News – On the Human http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human a project of the National Humanities Center Thu, 14 Sep 2017 16:39:50 +0000 en-US hourly 1 On the Human, in the blogosphere http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2009/06/on-the-human-in-the-blogosphere/ http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2009/06/on-the-human-in-the-blogosphere/#comments Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:04:19 +0000 http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/humannature/?p=253 I know many of you are eagerly awaiting this week’s thought-provoking piece by the anthropologist Paul Rabinow. His post should appear later today.

While you’re waiting, you can also take a quick look at what’s being said out in the blogosphere about this nascent blog. We are deeply enjoying the conversations that have already taken

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]]> http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2009/06/on-the-human-in-the-blogosphere/feed/ 1 Do strangers know better than we do what will make us happy? (Science) http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2009/03/strangers-know-better-than-we-do-what-will-make-us-happy/ Sat, 21 Mar 2009 23:59:51 +0000 http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/humannature/?p=164 “People believe that the best way to predict how happy they will be in the future is to know what their future holds, but what they should really want to know is how happy those who’ve been to the future actually turned out to be.” Daniel Gilbert, Science, Mar 2009

]]> Humanities bridge the sciences (Nature) http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2009/03/humanities-bridge-the-sciences/ Sun, 15 Mar 2009 20:41:17 +0000 http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/humannature/?p=160 “… journals in the humanities and social sciences … emerge as gateways between [scientific journal] clusters that are otherwise poorly connected, and so act as key bridges between disciplines.” Nature, 9 Mar 2009

]]> fMRI researcher looks at religion (NPR) http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2009/03/fmri-researcher-looks-at-religion/ http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2009/03/fmri-researcher-looks-at-religion/#comments Tue, 10 Mar 2009 22:33:13 +0000 http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/humannature/?p=154 National Public Radio has a story on ways researchers are using functional MRI to map religious beliefs.

All Things Considered March 9, 2009 The human brain, it appears, responds to God as if he were just another person, according to a team at the National Institutes of Health.

A study of 40 people — some

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]]> http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2009/03/fmri-researcher-looks-at-religion/feed/ 1 Chimp plans for future? (Guardian) http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2009/03/chimp-plans-for-future/ Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:22:08 +0000 http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/humannature/?p=149 Santino, a 31-year-old male at Furuvik zoo in Sweden, may be the first animal to exhibit an unambiguous ability to plan for the future.

UPDATE: The BBC also has the story, which includes an audio interview with researcher Mathias Osvath.

]]> Allo-mothers (NY Times) http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2009/03/allo-mothers/ Wed, 04 Mar 2009 01:24:40 +0000 http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/humannature/?p=139 Sarah Hrdy argues humans are distinct from other animals in that only we have “allo-mothers,” as-if mothers recruited by babies to help with child-rearing.

]]> ‘Being Human’ series (Nature) http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2009/02/nature-being-human-series/ Tue, 24 Feb 2009 22:23:32 +0000 http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/humannature/?p=133 Why do we behave in the way that we do? In a series of 8 essays, contributors to Nature reveal how the latest research is altering our understanding of what it is to be human. Whether in relation to religion or to our collective behaviour in cities, experts explore the potential impact on society, now

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]]> Baby robot learns by trial and error? (New Scientist) http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2009/02/baby-robot-learns-by-trial-and-error/ http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2009/02/baby-robot-learns-by-trial-and-error/#comments Sat, 21 Feb 2009 01:25:17 +0000 http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/humannature/?p=125 Babybot’s software mimics biological neural networks, adjusting the strength of links between the computer program’s artificial neurons to perfect learned tasks. Is the program training its arm to pick up the rubber ducky in a way analogous to the way Junior trains his arm? Read more.

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]]> http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2009/02/baby-robot-learns-by-trial-and-error/feed/ 1 Whistling orangutan (Great Ape Trust, YouTube) http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2009/02/whistling-orangutan/ Sat, 21 Feb 2009 01:07:24 +0000 http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/humannature/?p=119 Apparently imitating human handlers, an orangutan spontaneously begins whistling. Read more.

]]> ASC website expands, becomes On the Human http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/2009/02/asc-blogwebsite-becomes-human-nature/ Tue, 17 Feb 2009 20:36:14 +0000 http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/on-the-human/humannature/?p=111 Autonomy Singularity Creativity, the three year project by the National Humanities Center to bring scientists and humanities scholars together to discuss the various ways that science is altering our understanding of the human experience, is coming to an end. Over the course of these three years, we have generated an enormous amount of new scholarship,

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