Cellular and network basis of information processing in the mammalian visual system. The project aims to discover the strategies by which cells in the brain interact with each other to code the sensory input efficiently. It is expected that simultaneous recording of the activity of many neurones from the visual cortex of anaesthetised cats during visual stimulation will reveal how the biophysics of synaptic integration combined with excitatory and inhibitory inputs from different sources sculpt ....Cellular and network basis of information processing in the mammalian visual system. The project aims to discover the strategies by which cells in the brain interact with each other to code the sensory input efficiently. It is expected that simultaneous recording of the activity of many neurones from the visual cortex of anaesthetised cats during visual stimulation will reveal how the biophysics of synaptic integration combined with excitatory and inhibitory inputs from different sources sculpts the output of individual neurones. The experiments will be extended to the study of possible interactions between different areas of the brain and the study of mechanisms by which the cortical network and higher cognitive factors such as attention and memory might influence the coding of sensory information in awake animals.Read moreRead less
The role of early life history on the survival of coral reef fishes - opening the Black Box. A fundamental unanswered question in marine ecology and fisheries management is - what influences the number of individuals that survive the larval phase to join a reef population? Theoretical studies show that small changes in the quality of offspring can lead to large changes in the numbers surviving the larval phase. What aspects of offspring quality determine who survives is largely unknown. We use ....The role of early life history on the survival of coral reef fishes - opening the Black Box. A fundamental unanswered question in marine ecology and fisheries management is - what influences the number of individuals that survive the larval phase to join a reef population? Theoretical studies show that small changes in the quality of offspring can lead to large changes in the numbers surviving the larval phase. What aspects of offspring quality determine who survives is largely unknown. We use a multidisciplinary approach to explore what influences the quality of offspring spawned by adults, and whether offspring traits prior to or at hatching determine the identity of individuals that survive to join the reproductive population.Read moreRead less
Colour vision and photoreceptors in reef fish: a model system to discover the function of double cones. Humans are visual animals and as lucky Australians we love to look at The Great Barrier Reef. This project, while rooted in the complexities of visual neurobiology, uses a recently discovered set of 4 different reef fish from the GBR to teach us more about fundamental principles in vision. These fish, diverse as damselfish and snappers, will help solve a mystery centuries old. Double cones are ....Colour vision and photoreceptors in reef fish: a model system to discover the function of double cones. Humans are visual animals and as lucky Australians we love to look at The Great Barrier Reef. This project, while rooted in the complexities of visual neurobiology, uses a recently discovered set of 4 different reef fish from the GBR to teach us more about fundamental principles in vision. These fish, diverse as damselfish and snappers, will help solve a mystery centuries old. Double cones are the commonest daytime photoreceptor in the eyes of almost all vertebrates (humans without them are exceptions) and yet nobody knows what they do. Reef fish have them, so let's ask them what they see!Read moreRead less
Descartes' Ontology of Everyday Life. Australia has a strong international reputation in philosophy and the history of philosophy. This project will contribute to our standing in the international community of scholars and to the teaching of Australian students in the historical origins of contemporary ideas and problems. It will furthermore contribute to the growing recognition of early modern interdisciplinary studies within Australia by drawing on ideas from the history of science, early mode ....Descartes' Ontology of Everyday Life. Australia has a strong international reputation in philosophy and the history of philosophy. This project will contribute to our standing in the international community of scholars and to the teaching of Australian students in the historical origins of contemporary ideas and problems. It will furthermore contribute to the growing recognition of early modern interdisciplinary studies within Australia by drawing on ideas from the history of science, early modern philosophy, medieval philosophy and the history of early modern thought and ideas.Read moreRead less
The rise of empiricism and the attempt to produce a unified understanding of the world, 1680-1750. Empiricism is often regarded as the characterising feature of modern scientific method, and, in those approaches to psychology and the social and economic sciences that seek to model themselves on successful scientific practice in the physical and life sciences, it often acts as a model of good practice. The project examines the original form of empiricism and shows how it was able to directly enga ....The rise of empiricism and the attempt to produce a unified understanding of the world, 1680-1750. Empiricism is often regarded as the characterising feature of modern scientific method, and, in those approaches to psychology and the social and economic sciences that seek to model themselves on successful scientific practice in the physical and life sciences, it often acts as a model of good practice. The project examines the original form of empiricism and shows how it was able to directly engage questions of value in a novel and revealing way, and how its connection with 'hard' sciences was not merely to provide a methodological gloss on these, but went to the core of what scientific explanation consisted in.Read moreRead less
Isaac Newton's Temple of Solomon and his analysis of sacred architecture: An interpretation and discussion of Babson Manuscript 0434. Babson Manuscript is an important Newtonian manuscript that contains significant cross disciplinary ideas. It requires a multi-disciplinary understanding and skills for its detailed evaluation. Interpretation and analysis of this significant Newtonian manuscript will advance Newtonian scholarship and will be a valuable resource for researchers of architectural his ....Isaac Newton's Temple of Solomon and his analysis of sacred architecture: An interpretation and discussion of Babson Manuscript 0434. Babson Manuscript is an important Newtonian manuscript that contains significant cross disciplinary ideas. It requires a multi-disciplinary understanding and skills for its detailed evaluation. Interpretation and analysis of this significant Newtonian manuscript will advance Newtonian scholarship and will be a valuable resource for researchers of architectural history. This project has both academic and public outcomes. Recently there has been an increased interest in what is commonly perceived as 'ancient wisdom.' Solomon's Temple is one of the most revered ancient symbols. This project will make the history and ideas of this symbol more accessible to the publicRead moreRead less
John Locke, botany and natural kinds. This project will enhance the status of research into early modern science and philosophy in Australia. It is a project of major significance in Locke studies and in the history of botany and it will impinge on a number of current philosophical debates to which Australians are already making a major contribution: the nature of biological species; natural kinds; and scientific method. Those who work on early modern thought in Australia will also benefit from ....John Locke, botany and natural kinds. This project will enhance the status of research into early modern science and philosophy in Australia. It is a project of major significance in Locke studies and in the history of botany and it will impinge on a number of current philosophical debates to which Australians are already making a major contribution: the nature of biological species; natural kinds; and scientific method. Those who work on early modern thought in Australia will also benefit from the close relationship that will be established between the University of Sydney and Oxford University. The publications issuing from the project will be of international significance.Read moreRead less
The Logical Theories of Robert Kilwardby. The project is to produce a monograph on the logical theories of Robert Kilwardby (d. 1279) as they are expounded in his commentary on Aristotle's Prior Analytics, analyzing them from the perspective of modern logic. Kilwardby's commentary - which has not been critically edited, translated, or extensively studied - is remarkable for its fidelity to Aristotle's text, and its innovations in logical theory. This forms part of a larger project jointly with D ....The Logical Theories of Robert Kilwardby. The project is to produce a monograph on the logical theories of Robert Kilwardby (d. 1279) as they are expounded in his commentary on Aristotle's Prior Analytics, analyzing them from the perspective of modern logic. Kilwardby's commentary - which has not been critically edited, translated, or extensively studied - is remarkable for its fidelity to Aristotle's text, and its innovations in logical theory. This forms part of a larger project jointly with Dr Henrik Lagerlund (Uppsala University), to do a critical edition, historical introduction, and English translation of Kilwardby's commentary, together with the present logical analysis.Read moreRead less
Mereological Composition and Material Constitution. This project embodies a number of advances in metaphysics, which is a field of research in which Australia enjoys a considerable international reputation. Our work on material constitution will also further Australia's reputation in the philosophy of mind; some of the most celebrated 20th Century contributions in the philosophy of mind have been written by Australian philosophers.
Personal Identity, Consciousness and Agency. If I lose my memory, am I the same person I used to be? If much of my body or brain is replaced, do I remain the same person? What if my beliefs and attitudes are altered: does this affect who I am? These are questions of personal identity, and they have enormous bearing on questions of public ethics, especially in the light of biomedical changes. Our inter-disciplinary solutions will add both nuance and insight to the difficult decisions the communit ....Personal Identity, Consciousness and Agency. If I lose my memory, am I the same person I used to be? If much of my body or brain is replaced, do I remain the same person? What if my beliefs and attitudes are altered: does this affect who I am? These are questions of personal identity, and they have enormous bearing on questions of public ethics, especially in the light of biomedical changes. Our inter-disciplinary solutions will add both nuance and insight to the difficult decisions the community will face in this area. The project brings to Australia two leading young researchers from the United States, thus substantially enhancing Australia's skill base and international profile.Read moreRead less