Expecting the Unexpected: Learning Complex Temporal and Rhythmic Relations. Music is one of the most accessible routes to experience, and to learn about, cultures other than our own. A new implicit method for learning complex rhythm and underlying metre promotes inter-group understanding and communication. We hypothesize that implicit learning (IL) of unfamiliar complex metres through music generalizes to spoken language built on similar metres; IL facilitates segmentation of previously unfamili ....Expecting the Unexpected: Learning Complex Temporal and Rhythmic Relations. Music is one of the most accessible routes to experience, and to learn about, cultures other than our own. A new implicit method for learning complex rhythm and underlying metre promotes inter-group understanding and communication. We hypothesize that implicit learning (IL) of unfamiliar complex metres through music generalizes to spoken language built on similar metres; IL facilitates segmentation of previously unfamiliar spoken language and enhances recognition of English spoken with the stress pattern of a 'foreign' metre. Future intervention programs based on implicit learning of temporal relations will benefit people with reading difficulties or timing problems characteristic of cerebellar and basal ganglia patients.Read moreRead less
History and the Individual Life: Autobiography, Biography and the history of the self in the British World c1750 -1980. In providing a new way of linking autobiography and biography with the history of identity and of the self, this project will open new avenues for the study of history which will be important in Australia and internationally. Its focus on the British world will also bring Australian writing and experience into a broader international framework. At a time when biography is so v ....History and the Individual Life: Autobiography, Biography and the history of the self in the British World c1750 -1980. In providing a new way of linking autobiography and biography with the history of identity and of the self, this project will open new avenues for the study of history which will be important in Australia and internationally. Its focus on the British world will also bring Australian writing and experience into a broader international framework. At a time when biography is so very popular and widely read, it offers the possibility of bringing academic scholarship closer to questions of general interest to the community and thus re-enforcing the significance of academic research in the humanities. Read moreRead less
Evolution and development of a lateralised brain: A behavioural ecology perspective. Little research on fish behavioural ecology is conducted in Australia despite our imperilled, unique aquatic ecosystems. Studies examining cerebral lateralisation using our native species as model organisms will help determine how animals classify and process information, providing a novel method of examining how native fishes respond to invasive predators and competitors. Increased understanding of lateralised ....Evolution and development of a lateralised brain: A behavioural ecology perspective. Little research on fish behavioural ecology is conducted in Australia despite our imperilled, unique aquatic ecosystems. Studies examining cerebral lateralisation using our native species as model organisms will help determine how animals classify and process information, providing a novel method of examining how native fishes respond to invasive predators and competitors. Increased understanding of lateralised cognitive function will shed light on its selective advantage as a fundamental aspect of brain function in all animals including humans. This multidisciplinary proposal will facilitate international collaborations, see the return of a home-grown scientist and ensure that Australia remains a world leader in scientific research.Read moreRead less
Evolution of Mind: The representational capacities of gibbons (H. syndactylus) and the common ancestor of humans and apes. This research is the first systematic investigation into the mental capacity of gibbons. These apes are one of our closest genetic relatives. Results of the research will inform human-animal comparisons and investigations into the evolution of the human mind. More appropriate enrichment measures for captive apes could be developed as a result. It is hoped that this work will ....Evolution of Mind: The representational capacities of gibbons (H. syndactylus) and the common ancestor of humans and apes. This research is the first systematic investigation into the mental capacity of gibbons. These apes are one of our closest genetic relatives. Results of the research will inform human-animal comparisons and investigations into the evolution of the human mind. More appropriate enrichment measures for captive apes could be developed as a result. It is hoped that this work will also lead to new collaborations with Indonesia, home of many gibbon species. The proposed research continues Australia's outstanding tradition of excellence in basic research. Read moreRead less
The prediction of sleep/wake behaviour based on physiological and social factors. The prevalence of shiftwork has increased in Australia over the last few decades. Shiftworkers obtain less sleep, have greater difficulty maintaining good relationships, have poorer health, and are more likely to be injured at work than others. Using the largest dataset of its kind, we will substantially contribute to understanding the relationships between work hours, sleep, performance and safety. Ultimately, the ....The prediction of sleep/wake behaviour based on physiological and social factors. The prevalence of shiftwork has increased in Australia over the last few decades. Shiftworkers obtain less sleep, have greater difficulty maintaining good relationships, have poorer health, and are more likely to be injured at work than others. Using the largest dataset of its kind, we will substantially contribute to understanding the relationships between work hours, sleep, performance and safety. Ultimately, the project will answer a question critical to workplace safety - how much time off between shifts is needed to be alert and safe at work? The project will also produce tools to help industry design fatigue-friendly rosters, improving the safety, productivity and general well-being of shiftworkers in Australia and overseas.Read moreRead less
Occupant comfort, cognitive performance and task performance in wind-excited tall buildings. Strong winds are sensitive to climate change and highly unpredictable, critically affecting the design of tall buildings and our built environment. The outcomes of this research will revolutionalise current design approach for occupant comfort in wind-excited tall buildings and deliver a new generation of tall buildings that provides a comfortable living and working environment without a degradation of w ....Occupant comfort, cognitive performance and task performance in wind-excited tall buildings. Strong winds are sensitive to climate change and highly unpredictable, critically affecting the design of tall buildings and our built environment. The outcomes of this research will revolutionalise current design approach for occupant comfort in wind-excited tall buildings and deliver a new generation of tall buildings that provides a comfortable living and working environment without a degradation of work performance due to wind-induced vibration. The transfer of this knowledge from research to practice will enhance the international competitiveness of our architecture, engineering and construction professionals, boosting our involvement in major tall building projects worldwide and bringing long-term economical benefits to Australia.Read moreRead less
Understanding phenomenal experience as a natural part of our world. The natural sciences?physics, chemistry and biology?provide compelling accounts of our world. They contain, however, no overt mention of mental states and in particular the mental states with a phenomenology: states like itches and colour experiences. The challenge for naturalists is locate these states within the naturalist picture. This project develops and draws on representationalist accounts of mind to explain how to locate ....Understanding phenomenal experience as a natural part of our world. The natural sciences?physics, chemistry and biology?provide compelling accounts of our world. They contain, however, no overt mention of mental states and in particular the mental states with a phenomenology: states like itches and colour experiences. The challenge for naturalists is locate these states within the naturalist picture. This project develops and draws on representationalist accounts of mind to explain how to locate mental states that have a phenomenology within the naturalist's picture. This will yield new perspectives on the mental lives of machines.Read moreRead less
Conscious Experience and the Hegemony of Representation. Many things make humans special but three stand out: the possession of a moral sense, rationality, and consciousness. This project aims to explain consciousness in a way fully comppatible with the aspirations of cognitive science to see humans as a natural part of the physical world.
Belief singular versus beliefs plural. Research on the brain and how it represents the environment has the potential to reconfigure our ordinary conceptions of belief and rationality. This project explores the impact of the changes and their implications.
Probability and necessity in the physical sciences. This is a philosophical study of concepts that are vital to the conduct of science: namely, dispositional concepts such as force in physics, solubility in chemistry, biological fitness, and psychological traits. By offering a radical and novel interpretation of such concepts, this project has the potential to influence the future development of Australian science. Moreover, dispositions are crucial to understanding our distinctively human persp ....Probability and necessity in the physical sciences. This is a philosophical study of concepts that are vital to the conduct of science: namely, dispositional concepts such as force in physics, solubility in chemistry, biological fitness, and psychological traits. By offering a radical and novel interpretation of such concepts, this project has the potential to influence the future development of Australian science. Moreover, dispositions are crucial to understanding our distinctively human perspective on the world. The abilities to predict, reason, communicate meanings, and to act intentionally all involve dispositional states. This project addresses the fundamental nature of such states, and will thus be of significance to anyone who hopes to understand these distinctively human phenomena.Read moreRead less