June 24, 2009

CORVALLIS - An international conference Aug. 4-6 at Oregon State University will look at the increasingly complex impacts of a computerized world, from issues of privacy to intellectual property.

This 18th annual meeting of the North American Computing and Philosophy Conference opens on Thursday, Aug. 4, with an address by John Frohnmayer on "Computing and the Patriot Act." Frohnmayer, a lawyer and ethicist, is former director of the National Endowment for the Arts.

The conference will bring to Corvallis philosophers, engineers, historians, computer scientists, cognitive scientists and information technology professionals from five countries to look at issues that weave philosophy and computing, according to conference director Bill Uzgalis of OSU.

The entire conference will be webcast live.

For more information and registration, visit the conference website at http://oregonstate.edu/groups/cap, or call Uzgalis at 541-737-5650.

In addition to Frohnmayer's talk, two other keynote talks are scheduled. Paul Churchland, a professor of philosophy at the University of California at San Diego, will give a lecture titled "Chimerical Colors: Some Phenomenological Predictions from Computational Neuroscience." Mark Bedau, a professor of philosophy and humanities at Reed College, will present "Computational Models of Evolutionary Creativity." He is the editor of the publication, "Artificial Life."

Other presentations include sessions on:

  • "Build Your Own Robot" workshop
  • "Intellectual Property and the Idea of a Morally Protected Information Commons"
  • "Cartoons, Video Games and Computational Epistemology"
  • "Robotics, Free Will and Predestination"
  • "Game Theory and Cooperation"
  • "The Philosophy of Computer Modeling in Biology."

    This is the fourth time OSU has hosted the conference, which is growing, as is the area of inquiry merging philosophy and computing, Uzgalis said. The conference has spawned an international organization, he added - the International Association for Computing and Philosophy. Jon Dorbolo, of OSU's Information Services, is the second president of that organization.

    The August event is supported by the OSU Provost's Fund for Excellence and Information Services.

    • Source: 

    Bill Uzgalis, 541-737-5650

    Click photos to see a full-size version. Right click and save image to download.