Peer-reviews conducted for IACS6

I have recently conducted peer-review of two proposed panels (with individual abstracts) for the Sixth Conference of the International Association for Cognitive Semiotics (IACS6), which is to take place in Rome, Italy, June 4-6th 2026, as a member of the conference´s scientific committee.

Joining Scientific Committee of 2026 "Biennial Meeting of the Polish Association for CogSci"

I have accepted to join the Scientific Committe of the conference "Biennial Meeting of the Polish Association for CogSci", with the theme «Making Sense of Meaning-making», which is to be held in Lublin, Poland September 21–23rd.

Plenary "The crisis of mechanistic science seen through the lens of the nature crisis" held at IACS5

Yesterday I gave my plenary talk "The crisis of mechanistic science seen through the lens of the nature crisis" at The Fifth Conference of the International Association for Cognitive Semiotics, with the theme “Crises of meaning”, organised at Division of Cognitive Semiotics at the Centre for Language and Literature at Lund University, in Lund, Sweden (August 15-17th). Some 50-60 people attended.

IACS-5 plenary addresses to be broadcast live via Zoom; links

The plenary addresses at The Fifth Conference of the International Association for Cognitive Semiotics (IACS-5), to be held in Lund, Sweden, August 15-17th with the conference theme "Crises of meaning", will be broadcast live over Zoom. All six are listed with their respective Zoom links in this document.

My Plenary Address “The crisis of mechanistic science seen through the lens of the nature crisis” is held Friday August 16th at 17:15-18:15, and can be followed live online by using this Zoom link.

IACS5 plenary talks abstracts now online

Abstracts of the six plenary talks for the 5th conference of the International Association for Cognitive Semiotics have now been shared online.

These include:

Elena Cuffari: "Autonomy, participation, and sense-making as sites of crisis: studying the technopolitical situatedness of linguistic bodies"

Hans-Georg Moeller: "The Crisis of Authenticity: Meaning under Conditions of "Profilicity""

Cornelia Müller: "Multimodality and aesthetic experience: How feeling guides the ways we make sense"

Jamin Pelkey: "The birth of wild meaning: Facing crises of alienation and disenchantment"

Komarine Romdenh-Romluc: "Break-downs and times of crisis"

Morten Tønnessen: "The crisis of mechanistic science seen through the lens of the nature crisis"

IACS5 plenary speech scheduled for Friday August 16th

My plenary speech at The Fifth Conference of the International Association for Cognitive Semiotics, with the theme “Crisis of meaning”, which is to be held at Lund University in Sweden August 15-17th, has according to a preliminary programme been scheduled for presentation Friday August 16th at 17.30-18.30.

See also:

Abstract for IACS5 (Lund, Sweden): "The crisis of mechanistic science seen through the lens of the nature crisis"

Review

I have recently done a peer review for the journal Cognitive Semiotics.

#22,5

Today I have had an article writing day with some 1100 words added to my article "Applied Umwelt theory in the context of phenomenological triangulation and descriptive phenomenology". So far this Spring I have had some 22,5 writing days.

6 abstracts reviewed for IACS5

This week I have helped review 6 abstract submitted to the organizers of the Fifth Conference of the International Association for Cognitive Semiotics (IACS-5), which is to be held August 15-17, 2024, in Lund, Sweden,

IACS5 plenary speakers presented in cognitive semiotics newsletter

The 2023 newsletter of the International Association for Cognitive Semiotics, IACS News, published in December, includes presentation of the six plenary speakers for the forthcoming IACS conference to be held in Lund, Sweden this Summer (August 15th to 17th), with the theme "Crises of meaning". 

The newsletter can be read in full here.

"If looks could kill" paper presented in Cognitive Semiotics Seminar at Lund University

Yesterday I presented my paper «If looks could kill: The human ecology of visible and overlooked worlds in the perspective of Umwelt phenomenology» digitally at the Cognitive Semiotics Seminar, with some listening in a room in Lund, Sweden, and more online, and altogether some 18 people attending.

To present "If looks could kill" paper in Cognitive Semiotics seminar November 16th

On Thursday November 16th, at 3-5 p.m. I will give another presentation in Lund university´s Cognitive Semiotics Seminar: "If looks could kill: The human ecology of visible and overlooked worlds in the perspective of Umwelt phenomenology". Attendance is possible physically and digitally (I will take part remotely).

See abstract, description and Zoom link here. 

Conference website for Fifth Conference of the International Association for Cognitive Semiotics (IACS-5)

The Fifth Conference of the International Association for Cognitive Semiotics (IACS-5), to be held August 15-17, 2024 in Lund, Sweden with the theme "Crisis of meaning", has now launched its conference website. I figure as one of the plenary speakers, along with Hans-Georg Moeller, Cornelia Mueller, Jamin Pelkey and Komarine Romdenh-Romluc. Abstract submissions are due January 15th, 2024.

Talk on phenomenological triangulation given in Cognitive Semiotics research seminar

On Thursday June 1st I gave a talk on phenomenological triangulation in the Cognitive Semiotics research seminar at Lund University, Sweden (online, via Zoom). The title of the talk was "Phenomenological triangulation in the study of animals as subjects of phenomenology – perspectives from cognitive semiotics and biosemiotics" (see event info and abstract here). Some 13 people attended the event, which lasted almost 2 hours including a 1-hour talk.

To present on phenomenological triangulation at Cognitive Semiotics Seminar (Lund university) June 1st - possible to follow via Zoom

I have been scheduled to give the presentation "Phenomenological triangulation in the study of humans and animals as subjects of phenomenology – perspectives from cognitive semiotics and biosemiotics" in the Cognitive Semiotics Seminar at Lund university & in Zoom, on June 1st at 3-5 p.m. See this link for abstract and the Zoom link.

I also reiterate the abstract here:

ABSTRACT

In earlier work I have argued that a genuine ´Uexküllian phenomenology´ can be derived from the Umwelt theory of Jacob von Uexküll, and that such a phenomenology is capable of accounting for the subjective experience of both human and animal subjects of the phenomenal world at large. With its foundation in contemporary biosemiotics, such a modern, empirically informed phenomenology is particularly relevant for the study of human-animal relations and interaction in societal and ecological settings.  

Cognitive semiotics professor Jordan Zlatev has proposed some interesting methodological principles for the transdisciplinary science of cognitive semiotics. This includes a “conceptual-empirical loop” with a research process involving a combination of theoretical and empirical work, and “phenomenological triangulation” involving combined use of 1st person perspective, 2nd person perspective and 3rd person perspective studies of one and the same topic of study. I will provide some comments and reflections on Zlatev´s methodological principles, and also discuss to what extent something similar could be applied within the context of biosemiotics, with the aim of integrating biosemiotics and phenomenology further.

"Phenomenological triangulation" paper presented at "After Nagel" colloquium in Nijmegen

Today I have presented my paper "Phenomenological Triangulation in the Study of Animals as Subjects of Phenomenology – Perspectives from Cognitive semiotics and Biosemiotics" at the colloquium «After Nagel: Science and the phenomenology of animals subjects”, held at Radboud university, Nijmegen, the Netherlands, March 6-7th. Some 25 people attended altogether (physically or digitally).

Abstract for "After Nagel" conference: “Phenomenological triangulation in the study of animals as subjects of phenomenology – perspectives from cognitive semiotics and biosemiotics”

I have submitted the abstract below as an invited speaker at the conference «After Nagel: Science and the phenomenology of animals subjects”, which is to be held at Radhoud university, the Netherlands, March 6-7th 2023:

Phenomenological triangulation in the study of animals as subjects of phenomenology – perspectives from cognitive semiotics and biosemiotics

In earlier work I have argued that a genuine ´Uexküllian phenomenology´ can be derived from the Umwelt theory of Jakob von Uexküll, and that such a phenomenology is capable of accounting for the subjective experience of both human and animal subjects of the phenomenal world at large. With its foundation in contemporary biosemiotics, such a modern, empirically informed phenomenology is particularly relevant for the study of human-animal relations and interaction in societal and ecological settings.

Cognitive semiotician Jordan Zlatev has proposed some interesting methodological principles for what he conceives of as the transdisciplinary science of cognitive semiotics. This includes a “conceptual-empirical loop” with a research process involving a combination of theoretical and empirical work, and “phenomenological triangulation” involving combined use of 1st person perspective, 2nd person perspective and 3rd person perspective studies of one and the same topic of study. I will discuss to what extent something similar could be applied within the context of biosemiotics, with the aim of integrating biosemiotics and phenomenology further.

2 meetings Friday; opponent at Juan Mendoza-Collazos´ ph.d. defense at Lund university, Sweden, this weekend

On Friday I had 2 meetings at UIS. 

This weekend I have been faculty opponent at the ph.d. defense of Juan Mendoza-Collazos´, who defended the thesis "Agency and Artefacts: A cognitive semiotic exploration of design" at Lund university, in Lund, Sweden, December 17th. My presentation and opposition in dialogue with the candidate went on for about two and a half hours. Some 35 people attended, most of which physically.

Related to the ph.d. defense, I also attended an informal dinner Friday evening, and a celebration party Saturday evening.

To be opponent at Juan Mendoza-Collazos´ ph.d. defence

I will be the opponent at Juan Mendoza-Collazos´ ph.d. defence of the thesis "Agency and Artefacts: A cognitive semiotic exploration of design", which is to take place at Lund university, in Lund, Sweden, on December 17th 2022. More info and link to the ph.d. thesis here.

Peer-review for IACS4

I have recently peer-reviewed two abstracts for the 4th conference of International Association for cognitive semiotics (IACS4), to be held in Germany this summer.