Natural language, the fundamental medium of human communication, has long been a subject of fasci... more Natural language, the fundamental medium of human communication, has long been a subject of fascination for linguists, philosophers, and computer scientists. Its fluidity, complexity, and depth offer rich areas for exploration and analogy. One intriguing way to view natural language is through the lens of programming paradigms, in particular, the homoiconic concatenative paradigm. This paper couples existing work on the concept of synesthetic language of thought and expands upon it by suggesting that in addition to being synesthetic, it is also homoiconic, and largely concatenative in nature. I use this model of human thought to resolve a contention raised by van Rooij, et al. 2023.
After the events of the 2019 mass shootings in Christchurch New Zealand, the effectiveness of its... more After the events of the 2019 mass shootings in Christchurch New Zealand, the effectiveness of its gun control measures were brought into question. More gun control measures were proposed as a means of reducing such acts of violence. Both Australia and New Zealand have been considered models for gun control policy. However, it is possible that sociostructural changes, rather than legal changes, are the true cause of apparent declines in gun violence in these countries. This paper analyzes the firearm mortality rates of both countries and identifies a strong correlation that should not exist, under the assumption that legal reforms are responsible for the decline in violence in these two countries.
This essay discusses theoretical ideas on warp drives and wormholes and asks questions about the ... more This essay discusses theoretical ideas on warp drives and wormholes and asks questions about the possible incorporation of both concepts to create a single unified system. This combination stems from common problems faced by any practical application of these ideas as it pertains to actual superluminal travel. These questions are asked from the perspective of someone not formally trained in theoretical physics and is seeking further commentary by individuals with better understanding of general relativity, and other areas of study necessary to explore this idea in greater depth.
Natural language processing has come a long way since it was first conceived, and projects like O... more Natural language processing has come a long way since it was first conceived, and projects like OpenAI's GPT have created a lot of renewed interest in the technology. While these kinds of systems are great at creating short pieces of information based on a prompt, they have severe limitations, and come nowhere close to general intelligence or digital sentience. Still, OpenAI's system allows for the integration of robust prompt completion in third party applications. Using their API, it may be possible to add layers of functionality that create a system that can keep track of information from multiple contexts and continuously process it in a way which at least mirrors consciousness. To determine how successful this system is, existing tests from psychology, such as the NEO PI-R and the MMPI-2 can be utilized. This paper outlines the overall process to accomplish this task.
The paper discusses a new theory in the field of economics, the Exergy Theory of Value (XTV), whi... more The paper discusses a new theory in the field of economics, the Exergy Theory of Value (XTV), which bridges the gap between the biophysical and socioeconomic realms, to provide a comprehensive understanding of economic value creation. According to XTV, the true catalyst for value creation in the economy is not just energy consumption, but more specifically, the extraction of usable energy from the environment. The paper presents XTV as a unification of the three main theories of value, namely, the Labour Theory of Value, the Energy Theory of Value, and the Subjective Theory of Value. By shedding light on sustainable and efficient practices of economic value creation, XTV carries profound implications for understanding economic profits and promoting sustainable growth, efficient resource usage, and equitable wealth distribution. The theory suggests a path towards a thermodynamics-inspired discourse in economics.
The contemporary growth spurt in artificial intelligence has engendered an opportunity to explore... more The contemporary growth spurt in artificial intelligence has engendered an opportunity to explore evermore complex applications of language models. This research proposal outlines an in-depth comparative study aimed at investigating the proficiency of fine-tuned language models against standard general-purpose transformer (GPT) models. Specifically, we aim to emulate dialogues characteristic of selected, living historical figures. With a primary focus on accuracy, authenticity, and reliability, we propose an innovative "biographimetric" approach that correlates psychometric properties of AI-generated responses with biographical data. This study anticipates not only shedding light on the comparative potential of customized and standard language models but also developing a comprehensive evaluation matrix for such models. Furthermore, we aim to touch upon the array of practical applications, ethical issues, and potential impacts on various domains, including archival studies, AI ethics, and sectors such as education and entertainment. Ultimately, our research could contribute significantly to understanding the boundaries and possibilities of AI language models in capturing and replicating unique human thought processes.
This document presents a personal year in review for the research conducted in 2023, chronicling ... more This document presents a personal year in review for the research conducted in 2023, chronicling the pursuit of knowledge across a diversity of fields including artificial intelligence, human consciousness, economic theories, and physics. Each project within this compilation stands as part of an integrated quest to understand the interconnectedness of these domains, and to foster interdisciplinary dialogue. The review elucidates the development and potential of AI systems, the ethical implications of their integration into society, the conceptual advancements in economic models reflecting the finite nature of physical resources, and the innovative exploration of paraconsistent logics as a new avenue for approaching paradoxes in physics. Underpinning this work is a commitment to transparency, collaboration, and the promotion of continued scholarly conversation. The purpose of this abstract is to summarize the key themes and to invite fellow researchers to engage with these findings, in the hope that it may lead to scholarly critique, fresh insights, and collective advancement in the various fields discussed.
There are many psychological and anthropological models of religion. However, in many cases, the ... more There are many psychological and anthropological models of religion. However, in many cases, the models produced in psychological research are not compatible with those from anthropological research, and in some cases, these models contradict core anthropological concepts. This paper identifies apparent cognitive signatures of religious belief, and integrates them with Ninian Smart's seven dimensions of religion in order to construct a unified model of religion. This model defines religion as an integrated system of beliefs of a specific kind, and cultural elements considered to be common among the world's religions.
Google Trends offers researchers a glimpse inside the minds of a large group of people, all at on... more Google Trends offers researchers a glimpse inside the minds of a large group of people, all at once, and offers a very high resolution as well. As a result, trend data may be useful for identifying rapid changes in day to day psychological states and behaviors associated with the COVID-19 outbreak. This paper analyzes stress related search terms as well as food related search terms, and identifies changes in patterns for each that appear to be associated with the outbreak.
This paper addresses a brief history of Whooping Cough vaccines, and brings up a number of concer... more This paper addresses a brief history of Whooping Cough vaccines, and brings up a number of concerns regarding the limited understanding of how well these vaccines prevent transmission and colonization. After addressing these concerns, a number of research ideas are provided, in the hopes that they will be turned into full research proposals and eventual research in order to better understand the efficacy and perception of Whooping Cough vaccines.
The opposition to existing religions seems to have given rise to a new system of belief and cultu... more The opposition to existing religions seems to have given rise to a new system of belief and culture. This system, referred to in this paper as Religious Rejectionism, has all the characteristics of a religion. The paper argues for the religious nature of Religious Rejectionism, and finishes by providing suggestions on future research of the topic.
Measles cases are on the rise in the United States, and around the world. One of the major propos... more Measles cases are on the rise in the United States, and around the world. One of the major proposed contributing factors is changes in vaccination behavior. However, insufficient research on changes in measles vaccination in the United States exists. This paper seeks to improve our understanding on the topic.
COVID-19 has significantly changed our daily lives. Stay-at-home orders and forced closings of al... more COVID-19 has significantly changed our daily lives. Stay-at-home orders and forced closings of all non-essential businesses has had a significant impact on our economy. While it is important to ensure that the healthcare system is not overwhelmed, there are many questions that remain about the efficacy of extreme social distancing, and whether there are alternatives to mandatory lockdowns. This paper analyzes the utility of various levels of social distancing, and suggests an alternative approach using voluntary distancing informed by an infectious load index or 'infection weather report.'
This call to research paper addresses some questions about intersex and differences in sexual dev... more This call to research paper addresses some questions about intersex and differences in sexual development and issues with the binary sex modal, before constructing the idea of fluctuations in sexual modes and suggesting a few possible areas of research to better understand evolutionary dynamics of certain intersex states. While there are many conditions that fall under the category of intersex, this paper focuses on DSDs that have a significant genetic component rather than environmental component. The final part of the paper focuses on changes in selective pressures against intersex variations and high fertility rates, due to improved socioeconomic conditions and changes in infant and childhood mortality rates.
This document is a research charter describing the intent to engage in research into the causes o... more This document is a research charter describing the intent to engage in research into the causes of gun related homicides, including the efficacy of gun control laws, income, and educational achievement. The study plans to take an epidemiological approach to answering the question of how we can reduce gun violence while preventing or reducing side effects.
Evolution and abiogenesis are usually considered two different topics in biology. However, recent... more Evolution and abiogenesis are usually considered two different topics in biology. However, recent work on the relationship between thermodynamics and life, as well as complexity and evolution, suggest that these topics may all be intimately related. Using new research conducted by Jeremy England, Taeer Bar-Yam, and others, I attempt to show that thermodynamics seems to exert a universal selective pressure, called entropic pressure. This pressure seems to exist on the atomic and molecular level, biological level, and even societal level, and results in a number of interesting consequences, for biology here on Earth, as well as potentially on other worlds.
Breznau, Rinke, and Wuttke, et al. attempted to test for uniformity in the way hypotheses were te... more Breznau, Rinke, and Wuttke, et al. attempted to test for uniformity in the way hypotheses were tested across multiple research groups. They appeared to find a great deal of discord between conclusions reached using the same hypothesis and data. Yet, what they really found is that scientists are not properly understanding what hypotheses are.
This paper summarizes the nature of hypothesis tests, as well as their interpretations, including... more This paper summarizes the nature of hypothesis tests, as well as their interpretations, including the importance of understanding the underlying phenomenon being tested. Some formal logic and statistics is assumed.
Natural language, the fundamental medium of human communication, has long been a subject of fasci... more Natural language, the fundamental medium of human communication, has long been a subject of fascination for linguists, philosophers, and computer scientists. Its fluidity, complexity, and depth offer rich areas for exploration and analogy. One intriguing way to view natural language is through the lens of programming paradigms, in particular, the homoiconic concatenative paradigm. This paper couples existing work on the concept of synesthetic language of thought and expands upon it by suggesting that in addition to being synesthetic, it is also homoiconic, and largely concatenative in nature. I use this model of human thought to resolve a contention raised by van Rooij, et al. 2023.
After the events of the 2019 mass shootings in Christchurch New Zealand, the effectiveness of its... more After the events of the 2019 mass shootings in Christchurch New Zealand, the effectiveness of its gun control measures were brought into question. More gun control measures were proposed as a means of reducing such acts of violence. Both Australia and New Zealand have been considered models for gun control policy. However, it is possible that sociostructural changes, rather than legal changes, are the true cause of apparent declines in gun violence in these countries. This paper analyzes the firearm mortality rates of both countries and identifies a strong correlation that should not exist, under the assumption that legal reforms are responsible for the decline in violence in these two countries.
This essay discusses theoretical ideas on warp drives and wormholes and asks questions about the ... more This essay discusses theoretical ideas on warp drives and wormholes and asks questions about the possible incorporation of both concepts to create a single unified system. This combination stems from common problems faced by any practical application of these ideas as it pertains to actual superluminal travel. These questions are asked from the perspective of someone not formally trained in theoretical physics and is seeking further commentary by individuals with better understanding of general relativity, and other areas of study necessary to explore this idea in greater depth.
Natural language processing has come a long way since it was first conceived, and projects like O... more Natural language processing has come a long way since it was first conceived, and projects like OpenAI's GPT have created a lot of renewed interest in the technology. While these kinds of systems are great at creating short pieces of information based on a prompt, they have severe limitations, and come nowhere close to general intelligence or digital sentience. Still, OpenAI's system allows for the integration of robust prompt completion in third party applications. Using their API, it may be possible to add layers of functionality that create a system that can keep track of information from multiple contexts and continuously process it in a way which at least mirrors consciousness. To determine how successful this system is, existing tests from psychology, such as the NEO PI-R and the MMPI-2 can be utilized. This paper outlines the overall process to accomplish this task.
The paper discusses a new theory in the field of economics, the Exergy Theory of Value (XTV), whi... more The paper discusses a new theory in the field of economics, the Exergy Theory of Value (XTV), which bridges the gap between the biophysical and socioeconomic realms, to provide a comprehensive understanding of economic value creation. According to XTV, the true catalyst for value creation in the economy is not just energy consumption, but more specifically, the extraction of usable energy from the environment. The paper presents XTV as a unification of the three main theories of value, namely, the Labour Theory of Value, the Energy Theory of Value, and the Subjective Theory of Value. By shedding light on sustainable and efficient practices of economic value creation, XTV carries profound implications for understanding economic profits and promoting sustainable growth, efficient resource usage, and equitable wealth distribution. The theory suggests a path towards a thermodynamics-inspired discourse in economics.
The contemporary growth spurt in artificial intelligence has engendered an opportunity to explore... more The contemporary growth spurt in artificial intelligence has engendered an opportunity to explore evermore complex applications of language models. This research proposal outlines an in-depth comparative study aimed at investigating the proficiency of fine-tuned language models against standard general-purpose transformer (GPT) models. Specifically, we aim to emulate dialogues characteristic of selected, living historical figures. With a primary focus on accuracy, authenticity, and reliability, we propose an innovative "biographimetric" approach that correlates psychometric properties of AI-generated responses with biographical data. This study anticipates not only shedding light on the comparative potential of customized and standard language models but also developing a comprehensive evaluation matrix for such models. Furthermore, we aim to touch upon the array of practical applications, ethical issues, and potential impacts on various domains, including archival studies, AI ethics, and sectors such as education and entertainment. Ultimately, our research could contribute significantly to understanding the boundaries and possibilities of AI language models in capturing and replicating unique human thought processes.
This document presents a personal year in review for the research conducted in 2023, chronicling ... more This document presents a personal year in review for the research conducted in 2023, chronicling the pursuit of knowledge across a diversity of fields including artificial intelligence, human consciousness, economic theories, and physics. Each project within this compilation stands as part of an integrated quest to understand the interconnectedness of these domains, and to foster interdisciplinary dialogue. The review elucidates the development and potential of AI systems, the ethical implications of their integration into society, the conceptual advancements in economic models reflecting the finite nature of physical resources, and the innovative exploration of paraconsistent logics as a new avenue for approaching paradoxes in physics. Underpinning this work is a commitment to transparency, collaboration, and the promotion of continued scholarly conversation. The purpose of this abstract is to summarize the key themes and to invite fellow researchers to engage with these findings, in the hope that it may lead to scholarly critique, fresh insights, and collective advancement in the various fields discussed.
There are many psychological and anthropological models of religion. However, in many cases, the ... more There are many psychological and anthropological models of religion. However, in many cases, the models produced in psychological research are not compatible with those from anthropological research, and in some cases, these models contradict core anthropological concepts. This paper identifies apparent cognitive signatures of religious belief, and integrates them with Ninian Smart's seven dimensions of religion in order to construct a unified model of religion. This model defines religion as an integrated system of beliefs of a specific kind, and cultural elements considered to be common among the world's religions.
Google Trends offers researchers a glimpse inside the minds of a large group of people, all at on... more Google Trends offers researchers a glimpse inside the minds of a large group of people, all at once, and offers a very high resolution as well. As a result, trend data may be useful for identifying rapid changes in day to day psychological states and behaviors associated with the COVID-19 outbreak. This paper analyzes stress related search terms as well as food related search terms, and identifies changes in patterns for each that appear to be associated with the outbreak.
This paper addresses a brief history of Whooping Cough vaccines, and brings up a number of concer... more This paper addresses a brief history of Whooping Cough vaccines, and brings up a number of concerns regarding the limited understanding of how well these vaccines prevent transmission and colonization. After addressing these concerns, a number of research ideas are provided, in the hopes that they will be turned into full research proposals and eventual research in order to better understand the efficacy and perception of Whooping Cough vaccines.
The opposition to existing religions seems to have given rise to a new system of belief and cultu... more The opposition to existing religions seems to have given rise to a new system of belief and culture. This system, referred to in this paper as Religious Rejectionism, has all the characteristics of a religion. The paper argues for the religious nature of Religious Rejectionism, and finishes by providing suggestions on future research of the topic.
Measles cases are on the rise in the United States, and around the world. One of the major propos... more Measles cases are on the rise in the United States, and around the world. One of the major proposed contributing factors is changes in vaccination behavior. However, insufficient research on changes in measles vaccination in the United States exists. This paper seeks to improve our understanding on the topic.
COVID-19 has significantly changed our daily lives. Stay-at-home orders and forced closings of al... more COVID-19 has significantly changed our daily lives. Stay-at-home orders and forced closings of all non-essential businesses has had a significant impact on our economy. While it is important to ensure that the healthcare system is not overwhelmed, there are many questions that remain about the efficacy of extreme social distancing, and whether there are alternatives to mandatory lockdowns. This paper analyzes the utility of various levels of social distancing, and suggests an alternative approach using voluntary distancing informed by an infectious load index or 'infection weather report.'
This call to research paper addresses some questions about intersex and differences in sexual dev... more This call to research paper addresses some questions about intersex and differences in sexual development and issues with the binary sex modal, before constructing the idea of fluctuations in sexual modes and suggesting a few possible areas of research to better understand evolutionary dynamics of certain intersex states. While there are many conditions that fall under the category of intersex, this paper focuses on DSDs that have a significant genetic component rather than environmental component. The final part of the paper focuses on changes in selective pressures against intersex variations and high fertility rates, due to improved socioeconomic conditions and changes in infant and childhood mortality rates.
This document is a research charter describing the intent to engage in research into the causes o... more This document is a research charter describing the intent to engage in research into the causes of gun related homicides, including the efficacy of gun control laws, income, and educational achievement. The study plans to take an epidemiological approach to answering the question of how we can reduce gun violence while preventing or reducing side effects.
Evolution and abiogenesis are usually considered two different topics in biology. However, recent... more Evolution and abiogenesis are usually considered two different topics in biology. However, recent work on the relationship between thermodynamics and life, as well as complexity and evolution, suggest that these topics may all be intimately related. Using new research conducted by Jeremy England, Taeer Bar-Yam, and others, I attempt to show that thermodynamics seems to exert a universal selective pressure, called entropic pressure. This pressure seems to exist on the atomic and molecular level, biological level, and even societal level, and results in a number of interesting consequences, for biology here on Earth, as well as potentially on other worlds.
Breznau, Rinke, and Wuttke, et al. attempted to test for uniformity in the way hypotheses were te... more Breznau, Rinke, and Wuttke, et al. attempted to test for uniformity in the way hypotheses were tested across multiple research groups. They appeared to find a great deal of discord between conclusions reached using the same hypothesis and data. Yet, what they really found is that scientists are not properly understanding what hypotheses are.
This paper summarizes the nature of hypothesis tests, as well as their interpretations, including... more This paper summarizes the nature of hypothesis tests, as well as their interpretations, including the importance of understanding the underlying phenomenon being tested. Some formal logic and statistics is assumed.
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