusjohn.bsky.social · 4d

How does this framing differ from simply "trusting math"?

For me, computers are still calculators, regardless of the trendy names each generation must come up with to feel validated & novel.

It's hard to reconcile our logic-bound machines not being "understandable" to their creators.

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MTH @megt.bsky.social · 21d

New report shows where cancer-causing chemicals are polluting water for over 200 million Americans -- pretty much everywhere. 🌎🌿🧪

www.thenewlede.org/2025/09/new-...

Map showing chromium contaminants in drinking water -- pretty much throughout the US.

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Diogo Veríssimo @diogoverissimo.bsky.social · 20d

🚨 New paper in PLOS Biology!

📉 Women publish up to 45% fewer papers than men
📉 Non-native English speakers: –35%
📉 Triple barrier (woman + non-native English + low-income): –70%

🌍 Language & equity matter in science!
👉 doi.org/10.1371/jour...

#EquityInScience #LanguageMatters #OpenScience

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Barchart @barchart.com · 21d

The Top 1% of U.S. earners now have more wealth than the entire middle class

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Dr Andrew Mahon @andyantarctica.bsky.social · 21d

Retiring the only remaining ship in the US arsenal that was dedicated to research in the Southern Ocean....it hurts my soul to know how badly this will impact the science and all (scientists, students, crew, etc) who have worked so hard to advance our knowledge of all things #Antarctica 🧪🌎🦑🇦🇶🐧

The retiring RVIB NBP in 2023 in East Antarctica. research cruise NBP23-03

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mj @malthusjohn.bsky.social · 15d

What about the label "autist" then? No need for that...
(jk)

Since both groups are equally non-monolithic, it should wash out in experiments w/ large enough # of participants.

Also, it did look like everyone was college students, so probably most are above average in some aspects.

mj @malthusjohn.bsky.social · 16d

>> bsky.app/profile/radi...

France Today (FranciaOggi.com) Live @radionizza.com · 17d

United States: Kenvue’s shares dropped 7% following reports linking Tylenol use during pregnancy to autism risk.

Context: Autism research often investigates environmental factors during development.

Fact Check by gemma3:4b https://bsky.app/profile/financialtimes.com/post/3lzh3e47hyp2o

mj @malthusjohn.bsky.social · 16d

Came looking for this comment or post.

There's NO WAY that SCROTUS does not have conflict of interest investments in while shorting and/or extorting the Tylenol brand.

2 more reasons to #impeach the mentally incapacitated & immoral criminal-in-chief.

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mj @malthusjohn.bsky.social · 16d

Didn't those funds get diverted to privatized Mars colonization?

mj @malthusjohn.bsky.social · 16d

It would be nice to leave off the date of the creation (& edit) of the word #autism so that it's place in #evolution would be seen as normal, rather than some new human fault.

I understand your reasoning there, but the deeper connections should not be hidden in favor of a convenient argument, IMO.

mj @malthusjohn.bsky.social · 16d

To clarify, are you asking due to something you've read/heard or just out of curiosity?

The prevalence is higher in males, but that's at least in part due to under-diagnosed females (for social prejudices) being high. This does not mean that males pass "it" along (it's not a single gene or cause.)

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Mongabay @mongabay.com · 17d

[COMMENTARY]

Conservation faces a storm of crises: ecological decline, weak institutions, disinformation & threats to defenders.

The path forward? Resilient finance, coalitions linking nature & livelihoods, and optimism as a method, says a new op-ed. 🌍💪

The views expressed are author's.

Navigating conservation’s crisis (commentary)

Call it a crossroads. Ecological decline is accelerating in too many places at once; institutions that once limited the damage are wobbling; the information channels we rely on to coordinate action…

news.mongabay.com

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Oceana @oceana.bsky.social · 20d

🎉BREAKING: The High Seas Treaty has reached 60 ratifications — enough to enter into force!

This landmark agreement creates a pathway to help protect the high seas — waters beyond any one country’s authority that cover nearly half our planet. https://oceana.ly/3VqpI2Y

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mj @malthusjohn.bsky.social · 18d

Some essential changes are in order.

Treating a nationstate as a business is as lame as treating politicians as corporate executives who've cemented their ride in the #power seat w/ #corrupt use of money & giving them carte blanche to do anything they want for as long as they possibly can.

#limits

mj @malthusjohn.bsky.social · 19d

Political parties are the Poster Children of #reductionism taken too far.

Yes, it's true that not everyone will be interested or knowledgeable enough, or simply not have the time to participate in governance, but this does not excuse grandiose, untestable claims & magical overtones
as a baseline.

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Shobita Parthasarathy @shobitap.org · 21d

I am a new Expert Voices columnist @science.org and my first article just came out! In it, I argue that scaling technology has a dark side, particularly when it comes to alleviating inequality and injustice. And I suggest what scientists, engineers, and policymakers can do about it.

Beware the drive to scale technology

When it comes to technology, scalability—its capacity to be standardized and then distributed en masse and across contexts—is the ultimate goal. Scientists and engineers view scalability as the route ...

www.science.org

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mj @malthusjohn.bsky.social · 19d

The problem is that we must have both if we want to keep #science as our highest form of knowledge.

Phenomenological assumptions (aka biases) are already so deeply integrated into #QM that it doesn't seem very promising to just take up the story near the end & roll forward as if all else was well.

mj @malthusjohn.bsky.social · 19d

We seem to mostly swing widely on a pendulum, w/mainstream views converging to the extremes. This might be due to our over-reliance on reductionism & avoidance of #complex systems framing.

Still, we can learn from work like this that suggests we view & describe the world how it's experienced by us.

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mj @malthusjohn.bsky.social · 19d

Political parties are the Poster Children of #reductionism taken too far.

Yes, it's true that not everyone will be interested or knowledgeable enough, or simply not have the time to participate in governance, but this does not excuse grandiose, untestable claims & magical overtones
as a baseline.

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mj @malthusjohn.bsky.social · 19d

A summary for TL,DR:

If governance is not allowed to mix w/ the pursuit of truth, good info won't be a part of our governance.

Rather than trying to keep science & politics separate, maybe it's time to cast them from the same foundations?

Hint: there are no political parties in science.

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mj @malthusjohn.bsky.social · 19d

Yuk, how could you open like that?

"Everything sucks" should be said just before retiring for the day.

:)