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The dream of reason : a history of western philosophy from the Greeks to the Renaissance
Philosophy is a subject with a long history and a short memory. In this landmark new study of Western thought, Anthony Gottlieb looks afresh at the writings of the great thinkers, questions many pieces of conventional wisdom and explains his findings with unbridled brilliance and clarity. From the pre-Socratic philosophers such as Empedocles, whose account of the cosmos seems \"a mixture of the physics of Stephen Hawking and the romantic novels of Barbara Cartland,\" through the celebrated days of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, up to Renaissance visionaries like Erasmus and Bacon, \"philosophy\" emerges here as a phenomenon unconfined by any one discipline. Indeed, as Gottlieb explains, its most revolutionary breakthroughs in the natural and social sciences have repeatedly been co-opted by other branches of knowledge, leading to the illusion that philosophers never make any progress.
Book
Evidence of human occupation in Mexico around the Last Glacial Maximum
The initial colonization of the Americas remains a highly debated topic
1
, and the exact timing of the first arrivals is unknown. The earliest archaeological record of Mexico—which holds a key geographical position in the Americas—is poorly known and understudied. Historically, the region has remained on the periphery of research focused on the first American populations
2
. However, recent investigations provide reliable evidence of a human presence in the northwest region of Mexico
3
,
4
, the Chiapas Highlands
5
, Central Mexico
6
and the Caribbean coast
7
–
9
during the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene epochs. Here we present results of recent excavations at Chiquihuite Cave—a high-altitude site in central-northern Mexico—that corroborate previous findings in the Americas
10
–
17
of cultural evidence that dates to the Last Glacial Maximum (26,500–19,000 years ago)
18
, and which push back dates for human dispersal to the region possibly as early as 33,000–31,000 years ago. The site yielded about 1,900 stone artefacts within a 3-m-deep stratified sequence, revealing a previously unknown lithic industry that underwent only minor changes over millennia. More than 50 radiocarbon and luminescence dates provide chronological control, and genetic, palaeoenvironmental and chemical data document the changing environments in which the occupants lived. Our results provide new evidence for the antiquity of humans in the Americas, illustrate the cultural diversity of the earliest dispersal groups (which predate those of the Clovis culture) and open new directions of research.
Chiquihuite Cave (Zacatecas, Mexico) provides evidence of human presence in the Americas between about 33,000–31,000 and 14,000–12,000 years ago, and expands the cultural variability known from sites of this date.
Journal Article
Non-ammocoete larvae of Palaeozoic stem lampreys
Ammocoetes—the filter-feeding larvae of modern lampreys—have long influenced hypotheses of vertebrate ancestry
1
–
7
. The life history of modern lampreys, which develop from a superficially amphioxus-like ammocoete to a specialized predatory adult, appears to recapitulate widely accepted scenarios of vertebrate origin. However, no direct evidence has validated the evolutionary antiquity of ammocoetes, and their status as models of primitive vertebrate anatomy is uncertain. Here we report larval and juvenile forms of four stem lampreys from the Palaeozoic era (
Hardistiella
,
Mayomyzon
,
Pipiscius
, and
Priscomyzon
), including a hatchling-to-adult growth series of the genus
Priscomyzon
from Late Devonian Gondwana. Larvae of all four genera lack the defining traits of ammocoetes. They instead display features that are otherwise unique to adult modern lampreys, including prominent eyes, a cusped feeding apparatus, and posteriorly united branchial baskets. Notably, phylogenetic analyses find that these non-ammocoete larvae occur in at least three independent lineages of stem lamprey. This distribution strongly implies that ammocoetes are specializations of modern-lamprey life history rather than relics of vertebrate ancestry. These phylogenetic insights also suggest that the last common ancestor of hagfishes and lampreys was a macrophagous predator that did not have a filter-feeding larval phase. Thus, the armoured ‘ostracoderms’ that populate the cyclostome and gnathostome stems might serve as better proxies than living cyclostomes for the last common ancestor of all living vertebrates.
Growth series of Palaeozoic stem lampreys do not include a filter-feeding larval phase seen in modern lampreys, which suggests that modern lamprey larvae are a poor model of vertebrate ancestry.
Journal Article
Architectural symbolism in tradition and modernity
The article considers the architectural form and its components: physical, artistic, symbolic forms. Symbolism in architectural form has been used since antiquity as a way of transmitting certain sacred information in an associative way. The symbolism of the architectural form has traditionally been addressed at several levels: digital / numerical symbolism; graphic characters; conceptually - planning and conceptual-spatial levels. Modern architectural objects partially use the traditional methods of symbolism and are more characterized by the use of associations, metaphors and direct imitation. All techniques are illustrated both by the existing architectural objects, classical and modern, as well as by the example of architectural competitions on space exploration Marstopia, Moontopia, Moon Trip.
Journal Article
Age estimates for hominin fossils and the onset of the Upper Palaeolithic at Denisova Cave
Denisova Cave in the Siberian Altai (Russia) is a key site for understanding the complex relationships between hominin groups that inhabited Eurasia in the Middle and Late Pleistocene epoch. DNA sequenced from human remains found at this site has revealed the presence of a hitherto unknown hominin group, the Denisovans
1
,
2
, and high-coverage genomes from both Neanderthal and Denisovan fossils provide evidence for admixture between these two populations
3
. Determining the age of these fossils is important if we are to understand the nature of hominin interaction, and aspects of their cultural and subsistence adaptations. Here we present 50 radiocarbon determinations from the late Middle and Upper Palaeolithic layers of the site. We also report three direct dates for hominin fragments and obtain a mitochondrial DNA sequence for one of them. We apply a Bayesian age modelling approach that combines chronometric (radiocarbon, uranium series and optical ages), stratigraphic and genetic data to calculate probabilistically the age of the human fossils at the site. Our modelled estimate for the age of the oldest Denisovan fossil suggests that this group was present at the site as early as 195,000 years ago (at 95.4% probability). All Neanderthal fossils—as well as Denisova 11, the daughter of a Neanderthal and a Denisovan
4
—date to between 80,000 and 140,000 years ago. The youngest Denisovan dates to 52,000–76,000 years ago. Direct radiocarbon dating of Upper Palaeolithic tooth pendants and bone points yielded the earliest evidence for the production of these artefacts in northern Eurasia, between 43,000 and 49,000 calibrated years before present (taken as
ad
1950). On the basis of current archaeological evidence, it may be assumed that these artefacts are associated with the Denisovan population. It is not currently possible to determine whether anatomically modern humans were involved in their production, as modern-human fossil and genetic evidence of such antiquity has not yet been identified in the Altai region.
Bayesian modelling of chronometric, stratigraphic and genetic data from Denisova Cave provides a chronological framework for understanding Neanderthal and Denisovan presence at the site, as well as interactions between these groups.
Journal Article
Physiology, pathophysiology and (mal)adaptations to chronic apnoeic training: a state-of-the-art review
Breath-hold diving is an activity that humans have engaged in since antiquity to forage for resources, provide sustenance and to support military campaigns. In modern times, breath-hold diving continues to gain popularity and recognition as both a competitive and recreational sport. The continued progression of world records is somewhat remarkable, particularly given the extreme hypoxaemic and hypercapnic conditions, and hydrostatic pressures these athletes endure. However, there is abundant literature to suggest a large inter-individual variation in the apnoeic capabilities that is thus far not fully understood. In this review, we explore developments in apnoea physiology and delineate the traits and mechanisms that potentially underpin this variation. In addition, we sought to highlight the physiological (mal)adaptations associated with consistent breath-hold training. Breath-hold divers (BHDs) are evidenced to exhibit a more pronounced diving-response than non-divers, while elite BHDs (EBHDs) also display beneficial adaptations in both blood and skeletal muscle. Importantly, these physiological characteristics are documented to be primarily influenced by training-induced stimuli. BHDs are exposed to unique physiological and environmental stressors, and as such possess an ability to withstand acute cerebrovascular and neuronal strains. Whether these characteristics are also a result of training-induced adaptations or genetic predisposition is less certain. Although the long-term effects of regular breath-hold diving activity are yet to be holistically established, preliminary evidence has posed considerations for cognitive, neurological, renal and bone health in BHDs. These areas should be explored further in longitudinal studies to more confidently ascertain the long-term health implications of extreme breath-holding activity.
Journal Article
A Model of the Cosmos in the ancient Greek Antikythera Mechanism
The
Antikythera Mechanism
, an ancient Greek astronomical calculator, has challenged researchers since its discovery in 1901. Now split into 82 fragments, only a third of the original survives, including 30 corroded bronze gearwheels. Microfocus X-ray Computed Tomography (X-ray CT) in 2005 decoded the structure of the rear of the machine but the front remained largely unresolved. X-ray CT also revealed inscriptions describing the motions of the Sun, Moon and all five planets known in antiquity and how they were displayed at the front as an ancient Greek Cosmos. Inscriptions specifying complex planetary periods forced new thinking on the mechanization of this Cosmos, but no previous reconstruction has come close to matching the data. Our discoveries lead to a new model, satisfying and explaining the evidence. Solving this complex 3D puzzle reveals a creation of genius—combining cycles from Babylonian astronomy, mathematics from Plato’s Academy and ancient Greek astronomical theories.
Journal Article
Accurate compound-specific 14C dating of archaeological pottery vessels
Pottery is one of the most commonly recovered artefacts from archaeological sites. Despite more than a century of relative dating based on typology and seriation
1
, accurate dating of pottery using the radiocarbon dating method has proven extremely challenging owing to the limited survival of organic temper and unreliability of visible residues
2
–
4
. Here we report a method to directly date archaeological pottery based on accelerator mass spectrometry analysis of
14
C in absorbed food residues using palmitic (C
16:0
) and stearic (C
18:0
) fatty acids purified by preparative gas chromatography
5
–
8
. We present accurate compound-specific radiocarbon determinations of lipids extracted from pottery vessels, which were rigorously evaluated by comparison with dendrochronological dates
9
,
10
and inclusion in site and regional chronologies that contained previously determined radiocarbon dates on other materials
11
–
15
. Notably, the compound-specific dates from each of the C
16:0
and C
18:0
fatty acids in pottery vessels provide an internal quality control of the results
6
and are entirely compatible with dates for other commonly dated materials. Accurate radiocarbon dating of pottery vessels can reveal: (1) the period of use of pottery; (2) the antiquity of organic residues, including when specific foodstuffs were exploited; (3) the chronology of sites in the absence of traditionally datable materials; and (4) direct verification of pottery typochronologies. Here we used the method to date the exploitation of dairy and carcass products in Neolithic vessels from Britain, Anatolia, central and western Europe, and Saharan Africa.
Using lipid residues absorbed in potsherds, the ages of pottery from various archaeological sites are determined and validated using sites for which the dates are well known from other methods.
Journal Article
A companion to ancient aesthetics
The first of its kind, A Companion to Ancient Aesthetics presents a synoptic view of the arts, which crosses traditional boundaries and explores the aesthetic experience of the ancients across a range of media—oral, aural, visual, and literary.
* Investigates the many ways in which the arts were experienced and conceptualized in the ancient world
* Explores the aesthetic experience of the ancients across a range of media, treating literary, oral, aural, and visual arts together in a single volume
* Presents an integrated perspective on the major themes of ancient aesthetics which challenges traditional demarcations
* Raises questions about the similarities and differences between ancient and modern ways of thinking about the place of art in society
eBook