Possible Implications of the Quantum Theory of Gravity: An Introduction to the Meduso-Anthropic Principle

If we assume that the constants of nature fluctuate near the singularity when a black hole forms (assuming, also, that physical black holes really do form singularities) then a process of evolution of universes becomes possible. We explore the implications of such a process for the origin of life, interstellar travel, and the human future.     

Cosmological Artificial Selection: Creation out of Something?

According to the scenario of cosmological artificial selection (CAS) and artificial cosmogenesis, our universe was created and possibly even fine-tuned by cosmic engineers in another universe. This approach shall be compared to other explanations, and some far-reaching problems of it shall be discussed.     

张衡候风地动仪功能测试和感震原理的探讨

前半部探讨了张衡地动仪功能测试的背景，并分析了历来主要各家对张衡地动仪的评述。后半部分，对张衡地动仪的感震原理进行研究。提出了对地面层P、S、R三类地震波循序演变的新认识。此外，还评述了我国近60年某些复原张衡地动仪的论文。从而肯定了张衡作为世界地震仪的最早发明者的崇高地位。又指出：某些人不吃透张衡地动仪设计思路，贸然提出任意增添部件的设想，却以“复原张衡地动仪”为名，发表论文，有损张衡声誉。     

Some Epistemic Questions of Cosmology

We discuss a number of fundamental aspects of modern cosmological concepts, from the phenomenological, observational, theoretical and epistemic points of view. We argue that the modern cosmology, despite a great advent, in particular in the observational sector, is yet to solve important problems, posed already by the classical times. In particular the stress is put on discerning the scientific features of modern cosmological paradigms from the more speculative ones, with the latter immersed in some aspects deeply into mythological world picture. We finally discuss the principal paradigms, which are present in the modern cosmological studies and evaluate their epistemic merits.     

Stretching the In-between: Embodiment and Beyond

Today??s scientific imaging technologies are able to detect and image emissions and radiations from a much wider range of the electromagnetic spectrum than ever before. Such phenomena lie beyond the horizons of ordinary human perceptibility. I examine here the implications of such ??translation mediations?? for the production of scientific knowledge and show how human embodiment is implicit for all perceptual observational possibilities. The framework is that of a postphenomenology which is able to relate these new phenomena to human embodiment.     

逻辑悖论成因研究——以科学理论悖论为例

国内外学界对逻辑悖论的成因有主观虚构论、认知错误论、语言缺陷论、客观存在论等诸多指认。逻辑悖论是思维的产物,是从特定认知共同体公认正确的背景知识中合乎逻辑地推导出来的。如果我们承认经典逻辑规律具有普适性,就应该从蕴涵逻辑悖论的"背景知识"中探求其生成的因由。     

从“黑匣子”到“云匣子”

马航MH370航班的失踪事件让黑匣子搜寻工作再次成为媒体关注的焦点,但该航班可能的失踪地点大部分位于太平洋上,这又给黑匣子的搜寻工作增加了难度。能够把黑匣子记录的飞行数据和机舱录音传输到云数据库的技术将成为下一代黑匣子的发展方向。文章从专利的角度介绍了这一新技术——云匣子的发展情况。     

The Collapse of Supertasks

A supertask consists in the performance of an infinite number of actions in a finite time. I show that any attempt to carry out a supertask will produce a divergence of the curvature of spacetime, resulting in the formation of a black hole. I maintain that supertaks, contrarily to a popular view among philosophers, are physically impossible. Supertasks, literally, collapse under their own weight.     

GRB060614伽马射线暴的潮汐瓦解吸积模型

GRB060614是一个非常特殊的γ-射线暴,它具有长的持续时间但并没有与之相伴的超新星爆发,这有别于目前确定的两类γ-射线暴（一类是长而软的γ-射线暴,对应于大质量恒星的塌缩爆发;另一类是短而硬的γ-射线暴,对应于两个致密星体的并合）。这个暴的出现使人们重新思考关于γ-射线暴的分类和中心引擎问题。我们提出这个异常的γ-射线暴产生于一个中等质量黑洞对恒星的吞噬过程。该模型能成功地解释此次γ-射线暴的能量、子暴和周期性子结构等主要观测特征。同时,模型可对中等质量黑洞的性质给出一些重要限制。因此,本研究提供了理解这一新类型γ-射线暴和稀有的中等质量黑洞的新途径。     

对城市物流概念及相关内容的研究

城市物流是指物品在城市内部的实体流动,城市与外部区域的货物集散以及城市废弃物清理的过程,并存在不同的模式、体系和存在形态,和其他形式的物流有一定区别;针对中国城市物流业发展现状,从物流的管理机构、基础设施、运营模式和人才培养等诸多方面提出我国城市物流业今后的研究方向。     

Two Purposes of Black Hole Production

Crane envisions the speculative conjecture that intelligent civilizations might want and be able to produce black holes in the very far future. He implicitly suggests two main purposes of this enterprise: (i) energy production and (ii) universe production. We discuss those two options. The commentary is obviously highly speculative and should be read accordingly.     

Gödel, Einstein, Mach: Casting Constraints on All-embracing Concepts

Can a theory turn back, as it were, upon itselfand vouch for its own features? That is, canthe derived elements of a theory be the veryprimitive terms that provide thepresuppositions of the theory? This form of anall-embracing feature assumes a totality inwhich there occurs quantification over thattotality, quantification that is defined bythis very totality. I argue that the Machprinciple exhibits such a feature ofall-embracing nature. To clarify the argument,I distinguish between on the one handcompleteness and on the other wholeness andtotality, as different all-embracing features:the former being epistemic while the latter –ontological. I propose an analogy between the Mach principleas a possible selection principle in generalrelativity, and the vicious-circle principle infoundations of mathematics. I finally concludewith a consequence of this analogyvis-à-vis completeness and totality,viz., both should be constrained if they wereto be valid concepts for a physical theory. The paper progresses chronologically. Itfocuses on the physical approach of Mach thatformed the background for Einstein's generaltheory of relativity. The solutions of thefield equations in the form of cosmologicalmodels set the scene for the view ofall-embracing concepts discussed in the paper.Specifically, the ideas encapsulated in whatEinstein called the Mach principle, constitutethe thread of this account. The principle isfound however to falter, in view of the factthat there are several different types ofsolution of the field equations that contradictit. One such important cosmological model withramifying consequences is the rotational masssolution of Gödel. The question arises asto whether there is an analogy betweenincompleteness in foundations of mathematicsand in physics? The analogy between the vicious-circleprinciple and the Mach principle demonstratesan affirmative answer which suggests in turnthat completeness and totality must becurtailed – that is, conditions and limitsshould be imposed on completeness and totalityto render them valid for physical theories.     

亚美文化连续体背景下的科学--"李约瑟问题"的人类学观察

“科学”是西方话语霸权中的术语。亚美文化连续体是西方文明以外的一个普遍性的人类学现象,它以宇宙整体性、连续性为特征。亚美文化连续体中的“科学”受意识形态的约束,与西方文明中的“科学”有完全不同的意义。“李约瑟问题”实际上是西方中心论的产物,它的学说根源是社会单线发展的进化论。在亚美文化连续体的背景下面,不存在李约瑟所质疑的中国“科学技术”落后的问题。西方术语体系中的“李约瑟问题”只是亚美文化连续体中的一个悖论。     

对我国引入健康宣告责任制的初步探索

健康宣告责任制是从功能食品管理实践中延伸出来的一项法律制度。它已经在欧盟、加拿大和美国以本国法律的形式实行。这项制度的核心思想是强调健康宣告的科学性,和通过法律手段制止不科学的健康宣告。爆发在比利时,后延伸到全世界的中草药肾病事件,从反面告诉我们,在我国实行健康宣告责任制显得特别重要。尽管如此,若要实际地在我国建立并厉行这样的法律制度,却不可避免地要面临着来自饮食陋习、科学精神缺失、混乱的健康宣告现状、监管机制和相关科学技术落后、失控的食品和药品生产和销售体制等多方面的挑战。     

中央研究院"研究提高民族素质案"之始末——兼述中央研究院体质人类学研究所筹备之流产

中央研究院研究提高民族素质案是中国人类学史上著名的学科事件。通过对这一事件档案的发掘和研究,共获得三点结论。第一,这一学科公案背景是:南京沦陷后,国民政府迁至西南中国边垂地区,为了解决战争资源,蒋介石饬令开展此项研究。第二,其内容包括生物基础、营养环境、文化环境和地理环境4个方面,涉及诸多学科和当时国民政府行政部门、军事部门、高等院校和各学术研究机关,在中国人类学史上是空前的。第三,中央研究院体质人类学研究所筹备处应运而生,但在艰难时局下,由于经费不足等诸多原因,使得运作了两年的研究所最终流产。     

Scale Relativity and Fractal Space-Time: Theory and Applications

In the first part of this contribution, we review the development of the theory of scale relativity and its geometric framework constructed in terms of a fractal and nondifferentiable continuous space-time. This theory leads (i) to a generalization of possible physically relevant fractal laws, written as partial differential equation acting in the space of scales, and (ii) to a new geometric foundation of quantum mechanics and gauge field theories and their possible generalisations. In the second part, we discuss some examples of application of the theory to various sciences, in particular in cases when the theoretical predictions have been validated by new or updated observational and experimental data. This includes predictions in physics and cosmology (value of the QCD coupling and of the cosmological constant), to astrophysics and gravitational structure formation (distances of extrasolar planets to their stars, of Kuiper belt objects, value of solar and solar-like star cycles), to sciences of life (log-periodic law for species punctuated evolution, human development and society evolution), to Earth sciences (log-periodic deceleration of the rate of California earthquakes and of Sichuan earthquake replicas, critical law for the arctic sea ice extent) and tentative applications to systems biology.     

《太一生水》中的宇宙论问题与米利都学派

1993年湖北荆门郭店出土的战国楚简中有<太一生水>一篇,被认为属于道家失传已久的一种宇宙生成论.自简文公布以来,许多学者对它进行过讨论,认为它在中国思想史上占有重要的地位.对照希腊米利都学派类似的宇宙论,可以看出这二者之间有不少的差异,这主要表现在宇宙的发生顺序和宇宙论问题之终极目的上.<太一生水>宇宙论的最终目的是在政治,米利都学派的目的则在于寻找宇宙起源的纯粹基质.宇宙理论这种差异或许影响了东西方自然哲学和科学的发展方向.     

From Philosophy to Engineering

In the years since I first thought of the possibility of producing artificial black holes, my focus on it has shifted from the role of life in the universe to a practical suggestion for the middle-term future, which I think of as on the order of a few centuries.