Two classic learning situations are critically reviewed and interpreted from a synergetic point of view: human learning of complex skills, and animal discrimination learning. Both show typical characteristics of nonlinear phase transitions: instability, fluctuations, critical slowing down and reorganisation. Plateaus in the acquisition curves of complex skills can be viewed as phases of arrested progress in which a reorganisation of simple skills is necessary before their integration into complex units is possible. Fluctuations and critical slowing down are expressed in instances (...) of "vicarious trial-and-error," which describe the oscillating behavior of rats at a choice point that is shown only just before discrimination learning is completed. It is concluded that education might pay more attention to the role of individual learning rhythms. (shrink)

The paper addresses the use of heterogeneous ensembles of intelligent unmanned vehicles in such a perspective field of innovations as an unmanned fishery. The issues of joint activity of unmanned vehicles of different types in fishing operations based on intelligent technologies are investigated. The “smart fishing” approach based on the joint fishing operation model is proposed. The operational framework that includes missions, roles, and activity scenarios embedded in the discretized spatial model is presented. The scenario activities are considered as the (...) sequences of pentad that determine executing specific functions concerning the specified waypoint, timepoints, and the states of vehicles. The definition of the plan as the scenario prototype that needs adjusting to the conditions of the situational context is proposed. The coordination problem regarding the joint activities of the unmanned vehicles and their scenarios is defined and the coordination framework based on the distributed common board model and coordination primitives is presented. The prototype of the intelligent scenario-based system including the implementation of both operational and coordination frameworks developed for the control of unmanned vehicles is described. This system makes unmanned vehicles capable to absorb all the latest advances in intelligent technologies to perform smart fishing operations jointly in a large heterogeneous group. The proposed approach to smart fishing using intelligent technologies makes it possible to detach fishermen from the fishing activities dangerous to their life and health, to reduce significantly poaching and illegal fishing, to increase the overall efficiency of fishing operations, and even to save the marine ecosystem. (shrink)

Es ist eigentlich zu früh, Anmerkungen zu einem Buch zu machen, das nach dem Selbstverständnis seines Autors erst in einem zweiten Buch zur Sache kommen soll, nämlich zu dem, was er «die inhaltliche Auseinandersetzung mit einzelnen anthropologischen Themenbereichen» nennt. Damit stellt sich natürlich gleich die Frage: Was soll denn das erste, also das hier vorliegende Buch leisten? Man kann dessen Aufgabe so umreißen: Es soll den Rahmen abstecken, innerhalb dessen die anthropologische Diskussion des 13. Jahrhunderts stattfand. Mit dieser Aufgabenbestimmung geht (...) die Annahme einher, dass die Forschung diesen Rahmen bislang nicht oder doch nicht richtig abgesteckt hat. Diese Annahme stützt sich auf Mängel der mediävistischen Anthropologie. (shrink)

This paper, using the author's decomposition method and recent generalizations, presents algorithms for an analytic solution of the stochastic Navier-Stokes system without linearization, perturbation, discretization, or restrictive assumptions on the nature of stochasticity. The pressure, forces, velocities, and initial/boundary conditions can be stochastic processes and are not limited to white noise. Solutions obtained are physically realistic because of the avoidance of assumptions made purely for mathematical tractability by usual methods. Certain extensions and further generalizations of the decomposition method have provided (...) the basis for the solution. (shrink)

This paper examines the identity of Asian swamp buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) from different value orientations. Buffalo were introduced into Northern (Top End) Australia in the early nineteenth century. A team of transdisciplinary researchers, including an ethicist, has been engaged in field research on feral buffalo in Arnhem Land over the past three years. Using historical documents, literature review, field observations, interviews with key informants, and interaction with the Indigenous land owners, an understanding of the diverse views on the scientific, cultural, (...) and economic significance of buffalo was obtained. While the diverse stakeholders in buffalo exploitation and management have historically delivered divergent value orientations on the nature of the human–buffalo relationship, we argue that over time there is the possibility of values and ethical convergence. Such convergence is possible via transdisciplinary and transcultural agreement on the value stances that constitute the construction of the being or identity of buffalo in the face of the overwhelming need to manage population density and gross numbers. (shrink)