Novelty Theory is the fiery debut collection of poetry by Caspar Heinemann. Described by Bhanu Kapil as follows: "Caspar Heinemann has written an anthem for alien beloveds everywhere, in the time before rising up and where the "pre-nothings" burn up as soon as you touch them. Reading this book burst adhesions in my outlook, which is what I want (always). A book without an afterwards or a before, Novelty Theory occupies an intense present that does not console its readers. Can poetry be a form of cultural revenge?"
The book offers a new approach to information theory that is more general then the classical approach by Shannon. The classical definition of information is given for an alphabet of symbols or for a set of mutually exclusive propositions (a partition of the probability space Ω) with corresponding probabilities adding up to 1. The new definition is given for an arbitrary cover of Ω, i.e. for a set of possibly overlapping propositions. The generalized information concept is called novelty and it is accompanied by two new concepts derived from it, designated as information and surprise, which describe "opposite" versions of novelty, information being related more to classical information theory and surprise being related more to the classical concept of statistical significance. In the discussion of these three concepts and their interrelations several properties or classes of covers are defined, which turn out to be lattices. The book also presents applications of these new concepts, mostly in statistics and in neuroscience.
First published in 1997, this book focuses on the semantics of definite and indefinite descriptions — taking the presuppositional theory of definiteness and indefiniteness proposed by Heim as a starting point. It seeks to show that there exists a special type of indefinites that have an interpretation commonly associated with definites. It further argues that the felicity conditions associated with indefinite NP’s can vary and develops a more fine-grained theory of novelty within the framework of File Change Semantics. More generally, this work can be seen as providing an empirical argument in favour of a dynamic theory of meaning and against the more traditional truth-conditional theory.
This mesmerizing, surreal account of the bizarre adventures of Terence McKenna, his brother Dennis, and a small band of their friends, is a wild ride of exotic experience and scientific inquiry. Exploring the Amazon Basin in search of mythical shamanic hallucinogens, they encounter a host of unusual characters -- including a mushroom, a flying saucer, pirate Mantids from outer space, an appearance by James and Nora Joyce in the guise of poultry, and translinguistic matter -- and discover the missing link in the development of human consciousness and language.
The recess period represents a unique part of the school day. It is one of the few times when children can interact with their peers on their own terms with minimal adult intervention. Consequently, it represents one of the few places in primary and middle schools to observe spontaneous peer interaction. School Recess and Playground Behavior offers a programmatic examination of a neglected aspect of children's behavior and informs related literatures such as the educational, social-developmental, and cognitive-developmental literatures. Dr. Pellegrini goes well beyond what has been done in the past by systematically pursuing an underlying theme that revolves around the educational significance of recess periods. Due to the relatively new interest in understanding the developmental significance of playground experiences, most past work has been topical in nature. By using a theme, the author has taken the next logical step in bringing coherence to this line of inquiry. The result is a readable and coherent volume that clearly demonstrates the value of recess periods in enhancing children's cognitive and social/emotional development.
Draws on such fields as neuoscience, economics, and evolutionary psychology to address the question of how to find a more satisfying way to live, arguing that the key to satisfaction lies in the complexity and challenge in one's life.
'I suspect the real breakthroughs in our understanding of consciousness are going to come from an entirely different direction. That direction, controversially, has to do with psychedelics - which, as many of the contributors to The Divine Spark argue, offer spectacular potential for the investigation of the "hard problem" of consciousness.' - Graham Hancock, from the Introduction. In The Divine Spark, bestselling author Graham Hancock brings us a groundbreaking collection of the latest thinking on consciousness and psychedelics. Graham has been writing and speaking about this to audiences worldwide, including a controversial TedX talk on ayahuasca and DMT, which received over 130,000 views on YouTube. Combining the wisdom of leading minds, The Divine Spark illuminates the topic like never before, with a particular focus on the use of psychedelics to open up the realm of the supernatural. The book unveils fresh theories on the relation of psychedelics to domains such as creativity, the survival of life on planet earth, interspecies communication, medicine and drug research, and many more. Contributors include: Mike Alvernia, Russell Brand, David Jay Brown, Paul Devereux, Rick Doblin, Amanda Fielding, Nassim Haramein, Martina Hoffman, Don Lattin, Eduardo Luna, Dennis McKenna, Thad McKraken, Rak Razam, Gabriel Roberts, Thomas B. Roberts, Robert Schoch, Mark Seelig, Rick Strassman and Robert Tindall.
The expanded companion book to the #1 documentary film about 2012! The 2012 meme has evolved beyond any debates about the relevance of the Maya Long Count calendar to the lives of contemporary human beings. 2012 is about us on planet Earth at this time. December 21, 2012: will the world really change forever on this date, the end of a 5,125-year calendar last used over a thousand years ago? Certainly Hollywood would like you to think so. Indeed, a not-so-small industry has arisen around the date, hawking everything from t-shirts to teleseminars. Clearing a path between fantasy and reality, Alexandra Bruce surveys the entire 2012 landscape, asking questions such as: Is the Earth losing its Mojo? How did 2012 come to mean "The End of Time"? Did psychedelics facilitate the Maya "Cosmovision"? Should we worry about Earth Crustal Displacement? What the hell is "Planet X"? Uniquely amongst a vast array of 2012 literature, this book features interviews with the leading experts—including Graham Hancock, John Major Jenkins, Daniel Pinchbeck and many others—and insightful, detailed analysis of the broad spectrum of opinion, debate, research and myth regarding the most compelling "end times" prediction of the 21st century.
2013: THE END OF DAYS OR A NEW BEGINNING examines all the popular myths, prophecies, and predictions concerning 2012, including the Mayan teachings of time acceleration and global awakening on a consciousness level. It also takes an in-depth look at lesser-known predictions and prophecies, and at the more scientific and reality-based challenges we will face.
This anthology is aimed at all those who are interested in the connection between consciousness, psychedelics, and the development of humankind. Bestselling author Graham Hancock has been writing and speaking about this to audience’s worldwide, including a controversial TEDx talk on ayahuasca and DMT, which some call the god molecule. Graham Hancock leads the charge in this collection of the latest thinking on consciousness with a particular focus on the use of psychedelics to open up the realm of the supernatural. Leading minds and radical thinkers including Dennis McKenna, Rick Doblin, Alex Greg, Russell Brand, and Rick Strassman illuminate the topic like never before. Contributors include: Mike Alvernia, Russell Brand, David Jay Brown, Paul Devereux, Rick Doblin, Amanda Fielding, Nassim Haramein, Martina Hoffman, Don Lattin, Eduardo Luna, Dennis McKenna, Thad McKraken, Rak Razam, Gabriel Roberts, Thomas B. Roberts, Robert Schoch, Mark Seelig, Rick Strassman, and Robert Tindall.
