QUANTUM THEORIES OF MIND: METAPHYSICAL SPECULATIONS AND SPECIFIC SCIENTIFIC CONTENT

This chapter presents experimental studies performed on planar semiconductor microcavities in the strong-coupling regime. The first section reviews linear experiments performed in the 1990s that evidence the linear optical properties of cavity exciton-polaritons. The chapter is then focused on experimental and theoretical studies of resonantly excited microcavity emission. We mainly describe experimental configuations in which stimulated scattering was observed due to formation of a dynamical condensate of polaritons. Pump-probe and cw experiments are described in addition. Dressing of the polariton dispersion and bistability of the polariton system due to inter-condensate interactions are discussed. The semiclassical and the quantum theories of these effects are presented and their results analysed. The potential for realization of devices is also discussed.

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The language of conspiracy: A psychological analysis of speech used by conspiracy theorists and their followers on Twitter

Group Processes & Intergroup Relations ◽

10.1177/1368430220987596 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 24 (4) ◽

pp. 606-623

Author(s):

Amos Fong ◽

Jon Roozenbeek ◽

Danielle Goldwert ◽

Steven Rathje ◽

Sander van der Linden

Keyword(s):

Random Sample ◽

Cognitive Processes ◽

Language Use ◽

Negative Emotion ◽

Psychological Characteristics ◽

Scientific Content ◽

Psychological Analysis

This paper analyzes key psychological themes in language used by prominent conspiracy theorists and science advocates on Twitter, as well as those of a random sample of their follower base. We conducted a variety of psycholinguistic analyses over a corpus of 16,290 influencer tweets and 160,949 follower tweets in order to evaluate stable intergroup differences in language use among those who subscribe or are exposed to conspiratorial content and those who are focused on scientific content. Our results indicate significant differences in the use of negative emotion (e.g., anger) between the two groups, as well as a focus, especially among conspiracy theorists, on topics such as death, religion, and power. Surprisingly, we found less pronounced differences in cognitive processes (e.g., certainty) and outgroup language. Our results add to a growing literature on the psychological characteristics underlying a “conspiracist worldview.”

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Impact of Mixed Reality Presentation on STEM Engagement and Comprehension: A Pilot Study on Adult Scientists

Biomedical Engineering Education ◽

10.1007/s43683-021-00049-w ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Peter Geller ◽

Jaymie Stein ◽

Daniel Du ◽

Jason R. Webb ◽

Zack Lieberman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Student Engagement ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Mixed Reality ◽

Academic Research ◽

Bachelor's Degree ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Scientific Content ◽

Presentation Software ◽

On Line ◽

Stem Engagement

AbstractCurrent educational presentation software used in STEM education fail to maximize student engagement and comprehension. Mixed reality presentation is one specific type of digital presentation software that has shown to significantly improve student engagement and comprehension. In this paper, we describe a pilot study on adult scientists which evaluates the usage of an integrated mixed reality presentation software in the Zyndo platform as an enhanced alternative to Adobe PDFs. A group of adult scientists (N = 20), with higher education of at least a bachelor’s degree, from an academic research center at Harvard Medical School were randomized and asked to read two articles (one on Immunology and the other on Bioengineering) presented through either the mixed reality presentation or PDFs. Our results indicate that participants improved in nearly all metrics for engagement (ranging from + 4 to 51% improvement depending on engagement metric and subject matter) when viewing the mixed reality presentation over the traditional PDFs for both articles. Specifically, the participants demonstrated improved comprehension of the scientific content and time spent viewing the presentation in a content-dependent manner. Therefore, 3D mixed reality environments can potentially be applied to enhance student learning in STEM fields, particularly Biomedical Engineering in both on-line and in person classroom settings.

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Generalised Kochen–Specker Theorem in Three Dimensions

Foundations of Physics ◽

10.1007/s10701-021-00476-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 51 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Václav Voráček ◽

Mirko Navara

Keyword(s):

Unit Sphere ◽

Hidden Variables ◽

Three Dimensions ◽

Quantum Theories

AbstractWe show that there is no non-constant assignment of zeros and ones to points of a unit sphere in $$\mathbb{R}^3$$ R 3 such that for every three pairwisely orthogonal vectors, an odd number of them is assigned 1. This is a new strengthening of the Bell–Kochen–Specker theorem, which proves the non-existence of hidden variables in quantum theories.

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FREQUENCY OF SEEING FUNCTIONS FOR INTENSITY DISCRIMINATION AT VARIOUS LEVELS OF ADAPTING INTENSITY

The Journal of General Physiology ◽

10.1085/jgp.34.4.463 ◽

1951 ◽

Vol 34 (4) ◽

pp. 463-474 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

Conrad G. Mueller

Keyword(s):

Human Subject ◽

Intensity Discrimination ◽

Quantum Theories ◽

Foveal Stimulation

1. The percentage of times a human subject detects an increment (ΔI) in intensity was determined as a function of the magnitude of the increment and the magnitude of the stimulus (I) to which the increment is added. 2. Foveal stimulation was used, and five frequency of seeing curves were obtained at each of nine values of adapting intensity covering the range from –1.45 to 4.45 log photons. Each frequency of seeing curve shows the percentage of times an increment in intensity is detected as a function of the logarithm of the increment. 3. The slope of the frequency of seeing curve increases slightly with an increase in I and finally becomes independent of I at medium to high intensities. 4. The implications of the results for quantum theories of visual excitation are considered.

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Spin and Dynamics in Relativistic Quantum Theories

Few-Body Systems ◽

10.1007/s00601-014-0920-5 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 56 (6-9) ◽

pp. 395-399 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

W. N. Polyzou ◽

W. Glöckle ◽

H. Witała

Keyword(s):

Relativistic Quantum ◽

Quantum Theories

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NONCOMMUTATIVE OPEN STRING THEORIES AND THEIR DUALITIES

Modern Physics Letters A ◽

10.1142/s0217732301003450 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 16 (04n06) ◽

pp. 349-359 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

M. M. SHEIKH-JABBARI

Keyword(s):

Open String ◽

Low Energy ◽

Duality Group ◽

Critical Limit ◽

Quantum Theories ◽

Open Strings ◽

Energy Theory ◽

String Theories

The recently found noncritical open string theories is reviewed. These open strings, noncommutative open string theories (NCOS), arise as consistent quantum theories describing the low energy theory of D-branes in a background electric B-field in the critical limit. Focusing on the D3-brane case, we construct the most general (3+1) NCOS, which is described by four parameters. We study S- and T-dualities of these theories and argue the existence of a U-duality group.

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Comparison of Women's and Coeducational College Classrooms: I. Course Assignments

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.1994.74.3.1035 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 74 (3) ◽

pp. 1035-1040 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ashton D. Trice

Keyword(s):

Art History ◽

Women's Colleges ◽

Introductory Courses ◽

Short Term ◽

Scientific Content ◽

College Classrooms ◽

Course Syllabi ◽

Institutional Selectivity ◽

And Mathematics ◽

Introductory Classes

This study examined the number of assignments in 502 course syllabi collected from 18 women's colleges and 18 matched coeducational colleges. The number of assignments was significantly higher at women's colleges, at colleges with lower selectivity for admissions, and in introductory classes. Significant differences among the four disciplines examined (psychology, mathematics, English, and art history) were found. Three of the factors (gender, discipline, and level) interacted. The most prominent difference was that, in introductory courses with quantitative and scientific content (psychology and mathematics), women's colleges required many more assignments than coeducational colleges. The effect of institutional selectivity was smaller than these three effects and appeared to be additive rather than interactive. The number of term-long assignments was not significantly different. Women's colleges, however, had more short-term assignments and tests than coeducational institutions. The results are related to the historic mission of inclusion of nontraditional students at women's colleges.

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