Objective Truth Research Articles

Epsilon-Greedy Thompson Sampling to Bayesian Optimization

Abstract Bayesian optimization (BO) has become a powerful tool for solving simulation-based engineering optimization problems thanks to its ability to integrate physical and mathematical understandings, consider uncertainty, and address the exploitation–exploration dilemma. Thompson sampling (TS) is a preferred solution for BO to handle the exploitation–exploration tradeoff. While it prioritizes exploration by generating and minimizing random sample paths from probabilistic models—a fundamental ingredient of BO–TS weakly manages exploitation by gathering information about the true objective function after it obtains new observations. In this work, we improve the exploitation of TS by incorporating the ε-greedy policy, a well-established selection strategy in reinforcement learning. We first delineate two extremes of TS, namely the generic TS and the sample-average TS. The former promotes exploration, while the latter favors exploitation. We then adopt the ε-greedy policy to randomly switch between these two extremes. Small and large values of ε govern exploitation and exploration, respectively. By minimizing two benchmark functions and solving an inverse problem of a steel cantilever beam, we empirically show that ε-greedy TS equipped with an appropriate ε is more robust than its two extremes, matching or outperforming the better of the generic TS and the sample-average TS.

The Paradox of Situated Knowledge: Toward an Existential Embedment Theory of Perceptual Truth

ABSTRACTTruth is a thorny issue for the sociology of knowledge. In emphasizing social influence on knowledge production, sociologists tend to disavow the objectivity of truth and slide down the slope of the consensus theory and the nihilism of post‐truth. In fighting science denial, on the other hand, sociologists often find themselves aligning with the correspondence theory and the naïve notion of naked truth. The aim of this article is to advance a position that recognizes social influence on knowledge attainment without obviating the objectivity in truth. The key to this argument lies in the concept of existential embedment that unifies objectivity and subjectivity in human struggles for survival and prosperity, from which truth originates and to which truth contributes. Existential embedment also anchors knowledge by providing the foundation for truth validation. Depending on the modalities of knowledge attainment, truth is divided into four types with varying degrees of veridical certitude, each having its own criterion for validity assessment. Knowledge that passes the validation test is accepted as truth within the horizon of the given realm of existential embedment, which may change as the existential activity of the knower changes.

Postmodern Vision of Absolute Truth in "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

This paper explores Ian McEwan's "Atonement" and its postmodern interpretation of the concept of ultimate truth. The novel, which takes place in the early 20th century, examines the difficulties associated with memory, narrative, and the search for the truth. This essay examines how the novel reflects the postmodern rejection the idea of ultimate truth through a study of the text. It is possible to see the novel "Atonement" as a postmodern attack on the idea of ultimate truth. It is proposed that the novel's postmodern is a conception of reality highlights the importance of memory and narrative in the construction of truth. This paper is important because it applies postmodernism theory to the novel "Atonement" by Ian McEwan, giving it a fresh viewpoint. The study underlines the significance of subjective experiences and viewpoints in our perception of reality and underscores the function of memory and narrative in truth construction. Postmodernism theory is used as a literary movement that rejects the conventional belief in objective truth and emphasizes the importance of subjectivity and fragmentation in understanding of reality. This paper attempts to analyze the notion of absolute truth in Ian McEwan's novel. The primary aim of this paper is to examine the postmodern vision of absolute truth in "Atonement" and its implications for our understanding of truth and reality. This paper aims to demonstrate how the novel challenges traditional notions of truth and offers a vision of truth that is subjective and fragmented.

Mother-Led Science: Rethinking Science-Based Social Movements Through Temporality and Care

This article explores the subjective and temporal modes of organizing underlying science-based social movements through an analysis of two mother-led movements in Argentina. The Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo appropriated forensic anthropology and nascent DNA technologies to identify their disappeared grandchildren during the 1976–83 dictatorship. The Madres de Ituzaingó Anexo developed community-led epidemiology studies and agrochemical contamination mapping to argue for a causal relation between intensive pesticide use and high rates of childhood illnesses. We focus on how these movements delineate visions of time, responsibility, and collective action by closely examining the underlying histories and practices of each social movement as they politicized motherhood and appropriated scientific practice. We offer the concept of mother-led science through the temporal registers of constancy, desgaste, and durability to illuminate the iterative relationship between care work, creating sustainable communities and institutions, and the fragile processes of stabilizing facts. Mother-led science, with its dual claims to scientific authority in an epistemic register and maternal authority in an affective register, articulates a potent form of scientific organizing. We suggest that these affective temporalities may be present across all science-based social movements but can be obscured by narratives of linear progress toward objective truths.

Medicalisation, development and adult power: Exploring the contributions of the medical system to child disenfranchisement in theory and society

AbstractThe marginalisation of children globally is frequently justified by appeal to medical, developmental science. While childhood has increasingly become recognised as a social construct, this research has focused largely on education and legal structures, leaving this medicalisation unexamined. This essay closes that gap by examining the medicalisation of childhood and the contribution of the medical system to adult power. These are approached in separate sections. The first portion of this essay addresses the theoretical and rhetorical manner in which children are medicalised, using Piaget's theories as examples of a trend to over‐state the universality of childhood deficiencies and assume adult competences. Latour's work on the scientific black‐box is combined with Halliday's assessment of scientific language to examine how these theories are transformed from specific psychological findings, into assumed objective truths, carrying disenfranchising assumptions about children into public discourse. The essay's second part examines the practical role of the medical system in mobilising adultist discourses and disempowering children, through the operation of scientific management. This is built up from discussions of childbirth and adolescence to wider issues of medical power as it permeates educational, legislative and media spaces through Samuel's concept of biocertification. Finally, these two parts meet in highlighting the role of medicalisation in maintaining the hegemony of adult power through its veil of objectivity and expansive reach. I contend anthropological works referenced throughout the essay show that medicalised narratives of childhood are insufficient but culturally contingent and thus open to revision.

Truth, Knowledge, and Information Literacy: An <i>Aporetic</i> Approach

This paper aims to conduct a critical examination of the foundational assumptions and challenges of information literacy (IL), serving as a timely ‘reality check’ and a constructive instance of ‘problem-posing’. To this end, it advocates for an ‘aporetic’ approach, which constitutes a pivotal tool in philosophical inquiry. This approach posits that aporia—puzzlement rooted in the conflict of reasons—compels us to confront and grapple with (seemingly) insurmountable problems. It thereby creates opportunities to rethink fundamental concepts, theories, and perspectives. Through a critical literature review, this paper scrutinizes IL aporias across six scopes: conceptualization, theorization, philosophical underpinning, challenge, critique, and prospect. As a part of a broader project, the study focuses primarily on two key topics: truth and knowledge. The literature review identifies two aporias in IL: the disjunction between knowing and learning of knowledge, and the tension between information as objective truth and subjective interpretation of information, i.e., informativeness.

Role of Court in Formation Evidential Matter in Economic Disputes in Russia and England as an Actual Problem in International Private Law

Introduction. The article unravels the role of court in formation evidential matter in economic disputes in Russia and England. It studies the distinctive features of formation evidential matter in economic disputes in Russia and England, addresses the role of court in the court’s formation of information on facts and (or) digital footprints of facts through providing instructions for formation evidential matter based on the example of electronic documents, evidence of witnesses, and expert evidence in Russia and England.Materials and methods. In the course of writing the work, a set of general scientific, formal-logical methods (including methods of analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, systematization) and special methods (formal-legal, historical, comparative-legal, structural-legal methods, etc.) were used.Research results. The author demonstrates that fact finding of objective truth in economic disputes can be carried out by the court when the following condition are fulfilled: evidentiary materials are formed in the course to the directions of the court. In economic disputes in Russia and England, the court formation evidential matter both for the case as a whole and to provide for expertise.Discussion and conclusion. A conclusion on the similar role of court in formation evidential matter in economic disputes in Russia and England is made. The article formulates suggestions on the improvement of the Arbitration Procedural Code of the Russian Federation.

The illusion of information adequacy.

How individuals navigate perspectives and attitudes that diverge from their own affects an array of interpersonal outcomes from the health of marriages to the unfolding of international conflicts. The finesse with which people negotiate these differing perceptions depends critically upon their tacit assumptions-e.g., in the bias of naïve realism people assume that their subjective construal of a situation represents objective truth. The present study adds an important assumption to this list of biases: the illusion of information adequacy. Specifically, because individuals rarely pause to consider what information they may be missing, they assume that the cross-section of relevant information to which they are privy is sufficient to adequately understand the situation. Participants in our preregistered study (N = 1261) responded to a hypothetical scenario in which control participants received full information and treatment participants received approximately half of that same information. We found that treatment participants assumed that they possessed comparably adequate information and presumed that they were just as competent to make thoughtful decisions based on that information. Participants' decisions were heavily influenced by which cross-section of information they received. Finally, participants believed that most other people would make a similar decision to the one they made. We discuss the implications in the context of naïve realism and other biases that implicate how people navigate differences of perspective.

International experience of using expert opinions in criminal proceedings

The article is devoted to the important issue of international standards integration into the national system of forensic examination. The influence of international legal norms on the regulation of expert activity in Ukraine is analysed and the prospects for the development of this area are outlined. Particular attention is paid to the importance of forensic examination in legal proceedings, and the key role of experts in establishing objective truth and ensuring justice through their specialised knowledge is emphasised. Foreign experience in the field of forensic examination is considered, taking into account the use of specialised knowledge and methods of conducting examinations in other countries. It is indicated that in the context of crime globalisation, forensic examination in Ukraine should meet the highest international standards. To achieve this, it is necessary not only to update the legislative framework, but also to expand the capabilities of experts, introduce modern research methods and ensure close cooperation with international expert institutions. This will improve the quality of investigations and the effectiveness of the fight against crime. International cooperation in the field of forensic science, regulated by Section 4 of the Law of Ukraine “On Forensic Science”, is a key tool for ensuring effective judicial proceedings. It allows for the involvement of highly qualified specialists from different countries in the investigation of complex criminal cases and the use of modern research methods, which contributes to the establishment of objective truth. To ensure the high quality of forensic examinations and their international recognition, it is necessary to unify approaches and standards. International cooperation in this area facilitates the exchange of experience, the introduction of the latest techniques and the creation of common databases, which increases the reliability of expert opinions and their recognition around the world.

Addressing Post-Truth in the Classroom: Towards a Critical Pedagogy

Post-truth strategies are characterized by the manipulation of facts and personal assertions of the truth for political gain. By seeding polarization, skepticism, and mistrust, post-truth presents challenges to teaching and learning within academic settings. In this paper, we explore how post-truth is articulated in higher education literature using a critical pedagogical lens. We suggest that pedagogical scholarship needs to expand its scope beyond a focus on the media antics of individual politicians in order to interrogate the reliance on dominant framings that simply define “post-truth” as circumstances where personal beliefs take precedence over established facts. We argue that the current framing of post-truth shapes the educational response to this issue, which focuses on helping students discern correct from incorrect information, as opposed to teaching students how power and knowledge are intertwined in post-truth and ways to understand and address the subsequent and potentially harmful power relations. Since post-truth strategies are enacted to restrict thoughtful reflection on dominant relations of power, we propose a critical pedagogical framework to problematize the notion of objective truth, account for the politics of exclusion, examine power relations, and contest post-truth strategies.

Advancing robots with greater dynamic dexterity: A large-scale multi-view and multi-modal dataset of human-human throw&catch of arbitrary objects

Learning and imitating behavioral intelligence from human demonstrations is a promising approach towards the intuitive programming of robots for enhanced dynamic dexterity. However, there has been no publicly available dataset in this domain. To address this gap, we introduce the first large-scale dataset and recording framework specifically designed for studying human collaborative dynamic dexterity in throw&catch tasks. The dataset, named H2TC, contains 15,000 multi-view and multi-modal synchronized recordings of diverse Human-Human Throw-and-Catch activities. It involves 34 human subjects with typical motor abilities and a variety of 52 objects frequently manipulated through throw&catch in domestic and/or industrial scenarios. The dataset is supplemented with a hierarchy of manually annotated semantic and dense labels, such as the ground truth human body, hand and object motions captured with specialized high-precision motion tracking systems. These rich annotations make the dataset well-suited for a wide range of robot studies, including both low-level motor skill learning and high-level cognitive planning and recognition. We envision that the proposed dataset and recording framework will facilitate learning pipelines to extract insights on how humans coordinate both intra- and interpersonally to throw and catch objects, ultimately leading to the development of more capable and collaborative robots. The dataset, along with a suite of utility tools, such as those for visualization and annotation, can be accessed from our project page at https://h2tc-roboticsx.github.io/ .

The principle of ensuring the right to appellate review of a case and, in cases determined by law, to cassation appeal of a court decision as a fundamental (constitutional) principle of Ukrainian justice

This publication is aimed at studying the principle of ensuring the right to appellate review of a case and, in cases specied by law, to cassation appeal as a fundamental constitutional principle of Ukrainian judicial procedure, and at identifying the issues of its interpretation and implementation within the framework of civil proceedings, and at formulating conclusions and proposals aimed at resolving the identied issues and contributing to the improvement of judicial practice. The paper 1-rst denes the signicance of this principle for achieving the tasks of civil procedure and analyzes its place in the system of other principles of civil procedure. It is found that the principle of ensuring the right to appeal a case and, in cases dened by law, to cassation appeal does not compete with other principles of civil procedure, but organically complements them, allowing to correct judicial errors made, thereby guaranteeing the principles of legality, objective truth and others. The analysis of the name of the studied principle revealed a legislative narrowing of its content, used by the indication of the possibility of appealing a «court decision», while other legislative provisions and the practice of civil procedure indicate the possibility of appealing rulings and orders of the court. The e-ectiveness of the legislative approach to the comprehensive nature of the appeal is substantiated, with the exclusivity and extraordinary nature of the cassation review of court decisions that have entered into legal force and the e-ectiveness of existing mechanisms for implementing this provision (a wide range of subjects of the appeal, limitation of the cassation appeal for certain categories of cases, mandatory preliminary appeal of the court decision, etc.). A certain problem was revealed during the analysis of the civil procedure law norm regarding the denition of the objects of appeal in the aspect of its content presentation through the prism of its consistency with the constitutional norm (64 of the Constitution of Ukraine), according to which the limitation of constitutional rights and freedoms of a person and citizen should be provided for by legal norms, therefore, through the prism of consistency with this provision, it would be more logical to establish a prohibition on appeal in relation to each individual judicial act. Legislative work aimed at eliminating certain imperfections in the legal regulation will contribute to a more e-ective implementation of the principle of ensuring the right to appeal a case and, in cases dened by law, to cassation appeal in the practice of civil proceedings.

Efficient Phase Segmentation of Light-Optical Microscopy Images of Highly Complex Microstructures Using a Correlative Approach in Combination with Deep Learning Techniques

Reliable microstructure characterization is essential for establishing process–microstructure–property links and effective quality control. Traditional manual microstructure analysis often struggles with objectivity, reproducibility, and scalability, particularly in complex materials. Machine learning methods offer a promising alternative but are hindered by the challenge of assigning an accurate and consistent ground truth, especially for complex microstructures. This paper introduces a methodology that uses correlative microscopy—combining light optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD)—to create objective, reproducible pixel-by-pixel annotations for ML training. In a semi-automated manner, EBSD-based annotations are employed to generate an objective ground truth mask for training a semantic segmentation model for quantifying simple light optical micrographs. The training masks are directly derived from raw EBSD data using modern deep learning methods. By using EBSD-based annotations, which incorporate crystallographic and misorientation data, the correctness and objectivity of the training mask creation can be assured. The final approach is capable of reproducibly and objectively differentiating bainite and martensite in optical micrographs of complex quenched steels. Through the reduction in the microstructural evaluation to light optical micrographs as the simplest and most widely used method, this way of quantifying microstructures is characterized by high efficiency as well as good scalability.

Ideological Uses and Management Policies of Archaeological Sites in Post-Socialist Albania: The Case of Saranda Area (Finiq and Butrint)

This article is a sample of the research I am conducting in the wider area of Saranda as part of the wider framework of critical analysis of cultural heritage, this scientific field that is placed at the meeting point of archaeology and anthropology. The two sciences have intersected in many different ways since the 1980s. Archaeology as a science that studies the archaeological remains of the past was confronted with anthropology whose purpose is the cultural analysis of social phenomena and relationships. The result of this partnership is a wide range of approaches, which are called post-process archaeologies . These approaches represent a variety of analyses, which emphasize a contextual, and thus contemporaneous, nature of archaeological evidence, the critique of archaeology as a scientific search for objective truth, its links with history and the contested nature of archaeological data and of the archaeological work. This perspective turns the interest of research from explanation to interpretation and from the positivist tradition of natural science to the tradition of interpretational philosophy, i.e. the preeminent study of meaning.

The subject of proof in the criminal process of Ukraine

The article claims that the process of proving is the main content of criminal procedural activity. It is thanks to this process that the tasks of criminal procedure are fulfilled and the objective truth is established in criminal justice. The subject of proof in criminal proceedings is one of the key categories related to the process of proving. Establishing all the circumstances that characterize such a subject contribute to a full pre-trial investigation and trial. A conclusion has been formulated, according to which evidence in a criminal procedure should be understood as the activity of the subjects of criminal justice in relation to the collection, verification and evaluation of evidence and their procedural sources, as well as the formulation of a certain thesis (accusatory or exculpatory) on this basis and the submission of arguments in support of it. This activity is retrospective in nature. The purpose of cognition in criminal proceedings is to establish a certain set of circumstances of a criminal offense, which have been called “the subject of proof in a criminal procedure.” The list of such circumstances is defined in Art. 91 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CCP) of Ukraine. The subject of proof in a criminal proceeding is the list of circumstances provided for by the Criminal Procedure Law of Ukraine, which must be established in each criminal proceeding and ensure the adoption of a corresponding procedural decision. The list of circumstances to be ascertained in criminal proceedings regarding criminal offenses committed by minors should be considered as a supplementary, clarifying subject of proof in relation to the general subject of proof. Circumstances to be established during criminal proceedings regarding the application of coercive measures of an breeding nature in relation to minors who have not reached the age of criminal responsibility, and regarding the use of coercive measures of a medical nature constitute a separate, independent subject of proof in a criminal process, determined by the characteristics of a person who has committed a socially-dangerous act, and the specifics of the criminal procedural form.

The Political Economy of Knowledge: Navigating Scientometric Enthusiasm amidst Political and Economic Forces Shaping the Production and Dissemination of Scientific Knowledge

While we witness heightened enthusiasm in certain peripheral areas of scientific production regarding scientometric standards, there are increasingly pressing issues concerning how the ideal of objective and rational science is being called into question. In this article, I contrast the enthusiasm for the "prestige" of top-tier journals with the increasingly urgent problems related to the lack of independence of researchers and scientific research itself in a world dominated by security institutions and corporations. While many authors rush to blame postmodernists for the lack of trust in science, recent studies in the history of science reveal an increased role of security institutions and corporations in shaping what we call scientific truth. The ahistorical perspective of pure and objective scientific truth is rather an ideal, and enthusiasm for the scientometric apparatus measuring the quality and merits of scientific research is rather misplaced and tends to support a system where scientific knowledge is increasingly subservient to objectives other than the pursuit of truth.

Объективная и формальная истина при раскрытии доказательств

The article is devoted to the study of the disclosure of evidence in relation to the concepts of objective and formal truth. The author analysed scientific approaches and judicial practice on this issue, concluding that there is a need for a balanced application of these principles when regulating the procedure for disclosing evidence.

Dynamic Opinion Formation in Networks: A Multi-Issue and Evidence-Based Approach

In this study, we present a computational model for simulating opinion dynamics within social networks, incorporating cognitive and social psychological principles such as homophily, confirmation bias, and selective exposure. We enhance our model using Dempster–Shafer theory to address uncertainties in belief updating. Mathematical formalism and simulations were performed to derive empirical results from showcasing how this method might be useful for modeling real-world opinion consensus and fragmentation. By constructing a scale-free network, we assign initial opinions and iteratively update them based on neighbor influences and belief masses. Lastly, we examine how the presence of “truth” nodes with high connectivity, used to simulate the influence of objective truth on the network, alters opinions. Our simulations reveal insights into the formation of opinion clusters, the role of cognitive biases, and the impact of uncertainty on belief evolution, providing a robust framework for understanding complex opinion dynamics in social systems.

A Hybrid Neuromorphic Object Tracking and Classification Framework for Real-Time Systems.

Deep learning inference that needs to largely take place on the "edge" is a highly computational and memory intensive workload, making it intractable for low-power, embedded platforms such as mobile nodes and remote security applications. To address this challenge, this article proposes a real-time, hybrid neuromorphic framework for object tracking and classification using event-based cameras that possess desirable properties such as low-power consumption (5-14 mW) and high dynamic range (120 dB). Nonetheless, unlike traditional approaches of using event-by-event processing, this work uses a mixed frame and event approach to get energy savings with high performance. Using a frame-based region proposal method based on the density of foreground events, a hardware-friendly object tracking scheme is implemented using the apparent object velocity while tackling occlusion scenarios. The frame-based object track input is converted back to spikes for TrueNorth (TN) classification via the energy-efficient deep network (EEDN) pipeline. Using originally collected datasets, we train the TN model on the hardware track outputs, instead of using ground truth object locations as commonly done, and demonstrate the ability of our system to handle practical surveillance scenarios. As an alternative tracker paradigm, we also propose a continuous-time tracker with C++ implementation where each event is processed individually, which better exploits the low latency and asynchronous nature of neuromorphic vision sensors. Subsequently, we extensively compare the proposed methodologies to state-of-the-art event-based and frame-based methods for object tracking and classification, and demonstrate the use case of our neuromorphic approach for real-time and embedded applications without sacrificing performance. Finally, we also showcase the efficacy of the proposed neuromorphic system to a standard RGB camera setup when simultaneously evaluated over several hours of traffic recordings.

IMPLIKASI FILSAFAT HEGEL DALAM ETIKA PENDIDIKAN KRISTEN

It is undeniable that some philosophical sciences greatly influence Christian education today. In some universities, philosophy is combined with Christian theology and even produces scholars of philosophy of theology. Methods and philosophies of thinking in philosophy are often applied in scientific studies of Christian education today to find an objective truth. In this study, the researcher examines the implications of the thought of a famous modern philosopher, namely George W. F Hegel, on Christian education. Researchers find both in the study of literature that there are several contributions of Hegel's philosophy that have an impact on Christian education today. The religious philosophy of objectivity and subjectivity, the philosophy of process, the philosophy of dialectics, some of Hegel's philosophies found by researchers, have contributed greatly to Christian education today. The philosophies above can be applied by students in teaching education. For example, the implications of dialectical philosophy (thesis, antithesis, and synthesis) on teaching methods of Christian education. These methods and philosophies are often used by Christian education students to teach their students and often create questions and discussions by their students.