JOURNAL OF DIALECTICS OF NATURE
A Comprehensive, Academic Journal of the Philosophy, History, Sociology and Cultural Studies of Science and Technology
Latest Issue
Vomule 46, Issue 7
July , 2024
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Biological Functions and Their Teleological Implications Abstract: The widespread acceptance of natural selection has led to the belief that telos in the natural world can be explained by physical processes. However, teleological statements persist in current biology. This paper examines the teleological implications of different conceptions of function and their connections with scientific explanations. Early attempts to reduce functional statements to logical relations failed, leading to two main approaches: the selected effect function and the causal role function. The former grounds function in actual evolutionary history, legitimizing an account of biological teleology, while the latter defines function through physical causation in a target system, eliminating the normative aspect of function and biological teleology. Subsequent discussions explore the relationships between the two approaches in which the teleological implications of normative function have changed from evolutionary history to the persistence of organisms. Key Words: Function; Biological teleology; Functional explanation; Selected effect function; Causal role functionpage: 1-10Reconsideration on the Exploration-Exploitation Dilemma: From the Perspective of Active Inference Abstract: Exploration-exploitation dilemma is a hotspot issue in contemporary research fields such as behavioral psychology and artificial intelligence. Recently, with the continuous development of disciplines such as neuroscience, cognitive psychology, intelligence science, and management science, as well as the increasing progress of brain imaging technology, the inquiry about exploration-exploitation dilemma has also been promoted and deepened in multiple ways. Among them, the active inference proposed by neuroscientist Karl Friston based on the variational free energy principle provides a monistic analytic standpoint of integration for the reinterpretation of exploration-exploitation dilemma from the computational and neural levels. Under the framework of active inference, the sequential decision problem of the exploration-exploitation dilemma can be transformed into the optimization of a single objective function, which minimizes the expected free energy. Thus, the balance between exploration and exploitation is driven by the minimization of expected free energy, and the cognitive subject can adaptively balance exploration and exploitation behavior by switching between epistemic and pragmatic values based on changes in the external environment. Key Words: Exploration-exploitation dilemma; Active inference; Expected free energy; Integrationpage: 24-31The Scientific Background of James Watt’s Conception of the Separate Condenser Abstract: As to whether there were scientific factors behind James Watt’s conception of adding a separate condenser to the Newcomen steam engine, Robison’s argument of “latent heat theory inspired” and McClellan III’s argument of “science-independent” both have their own flaws. On the basis of the latest research, the strong scientific atmosphere in Europe in the 18th century was an essential environmental factor for Watt’s entry into the field of steam engine improvement. Studied with Professor Black, Watt followed the spirit of modern science and repeatedly conducted quantitative experiments in the conception of the new separate condenser, which was a key improvement. Meanwhile, the Scottish thermochemical tradition to which Watt belongs also played a crucial role in Watt’s conception. Key Words: James Watt; Separate condenser; Steam engine improvement; Science communication; Quantitative experimentspage: 57-64Research on the Mechanism of Science Communication in Science and Technology Backyard Under the ANT Perspective Abstract: From 2009 to 2023, 1048 Science and Technology Backyards (STB) have been established nationwide in China, but there is still no specific research on the mechanism of science communication in the academic field. For this purpose, this paper exploratively constructed an actor network in science communication of STB through the approaches of anthropological survey and online ethnography. In the pattern of collaborative participation with multiple subjects, the science communication mechanism of STB integrated agricultural science innovation and science communication as one. Moreover, the multiple connections of actors and the construction of contextualized science communication scenarios accelerate the process of technology innovation and spread. From the perspective of comprehensive rural revitalization strategy, paradigm transformation of science communication practice and science communication ethics, relevant considerations for improving the function of STB are discussed in this paper. Key Words: Science and Technology Backyard (STB); Science communication; Actor network theory; Comprehensive rural revitalizationpage: 81-91JOURNAL OF DIALECTICS OF NATURE
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