Abstract: I propose a resource-sensitive theory of truth grounded in the structure of linear logic. On this view, a proposition counts as true for an agent only when it can be derived from the finite informational resources the agent currently possesses such as data, concepts, tools or premises, through a form of inference that tracks how those resources are used. Rather than treating truth as a static or purely metaphysical attribute, my account emphasizes that truth emerges within the constraints of actual reasoning. A key distinction is drawn between local derivability, which concerns what an agent can establish with the resources immediately available and global derivability, which reflects what could be established under idealized conditions. This allows my approach to preserve objectivity while acknowledging that access to truth is often limited and uneven. The framework yields a new perspective on classical epistemological issues, including the nature of justification and the structure of rational inference, while clarifying how inferential breakdowns can occur when the resources supporting a reasoning process are incomplete or unreliable. It also provides a natural lens for examining truth in science, legal reasoning and artificial intelligence, domains in which information is finite, traceable and central to responsible decision-making.

Abstract: The De Javasche Bank (DJB) Cultural Heritage Building in Surabaya represents a crucial transition from the colonial financial system to national economic sovereignty through nationalization into Bank Indonesia (BI). This site serves a dual purpose as a historical artifact and an educational medium to foster a spirit of nationalism. Specifically, this relates to the Second and Third Principles of Pancasila. This article analyzes the disparity (gap) between the museum's expected educational function and the level of internalization of Pancasila values among young visitors. The research method uses a descriptive qualitative approach based on case studies. Data collection was achieved through direct observation and in-depth interviews with museum staff and visitors. The results show that the historical narrative of DJB-BI effectively describes the struggle for economic sovereignty. However, there is a disruption in the motivation for visits among students, where visits are dominated by academic demands (extrinsic motivation) rather than national awareness (intrinsic motivation). This phenomenon indicates a weakening of the essence of the Third Principle (Indonesian Unity) in the context of collective historical appreciation. The proposed strategic solutions include strengthening interactive and reflective educational programs (living history, project-based assignments) and multisectoral collaboration between museums and educational institutions. This synergy is crucial to restoring the museum's function as a space for ideological and moral character building in order to strengthen nationalism in the digital age.

Abstract: Japanese artistic expressions are embedded in particular discourses on technology and religious practices. One of those discourses is the “robot-loving discourse”, that claims that the Japanese have a special and spiritual relationship with robots and technology. Recent research has shown that this discourse was developed throughout the years, since the Meiji era and are not something “inherent” to Japanese culture, besides having potentially negative consequences. The mecha anime genre, in which young men pilot giant robots to fight evil, is a media space where this discourse can be critically analyzed. One of mecha most important dilemmas is that technology can turn its users into either “gods” or “devils”. This article analyzes two mecha anime and their relationships with technology and religion: Nagai Gō’s Mazinger Z and Ishikawa Ken’s Getter Robo. Both made use of the robot-loving discourse and the use of religious play (shūkyō asobi) in order not just to tell a story, but also reflect on the possible deleterious effects of technology on mankind: the same technology that saves the world could also doom it. We read mecha anime under the perspective of Paul Tillich’s demonic, where both the creative and destructive strengths of mankind can be contrasted and warns that humanity must not be under the control of its own creations.

Abstract: This study integrates Vedic philology, ritual history, and philosophical hermeneutics in a multi-layered analysis of Agnihotra. Particularly in the Yajurveda, where its exterior performance is linked to varṇa and āśrama, it elucidates Agnihotra's technical structure and śākhā-specific methods by drawing on Śruti sources. The conceptual extension of ritual eligibility when dharma declines is explained by an analysis of Purāṇic and Smṛti depictions of Yuga decline. Then, passages from the Upaniṣadic and Bhagavadgītā are considered to demonstrate how Agnihotra is internalized as niṣkāma-karma and jñāna-yajña, creating a continuum between philosophical insight and ritual practice. Lastly, the Mādhyandina and Kāṇva recensions of the Śukla Yajurveda are compared to see whether they are appropriate for Agnihotra during the Kali Yuga. The latter maintains earlier, more intricate ritual levels, while the former provides systematic clarity. This study concludes that the Kāṇva recension is the most academically robust śākhā for Agnihotra practice in Kali Yuga.

Abstract: Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has dominated national development policy for decades, yet it largely neglects relational, spiritual, ecological, and ethical dimensions of collective well-being. As global crises—from climate change to social fragmentation—expose the limits of growth-driven paradigms, alternative frameworks emphasizing relationality, ecological ethics, and spiritual worldviews are increasingly urgent. This paper proposes a spiritual-postgrowth architecture integrating four epistemological traditions: Ubuntu philosophy, Christian theological ethics, Indigenous cosmologies, and the Andean paradigm of Buen Vivir. Drawing on contemporary scholarship, the paper critiques GDP, explores how spiritual and relational values redefine well-being, and outlines policy implications for governance, ecological stewardship, and leadership. The framework advances a postgrowth theory emphasizing relationality, stewardship, and ecological regeneration.

Abstract: This study investigates the Qur’anic characteristics of the Masjid al-Harām and the region of Bakkah by employing a Qur’an-only hermeneutic framework grounded in historical geography, ecology, agriculture, environmental studies, geopolitics, and linguistics. The Qur’an describes the Sacred House as the “first House established for humanity” located in Bakkah (Qur’an 3:96), positioned in a barren valley with no cultivation (Qur’an 14:37), embedded within a mountainous environment, marked by secure geopolitical protection (Qur’an 29:67), and surrounded by distinct ecological and agricultural constraints (Qur’an 14:37; 80:24–32). This research argues that these Qur’anic features do not correspond to the environmental, historical, or geographical conditions of present-day Mecca. Instead, the Qur’anic descriptions align more consistently with the Mount Hermon–Bakka Valley region in the Levant, where a barren, elevated, mountainous, and historically ancient valley exists, matching the Qur’an’s multilayered profile of Bakkah. The Qur’an situates the Abrahamic settlement, the barren valley, and the House’s geopolitical centrality in a region that predates later Islamic historical narratives and does not depend on extra-Qur’anic sources. The findings challenge traditional assumptions and propose a re-evaluation of the location of the Masjid al-Harām through a strictly Qur’anic lens.

Abstract:

This article addresses the way Frostpunk’s saga highlights the semiotic nature of video games by establishing an aesthetic and ethical link in its ludonarrative mechanics and storytelling, which, in turn, may engage with the player in a debate where the identarian discourses of both the fictional entities encoded within the game and the player (that is, of both functional and fictional agents) are put into question and thus may be reconfigured. To understand this connection between aesthetics, ethics, and identity, affection is central: through affect, players establish empathic links towards the encoded agents (including, but not limited to, the encoded citizens, the encoded setting, and the encoded avatar of the player within the game world), which in turn allows them to interact with them as if being real, at least while the playthrough is active. To achieve this, this article will first offer a theoretical review of the terms mentioned above, and then will apply them to 11Bit’s saga, Frostpunk. Finally, some conclusions regarding the semiotic nature of the video game and the universality of these analyses will appear.

Abstract: Traditional cosmological arguments are often thought to rely fatally on the Principle of Sufficient Reason. This paper develops a contingency argument that does not. To analyse certain metalinguistic statements, we employ a two-sorted first-order logic supplemented with axioms and predicates mirroring features of the QKB modal system. Within this framework, we formulate four axioms, each verified via Mace4 to be consistent and independent both from one another and from the PSR. We provide philosophical justification for each axiom and outline a formal proof in Lean 4 demonstrating that, taken together, they entail the existence of a necessary entity.

Abstract: A familiar intuition holds that determinism creates an epistemically adverse context. This paper gives that intuition a formal shape by developing a new epistemic transcendental argument (ETA) grounded in the notion of epistemic risk. First, we formalise epistemic risk through a metric space W equipped with two metrics, D and N, corresponding to distinct theories of risk. Drawing on the notions of modal closeness and normalcy, we argue that these metrics better capture our intuitions about risk than traditional similarity-based accounts. Building on these insights, we articulate an argument based on five axioms. The axioms are philosophically motivated using the two metrics, their independence is verified in Mace4, and the derivation of the denial of determinism is formally carried out in Lean 4.

Abstract: The Chinese pavilion is a poetic architectural form, and whenever a pavilion appears in a modern architectural complex, the spirit of Chinese classical culture is displayed. This study takes seven Chinese pavilions on the campus of Jiangnan University as examples and uses field investigation and architectural phenomenology methods to analyze the architectural features of Chinese pavilions and the poetic experience they bring. This study reached three conclusions. One is that the architectural attributes of Chinese pa-vilions are manifested as the unity of natural scenery and cultural symbols. Its archi-tectural design philosophy reflects the Chinese people's pursuit of natural beauty and noble morality. The second is that the spiritual attributes of Chinese pavilions are man-ifested in the "Fourfold" structure of sky, earth, sages and mortals. Chinese pavilions integrate secular life and life beliefs, providing mortal with a lofty spiritual experience. Thirdly, the Chinese pavilion is not only a standalone building, but also an integrated space that is organically combined with the natural environment. The Chinese pavilion must be surrounded by "three elements" - trees, water and mountains. This is a typical manifestation of the artistic consistency between Chinese landscape painting and Chinese architecture. The results of this study will deepen people's understanding of Chinese pavilions and provide new theoretical perspective for researchers to further study this type of Chinese architecture.

Abstract: The dialectical relationship between “national culture” and “national-citizen culture” has become an increasingly important issue in understanding the cultural foundations of modern nation-states. In the context of globalization and heightened international competition, culture functions not only as a marker of identity but also as a core component of national soft power and social cohesion. This study builds on theoretical debates around cultural construction by systematically analyzing the internal dynamics and mutual transformations between top-down cultural frameworks and bottom-up cultural practices. National culture is conceptualized here as a macroscopic construct anchored in sovereignty, territory, ecological conditions, and political-economic systems, while national-citizen culture is understood as a micro-level field expressed through artifacts, institutions, behaviors, and symbolic practices in everyday life. Methodologically, the paper integrates theories of cultural hegemony, cultural consumption, and cultural psychology to trace the two-way mechanisms at work: how national culture shapes citizen practice through ideology, law, and cultural production, and how citizen culture in turn reshapes national culture through consumer choices, subcultural formations, and the filtering of collective mentalities. Case analysis of contemporary Chinese cultural practice in the digital era highlights how this dynamic interaction generates both new tensions and new opportunities. The findings suggest that the vitality of national culture lies not in its unilateral imposition but in its continuous negotiation with lived cultural practices, and that fostering constructive interaction between the two offers a promising pathway toward cultural confidence in the twenty-first century.

Abstract:

The chronology of the Petralona hominid continues to stimulate vigorous debate, and the recent contribution by Falguères assigning an age of ~300 ka has prompted me to a short commentary and critically recall and reassess the reported age with earlier investigations, most of which were missing from the said publication. Between 1980 and 1984 a series of seven papers devoted to the radiochemical dating of speleothems and travertines from Petralona Cave. These works represented some of the earliest systematic applications of Uranium–Thorium disequilibrium dating (U-234/Th-230) to the archaeological context of a hominid fossil. Taken together, earlier seven published studies, the methodological refinement for handling contamination, and the stratigraphic confirmation from the Mausoleum chamber all support a secure assignment of the Petralona hominid to at least 230 ka, most probably 250–300 ka BP.

Abstract: Contemporary development models remain anchored in extractive epistemologies that privilege economic expansion, industrial accumulation, and the mastery of nature as the dominant measure of progress. Yet the global polycrisis—marked by climate instability, biodiversity collapse, deep inequalities, and sociopolitical fragmentation—exposes the profound limits of growth-centered paradigms. This article proposes a cosmopolitical framework for regenerative development rooted in African relational ontologies, planetary boundary science, and multi-level sociotechnical transition theory. Drawing from Ubuntu ethics, Bantu cosmologies, ecological theologies, and pluriversal thought, the article argues that regeneration rather than growth constitutes the emerging civilizational axis of the twenty-first century. By integrating insights from Earth system science, relational anthropology, and transition studies, the paper develops the concept of Relational Regeneration Systems (RRS)—institutional and infrastructural architectures that restore the vitality of socio-ecological systems while enhancing cultural meaning, community cohesion, and technological appropriateness. Empirical examples from African regenerative agriculture, hydrological commons governance, and digital innovation ecosystems demonstrate how relational ontologies generate alternative pathways for sociotechnical transformation. The framework elaborated here offers policymakers, scholars, and practitioners a pluriversal, ecologically grounded, and justice-oriented vision of development capable of navigating the unprecedented challenges of the Anthropocene.

Abstract: In the mid-1950s, the world’s space law practitioner, Andrew G. Haley, proposed the concept of Metalaw, the law governing interactions between all beings in the Universe, as he represented the American Rocket Society in the International Astronautical Congress, the single largest gathering of space-faring nations. Haley, with experience in radio communications law dating back to the 1930s, played a pivotal role in addressing the international allocation of radio frequencies in space. Haley was, too, an agile mediator with the Soviet Union and its bloc, acting across various organizations and forums. This article, in contextualizing Haley’s introduction of Metalaw, shows how the onset of the Space Age coincided with the emergence of a contact scenario involving extraterrestrial intelligence enabled by the corresponding techno-scientific capabilities of the time. It demonstrates how extraterrestrial intelligence discursively addressed outer space regulation as a bone of contention between the two geopolitically divided parts, a regulation upon which the US’s global satellite system would depend. The analysis in this article recounts the birth of the Metalaw concept at the intersection of outer space imaginary, law, international organizations, science and technology, diplomacy, the Space Race, the Cold War, and radio astronomy’s Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence.

Abstract: The cave of Altamira (Spain), a UNESCO World Heritage site, contains one of the most fragile and inaccessible Paleolithic rock-art environments in Europe, where conventional geomatics workflows are limited by severe spatial, lighting, and safety constraints. This study applies a confined-space UAV equipped with LiDAR-based SLAM navigation to document and assess the stability of the vertical rock wall leading to “La Hoya” Hall, a structurally sensitive sector of the cave. Twelve autonomous and assisted flights were conducted, generating dense LiDAR point clouds and video sequences processed through videogrammetry to produce high-resolution 3D meshes. A Mask R-CNN deep learning model was trained using manually segmented images to automatically detect cracks under variable illumination and viewing conditions. The results reveal active fractures, overhanging blocks, and sediment accumulations located on inaccessible ledges, demonstrating the capacity of UAV-SLAM workflows to overcome the limitations of traditional surveys in confined subterranean environments. All datasets were integrated into the DiGHER digital twin platform, enabling long-term storage, multitemporal comparison, and collaborative annotation. The study confirms the feasibility of UAV-based SLAM mapping combined with videogrammetry and deep learning segmentation as a robust approach for structural assessment and preventive conservation in Paleolithic caves and similarly constrained cultural heritage contexts.

Abstract: This study deals with the classificational aspects of raags of Hindustani Classical music by grouping raags into thaats and timings. The raags are classified based on the notes and the time of the day. The different timings of the days portrays various emotions, and these emotions are expressed through raags.

Abstract: Street networks shape urban dynamics. However, the spatial configuration of street stores and its interaction with urban economy and socio-culture remain insufficiently studied at meso- and micro-scales. Based on the dual network logic of Space Syn-tax—foreground and background networks, the study analyses the spatial distribution patterns of street stores in eight street segments in four Chinese cities: Tianjin, Nanjing, Zhengzhou, and Hong Kong. Network types are distinguished by Normalized Angular Choice (NACH) and patchwork pattern analysis. Drawing on 2019 POI data, street view images, and field surveys, this study compares store operation methods, func-tional diversity, and 100-meter density between the two network types. The results in-dicate that high-value street segments of foreground network are dominated by eco-nomically driven and functionally diverse chain stores, while high-value street seg-ments of background networks tend to have high densities of sole stores that are more embedded in local socio-cultural contexts. By linking spatial configurations of street-level commerce with urban economic and cultural activities, this research ex-tends Space Syntax theory and provides a new analytical method for interpreting and optimizing commercial spatial planning in Chinese cities.

Abstract: Cross-cultural mobility has intensified in recent decades, creating both challenges and opportunities for adaptation. Individuals navigating new cultural environments often experience stress related to language barriers, discrimination, and social integration, while simultaneously developing resilience and coping resources. To capture these dynamics, the Inventário de Estresse e Resiliência na Mobilidade Cross-cultural (IERM-T) was developed as a multidimensional instrument grounded in Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional model of stress and coping and informed by well-being theory. The IERM-T integrates five components: stressors, symptoms, coping strategies, emotions, and residential well-being. Validation analyses were conducted with 42 participants (107 evaluations), using R and Shiny for data collection and psychometric testing. Results demonstrated strong internal consistency (α = 0.938 for symptoms; α = 0.887 for stressors and emotions; α = 0.748 for well-being), coherent factorial structures distinguishing positive and negative emotions, and meaningful correlations between symptoms, resilience, and well-being (r = –0.846). These findings provide evidence of reliability and construct validity, supporting the IERM-T as a culturally sensitive tool for research and applied contexts. The inventory offers practical utility for identifying risk and protective factors in cross-cultural populations and contributes to advancing the field of cross-cultural psychology.

Abstract: Shell middens of Guyana’s northwestern coast are a tangible record of prehistoric occupation and land use during the Holocene, an era saw increased human impacts on the landscape. Drawing from regional and local environmental data, this paper reviews archival and recently excavated zooarchaeological, bioarchaeological and environmental data sets as an aid to understanding prehistoric land-use, shell midden function, and the complex relationship between Archaic populations and their landscape. We analyse archival and previously published materials which coverers the spectrum of faunal exploitation and incorporates recent isotopic data of human and faunal remains from seven Early to Mid-Holocene Guyanese shell middens as a proxy to infer land use and human predation. We conclude that climate fluctuations during the Mid Holocene influenced fishing intensification and subsequently a shift in human predation, which affected small-to medium-sized fauna as well as vegetation patterns. These changes were shaped by landscape manipulation, influenced by shoreline movement and population mobility. Together these processes left enduring ecological legacies along the northwestern coast of Guyana.

Abstract: The rapid pace of urban growth in the 21st century has transformed cities into complex and interconnected systems that extend far beyond their municipal boundaries. As urbanisation intensifies, the terminology associated with city expansion-particularly metropolitan areas and metropolitan regions is frequently used interchangeably, even though they represent conceptually distinct spatial, functional, and governance entities. Understanding the difference between these two frameworks is essential in urban and regional planning, transport planning, public policy, and sustainable development. This paper provides a comprehensive comparative analysis of metropolitan areas and metropolitan regions by examining their definitions, boundaries, functional characteristics, governance structures, socio-economic influence, and planning implications. Drawing insights from global examples and detailed case studies from India-including Delhi NCR, Mumbai MMR, and Bengaluru BMR-the paper highlights key similarities and contrasts and argues that while metropolitan areas represent the compact, continuous urban footprint, metropolitan regions reflect a broader sphere of economic, functional, and socio-spatial influence extending into peri-urban and rural territories. The study underscores the importance of adopting regionally integrated planning approaches to address contemporary challenges, such as transportation connectivity, land-use fragmentation, environmental stress, and socio-economic disparities. It concludes by emphasizing the need for coordinated governance models and integrated metropolitan regional planning frameworks to support sustainable urban futures.