Jose Hernandez

El tiempo que transcurre entre comienzos del siglo XIX y la clausura de la Guerra de Secesión consolidan e institucionalizan procesos axiales en la construcción de Estados Unidos como nación e imperio. La expansión continental y su proyección marítima, primero hacia el Atlántico y luego hacia el Pacífico, escenifican el Destino Manifiesto que acabaría por formular textualmente los componentes providencialistas ya presentes en la fundación de la República. Un proceso de construcción imperial, objeto de un apasionante debate historiográfico, que en modo alguno transita ajeno al eurocentrismo del sistema internacional.

AI systems increasingly incorporate continual learning mechanisms allowing their behaviour to adapt after deployment, from (1) in-context learning and (2) memory features already in wide use to (3) post-deployment weight modification under research. We argue that, by treating AI systems as frozen artefacts whose performance and safety are assessed at release, current evaluation practices structurally ignore the behavioural trajectory of a system that continues to learn from experience. Our position is that evaluation of continual learning systems should be centred on behavioural trajectories, with the complementary goals of characterising the landscape of possible behaviours and forecasting how behaviour will evolve from a given set of experiences. This can be operationalised through trajectory elicitation sandboxes and predictive monitors that forecast behavioural evolution, but may face fundamental obstacles analogous to those seen in dynamical systems. These are best addressed by (1) applying trajectory-centred evaluation to today's continual learning systems and (2) relying on the resulting evidence to design systems amenable to it, yielding a virtuous cycle in which systems and their evaluations co-evolve.

Responding to recent concerns about the reliability of the published literature in psychology and other disciplines, we formed the X-Phi Replicability Project to estimate the reproducibility of experimental philosophy. Drawing on a representative sample of 40 x-phi studies published between 2003 and 2015, we enlisted 20 research teams across 8 countries to conduct a high-quality replication of each study in order to compare the results to the original published findings. We found that x-phi studies – as represented in our sample – successfully replicated about 70% of the time. We discuss possible reasons for this relatively high replication rate in the field of experimental philosophy and offer suggestions for best research practices going forward.

The present study embarks on a comprehensive investigation of whether the influence of the moral valence, as highlighted by Knobe, remains a predominant factor in subjects’ attributions of intentionality across diverse scenarios and populations. In addition to examining the harm dimension, our research explores the potential presence of this effect in other circumstances, assessing whether there is a comparable influence on attributions of intentionality for cases with side effects not describable as harmful. A comparative analysis between neurotypical and autistic populations is conducted –-in line with Zalla & Leboyer’s work, but extending the study to other scenarios–-, revealing some disparities in how these two groups attribute intentionality and praise and blame. Final analyses were conducted on the gender variable, which revealed significant gender differences within both populations.

Artificial Intelligence is making rapid and remarkable progress in the development of more sophisticated and powerful systems. However, the acknowledgement of several problems with modern machine learning approaches has prompted a shift in AI benchmarking away from task-oriented testing towards ability-oriented testing, in which AI systems are tested on their capacity to solve certain kinds of novel problems. The Animal-AI Environment is one such benchmark which aims to apply the ability-oriented testing used in comparative psychology to AI systems. Here, we present the first direct human-AI comparison in the Animal-AI Environment, using children aged 6–10. We found that children of all ages were significantly better than a sample of 30 AIs across most of the tests we examined, as well as performing significantly better than the two top-scoring AIs, “ironbar” and “Trrrrr,” from the Animal-AI Olympics Competition 2019. While children and AIs performed similarly on basic navigational tasks, AIs performed significantly worse in more complex cognitive tests, including detour tasks, spatial elimination tasks, and object permanence tasks, indicating that AIs lack several cognitive abilities that children aged 6–10 possess. Both children and AIs performed poorly on tool-use tasks, suggesting that these tests are challenging for both biological and non-biological machines.

There is convergence among researchers of the ‘Big Five’ personality traits taxonomy, that the dimension of conscientiousness best explains differences in work performance. This research is a literature review on the interrelationship between certain traits of the conscientiousness dimension and human virtues, or character traits. It also analyzes whether or not it is rational to argue that the continuous improvement culture enhances the exercise of these character traits. The personal effort to develop one's conscientiousness enriches one's character or way of being, and this development is a consequence of character moulding through an intellectual and willful effort enabling one not only to develop personal habits but also to improve task performance. Continuous improvement culture, on the one hand, should provide a work environment where employees can practice virtues, including those contained in conscientiousness. On the other hand, the requirement is that continuous improvement culture should be developed in an environment that respects the freedom and purpose of the individual.

Since the 1960s, the distinction between data and phenomena has fueled debates in the philosophy of science, with scholars arguing that data must be modeled in order to serve as evidence for phenomena. We claim that the modeling of data to obtain evidence for phenomena involves four levels: data, sample structure, population structure and phenomena. Our analysis suggests that the notion of pattern is essential to fully grasp the inferential capacity of data models, where representation occurs through nested surrogative reasoning –typically in the form of an isomorphism that holds at different layers. We also explain how our taxonomy of pattern-based inferential steps could shed light on various aspects of nested data modeling, such as the risk of theoretical bias. To illustrate our proposal, we examine the Eddington experiment –which tested general relativity by observing the deflection of starlight near the Sun–, and show how patterns at different levels of the data modeling provide the basis for nested surrogative reasoning in this case. Transforming the data points identified on photographic plates into a representation of light deflection requires a multi-layered search for patterns, where each pattern takes us one step further in data modeling and one step closer to the target phenomenon.

Recientemente Casasanto y Lupyan (2015) han sostenido que no hay conceptos independientes del contexto: todos los conceptos serían construidos ad hoc en el momento de su instanciación. El presente artículo muestra que el marco de la cognición ad hoc puede caracterizarse mediante una teoría de similaridad conceptual, y distingue dos nociones de concepto —asociadas a diferentes fases de su ciclo de vida (almacenamiento e instanciación)—. Esta propuesta reúne virtudes de enfoques opuestos: (a) invariantista: la estabilidad del concepto almacenado permite acumular nueva información; (b) contextualista: la dependencia contextual del concepto instanciado explica nuestra capacidad de adaptación.Recently, Casasanto and Lupyan (2015) have asserted that there are no context-independent concepts: all concepts are constructed ad hoc when they are instantiated. My aim is to show that the ad hoc cognition framework can be characterized by a similarity-based theory of concepts, and that two different notions of concept should be distinguished —which may be identified with two distinct stages of their life cycle (storage and instantiation). This approach brings together virtues from opposing views: (a) invariantist: stored concepts are stable enough to collect new information; (b) contextualist: instantiated concepts are context-dependent, what explains our adaptive ability to changing environments.

Simple Summary: The present study evaluates the effects of two dietary supplements (guanidinoacetic acid [GAA] and zilpaterol hydrochloride [ZLH]) on the productive performance of fattening lambs over a 60-day period. The inclusion of these additives did not result in significant differences in the parameters studied. However, serum glucose and creatinine levels in the GAA group were higher than those in the control group. These findings suggest that further research is needed to determine the optimal dosage and duration of GAA supplementation to enhance lamb growth and meat production. Abstract: This study evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation with guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) and zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZLH) on productive performance, carcass traits, and blood chemistry in non-castrated male lambs over 60 days. Twenty-four Pelibuey × Dorper crossbred lambs (16.3 ± 2.7 kg) were adapted to housing and diet for 14 days before being randomly assigned to one of three treatments: (1) Control: total mixed ration (TMR) without additives; (2) GAA: TMR with 0.2% GAA; and (3) ZLH: TMR with 6 mg/kg dry matter (DM) of ZLH for the last 30 days. No significant differences were observed in productive performance or carcass traits among treatments. However, lambs fed GAA showed higher serum glucose and creatinine levels than the control group (p < 0.05), suggesting a potential effect on energy metabolism. ZLH supplementation had no measurable impact on the parameters evaluated. These findings indicate that while GAA may influence certain metabolic indicators, further research with extended feeding periods or varying dosages is needed to clarify its effects on growth and carcass characteristics in lambs.

New types of artificial intelligence (AI), from cognitive assistants to social robots, are challenging meaningful comparison with other kinds of intelligence. How can such intelligent systems be catalogued, evaluated, and contrasted, with representations and projections that offer meaningful insights? To catalyse the research in AI and the future of cognition, we present the motivation, requirements and possibilities for an atlas of intelligence: an integrated framework and collaborative open repository for collecting and exhibiting information of all kinds of intelligence, including humans, non-human animals, AI systems, hybrids and collectives thereof. After presenting this initiative, we review related efforts and present the requirements of such a framework. We survey existing visualisations and representations, and discuss which criteria of inclusion should be used to configure an atlas of intelligence.

Machine learning (ML) models make decisions for governments, companies, and individuals. Accordingly, there is the increasing concern of not having a rich explanatory and predictive account of the behaviour of these ML models relative to the users’ interests (goals) and (pre-)conceptions (ontologies). We argue that the recent research trends in finding better characterisations of what a ML model does are leading to the view of ML models as complex behavioural systems. A good explanation for a model should depend on how well it describes the behaviour of the model in simpler, more comprehensible, or more understandable terms according to a given context. Consequently, we claim that a more contextual abstraction is necessary (as is done in system theory and psychology), which is very much like building a subjective mind modelling problem. We bring some research evidence of how this partial and subjective modelling of machine learning models can take place, suggesting that more machine learning is the answer.

La formación adecuada de profesionistas presenta un reto educativo a nivel mundial, este reto es de carácter multifactorial, que se ha abordado desde diferentes disciplinas. La pandemia sanitaria obligó al cierre de universidades mostrando claramente múltiples deficiencias en la implementación de sistemas tecnológicos híbridos que hicieran continua la formación universitaria. En este contexto, se desarrolla una propuesta integral que abarque las necesidades para solventar una educación híbrida. Para formular el modelo se realizó una revisión de la literatura para identificar los factores críticos de éxito en la educación hibrida con recursos tecnológicos. Se caracterizó cómo funciona una institución de educación superior de forma general y se identificaron las plataformas digitales educativas y se obtuvo una primera aproximación del modelo para hacer pruebas de implementación.

Uno de los grandes problemas que enfrenta la educación en la actualidad, radica en el hecho de que los profesores de pronto se ven invadidos, y en su caso, obligados a utilizar las computadoras, los dispositivos móviles e Internet en el salón de clase. La falta de programas efectivos de capacitación y formación docente en el uso y aplicación de las TIC en los procesos de enseñanza aprendizaje, se ha convertido en un problema de grandes dimensiones que alcanza prácticamente a todos los niveles educativos. Ante tal escenario, el presente trabajo pretende la adopción por parte de los profesores, de una herramienta que les sea de utilidad para orientar su formación en el campo de las TIC: “El árbol diagnóstico de las competencias digitales”, el cual ofrece un panorama general acerca de los recursos informáticos y de la Web que hemos identificado como relevantes en el ejercicio de la docencia. Este “árbol diagnóstico” es el resultado de un proceso de evaluación y seguimiento llevado a cabo con grupos de profesores que ya utilizan la tecnología en su práctica docente; y tiene la finalidad de orientar y facilitar el aprendizaje autónomo de los profesores que se inician en el uso de las TIC.

Tolerancia y laicismo representan dos formas de abordar la relación del Estado europeo con las religiones. En sus orígenes ambas apelaron a la libertad de conciencia y a la neutralidad del Estado. Sin embargo, mientras que la primera buscó definir una identidad estatal, la segunda se ocupó de los límites de toda violencia estatal, incluida la violencia simbólica contra las prácticas culturales de grupos minoritarios. El laicismo podría pasar a formar parte de la futura identidad europea siempre y cuando sepa hacer frente a las demandas de la nueva ciudadanía democrática, que son fruto de su creciente pluralismo. De hecho, en la última década se ha abierto paso un nuevo enfoque de la ciudadanía que pueda responder mejor a las demandas de reconocimiento planteadas por las llamadas “políticas de la identidad”. El objetivo de este artículo es explorar en qué medida la política del reconocimiento puede contribuir a la formación de una ciudadanía europea basada en las ideas de tolerancia y laicismo.

El presente artículo tiene como objetivo develar la implicación de los nexos entre la cultura y los procesos de comprensión y desarrollo psíquico para la concepción e instrumentación de una enseñanza desarrolladora atendiendo a que el desarrollo psíquico del sujeto es una condición esencial para lograr su papel activo y creador en el desarrollo social. Por ello su tránsito a niveles cualitativamente superiores, constituye una prioridad para los sistemas educativos. La teoría histórico - cultural del desarrollo psíquico le da especial importancia al papel de la cultura y su asimilación en la formación y desarrollo de la personalidad. Además, disciplinas como la semiótica reconocen el papel del texto y los procesos textuales en la conservación, transmisión y re-creación de la cultura. El estudio realizado se basa en la sistematización de postulados básicos de la teoría histórico - cultural del desarrollo psíquico y la semiótica de la cultura. This article aims at revealing the implications of the links between culture and the processes of understanding and psychic development towards the conception and implementation of developmental teaching taking into account that an individual's psychic development is an essential condition to fulfil its active and creative role in social development. That is why its movement to qualitatively superior levels is a priority for educational systems. The historical-cultural theory gives special importance to the role of culture and its assimilation in the formation and development of the personality. Furthermore, disciplines such as semiotics recognize the role of texts and textual processes in the conservation, transmission and recreation of culture. This study is based on the systematization of basic postulates of the historical-cultural theory of psychic development and Culture Semiotics.

We present nine facets for the analysis of the past and future evolution of AI. Each facet has also a set of edges that can summarise different trends and contours in AI. With them, we first conduct a quantitative analysis using the information from two decades of AAAI/IJCAI conferences and around 50 years of documents from AI topics, an official database from the AAAI, illustrated by several plots. We then perform a qualitative analysis using the facets and edges, locating AI systems in the intelligence landscape and the discipline as a whole. This analytical framework provides a more structured and systematic way of looking at the shape and boundaries of AI.

The notion that patients’ medical decision-making capacity depends on risk considerations has some acceptance in the bioethical literature. However, it arouses some criticism since it seems to give rise to paternalistic attitudes. In addition, the idea of capacity assessment as a collaborative space in which aid is given to the patient is emphasized so that they can decide about their life. It does not seem ethically acceptable to pose the evaluation as a simple observer report. Capacity assessment can sometimes be impossible or inconsequential. In short, capacity assessment is a procedure that, used wisely, can allow the patient to take charge of their life. Misused, it can be the gateway to unjustified paternalistic actions.