Zoe Drayson
@zoedrayson.bsky.social
2.2K followers 300 following 420 posts
Associate Professor of Philosophy and Director of Cognitive Science at UC Davis. Philosophical Shark Jumper ®️ 🦈
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zoedrayson.bsky.social
I read this as Pigeon Street Detectives and thought you meant these guys
Mr Baskerville and Mr Jupiter from 1980s BBC children’s animation Pigeon Street
Reposted by Zoe Drayson
francesegan.bsky.social
Shamelessly promoting my favorite paper. Everybody who was anybody in the history of science/philosophy/mathematics had a view on the moon illusion. frances-egan.org/uploads/3/5/...
frances-egan.org
zoedrayson.bsky.social
It is vital that your teeth are beach-ready, Frankie! 😊
zoedrayson.bsky.social
"In this context, "realism" refers to a practical or realistic approach to surgery, not a philosophical doctrine" 🥲
zoedrayson.bsky.social
Ah yes, the medieval puzzle of Socrates' fingernail...
The fingernail in ontology
Ontology is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of being, and the fingernail's existence raises questions about what constitutes a discrete "part" of a human being. 
A "thing" versus a "process": Philosopher Thomas Nail argues that nothing is a static "thing," but rather a dynamic process in constant motion. A fingernail embodies this idea perfectly; it is not a static object but a continuous flow of keratinized skin cells produced by the nail matrix. The very moment we identify it as a "thing," it is already in the process of growing, shedding, and changing.
The puzzle of detached parts: The fingernail's ontology becomes complicated once it is clipped. Is a discarded fingernail still "Socrates's fingernail," as medieval mereology might question, or does it lose its identity once it's separated from the whole person?. The fact that it is dead, and no longer part of the living being, suggests its status changes significantly upon detachment.
zoedrayson.bsky.social
I feel like there was scope to do more with the ALT text on that one 😉
zoedrayson.bsky.social
"I refute it thus!" *chomp*
zoedrayson.bsky.social
"a dentist's duty to a "real" tooth might be viewed differently than a duty to a "perceived" tooth" 🦷 💭
Philosophical implications:
Ontology (the study of being):
"Dental realism" explores whether teeth are "things-in-themselves" (Kant's concept) or simply phenomena within our experience. 
Epistemology (the study of knowledge):
The debate questions how we know about teeth and how our knowledge relates to their reality. If teeth are objective, we discover them; if they are ideal, we create them through perception. 
Ethics:
The philosophical status of teeth affects ethical discussions surrounding dental procedures. For example, a dentist's duty to a "real" tooth might be viewed differently than a duty to a "perceived" tooth.
zoedrayson.bsky.social
When a typo in your Google search leads to new and exciting philosophical positions
AI Overview: "Dental realism"refers to the philosophical debate about whether teeth exist independently of human perception, a concept rooted in metaphysical realism. While realism asserts an objective reality for teeth, idealist philosophies contend that teeth's existence is tied to our consciousness and perception. Philosophers use this idea, for example, to discuss the ethics of tooth extraction, examining whether a procedure impacts a real entity or merely a subjective experience.
zoedrayson.bsky.social
In my mid 20s I was all embodied-and-extended, practically enactivist-leaning - I didn't solidify until I was around 30.
neillevy.bsky.social
In my mid 20s, I was working on Foucault and Heidegger and accepted a strong social constructionism of scientific facts. I have a terrible memory: protects me from ever solidifying.
Reposted by Zoe Drayson
hystericalblkns.bsky.social
If you’re on academia dot edu, let me suggest that you strongly consider deleting your account.
The new TOC from academia dot edu. 

By creating an Account with Academia.edu, you grant us a worldwide, irrevocable, non-exclusive, transferable license, permission, and consent for Academia.edu to use your Member Content and your personal information (including, but not limited to, your name, voice, signature, photograph, likeness, city, institutional affiliations, citations, mentions, publications, and areas of interest) in any manner, including for the purpose of advertising, selling, or soliciting the use or purchase of Academia.edu's Services.
zoedrayson.bsky.social
Feel free to correct my arithmetic, but I make that only 361 possibilities
Ad for shoes which come in 19 different colored pairs, claiming that the 19 colors lead to infinite possibilities.
zoedrayson.bsky.social
Apparently "adicity" uses the Greek root and "arity" uses the Latin one. That's all!
zoedrayson.bsky.social
I am respecting the personal time of my colleagues by not texting them work questions on a Sunday. But heads up, @rohanfrench.bsky.social, I'll be asking you about the difference between arity and adicity sometime this week 😁
zoedrayson.bsky.social
And you know it could have easily been So Much Worse
Reposted by Zoe Drayson
aaronbornstein.bsky.social
Come work with us! UC Irvine Cognitive Sciences is looking for a new Assistant Professor to join our team: recruit.ap.uci.edu/JPF09896

I'm not on the committee, but happy to talk if you're interested.
Assistant Professor - Cognitive Sciences
University of California, Irvine is hiring. Apply now!
recruit.ap.uci.edu
Reposted by Zoe Drayson
zoedrayson.bsky.social
I just tried to send a colleague a Zoom link but accidently sent that Hello Kitty Roblox video instead. So professional.
Email: "Hi Zoe, Thank you for agreeing to meet with me on short notice and during your sabbatical. Here's my Zoom info (you sent me a Hello Kitty YouTube link)