New biosemiotic research project

Kalevi Kull's research project "Biosemiotic models of semiosis" [Semioosi biosemiootilised mudelid] (ETF/ESF 8403) has been granted support from Eesti Teadusfond (Estonian Science Foundation). I am listed as senior personnel (January 1st, 2010 - December 31st, 2011), along with fellow Tartu biosemioticians Riste Keskpaik and Riin Magnus.

In this project, we are going to study the changes in general semiotics that are resulted from the development of biosemiotic concepts and biosemiotic theory. One of our points of departure will be the general semiotic theory as presented in "A theory of semiotics" by Umberto Eco (which is until now one of the very few existing treaties in the general theory of semiotics), and also some of Eco's later work that has developed the general theory. We will also consider the theoretical work of Juri Lotman (and in some extent of Floyd Merrell, John Deely and Paul Bains). The concepts we are going to study from the point of view of general semiotics will include umwelt, organic code, organic relation, inheritance system, organic need, functional cycle. The biosemiotic work to be analysed will include the models presented in the works of Jesper Hoffmeyer, Howard Pattee, Marcello Barbieri, and Terrence Deacon. The results will be published as review articles and case study analyses in the international top periodicals of semiotics.

My ETIS (Estonian Research Portal) data is to be found here.

Cf. also my question to Umberto Eco on science and fiction.