SciMat Initiative
About us and our event
Science Matters (SciMat) is the new discipline that treats all human-dependent matters as part of science, wherein, humans are studied scientifically from the perspective of complex systems. That “everything in Nature is part of science” was well recognized by Aristotle, Da Vinci and many others. Yet, it is only recently, with the advent of modern science and experiences gathered in the study of evolutionary and cognitive sciences, statistical physics, complex systems and other disciplines, that we know how the human-related disciplines can be studied scientifically.
Humanities, the knowledge about humans, are thus a part of SciMat. Like in any other subject, humanities could be studied at three different levels or with three approaches - empirical, phenomenological and the bottom-up approach. The first two approaches were and are still employed in the last 2,500 years since the early Greeks and ancient Chinese. They brought fruitful results, as witnessed by the large number of books published and the enormous programs found in every respectable university. However, it was in the last 20 years that we saw the blossoming development of the bottom-up approach in the study of humanities. This development—in the forms of “neurohumanities” and “evolutionary humanities” in particular—raises the scientific level and provides mechanisms, deepening the understanding of humans. Such development is at its initial stage in the West but seems to be absent in China.
Our value proposition
The conference will emphasize Arts (including Literature), History and Philosophy. This fourth international conference in the biennial series will feature reviews by top experts from around the world, plus contributed papers. The conference covers all three approaches, with particular attention to the bottom-up approach. The first three SciMat conferences were held in Portugal. Keeping the series of international conferences on SciMat in Portugal will help to maintain the leadership of Portugal in new research disciplines among European countries and around the world.
By achieving those goals, SciMat' 2013 is filling the gap between humanities and traditional sciences. We believe this is the right moment to build a new discipline with the right tools to understand the real world.
International SciMat Comittee
Cochairs:
Maria Burguete (Portugal) and Nigel Sanitt (UK)
International Advisors (partial list):
Patrick Hogan (USA)
Brigitte Hoppe (Germany)
Lui Lam (USA)
John Onians (UK)
David Papineau (UK)
Michael Shermer (USA)
Edward O. Wilson (USA)
Local Organizing Committee:
Maria Burguete
Francisco Leite Pereira
Cátia Carvalho
João Batista - Livros de Ontem
You can follow us on Facebook, for more informations and updates!
https://www.facebook.com/sciencemattersportugal
www.sjsu.edu/people/lui.lam/