A Practical Theory of Factual Information: Fundamentals and Applications in Philosophy and Physics. The project will provide answers to questions of fundamental significance to all Australians. By developing a new philosophical theory of factual information, it will yield new insights into one of the basic things that makes us human. By applying the new theory to central contemporary problems in philosophy and physics, it will provide a new understanding of the role and significance of causal re ....A Practical Theory of Factual Information: Fundamentals and Applications in Philosophy and Physics. The project will provide answers to questions of fundamental significance to all Australians. By developing a new philosophical theory of factual information, it will yield new insights into one of the basic things that makes us human. By applying the new theory to central contemporary problems in philosophy and physics, it will provide a new understanding of the role and significance of causal reasoning, and of the nature of the quantum world. The project will add greatly to the growth of Australia's research capital, attracting some of the world's best young researchers and students to work and study in this country, and adding further to Australia's international prominence, in a field in which we are already very strong.Read moreRead less
The Foundation, Role, and Design of Democracy. Democracy now reigns unchallenged as the master ideal in contemporary societies, western and non-western, developed and developing. But what is democracy, what is its essential role, and by what institutions can that role be best played in the changing circumstances of local, national and international life? This project develops a unified theory of the foundation, role and design of democratic institutions. By establishing a permanent international ....The Foundation, Role, and Design of Democracy. Democracy now reigns unchallenged as the master ideal in contemporary societies, western and non-western, developed and developing. But what is democracy, what is its essential role, and by what institutions can that role be best played in the changing circumstances of local, national and international life? This project develops a unified theory of the foundation, role and design of democratic institutions. By establishing a permanent international research centre focused on these vital questions, it will address theoretical and practical issues of great importance to all contemporary communities, and give Australia a new and on-going voice in crucial international debates.Read moreRead less
Biohumanities: Philosophical, Historical, and Socio-Cultural Studies of Contemporary Bioscience. Improving understanding of the meaning and implications of contemporary bioscience, especially genetics and molecular biology, through bioliterate research in the humanities and social sciences, and conversely through better assimilation of bioscience and its significance by the humanities and social sciences. The research will be conducted in close collaboration with the Australian scientific commun ....Biohumanities: Philosophical, Historical, and Socio-Cultural Studies of Contemporary Bioscience. Improving understanding of the meaning and implications of contemporary bioscience, especially genetics and molecular biology, through bioliterate research in the humanities and social sciences, and conversely through better assimilation of bioscience and its significance by the humanities and social sciences. The research will be conducted in close collaboration with the Australian scientific community and will be disseminated back to the scientific community, to the humanities and to the Australian public. The project will bring to Australia the strengths of the applicant's existing collaborations with leading research centres in this field in the USA, UK and Canada.Read moreRead less
The Contents of Consciousness. This project aims to develop a research centre that will be a world leader in the study of consciousness. The focus will be the question: how does human consciousness represent the world? The science of consciousness has seen explosive growth internationally in the last decade, but the relationship between consciousness and representation is not well-understood. Through local and international collaboration, researchers will develop a framework for understanding ....The Contents of Consciousness. This project aims to develop a research centre that will be a world leader in the study of consciousness. The focus will be the question: how does human consciousness represent the world? The science of consciousness has seen explosive growth internationally in the last decade, but the relationship between consciousness and representation is not well-understood. Through local and international collaboration, researchers will develop a framework for understanding the representational content of consciousness and will analyze experimental work at the leading edge of neuroscience and cognitive science. This will help us to understand the nature of consciousness itself.Read moreRead less
Closing the Future: New Foundations for the Physics of Possibility. The distinction between a fixed and an open future is deeply embedded in human thought, and also central to some of the most profound puzzles in contemporary physics. By revealing the human origins of out fundamental concepts of possibility in time, this project will enhance our understanding of one of the most basic features of our experience of the world, lay foundations for a new treatment of time and possibility in foundame ....Closing the Future: New Foundations for the Physics of Possibility. The distinction between a fixed and an open future is deeply embedded in human thought, and also central to some of the most profound puzzles in contemporary physics. By revealing the human origins of out fundamental concepts of possibility in time, this project will enhance our understanding of one of the most basic features of our experience of the world, lay foundations for a new treatment of time and possibility in foundamental physics, and throw important new light on the mysteries of the quantum world.Read moreRead less
Language, belief formation and visual cognition: cognitive and neuropsychological investigations. I will direct a programme of research and research training in cognitive science and cognitive neuropsychology at macquarie universtiy, with international collaborative links to the USA, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Germany & New Zealand. This programme of research and research training will initially focus on
a)how people understand and produce language, and how these capabilities can break down ....Language, belief formation and visual cognition: cognitive and neuropsychological investigations. I will direct a programme of research and research training in cognitive science and cognitive neuropsychology at macquarie universtiy, with international collaborative links to the USA, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Germany & New Zealand. This programme of research and research training will initially focus on
a)how people understand and produce language, and how these capabilities can break down after brain damage;
b)The relationship between visual memory and reading; and
c)The nature of the delusions seen in schizophrenia and other disorders, and what causes these delusions.Read moreRead less
Deliberative Global Governance. The worldwide movement building deliberative democracy should now address deliberative capacity in whole systems, not just micro innovations such as citizens' juries. This includes global systems such as that addressing climate change; substantial environmental benefits will result. A world populated by more effective democracies - especially in East Asia - is in Australia's national security interest. A century ago, Australia was a world leader in innovations suc ....Deliberative Global Governance. The worldwide movement building deliberative democracy should now address deliberative capacity in whole systems, not just micro innovations such as citizens' juries. This includes global systems such as that addressing climate change; substantial environmental benefits will result. A world populated by more effective democracies - especially in East Asia - is in Australia's national security interest. A century ago, Australia was a world leader in innovations such as the secret ballot and votes for women. Work on deliberative democracy can put Australia back in the forefront of democratic progress, with many associated social, political, and economic benefits.Read moreRead less
Restorative Justice and Responsive Governance: Fresh Challenges, New Theory, Global Networks. War causes not only human suffering; it threatens the health and education of children and children's children. It sets back economies, encourages transnational crime through trafficking drugs, people, money laundering, guns and terror across our region in ways that directly affect Australians. This research will provide fresh insights from the successes and failures of peacebuilding in the Pacific and ....Restorative Justice and Responsive Governance: Fresh Challenges, New Theory, Global Networks. War causes not only human suffering; it threatens the health and education of children and children's children. It sets back economies, encourages transnational crime through trafficking drugs, people, money laundering, guns and terror across our region in ways that directly affect Australians. This research will provide fresh insights from the successes and failures of peacebuilding in the Pacific and Asia. The effectiveness of new restorative and responsive strategies for improving the performance of our health system, strengthening the knowledge economy, improving competition and preventing crime will be tested and developed. Australia will grow as the dominant locus of research on restorative and responsive strategies that work.Read moreRead less
Reducing health inequities and social exclusion: improved theory, understanding and policies. This research will provide knowledge to help understanding of why some groups are less healthy and less included in the mainstream of society than others. Research evidence indicates that reducing differences in health status & making more citizens included in the activities of society has overall health benefits & is good for economic development. The program will provide Australian and other governmen ....Reducing health inequities and social exclusion: improved theory, understanding and policies. This research will provide knowledge to help understanding of why some groups are less healthy and less included in the mainstream of society than others. Research evidence indicates that reducing differences in health status & making more citizens included in the activities of society has overall health benefits & is good for economic development. The program will provide Australian and other governments with much improved evidence about what works, what does not work in terms of improving population health and so enable better decisions about which public programs to invest in. Thus the research conducted under this program will inform ways in which Australian and overseas populations can achieve long and more productive livesRead moreRead less
The New Paradigm of International Migration to and from Australia: Dimensions, Causes and Implications. Population movement to and from Australia is undergoing a major transformation but much thinking about immigration in Australia remains based on paradigms of the past. Yet debates such as those on immigration's contribution to national population size and growth, the significance of skilled migration, the response to asylum seekers, undocumented movement and the role of temporary versus settle ....The New Paradigm of International Migration to and from Australia: Dimensions, Causes and Implications. Population movement to and from Australia is undergoing a major transformation but much thinking about immigration in Australia remains based on paradigms of the past. Yet debates such as those on immigration's contribution to national population size and growth, the significance of skilled migration, the response to asylum seekers, undocumented movement and the role of temporary versus settlement migration have increased. This study identifies emerging trends of migration, examines global and domestic drivers of the movement in the context of developing migration theory, explores the economic, social and demographic consequences and draws out the implications for immigration and population policy.Read moreRead less