Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!ncar!hsdndev!rutgers!njin!princeton!pucc!PSYC From: harnad@clarity.Princeton.EDU (Stevan Harnad) Newsgroups: sci.psychology.digest Subject: PSYCOLOQUY V2 #6 (Announcements Pt 2: 489 lines) Message-ID: <9106260404.AA02262@clarity.Princeton.EDU> Date: 25 Jun 91 22:08:07 GMT Sender: VMNNPOST@pucc.Princeton.EDU (Listserv to Netnews Gateway) Organization: Listserv to Netnews Gateway at pucc.Princeton.EDU Lines: 484 Approved: PSYC@PUCC PSYCOLOQUY ISSN 1055-0143 Tue, 25 Jun 91 Volume 2 : Issue 6 ARL to Produce Directory of Electronic Publications J. of Ideas, Vol 2 #1 Abstracts New Book: Cultural Approaches to Parenting Society for Machines and Mentality ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Michael Strangelove <441495%UOTTAWA@acadvm1.uottawa.ca> Subject: ARL to Produce Directory of Electronic Publications ARL to Produce Directory of Electronic Publications As part of its keen commitment to promote networked academic journals and other serials, the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) plans to publish a directory of electronic journals, newsletters, and scholarly discussion lists/interest groups. These represent publications which are created and distributed principally for Bitnet, Internet, and any affiliated academic networks, largely for free. The directory will be available at the end of June. It will contain some 30 journal listings, about twice that number of newsletters, and over 1000 scholarly lists. Its length is anticipated to be close to 200 pages. Preliminary pricing estimates are approximately $10 - $12 to members and double that for non-members. A final price and release date will be advertised in early June. Editor of the journals/newsletters section is Michael Strangelove, University of Ottawa. Strangelove's list will be available through the Ottawa University node sometime in June. Editor of the scholarly discussion lists/interest groups section is Diane Kovacs, Kent State University Libraries. For some months, she has maintained such listings as adjunct files to networked lists such as HUMANIST, ARACHNET, Lstown, and Libref-L. Each electronic "serial" will be described and clear directions about how to subscribe, send submissions, and access retrospectively will be provided. To ensure that the reader is given accurate and up-to-date information, entries have been supplied or verified by the editors themselves. The listings are compiled with the intention of providing the uninitiated networker with clear directions on how to navigate the sometimes puzzling world of electronic scholarship. ARL is producing the printed directory because of calls virtually daily requesting such information. If there is indeed sufficient demand for the work, the directories will be updated and sold regularly. For those who prefer to retrieve electronically, the directory will point to the free and continuously up-to-date networked sources for this information, with complete access instructions. The ARL is tentatively exploring options for funding to catalog/classify these materials, both to facilitate networked and paper access by subject and to "institutionalize" and "legitimize" new types of "serials." This effort would relate to activities of the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI) in identifying and maintaining directories of networked access and resources and to the work of individuals and institutions concerned with standards development for networked products and publications. For further information, to indicate your interest, or to place an order, contact: ARLHQ@UMDC.Bitnet (e-mail) Ann Okerson or Christine Klein Association of Research Libraries 1527 New Hampshire Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036 202-232-2466 (phone) 202-462-7849 (fax) ------------------------------ From: moritz%well@apple.com (Elan Moritz) Subject: J. of Ideas, Vol 2 #1 Abstracts Abstracts of papers appearing in Volume 2 # 1 of the Journal of Ideas THOUGHT CONTAGION AS ABSTRACT EVOLUTION Aaron Lynch Abstract: Memory abstractions, or mnemons, form the basis of a memetic evolution theory where generalized self-replicating ideas give rise to thought contagion. A framework is presented for describing mnemon propagation, combination, and competition. It is observed that the transition from individual level considerations to population level considerations can act to cancel individual variations and may result in population behaviors. Equations for population memetics are presented for the case of two-idea interactions. It is argued that creativity via innovation of ideas is a population phenomena. Keywords: mnemon, meme, evolution, replication, idea, psychology, equation. CULTURE AS A SEMANTIC FRACTAL: Sociobiology and Thick Description Charles J. Lumsden Department of Medicine, University of Toronto Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A8 Abstract: This report considers the problem of modeling culture as a thick symbolic system: a system of reference and association possessing multiple levels of meaning and interpretation. I suggest that thickness, in the sense intended by symbolic anthropologists like Geertz, can be treated mathematically by bringing together two lines of formal development, that of semantic networks, and that of fractal mathematics. The resulting semantic fractals offer many advantages for modeling human culture. The properties of semantic fractals as a class are described, and their role within sociobiology and symbolic anthropology considered. Provisional empirical evidence for the hypothesis of a semantic fractal organization for culture is discussed, together with the prospects for further testing of the fractal hypothesis. Keywords: culture, culturgen, meme, fractal, semantic network. MODELING THE DISTRIBUTION OF A "MEME" IN A SIMPLE AGE DISTRIBUTION POPULATION: I. A KINETICS APPROACH AND SOME ALTERNATIVE MODELS Matthew Witten Center for High Performance Computing University of Texas System, Austin, TX 78758-4497 Abstract. Although there is a growing historical body of literature relating to the mathematical modeling of social and historical processes, little effort has been placed upon modeling the spread of an idea element "meme" in such a population. In this paper we review some of the literature and we then consider a simple kinetics approach, drawn from demography, to model the distribution of a hypothetical "meme" in a population consisting of three major age groups. KEYWORDS: Meme, idea, age-structure, compartment, sociobiology, kinetics model. THE PRINCIPIA CYBERNETICA PROJECT Francis Heylighen, Cliff Joslyn, and Valentin Turchin The Principia Cybernetica Project[dagger] Abstract: This note describes an effort underway by a group of researchers to build a complete and consistent system of philosophy. The system will address, issues of general philosophical concern, including epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics, or the supreme human values. The aim of the project is to move towards conceptual unification of the relatively fragmented fields of Systems and Cybernetics through consensually-based philosophical development. Keywords: cybernetics, culture, evolution, system transition, networks, hypermedia, ethics, epistemology. Brain and Mind: The Ultimate Grand Challenge Elan Moritz The Institute for Memetic Research P. O. Box 16327, Panama City, Florida 32406 Abstract: Questions about the nature of brain and mind are raised. It is argued that the fundamental understanding of the functions and operation of the brain and its relationship to mind must be regarded as the Ultimate Grand Challenge problem of science. National research initiatives such as the Decade of the Brain are discussed. Keywords: brain, mind, awareness, consciousness, computers, artificial intelligence, meme, evolution, mental health, virtual reality, cyberspace, supercomputers. The Journal of Ideas is an archival forum for discussion of 1) evolution and spread of ideas, 2) the creative process, and 3) biological and electronic implementations of idea/knowledge generation and processing. The Journal of Ideas, ISSN 1049-6335, is published quarterly by the Institute for Memetic Research, Inc. P. O. Box 16327, Panama City Florida 32406-1327. E-mail requests to Elan Moritz, Editor, at moritz@well.sf.ca.us. ------------------------------ From: BR2@CU.NIH.GOV Subject: New Book: Cultural Approaches to Parenting NEWLY PUBLISHED in APRIL 1991! CULTURAL APPROACHES TO PARENTING Edited by Marc H. Bornstein National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Available from: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. 365 Broadway Hillsdale, NJ 07642 USA FAX: 201-666-2394 TEL: 201-666-4110 E-MAIL: ERLBAUM%DCM1LE.DAS.NET@SUN.COM CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Chapter 1 Marc H. Bornstein Approaches to Parenting in Culture PART I CONCEPTIONS OF PARENTING: CULTURAL ATTITUDES AND ACTIONS Chapter 2 Hanus Papousek and Mechthild Papousek Innate and Cultural Guidance of Infants' Integrative Competencies: China, The United States, and Germany Chapter 3 Andree Pomerleau, Gerard Malcuit, and Colette Sabatier Child-Rearing Practices and Parental Beliefs in Three Cultural Groups of Montreal: Quebecois, Vietnamese, Haitian Chapter 4 Marc H. Bornstein, Joseph Tal, and Catherine S. Tamis-LeMonda Parenting in Cross-Cultural Perspective: The United States, France, and Japan Chapter 5 Gilda A. Morelli and Edward Z. Tronick Parenting and Child Development in the Efe Foragers and Lese Farmers of Zaire Chapter 6 T. Berry Brazelton Discussion: Cultural Attitudes and Actions PART II CONSEQUENCES OF PARENTING: DYNAMICS OF ENCULTURATION Chapter 7 Marian Sigman and Theodore D. Wachs Structure, Continuity, and Nutritional Correlates of Caregiver Behavior Patterns in Kenya and Egypt Chapter 8 Marilyn Shatz Using Cross-Cultural Research to Inform Us about the Role of Language in Development: Comparisons of Japanese, Korean, and English, and of German, American English, and British English Chapter 9 Judy Dunn and Jane Brown Becoming American or English? Talking About the Social World in England and the United States Chapter 10 Barbara Rogoff, Jayanthi Mistry, Artin Goncu, and Christine Mosier Cultural Variation in the Role Relations of Toddlers and Their Families Chapter 11 William Kessen Commentary: Dynamics of Enculturation ------------------------------ From: rapaport@adara.cs.buffalo.edu (William J. Rapaport) Subject: Society for Machines and Mentality Announcing a New Professional Society THE SOCIETY FOR MACHINES AND MENTALITY We are pleased to announce the formation of a new cognitive science society, the Society for Machines and Mentality, whose purpose is to advance philosophical understanding of machines and mentality, including such issues as whether machines are able to think, whether machines could have minds, and related matters. Details on the activities of the Society are described in the Constitution, appended to this message. The Society's first meeting will be held in conjunction with the Eastern Division of the American Philosophical Association meetings in December 1991, to honor the launching of the journal MINDS AND MACHINES: JOURNAL FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, PHILOSOPHY, AND COGNITIVE SCIENCE by Kluwer Academic Publishers. The guest speaker will be: William Bechtel, Department of Philosophy, Georgia State University speaking on current issues in connectionism. Details will be announced when they become available. An election has been held in accordance with Article 4, Sections 2 to 4 of the Constitution. James H. Fetzer, the Editor of MINDS AND MACHINES, has informed me that the final results of the election were as follows: President: William J. Rapaport Department of Computer Science & Center for Cognitive Science SUNY Buffalo Buffalo, NY 14260 Vice President: David J. Cole Department of Philosophy University of Minnesota Duluth, MN 55812 Treasurer: James H. Moor Department of Philosophy Dartmouth University Hanover, NH 03755 Anyone requesting further information about the election may contact Fetzer by email at jfetzer@ub.d.umn.edu. The Constitution defines the terms of office and the responsibilities of the officers in Article 3 (see below). Those who cast ballots in this election and anyone else who wishes to be- come a member of the Society for Machines and Mentality should send their dues (currently $5.00 per year) to the Treasurer, James H. Moor, at the above address. Please provide the following information for membership records: name, position, affiliation, address, email address, and phone number. Please identify any information which is not to be made public. CONSTITUTION OF THE SOCIETY FOR MACHINES AND MENTALITY ARTICLE 1. Name and Objectives. Section 1. The Society for Machines and Mentality ("the Society" hereafter) shall be an international professional organization open to every qualified individual. Section 2. The objective of the Society shall be to promote, foster, support, and encourage literary and educational projects that have as their purpose to advance philosophical understanding of issues at the intersection of artificial intelligence, philosophy, and cognitive science, including such issues as whether machines are able to think, whether machines could have minds, and related matters. Section 3. The Society is not organized for profit, and no part of its net proceedings shall inure to the benefit of any officer or employee of the Society except that reasonable compensation may be paid for services rendered to and for the Society in connection with one or more of its purposes, which are entirely literary and educational. Section 4. No substantial part of the activities of the Society shall be the carrying on of propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the Society shall not participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office. ARTICLE 2. Membership. Section 1. Membership in the Society is open to any person without regard to race, creed, color, age, sex, or nationality or to any organi- zation interested in and sympathetic to its purposes. Section 2. Persons and organizations become members of the Society when they submit a letter of application to the Treasurer accompanied by the initial payment of membership dues. Membership is for one year and is renewable each year upon payment of membership dues. A member- ship year shall be the same as the calendar year. Section 3. All members shall be regular members and shall be entitled to the privileges specified by this constitution and its bylaws. ARTICLE 3. Officers. Section 1. The officers of the Society shall be: President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and the Immediate Past President. Section 2. The President's term of office shall be for two years without re- newal. The President shall be the chief executive and operating officer of the Society and shall be responsible for arranging the program of and conducting the annual meeting of the Society. Section 3. The Vice-President's term of office shall be for two years without renewal. The Vice-President shall assist the President in arrang- ing the annual meeting of the Society and shall serve in place of the President when the President is unable to discharge his/her duties. Upon completion of his/her term of office, the Vice-Pres- ident shall succeed to the office of President. Section 4. The Treasurer's term of office shall be for two years and renew- able indefinitely. The Treasurer shall be responsible for receiv- ing and processing applications for membership, shall maintain control over dues received and disbursements made in accordance with the objectives of the Society, and shall keep accurate and up-to-date membership records of the Society. Section 5. Upon completion of his/her term of office, the most recent Pres- ident shall become the Immediate Past President of the Society and shall have a nonrenewable term of office of two years. ARTICLE 4. Elections. Section 1. Elections shall be held every two years or more frequently if re- quired. Section 2. The first slate of candidates for office shall be nominated by an ad hoc organizing committee consisting of the Editor of MINDS AND MACHINES and two others invited by him, who shall take steps to insure the confidentiality of the voting process. Thereafter elections shall be arranged by the Nominating Committee as appro- priate. Section 3. Whenever possible balloting shall take place by email with each member permitted to write in the name of alternate candidates. Otherwise balloting shall take place by surface mail. When email balloting is employed, members shall be given at least seventy- two hours to cast their ballots. When surface mail is employed, members shall be given at least one week to cast their ballots. Section 4. A candidate shall be elected by receiving a plurality of the votes cast in that election. ARTICLE 5. Liability. No member of the Society, or the Society itself, shall be legally responsible for any act done or any liability incurred by any officer of the Society, unless such action shall have been spec- ifically authorized in accordance with this constitution and its bylaws. ARTICLE 6. Committees. Section 1. The Treasurer shall chair a standing Membership Committee. Section 2. The officers of the Society shall serve as Nominating Committee and shall nominate at least one member of the Society for each open office whenever that becomes appropriate by virtue of its vacancy. The Nominating Committee shall arrange for balloting to occur in a timely fashion and in a manner that insures the confidentiality of the voting process. Section 3. The officers are authorized to establish temporary committees to promote the purposes of the Society as may be appropriate. ARTICLE 7. Meetings. Section 1. There shall be an annual meeting of the Society in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Eastern Division of the American Philosopical Association, unless otherwise decided. Section 2. The annual meeting shall involve presentations by one or more speakers and may include a reception for those in attendance. Section 3. The location of the annual meeting may be changed and other meetings may be called with the approval of a majority of those voting using the same procedures as for the election of officers. ARTICLE 8. Amendments. Section 1. Amendments to this document may be proposed by the officers or any group consisting of at least five members of the Society. Section 2. Amendments shall be distributed and voted upon in the same man- ner as elections for officers, except that the adoption of an amendment shall require approval by two-thirds of those voting to be adopted. ARTICLE 9. Bylaws. Section 1. Bylaws of the Society may be adopted and amended. Proposed by- laws must be submitted to the President in writing, signed by at least five members of the Society. Section 2. Proposed bylaws must be submitted more than sixty days before the annual meeting and shall be voted upon prior to that meet- ing in accordance with the same procedures as apply to the elec- tion of officers, except that the adoption of a bylaw shall re- quire the support of a majority of those voting. ARTICLE 10. Powers. The Society shall have the power to do any lawful act or thing reasonably necessary or desirable for carrying out the Society's purposes and for protecting the lawful rights and interests of its members. ARTICLE 11. Dissolution. Upon the dissolution of the Society, the officers shall, after paying or making provision for the payment of all liabilities of the Society, dispose of all assets of the Society exclusively for the purposes of the Society in such a manner, or to such or- ganization or organizations established and operated exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, scientific, or literary purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or corresponding sections of any future United States Internal Revenue Code), as the officers shall then determine. ------------------------------ PSYCOLOQUY is sponsored by the Science Directorate of the American Psychological Association (202) 955-7653 Co-Editors: (scientific discussion) (professional/clinical discussion) Stevan Harnad Perry London, Dean, Cary Cherniss (Assoc Ed.) Psychology Department Graduate School of Applied Graduate School of Applied Princeton University and Professional Psychology and Professional Psychology Rutgers University Rutgers University Assistant Editor: Malcolm Bauer Psychology Department Princeton University End of PSYCOLOQUY Digest ******************************