Cognition in Geosciences

Introduction by Special Editor Peter Hubral Acknowledgments Summary of the Book Key Ideas 1 The Debate about Human Mind Summary 1.1 Introduction: The Role of Geosciences 1.2 Cognitive Sciences: An Overview 1.2.1 First Steps 1.2.2 Cybernetics 1.2.3 Information 1.2.4 Artificial Intelligence 1.2.5 Connectionism 1.2.6 Critiques to Connectionism 1.2.7 Anatomy and Physiology of the Nervous System 1.2.8 Cognitive Neural-Psychology 1.2.9 Neural Aggregates and Biology of Intelligent Behavior 1.3 Final Remarks 2 Circular Thinking in Geophysics Summary 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Inversion: An Overview 2.3 Cooperative Inversions 2.4 Integration Loop of Seismic, Electromagnetic and Gravity Data in a Thrust Belt Region 2.4.1 The Geophysical Problem 2.4.2 The Workflow 2.4.3 Continuing the Loop 2.5 Looking At Geophysics from a Different Point of View 2.5.1 Circularity and Feedback 2.5.2 Searching For Coherency and Consistency 2.5.3 Gestalt 2.5.4 Relationships, Analogical Thinking and Expanded Concepts 2.6 Final Remarks3 Significance in Philosophy and in Geosciences Summary 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Theories of the Significance 3.2.1 Origins of the Question of the Significance 3.2.2 Modern Analysis of the Question of the Significance 3.3 Significance in Geosciences 3.3.1 Contextuality and Compositionality in Geophysics 3.3.2 Contextuality and Compositionality in Geology 3.3.3 Usage and Intentionality 3.3.4 Denotation and Sense in Geosciences 3.3.5 The Interpretative Nature of Geosciences 3.3.6 Additional Aspects 3.4 A Geological Puzzle 3.5 Integration 3.6 Joint Operators in Geosciences 3.7 Semantic Entropy 3.8 A Simple Experiment 3.9 Entropies 3.10 Examples of Entropy Trend in Geophysics 3.11 Biology of the Significance 3.12 The Significance of Significance 3.13 Final Remarks 4 from Significance to Creativity Summary 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Semantic Systems 4.2.1 Principle of Separation 4.2.2 Beyond Subject-Object Dualism 4.3 Dynamics of Semantic Systems 4.4 Semantic Transformations: From Integration to Creativity 4.5 Oscillations 4.6 An Example of Creativity in the Geoscience Community 4.6.1 Towards a Critical Zone (Period 1990-2000) 4.6.2 Towards a New Paradigm (Period 2000-2010) 4.6.3 Solving for Residual Inconsistencies (Period 2010-2015) 4.6.4 Towards a Breakthrough (Period 2015-2020) 4.7. Semantic Landscapes 4.8 Final Remarks 5 Biological, Semantic and Neural Populations Summary 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Recursive Processes, Convergences and Oscillations 5.2.1 Logistic Map 5.2.2 Free Information 5.2.3 From Free Information to Semantic Entropy 5.3 Dynamical Systems, Attractors and Chaos 5.4 Attractors in Geosciences 5.5 Attractors in Neural Activity 5.5.1 Neural Oscillations 5.5.2 Neurodynamics and Freeman’s Theory 5.6 Practical Implications 5.7 Final Remarks 6 Knowledge and Complexity in the Geosciences Summary 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Knowledge: An Historical Overview 6.3 Complexity 6.4 Dissipative Systems 6.5 Complexity in the Geosciences 6.5.1 Complexity and Fractals 6.5.2 Complexity and Fractals in Geological Phenomena 6.5.3 Complexity and Fractals in Human Cognition 6.5.4 Complexity and Fractals in Human Organisations 6.6 Dissipative Systems in the Geosciences 6.6.1 Metamorphism 6.6.2 Volcanism 6.7 Semantic Systems, Complexity and Dissipative Systems 6.8 Semantic Systems in the Geosciences 6.9 Final Remarks 7 Language and Communication in the Geosciences Summary 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Language 7.3 Language in the Geosciences 7.3.1 From Binary to Fuzzy Significances 7.3.2 The Concept of Data 7.3.3 True, False and Significant 7.3.4 Truth, Coherence and Consistency 7.3.5 True and False in the Geosciences 7.3.6 Dialectics 7.3.7 It Works … It Does Not Work 7.4 Communication in the Geosciences 7.4.1 Technical Presentations in Geosciences 7.4.2 A Simple Experiment 7.4.3 The Misunderstanding Domains 7.4.4 A Familiar Analogy 7.4.5 The Link between Misunderstanding and Semantic Entropy 7.4.6 Improving the Communication 7.5 Final Remarks8 Aesthetics and Geosciences Summary 8.1 Introduction 8.2 The Modern Concept of Aesthetics 8.3 The Aesthetics of the Significance: Shape and Process 8.4 Aesthetics and Geosciences 8.5 Final Remarks 9 Conclusions: Beyond Every Dualism Appendices A.1 Summary of Plato’s Cratylus A.2 Note about Saint Thomas Aquinas A.2.1 Life A.2.2 Epistemology A.3 Walter J. Freeman about Thomas Aquinas A.3.1 Nonlinear Brain Dynamics and Intention According to Aquinas A.4 The Faculty of Judgment in Kant A.5 Gottlob Frege A.5.1 Basic Ideas about Logic and Mathematics A.5.2 Frege’s Philosophy of Language A.5.3 Frege’s Theory of Sense and Denotation A.6 The Brain as a System Addressed to Integration of Information A.6.1 The Ideas of Giulio Tononi A.6.2 The Ideas of Gerald Maurice Edelman Comments by Peter Hubral Glossary References Index