Departure day

Today is the last day of Department of social studies´ personnel trip to Antwerpen and Brussels. Departure day. Goodbye, Belgium.

Visiting AP Hogeschool Antwerpen

Today, at our personnel trip to Belgium, we visit Artesis Plantijn University College (AP Hogeschool Antwerpen), specifically their social care unit at Department of health and welfare.

Visit to Brussels

Yesterday, at our personnel trip to Belgium, we visited the European parliament and the Norwegian delegation in Brussels.

Awarded UiS Outstanding young researchers grant

I have just been notified that I have, as one of 10 people at University of Stavanger, been awarded a "Yngre fremragende forskere" [Outstanding young researchers] grant. This implies that I have to think about meaningful ways to spend 150.000 NOK by September 1st 2018 for research-related activities.

NRK P2 interview on utopian individualism aired

Today an interview with me by Jostein Gjertsen on utopian individualism aired as part of NRK P2´s program Verdibørsen. Podcast is available here. Starting this week, Verdibørsen is sent four times a week, with a weekend highlights edition.

Personnel trip to Antwerpen, Brussels

The next four days I´ll be attending a personnel trip with Department of social studies to Antwerpen and Brussels, Belgium.

Peer-review conducted for Sign Systems Studies

At some point this year I have done a peer-review for Sign Systems Studies.

Peer-review conducted for Cognitive Semiotics

At some point this year I did a peer-review for the journal Cognitive Semiotics.

CRIStin info for four ZfS articles updated

I have updated publication info in CRIStin, regarding publication year and page numbers for my four contributions to the special issue of Zeitschrift für Semiotik on biosemiotic ethics that is appearing this spring.

First 9 pages of book "Animal Umwelten in a changing world: Zoosemiotic perspectives"

Here is a PDF with the first few pages of our book Animal Umwelten in a changing world: Zoosemiotic perspectives (Tartu University Press 2016). Includes title pages, Table of contents and Foreword.

Plans for annual guest lecture at Department of social studies

On Wednesday this week I met with a colleague at Department of social studies to discuss the establishment of a hopefully annual guest lecture series on societal topics. We got the Head of department´s approval for organising this autumn´s first such lecture.

Interview on individual utopianism

On Wednesday this week I met with Jostein Gjertsen of NRK P2´s Verdibørsen for an interview on individual utopianism. The interview will air in less than a week.

Supervision

Yesterday: Another supervision, second.

Two hours of teaching in environmental history course

Today I have taught for 2 hours, and attended another hour of teaching by Siri Kalvig, in a course in water and environmental history at IKS, UIS. My topic was the Anthropocene and related human-animal topics.

Disposition for carnivore chapter

I have just composed a disposition for my chapter contribution to the book Rovviltet på Sørlandet [The carnivores of Southern Norway], which is to appear next year.

To present during Paris phenomenology workshop in May

I have been scheduled to present a reading of excerpts of Kurt Goldstein´s The organism on May 11th during a workshop on phenomenology on Paris organized by Ståle Finke (NTNU).

2nd CFP: Special issue of Biosemiotics "Semiotic Aspects of the Extended Synthesis"

***Extended Deadline for Abstracts to May 1st 2017***

CALL FOR PAPERS
For a Special Issue of the journal Biosemiotics: Semiotic Aspects of the Extended Synthesis.

The journal Biosemiotics (Springer) is preparing a special issue on “Semiotic Aspects of the Extended Synthesis” guest-edited by Andrew M. Winters. While the field of biosemiotics is concerned with the origin and development of natural semiotic systems, much of the discussion has been framed in terms of Darwinian frameworks, including the Modern Synthesis. Non-Darwinian views were held by Uexküll and, more recently, Darwinian views have been supplemented in important ways by Kull, Hoffmeyer, and Barbieri. Many biological phenomena, such as transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, have yet to be explained in terms of these evolutionary theories. In the 1980s, biologists aimed to develop an Extended Synthesis to build upon and replace parts of the Modern Synthesis to better accommodate and explain these observed phenomenon. Given recent discussions of the Extended Synthesis, this Special Issue aims to understand the extent to which biosemiotics is commensurate with burgeoning developments in contemporary biology by exploring how core features of biosemiotics are either consistent or at odds with those accommodated by the Extended Synthesis.
 

The Special Issue of “Semiotic Aspects of the Extended Synthesis” welcomes papers that analyze specific semiotic processes within the Extended Synthesis, assess the general tenability of understanding biosemiotics in terms of the Extended Synthesis, or explore the relationship between biosemiotics and the Extended Synthesis. Papers in the form of theoretical works, empirical findings, or metatheoretical considerations are welcome.

Some potential questions to be explored in this Special Issue include:• How does the extended synthesis differ from Darwinian evolution and the modern synthesis in its impact on biosemiotics?• Does niche construction involve the construction of signs?• How does semiotics contribute to evolutionary-developmental biology?• Do signs further enhance plasticity and accommodation?• Are signs replicable?• Do signs and semiotic systems evolve?• Are signs capable of emerging and contributing to multilevel selection?• To what extent are candidate signs (e.g., genes) involved in genomic evolution? 

Technical Details and Timeline:• Paper Proposals (Title and Abstract) Due May 1st, 2017• Notification of Acceptance May 31st, 2017• Paper Submissions Due September 30th, 2017• Final Drafts Due January 31st, 2018• Electronic Publication February 2018• Print Version Issue #2 August 2018• Papers should be no more than 7,000 words (minus abstract and references)
• Instructions for authors can be found at:http://www.springer.com/life+sciences/evolutionary+%26+developmental+biolog
y/journal/12304• Submit abstracts and contact the editor at andrew.winters@sru.edu

Search image paper accepted for NoSP 2017

I have been informed by the organisers of NoSP 2017, the 15th annual conference of the Nordic Society for phenomenology, entitled "Phenomenology and the body - Contemporary perspectives" (Trondheim, June 15-17) that my paper "The search image as link between sensation, perception and action" has been approved for oral presentation.

See also:
Abstract for NoSP 2017: " The search image as linkbetween sensation, perception and action"

Three supervisions

Today I have supervised two students in round two, one in round one.

5 home exam papers graded

Yesterday I finished grading five home exam papers after the continuation exam in Examen Philosophicum at Department of social studies.

Meeting on teaching of research metods

Today I attended a meeting concerning early teaching in research methods in the bachelor degree in social work at University of Stavanger´s Department of social studies.

Second supervision

Today I have given supervision, hour two.

Abstracts evaluated for NASS X

In late February I have taken part in assessing revised abstracts submitted to NASS X (Kaunas, June) as part of the conference´s Scientific committee.

Reelected as chair of MAN; new board

On an extraordinary general meeting February 1st via Skype, I was reelected as chair of Minding Animals Norway, and a new board was elected.

10 exam papers complaint graded

A few weeks ago I took part in complaint grading in Examen philosophicum at Department of social studies. The complaint grading concerned 10 home exam papers.

Skype meeting for philosophers

Today I participated in a philosopher meeting via Skype involving a group in Rome and another at University of Stavanger, in relation to our application in preparation of establishing a new program area for research.

MC exam questions composed; exam papers graded

Last month I composed Multiple choice exam questions for the continuation exam in Examen Philosophicum at Department of social studies - and then, following the exam, graded two exam papers submitted.

Guest lecture on Anthropocene theme given at University of Oslo

On Thursday February 23rd I gave a guest-lecture at University of Oslo´s Department of criminology and sociology of low, in the eco-criminology master course KRIM2920. I spoke about the human empire, man´s global ecological hierarchy in the Anthropocene. There were around 7 students present.

Table of contents of special issue on biosemiotic ethics

The table of contents of our special issue on biosemiotic ethics of Zeitschrift für Semiotik is now available online, via Academia.edu. Coming soon.

Estonian webpage of "Animals in changing environments" updated

The Estonian webpage (in English) of the Norwegian-Estonian Research Cooperation Programme grant EMP151 "Animals in changing environments: Cultural mediation and semiotic analysis" has been updated with further information, summing up research done in the project.

Link to future of growth article (PDF)

In the right-hand sidebar with an overview of articles available online, I have added "The Statistician´s guide to utopia: The future of growth" (2008).

Supervision

Today I supervised another student, the fourth.

Teaching plans

The last few days I have planned dates and times for this autumn´s teaching in three courses. The times are to be confirmed by the UiS timeplan office.