Cognition in Geosciences (eBook)

The feeding loop between geo-disciplines, cognitive sciences and epistemology

Paolo Dell'Aversana (Autor)

eBook Download: PDF

2013 | 1. Auflage
204 Seiten
Elsevier Science (Verlag)
978-90-73834-68-2 (ISBN)

Infos

Cognition in Geosciences: The Feeding Loop Between Geo-disciplines, Cognitive Sciences and Epistemology presents the basic idea that the geosciences can contribute to elucidate some unsolved problems of epistemology and cognition. This book introduces the fundamental concept of a semantic system, which comprises information plus human resources and technology. Organized into nine chapters, this book begins with an overview of the fundamental processes of macro-cognition, including spatial perception, creativity, information clustering, information processing, and concept formation. This text then explains how theory and practice in geophysics can elucidate many basic aspects of high level cognition. Other chapters consider the concept of semantic entropy to provide a measure of how much information has been integrated in order to derive coherent significances. This book discusses as well the complexity of linguistic communication in the geosciences. The final chapter deals with the aesthetic experience. This book is a valuable resource for psychologists and neurologists.

Dr. Dell'Aversana has degrees in Geology, Physics, and the Philosophy of Science and Aesthetics. He began his career in geophysics in 1988 working in industry. He then worked as temporary researcher at the Department of Geophysics and Volcanology at Naples University. He has held the position of Technical Leader and Senior Geophysicist in Eni SpA since 2002. He is an expert in joint inversion of multi-disciplinary geophysical data, borehole electromagnetics, rock physics, and seismic tomography. He was selected for the 2004 EAGE programme of Distinguished Lecturers and for the 2014/2015 EAGE Student Lecture Tour in Europe. Dr. Dell'Aversana has published 30 extended abstracts, 40 papers, and 2 scientific books, one of which is Elsevier's Cognition in Geosciences: The Feeding Loop between Geo-disciplines, Cognitive Sciences and Epistemology (2013).

Inhalt

Front Cover 1
Cognition in Geosciences: The Feeding Loop between Geo-Disciplines, Cognitive Sciences and Epistemology 2
Copyright Page 3
Table of Contents 6
Dedication 4
Introduction by the special editor 10
Acknowledgements 12
Summary of the book 14
Key ideas 16
Chapter 1. The debate about human mind 18
Summary 18
1.1 Introduction: the role of geosciences 18
1.2 Cognitive sciences: an overview 20
1.3 Final remarks 32
Notes 34
Chapter 2. Circular thinking in geophysics 38
Summary 38
2.1 Introduction 38
2.2 Inversion: an overview 39
2.3 Cooperative inversions 42
2.4 Integration loop of seismic, electromagnetic and gravity data in a thrust belt region 43
2.5 Looking at geophysics from a different point of view 51
2.6 Final remarks 55
Notes 56
Chapter 3. Significance in philosophy and in geosciences 58
Summary 58
3.1 Introduction 58
3.2 Theories of the significance 59
3.3 Significance in geosciences 62
3.4 A geological puzzle 64
3.5 Integration 65
3.6 Joint operators in geosciences 67
3.7 Semantic entropy 69
3.8 A simple experiment 71
3.9 Entropies 73
3.10 Examples of entropy trend in geophysics 74
3.11 Biology of the significance 76
3.12 The significance of significance 78
3.13 Final remarks 80
Notes 81
Chapter 4. From significance to creativity 84
Summary 84
4.1 Introduction 84
4.2 Semantic systems 86
4.3 Dynamics of semantic systems 87
4.4 Semantic transformations: from integration to creativity 89
4.5 Oscillations 90
4.6 An example of creativity in the geoscience community 91
4.7 Semantic landscapes 94
4.8 Final remarks 96
Notes 97
Chapter 5. Biological, semantic and neural populations 100
Summary 100
5.1 Introduction 100
5.2 Recursive processes, convergences and oscillations 101
5.3 Dynamical systems, attractors and chaos 109
5.4 Attractors in geosciences 111
5.5 Attractors in neural activity 112
5.6 Practical implications 115
5.7 Final remarks 117
Notes 117
Chapter 6. Knowledge and complexity in the geosciences 118
Summary 118
6.1 Introduction 118
6.2 Knowledge: an historical overview 119
6.3 Complexity 121
6.4 Dissipative systems 122
6.5 Complexity in the geosciences 123
6.6 Dissipative systems in the geosciences 126
6.7 Semantic systems, complexity and dissipative systems 129
6.8 Semantic systems in the geosciences 130
6.9 Final remarks 132
Notes 133
Chapter 7. Language and communication in the geosciences 136
Summary 136
7.1 Introduction 136
7.2 Language 137
7.3 Language in the geosciences 138
7.4 Communication in the geosciences 147
7.5 Final remarks 154
Notes 155
Chapter 8. Aesthetics and geosciences 158
Summary 158
8.1 Introduction 158
8.2 The modern concept of aesthetics 158
8.3 The aesthetics of the significance: shape and process 159
8.4 Aesthetics and geosciences 161
8.5 Final remarks 162
Notes 164
Chapter 9. Conclusions: beyond every dualism 166
Notes 167
Appendices 168
A.1 Summary of Plato’s Cratylus 168
A.2 Note about Saint Thomas Aquinas 169
A.3 Walter J. Freeman about Thomas Aquinas 170
A.4 The Faculty of Judgment in Kant 171
A.5 Gottlob Frege 172
A.6 The brain as a system addressed to integration of information 173
Comments by Peter Hubral 178
Glossary 182
References 196
Index 202

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 6.12.2013
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Biologie ► Humanbiologie
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Biologie ► Zoologie
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Chemie
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Geowissenschaften ► Geologie
• Themenwelt: Technik
• ISBN-10: 90-73834-68-6 / 9073834686
• ISBN-13: 978-90-73834-68-2 / 9789073834682