Center Leo Apostel for Interdisciplinary Studies
Encyclopedia
The Center Leo Apostel for Interdisciplinary Studies (CLEA) is an interdisciplinary research centre founded at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel
in 1995 with the aim to construct integrating worldview
s. This encompassing philosophical-scientific concept was originally elaborated by the late Leo Apostel
, one of Belgium
's most important philosophers.
. Its scientific council is composed of members of different Flemish universities. The center is elaborated and named after his founder. Apostel donated the money of the Solvay prize, which he received for his life work, to the Vrije Universiteit Brussel
in order to create such a center.
CLEA's key objectives were summarized by Apostel as:
concerning all aspects of our world
. It is to allow us to construct a global image
of the world and understand as many elements of our experience
as possible. A worldview is a map
that we use to orient
and explain, from which we evaluate and act, and put forward prognoses and visions of the future
. Hence: (i) orient
; (ii) explain; (iii) evaluate; (iv) act and; (v) predict are the basic aspects of a worldview. In a more structured way Apostel put forward these basic aspects as follows:
The enterprise
of building integrating worldviews, on which CLEA
is working step by step, is also a scientifically based response to our rapidly changing and complex society
, and the ever-specialising Scientific progress
of the science
s, which leaves the body of knowledge
of our world
increasingly fragmented. CLEA
's goal is to seek the integration of different approaches of reality, without the loss of specialised insight, i.e. an interdisciplinary perspective
, enabling scientist
s from different discipline
s to work together, enabling interdisciplinary exchange and communication
between the science
s and the humanities
, between layman
and specialist. In particular, CLEA
is developing a synthesis of current and cutting-edge idea
s and method
s from the natural
and the social
science
s and humanities
in order to derive new insights into the nature
of reality
and our knowledge
about it. As such CLEA
explores how insights from one domain - such as quantum mechanics
, biology
, cognitive science
, sociology
, philosophy
, history
of idea
s and cultural studies
- shed light on another and provide models for problem-solving in integrating worldviews. The concrete research
conducted at CLEA
since its founding year has been chosen in function of these multiple tasks that CLEA has set itself.
The existence of separate bodies of knowledge
concerning parts or fragments of reality
has its reasons. The disciplines in the theoretical sciences have not been chosen in an arbitrary way but correspond to a layered organisation of reality
itself. Reality indeed shows itself to us in the form of layers. The first is a pre-material layer of elementary particle
s and waves
that are the subject matter of quantum physics. This is followed by a material layer, studied by physics
and chemistry
. The next layers are those of living creatures that make up the field of study of biology
, and of interacting living creatures studied by sociology
. Finally, we have the psycho-cognitive layer, studied by psychology
and cognitive science
. This layered structure is considered effective and real and not merely a suitable classification. On the other hand, it is clear that the different layers are not separated, but in constant interaction and connected in all kinds of ways, i.e. through contextual, emergent
, and downward causation influences. They are 'forms of condensation' in reality as an undivided totality. The study of this multi-layered structure of reality, of how the different layers are interconnected, how they emerge one from another, et cetera, is one of the encompassing research themes of CLEA
. Together with the seven themes of the worldviews project referred to above, the layered structure also serves as a canvas for the other more specific CLEA
research topics.
, quantum structures, cognitive science
, evolution theory
, foundations of language
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel is a Flemish university located in Brussels, Belgium. It has two campuses referred to as Etterbeek and Jette.The university's name is sometimes abbreviated by "VUB" or translated to "Free University of Brussels"...
in 1995 with the aim to construct integrating worldview
World view
A comprehensive world view is the fundamental cognitive orientation of an individual or society encompassing the entirety of the individual or society's knowledge and point-of-view, including natural philosophy; fundamental, existential, and normative postulates; or themes, values, emotions, and...
s. This encompassing philosophical-scientific concept was originally elaborated by the late Leo Apostel
Leo Apostel
Leo Apostel was a Belgian philosopher and professor at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the Universiteit Gent. Apostel was an advocate of interdisciplinary research and the bridging of the gap between exact science and humanities.- Biography :Leo Apostel was born Antwerp in 1925...
, one of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
's most important philosophers.
Overview
The Center Leo Apostel was founded in 1995 as a transdisciplinary research department, and situated at the Vrije Universiteit BrusselVrije Universiteit Brussel
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel is a Flemish university located in Brussels, Belgium. It has two campuses referred to as Etterbeek and Jette.The university's name is sometimes abbreviated by "VUB" or translated to "Free University of Brussels"...
. Its scientific council is composed of members of different Flemish universities. The center is elaborated and named after his founder. Apostel donated the money of the Solvay prize, which he received for his life work, to the Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel is a Flemish university located in Brussels, Belgium. It has two campuses referred to as Etterbeek and Jette.The university's name is sometimes abbreviated by "VUB" or translated to "Free University of Brussels"...
in order to create such a center.
CLEA's key objectives were summarized by Apostel as:
- interdisciplinarity
- construction of world views
- broad dissemination of scientific knowledge.
Worldview
A worldview can be defined as a coherent set of bodies of knowledgeKnowledge
Knowledge is a familiarity with someone or something unknown, which can include information, facts, descriptions, or skills acquired through experience or education. It can refer to the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject...
concerning all aspects of our world
World
World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
. It is to allow us to construct a global image
Image
An image is an artifact, for example a two-dimensional picture, that has a similar appearance to some subject—usually a physical object or a person.-Characteristics:...
of the world and understand as many elements of our experience
Experience
Experience as a general concept comprises knowledge of or skill in or observation of some thing or some event gained through involvement in or exposure to that thing or event....
as possible. A worldview is a map
Map
A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....
that we use to orient
Orient
The Orient means "the East." It is a traditional designation for anything that belongs to the Eastern world or the Far East, in relation to Europe. In English it is a metonym that means various parts of Asia.- Derivation :...
and explain, from which we evaluate and act, and put forward prognoses and visions of the future
Future
The future is the indefinite time period after the present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the nature of the reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently exists and will exist is temporary and will come...
. Hence: (i) orient
Orient
The Orient means "the East." It is a traditional designation for anything that belongs to the Eastern world or the Far East, in relation to Europe. In English it is a metonym that means various parts of Asia.- Derivation :...
; (ii) explain; (iii) evaluate; (iv) act and; (v) predict are the basic aspects of a worldview. In a more structured way Apostel put forward these basic aspects as follows:
- A model of the worldWorldWorld is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
(What is the nature of the world? How is it structured?) - An explanationExplanationAn explanation is a set of statements constructed to describe a set of facts which clarifies the causes, context, and consequencesof those facts....
model (Why is the world the way it is and not different? Why are we the way we are and not different?) - An evaluationEvaluationEvaluation is systematic determination of merit, worth, and significance of something or someone using criteria against a set of standards.Evaluation often is used to characterize and appraise subjects of interest in a wide range of human enterprises, including the arts, criminal justice,...
model (Why do we feel in our world the way we feel?) - An action model (How can we and do we have to act and create in this world? How can we influence and transform?)
- A rationalRationalityIn philosophy, rationality is the exercise of reason. It is the manner in which people derive conclusions when considering things deliberately. It also refers to the conformity of one's beliefs with one's reasons for belief, or with one's actions with one's reasons for action...
futurologyFuturologyFutures studies is the study of postulating possible, probable, and preferable futures and the worldviews and myths that underlie them. There is a debate as to whether this discipline is an art or science. In general, it can be considered as a branch under the more general scope of the field of...
(What kind of future is ahead of us? And what are the criteria that allow us to choose for the future?) - A model of model constructionConstructionIn the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
(How do we have to construct a model of the world such that we can answer the above questions?) - Fragments of worldviews as starting points (What are the partial answers that can be given to the above questions?)
The enterprise
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
of building integrating worldviews, on which CLEA
Clea
Clea is a fictional character, a sorceress in the . She is the disciple and lover of Doctor Strange. Created by co-plotters Stan Lee and Steve Ditko , Clea first appeared in the Doctor Strange feature in Strange Tales #126 .Clea is a human-appearing being and maternally related to the...
is working step by step, is also a scientifically based response to our rapidly changing and complex society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
, and the ever-specialising Scientific progress
Scientific progress
Scientific progress is the idea that science increases its problem solving ability through the application of some scientific method.-Discontinuous Model of Scientific Progress:...
of the science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
s, which leaves the body of knowledge
Knowledge
Knowledge is a familiarity with someone or something unknown, which can include information, facts, descriptions, or skills acquired through experience or education. It can refer to the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject...
of our world
World
World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
increasingly fragmented. CLEA
Clea
Clea is a fictional character, a sorceress in the . She is the disciple and lover of Doctor Strange. Created by co-plotters Stan Lee and Steve Ditko , Clea first appeared in the Doctor Strange feature in Strange Tales #126 .Clea is a human-appearing being and maternally related to the...
's goal is to seek the integration of different approaches of reality, without the loss of specialised insight, i.e. an interdisciplinary perspective
Perspective (cognitive)
Perspective in theory of cognition is the choice of a context or a reference from which to sense, categorize, measure or codify experience, cohesively forming a coherent belief, typically for comparing with another...
, enabling scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
s from different discipline
Discipline
In its original sense, discipline is referred to systematic instruction given to disciples to train them as students in a craft or trade, or to follow a particular code of conduct or "order". Often, the phrase "to discipline" carries a negative connotation. This is because enforcement of order –...
s to work together, enabling interdisciplinary exchange and communication
Communication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
between the science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
s and the humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
, between layman
Layman
A layperson or layman is a person who is not an expert in a given field of knowledge. The term originally meant a member of the laity, i.e. a non-clergymen, but over the centuries shifted in definition....
and specialist. In particular, CLEA
Clea
Clea is a fictional character, a sorceress in the . She is the disciple and lover of Doctor Strange. Created by co-plotters Stan Lee and Steve Ditko , Clea first appeared in the Doctor Strange feature in Strange Tales #126 .Clea is a human-appearing being and maternally related to the...
is developing a synthesis of current and cutting-edge idea
Idea
In the most narrow sense, an idea is just whatever is before the mind when one thinks. Very often, ideas are construed as representational images; i.e. images of some object. In other contexts, ideas are taken to be concepts, although abstract concepts do not necessarily appear as images...
s and method
Scientific method
Scientific method refers to a body of techniques for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge. To be termed scientific, a method of inquiry must be based on gathering empirical and measurable evidence subject to specific principles of...
s from the natural
Natural science
The natural sciences are branches of science that seek to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world by using empirical and scientific methods...
and the social
Social
The term social refers to a characteristic of living organisms...
science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
s and humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
in order to derive new insights into the nature
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
of reality
Reality
In philosophy, reality is the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or might be imagined. In a wider definition, reality includes everything that is and has been, whether or not it is observable or comprehensible...
and our knowledge
Knowledge
Knowledge is a familiarity with someone or something unknown, which can include information, facts, descriptions, or skills acquired through experience or education. It can refer to the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject...
about it. As such CLEA
Clea
Clea is a fictional character, a sorceress in the . She is the disciple and lover of Doctor Strange. Created by co-plotters Stan Lee and Steve Ditko , Clea first appeared in the Doctor Strange feature in Strange Tales #126 .Clea is a human-appearing being and maternally related to the...
explores how insights from one domain - such as quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics, also known as quantum physics or quantum theory, is a branch of physics providing a mathematical description of much of the dual particle-like and wave-like behavior and interactions of energy and matter. It departs from classical mechanics primarily at the atomic and subatomic...
, biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, cognitive science
Cognitive science
Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary scientific study of mind and its processes. It examines what cognition is, what it does and how it works. It includes research on how information is processed , represented, and transformed in behaviour, nervous system or machine...
, sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
, philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
of idea
Idea
In the most narrow sense, an idea is just whatever is before the mind when one thinks. Very often, ideas are construed as representational images; i.e. images of some object. In other contexts, ideas are taken to be concepts, although abstract concepts do not necessarily appear as images...
s and cultural studies
Cultural studies
Cultural studies is an academic field grounded in critical theory and literary criticism. It generally concerns the political nature of contemporary culture, as well as its historical foundations, conflicts, and defining traits. It is, to this extent, largely distinguished from cultural...
- shed light on another and provide models for problem-solving in integrating worldviews. The concrete research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
conducted at CLEA
Clea
Clea is a fictional character, a sorceress in the . She is the disciple and lover of Doctor Strange. Created by co-plotters Stan Lee and Steve Ditko , Clea first appeared in the Doctor Strange feature in Strange Tales #126 .Clea is a human-appearing being and maternally related to the...
since its founding year has been chosen in function of these multiple tasks that CLEA has set itself.
The existence of separate bodies of knowledge
Knowledge
Knowledge is a familiarity with someone or something unknown, which can include information, facts, descriptions, or skills acquired through experience or education. It can refer to the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject...
concerning parts or fragments of reality
Reality
In philosophy, reality is the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or might be imagined. In a wider definition, reality includes everything that is and has been, whether or not it is observable or comprehensible...
has its reasons. The disciplines in the theoretical sciences have not been chosen in an arbitrary way but correspond to a layered organisation of reality
Reality
In philosophy, reality is the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or might be imagined. In a wider definition, reality includes everything that is and has been, whether or not it is observable or comprehensible...
itself. Reality indeed shows itself to us in the form of layers. The first is a pre-material layer of elementary particle
Elementary particle
In particle physics, an elementary particle or fundamental particle is a particle not known to have substructure; that is, it is not known to be made up of smaller particles. If an elementary particle truly has no substructure, then it is one of the basic building blocks of the universe from which...
s and waves
WAVES
The WAVES were a World War II-era division of the U.S. Navy that consisted entirely of women. The name of this group is an acronym for "Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service" ; the word "emergency" implied that the acceptance of women was due to the unusual circumstances of the war and...
that are the subject matter of quantum physics. This is followed by a material layer, studied by physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
. The next layers are those of living creatures that make up the field of study of biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, and of interacting living creatures studied by sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
. Finally, we have the psycho-cognitive layer, studied by psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and cognitive science
Cognitive science
Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary scientific study of mind and its processes. It examines what cognition is, what it does and how it works. It includes research on how information is processed , represented, and transformed in behaviour, nervous system or machine...
. This layered structure is considered effective and real and not merely a suitable classification. On the other hand, it is clear that the different layers are not separated, but in constant interaction and connected in all kinds of ways, i.e. through contextual, emergent
Emergent
It may also mean:* Emergent , Neural Simulation Software* Emergent , a 2003 album by Gordian Knot* emergent plant, a plant which grows in water but which pierces the surface so that it is partially in air...
, and downward causation influences. They are 'forms of condensation' in reality as an undivided totality. The study of this multi-layered structure of reality, of how the different layers are interconnected, how they emerge one from another, et cetera, is one of the encompassing research themes of CLEA
Clea
Clea is a fictional character, a sorceress in the . She is the disciple and lover of Doctor Strange. Created by co-plotters Stan Lee and Steve Ditko , Clea first appeared in the Doctor Strange feature in Strange Tales #126 .Clea is a human-appearing being and maternally related to the...
. Together with the seven themes of the worldviews project referred to above, the layered structure also serves as a canvas for the other more specific CLEA
Clea
Clea is a fictional character, a sorceress in the . She is the disciple and lover of Doctor Strange. Created by co-plotters Stan Lee and Steve Ditko , Clea first appeared in the Doctor Strange feature in Strange Tales #126 .Clea is a human-appearing being and maternally related to the...
research topics.
Research topics
The investigations are concentrated in thematical projects:- Canvas topic: The layered structure of reality, an integrating worldview model
- CognitionCognitionIn science, cognition refers to mental processes. These processes include attention, remembering, producing and understanding language, solving problems, and making decisions. Cognition is studied in various disciplines such as psychology, philosophy, linguistics, and computer science...
, knowledge acquisitionKnowledge acquisitionKnowledge acquisition is a method of learning, first proposed by Aristotle in his seminal work "Organon". Aristotle proposed that the mind at birth is a blank slate, or tabula rasa...
and perceptionPerceptionPerception is the process of attaining awareness or understanding of the environment by organizing and interpreting sensory information. All perception involves signals in the nervous system, which in turn result from physical stimulation of the sense organs...
of reality - The evolutionEvolutionEvolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
of systems and complexityComplexityIn general usage, complexity tends to be used to characterize something with many parts in intricate arrangement. The study of these complex linkages is the main goal of complex systems theory. In science there are at this time a number of approaches to characterizing complexity, many of which are... - Worldviews and valueValue (personal and cultural)A personal or cultural value is an absolute or relative ethical value, the assumption of which can be the basis for ethical action. A value system is a set of consistent values and measures. A principle value is a foundation upon which other values and measures of integrity are based...
systems, societySocietyA society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
and cultureCultureCulture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions... - The generic quantumQuantum mechanicsQuantum mechanics, also known as quantum physics or quantum theory, is a branch of physics providing a mathematical description of much of the dual particle-like and wave-like behavior and interactions of energy and matter. It departs from classical mechanics primarily at the atomic and subatomic...
-classicalClassical mechanicsIn physics, classical mechanics is one of the two major sub-fields of mechanics, which is concerned with the set of physical laws describing the motion of bodies under the action of a system of forces...
transition model, potentiality, ontologyOntologyOntology is the philosophical study of the nature of being, existence or reality as such, as well as the basic categories of being and their relations...
and contextual change
Director
Diederik Aerts, professor Vrije Universiteit BrusselVrije Universiteit Brussel
The Vrije Universiteit Brussel is a Flemish university located in Brussels, Belgium. It has two campuses referred to as Etterbeek and Jette.The university's name is sometimes abbreviated by "VUB" or translated to "Free University of Brussels"...
, quantum structures, cognitive science
Cognitive science
Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary scientific study of mind and its processes. It examines what cognition is, what it does and how it works. It includes research on how information is processed , represented, and transformed in behaviour, nervous system or machine...
, evolution theory
Evolution Theory
Tin1 Yin2 Leun6 is Candy Lo's 9th studio album. It was released on 4 June 2005. For this album Candy Lo worked together with Hong Kong producer Kubert Leung with whom she worked on previous albums as well.- Track listing :...
, foundations of language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
Research Personnel
- Sven Aerts, research assistant, interactive statisticsStatisticsStatistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
, probability theoryProbability theoryProbability theory is the branch of mathematics concerned with analysis of random phenomena. The central objects of probability theory are random variables, stochastic processes, and events: mathematical abstractions of non-deterministic events or measured quantities that may either be single... - Haroun Amira, research assistant, sociologySociologySociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
, interactive statisticsStatisticsStatistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments.... - Jan Broekaert, postdoctoral fellow, quantum structures, cognitive scienceCognitive scienceCognitive science is the interdisciplinary scientific study of mind and its processes. It examines what cognition is, what it does and how it works. It includes research on how information is processed , represented, and transformed in behaviour, nervous system or machine...
, space time physics - Wim Christiaens, research assistant, metaphysicsMetaphysicsMetaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
, cinemaFilmA film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects... - Marek Czachor, professor technical university of Gdansk, quantumQuantumIn physics, a quantum is the minimum amount of any physical entity involved in an interaction. Behind this, one finds the fundamental notion that a physical property may be "quantized," referred to as "the hypothesis of quantization". This means that the magnitude can take on only certain discrete...
and biological evolutionEvolutionEvolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
, foundations of languageLanguageLanguage may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication... - Christian de Ronde, research assistant, quantum structures, cognitive scienceCognitive scienceCognitive science is the interdisciplinary scientific study of mind and its processes. It examines what cognition is, what it does and how it works. It includes research on how information is processed , represented, and transformed in behaviour, nervous system or machine...
, biological evolutionEvolutionEvolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth... - Bart D'Hooghe, postdoctoral fellow, quantum logicQuantum logicIn quantum mechanics, quantum logic is a set of rules for reasoning about propositions which takes the principles of quantum theory into account...
, quantum computation, evolution theoryEvolution TheoryTin1 Yin2 Leun6 is Candy Lo's 9th studio album. It was released on 4 June 2005. For this album Candy Lo worked together with Hong Kong producer Kubert Leung with whom she worked on previous albums as well.- Track listing :... - Karen De Looze, research assistant, medical and bioethical anthropologyAnthropologyAnthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
, intercultural philosophyIntercultural philosophyIntercultural philosophy is an approach to philosophy that had its precursors in the past but has started as a concept in the 1980s... - Liane GaboraLiane GaboraLiane Gabora is a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia - Okanagan. She is best known for her theory of the "Origin of the modern mind through conceptual closure." This built on her earlier work on "Autocatalytic closure in a cognitive system: A tentative scenario for the...
, postdoctoral fellow, cognitive scienceCognitive scienceCognitive science is the interdisciplinary scientific study of mind and its processes. It examines what cognition is, what it does and how it works. It includes research on how information is processed , represented, and transformed in behaviour, nervous system or machine...
, evolution of culture, creativity research - Gert Goeminne, post-doctoral fellow, metaphysicsMetaphysicsMetaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
, science and the politics of sustainabilitySustainabilitySustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non... - Carlos Gershenson, research assistant, complex systemsComplex systemsComplex systems present problems in mathematical modelling.The equations from which complex system models are developed generally derive from statistical physics, information theory and non-linear dynamics, and represent organized but unpredictable behaviors of systems of nature that are considered...
, artificial lifeArtificial lifeArtificial life is a field of study and an associated art form which examine systems related to life, its processes, and its evolution through simulations using computer models, robotics, and biochemistry. The discipline was named by Christopher Langton, an American computer scientist, in 1986...
, cognitive scienceCognitive scienceCognitive science is the interdisciplinary scientific study of mind and its processes. It examines what cognition is, what it does and how it works. It includes research on how information is processed , represented, and transformed in behaviour, nervous system or machine...
. - Francis HeylighenFrancis HeylighenFrancis Paul Heylighen is a Belgian cyberneticist, and research professor at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, the Dutch-speaking Free University of Brussels, where he directs the transdisciplinary research group on "Evolution, Complexity and Cognition".-Biography:Francis Heylighen was born on...
, professor Vrije Universiteit BrusselVrije Universiteit BrusselThe Vrije Universiteit Brussel is a Flemish university located in Brussels, Belgium. It has two campuses referred to as Etterbeek and Jette.The university's name is sometimes abbreviated by "VUB" or translated to "Free University of Brussels"...
, systems theorySystems theorySystems theory is the transdisciplinary study of systems in general, with the goal of elucidating principles that can be applied to all types of systems at all nesting levels in all fields of research...
, cyberneticsCyberneticsCybernetics is the interdisciplinary study of the structure of regulatory systems. Cybernetics is closely related to information theory, control theory and systems theory, at least in its first-order form... - Scott Barry KaufmanScott Barry KaufmanScott Barry Kaufman is an American psychologist and popular science writer specializing in the development of talent, intelligence, creativity, imagination, and personality...
, post-doctoral fellow, cognitive scienceCognitive scienceCognitive science is the interdisciplinary scientific study of mind and its processes. It examines what cognition is, what it does and how it works. It includes research on how information is processed , represented, and transformed in behaviour, nervous system or machine...
, philosophy of creativity (2009-2010) - Pieter Meurs, research assistant, philosophyPhilosophyPhilosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, hermeneutics and selfunderstanding - Nicole Note, research assistant, philosophyPhilosophyPhilosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, meaningfulness, ethicsEthicsEthics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:... - Alexander Riegler, postdoctoral fellow, cognitive scienceCognitive scienceCognitive science is the interdisciplinary scientific study of mind and its processes. It examines what cognition is, what it does and how it works. It includes research on how information is processed , represented, and transformed in behaviour, nervous system or machine...
, philosophy of sciencePhilosophy of scienceThe philosophy of science is concerned with the assumptions, foundations, methods and implications of science. It is also concerned with the use and merit of science and sometimes overlaps metaphysics and epistemology by exploring whether scientific results are actually a study of truth...
, constructivismConstructivism (mathematics)In the philosophy of mathematics, constructivism asserts that it is necessary to find a mathematical object to prove that it exists. When one assumes that an object does not exist and derives a contradiction from that assumption, one still has not found the object and therefore not proved its... - Sonja Smets, postdoctoral fellow, philosophyPhilosophyPhilosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, quantum logicQuantum logicIn quantum mechanics, quantum logic is a set of rules for reasoning about propositions which takes the principles of quantum theory into account... - Ellen Van Keer, research assistant, classical archeology, mythologyMythologyThe term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
- Robrecht Vanderbeeken, post-doctoral fellow, philosophyPhilosophyPhilosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, artArtArt is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
, technologyTechnologyTechnology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;... - Karin Verelst, research assistant, philosophyPhilosophyPhilosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, ontologyOntologyOntology is the philosophical study of the nature of being, existence or reality as such, as well as the basic categories of being and their relations...
, research on the nature of paradoxParadoxSimilar to Circular reasoning, A paradox is a seemingly true statement or group of statements that lead to a contradiction or a situation which seems to defy logic or intuition... - Wim van Daele, research assistant, anthropologyAnthropologyAnthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
, sociologySociologySociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity... - Clement Vidal, research fellow, philosophyPhilosophyPhilosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, cosmologyCosmologyCosmology is the discipline that deals with the nature of the Universe as a whole. Cosmologists seek to understand the origin, evolution, structure, and ultimate fate of the Universe at large, as well as the natural laws that keep it in order...