Third seminar

I have just given the third seminar this week in Ex.Phil.

Thirs research methods seminar

Today I gave the third research methods seminar in the MEES course "Philosophy of science and research methods".

Cat play article now freely available online

My 2009 article "Abstraction, cruelty and other aspects of animal play (exemplified by the playfulness of Muki and Maluca)", published in Sign Systems Studies, is now freely available online as PDF download.

6 more hours of teaching

Today I have taught for 6 hours consecutively. Fifth of six such days this term. First a lecture - today with the keywords "Explain, understand, tell" - then two seminars, all in Examen Philosophicum at University of Stavanger´s Department of social studies.

Search image article revised

Yesterday I finished revising my article "The search image as link between sensation, perception and action", submitted to BioSystems for a special issue on code biology.

Book sent to print

Our book Ulvetider [Time of the wolf] has been sent to print today.

To present on university politics and vested interest at MEES event on Arctic oil

I have agreed to give a 10-minute presentation titled "University politics, academic activism, and vested interests" during an upcoming event on "Understanding Norway´s Arctic oil", which is to be organized November 7th by the student body (linjeforening) of the Master in Energy, Environment and Society (MEES).

STSM on ethics of laying hen breeding approved

Today Mia Fernyhough, Senior Scientific Officer in the Farm Animals Department of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), whom I will host at University of Stavanger, was notified that the COST action GroupHouseNet has approved her application for funding of a Short Term Scientific Mission on the ethics of laying hen breeding, on which we (and a few others) will collaborate.

MAN board meeting

I have just chaired a Minding Animals Norway board meeting. We discussed forthcoming events and such.

"Existential universals" revised

I have just carried out a small revision of my paper "Existential universals: Biosemiosis and existential semiosis", which will soon appear in Chinese Semiotic Studies.

13th newsletter of MAN

I have just finished and distributed the 13th newsletter of Minding Animals Norway - which will from now on be sent as email (rather than PDF attachment).

Second research methods seminar

Today I gave the second research methods seminar in the MEES course "Philosophy of science and research methods". The task today was to assess the trustworthiness of four articles.

Off it goes!

I have just finished proof-reading Ulvetider [Time of the wolf], our co-authored book. Off it goes!

First research methods seminar

Today I gave the first of four seminars in research methods for the MEES "Philosophy of science and research methods" class.

Drop-in

Today I dropped in at the staff meeting at Department of social studies (but could not stay long).

No reference

There seemed to be - according to a Google Scholar notification - a reference to our book Thinking about animals in the age of the Anthropocene, but it appears that our book is just listed, in Ecocultural Ethics: Critical Essays, as one of the former books in the same series.

Lecture on hermeneutics

Today I have given the 9th lectuere in this autumn´s Ex.Phil. at Department of social studies. The main topic was hermeneutics.

"Thinking about animals..." book on Amazon bestseller list for Nature Literature Criticism

According to Amazon.com, our book Thinking about animals in the age of the Anthropocene is currently #37 (Kindle version) and #39 (Hardcover version) in the category Nature Literature Criticism.

This does not indicate a very high sale, since the overall sales ranking in Books is #3,578,294.

Kick-off partially attended

Today I attended part of the kick-off for the new "linjeforening" (student course NGO) of the students of MEES.

General meeting in Minding animals Norway announced

I have just announced the annual meeting of Minding Animals Norway, which will take place at Domus Nova in Oslo on November 20th at 20.00.

Program for the Norwegian animal ethics conference 2017 - with wolf theme

The program for the 6th Norwegian animal ethics conference (2017), to be held in Oslo on Tuesday November 21st, has been announced. I will be chairing.

Ecosemiotics conference in Poland

The conference "Ecosemiotic paradigm for nature & culture: Transdisciplinary Explorations in the Cybernetics of Learning, Adapting, Understanding & Knowing" will be held in Mikołów, Poland, July 9–12, 2018. A call for papers is currently being distributed by email.

Contribution to philosophical program area research application

I have recently contributed with text on subjectivity and perception to a in-process program area research application among philosophers at University of Stavanger with some external collaborators.

2 hours of teaching followed

Today I am attending half (two hours) of Torvald Øgaard´s research methods class in "Philosophy of science and research methods". Meanwhile, I have drafted assignments for seminar work in research methods, which I will be responsible for the two coming weeks.

16th seminar, truth discussed

Today I have given a seminar - the 16th Ex.Phil. seminar this autumn at Department of social studies, and the final one in this fourth round. This week´s topic for discussion was: How can you know whether someone is telling the truth?

Wolf book "Ulvetider" finished

Yesterday - or rather this night - I finished (because I had to finish) contributing to the book Ulvetider [Time of the wolf], which is about to appear on Vega forlag. I have co-written the book with Lars Lenth and Petter Bøckman.

Seminar #15

Today I have given another Ex.Phil. seminar at Department of social studies - no. 15 this autumn.

"The semiotics of animal representations" intro chapter cited in Hübben 2017

My co-edited book The Semiotics of Animal Representations (Rodopi 2014, edited with Kadri Tüür) has been cited in 

Hübben, Kelly 2017. Mr. Dog Is a Conservative. In: Anna Feuerstein & Carmen Nolte-Odhiambo (eds), Childhood and Pethood in Literature and Culture - New Perspectives on Childhood Studies and Animal Studies. New York & Abingon: Routledge.

Excerpt (p. 2-3 in that chapter):

As Kadri Tüür and Morten Tønnessen argue, representation in general is a form of meaning making distinct from communication and signification; on the other hand, the dynamic meaning-making process of representation takes place within cultural frameworks, where there is some room for overlap between representation, signification, and communication (12). Tüür and Tønnessen perceive the relation between real animals and their representations as two-directional, so that "the way we represent reality tends to influence the way we perceive reality (we only see what we are looking for)" (11). For representation of pets in picture books, it is significant to acknowledge this connection to the reality of human-animal interactions, since picture books, especially those that target a young readership, have a socializing and educational function (Stephens 158).

Anthropocene lecture by Sverker Sörlin attended

Yesterday I attended an open lecture by environmental historian Sverker Sörlin at Museum of Archaeology, on the Anthropocene, organized by GreenHouse, the environmental humanities initiatives at University of Stavanger. Some 50-60 people showed up and were enlightened.

6 hours of teaching

Today I have (soon) taught for 6 hours in Examen Philosophicum at Department of social studies. First a lecture, on philosophy of science, then two seminars with discussion and work with multiple choice questions.

Code biology conference 2018 - Granada

The Fifth International Conference in Code Biology will take place in Granada, Spain, June 5-9th 2018. Abstract deadline is January 15th.

Selected readings list announced in MPH130

I have just reviewed and announced the selected compulsory readings in ethics and philosophy of science for the UiS course "Philosophy of science and health care ethics". Teaching starts November 29th.

To attend Paris inequality conference after all

I have decided to attend the First WID.world conference, on global economic inequality, after all, even not presenting a paper. I see the conference, which is held in Paris December 14-15th, as very relevant for the research I am now starting on into the relation between prosperity and welfare.

See also:

"Future of growth" paper submitted to First WID.world Conference

Future of growth paper rejected by First WID.world Conference organizers

Research methods teaching followed

Today, for the second time, I have followed teaching in research methods in "Philosophy of science and research methods", in preparation of seminar teaching starting in a couple of weeks.

Google Scholar: 212 citations, h-index of 8

According to Google Scholar (cf. my verified profile), I now have 212 citations, up 9 since late August. My h10-index remains 6 (meaning 6 of my papers have been cited at least 10 times), but my h-index is now 8, up from 7 at last count. This implies that my 8 most cited papers have been cited at least 8 times each. No. 8 is "Is a wolf wild as long as it does not know that it is being thoroughly managed?"

2017 currently stands with 28 citations, vs. 45 in 2015 and 58 in 2016.

See also:

Google Scholar: 203 citations, h10-index of 6 (August 31)

Cuba planning meeting

Today I have attended a planning meeting ahead of our research seminar at Universidad de la Habana on January 26-27th. We hope our Cuban partners can arrange a few field visits in the couple of days immediately before the seminar.

NASS webpage updated

I have made some updates on the webpage of the Nordic Association for Semiotic Studies (NASS), including uploading the latest newsletter (Spring 2017), and the list of current board members.

Kazakhstan Center seeking peer-reviewers

I have received an email from The National Center of Science and Technology Evaluation (NCSTE), Kazakhstan, where I am invited to review research applications for 250 USD a piece. However, the deadline indicated is only 2 days per proposal, which is not enough given my usual, quite busy work schedule.

Wolf book finished

Today I have finished a book manuscript, Ulvetider - rovdyret som splitter Norge [Time of the wolf - the carnivore that divides Norway], along with my two co-authors, Lars Lenth and Petter Bøckman. Next now is rapid editing by our publishing house editor, and proof reading, then - off to print.

Another work lunch

A couple of weeks ago I attended a work lunch with colleagues (other teachers) in the master programme Energy, Environment and Society at University of Stavanger.

Peer-review for Journal of Comparative Social Work - and 11 others

At some point this year I conducted a peer-review for Journal of Comparative Social Work. 

Altogether I have done peer-reviews for at least 12 different journals.

Seminar teaching planned

Today I met with a colleague to plan for seminar teaching on research methods in "Philosophy of science and research methods."

Podcast from yesterday´s radio interview

Here is the podcast (downloadable) from yesterday´s Verdibørsen program, featuring an interview with me on utopian realism.

Research methods teaching followed

Today I have followed Torvald Øgaard´s teaching in "Philosophy of science and research methods". Torvald is lecturing in research methods, I am responsibile for the rest of teaching including seminars in research methods, thus this is to prepare my seminar teaching.

Meeting on course description revisions

Today I attended a meeting at Department of social studies on revision of course descriptions in the courses in the bachelor degree in child welfare.

Work lunch with research theme

Today I discussed aspects of a program area research application with a colleague during a work lunch.

Interview on utopian thinking on Verdibørsen; aired

This morning I was interviewed in studio at NRK Rogaland by Mathias Nylenna (via connection to Oslo) for NRK P2´s program Verdibørsen. The topic was utopian thinking, in light of Rutger Bregman´s book "Utopia for realists", which has just appeared in Norwegian. The interview was aired in today´s program.

Seventh lecture

Today I gave the seventh lecture in this autumn´s Examen Philosophicum at Department of social studies, on the topic "what can we know?"

"Existential universals" article reformatted etc.

I have just reformatted my article "Existential universals: Biosemiosis and existential semiosis", and added abstract and a bionote. The paper has been submitted to Chinese Semiotic Studies.

"Animals in changing environments" research project formally closed at UiS

The Norwegian part of the EEA research project "Animals in changing environments: Cultural mediation and semiotic analysis" has now been officially closed at the University of Stavanger administration. The final payment from our Estonian partner came a week or two ago.