#9

Today, on this month´s 9th article writing day, I have revised and renamed my article now called "Karbonfangst i lys av generasjonsrettferdighet" (Carbon capture in light of generational justice), written for a special issue on climate ethics of Norsk filosofisk tidsskrift, with some 1.100 words written today.

Registrations in CRISTIN for 2020 completed; 20 posts vs. 274 all-time

I have completed my registrations in the Current research information system in Norway (cf. my profile). With 20 posts, this is less than usual, but then again, it was an extraordinary year (and another factor might be my trajectory towards leadership roles). The activities I have reported include:

 - a scientific journal article

- a scientific book chapter

- 3 chronicles in national newspapers

- 2 scientific conference presentations

- 4 interviews (2 as researcher and 2 in the role as Vice Dean of research)

Altogether I have registered 274 posts in CRISTIN to date (since 2012).

#8

Today I have had an article writing day mainly focused on editing my chapter "Human agency and ecology" for the book Semiotic agency which I am co-writing with Alexei Sharov, with some 300 words written (net).

Total numbers of writing days so far this Spring is up to 8.

To present at workshop on the historicity of animals in May

I have agreed to present at a digital workshop titled "Animal (Pre-)History, Agency and Legacy" which is to be held "at" University of Bielefeld, Germany, May 10-12th. There might be a physical follow-up later on in the autumn.

A meeting

Today I have attended a start-up meeting for a new research project at our department, related to domestic violence prevention in Poland, with EEA funding.

3 meetings

Today I have had 3 meetings. This included a follow-up NASS board meeting on NASS XII, and two department-related meetings.

3 meetings - including one on ph.d.project at Museum of Archeology

Today I have taken part in three meetings. This included a budget meeting, and a meeting on a ph.d. project anchorded at Museum of Archeology and related to Cognitive lab where I might be a tentative co-supervisor.

2 meetings and Ph.d. supervision

Today I have attended the weekly faculty leadership group meeting, chaired my first staff meeting - with 50 people attending in Zoom - and taken part in a ph.d. supervision session.

3 meetings and a work lunch

Today I have attended 3 meetings and a work lunch. This included a work group meeting on our plans for a master degree in psychology, and a board meeting in the Nordic association for semiotic studies.

#7

Today I have had an article writing day devoted to contributing to the second revision of the article I co-write with Joakim Jiri Haaland on use of friluftsliv for youth in residential care. I wrote some 200 words, though that is hard to keep track of.

Number of writing days so far this Spring is up to 7.

#6 - "Human agency and ecology" chapter finished

Today I have had an article writing day - and night - devoted to finishing my final chapter for Semiotic agency, "Human agency and ecology", with some 3.000 words (sic) written.

#5

Today I have had half an article writing day devoted to my Semiotic agency chapter Human agency and ecology, with some 600 words written. Total number of writing days so far this Spring is up to 5.

4 meetings

Today I have taken part in four meetings. This included a meeting on the accounts for 2020 and budget for 2021 for our department, and a meeting on inter-faculty collaboration on teaching in pedagogical psychology.

In total I´ve had 16 scheduled appointments this week - a record, I think.

A meeting, and an oral exam

Today I have attended the biannual, public health forum meeting in Rogaland (3 hours), and acted as external examiner at the oral exam of Master thesis candidate Lage Nøst, along with Caj Strandberg (UiO) who served as internal examiner.

4 meetings

Today I have attended 4 meetings. This included the weekly faculty leadership group meeting and my first department leadership group meeting.

5 meetings

Today, on a busy Monday, I have attended 5 meetings. This included a meeting on internationalization and my weekly meeting with the office manager.

#4,5

Today I have had an article writing day devoted to my Semiotic agency chapter "Human agency and ecology", with some 1.100 words written.

Abstract for NASS XII: "Neurosemiotics across species"

I have just submitted this abstract to the organizers of NASS XII (June 17-19, 2021, Vilnius) which has the theme "Meaning in Perception and the Senses":

 

Neurosemiotics across species  

Morten Tønnessen 

Professor of philosophy, Department of social studies, University of Stavanger 

Email: ...

This paper (Tønnessen, forthcoming) depicts neurosemiotics across species by applying a biosemiotic perspective that builds on the Umwelt theory of Jakob von Uexküll. To understand the Umwelt of sentient organisms, we must understand neurosemiotic aspects of their experience and behaviour. The paper also examines fundamental issues in neurosemiotics, such as the nature of the neural code, and whether the neural code can be understood as a semiotic concept. Connections are made between a proper understanding of the neural code and the neurosemiotics that is implicit in the Umwelt theory. A further discussion concerns how different forms of neurosemiotic agency relates to organisms´ capacity for relating to objects, understood as discernable, unified wholes. This sheds light on neurosemiotic aspects of subjectivity across species. A final discussion addresses anthropocentrism in behavioral neuroscience, which is to some extent unavoidable given our necessarily human perspective in neurosemiotic studies.  

Reference 

Tønnessen, Morten, forthcoming. Neurosemiotics across species. In Adolfo García & Agustin Ibanez (eds.), Routledge Handbook of Neurosemiotics. Routledge.  

KEYWORDS 

Umwelt theory, neural codes, subjective experience, individuality, neurosemiotic agency  

BIONOTE 

Morten Tønnessen (born 1976) is professor of philosophy at University of Stavanger. He is the President of the Nordic Association for Semiotic Studies, and has served as Editor-in-Chief of Biosemiotics (2013–2020). His Ph.d. thesis “Umwelt transition and Uexküllian phenomenology: An ecosemiotic analysis of Norwegian wolf management” was defended at University of Tartu (2011). Academic (b)log: http://utopianrealism.blogspot.com/

#3,5

Today I have had half an article day devoted in part to my Semiotic agency chapter on Human agency and Ecology, with some 200 words written.

Total number of writing days so far this Spring is up to 3,5.

Letter to the editor - October 2020

On October 26th the letter to the editor "Filosofimiljøet ved UIS ønsker årsstudium" was printed in Stavanger Aftenblad. It was signed by me and Tarjei Mandt Larsen.

Chronicle on HDI published online

My chronicle in Stavanger Aftenblad "Norge ikke lenger verdens beste land? Eller?" (literally: Norway no longer the world´s best country? Or?) was published online on January 6th.

Complaint grading

Today I have taken part in complaint grading of 5 exam papers in Philosophy of science and research methods (MEE140).

Two meetings, a guest lecture and a work lunch

Today I have had two meetings, and a work lunch related to our committee work on the ph.d. project on the topic of progress.

I also gave a guest lecture for Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), on the topic "Om etikk og bruk av dyr i husdyrproduksjonen" (on ethics and the use of animals in livestock production". Some 20 students attended the digital Zoom lecture, which was also recorded for later use. The lecture was given in the course "Dyrevelferd" (animal welfare, course code HET-203-1).

Three meetings

Today I have taken part in three scheduled meetings. This included a work group meeting about development of a master in psychology.

Meetings

Yesterday I attended the weekly leadership meeting with our office manager. Today I have attended a meeting on ph.d. education and the weekly faculty leadership group meeting.

#3

Today I have had an article writing day devoted to completing the revised version of my Routledge Handbook chapter "Neurosemiotics across species", with some 1.200 words written. Number of article days this Spring is up to 3.

Ph.d. project application on sustainable welfare

Today I have composed a ph.d. project description (4 pp.) for a ph.d. project on "Bærekraftig velferd" (sustainable welfare), focused on analysis of the Human Development Index and the recently launched Planetary pressures-adjusted Human Development Index (PHDI). If successful I will be the main supervisor. The application was sent to the University of Stavanger´s Faculty of social sciences.

#2

Today I have had half an article writing day, with some -100 words written net, revising my chapter "Neurosemiotics across species".

Two more meetings plus drop-ins yesterday; 12 meetings this week

Yesterday, on Thursday, I had two scheduled meetings, bringing the week´s total (in my first week as Head of department) up to 12. In addition I have had several drop-in meetings one-on-one with employees.

One of the meetings yesterday was a debrief talk with my Springer Nature contact after the completion of my period as Editor-in-Chief of Biosemiotics at New Year.

Two meetings and moving

Today I have had two meetings, bringing this week´s total up to 10 so far. I have also moved out of the Vice-Dean of Research office.

Three meetings

Today I have had three meetings, including the first faculty leadership group meeting where I have attended as Head of department.

Chronicle on Norway´s HDI performance published in Stavanger Aftenblad

Today a chronicle by me is published in print in the Norwegian regional daily Stavanger Aftenblad, titled "Ikke lenger verdens beste land? Eller?" (Not the worlds best country any longer? Or?). The chronicle discusses Norway´s HDI performance in the HDR for 2020 (for 2019 data) which appeared just before Christmas.

5 meetings

Today, on my first office day as Head of department at Department of social studies, I have attended five meetings. This included a leadership meeting with the office manager, a faculty leadership meeting on the most recent government covid-19 measures, an extraordinary meeting of the appointments committee, and two more meetings.

#1,5

Today I have had an article writing day devoted to revision of my chapter "Neurosemiotics across species", with some 100 words written.

#0,5

Today I have had half an article writing day devoted to the revision of my Routledge handbook chapter "Neurosemiotics across species".

2020 work year redux

In 2020 I logged 2.790,5 work hours. This corresponds to 169% of a normal work year, and is the least I have worked since 2013, the first full year that I was a father. This was due to a combination of covid-19 circumstances and a month´s sick leave. My average work week was 53,4 hours, 5,5 hours less than in 2019.

I spent the most time on University of Stavanger tasks, ahead of research and "litterært" (book projects). The share of UIS tasks and "litterært" were both the highest in recorded memory (which goes back to 2009).

425 blog posts in 2020

In 2020 I made 425 posts in this academic (b)log, Utopian Realism. This is about on the average of the past 7 years.

Life-time stats for my Academia.edu and Researchgate profiles: 23k views / 11k reads

I have 657 followers and to date 23.300 views on my Academia.edu profile - but note that I have opted out of email notifications because they sent an exessive amount.

On Researchgate I have a total of 10.590 reads, and 357 followers.

Social media profiles updated

I have updated my profile intros on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Academia.edu, Researchgate and the University of Stavanger with current responsibilites and more recent profile photos.

See also: New role as Head of department commenced; no longer EiC of Biosemiotics

New role as Head of department commenced; no longer EiC of Biosemiotics

From today onwards, I am Head of department at University of Stavanger´s Department of social studies, with its around 70 employees and 8-900 students. The tenure is for 4 years (2021-2024).

At the same time, I am now done as Vice-Dean of Research at the university´s Faculty of social sciences. I have also now stepped down as Editor-in-Chief of the Springer Nature journal Biosemiotics, for which I have been a co-Editor-in-Chief 2013-2018 and Lead Editor-in-Chief 2018-2020.