Let A₁,..., An, An+1 be a finite sequence of algebras of sets given on a set X, $\cup _{k=1}^{n}{\cal A}_{k}\neq \germ{P}(X)$, with more than $\frac{4}{3}n$ pairwise disjoint sets not belonging to An+1. It was shown in [4] and [5] that in this case $\cup _{k=1}^{n+1}{\cal A}_{k}\neq \germ{P}(X)$. Let us consider, instead An+1, a finite sequence of algebras An+1,..., An+l. It turns out that if for each natural i ≤ l there exist no less than $\frac{4}{3}(n+l)-\frac{l}{24}$ pairwise disjoint sets not belonging (...) to An+i, then $\cup _{k=1}^{n+1}{\cal A}_{k}\neq \germ{P}(X)$. But if l ≥ 195 and if for each natural i ≤ l there exist no less than $\frac{4}{3}(n+l)-\frac{l}{15}$ pairwise disjoint sets not belonging to An+i, then $\cup _{k=1}^{n+1}{\cal A}_{k}\neq \germ{P}(X)$. After consideration of finite sequences of algebras, it is natural to consider countable sequences of algebras. We obtained two essentially important theorems on a countable sequence of almost σ-algebras (the concept of almost σ-algebra was introduced in [4]). (shrink)

Written from the perspective of philosophy of liberation, this essay holds that the reform of basic human relationships and their cultural instantiation(s) is central to all serious societal change. The essay analyzes naive, mythological, and critical consciousness. It examines how these modes of consciousness are embodied in the health delivery system and then describes areas where practitioners and patients of critical consciousness might work for greater humanization of health care.

Among various cases that equally admit of evidentialist reasoning, the supposedly evidentialist solution has varying degrees of intuitive attractiveness. I suggest that cooperative reasoning may account for the appeal of apparently evidentialist behavior in the cases in which it is intuitively attractive, while the inapplicability of cooperative reasoning may account for the unattractiveness of evidentialist behaviour in other cases. A collective causal power with respect to agreed outcomes, not evidentialist reasoning, makes cooperation attractive in the Prisoners' Dilemma. And a natural (...) though unwarranted assumption of such a power may account for the intuitive appeal of the one-box response in Newcomb's Problem. (shrink)

Articles on Hindu ethics and religious life.

Jean Philiponus est un théologien monophysite du VIe siècle qui a commenté le De Anima d'Aristote. Il suit le traitement d'Aristote au sujet de la vue et de la lumière. Il se demande si l'oeil est purement un récepteur passif de lumière ou si il est un émetteur de rayons visuels en interaction avec l'objet et de ce fait rend la vision possible. Jean Philiponus en arrive à une nouvelle théorie de la vision où celle-ci apparaît comme une faculté en (...) interaction avec ce qui est vu en raison de la nature non corporelle de la lumière. On est ici au tout début de la controverse sur les images. (shrink)

Junior researchers can be abused and bullied by unscrupulous senior collaborators. This article describes the profile of a type of serial abuser, the White Bull, who uses his academic seniority to distort authorship credit and who disguises his parasitism with carefully premeditated deception. Further research into the personality traits of such perpetrators is warranted.

Many studies have documented gender differences in attitudes toward and experiences with science. Compared to men, for example, women are less likely to study science and to pursue careers in science-related fields. Given these findings, should we expect gender differences in support for scientific involvement in U.S. environmental policy? This study empirically examines the relationship of gender to attitudes toward science and preferred roles of scientists in environmental policy among various environmental policy participants. Data collected in 2006 and 2007 from (...) national surveys of four different groups involved in environmental policy and management suggest that social context, including education and occupation, shapes the way that gender matters. Specifically, we find that gender is less important among scientists and managers than among interest groups and the general population regarding attitudes toward science and views about preferred roles of scientists in environmental decision making. (shrink)

A new formulation involving fulfillment of all the Kolmogorov axioms is suggested for acomplete probability theory. This proves to be not a purely mathematical discipline. Probability theory deals with abstract objects—images of various classes of concrete objects—whereas experimental statistics deals with concrete objects alone. Both have to be taken into account. Quantum physics and classical statistical physics prove to be different aspects ofone probabilistic physics. The connection of quantum mechanics with classical statistical mechanics is examined and the origin of the (...) Schrödinger equation is elucidated. Attention is given to the true meaning of the wave-corpuscle duality, and the incompleteness of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics is explained. (shrink)