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This essay considers the aesthetic stakes of light in Nancy Holt's installation Sun Tunnels (1973–1976), emphasising their relation to subjective consciousness and time. Taking into account the question of systems Holt's oeuvre also developed, the essay meditates on the rupture Holt's installation in the Basin Desert in Utah provokes today, when the prevalence of social systems of immediate visibility and communication eliminate remoteness and deny unobservable, irreducibly intimate experience, or subjective time. A direct exploration of Sun Tunnels on the summer solstice 2022 grounds the essay's proposal to seriously engage with the creative potentialities of the drive, and to furthermore consider, beyond Robert Smithson's notion of the drive's entropic character, a radiant or anthropic principle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astrophysicists and cosmologists seriously propose that our universe, with its three dimensions and local physical bylaws, is one of an infinite number of parallel universes. This paper discusses the relevance of these ideas for contemporary systemic family therapy, such as thinking about the therapist's positioning in relation to the family. Ideas such as the anthropic principle suggest each meeting of a therapist and family forms a unique systemic entity or singularity with its own universe of by‐laws peculiar to a location in time and space. We are like travellers between parallel family therapy universes where the therapist's epistemology, theory or model is less important than how therapists and clients position themselves towards each other. This ecological positioning encompasses contextual, emotional, cultural, ethical and spiritual belief systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The article addresses issues of methodological exchange in architectural studies and related fields of activities focused on problems of interaction between man and environment. The author makes a critical appraisal of leading modern trends in the architectural morphogenesis in foreign countries and Russia.Materials and methods. As a result of cross comparisons made within the framework of the study of theoretical publications and full-scale materials, now the human + environment binomial is the subject of research that synthesizes almost all theoretical developments as the main code of interaction. It is clear that lines of theory and practice have not coincided in ordinary and representative architecture for a long time, and architectural theory has been transformed into a scholastic visionary science that tends towards design. This is confirmed by professional publications and materials concerning existing and designed architectural facilities considered during the preparation of the article, as well as conceptual developments made by leading architects of our time.Results. The genetic sequence of trends in the formation of architectural stylistics typical for the most recent decades is presented in a condensed form, limited to mainstream works, while engineering characteristics of facilities are disregarded. The main creative lines and personalities of foreign “masters” of architecture are identified; present-day areas of research and the research methodology are correlated with their activities.Conclusions. A fundamental difference is identified between social prerequisites and vectors of architectural development in Russia and worldwide. Characteristics of positive and negative manifestations of evolution of global architecture are listed. A tendency towards formation of a paradigm of “intellectual architecture”, morphological and technological choice of “pure forms”, minimalism in aesthetic programs of architecture, greater importance of principles of expediency, industrialization, standardization in design are identified; hypotheses are made in order to solve problems of human-computer polarization in the future profession of an architect.

Few topics in cosmology are as hotly debated as the Multiverse: for some it is untestable and hence unscientific; for others it is unavoidable and a natural extension of previous science. A third position is that it is seen to follow from other theories, but those other theories might themselves be seen as too speculative. The idea of fine-tuning has a similar status. Some of this disagreement might be due to misunderstanding, in particular the degree to which probability distributions are necessary to interpret conclusions based on the Multiverse, especially with regard to the Anthropic Principle. I present undisputed facts, discuss some common misunderstandings, and investigate the role played by probability. The Multiverse is perhaps an important component necessary for interpreting cosmological and other physical parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the influence of ancient landscapes in forming present-day planimetries. The study is based on the territory of the exhacienda of San José de la Huerta (Morelia, Michoacán) and its evolution from its disarticulation to the conformation of the current ejidos and urban settlements in the southwestern periphery of the city during the period 1924-2020. The planimetric information was located using a historical geographic information system based on the crossing of visual documents (old maps, aerial photographs, satellite images), written documents, and data from field visits. Visualizing the morphological coherences of the planimetries allows the recording of phenomena of permanence, influence, transformation, rupture, and creation of forms. Although several scenarios are possible, it is observed that, in most cases, anthropic forms persist beyond the social system that produced them and their initial function to be inscribed in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stanisław Lem is considered the most outstanding representative of Polish and one of the most eminent representatives of world science-fiction literature, as well as a futurologist and—at least by some—a philosopher who, in the form of novels and short stories written in the convention of science fiction and the so-called discursive prose, touched upon important philosophical problems concerning the place of man in the Universe, the effects of technological and civilisational progress and the issue of the limits of cognition. The article reconstructs and analyses the main philosophical problems presented in the work Filozoficzny Lem. Wybór tekstów Stanisława Lema i opracowania [The Philosophical Lem. A Selection of Texts by Stanisław Lem and Studies] edited by Filip Kobiela and Jakub Gomułka.

Fine-tuning studies whether some physical parameters, or relevant ratios between them, are located within so-called life-permitting intervals of small probability outside of which carbon-based life would not be possible. Recent developments have found estimates of these probabilities that circumvent previous concerns of measurability and selection bias. However, the question remains whether fine-tuning can indeed be known. Using a mathematization of the concepts of learning and knowledge acquisition, we argue that most examples that have been touted as fine-tuned cannot be formally assessed as such. Nevertheless, fine-tuning can be known when the physical parameter is seen as a random variable and it is supported in the nonnegative real line, provided the size of the life-permitting interval is small in relation to the observed value of the parameter.

Random sampling in high dimensions has successfully been applied to phenomena as diverse as nuclear resonances, neural networks, and black hole evaporation. Here we revisit an elegant argument by the British physicist Dennis Sciama, who demonstrated that were our Universe random, it would almost certainly have a negligible chance for life. Under plausible assumptions, we show that a random universe can masquerade as “intelligently designed,” with the fundamental constants instead appearing to be fined tuned to achieve the highest probability for life to occur. For our Universe, this mechanism may only require there to be around a dozen currently unknown fundamental constants. We speculate on broader applications for the mechanism we uncover.

This text aims to reflect on the premise of a future designed, thought and imagined from a deanthropic approach that makes it possible to redirect planetary life. It is organized in three moments: the first one describes the notion of time and the future from an anthropic vision, where we situate the main discussions on ways of meaning and understanding the instant and the future. the second deals with the deanthropic turn in the social sciences, a position that places the human in dialogue with the non-human, establishing other kinship relationships.In the third moment we narrate two experiences from ethnography: that of Don Andrés, a Chichimeca prayer man (land) and that of the Aerocene by the artist, architect and activist Tomás Saraceno (air), where both hold illuminating and feasible discourses to think about futures in the plural and, above all, beyond the human. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A modeling of natural phenomena based on the principle of 100% efficiency of mathematics is presented. The fundamental distinction between abstract and material entities is discussed and the probabilistic nature of natural phenomena is explained. The paper provides explanations for many observed phenomena. A general definition of the virtual state of matter, the concept of entropic interaction, and the phenomenon of quantum entanglement is given. An additional interpretation of the Hubble law is considered. It is shown how local entropy changes in world space lead to the bifurcation of its state and subsequent “Big Bangs” with the formation of an infinite number of parallel universes that do not interact with each other. The correlation between the change in entropy and the rhythm of time, which is valid for isolated non-equilibrium thermodynamic systems, including our Universe, is presented. The fundamental principles of thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, quantum field theory and the theory of relativity, as well as the origin and evolution of our Universe are discussed. An alternative explanation for the curvature of space is given for the effects of deflection of a light beam towards the sun, the shift of the perihelion of Mercury, the periastron of binary stars, and the gravitational slowing of the rhythm of time. The interference pattern is considered as the result of small-angle scattering in a weak potential field without using the wave mechanism and is interpreted as the result of the entropic interaction of photons or particles passing through the corresponding slots. The presented paper applies equally to both living and non-living nature objects, and contains information about the laws of dialectics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligent life has emerged late in Earth's habitable lifetime, and required a preceding series of key evolutionary transitions. A simple model (the Carter model) explains the late arrival of intelligent life by positing these evolutionary transitions were exceptionally unlikely 'critical steps'. An alternative model (the neocatastrophism hypothesis) proposes that intelligent life was delayed by frequent catastrophes that served to set back evolutionary innovation. Here, we generalize the Carter model and explore this hypothesis by including catastrophes that can 'undo' an evolutionary transition. Introducing catastrophes or evolutionary dead ends can create situations in which critical steps occur rapidly or in clusters, suggesting that past estimates of the number of critical steps could be underestimated. If catastrophes affect complex life more than simple life, the critical steps will also exhibit a pattern of acceleration towards the present, suggesting that the increase in biological complexity over the past 500 Myr could reflect previously overlooked evolutionary transitions. Furthermore, our results have implications for understanding the different explanations (critical steps versus neo-catastrophes) for the evolution of intelligent life and the so-called Fermi paradox—the observation that intelligent life appears rare in the observable Universe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stanisław Lem is considered the most outstanding representative of Polish and one of the most eminent representatives of world science-fiction literature, as well as a futurologist and--at least by some--a philosopher who, in the form of novels and short stories written in the convention of science fiction and the so-called discursive prose, touched upon important philosophical problems concerning the place of man in the Universe, the effects of technological and civilisational progress and the issue of the limits of cognition. The article reconstructs and analyses the main philosophical problems presented in the work Filozoficzny Lem. Wybór tekstów Stanisława Lema i opracowania [The Philosophical Lem. A Selection of Texts by Stanisław Lem and Studies] edited by Filip Kobiela and Jakub Gomułka. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physical constants of the Universe are fine-tuned to support life, and a design inference logically follows. One can avoid this inference under the assumption that cosmic inflation has produced an inflationary multiverse comprising many universes, a few of which possess the conditions requisite for life. Thus this article first reviews the presuppositional bankruptcy of naturalism and then examines the scientific merits of both inflation and its consequent multiverse, as well as of the hypothesis that a quantum fluctuation produced the Universe. We find that, besides the a priori failure of naturalism in general, the hypothesized scenario is in tension with fundamental principles of science and functions rather as a modern origins myth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the article I describe the cosmic context of biological evolution and its concretization in the form of various formulations of anthropic principles (weak, strong, probabilistic, ultimate and participatory) in order to discuss selected philosophical and theological consequences of the anthropic of the Universe. The aim of the article is to answer the question whether the fact of the anthropic nature of the Universe leads to the possibility of justifying theses of an ontological, epistemological and theological nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To gain a full understanding of the relationship between climate change and physiology we must transcend the superficial Anthropic Principle, that we are ‘in’ this Universe, and enter the world of ‘Goldilocks’ who was seeking the ‘just right’ condition in the home of the three bears. What she was actually looking for was homeostasis, that balance that epitomizes all of Cosmology. It is the ‘equals’ sign in all balanced equations, whether it's physics, chemistry or biology. It represents the resolution of the Big Bang, which disrupted the Singularity thought to have pre-existed it, giving rise to asymmetries. We emulate that effort through Symbiogenesis - the assimilation of factors in the environment that have posed existential threats - as the means of evolution in response to climate change. Such a ‘true’ narrative is tantamount to gaining control of our runaway climate.

Scientists, especially theoretical physicists and cosmological philosophers have always wondered the beauty of the universe, especially how it has led to the creation or evolution of intelligent beings like us. There is a certain, wondrous beauty in the underlying plan. This question has become the topic of an interesting debate: What is our place in the Universe and was the Universe made for us? These debates have more often than not been influenced by the dominant philosophies of life in the contemporary world, often pushed by the dominant political and economic forces. As the last few centuries have been dominated by the atheistic or agnostic philosophies, Anthropic Principle has been defined in a way suitable for the forces. Quran, the Holy Book of Islam, on the other hand, presents a different version of the questions related to Anthropic Principle, which describes a specific purpose of the creation of man, his relationship with God and the Universe. This has been named “True Anthropic Principle” by the author of this paper.

This research presents evidence of cave paintings and an indication of their conservation status, in the municipality of Guanambi - BA and neighboring municipalities. Its objective was to map and present the state of conservation of cave paintings in the study area. To identify the cave paintings, bibliographic surveys, residents' collections, and fieldwork were used. For the organization, analysis of spatial data and the constitution of maps, the Geographic Information System - GIS was used. One hundred and ten (110) records with locations of cave paintings were identified, and seven of the cave paintings identified in the field were not found in the IPHAN cartographic base and in the rescued literature. The anthropic actions (mainly graffiti and garbage) were observed in three (3) of the seven (7) locations mapped by this research. Attention to the conservation of cave paintings in the study area is suggested, especially in the vicinity of the researched cities the municipality of Guanambi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyzes and summarizes the results of the study of the features of the functioning and transformation of a particular type of spatial systems, namely anthropogenic. These systems are formed for different purposes of human activity. Refinements of basic definitions are offered and it is shown that stability of functioning for such systems is the most significant indicator of their existence. The ability of anthropogenic systems to self-development and the influence of self-development on their transformation under the influence of internal and external influences and factors are considered. Proposals for the application of methodological foundations of system diagnostics of the state and transformation of anthropogenic spatial systems, as well as the possibility of their algorithmization and information support are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this study is to analyze texts (Luhanová and Ćirković) that seek to find an anthropic principle in the history of Greek philosophy, while we try to reveal the adequacy of each specific argumentation strategies. We focus mainly on Presocratic tradition (Hesiod and Empedocles) and we analyse two different interpretative strategies: a) astrophysical and b) the position of researchers in the field of Presocratic philosophy. Our main goal thus becomes to answer the question whether these strategies can be considered as relevant in the research of the history of ancient philosophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The society of the information is based on the ability of humans to communicate in real time. This is possible thanks to the emission of electromagnetic waves. In this work it is discussed, by analyzing the round trip time (RTT) parameter, if it is possible to expand the society of the information out of the Earth. The results show that the value of the speed of light limits this expansion. Real time applications, such as videogaming, remote surgery, or voice conversations, are only possible on Earth and its proximities, which indicates that there could be a relation between real time telecommunications on Earth and the anthropic principle.

Marcescent forests are ecotones distributed across southern Europe that host increased levels of biodiversity but their persistence is threatened by global change. Here we study the range dynamics of these forests in the Iberian Peninsula (IP) during the Late Quaternary, a period of profound climate and anthropic changes. We modeled and compared the distribution of eight oak taxa for the present and two paleoclimatic environments, the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, ~ 21 kya) and the Mid-Holocene (MH, ~ 6 kya). Presence records were combined with bioclimatic and topographic data in an ensemble modelling framework to obtain spatial projections for present and past conditions across taxa. Substantial distribution shifts were projected between the three studied periods, that were explained by precipitation, winter cold and terrain ruggedness. Results were congruent with paleoclimatic records of the IP and showed that range shifts of these contact zones concurred with range dynamics of both Submediterranean and Temperate oaks. Notably, the distribution ranges of hybrid oaks and marcescent forests matched throughout the late Quaternary. This study contributes to unveil the complex Late-Quaternary biogeography of the ecotone belt occupied by marcescent forests and, more broadly, of Mediterranean oaks. Improved knowledge of species' responses to climate dynamics will allow us to anticipate and manage future range shifts driven by climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While temporal considerations are of prime importance for chemical reactions, as well as for molecular stability, most chemical concepts (outside of the field of chemical kinetics) are not explicitly formulated on a diachronic basis (Earley in Found Chem 14:235, 2012). It will be argued here that a formulation explicitly incorporating temporal and epistemological considerations enables us to treat chemical reactions and chemical substances on ontologically equivalent terms, instead of assigning a more fundamental status to the latter. After all, in collision theory, a chemical substance is just a collision complex (a "resonance") that takes too long. How long qualifies as "too long", and "too long" in relation to what, are crucial questions that distinguish chemical substances from chemical reactions, and reversible reactions from irreversible ones, thereby introducing anthropocentric considerations into these distinctions. Too long for a lab chemist is very different from too long for an astrochemist studying chemical reactions between chemical substances in inter-stellar space on cosmological timescales. Examining several physical and chemical properties on the basis of which chemical substances are distinguished from one another, the role of temporal and anthropocentric considerations in defining molecular properties is emphasized. I conclude with some observations on the much-debated reduction of chemistry to other disciplines, arguing that such reduction depends on our aesthetic choices as to what kinds of observations demand explanation, and what kinds of explanation are acceptable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At a superficial level there is a clash between purposeful creation and purposeless evolution, but at a deeper level it is possible to reconcile them. The Agapic Principle explains that the purpose underlying creation is the relationship that develops between a loving God and a conscious creature of any sort, in any location in the universe. The Agapic Principle allows for evolution to proceed by random changes in the genome, while at the same time providing a way to think about purpose in creation and evolution in a manner consistent with Christian salvation history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multiverse hypothesis has drawn tremendous attention recently from philosophers and theologians. Some of their arguments about it rest on sociological claims regarding the beliefs and motivations of cosmologists, others on metaphysical claims regarding the nature of universes. There is no survey evidence supporting these claims. To fill this evidential gap, a survey was conducted of a large, representative sample of cosmologists. Thematically, three questions about the multiverse hypothesis were explored: whether cosmologists regard it as fully scientific, what motivates cosmologists to explore it, and what the nature of a universe is. The results are presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Protected Areas (PAs) are territorial spaces that present natural resources with relevant characteristics. Such areas are used as strategy for the environment protection. The use of geotechnologies, such as Geographic Information System and Remote Sensing, optimizes diagnosis and environmental monitoring. The study aimned to analyzed the use and soil occupation as well as the fragility of the current scenario of the Pinheiro Grosso Biological Reserve (ReBio – ReBio, in Portuguese), located in Barbacena - Minas Gerais state - Brazil. Currently, ReBio areas presents 66.18% occupied by Vegetation and 33.82% by Anthropized area. Multicriteria Analysis revealed that 4.19% of the ReBio are strongly subject to anthropization. Due to the great anthropic pressure and existing socioenvironmental conflicts, its category of Integral Protection does not match its current situation. So, it is suggested the delimitation of unit Damping Zone, the emergency implementation of environmental education programs for the local community, as well as greater supervision and monitoring of the area, as well as its recategorization as a Sustainable Use unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is devoted to the philosophical foundations of different explanations of the facts known from the latest scientific achievements of cosmogony and cosmology. It is shown, that some of the explanations on the matter under observation tacitly rehabilitate the idea of anthropocentrism finding int roots in Ptolemaic theory. In this context, great attention is paid to critical analysis of the anthropic principle, which is a version of current teleology. It is assumed that the above-mentioned principle is based on the inadequate interpretation of the hypothesis of the Big Bang. Thereat anthropic principle is determined on one side by Aristotle theory of telos and on the other side by religious and mystical ideas of creation of the World and Mankind. In contrast, the many-worlds interpretation or the Everett interpretation equates the conceptual and the objective reality going to the other extreme on this ground and postulating almost infinite plurality of alternate Universes. This article highlights the issues specific to philosophical and methodological foundations of delusions and criteria of knowing the truth in cosmogony and cosmology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientists, especially theoretical physicists and cosmological philosophers have always wondered the beauty of the universe, especially how it has led to the creation or evolution of intelligent beings like us. There is a certain, wondrous beauty in the underlying plan. This question has become the topic of an interesting debate: What is our place in the Universe and was the Universe made for us? These debates have more often than not been influenced by the dominant philosophies of life in the contemporary world, often pushed by the dominant political and economic forces. As the last few centuries have been dominated by the atheistic or agnostic philosophies, Anthropic Principle has been defined in a way suitable for the forces. Quran, the Holy Book of Islam, on the other hand, presents a different version of the questions related to Anthropic Principle, which describes a specific purpose of the creation of man, his relationship with God and the Universe. This has been named "True Anthropic Principle" by the author of this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compute the expected value of the cosmological constant in our universe from the Causal Entropic Principle. Since observers must obey the laws of thermodynamics and causality, the principle asserts that physical parameters are most likely to be found in the range of values for which the total entropy production within a causally connected region is maximized. Despite the absence of more explicit anthropic criteria, the resulting probability distribution turns out to be in excellent agreement with observation. In particular, we find that dust heated by stars dominates the entropy production, demonstrating the remarkable power of this thermodynamic selection criterion. The alternative approach-weighting by the number of "observers per baryon" -- is less well-defined, requires problematic assumptions about the nature of observers, and yet prefers values larger than present experimental bounds.