To participate in roundtable on agency at GiB14

Today I have agreed to participate in a roundtable on agency chaired by Kalevi Kull tomorrow Tuesday July 1st at 11.30-12.50 at the ongoing 14th Gathering in Biosemiotics (London, June 30 - July 4), along with him and Alexei Sharov. I will first of all present findings in the first survey in the biosemiotic community conducted in preparation of the first review article in the biosemiotic glossary project.

Phenomenology and the environment collection not to feature Uexküllian phenomenology

Today I was notified by Bryan Bannon that my book chapter proposal "Uexküllian phenomenology" will not be included in his edited collection Phenomenology and the environment.

See also:

Book chapter proposal on Uexküllian phenomenology

Gunnar Kvåle cites research ethics chronicle

In a commentary article entitled "Er norsk petroleumsforskning etisk forsvarlig?" [Is Norwegian petroleum research ethically justifiable?], published in the online magazine Energi og Klima, Professor emeritus Gunnar Kvåle (University of Bergen) cites what "Haugan og fem andre forskere fra universitetene i Bergen, Stavanger, Oslo, NTNU og Tromsø" [Peter M. Haugan and five other researchers from the universities of Bergen, Stavanger, Oslo, Tromsø and Norwegian University of Science and Technology] wrote in a recent chronicle. This refers to "Forskning for klimavennlig omstilling" [Research for climate-friendly restructuring], which I co-wrote along with Kvåle and others.

Descartes paper scheduled for presentation at 14th Gathering in biosemiotics (London)

My forthcoming presentation "Descartes’ dualisms and the epistemology of biosemiotics", to be given at the 14th Gathering in Biosemiotics (London June 30 - July 4), has been scheduled for presentation on Thursday July 3rd at 12.10-12.50, in a session chaired by Jesper Hoffmeyer and also including a presentation by John Deely.

See also:

Abstract for London gathering in biosemiotics: "Descartes’ dualisms and theepistemology of biosemiotics"

Descartes paper accepted for presentation at 14th Gathering in biosemiotics (London)

Cited in grandparent climate change action group article

I am cited in an article published online by Besteforeldreaksjonen [The grandparent action], a Norwegian climate change action group. The article is titled "Debatt om olje og forskningsetikk" [Debate on oil and research ethics], and the citation derives from the interview with me by Forskerforum in their frontpage story "Strid om oljeforsking" [Conflict on oil research], published December 2nd 2013. Besteforeldreaksjonen's article was published December 4th 2013.

Grading explained (UiO)

Today I have communicated our explanations of grading of two master degree theses defended at University of Oslo (UiO) - 1 p. each.

See also:

Examiner for two master degree exams at UiO

Two master theses defended and discussed

Updated abstract for IACS conference: "Will the agents of nature please rise: What is agency?"

A couple of days ago I updated my abstract for the upcoming conference First International Association for Cognitive Semiotics (IACS) Conference (Lund, Sweden, September 25-27th).

Will the agents of nature please rise: What is agency? 

Morten Tønnessen 

Associate professor at Department of health studies/Department of social studies, University of Stavanger  

In this presentation I present Tønnessen, forthcoming, the first in a series of review articles addressing biosemiotic terminology, which is meant to establish the format of the series. In contrast to the five existing biosemiotic glossaries compiled by individual authors (one or a few), this project is inclusive and designed to integrate views of a representative group of members within the biosemiotic community based on a standard survey and related publications. The methodology section describes the format of the survey conducted in November–December 2013 in preparation of the current review and targeted on the two terms ‘agent’ and ‘agency’. Next, I summarize denotation, synonyms and antonyms, with special emphasis on the denotation of these terms in current biosemiotic usage. On this point the survey findings include ratings of nine citations defining or making use of the two terms. I provide a summary of respondents’ own definitions of the terms and suggested usage. Further sections address etymology, connotations, and related terms in English and other languages. A section on the notions’ mainstream meaning vs. their meaning in biosemiotics is then followed by attempt at synthesis and conclusions. 

While some other fields, such as medical and veterinary science, has a pragmatic interest in the notion of agency qua causal, biosemiotics has an ontological interest in the occurrence of agency in the living realm at large. Although there is currently no consensus in the biosemiotic community on what constitutes a semiotic agent, i.e. an agent in the context of semiosis (the action of signs), most respondents agree that core attributes of an agent include goal-directedness, self-governed activity, processing of semiosis and choice of action, with these features being vital for the functioning of the living system in question. I agree that these four features are constitutive of biosemiotic agents, and further suggest to define ‘semiotic agency’ as the capacity a living system has of affecting the course of events in which it is involved by relating to sign relationships. Finally, I stipulate that biosemiotic agents fall within three major categories, namely 1) sub-organismic biosemiotic agents, 2) organismic biosemiotic agents and 3) super-organismic biosemiotic agents.  

Acknowledgements 

This work has been carried out thanks to the support of the research project Animals in Changing Environments: Cultural Mediation and Semiotic Analysis (EEA Norway Grants/Norway Financial Mechanism 2009-2014 under project contract no EMP151).  

Reference 

Tønnessen, Morten, forthcoming. The biosemiotic glossary project: Agent, agency. To appear in Biosemiotics 7(3), December 2014

See also:

Abstract for cognitive semiotics conference: "Will the agents of nature please rise: What is agency?"

Norwegian online bookstores sell TSOAR for 108 EUR

The Norwegian online bookstore Bokklubben sells the edited collection The Semiotics of Animal Representations for 900 NOK (108 Euro with today's exchange rate). So does Bokkilden.no. In comparison, Rodopi's (the publisher's) price is €80.

See also:

The Semiotics of Animal Representations now for sale at Amazon; author/editor page

Updated info on The Semiotics of Animal Representations on Amazon; prices

Updated info on The Semiotics of Animal Representations on Amazon; prices

Amazon.com's page for the edited collection The Semiotics of Animal Representations has been updated with a cover photo. Also, Kadri Tüür and myself are now correcty said to be editors of the book.

Amazon's current price is $106.40, other vendors sells the book for $110.19 to $127.94.

See also:

The Semiotics of Animal Representations now for sale at Amazon; author/editor page

Two Biosemiotic ethics abstracts published on conference webpage

Two abstracts submitted to my session at the 12th World Congress of Semiotics (Sofia, Bulgaria, September 16-20 2014), "Biosemiotic ethics", have now been published on the session webpage:

* John Deely: "Ethics and the distinction between Semiosic and Semiotic"

* Panagiotis Xouplidis: "A semiotic approach to The Pet World"

The first abstract to be approved for this session was David Meacham's "The gentle caress of my robot lover, and other ethically difficult phenomena" (see below).

Deadline for submissions (directly to me) is June 30th.

***

The gentle caress of my robot lover, and other ethically difficult phenomena

Dr. Darian Meacham, University of the West of England, Bristol

 

Imagine for a moment coming home after a long day at work and slumping into the gentle arms of your robot companion, who rubs your temples tenderly, smiles warmly and says, ‘I know exactly how you feel’. Sound plausible, desirable? Would this, or another kind of intelligent machine, whatever that might mean, fulfill the necessary criteria for ‘ethical salience’? Would such an entity merit the moral status of a person, an animal, or would it be, due to the similar nature of its material composition, and its status as (supposedly) ‘non-living’, no different, ethically speaking, than a toaster? 

 

This paper investigates the question of what makes an entity ‘ethically salient’ using the above example of a robotic system as a test case. ‘Ethical salience’ is presented as a spectrum concept which entails an entity having an ethical significance in itself to a greater or lesser degree. ‘Ethical salience’ as such should be understood phenomenologically: an ethically salient entity is perceptually experienced as having an immediate ethical significance. The ethical salience of an entity is distinct from (although clearly related to) whatever specific ethical claims it may make on us not to harm it etc. For example, higher mammals would seemingly be uncontroversially candidates for ethically salience, but this fact is distinct, for example, from the question of whether we should eat them.

 

I argue that whether an entity has ethical salience is a question not of inner states of pain or suffering, or more broadly an ethical significance of life itself. Rather it is dependent upon certain types of expressive movement that manifest vulnerability. The manifestation of vulnerability in these types of movement, which function as signs that stimulate an experience of ethical salience, is independent from actual vulnerability. In other words, it is the sign that matters. This hypothesis is explored by drawing on the conceptual resources of Jakob von Uexküll’s biosemiotics and the phenomenological account of intersubjectivity, namely Edmund Husserl and Merleau-Ponty.  

Chronicle on ethics of petroleum research linked to by UiT webpage Aksjonsprogrammet

My chronicle "Hva slags forskning er etisk forsvarlig?" [What kind(s) of research is ethically justifiable?], published in Aftenposten December 2nd 2013, is linked to by the webpage Aksjonsprogrammet [the action programme], a webpage hosted by University of Tromsø and aimed at regional innovation and business etc.

Rector comments on NENT statement in UiS news article; article links to Utopisk Realisme

In response to this Wednesday's statement of Norway's National Committee for Research Ethics in Science and Technology (NENT) on the research ethics of petroleum research, the rector of University of Stavanger, Marit Boyesen, has yesterday issued comments in form of a UiS news article ("UiS-rektor ønsker NENT-uttalelsen velkommen" [UiS rector welcomes NENT statement]). The newsarticle links to several news articles on the NENT statement, and also to my blog post in my Norwegian language blog Utopisk Realisme,  "Hvordan vil rektor følge opp NENTs forskningsetiske vurdering av petroleumsforskning?" [How will rector follow up NENT's research ethical consideration of petroleum research?]. Among other things Boyesen says that the NENT report will be included in the university's future strategy work.

See also:

UiS debate letter: How will rector follow up NENT's statement on petroleum research?

Website of UiS master in Pre-Hospital Critical Care (PHCC)

University of Stavanger's master programme in Pre-Hospital Critical Care, which was recently approved by the university board (see previous posts), has launched its programme webpage. Application deadline for the first round is August 2nd.

Two master theses defended and discussed

Today I have taken part in the oral exams of Dan Eggen and Fabian Tytingvåg Fischer at the University of Oslo's Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas (IFIKK), along with Espen Gamlund, the other examiner. The oral exams took place in a meeting room at Blindern campus' Georg Morgenstiernes hus.

Both theses deal with ecofeminism and other positions in environmental ethics and philosophy.

See also:

Examiner for two master degree exams at UiO

News article in Forskerforum on NENT's petroleum research statement

The Norwegian research journal Forskerforum has today, on its online edition, published an article entitled "Må legge oljeforskning på vekta" [/Must consider petroleum research more closely/], in relation to the statement released today by Norway's National Committee for Research Ethics in Science and Technology (NENT) on the research ethics of petroleum research in light of climate change. The article includes a link to the previous article "Strid om oljeforsking" [Conflict on oil research], published in December, where I am interviewed.

In today's news article, NENT committee leader Øyvind Mikkelsen says that if research activities [in petroleum research] prevents Norway from achieving official climate change goals which the country has committed to, this is indefensible. 

See also:

National Committee for Research Ethics critical to current petroleum research policies

UiS debate letter: How will rector follow up NENT's statement on petroleum research?

Following up on today's statement of Norway's National Committee for Research Ethics in Science and Technology (NENT) on the research ethics of petroleum research, I have composed a letter to the editor sent to the debate pages of University of Stavanger. The letter, entitled "Hvordan vil rektor følge opp NENTs forskningsetiske vurdering av petroleumsforskning?" [How will rector follow up NENT's research ethical consideration of petroleum research?], has been posted in my Norwegian language blog Utopisk Realisme.

See also:

National Committee for Research Ethics critical to current petroleum research policies

National Committee for Research Ethics critical to current petroleum research policies

Today Norway's National Committee for Research Ethics in Science and Technology (NENT) has released its statement on the research ethics of petroleum research (in Norwegian). The statement is critical to current policies on several points. For excerpts (in Norwegian), see my political blog Utopisk Realisme.

See also:

National Committee for Research Ethics still considering research ethics of petroleum research

CFP for a new journal on human-animal studies: Trace

I have been asked to distribute the Call For Papers below. Trace will be published by the Finnish Association for Human-Animal Studies,

***

CFP for a new journal on human-animal studies: Trace 

The Finnish Society for Human-Animal Studies is launching a new scientific journal called
Trace – Finnish Journal for Human-Animal Studies. 

Trace is a peer-reviewed, fully open access online journal that provides a forum for the discussion of human-animal relations from social and cultural perspectives. The journal publishes original research articles, lectiones praecursoriae, and conference reports, as well as reviews on books, art exhibitions, films, and other media. Trace accepts submissions in Finnish, English, and Swedish. 

Trace invites contributions to human-animal studies that deal with a wide range of topics and represent diverse perspectives. The editorial board encourages writers to offer multi- and transdisciplinary contributions which broaden the conventional ontologies, epistemologies, and methodologies applied in human-animal studies. 

The first Editor-in-Chief for Trace is D.S.Sc. Outi Ratamäki (University of Eastern Finland & Finnish Environment Institute), who is substituted for the first issue by D. Sc. Nina Nygren (University of Tampere, Finland). 

*** 

The deadline for submissions for the first issue of Trace is 15. 12. 2014. The issue will be out in the spring of 2015. 

For more information on the journal and on submitting, visit the journal’s homepage. 

*** 

Human-animal studies is a broad and multidisciplinary field of research that includes a diversity of topics, such as the social, cultural and material construction of beliefs, values and attitudes relating to animals; the ethics and politics of animal issues; animal welfare legislation and governance; approaches to the agency of animals; philosophical issues in the epistemology and ontology of human-animal relations; as well as a variety of other theoretical and practical questions concerning human-animal relations.

Photos from 1st code biology conference

A photogallery from the First International Conference in Code Biology (Paris May 21-23 2014) has now been published online. Some of the photos involving me are shown below.

"Codes and interpretation in perception" conference presentation now online

Several presentations from the First International Conference in Code Biology (Paris May 21-23 2014) has now been published online. This includes my presentation Codes and interpretation in perception - 26 slides (see also previous posts).

Existentialist electronica act The Schopenhauer Experience releases single

My musical alias The Schopenhauer Experience has today released its first single, via the distribution service offered by EMU Bands (electronic release only). Some but not all of the songs of this act has philosophical (and poetic!) content - I write, compose, and occasionally sing. The single "Troll whisper" (with "This is God speaking (the many voices of God)" as a second track), with mechanical voices, is available for download via iTunes, and for streaming via Spotify and WiMP, among other venues.

Metting on Norwegian Animal Ethics Conference 2014 attended

Today I took part in a meeting of the organizing committee of the Norwegian Animal Ethics Conference 2014 (Dyreetikkonferansen 2014). Ahead of the meeting I had proposed a budget - the budget was revised slightly following the meeting. I am furthermore responsible for registration and related communications.

The Semiotics of Animal Representations chapter offprint etc. received

Today I received electronic offprint of the introduction chapter to The Semiotics of Animal Representations (for which I am one of two editors), and various other material including first pages and various order/recommendation forms, from Rodopi, the publisher. I assume the other contributors did so too. The message stated that the book (or rather, my contribution) has now been published.

Animal ethics book renamed again

The edited collection formerly entitled Animal rights and philosophy: The next generation, edited by John Hadley and Elisa Aaltola and to be publised by Rowman & Littlefield, has been renamed Animal ethics and Philosophy: Questioning the Orthodoxy. 

Jonathan Beever and I are contributing with a chapter entitled "Beyond sentience: Biosemiotics as foundation for animal and environmental ethics". 

See also:

New work title for animal philosophy collection (September 2013)

Contract for position at Department of social studies signed; in effect from August 1st

Some time back I signed my employment contract at Department of Social Studies (see "To be employed by Department of social studies", posted January 31st). This employment (Associate professor in philosophy, 50 % position) runs from August 1st 2014 to July 31st 2015 (not July to June). In addition to teaching duties this autumn, I will be responsible for supervision of both bachelor and master students finishing their theses in spring 2015.

Podcast for radio interview on animal welfare in the poultry industry

On Saturday April 12th I was interviewed on the national Norwegian public radio station NRK P2's program "Verdibørsen" (by Kai Sibbern). The topic was animal welfare in the poultry industry, and I was presented as chair of Minding Animals Norway and Associate professor in philosophy at University of Stavanger. The program was sent again on Sunday April 13th.

The podcast is available online (the last 5 minutes or so).

New section: Publications available online

I have created a new section in the sidebar to the right, "Publications available online". Four publications added for now, more to come.

Introduction chapter of Semiotics in the Wild available online

The cover page, table of contents and introduction chapter of the book Semiotics in the Wild: Essays in Honour of Professor Kalevi Kull on the Occasion of his 60th Birthday is available online on the webpage of the publisher, Tartu University Press. The introduction chapter, written by Kati Lindström, Riin Magnus, Timo Maran and myself, is entitled "Kalevi Kull and the rewilding of biosemiotics. Introduction".  

PHCC master programme at UiS approved - to be established this autumn

The master programme Pre-Hospital Critical care (PHCC) was approved by the board of the University of Stavanger in its meeting Thursday this week (see very brief report from this board meeting - in Norwegian).

Also, yesterday I had a meeting with one of the core teachers involved, to make plans for coordination etc.

See also:

Mentioned as prospective course coordinator in UiS case document

Norwegian Animal Ethics Conference 2014 receives funding from Dag S. Stiansen's foundation

Minding Animals Norway has upon application received 40.000 NOK (ca. 5.000 EUR) from Dag S. Stiansen's foundation designated to the organising of the Norwegian Animal Ethics Conference (Dyreetikkonferansen) 2014. The theme of this year's conference, which is the third in this annual conference series, is fish welfare/happiness (Fiskelykke).

This year's Norwegian Animal Ethics Conference, which will take place in Trondheim Wednesday August 20th as part of the fair Nor-Fishing 2014, is organised by Norway's Council for Animal Ethics, University of Oslo's Centre for development and the environment (SUM, UiO), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Minding Animals Norway and Norwegian Seafood Federation (FHL). The latter represents some 500 member companies.

Annual report of EMP151 2013 submitted

At the end of April the annual report for the research project "Animals in changing environments: Cultural mediation and semiotic analysis" (EMP151) (see previous posts) for 2013 was submitted to Estonian Research Agency (ETAG), after having been compiled by Timo Maran, who heads this Norwegian-Estonian research project, with contributions from me, the Norwegian Project leader. The report is 15 pp. plus two annexes - one listing publications, another presenting financial accounts.

Biosemiotic ethics session abstract posted on Chinese semiotics webpage

My session abstract Biosemiotic ethics, submitted to the 12th World Congress of Semiotics (Sofia, Bulgaria September 16-20 2014), has been posted on the Chinese webpage Forum of semiotics: See Biosemiotic ethics （生物符号学).

Does the semiosphere at large have intrinsic value? and related questions

I have just posed three questions on ResearchGate:

Does the semiosphere at large (qua biosphere) have intrinsic value? 

Is there (something akin to) normativity in the very constitution of the Umwelt? 

What ramifications do different views on the semiotic threshold have within the context of normative ethics?

UiS summer celebration attended

Today I have attended the /summer celebration/ (sommeravslutning), or personnel gathering, of the University of Stavanger's Department of Health Studies, along with some 50 colleagues, at Bølgen & Moi Stavanger. Nice people, excellent food.

Mentioned as prospective course coordinator in UiS case document

In its board meeting today, the University of Stavanger discussed establishing of a new master programme in Pre-Hospital Critical Care (PHCC). In the case document I am mentioned on p. 28, as prospective course coordinator for "Philosophy of Science and Health Care Ethics".

See also:

To be teacher at UiS EVU in master in pre-hospital critical care; info meeting

Biosemiotic ethics session scheduled for September 19th

The organisers of the 12th World Congress of Semiotics (Sofia, Bulgaria September 16-20 2014) have released a preliminary programme. My session "Biosemiotic ethics" has been scheduled for Friday September 19th, and merged with "New trends in bio/eco/zoosemiotics", chaired by Timo Maran and Kalevi Kull.

Deadline for abstract submission - directly to chairpersons - is June 30th.

Biosemiotics: Journal presentation and editorial board meeting scheduled at 14th Gathering in Biosemiotics

A presentation of the journal Biosemiotics has been scheduled to take place at the 14th International Gathering in Biosemiotics (London, June 30 - July 4th), on Thursday July 3rd from 2 pm. There will furthermore be a meeting of the editorial board the same afternoon, after the annual meeting of the International Society for Biosemiotic Studies (ISBS). I will play a role at both of these occasions, along with fellow Editors-in-Chief Alexei Sharov and Timo Maran, and also Izabela Witkowska, Springer's Associate Editor for Ecology and Conservation, who will be visiting the conference.

To chair session at 14th International Gathering in Biosemiotics, London

I have agreed to chair a session at the 14th International Gathering in Biosemiotics (London, June 30 - July 4th), on Tuesday July 1st from 11.30 to 12.50.

Reference for The Semiotics of Animal Representations introduction chapter

This is the bibliographical reference for the introduction chapter of the edited collection The Semiotics of Animal Representations:

Tønnessen, Morten and Kadri Tüür 2014. The semiotics of animal representations: Introduction. In Kadri Tüür and Morten Tønnessen (eds), The Semiotics of Animal Representations (Nature, Culture and Literature 10), Amsterdam/New York: Rodopi, p. 7–30. 

The Semiotics of Animal Representations presented at Rodopi's webpage

The Semiotics of Animal Representations is now presented at the webpage of Rodopi, or more specifically of the book series "Nature, Culture and Literature", where our volume is no. 10 in the series. This edited collection is presented in more detail on a separate page, where table of contents etc. is presented.

To take part in panel discussion at Stavanger climate change event

I have agreed to take part in a panel discussion in Stavanger at some point in the second half of October which will be part of the event "§112: Naturrressurser og tidsperspektiver" [Natural resources and temporal perspectives]. This event with climate change as theme, which will include an artistic stage show, will take place at Tou Scene.

I was asked in capacity of being Associate professor in philosophy at University of Stavanger and member of Concerned Scientists Norway.

Webpage for Norwegian Animal Protection Day 2015 launched; Minding Animals Prize planned

A working group sorting under Minding Animals Norway is preparing Norwegian Animal Protection Day 2015, which is to take place in Oslo in Spring 2015. The ultimate goal is to make this an annual event. The event will include a seminar and a party with one or more prizes being awarded (including the Minding Animals Prize for best Human-Animal Studies research).

Here is the website of the Norwegian Animal Protection Day 2015. The organising committee is currently looking for volunteers and sponsors.

First biosemiotic glossary review article finished; revised; sent for feedback; abstract

On May 8th I finished the review article "The biosemiotic glossary project: Agent, agency", which is the first article in the biosemiotic glossary project of the journal Biosemiotics. Following feedback from my fellow editors Alexei Sharov and Timo Maran I then revised it by June 2nd. Yesterday the article draft was distributed to members of the editorial and advisory board of Biosemiotics and to those cited (biosemioticians) for feedback. In its current version the article comes with a 6-page Appendix (Electronic Supplementary Material).

The article will appear in Biosemiotics issue 3 2014 (December).

Abstract The current article is the first in a series of review articles addressing biosemiotic terminology, and is meant to establish the format of the series. In contrast to the five existing biosemiotic glossaries compiled by individual authors (one or a few), this project is inclusive and designed to integrate views of a representative group of members within the biosemiotic community based on a standard survey and related publications. The methodology section describes the format of the survey conducted in November–December 2013 in preparation of the current review and targeted on the two terms ‘agent’ and ‘agency’. Next, I summarize denotation, synonyms and antonyms, with special emphasis on the denotation of these terms in current biosemiotic usage. On this point the survey findings include ratings of nine citations defining or making use of the two terms. I provide a summary of respondents’ own definitions of the terms and suggested usage. Further sections address etymology, connotations, and related terms in English and other languages. A section on the notions’ mainstream meaning vs. their meaning in biosemiotics is then followed by attempt at synthesis and conclusions.

While some other fields, such as medical and veterinary science, has a pragmatic interest in the notion of agency qua causal, biosemiotics has an ontological interest in the occurrence of agency in the living realm at large. Although there is currently no consensus in the biosemiotic community on what constitutes a semiotic agent, i.e. an agent in the context of semiosis (the action of signs), most respondents agree that core attributes of an agent include goal-directedness, self-governed activity, processing of semiosis and choice of action, with these features being vital for the functioning of the living system in question. I agree that these four features are constitutive of biosemiotic agents, and further suggest to define ‘semiotic agency’ as the capacity a living system has of affecting the course of events in which it is involved by relating to sign relationships. Finally, I stipulate that biosemiotic agents fall within three major categories, namely 1) sub-organismic biosemiotic agents, 2) organismic biosemiotic agents and 3) super-organismic biosemiotic agents.

See also:

The biosemiotic glossary project announced and started - first terms to be reviewed 'agent', 'agency'

Early human Umwelt article revised

Early in April I finished revising my article "The ontogeny of the embryonic, foetal and infant human Umwelt", which I have submitted to Sign Systems Studies in relation to their planned special issue on the theme of the 8th conference of the Nordic Association for Semiotic Studies.

See also:

Early human Umwelt article to be revised

Early human Umwelt article accepted for publication

Early human Umwelt article accepted for publication

Yesterday I was notified that my article "The ontogeny of the embryonic, foetal and infant human Umwelt" has been accepted for publication in Sign Systems Studies. It will appear this autumn in a special issue on the theme of the 8th conference of the Nordic Association for Semiotic Studies.

Book chapter proposal on Uexküllian phenomenology

A few days ago I submitted the book chapter proposal "Uexküllian phenomenology" to Bryan Bannon in relation to his planned book Phenomenology and the environment, which is to be published by Littlefield & Rowman in 2015.

73 exam papers graded for UiA

Today I have finished my part of the grading of some 73 exam papers (course code EX102) for the University of Agder's Department of Religion, philosophy and history. Topics covered were gender studies and hermeneutics.

See also:

To grade 70 papers in Examen Facultatum

The Semiotics of Animal Representations now for sale at Amazon; author/editor page

The edited collection The Semiotics of Animal Representations, edited by Kadri Tüür and myself, is now for sale at Amazon.com (see here). 

See also my author/editor page, here (with one more title listed, namely Semiotics in the Wild).

Code biology conference: General assembly, roundtable attended

On Friday May 23rd, while at the 1st International Conference in Code Biology (Paris, May 21-23), I attended the first General Assembly of the International Society of Code Biology (ISCB) - which was very brief (approving financial report and formally also the venue for the second conference) - and the concluding roundtable discussion (cf. programme).

See also:

Codes and interpretation paper presented

Afternoon session chaired at 1st code biology conference

Second code biology conference, 2015

Codes and interpretation paper presented

On Friday 23rd of May I presented my paper "Codes and interpretation in perception" at the 1st International Conference in Code Biology (May 21-23, Paris). Some 30 people attended. Discussion following my presentation was positive and constructive.

Tiny yet growing philosophy business

Yesterday I finished the annual accounts for my private philosophy business "Spør filosofen" [Ask the philosopher]. Despite some minute progress numbers are still tiny. In 2013 income was 3.346 NOK (some 400 euro), expenses 5.768,23 NOK (some 700 euro) and profits -2.422,34 NOK (a loss of some 300 euro). Though I have various projects, all income in 2013 was from the opening of an art exhibition.

Peer-review for Sign Systems Studies

Earlier this Spring I peer-reviewed a paper for Sign Systems Studies.