text:
Q: Footer Doesn't Stay Where It Should Be I'm trying to make a footer at the bottom of my site and I actually did but doesn't stay where I want it to be. The original CSS code that I use is this:
background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.7);
border: 2px solid black;
border-radius: 5px;
padding: 10px;
width: 1270px;
position: absolute;
color: white;
bottom: 0px;
display: block;
font-size: smaller;
text-align: center;

But my page's height grows everytime someone send a comment. So I know what the problem is here. When I add bottom: 0px, it always stays at 0px, but when page's height grows, footer stays there. When I change position: fixed, that works but then the footer goes over comments when I scroll up/down but I want it to stay always at the bottom. When I delete positioning, it does the trick, it stays at the bottem of the page always but then it causes to apply background-color, border, border-radius etc. to all the page, I don't want that to happen. I want codes apply only to the footer.
I would like to hear some advices. Thank you already!
Edit! Here is the rest of the CSS that effects the footer;

h1, .h1 {
    font-size: 39px;
}
darkly.min.css:14
h1, .h1, h2, .h2, h3, .h3 {
    margin-top: 0;
    margin-bottom: 10.5px;
}
darkly.min.css:14
h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6, .h1, .h2, .h3, .h4, .h5, .h6 {
    font-family: "Lato","Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;
    font-weight: 400;
    line-height: 1.1;
    color: inherit;
}
darkly.min.css:14
h1 {
    font-size: 2em;
    margin: 0.67em 0;
}
darkly.min.css:14
* {
    -webkit-box-sizing: border-box;
    -moz-box-sizing: border-box;
    box-sizing: border-box;
}
user agent stylesheet
h1 {
    display: block;
    font-size: 2em;
    -webkit-margin-before: 0.67em;
    -webkit-margin-after: 0.67em;
    -webkit-margin-start: 0px;
    -webkit-margin-end: 0px;
    font-weight: bold;
}
Inherited from body
darkly.min.css:14
body {
    font-family: "Source Sans Pro",sans-serif;
    font-size: 14px;
    line-height: 1.42857143;
    color: white;
    background-attachment: fixed;
    background-image: url(https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/491274240789482793/1CEE148DBE320A9367BCDF5211AE077E695A4CFE/);
    text-transform: lowercase;
    margin: 0 auto;
    width: 1280px;
}
Inherited from html
darkly.min.css:14
html {
    font-size: 10px;
    -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0,0,0,0);
}
darkly.min.css:14
html {
    font-family: sans-serif;
    -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;
    -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;
}
Pseudo ::before element
darkly.min.css:14
*:before, *:after {
    -webkit-box-sizing: border-box;
    -moz-box-sizing: border-box;
    box-sizing: border-box;
}
Pseudo ::after element
darkly.min.css:14
*:before, *:after {
    -webkit-box-sizing: border-box;
    -moz-box-sizing: border-box;
    box-sizing: border-box;

A: You should set position: relative for the html element, which will set the stacking context appropriately, allowing your code to work. You should also set min-height: 100% for it, while you are at it. I have created a simple tester below, which randoly changes the height of the content when you click the button. Try it out and let me know how you feel about it!

var height = 100;

function updateHeight() {
  if (height >= 100)
    height = (50 * Math.random());
  else
    height = (75 + 50 * Math.random());
  document.getElementById("variable-height").setAttribute('style', 'height: ' + height + 'vh');
}
html {
  position: relative;
  min-height: 100%;
}

footer {
  background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.7);
  border: 2px solid black;
  border-radius: 5px;
  padding: 10px;
  width: 1270px;
  position: absolute;
  color: white;
  bottom: 0px;
  display: block;
  font-size: smaller;
  text-align: center;
}

  <button onclick='updateHeight()'>Click me to test!</button>

Footer

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Antonio "Moe" Maestas (born July 6, 1968) is an American attorney and politician from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is currently serving as a member of the New Mexico Senate from the 26th district, and previously served as a state house representative. Both districts he has represented are located in the West Mesa area of Albuquerque.

Early life and education
Maestas was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. After graduating from Valley High School, Maestas he moved to Seattle, Washington and worked at El Centro de la Raza as a community organizer. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and economics from the University of Washington. While attending college, Maestas worked as a sheeter operator at the Stoneway Carton Company. Maestas moved back to Albuquerque in 1995 to attend law school, earning a Juris Doctor from the University of New Mexico School of Law.

Career
After graduating from law school, Maestas became an Assistant District Attorney at the Bernalillo County, New Mexico District Attorney's Office, where he prosecuted violent crimes. He then opened his own law practice, MoeJustice Law, in 2003.

In 2022, Maestas was appointed to the New Mexico Senate, succeeding Jacob Candelaria. The Bernalillo County Commission selected Marsella Duarte to serve for the remainder of Maestas's House term. Because Maestas remained on the ballot for his House district and ran unopposed, the Commission will select another applicant to serve for the 2023 term.

Elections
2012 Maestas was unopposed for both the June 5, 2012, Democratic primary, winning with 1,888 votes and the November 6, 2012, General election, winning with 8,162 votes.
2006 When District 16 Democratic Representative Harriet Ruiz left the Legislature, Maestas ran in the four-way June 6, 2006, Democratic primary, winning with 668 votes (34.3%) and won the November 7, 2006, General election with 5,703 votes (68.6%) against Republican nominee Storm Field.
2008 Maestas was unopposed for both the June 8, 2008, Democratic primary, winning with 1,948 votes and the November 4, 2008, general election, winning with 9,474 votes.
2010 Maestas was unopposed for both the June 1, 2010, Democratic Primary, winning with 1,561 votes and the November 2, 2010, general election, winning with 5,875 votes.

Personal life
Maestas is married to Vanessa Alarid, a lobbyist.

References

External links
Official page at the New Mexico Legislature
Law practice site

Antonio Maestas at Ballotpedia
Antonio (Moe) Maestas at the National Institute on Money in State Politics

1968 births
Living people
Democratic Party members of the New Mexico House of Representatives
New Mexico lawyers
Politicians from Albuquerque, New Mexico
University of New Mexico School of Law alumni
University of Washington College of Arts and Sciences alumni
21st-century American politicians

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
NATIONALITY: Father Austrian / German, Mother British
AGE: 17 years, born 13 December 2004 in London, Camden Town
RESIDES: Switzerland, close to Geneva
LANGUAGES: English, French, German (trilingual) and Italian (learning)
INSPIRATIONS: Niki Lauda, Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel
GOAL: To become a professional race driver - F1 world champion!
Zoom Graphic
"My dream is to race all day, every day!"
Racing driver for VAR team
Podium finishes
Joshua Dufek, the young Swiss driver born to an Austrian/German father and a British mother, is one of the fastest and best racing drivers in his age group worldwide.
Having shone for the SAUBER Karting Team at the highest level internationally, and for both MP Motorsport and VAR in his single-seater career to date, Joshua has joined the burgeoning Peak Performance Management (PPM) stable to take the next steps on what all hope will be the path to Formula One (F1)...
A winner under an intense global spotlight from the age of eight, Joshua made a thunderous debut in karting in 2013 winning both the Vega Trofeo and the Swiss Championship in the same year. Championship wins in his Swiss homeland were followed by race wins and pole positions en route to a top four placing in the X30 Junior category of Germany's ADAC Masters series, paving the way for Joshua to graduate to the international scene.
Being selected for the SAUBER Junior Team ahead of the 2019 campaign, Joshua could not have stepped up in a bigger way. He rose to the challenge despite being one of the youngest competitors in the OK Senior class, the highest category in international karting. Instantly running at the front of a field comprising around 100 of the world's best drivers, he saved his best for last, taking pole position and dominating the wet race from start to finish at the CIK FIA World Championship at Alahärmä in Finland.
Having achieved 38 race wins, 51 podium finishes and 17 pole positions throughout his karting career, Joshua transitioned to Formula cars in 2020. At his first FIA F4 single-seater race in Navarra, he set a record lap time, achieved pole position in qualifying and finished the main race on the podium. During the entire 2020 campaign, Joshua would finish on the podium eight times and claim 14 top-5s, achieving a fantastic fourth place in the Spanish F4 championship – finishing on same points as third place overall.
Looking to make a bigger mark in cars, and embark on what is sure to be a swift ascension of the single-seater racing ladder, Joshua linked up with the increasingly renowned PPM operation run by former GP3 rivals Matt Parry and Kevin Korjus. Having set impressive times in testing, signed on to contest both the German ADAC and Italian national F4 series with Van Amersfoort Racing (VAR) in 2021.
Competing in Europe's two most prestigious F4 championships, Josh claimed seven podium finishes across 2021, including a race win at Mugello, as well as multiple pole positions, capped by a clean sweep also at Mugello. His performances improved throughout the season, ensuring he would fight for victory each time he hit the track.
Stepping up to the more powerful F3 category to contest the European Championship (FRECA) for 2022, Josh quickly established himself as a frontrunner, challenging for overall podiums alongside wins in the Rookie class. As the best performing rookie over the second half of the season, in which he took three class wins in Austria and Spain, he eventually claimed the runners-up spot in the newcomers category.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Results and Standings
Mégane R.S. and GTline
Mégane R.S. Trophy-R
Mégane R.S. Trophy
Mégane R.S.
Mégane GT-Line
Clio R.S.Line
Sandero R.S. and GTline
Sandero R.S. 2.0
Sandero GT-Line
R.S. Days
Why E-tech?
E-TECH Hybrid technology
E-TECH Hybrid Plug-in technology
Formula Renault
Clio Cup
Clio R3T
Renault 40 CV
Renault Nervasport des Records
Renault 17 Groupe 5
Renault R.S.01
Renault 20 Dakar
Renault 5 Maxi Turbo
Williams Renault FW14
Renault Spider
Renault Laguna BTCC
Renault Mégane R26.R
Mégane R.S. 265 Trophy
Mégane R.S. 275 Trophy-R
Renault Clio Cup
Game On- Q&A with Nick Chester
With the summer shutdown drawing to a close, the team have their game faces back on with Spa-Francorchamps next up on the calendar. Chassis Technical Director Nick Chester explains the challenges of the legendary race circuit located deep in the Ardennes.
What are the main characteristics of Spa-Francorchamps?
Spa is a very interesting race track. It's power sensitive, especially nowadays with corners like Eau Rouge and Pouhon taken flat or close to flat out. Spa has always been a power sensitive track, but that has been increased in recent years, with around 20 seconds of full throttle between La Source and Les Combes. The weather can play a huge role too and you can have anything from being hot and dry to heavy rain. There are good overtaking opportunities into Les Combes after the Kemmel Straight if you get a good drag up the hill and also into the bus-stop chicane.
How tricky is it to strike the right balance between straight-line speed and downforce in the corners around Spa?
It can be a tricky place to set-up for as you want to take drag off the car because the straights are long, but you have an area where you need quite a bit of downforce from the top of the hill heading down. Setting the wing level is a difficult choice as you push towards the medium downforce settings and we'll be looking at the scans to pick the right rear wing. We want to be quick enough on the straight and still have downforce on the car. You're trying to set the car up for the best lap time, while also competing against other cars who are quicker on the straight and therefore have to take more wing off than you like. We'll be weighing all that up to get a decent starting set-up and then also see what everyone else is doing.
Are we hoping for some surprises with the weather?
We don't usually go to a track hoping it'll be wet, but we know from Hungary the car works well when it rains. We won't be worried if it does rain. Nico and Carlos are good in those conditions and our car works well in the wet, so it wouldn't be a problem.
How's the team feeling ahead of the next phase of the season?
We're feeling refreshed after the summer break. Everyone has had a pretty tough first-half of the year, so they feel miles better after the shutdown. We're in a super tight battle in the midfield. We have to put more performance on the car to have a good fight until the end of the year, but our target is to retain fourth place. We're being pushed quite hard and we have a lot of work to do. We can do it, we have a 16-point gap, but one good race can wipe that out, as we saw in Austria.
What's required to stay on top in the midfield fight?
We have two good drivers, we operate well and, while our car pace isn't quite where we want it at the moment, we're working hard to improve that. The goal is to out-qualify our rivals as that makes things easier, but if we don't, and if we're close, we tend to race well. The objective is to find raw car pace but, as long as we're close, we're confident we can out-race our rivals.
What's in the upgrade cupboard to be unleashed in Spa?
We have a new floor for Spa and some other bodywork parts to go with that, which should be helpful.
Nick Chester, Technical Director Chassis, to leave Renault F1 Team
Renault F1 Team have announced a major restructuring plan of their UK (...)
2019 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Test
Renault F1 Team's Esteban Ocon completed 205 laps at the wheel of the (...)
2019 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Sunday
Renault F1 Team came away from a tight Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (...)
Danke, Nico!
The 2019 season finale in Abu Dhabi will represent another farewell as (...)
Renault Sport Series
© Renault Sport


A couple things in the mail today.
Word of warning - I picked up some of those Nicaraguan overruns when you sent the link out. The pack I got was all a bit dry and they've had issues with the foot cracking (both when punching and when guillotining). The cracks have led to some serious wrapper issues when trying to partake.
Hmmm interesting, how long did you let em sit before you cut them and at what rh did you have them at?
I did not let them sit long (a couple of days). They've been at 67%. I hoped it was a fluke, but it clearly wasn't, so I'm going to be letting them sit for a bit before I try again. I hope that they recover and that there isn't also an underlying structural issue that's contributing to the cracking.
Wow I've never had a problem and I smoke lots of them. Hopefully sitting will help, I usually wait about a month before trying them.
That gives me hope that even if these ones are all bad (God forbid), I don't need to shy away from ordering more.
What I've heard is that the different vitolas are possibly from different factories. So I think the best practice may be finding out which vitolas are good and going with those. For instance the 6 1/4x52 Maduro torpedo is a great smoke. It's with that in mind that I'm grabbing fivers of the different vitolas to test.
I worked on a Fuente 8-5-8 all day. It was ok. I'm probably going to have to take a break from smoking a while and hope some sore spots are just that. I'm a worrier and it's probably nothing. My pocket book will thank me anyway.
I smoked a Garcia and Garcia La Opulance tonight. It was pretty good.
Holts Nov catalog has a 20 Oliva Master Blends 3 sampler for $69.95. $3.49 a stick. I think waiting while I wade through the recent 15 samples of various blends I have will mean they will sell out. I shall get the card out and bite the bullet and get those 20 MB3s. And, I was lucky, Holt's still had the 20 MB3 samplers in stock!
I only sampled one of these MB3s that came in that wild 5 cigars, $9.95 free shipping sampler that AKPreacher told us about a couple months ago. I could tell just from that one cigar that it was way-way better than any of the others I'd smoked. Smooth, rich & subtlely sweet. I thoroughly enjoyed it down to the nub.
La Bomba 601 warhead. Damn fine stick.
A Nub cigar by Oliva. A massive smoke in a small package.
This looked like a good deal, so I got it. Free shipping on a $5 purchase too. I don't know much about cigars. Did I get a good deal?
Yeah these are ok for the price, I would recommend giving them plenty of rest before smoking.
I had a Ghurka Beast today. They're not bad. The shop here that stocks them.... Wrappers tend to crack. 'nuff said.
Jameson in a glass with nothing to ruin the flavor on the side.
Scripture reading is from Exodus. The Tabernacle was laid out like a cross. I absolutely love the poetry found in the continuity between the Hebrew texts vs Greek.
La Barba (the beard) churchill. It was quite good.
Daaaang! Glad I bought a box!


Robin has been licensed and doing hair since 1985 and went to Brevard Community College in Cocoa FL. and got a 4.0 avg. She was a honor student and also got her Applied Science degree. Robin has also has taken many cut and coloring classes to keep up with the industry. She also became Wella color certified.
Robin knows all the latest styles and color techniques but also can do a great shampoo and set.
Robin's Hair Illusions i is locally owned and operated. You will not feel like a number here. She's done the big salon and now it was time to size down and go on her own. You will be very happy without the drama of the big salon atmosphere.
Check out our photos for Robins salon and the before and after photos.
ROBIN LOOKS FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN HER SALON.


text:
Carbenoxolona este un derivat de acid gliciretinic (extras din rădăcina de lemn dulce), fiind utilizat în tratamentul ulcerelor și inflamațiilor esofagiene, orale și gastrice. Când se utilizează sistemic, induce un efect advers sever, și anume un dezechilibru al electroliților.

Note

Vezi și
 Acid alginic
 Acid gliciretinic
 Glicirizină

Triterpene
Antiulceroase


Ready to be part of the Blue Wave in 2018? Volunteers all over the South Charlotte area, from Steele Creek to Southpark to Matthews, are working hard EVERY DAY to flip the North Carolina legislature back to Democratic control and you can help.
Get ready to vote in the primary!
Early voting begins Thursday, APRIL 19 and ends Saturday, MAY 5, 2018.
The primary is TUESDAY, MAY 8. Find more details at mecknc.gov/BOE.
A list of all Mecklenburg candidates can be found here.
Help Get Out The Vote (GOTV)!
Turnout for primaries is LOW. In the 2014 primary, less than 10% of registered Mecklenburg voters cast a ballot. Some primary races are decided by only a few votes. Here are ways you can help boost our voting power!
Commit to reminding 10 neighbors to vote in the primary. Contact us today and ask for a short list of registered Democrats in your neighborhood.
Learn about the people running for office. All the candidates, along with websites and contact information, are listed here.
Sign up for a canvassing event. Precincts, candidates, and other political groups need volunteers to make phone calls, knock on doors, or send postcards to voters. These methods are some of the most effective tools we have to boost voter participation.
Make new friends at one of our South Charlotte area social events. Every Third Thursday at 6 PM we host an evening social, A Dem Good Time, at Blackfinn Ballantyne. Check the MeckDem calendar for other events.
Got $? Donate some of it to campaigns and to the Mecklenburg Democratic Party. Yard signs and mailings cost a lot of money, and with over 315,000 Democrats in Mecklenburg, we've got a lot of folks to reach! Our candidates must raise thousands (or tens or hundreds of thousands) of dollars to run serious races against their competitors.
... Check back soon for more social media links!
Questions? Email Jennifer Gaddy, Precinct Chair, 226.
North Carolina no longer has straight-ticket ballots. You must cast votes for each candidate individually.
This year you will elect State Senators, State House Reps, County Commissioners both At-Large and for your own district, District Attorneys, and Mecklenburg County Sheriff.
Unaffiliated voters CAN VOTE in either the Democratic or Republican primary.
Any voter can request an absentee ballot now through May 1 for the 2018 primary. You don't have to have a disability or other reason. Here's a link to the form - download, print, and mail, fax, email, or deliver in person, along with proof of ID.


Roda Garden Village is a great place for holidays situated at the beautiful Roda in Corfu. Surrounded by green rocky mountains, is a small quiet village centred around the main road running down a mile long beach. The hotel is right on the beach, 200 m from the centre of roda and 800 m from acharavi.
All the twin rooms have a mini fridge, telephone, television and air - conditioning. Cleaning (six days a week) and towel and linen change twice a week. Some of the rooms have a view to either the garden, village or the pool.
The AI programme consists of breakfast (08:00-10:00), lunch (12:30-14:30) and dinner (19:00-21:30), all buffet style, served in the main restaurant. During meals post mix soft drinks, juices, tap water, local wine by the glass and draught beer are offered. Snacks such as two types of sandwiches & two types of hot snacks (pizza, cheese pies) are available at the pool bar from 10:00-12:30, 15:00-19:00 & 21:30-23:00. Locally produced alcoholic & non-alcoholic drinks like ouzo, brandy, rum, vodka, gin, tequila, draught beer, wine, tap water, juices, soft drinks, alcoholic cocktails, kid's cocktails, filter coffee and tea are served from 10:00-23:00 at the hotel bar.
Leisure facilities at the hotel include light entertainment and Greek night once weekly.
There is a swimming pool and children's pool surrounded by a large tropical garden, including a terrace where guests can enjoy their meal.


For your Little Riderz, this ride on 12 V Audi R8 Spyder with remote control is the perfect choice for young riders who already know luxury.
This ride on car equipped with double lockable doors, realistic engine noises, an elaborate dashboard, plus working LED headlights which is a modern gift to kids. There's nothing that would make a child more excited than possessing their own electric ride on car. With the real Audi appearance-striking stylish look, and such luxury realistic details, why not choose one for your kids?
Are you looking for an unforgettable and great gift for your child or grandchild? Don't hesitate to buy this riding car.


text:
Results for 'David J. Downs'
Alms: Charity, Reward, and Atonement in Early Christianity by David J. Downs. [REVIEW]Bradley C. Gregory - 2017 - Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology 71 (2):218-220.details
Book Review: 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians1 Thessalonians, 2 ThessaloniansbyFurnishVictor PaulAbingdon New Testament Commentaries. Abingdon, Nashville, 2007. 204 Pp. $20.00. ISBN 978-0-687-05743-6. [REVIEW]David J. Downs - 2008 - Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology 62 (3):342-342.details
Media Ethics in Applied Ethics
Heated Debates and Cool Analysis: Thinking Well About Financial Ethics.Christopher J. Cowton & Yvonne Downs - unknowndetails
Not for the first time, the banks and other financial institutions have got themselves – and the rest of us – into a mess, this time on an unprecedented financial and geographical scale. It is no surprise that opinions about causes, consequences and cures abound with ethical issues, as well as technical and economic concerns, a focus of attention. It is to be hoped that useful lessons for the future will be learned. In this chapter, however, we step back from (...) a direct engagement with the stated ills of the financial system itself, whether actual or perceived, chronic or acute. Our starting point is that crisis in the financial system not only makes us stop and think; but it might also, particularly under conditions of moral panic, prevent us from thinking well. Our contention is that a further impediment to thinking well about financial crises is the lack of a substantial body of academic knowledge that might be termed 'financial ethics' – a corpus of well developed conceptual insights and appropriate empirical evidence. We identify some of the reasons for this situation and proffer some suggestions regarding what might be done to remedy it – including the development of knowledge that is as relevant to everyday practices during periods of normality as it is to providing perspectives on crisis. The chapter is structured as follows: the next section provides a perspective on debate during times of crisis; the middle section seeks to explain why academic financial ethics is not a significant constituent element of debate on the financial crisis post-2007; and the final two main sections explore ways in which an academic agenda for financial ethics might be constructed. In a curious way this chapter echoes some of the themes and especially the conclusion of David Bevan's chapter in this work although the reasoning to the conclusion that finance ethics is an empty set follows a rather different Badiou-inspired path in chapter 18. (shrink)
Financial Ethics, Misc in Applied Ethics
Use of Focus Groups in Business Ethics Research: Potential, Problems and Paths to Progress.Christopher J. Cowton & Yvonne Downs - 2015 - Business Ethics: A European Review 24:S54-S66.details
Ethics in Value Theory, Miscellaneous
The Conscious Mind: In Search of a Fundamental Theory.David J. Chalmers - 1996 - Oxford University Press.details
The book is an extended study of the problem of consciousness. After setting up the problem, I argue that reductive explanation of consciousness is impossible , and that if one takes consciousness seriously, one has to go beyond a strict materialist framework. In the second half of the book, I move toward a positive theory of consciousness with fundamental laws linking the physical and the experiential in a systematic way. Finally, I use the ideas and arguments developed earlier to defend (...) a form of strong artificial intelligence and to analyze some problems in the foundations of quantum mechanics. (shrink)
Conceivability, Imagination, and Possibility in Metaphysics
Bookmark 1515 citations
Conceptual Analysis and Reductive Explanation.David J. Chalmers & Frank Jackson - 2001 - Philosophical Review 110 (3):315-61.details
Is conceptual analysis required for reductive explanation? If there is no a priori entailment from microphysical truths to phenomenal truths, does reductive explanation of the phenomenal fail? We say yes . Ned Block and Robert Stalnaker say no.
Conceptual Analysis in Metaphilosophy
Conceptual Analysis and A Priori Entailment in Philosophy of Mind
Semantic Theories in Philosophy of Language
Adapting Minds: Evolutionary Psychology and the Persistent Quest for Human Nature.David J. Buller - 2005 - MIT Press.details
In the carefully argued central chapters of Adapting Minds, Buller scrutinizes several of evolutionary psychology's most highly publicized "...
Evolutionary Psychology in Philosophy of Cognitive Science
Facing Up to the Problem of Consciousness.David J. Chalmers - 1995 - Journal of Consciousness Studies 2 (3):200-19.details
To make progress on the problem of consciousness, we have to confront it directly. In this paper, I first isolate the truly hard part of the problem, separating it from more tractable parts and giving an account of why it is so difficult to explain. I critique some recent work that uses reductive methods to address consciousness, and argue that such methods inevitably fail to come to grips with the hardest part of the problem. Once this failure is recognized, the (...) door to further progress is opened. In the second half of the paper, I argue that if we move to a new kind of nonreductive explanation, a naturalistic account of consciousness can be given. I put forward my own candidate for such an account: a nonreductive theory based on principles of structural coherence and organizational invariance, and a double-aspect theory of information. (shrink)
`Hard' and `Easy' Problems in Philosophy of Mind
Strangers at the Bedside: A History of How Law and Bioethics Transformed Medical Decision Making.David J. Rothman - 2003 - Aldinetransaction.details
Introduction: making the invisible visible -- The nobility of the material -- Research at war -- The guilded age of research -- The doctor as whistle-blower -- New rules for the laboratory -- Bedside ethics -- The doctor as stranger -- Life through death -- Commissioning ethics -- No one to trust -- New rules for the bedside -- Epilogue: The price of success.
Epistemic Two Dimensional Semantics.David J. Chalmers - 2004 - Philosophical Studies 118 (1-2):153-226.details
Epistemic Modals in Philosophy of Language
Semantics for Modal Logic in Logic and Philosophy of Logic
Two-Dimensional Semantics in Philosophy of Language
Does Conceivability Entail Possibility.David J. Chalmers - 2002 - In Tamar Szabo Gendler & John Hawthorne (eds.), Conceivability and Possibility. Oxford University Press. pp. 145--200.details
There is a long tradition in philosophy of using a priori methods to draw conclusions about what is possible and what is necessary, and often in turn to draw conclusions about matters of substantive metaphysics. Arguments like this typically have three steps: first an epistemic claim , from there to a modal claim , and from there to a metaphysical claim.
Epistemic Possibility in Epistemology
Zombies and the Conceivability Argument in Philosophy of Mind
$180.00 new (collection) Amazon page
The Nature of Epistemic Space.David J. Chalmers - 2011 - In Andy Egan & Brian Weatherson (eds.), Epistemic Modality. Oxford University Press.details
A natural way to think about epistemic possibility is as follows. When it is epistemically possible (for a subject) that p, there is an epistemically possible scenario (for that subject) in which p. The epistemic scenarios together constitute epistemic space. It is surprisingly difficult to make the intuitive picture precise. What sort of possibilities are we dealing with here? In particular, what is a scenario? And what is the relationship between scenarios and items of knowledge and belief? This chapter tries (...) to make sense of epistemic space. It explores different ways of making sense of scenarios and of their relationship to thought and language. It discusses some issues that arise and outlines some applications to the analysis of the content of thought and the meaning of language. (shrink)
Possible Worlds, Misc in Metaphysics
Adapting Minds: Evolutionary Psychology and the Persistent Quest for Human Nature.David J. Buller - 2006 - Bradford.details
Was human nature designed by natural selection in the Pleistocene epoch? The dominant view in evolutionary psychology holds that it was -- that our psychological adaptations were designed tens of thousands of years ago to solve problems faced by our hunter-gatherer ancestors. In this provocative and lively book, David Buller examines in detail the major claims of evolutionary psychology -- the paradigm popularized by Steven Pinker in The Blank Slate and by David Buss in The Evolution of Desire (...) -- and rejects them all. This does not mean that we cannot apply evolutionary theory to human psychology, says Buller, but that the conventional wisdom in evolutionary psychology is misguided.Evolutionary psychology employs a kind of reverse engineering to explain the evolved design of the mind, figuring out the adaptive problems our ancestors faced and then inferring the psychological adaptations that evolved to solve them. In the carefully argued central chapters of Adapting Minds, Buller scrutinizes several of evolutionary psychology's most highly publicized "discoveries," including "discriminative parental solicitude". Drawing on a wide range of empirical research, including his own large-scale study of child abuse, he shows that none is actually supported by the evidence.Buller argues that our minds are not adapted to the Pleistocene, but, like the immune system, are continually adapting, over both evolutionary time and individual lifetimes. We must move beyond the reigning orthodoxy of evolutionary psychology to reach an accurate understanding of how human psychology is influenced by evolution. When we do, Buller claims, we will abandon not only the quest for human nature but the very idea of human nature itself. (shrink)
A Computational Foundation for the Study of Cognition.David J. Chalmers - 2011 - Journal of Cognitive Science 12 (4):323-357.details
Computation is central to the foundations of modern cognitive science, but its role is controversial. Questions about computation abound: What is it for a physical system to implement a computation? Is computation sufficient for thought? What is the role of computation in a theory of cognition? What is the relation between different sorts of computational theory, such as connectionism and symbolic computation? In this paper I develop a systematic framework that addresses all of these questions. Justifying the role of computation (...) requires analysis of implementation, the nexus between abstract computations and concrete physical systems. I give such an analysis, based on the idea that a system implements a computation if the causal structure of the system mirrors the formal structure of the computation. This account can be used to justify the central commitments of artificial intelligence and computational cognitive science: the thesis of computational sufficiency, which holds that the right kind of computational structure suffices for the possession of a mind, and the thesis of computational explanation, which holds that computation provides a general framework for the explanation of cognitive processes. The theses are consequences of the facts that (a) computation can specify general patterns of causal organization, and (b) mentality is an organizational invariant, rooted in such patterns. Along the way I answer various challenges to the computationalist position, such as those put forward by Searle. I close by advocating a kind of minimal computationalism, compatible with a very wide variety of empirical approaches to the mind. This allows computation to serve as a true foundation for cognitive science. (shrink)
The Representational Character of Experience.David J. Chalmers - 2004 - In Brian Leiter (ed.), The Future for Philosophy. Oxford University Press. pp. 153--181.details
Consciousness and intentionality are perhaps the two central phenomena in the philosophy of mind. Human beings are conscious beings: there is something it is like to be us. Human beings are intentional beings: we represent what is going on in the world.Correspondingly, our specific mental states, such as perceptions and thoughts, very often have a phenomenal character: there is something it is like to be in them. And these mental states very often have intentional content: they serve to represent the (...) world. On the face of it, consciousness and intentionality are intimately connected. Our most important conscious mental states are intentional states: conscious experiences often inform us about the state of the world. And our most important intentional mental states are conscious states: there is often something it is like to represent the external world. It is natural to think that a satisfactory account of consciousness must respect its intentional structure, and that a satisfactory account of intentionality must respect its phenomenological character.With this in mind, it is surprising that in the last few decades, the philosophical study of consciousness and intentionality has often proceeded in two independent streams. This wasnot always the case. In the work of philosophers from Descartes and Locke to Brentano and Husserl, consciousness and intentionality were typically analyzed in a single package. But in the second half of the twentieth century, the dominant tendency was to concentrate on onetopic or the other, and to offer quite separate analyses of the two. On this approach, the connections between consciousness and intentionality receded into the background.In the last few years, this has begun to change. The interface between consciousness and intentionality has received increasing attention on a number of fronts. This attention has focused on such topics as the representational content of perceptual experience, the higherorder representation of conscious states, and the phenomenology of thinking. Two distinct philosophical groups have begun to emerge. One group focuses on ways in which consciousness might be grounded in intentionality. The other group focuses on ways in which intentionality might be grounded in consciousness. (shrink)
Representationalism in Philosophy of Mind
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What is a Neural Correlate of Consciousness?David J. Chalmers - 2000 - In Thomas Metzinger (ed.), Neural Correlates of Consciousness. MIT Press. pp. 17--39.details
The search for neural correlates of consciousness (or NCCs) is arguably the cornerstone in the recent resurgence of the science of consciousness. The search poses many difficult empirical problems, but it seems to be tractable in principle, and some ingenious studies in recent years have led to considerable progress. A number of proposals have been put forward concerning the nature and location of neural correlates of consciousness. A few of these include.
Consciousness and Neuroscience, Foundational Issues in Philosophy of Cognitive Science
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Utilitarianism, Rights and Equality: David J. Crossley.David J. Crossley - 1990 - Utilitas 2 (1):40-54.details
Bentham's dictum, 'everybody to count for one, nobody for more than one', is frequently noted but seldom discussed by commentators. Perhaps it is not thought contentious or exciting because interpreted as merely reminding the utilitarian legislator to make certain that each person's interests are included, that no one is missed, in working the felicific calculus. Since no interests are secure against the maximizing directive of the utility principle, which allows them to be overridden or sacrificed, the dictum is not usually (...) taken to be asserting fundamental rights that afford individuals normative protection against the actions of others or against legislative policies deemed socially expedient. Such non-conventional moral rights seem denied a place in a utilitarian theory so long as the maximization of aggregate happiness remains the ultimate standard and moral goal. (shrink)
Equality in Social and Political Philosophy
Rights and Values in Social and Political Philosophy
Utilitarianism in Normative Ethics
The Other Question: Can and Should Robots Have Rights?David J. Gunkel - 2018 - Ethics and Information Technology 20 (2):87-99.details
This essay addresses the other side of the robot ethics debate, taking up and investigating the question "Can and should robots have rights?" The examination of this subject proceeds by way of three steps or movements. We begin by looking at and analyzing the form of the question itself. There is an important philosophical difference between the two modal verbs that organize the inquiry—can and should. This difference has considerable history behind it that influences what is asked about and how. (...) Second, capitalizing on this verbal distinction, it is possible to identify four modalities concerning social robots and the question of rights. The second section will identify and critically assess these four modalities as they have been deployed and developed in the current literature. Finally, we will conclude by proposing another alternative, a way of thinking otherwise that effectively challenges the existing rules of the game and provides for other ways of theorizing moral standing that can scale to the unique challenges and opportunities that are confronted in the face of social robots. (shrink)
Robot Ethics in Applied Ethics
Verbal Disputes.David J. Chalmers - 2011 - Philosophical Review 120 (4):515-566.details
The philosophical interest of verbal disputes is twofold. First, they play a key role in philosophical method. Many philosophical disagreements are at least partly verbal, and almost every philosophical dispute has been diagnosed as verbal at some point. Here we can see the diagnosis of verbal disputes as a tool for philosophical progress. Second, they are interesting as a subject matter for first-order philosophy. Reflection on the existence and nature of verbal disputes can reveal something about the nature of concepts, (...) language, and meaning. In this article I first characterize verbal disputes, spell out a method for isolating and resolving them, and draw out conclusions for philosophical methodology. I then use the framework to draw out consequences in first-order philosophy. In particular, I argue that the analysis of verbal disputes can be used to support the existence of a distinctive sort of primitive concept and that it can be used to reconstruct a version of an analytic/synthetic distinction, where both are characterized in dialectical terms alone. (shrink)
Disagreement in Philosophy in Metaphilosophy
The Analytic-Synthetic Distinction in Philosophy of Language
Perception and the Fall From Eden.David J. Chalmers - 2006 - In Tamar S. Gendler & John Hawthorne (eds.), Perceptual Experience. Oxford University Press. pp. 49--125.details
In the Garden of Eden, we had unmediated contact with the world. We were directly acquainted with objects in the world and with their properties. Objects were simply presented to us without causal mediation, and properties were revealed to us in their true intrinsic glory.
Color Experience in Philosophy of Mind
The Contents of Perception, Misc in Philosophy of Mind
The Machine Question: Critical Perspectives on Ai, Robots, and Ethics.David J. Gunkel - 2012 - MIT Press.details
One of the enduring concerns of moral philosophy is deciding who or what is deserving of ethical consideration. Much recent attention has been devoted to the "animal question" -- consideration of the moral status of nonhuman animals. In this book, David Gunkel takes up the "machine question": whether and to what extent intelligent and autonomous machines of our own making can be considered to have legitimate moral responsibilities and any legitimate claim to moral consideration. The machine question poses a (...) fundamental challenge to moral thinking, questioning the traditional philosophical conceptualization of technology as a tool or instrument to be used by human agents. Gunkel begins by addressing the question of machine moral agency: whether a machine might be considered a legitimate moral agent that could be held responsible for decisions and actions. He then approaches the machine question from the other side, considering whether a machine might be a moral patient due legitimate moral consideration. Finally, Gunkel considers some recent innovations in moral philosophy and critical theory that complicate the machine question, deconstructing the binary agent--patient opposition itself. Technological advances may prompt us to wonder if the science fiction of computers and robots whose actions affect their human companions could become science fact. Gunkel's argument promises to influence future considerations of ethics, ourselves, and the other entities who inhabit this world. (shrink)
Machine Ethics in Philosophy of Cognitive Science
Moral Status of Artificial Systems in Philosophy of Cognitive Science
Consciousness and its Place in Nature.David J. Chalmers - 2003 - In Stephen P. Stich & Ted A. Warfield (eds.), Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Mind. Blackwell. pp. 102--142.details
Consciousness fits uneasily into our conception of the natural world. On the most common conception of nature, the natural world is the physical world. But on the most common conception of consciousness, it is not easy to see how it could be part of the physical world. So it seems that to find a place for consciousness within the natural order, we must either revise our conception of consciousness, or revise our conception of nature. In twentieth-century philosophy, this dilemma is (...) posed most acutely in C. D. Broad's The Mind and its Place in Nature . The phenomena of mind, for Broad, are the phenomena of consciousness. The central problem is that of locating mind with respect to the physical world. Broad's exhaustive discussion of the problem culminates in a taxonomy of seventeen different views of the mental-physical relation.1 On Broad's taxonomy, a view might see the mental as nonexistent , as reducible, as emergent, or as a basic property of a substance . The physical might be seen in one of the same four ways. So a four-by-four matrix of views results. At the end, three views are left standing: those on which mentality is an emergent characteristic of either a physical substance or a neutral substance, where in the latter case, the physical might be either emergent or delusive. (shrink)
Philosophy of Consciousness in Philosophy of Mind
The Foundations of Two-Dimensional Semantics.David J. Chalmers - 2006 - In Manuel Garcia-Carpintero & Josep Macia (eds.), Two-Dimensional Semantics: Foundations and Applications. Oxford University Press. pp. 55-140.details
Why is two-dimensional semantics important? One can think of it as the most recent act in a drama involving three of the central concepts of philosophy: meaning, reason, and modality. First, Kant linked reason and modality, by suggesting that what is necessary is knowable a priori, and vice versa. Second, Frege linked reason and meaning, by proposing an aspect of meaning (sense) that is constitutively tied to cognitive signi?cance. Third, Carnap linked meaning and modality, by proposing an aspect of meaning (...) (intension) that is constitutively tied to possibility and necessity. (shrink)
Apriority and Necessity in Epistemology
Metaphysical Necessity in Metaphysics
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Philosophy of Mind: Classical and Contemporary Readings.David J. Chalmers (ed.) - 2002 - Oxford University Press USA.details
What is the mind? Is consciousness a process in the brain? How do our minds represent the world? Philosophy of Mind: Classical and Contemporary Readings is a grand tour of writings on these and other perplexing questions about the nature of the mind. The most comprehensive collection of its kind, the book includes sixty-three selections that range from the classical contributions of Descartes to the leading edge of contemporary debates. Extensive sections cover foundational issues, the nature of consciousness, and the (...) nature of mental content. Three of the selections are published here for the first time, while many other articles have been revised especially for this volume. Each section opens with an introduction by the editor. Philosophy of Mind is suitable for students at all levels and also for general readers. (shrink)
The Content and Epistemology of Phenomenal Belief.David J. Chalmers - 2003 - In Quentin Smith & Aleksandar Jokic (eds.), Consciousness: New Philosophical Perspectives. Oxford University Press. pp. 220--72.details
Experiences and beliefs are different sorts of mental states, and are often taken to belong to very different domains. Experiences are paradigmatically phenomenal, characterized by what it is like to have them. Beliefs are paradigmatically intentional, characterized by their propositional content. But there are a number of crucial points where these domains intersect. One central locus of intersection arises from the existence of phenomenal beliefs: beliefs that are about experiences.
Epistemological States and Properties, Misc in Epistemology
Phenomenal Concepts in Philosophy of Mind
The Singularity: A Philosophical Analysis.David J. Chalmers - 2010 - Journal of Consciousness Studies 17 (9-10):9 - 10.details
What happens when machines become more intelligent than humans? One view is that this event will be followed by an explosion to ever-greater levels of intelligence, as each generation of machines creates more intelligent machines in turn. This intelligence explosion is now often known as the "singularity". The basic argument here was set out by the statistician I.J. Good in his 1965 article "Speculations Concerning the First Ultraintelligent Machine": Let an ultraintelligent machine be defined as a machine that can far (...) surpass all the intellectual activities of any man however clever. Since the design of machines is one of these intellectual activities, an ultraintelligent machine could design even better machines; there would then unquestionably be an "intelligence explosion", and the intelligence of man would be left far behind. Thus the first ultraintelligent machine is the last invention that man need ever make. The key idea is that a machine that is more intelligent than humans will be better than humans at designing machines. So it will be capable of designing a machine more intelligent than the most intelligent machine that humans can design. So if it is itself designed by humans, it will be capable of designing a machine more intelligent than itself. By similar reasoning, this next machine will also be capable of designing a machine more intelligent than itself. If every machine in turn does what it is capable of, we should expect a sequence of ever more intelligent machines. This intelligence explosion is sometimes combined with another idea, which we might call the "speed explosion". The argument for a speed explosion starts from the familiar observation that computer processing speed doubles at regular intervals. Suppose that speed doubles every two years and will do so indefinitely. Now suppose that we have human-level artificial intelligence 1 designing new processors. Then faster processing will lead to faster designers and an ever-faster design cycle, leading to a limit point soon afterwards. The argument for a speed explosion was set out by the artificial intelligence researcher Ray Solomonoff in his 1985 article "The Time Scale of Artificial Intelligence".1 Eliezer Yudkowsky gives a succinct version of the argument in his 1996 article "Staring at the Singularity": "Computing speed doubles every two subjective years of work.. (shrink)
Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, Misc in Philosophy of Cognitive Science
Machine Consciousness in Philosophy of Cognitive Science
Machine Mentality, Misc in Philosophy of Cognitive Science
Mind Uploading in Philosophy of Cognitive Science
Personal Identity, Misc in Metaphysics
The Singularity in Philosophy of Cognitive Science
Transhumanism in Philosophy of Cognitive Science
Mind the Gap: Responsible Robotics and the Problem of Responsibility.David J. Gunkel - 2020 - Ethics and Information Technology 22 (4):307-320.details
The task of this essay is to respond to the question concerning robots and responsibility—to answer for the way that we understand, debate, and decide who or what is able to answer for decisions and actions undertaken by increasingly interactive, autonomous, and sociable mechanisms. The analysis proceeds through three steps or movements. It begins by critically examining the instrumental theory of technology, which determines the way one typically deals with and responds to the question of responsibility when it involves technology. (...) It then considers three instances where recent innovations in robotics challenge this standard operating procedure by opening gaps in the usual way of assigning responsibility. The innovations considered in this section include: autonomous technology, machine learning, and social robots. The essay concludes by evaluating the three different responses—instrumentalism 2.0, machine ethics, and hybrid responsibility—that have been made in face of these difficulties in an effort to map out the opportunities and challenges of and for responsible robotics. (shrink)
Ontological Anti-Realism.David J. Chalmers - 2009 - In David John Chalmers, David Manley & Ryan Wasserman (eds.), Metametaphysics: New Essays on the Foundations of Ontology. Oxford University Press.details
The basic question of ontology is "What exists?". The basic question of metaontology is: are there objective answers to the basic question of ontology? Here ontological realists say yes, and ontological anti-realists say no. (Compare: The basic question of ethics is "What is right?". The basic question of metaethics is: are there objective answers to the basic question of ethics? Here moral realists say yes, and moral anti-realists say no.) For example, the ontologist may ask: Do numbers exist? The Platonist (...) says yes, and the nominalist says no. The metaontologist may ask: is there an objective fact of the matter about whether numbers exist? The ontological realist says yes, and the ontological anti-realist says no. Likewise, the ontologist may ask: Given two distinct entities, when does a mereological sum of those entities exist? The universalist says always, while the nihilist says never. The metaontologist may ask: is there an objective fact of the matter about whether the mereological sum of two distinct entities exists? The ontological realist says yes, and the ontological anti-realist says no. Ontological realism is often traced to Quine (1948), who held that we can determine what exists by seeing which entities are endorsed by our best scientific theory of the world. In recent years, the practice of ontology has often presupposed an ever-stronger ontological realism, and strong versions of ontological realism have received explicit statements by Fine (this volume), Sider (2001; this volume), van Inwagen (1998; this volume), and others. (shrink)
Metaontology, Misc in Metaphysics
Ontological Disagreement in Metaphysics
Ontological Realism in Metaphysics
Buddhist Philosophy: A Historical Analysis.David J. Kalupahana - 2017 - University of Hawaii Press.details
Propositions and Attitude Ascriptions: A Fregean Account.David J. Chalmers - 2011 - Noûs 45 (4):595-639.details
When I say 'Hesperus is Phosphorus', I seem to express a proposition. And when I say 'Joan believes that Hesperus is Phosphorus', I seem to ascribe to Joan an attitude to the same proposition. But what are propositions? And what is involved in ascribing propositional attitudes?
Fregean Theories of Attitude Ascriptions in Philosophy of Language
Hidden-Indexical Theories of Attitude Ascriptions in Philosophy of Language
Propositions, Misc in Philosophy of Language
Why Isn't There More Progress in Philosophy?David J. Chalmers - 2015 - Philosophy 90 (1):3-31.details
Philosophical Progress in Metaphilosophy
The Value of Philosophy in Metaphilosophy
Materialism and the Metaphysics of Modality.David J. Chalmers - 1999 - Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 59 (2):473-96.details
This appeared in Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 59:473-93, as a response to four papers in a symposium on my book The Conscious Mind . Most of it should be comprehensible without having read the papers in question. This paper is for an audience of philosophers and so is relatively technical. It will probably also help to have read some of the book. The papers I'm responding to are: Chris Hill & Brian McLaughlin, There are fewer things in reality than are (...) dreamt of in Chalmers' philosophy Brian Loar, David Chalmers' The Conscious Mind Sydney Shoemaker, On David Chalmers' The Conscious Mind Stephen Yablo, Concepts and consciousness Contents. (shrink)
The Virtual and the Real.David J. Chalmers - 2017 - Disputatio 9 (46):309-352.details
I argue that virtual reality is a sort of genuine reality. In particular, I argue for virtual digitalism, on which virtual objects are real digital objects, and against virtual fictionalism, on which virtual objects are fictional objects. I also argue that perception in virtual reality need not be illusory, and that life in virtual worlds can have roughly the same sort of value as life in non-virtual worlds.
Virtual Reality in Philosophy of Computing and Information
Strong and Weak Emergence.David J. Chalmers - 2006 - In P. Davies & P. Clayton (eds.), The Re-Emergence of Emergence: The Emergentist Hypothesis From Science to Religion. Oxford University Press.details
The term 'emergence' often causes confusion in science and philosophy, as it is used to express at least two quite different concepts. We can label these concepts _strong_ _emergence_ and _weak emergence_. Both of these concepts are important, but it is vital to keep them separate.
Concepts of Emergence in Metaphysics
Kierkegaard's Instant: On Beginnings.David J. Kangas - 2007 - Indiana University Press.details
In Kierkegaard's Instant, David J. Kangas reads Kierkegaard to reveal his radical thinking about temporality. For Kierkegaard, the instant of becoming, in which everything changes in the blink of an eye, eludes recollection and anticipation. It constitutes a beginning always already at work. As Kangas shows, Kierkegaard's retrieval of the sudden quality of temporality allows him to stage a deep critique of the idealist projects of Fichte, Schelling, and Hegel. By linking Kierkegaard's thought to the tradition of Meister Eckhart, (...) Kangas formulates the central problem of these early texts and puts them into contemporary light—can thinking hold itself open to the challenges of temporality? (shrink)
Søren Kierkegaard in 19th Century Philosophy
Two-Dimensional Semantics.David J. Chalmers - 2006 - In E. Lepore & B. Smith (eds.), The Oxford Handbook to the Philosophy of Language. Oxford University Press.details
Two-dimensional approaches to semantics, broadly understood, recognize two "dimensions" of the meaning or content of linguistic items. On these approaches, expressions and their utterances are associated with two different sorts of semantic values, which play different explanatory roles. Typically, one semantic value is associated with reference and ordinary truth-conditions, while the other is associated with the way that reference and truth-conditions depend on the external world. The second sort of semantic value is often held to play a distinctive role in (...) analyzing matters of cognitive significance and/or context-dependence. (shrink)
Phenomenal Concepts and the Explanatory Gap.David J. Chalmers - 2006 - In Torin Alter & Sven Walter (eds.), Phenomenal Concepts and Phenomenal Knowledge: New Essays on Consciousness and Physicalism. Oxford University Press.details
Confronted with the apparent explanatory gap between physical processes and consciousness, there are many possible reactions. Some deny that any explanatory gap exists at all. Some hold that there is an explanatory gap for now, but that it will eventually be closed. Some hold that the explanatory gap corresponds to an ontological gap in nature.
Phenomenology in Continental Philosophy
The Explanatory Gap in Philosophy of Mind
Does a Rock Implement Every Finite-State Automaton?David J. Chalmers - 1996 - Synthese 108 (3):309-33.details
Hilary Putnam has argued that computational functionalism cannot serve as a foundation for the study of the mind, as every ordinary open physical system implements every finite-state automaton. I argue that Putnam's argument fails, but that it points out the need for a better understanding of the bridge between the theory of computation and the theory of physical systems: the relation of implementation. It also raises questions about the class of automata that can serve as a basis for understanding the (...) mind. I develop an account of implementation, linked to an appropriate class of automata, such that the requirement that a system implement a given automaton places a very strong constraint on the system. This clears the way for computation to play a central role in the analysis of mind. (shrink)
Functional Realization in Metaphysics
Pancomputationalism in Philosophy of Computing and Information
On Sense and Intension.David J. Chalmers - 2002 - Philosophical Perspectives 16:135-82.details
What is involved in the meaning of our expressions? Frege suggested that there is an aspect of an expression.
Fregean Sense in Philosophy of Language
Psychophysics and Metaphysics.David J. Weiss - 1989 - Behavioral and Brain Sciences 12 (2):298-299.details
Psychophysics in Philosophy of Mind
The Matrix as Metaphysics.David J. Chalmers - 2005 - In Christopher Grau (ed.), Philosophers Explore the Matrix. Oxford University Press. pp. 132.details
The Matrix presents a version of an old philosophical fable: the brain in a vat. A disembodied brain is floating in a vat, inside a scientist's laboratory. The scientist has arranged that the brain will be stimulated with the same sort of inputs that a normal embodied brain receives. To do this, the brain is connected to a giant computer simulation of a world. The simulation determines which inputs the brain receives. When the brain produces outputs, these are fed back (...) into the simulation. The internal state of the brain is just like that of a normal brain, despite the fact that it lacks a body. From the brain's point of view, things seem very much as they seem to you and me. (shrink)
Abductive Replies to Skepticism in Epistemology
Brains in Vats in Epistemology
Content Externalist Replies to Skepticism in Epistemology
Simulation Hypothesis in Philosophy of Computing and Information
Intuitions in Philosophy: A Minimal Defense.David J. Chalmers - 2014 - Philosophical Studies 171 (3):535-544.details
In Philosophy Without Intuitions, Herman Cappelen focuses on the metaphilosophical thesis he calls Centrality: contemporary analytic philosophers rely on intuitions as evidence for philosophical theories. Using linguistic and textual analysis, he argues that Centrality is false. He also suggests that because most philosophers accept Centrality, they have mistaken beliefs about their own methods.To put my own views on the table: I do not have a large theoretical stake in the status of intuitions, but unreflectively I find it fairly obvious that (...) many philosophers, including myself, appeal to intuitions. Cappelen's arguments make a provocative challenge to this unreflective background conception. So it is interesting to work through the arguments to see what they might and might not show.In what follows I aim to articulate a minimal notion of intuition that captures something of the core everyday philosophical usage of the term, and that captures the sense .. (shrink)
Epistemology of Intuition in Epistemology
An Evaluation of Educational Outreach to Improve Evidence‐Based Prescribing in Medicaid: A Cautionary Tale.Alan J. Zillich, Ronald T. Ackermann, Timothy E. Stump, Roberta J. Ambuehl, Steven M. Downs, Ann M. Holmes, Barry Katz & Thomas S. Inui - 2008 - Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice 14 (5):854-860.details
Philosophy of Medicine in Philosophy of Science, Misc
The Extended Mind.Andy Clark & David J. Chalmers - 1998 - Analysis 58 (1):7-19.details
Where does the mind stop and the rest of the world begin? The question invites two standard replies. Some accept the demarcations of skin and skull, and say that what is outside the body is outside the mind. Others are impressed by arguments suggesting that the meaning of our words "just ain't in the head", and hold that this externalism about meaning carries over into an externalism about mind. We propose to pursue a third position. We advocate a very different (...) sort of externalism: an _active externalism_, based on the active role of the environment in driving cognitive processes. (shrink)
Embodiment and Situated Cognition in Philosophy of Cognitive Science
The Extended Mind Thesis in Philosophy of Mind
Conceptual Change and the Philosophy of Science: Alternative Interpretations of the a Priori.David J. Stump - 2015 - Routledge.details
In this book, David Stump traces alternative conceptions of the a priori in the philosophy of science and defends a unique position in the current debates over conceptual change and the constitutive elements in science. Stump emphasizes the unique epistemological status of the constitutive elements of scientific theories, constitutive elements being the necessary preconditions that must be assumed in order to conduct a particular scientific inquiry. These constitutive elements, such as logic, mathematics, and even some fundamental laws of nature, (...) were once taken to be a priori knowledge but can change, thus leading to a dynamic or relative a priori. Stump critically examines developments in thinking about constitutive elements in science as a priori knowledge, from Kant's fixed and absolute a priori to Quine's holistic empiricism. By examining the relationship between conceptual change and the epistemological status of constitutive elements in science, Stump puts forward an argument that scientific revolutions can be explained and relativism can be avoided without resorting to universals or absolutes. (shrink)
Conceptual Change in Science in General Philosophy of Science
Kant's Scientific Work in 17th/18th Century Philosophy
Kant: Philosophy of Science in 17th/18th Century Philosophy
Kant: Science, Logic, and Mathematics, Misc in 17th/18th Century Philosophy
Philosophy of Science, General Works in Philosophy of Science, Misc
The A Priori in Epistemology
Pierre Duhem's Virtue Epistemology.David J. Stump - 2007 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A 38 (1):149-159.details
Duhem's concept of "good sense" is central to his philosophy of science, given that it is what allows scientist to decide between competing theories. Scientists must use good sense and have intellectual and moral virtues in order to be neutral arbiters of scientific theories, especially when choosing between empirically adequate theories. I discuss the parallels in Duhem's views to those of virtue epistemologists, who understand justified belief as that arrived at by a cognitive agent with intellectual and moral virtues, showing (...) how consideration of Duhem as a virtue epistemologist offers insights into his views, as well as providing possible answers to some puzzles about virtue epistemology. The extent to which Duhem holds that the intellectual and moral virtues of the scientist determine scientific knowledge has not been generally noticed. (shrink)
Moral Epistemology, Misc in Meta-Ethics
Science and Values in General Philosophy of Science
Studies in Presocratic Philosophy Edited by David J. Furley and R.E. Allen. --.David J. Furley & Reginald E. Allen - 1970 - Routledge and Kegan Paul.details
Pre-Socratic Philosophy, Misc in Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy
The Nature of Narrow Content.David J. Chalmers - 2003 - Philosophical Issues 13 (1):46-66.details
A content of a subject's mental state is narrow when it is determined by the subject's intrinsic properties: that is, when any possible intrinsic duplicate of the subject has a corresponding mental state with the same content. A content of a subject's mental state is..
Narrow Content in Philosophy of Mind
Two-Dimensionalism about Content in Philosophy of Mind
What Do Philosophers Believe?David Bourget & David J. Chalmers - 2014 - Philosophical Studies 170 (3):465-500.details
What are the philosophical views of contemporary professional philosophers? We surveyed many professional philosophers in order to help determine their views on 30 central philosophical issues. This article documents the results. It also reveals correlations among philosophical views and between these views and factors such as age, gender, and nationality. A factor analysis suggests that an individual's views on these issues factor into a few underlying components that predict much of the variation in those views. The results of a metasurvey (...) also suggest that many of the results of the survey are surprising: philosophers as a whole have quite inaccurate beliefs about the distribution of philosophical views in the profession. (shrink)
Metaphilosophy, Misc in Metaphilosophy
A Vindication of the Rights of Machines.David J. Gunkel - 2014 - Philosophy and Technology 27 (1):113-132.details
This essay responds to the machine question in the affirmative, arguing that artifacts, like robots, AI, and other autonomous systems, can no longer be legitimately excluded from moral consideration. The demonstration of this thesis proceeds in four parts or movements. The first and second parts approach the subject by investigating the two constitutive components of the ethical relationship—moral agency and patiency. In the process, they each demonstrate failure. This occurs not because the machine is somehow unable to achieve what is (...) considered necessary and sufficient to be a moral agent or patient but because the characterization of agency and patiency already fail to accommodate others. The third and fourth parts respond to this problem by considering two recent alternatives—the all-encompassing ontocentric approach of Luciano Floridi's information ethics and Emmanuel Levinas's eccentric ethics of otherness. Both alternatives, despite considerable promise to reconfigure the scope of moral thinking by addressing previously excluded others, like the machine, also fail but for other reasons. Consequently, the essay concludes not by accommodating the alterity of the machine to the requirements of moral philosophy but by questioning the systemic limitations of moral reasoning, requiring not just an extension of rights to machines, but a thorough examination of the way moral standing has been configured in the first place. (shrink)
Autonomy, Misc in Social and Political Philosophy
Computer Ethics, Misc in Applied Ethics


I can still recall the excitement I felt when I discovered The Firedrake in the 60s. I had been reading historical novels for some time, but had not found an author who kindled my interest to this extent since devouring everything in print by Rafael Sabatini and Mary Renault. So many historical writers clutter their stories with background information rather than integrating it as part of the unfolding action; I found Ms. Holland's writing soared in comparison.
Q: I have been enjoying your historical novels since the release of The Firedrake in 1966. How has your approach to them evolved over the years?
A: It's been a long time. I've gotten more confident about the writing, more willing to take some chances. I've also used up all my chops and am constantly struggling to find something new. I have a real horror of repeating myself. Also, my work has always been a real bulwark in what has been an often chaotic and unstructured life; I put everything that happens to me into it, and it gives me a way of figuring out what's going on. It may not seem possible that what people are doing in a book set in 950, say, can really be a reflection of 2002, but it is.
I doubt this really answers the question, but there.
Q: What I have always appreciated about your work is that you tend to select lesser known periods of history, as in The Kings in Winter, or another of my favorites, The Great Maria. How do you choose them?
A: I love the Middle Ages, and I spend a lot of time rooting around there, reading primary sources, chronicles and sagas and the like. Usually when I have a book brooding I have an idea for a story, and I need to find some place in history where the story has real oomph. Then I stumble on some really good source, like, for instance, the War of the Irish against the Foreigners of the Western World, which is a great old source for the Battle of Clontarf, which ends Kings In Winter.
Great Maria was the opposite, actually, I wanted to do something about the Normans in Italy but couldn't get it to spark until I thought I would use a woman as the main character. Then it just took off. She walked off with the book, is what happened.
Q: Many writers of historical fiction select powerful people for their protagonists. You often take the perspective of someone more ordinary. Any reason in particular for this?
A: Yes, I think that's where the real history is. Kings and Queens and Popes get a lot of press but the real momentum of events comes from the ordinary people struggling with their ordinary lives. That's what real power is, anyway - not giving orders and commands, but getting control over your life - making meaning out of reality. That's why in Jerusalem the only person with any real power is Rannulf.
Q: One of my two favorites of your novels is Rakossy (the other being The Firedrake). Are there any plans to reprint Rakossy?
A: Rakossy is very rare. I've thought of reprinting it via the on-demand service at iUniverse.com which carries two of my other books but I quail at spending $150 for a book to tear it apart to be scanned.
Q: Can we expect to see more of Lily Nevada, or indeed of other California historicals?
A: Not in the immediate future. I have a shadowy idea for a third of the Lily books but first I have this big project I'm doing of 5 books.
Q: Your most recent historical work The Angel and the Sword has a touch of fantasy to it. Is this a new direction?
A: Yes, I was really leery of it at first but the story came with the angel and then the rest of it proceeded from that. Now I'm finding it a very interesting way to get the story told. I'm not into elves or dragons but magic can be a visible expression of people's feelings, and nothing is more valuable in a piece of fiction than making such things tangible.
Q: I enjoyed your science fiction novel Floating Worlds. Why did you not write more in this genre?
A: I like FW very much. I don't really see it as science fiction as much as historical fiction turned inside out. It's really a piece of historical fiction set in an entirely imaginary history. It came right after Great Maria and there are a lot of similarities between them, and I suspect that the real reason I did FW was to get the end of GM right.
Q: You ventured back to 'the dawn of time' in Pillar of the Sky (and even earlier in your online short story Bone Sky). Was once enough here also?
A: I don't know. I like Bone Sky, and I think Pillar has some of my best writing. The voice for stuff set way back is hard, it can tend to get biblical and weird. Unless I can get a really strong voice for a story I can't get it to fly at all.
Q: I understand that your new Viking historical The Soul Thief will be out soon and that it is first of a series of five. On your website you say that it 'nurses a gut feeling I have that, after all, women do run the world.' That sounds most intriguing. Can you add to it?
A: I can't. If I could tell you what I mean I wouldn't have to write the books. All I can say is men and women live in two different, overlapping realities, that women understand men but men don't understand women, and that's the hinge for the books. It's been a very useful thing so far. I've only written 1 1/3 of the books but so far the idea is really cooking. And speaking of running the world you have to remember what I said before about ordinary people.
Q: You have been writing since you were 12 years old. Do you still have a passion for it?
A: Absolutely. I don't mean I rush in every morning panting to get to the keyboard. Writing is the way I figure out what's going on, around me, in me, to me, what I'm doing. It still amazes me that a couple of black marks on a page can inspire a whole cosmos in someone's mind. That's magic. That's the best magic there is.
Cecelia Holland lives and writes in northern California. Find out more about the author, her published works and online stories, by visiting http://www.thefiredrake.com/.


No offense meant to the "black and white" look we all know but I'm stoked about the thought of new internet easel for you art! It's probably a bit overdue and I'm inclined to think your art deserves it.
Hope you have a better 12 months.
I know what you mean about the additional time it takes to watermark/edit and resize your work and how that can take away from what you want to do the most - your artwork.
Best of luck to you on your new upcoming website. Hope it does help save you time. Also, I felt it was very honorable that you saw the number of wallpapers you put out this past year and decided to offer the discount - even though you didn't have to.
While I love seeing more new stuff, I don't think you should feel bad about the lower output this past year. You definitely have valid reasons. (I usually only add 2 wallpapers a month myself on mine.) Plus, it also helps you produce higher quality work anyway - which I'm sure most of us here want to see anyway.
I love your site, and would gladly have paid the yearly renewal when mine came due. That said, any discount these days is most welcome and I just renewed at the discounted rate. Again, THANK YOU!
I sent a Twitter... or Tweet... or whatever you call it.
Please look at the 3200x1200 split zip file... this was not cropped correctly.
The first two comments on this string summarize my feelings also. I will wait until my membership expires and pay full price for the renewal. Your artwork is amazing, Ryan -- but I too appreciate how you share with and make yourself available to your members/fans. I had trouble with the renewal page when renewing my membership this past spring. I e-mailed Ryan for support early on a Saturday morning, expecting a Monday morning reply. I had my answer within 15 minutes of my e-mail. I told Ryan to walk away from the computer and go watch some cartoons with the kids! Oh, and since that was my first renewal, I was actually pleasantly surprised to pay $15 instead of the $25 I'd paid for the first year.
a bit off topic here..
YOur recent works are AMAZING!
a new modern render of conjunction (night or sunset scenario) would be soo sweet!!
Matt D had a point there!
YOu have soo much wonderful work that many do not know that exists!
OH and your prices are very affordable!
I'm a lifetime member and I think 15$ would be a bargain for this past year.
I suspect newer users find your vast gallery to be intimidating and are missing some hidden gems. Or they may be like me and usually use the newest image available.
My suggestion is, if you feel there's a lull in production, occasionally 'spotlight' one of your older images. Give it some front-page exposure and perhaps tell us all something we may not know about the image.
It would also be a good way to increase the ratings/comments on the oldies.
Sorry if it wasn't clear. Renewals add 365 days to your current account. If you were set to expire on Dec 25, 2009 then your account would be set to expire on Christmas 2010.
First off, don't sweat about it Ryan! The work you produce is always amazing!
But since you've put up this offer, I've been wondering. does this add an additional 365 days to my subscription time or set my account time remaining to 365 days?
While I have been a member of digital blasphemy for a very long time, I have noticed that the frequency of updates has gone down. However, I don't believe this has every been a concern -- though the anticipatory anxiety has been killer at times, especially when you say it'll be up the following morning or so and it doesn't appear for a day or two (I constantly check the site!!! LOL).
I became a member because the art that you create is fantastic -- each new piece seems like an improvement over the last, and I use it until the next one is posted. I love your artwork and I believe that a lot of people understand that due to the increasing quality of your work, it's harder to pull them off in rapid succession. Your artwork takes time, most of us understand that, and most of us enjoy the end result.
If I might suggest, I think I have noticed that your re-renderings of older backgrounds seem to be "quick" and, browsing comment sections, a lot of people often add a subtle suggestion of what backgrounds from the past they have liked that they'd like to see re-rendered. Maybe, just maybe, you can streamline an older re-rendered background in between newer backgrounds to provide a seemingly faster update process.
I don't know, it's simply a suggestion if you're looking to add a few more backgrounds within a given time frame.
Don't worry about the fewer wallpapers you have been producing. While the quantity has been decreasing, the quality has skyrocketed, and it is that quality that sets you apart from the rest of the competition. I would much rather have the fewer high-quality wallpapers than a zillion mediocre ones.
Better To have little BUT awesome work than many rendering that are not that amazing at all!
an artist is rated by the quality and NOT quantity!
HOPE you get better soon from your health issues!
I can only speak for myself, but I want you to please not worry about the quantity of pictures done. I have always felt that your quality has been fantastic, and the past couple years have produced some absolutely AMAZING WOW pictures.
Your health is the highest priority. You aren't getting "colds" and then slacking. You have a serious condition that doesn't need added stress to it.
You also have a beautiful and young family to take care of.
Thanks for another great year!!
You know I'm behind you 100%.
I'm a lifetime member, and gladly accept the fluctuations in output from year to year or month to month. Some truly remarkable images take more time anyhow (creating, rendering, etc.) and I feel they're worth it. It's all about quality and not quantity.
One more thing: You share so much of your personal and family experiences with your fans and members that (like others, I'm sure), I've come to feel like a close friend, and not just a customer. I can't put a dollar figure on that experience, and I intend to continue my support through gift memberships and referrals.
I will continue to support your artwork even with slower work times. It's completely understandable with what you're going through. My membership isn't up until April but I plan to support you with full membership prices and then some!


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HD 89744 (HR 4067 / HIP 50786 / GJ 9326) es una estrella en la constelación de la Osa Mayor de magnitud aparente +5,73, visualmente situada cerca de Tania Australis (μ Ursae Majoris). Se encuentra a 130 años luz de distancia del Sistema Solar. En 2000 se anunció el descubrimiento de un planeta extrasolar en torno a esta estrella.

HD 89744 está catalogada como una enana amarilla de tipo espectral F7V; sin embargo, su gravedad superficial y su posición en el diagrama de Hertzsprung-Russell indican que la estrella ya ha evolucionado desde la secuencia principal. Con una temperatura superficial de 6200 K, es unos 420 K más caliente que el Sol. Su diámetro es 2,1 veces más grande que el del Sol y su masa es aproximadamente un 50% mayor que la masa solar.
Tiene una metalicidad —abundancia relativa de elementos más pesados que el helio— un 38% mayor que la del Sol.
Es destacable su alto nivel de europio ([Eu/H] = +0,23), elemento representativo del llamado «proceso-r» por el que se forman elementos pesados por captura neutrónica rápida.
HD 89744 es una estrella antigua con una edad estimada de 8090 millones de años.

HD 89744 parece tener una tenue acompañante separada unas 2460 UA, con una masa comprendida entre 0,073 y 0,077 masas solares.
Dicha masa la sitúa en el límite por encima del cual una estrella es capaz de iniciar la fusión nuclear del hidrógeno; por debajo del mismo, el objeto es una enana marrón.

Sistema planetario

En 2000 se dio a conocer la existencia de un planeta (HD 89744 b) cuya masa mínima es 8 veces mayor que la de Júpiter. Se mueve en una órbita altamente excéntrica cuya distancia a la estrella en el periastro es de 0,29 UA —algo mayor que la distancia existente entre Mercurio y el Sol— mientras que en el apastro es de 1,49 UA. El período orbital es de 256,6 días.

Véase también
 Lista de planetas extrasolares

Referencias

Enanas amarillas
Estrellas binarias
Sistemas planetarios
Planetas extrasolares
Constelación de la Osa Mayor


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Family Issues Statement After Death Of Officer Tyler Timmins
Dan Brannan
October 28 2021 2:18 PM | updated October 28 2021 2:18 PM
PONTOON BEACH - The only word to describe the recent shooting, and then later the death of Pontoon Beach Police Officer Tyler Timmins, is "heartbreaking."
Officer Timmins was tragically killed in the line of duty on October 26, 2021.
A large number of individuals and first responders turned out Wednesday afternoon as Timmins' body was brought back from St. Louis to Marks Mortuary in Wood River, who will be in charge of funeral services.
Top Story: Alton Police Alerts Residents Of Officer Impersonation Scam For Cash Vouchers
Below is a statement released by Tyler's family. Tyler leaves behind his wife, Linsey, and a daughter, Chloe.
"The family of Officer Tyler Timmins mourns the loss of our son, husband, father, brother, and friend. We would like to thank the law enforcement community and the thousands of others who have expressed their love, support, and concern.
"Tyler was the epitome of compassion, empathy, and caring throughout his life. He gained notoriety on October 26th when he was senselessly killed in the line of duty. To many, he was a hero that day, for us he has been a hero since day one."
The family continued: "There are no words to describe what was taken from us. We will always remember his devotion to his family, his dedication to his career and community, and the love and laughter that he shared with us.
"It is our understanding that the suspect in Tyler's murder is in custody, however, the family kindly requests that you respect our privacy during this time of mourning. We will not be making any comment on the ongoing investigation. Further media inquiries can be made to ISP.PIO.Personnel@Illinois.gov."
Oct 28, 2021 | Visitation/Funeral Arrangements Set At Gateway Convention Center For Pontoon Beach Officer Tyler Timmins Oct 28, 2021
Oct 28, 2021 | GoFundMe Organized For Family Of Officer Tyler Timmins, Who Tragically Died In The Line Of Duty Oct 28, 2021
Nov 2, 2021 | Linsey Timmins Will Forever Remember Her Husband As Her 'Hero' Nov 2, 2021
Nov 4, 2021 | Chief Modrusic Shows Courage, Dignity, In Horrific Time, He Thanks Everyone For Extraordinary Support After Officer's Death Nov 4, 2021
Pontoon Beach Police Press Conference for Case Regarding Slain Officer
Officer Tyler Timmins Services
"Rush - Tom Sawyer" now playing on The Eagle, the Riverbend's only Classic Rock station. Check out Riverbender Radio Today and Listen to Win!
Alton Police Alerts Residents Of Officer Impersonation Scam For Cash Vouchers
'Wind Chill Advisory': Dangerously Cold Temps/Wind Chills Predicted Until Friday


text:
Book Baroness Karren Brady of Knightsbridge CBE
One of the Most Influential Female Business Leaders in the UK
Speaking Price Guide:	Contact us to discuss prices
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About Baroness Karren Brady of Knightsbridge CBE:
Baroness Brady of Knightsbridge CBE is one of the most influential and high profile business leaders in the UK.
Starting at Saatchi & Saatchi, she quickly moved to LBC as a sales executive before joining David Sullivan's Sport Newspapers Ltd, becoming a Director within a year. In 1993, aged just 23, she was appointed MD of Birmingham City FC. She turned Birmingham City FC around and negotiated the club's sale in 2009 for £82 million.
In 2010, Brady was appointed Vice-Chairman of West Ham United FC, and led a successful deal for the club's move to London's iconic 54,000-seat Olympic Stadium.
She has been voted Business Woman of the Year, Ultimate Entrepreneur and rated among the 50 most inspirational people in the world.
Karren is a world-renowned speaker and has worked in over 30 countries, motivating and advising global businesses through her award-winning speeches. To date, Karren has written five books, these include novels and business titles. She is the author of Sunday Times best-selling autobiography Strong Woman. She has also appeared on the BBC's The Apprentice and is a leading voice, contributor and commentator on business affairs and a variety of news programmes.
Inspirational Speaking
Women's Leadership Talks
Alternatively call us to book Baroness Karren Brady of Knightsbridge CBE: +44 (0)20 3124 1860
As one of the UKs leading hospitality brands we recently engaged Karren to deliver a keynote speech at our annual conference in Manchester for circa 2200 delegates. Karren's speech was totally 'on-message' and really resonated with our team members. Karren's appearance created a real WOW for our team members Costa Coffee"	Costa Coffee
Fern Britton
Martin Bayfield


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Saġġar
onequestionseries
B'Saħħitna
ACT's Proposals Supplementing the Demands Put Forward for the Iż-Żejjed Kollu Żejjed Protest held on the 7th of September 2019
by ACT Team | Oct 12, 2019 | Articles, Environment, Opinion
Malta is currently experiencing the largest unprecedented economic boom in its history. The boom has boosted the standard of living of many Maltese citizens; the Maltese have become richer and therefore boosting domestic materialistic demand for goods and services. The boom also led to an unprecedented surge in migration – migrants that are needed to support the economic momentum by bolstering the workforce.
Nonetheless Malta's fundamental reality remains the same when it comes to its scarce resources and space. After all, Malta is still a small island state in the middle of the most unstable region, the Mediterranean.
The economic boom has also brought with it unwanted consequences that could lead to its demise. Malta is currently in a watershed moment; progress, fuelled by the economic boom, has hit Malta like a tsunami, taking with it the island's essential character. Unsustainable, irrational and unmanaged prosperity leads to a decline in the quality of life, leading to more traffic, air, noise and light pollution, illness, loss of vital resources, cultural depletion and other negative social and environmental effects. These are all a result of a flawed design of a linear economic model, that has been copied and pasted throughout the years.
Malta and the Maltese should stand up to this challenge and start to act from the ground up, changing their way of life into a framework that is more in line with ecological principles.
Below is a list of actionable solutions which together form a clear vision of the reformation ACT would like to see affected post-Iż-Żejjed Kollu Żejjed protest held on the 7th of September. It is our thinking that these can be combined with the demands already articulated to be presented to the relevant authorities after the protest in the spirit of bringing together all our efforts to make the protest as fruitful as possible.
Credit: Jacob Sammut Photography
A holistic development strategy enshrining sustainable development goals, especially the UN SDGs
Clarity and enhanced transparency
A more open and inclusive process for all stakeholders involved
More accountability
The implementation of quality standards and processes that alleviate preventable suffering enhance our holistic wellbeing
Authorities Responsible for the Environment and Planning
To add to the boards and authorities demands, we call for the following:
Authorities should be impartial and independent
The establishment of a commission/panel of impartial experts that rotates every couple of years. The members of the commission/panel should be selected upon recommendation of the president of Malta. These members will have the duties of appointing board members and scrutinizing the decisions of the board.
The panel shall be composed of people of merit and adequate educational background and relevant experience in the field. The panel shall have the power to scrutinize the boards decisions, requesting binding suggestions such as impact assessments, reverting decisions back to the board, requiring the fulfillment of sustainable development obligations from the developers, and assessing the conduct of board members according to the established code of ethics of the board.
A code of ethics shall be drafted for the Planning Board regulating their conduct and providing them with guidelines, also enshrining the principles of sustainable development. The code of ethics shall serve to enhance the board's independence, impartiality, integrity, propriety, equality, competence and diligence.
With regards to the demands on large-scale projects, ACT calls for:
All development currently being undergone and also all development in future to adhere to sustainable development standards (see 'Policies', first point)
Large scale projects must be backed by a binding social and environmental impact assessment paid by the developer and another commissioned by the commission/panel through a fund administered by the same commission
The impact assessment must be objective, based on factual evidence.
The assessment must be published and made easily accessible to the public after finalized
No decision is to be taken before the IA is finalized
Firms that are leased as public land for development should go public and issue shares on the stock exchange. Of course such development should be in line with the above criteria, but such a move would allow the public to own a share in the development.
The Regulation of the Construction Industry
With regards to regulating the construction industry, ACT calls for:
Standards and binding guidelines should be set and adhered by all developers.
Standards and guidelines should reflect sustainable development as well as safety objectives.
Developers should be nudged to re-design their developments according to ecological principles such as water management, green infrastructure, and the reduction of greenhouse gasses.
These standards should be enforced – abuses should not be tolerated, but mitigated and fined accordingly.
Penalties should serve as a deterrent and not as a mere slap on the wrist.
Developers that commit repeated offenses and do not take adequate action should have their fines increased, and should run the risk of freezing their assets and being blacklisted from public contracts. A list of such developers could be developed and made public.
Corporate social responsibility and responsible business conduct obligations should be introduced so that developers/businesses contribute back into society.
An environmental causes fund could be set up to fund environmental related projects.
Free Public Transport for everyone
Better managed and reliable public transport
More frequent routes in busy areas
A modern eco-friendly bus fleet that fits Malta's roads.
Curbing the car problem with concrete measures.
Stricter VRT standards
Phasing out old polluting cars from our roads
Harsher penalties for non-law abiding drivers
Better, more accessible and safer pedestrian and cycling infrastructure
Incentives for e-bikes
We believe that Malta can become the beacon for sustainable mobility, designed and devised to serve today's reality as well as tomorrows. We need to plan, design and implement an infrastructural strategy that takes into consideration:
The disruption and depletion of flora and fauna (biodiversity) that make up our national heritage and life backbone due to overdevelopment and irrational globalisation.
Health issues arising from: noise, air and light pollution.
Landscape aesthetics
Such a strategy should be aimed at curbing the impact related to:
Energy: Production of Water and Air Conditioning
Health (Physical and Mental)
We propose that sustainable infrastructure is green infrastructure and should incorporate:
Permeable Asphalt,
Light Coloured Asphalt,
StormWater Management,
Segregated Lanes,
Bus Rapid Transit System,
Leaving Greenery on Country roads,
Building Reservoirs under roads/parking,
Pedestrianised Areas
Investing in a modern, electric fleet of public vehicles including buses, minivans
Incentivise carpooling for employees of both the private and public sector
The Metro option poses as an attractive option nowadays nonetheless Malta's characteristics, would make it impractical for a metro to set up and operate. The Metro would come with a big price tag not only financially to set it up and run it but also environmentally and socially. Other alternatives could be adopted instead such as a decentralised, automated, electric and silent cars.
We also believe that the mobility strategy should incorporate policies that improve work-life balance such as:
Differentiated Car Pooling Strategy – for public and private sector employees in busy service areas
Respect for our Planet, our Country, and Ourselves
Reform the economy from a linear cradle to grave model into a circular restorative cradle to cradle model
Establishing ecological and sustainable principles within the system of production and distribution, moving towards a symbiotic relationship with the natural environment rather than a destructive exploitative one.
Raising the bar when it comes to tackling Climate change with a holistic strategy and concrete actions
The preservation, protection and restoration of our natural heritage, biodiversity and the sensitive ecosystems.
An approach that fits Malta
The above comments reflect ACT's position, ACT reserves the right to revise or add further comments at a later stage.
B'Saħħitna Report 1: Challenges to My WellBeing
Endemism on the Island of Malta
The Drawbacks of Importing Trees for Malta's Green Infrastructure
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