Uzi Vishkin is a computer scientist known for his contributions to parallel computing and algorithms. He is a professor at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he has been involved in research and teaching in these areas. Vishkin is particularly noted for his work on programming languages and parallel computing models, and he has made significant contributions to the development of parallel algorithms that leverage the capabilities of modern multicore and distributed architectures. His research often focuses on improving the efficiency and scalability of algorithms in various applications.
Lexicon-grammar is a linguistic concept that combines two core aspects of language: the lexicon (the inventory of words and their meanings) and grammar (the rules and structures that govern how words combine to form sentences). This term is often associated with the work of French linguist Jean-Pierre Desclés and his approach to understanding the interplay between vocabulary and grammatical structures in language.
Symbol theory is a branch of semiotics, which is the study of signs, symbols, and gestures and their meanings within various contexts. Semiotics itself was significantly developed by theorists like Ferdinand de Saussure and Charles Sanders Peirce, and it involves understanding how meaning is constructed and communicated through signs. In the context of symbol theory, the focus is primarily on symbols—entities that represent or stand in for something else.
Dialetheism is the philosophical position that some contradictions can be true. In other words, it holds that there are statements that are both true and false simultaneously. This perspective challenges classical logic, which adheres to the law of non-contradiction, a fundamental principle stating that a proposition cannot be both true and false at the same time.
Epistemic theories of truth are philosophical approaches that relate the concept of truth to knowledge, belief, and justification. In these theories, truth is often understood not as a property of statements or propositions in isolation, but in terms of our knowledge of those statements or propositions. Here are some key points about epistemic theories of truth: 1. **Relation to Knowledge**: Epistemic theories assert that truth is fundamentally linked to our epistemic conditions—our beliefs, evidence, and justification.
"Satya" is a Sanskrit word that translates to "truth" in English. In various Indian philosophical and spiritual traditions, particularly in Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism, Satya is considered a fundamental virtue and is often associated with righteousness, honesty, and integrity. In Hindu philosophy, Satya is one of the key ethical principles and is often linked to the concept of Dharma, which refers to the moral order or duty in life.
The "Blockhead" thought experiment is a philosophical scenario that explores questions about understanding, consciousness, and the nature of intelligence. It was proposed by philosopher Ned Block in the context of discussions about the philosophy of mind and artificial intelligence. In the thought experiment, Blockhead refers to a hypothetical machine or person that behaves like a human in certain limited ways but lacks real understanding or consciousness. The idea is to illustrate the difference between behavior and true comprehension or awareness.
Yao's Millionaires' Problem is a well-known problem in the field of secure multiparty computation. It involves two parties, each of whom has a secret value, and the goal is for both parties to determine which of the two values is larger without revealing their actual values to each other. In the classic formulation, let’s say we have two millionaires, Alice and Bob. Alice knows her wealth \(A\) and Bob knows his wealth \(B\).
The Brooks–Iyengar algorithm is a method used in the field of computer graphics, particularly for rendering scenes and managing visibility in 3D environments. It is specifically designed for the sorting of polygonal meshes, which is a common task in rendering 3D graphics to ensure correct visibility and depth rendering. The algorithm works by leveraging spatial data structures and uses a combination of techniques to efficiently determine the order in which polygons should be rendered.
The term "self model" can refer to different concepts depending on the context in which it is used. Here are a few interpretations of "self model": 1. **Psychology and Self-Concept**: In psychology, a self model may refer to an individual's understanding and perception of themselves. This encompasses beliefs, experiences, and feelings about oneself, which can include aspects such as self-esteem, identity, and self-image.
Turing completeness is a concept from theoretical computer science that describes the capability of a computational system to perform any computation that can be described algorithmically. A system is considered Turing complete if it can simulate a Turing machine, which is a mathematical model of computation introduced by Alan Turing in the 1930s.
The International Conference on Reachability Problems (RP) is a scholarly event that focuses on various aspects of reachability in computational systems, particularly within the domains of computer science and formal methods. Reachability problems typically involve determining whether a certain state can be reached from another state in a computational model, such as in automata, transition systems, or other formal structures.
The "limits of computation" refers to the boundaries or constraints of what can be achieved through computational processes. These limits can be understood in various contexts, including theoretical, practical, and physical perspectives. Here are some key aspects of the limits of computation: 1. **Theoretical Limits**: - **Computability**: Certain problems are provably unsolvable by any algorithm.
A "gas slug" generally refers to a discrete volume of gas that is contained within a pipeline or reservoir, often in the context of gas production, storage, or transportation. It can also relate to the movement of gas in a system where slugs of gas sometimes form as they travel through liquid or other phases in a multiphase flow system.
A Non-Interactive Zero-Knowledge Proof (NIZK) is a cryptographic method by which one party (the prover) can convince another party (the verifier) that a given statement is true, without revealing any additional information about the statement itself, and without the need for interaction between the two parties after the initial setup phase.
Wang tiles are a type of mathematical tile that can be used to create aperiodic tilings of the plane. They were introduced by mathematician Hao Wang in the 1960s. Each Wang tile is a square with colored edges, and the key rule for tiling is that adjacent tiles must have the same colored edges where they touch. Wang tiles can be used to demonstrate concepts in mathematical logic, computer science, and tiling theory.
A Sponge function is a type of cryptographic function that operates using a "sponge" construction, which provides a versatile and secure way to construct various cryptographic primitives, such as hash functions, message authentication codes (MACs), and stream ciphers. The key features of sponge functions include the following: 1. **Absorbing Phase**: The input message is absorbed into the state of the sponge by mixing it into the internal state.
The term "Deep Social Mind" does not have a widely recognized or established definition within academia or popular discourse as of my last update in October 2023. It may refer to a concept that combines elements of social psychology and deep learning, or it could be a specific framework or model proposed by a particular author or researcher.
The double empathy problem is a concept that arises from discussions around communication and understanding between individuals with different neurological profiles, particularly between autistic and non-autistic individuals. It was first articulated by the researcher Damian Milton in 2012. The central idea of the double empathy problem is that empathy and understanding are mutual processes. While autistic individuals may have difficulty interpreting the social cues and emotions of neurotypical individuals, the reverse can also be true.
The ethics of uncertain sentience refers to the moral considerations and responsibilities we have toward entities whose capacity for sentience—defined as the ability to experience feelings and sensations—is uncertain or unclear. This concept is particularly relevant in the context of emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, non-human animals, and even systems like ecosystems. Here are some key aspects of this ethical dilemma: 1. **Definition of Sentience**: Sentience typically involves the capacity to feel pain, pleasure, and various emotional states.
Pinned article: Introduction to the OurBigBook Project
Welcome to the OurBigBook Project! Our goal is to create the perfect publishing platform for STEM subjects, and get university-level students to write the best free STEM tutorials ever.
Everyone is welcome to create an account and play with the site: ourbigbook.com/go/register. We belive that students themselves can write amazing tutorials, but teachers are welcome too. You can write about anything you want, it doesn't have to be STEM or even educational. Silly test content is very welcome and you won't be penalized in any way. Just keep it legal!
Intro to OurBigBook
. Source. We have two killer features:
- topics: topics group articles by different users with the same title, e.g. here is the topic for the "Fundamental Theorem of Calculus" ourbigbook.com/go/topic/fundamental-theorem-of-calculusArticles of different users are sorted by upvote within each article page. This feature is a bit like:
- a Wikipedia where each user can have their own version of each article
- a Q&A website like Stack Overflow, where multiple people can give their views on a given topic, and the best ones are sorted by upvote. Except you don't need to wait for someone to ask first, and any topic goes, no matter how narrow or broad
This feature makes it possible for readers to find better explanations of any topic created by other writers. And it allows writers to create an explanation in a place that readers might actually find it.Figure 1. Screenshot of the "Derivative" topic page. View it live at: ourbigbook.com/go/topic/derivativeVideo 2. OurBigBook Web topics demo. Source. - local editing: you can store all your personal knowledge base content locally in a plaintext markup format that can be edited locally and published either:This way you can be sure that even if OurBigBook.com were to go down one day (which we have no plans to do as it is quite cheap to host!), your content will still be perfectly readable as a static site.
- to OurBigBook.com to get awesome multi-user features like topics and likes
- as HTML files to a static website, which you can host yourself for free on many external providers like GitHub Pages, and remain in full control
Figure 3. Visual Studio Code extension installation.Figure 4. Visual Studio Code extension tree navigation.Figure 5. Web editor. You can also edit articles on the Web editor without installing anything locally.Video 3. Edit locally and publish demo. Source. This shows editing OurBigBook Markup and publishing it using the Visual Studio Code extension.Video 4. OurBigBook Visual Studio Code extension editing and navigation demo. Source. - Infinitely deep tables of contents:
All our software is open source and hosted at: github.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook
Further documentation can be found at: docs.ourbigbook.com
Feel free to reach our to us for any help or suggestions: docs.ourbigbook.com/#contact





