Rodrigo Ferreira

Diversos filósofos e matemáticos contemporâneos admitem que existe uma vertente da filosofia matemática denominada “Platonismo”, segundo a qual, em síntese, os entes matemáticos – números, pontos, retas, planos, _etc_. – são coisas que existem no mundo independentemente de nós. Na literatura especializada é recorrente a compreensão de que essa tese filosófica tem origem na teoria das formas de Platão. Entretanto, a assertiva de que os entes matemáticos existem em si mesmos não é encontrada na filosofia desse filósofo ateniense, observada a passagem 509d, e seguintes, do seu diálogo _A_ _República._ Na verdade, segundo o pensamento matemático de Platão os entes matemáticos possuem um valor intermediário, como mostramos nas seções a seguir ao “reconstruirmos” o seu raciocínio da “linha dividida”, segundo os trechos da _República_: (1) _Livro V_: 477a-b, 477e, 478b, 478c, 478d; (2) _Livro VI_: 509d-e, 510a, 510b, 510c-d, 510e, 511a, 511 a-b, 511d, 511e; (3) _Livro VII_: 533 b-c, 534a.

The evolution of a female penis is an extremely rare event and is only known to have occurred in a tribe of small cave insects, Sensitibillini (Psocodea: Trogiomorpha: Prionoglarididae). The female penis, which is protrudable and inserted into the male vagina‐like cavity during copulation to receive semen, is thought to have evolved independently twice in this tribe, in the Brazilian Neotrogla and the African Afrotrogla. These findings strongly suggest that there are some factors unique to Sensitibillini that have facilitated female penis evolution. Here, several hypothetical factors are presented that may have enabled the evolution of the female penis in Sensitibillini. The female–female competition for nutritious semen, the oligotrophic environment, and the twin insemination slots with switching valve are considered to be the driving factors for female penis evolution. Additionally, the following factors are considered responsible for relaxing the constraint against female penis evolution: preexistence of the female‐above mating position, the elongated duct connecting the female pre‐penis with the sperm storage organ, and the small male genital cavity accepting the female genital tubercle bearing the opening of this duct. Understanding the factors enabling female penis evolution may also shed light on the evolution of the male penis.

Following increasing public concern over the ethical and social implications of contemporary technology, computer science departments around the world have recently increased their efforts to incorporate ethics into their educational curriculum. For our redesigned undergraduate course on Computer Ethics at Rice University, in addition to teaching variety of fundamental ethical theories and approaches to technology, we also sought to emphasize the role of “social” technologies in mediating moral relations and to encourage students to consider moral decision-making, rather than as an abstract rational process, as matter of affective care. To help us achieve this educational objective and inspired by the work of artist Jenny Odell, we designed an activity for students to practice focusing “deep” attention both on themselves and others. In this article, we describe in detail our rationale for this activity, report on lessons learned, and discuss potential applications for this activity in regard to the ongoing online teaching environment following the Covid-19 pandemic.