This paper describes the normative profile of Kant’s ‘provisional property’ in the Doctrine of Right, by highlighting the contrast between a claim that merits the designation of ‘provisional property’ and a mere ‘pretended claim’. In contrast to a pretended claim, a claim of provisional property is duty-implying; moreover, the legitimating conditions of provisional property give it a robust justification, such that its duty-implying force does not rely on a wrong-tolerating permission. I will also argue that the proposed reconstruction does not harm Kant’s argument leading to the normative necessity of civil states.

Through the extensive literature review that examines the importance of children’s peer cultures, Lew-Levy and Amir’s paper not only succeeded in elaborating on the existing evolutionary theory of cultural learning but also contributed to the development of adjacent research domains. I would like the authors to further discuss the issues of age differences, transformation and resilience, and social justice.

Attempting to understand quantum claims as describing physical systems leads to well-known difficulties. In this regard, quantum mechanics is like ethics: Attempting to understand moral claims as describing physical systems leads to (different) well-known difficulties. I argue that the quasi-realist strategy for addressing the latter issue can also help with the former. Quasi-realism starts from a nonrepresentationalist understanding of a particular type of claim and proceeds to argue that we can nevertheless recover the roles of those claims in discourse that are typical of realism. I defend a quasi-realist interpretation of quantum mechanics.

This note offers a response to Bakshi’s critical discussion of Schurz’s claim that meta-induction provides a non-circular justification of object-induction (induction at the object-level of events). Bakshi raises two issues: 1. The problem of identifying object-inductive methods, and 2. the problem of determining the pool of simultaneously accessible prediction methods. In this reply, a solution to the identification problem is offered, based on existing work. Concerning the problem of pool-determination, induction-independent criteria are proposed that justify disregarding Goodman-type methods.

Boreal forests play a critical role in the global carbon cycle as they are one of the largest terrestrial carbon sinks globally. In this study, we employ explainable machine learning (ML) techniques to investigate the influence of environmental and vegetation variables on net ecosystem exchange (NEE), focusing specifically on the effects of diffuse radiation. We utilize a sub-hourly resolution data set including satellite and in-situ observations from three boreal or hemiboreal forest research stations across the latitudes 58–68° N to capture latitudinal variability in forest carbon uptake. Using SHAP (Shapley Additive Explanations) values, we identify key drivers influencing NEE and quantify their importance across various ML model architectures. Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), diffuse radiation, normalized difference vegetation index, and soil temperature were identified as the variables having the largest explanatory power for NEE across the ML models. ML models using only these variables result in $ {R}^2\approx 0.8 $ and RMSE$ \approx 2.3 $ $ \mu \mathrm{mol}\;{\mathrm{m}}^{-2}\hskip0.1em {\mathrm{s}}^{-1} $. Further analysis of SHAP values indicates that higher diffuse radiation (DiffPAR) is associated with more negative NEE (stronger carbon sink). SHAP analysis highlights this effect much more clearly than raw DiffPAR measurements, because it accounts for interactions with other environmental factors. This suggests that the diffuse radiation effect emerges from interactions between DiffPAR and co-varying environmental factors (such as cloudiness and total PAR). Cases identified by SHAP ($ \mathrm{DiffPAR}\ \mathrm{SHAP}<-2 $) have a median NEE $ 1.55\mu \mathrm{mol},{\mathrm{m}}^{-2},{\mathrm{s}}^{-1} $ more negative than cases with raw $ \mathrm{DiffPAR}\ge 400 $. When applied to ML models, SHAP uncovers nonlinear, context-dependent interactions between diffuse radiation and other drivers of NEE without assuming a priori relationships.

In this paper, we study the appearance of a spanning subdivision of a clique in graphs satisfying certain pseudorandom conditions. Specifically, we show the following results.

1. (i) There are constants $C\gt 0$ and $c\in (0,1]$ such that, whenever $d/\lambda \ge C$, every $(n,d,\lambda )$-graph contains a spanning subdivision of $K_t$ for all $2\le t \le \min \{cd,c\sqrt {\frac {n}{\log n}}\}$.

2. (ii) There are constants $C\gt 0$ and $c\in (0,1]$ such that, whenever $d/\lambda \ge C\log ^3n$, every $(n,d,\lambda )$-graph contains a spanning nearly balanced subdivision of $K_t$ for all $2\le t \le \min \{cd,c\sqrt {\frac {n}{\log ^3n}}\}$.

3. (iii) For every $\mu \gt 0$, there are constants $c,\varepsilon \in (0,1]$ and $n_0\in \mathbb N$ such that, whenever $n\ge n_0$, every $n$-vertex graph with minimum degree at least $\mu n$ and no bipartite holes of size $\varepsilon n$ contains a spanning nearly balanced subdivision of $K_t$ for all $2\le t \le c\sqrt {n}$.

If childhood was critical to cultural adaptation, we would expect to see regular innovation in Homo tool industries. However, the Acheulean, Mousterian, and early H. sapiens industries are remarkably stable. Evidence of prolific innovation is largely absent before the European Middle-Upper Paleolithic transition, which is associated with increased longevity in H. sapiens, suggesting that innovation was sparked by grandparenthood.

Peer cultures can contribute adaptive innovations, but their capacity for contribution depends on the environmental risk landscape. High-risk environments promote conservative cultural transmission, suppressing contributions from peer-driven exploration, while low-risk conditions allow peer cultures to thrive, generating, and spreading novel solutions. Socioeconomic stratification also influences these dynamics, creating cultural divides in how peer cultures operate.

Reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST) most clearly relates to internalizing disorders. But a weak behavioural inhibition system (BIS as defined by RST) could underlie externalising, in general, and psychopathy in particular (Fowles, 1980). Conventional “rationally derived” RST scales (rRST) are not anchored in neurally defined RST systems (nRST). So, here, we use both rRST and nRST measures to assess psychopathy traits. We operationalised psychopathy via a four-factor model (affective | interpersonal | disinhibition | boldness). We operationalised rRST via the Heym, Ferguson & Lawrence (2008) updated version of Carver and White’s (1994) BIS/BAS scales (BAS | BIS | FFFS). We operationalised nRST (goal inhibition system, GIS; goal repulsion system, GRS) via previously validated (Shadli et al., 2021) rhythmic power in the stop signal task (SST) and (goal approach system, GAS) via previously validated ERPs in the doors task. Initial bivariate correlations of psychopathy factors with rRST scales were as expected. We found no significant associations between psychopathy factors and nRST measures. A series of post hoc exploratory repeated measures ANOVAs guarded against non-linearity between psychopathy and nRST constructs. These found that: (1) Disinhibition traits might be explained (unexpectedly) by increased sensitivity in the GIS (i.e., conflict) and GRS (i.e., repulsion) and decreased sensitivity in the GAS (i.e., attraction). (2) Affective traits might be explained, as expected, by decreased sensitivity in the GIS and GRS. But an unexpected positive association was also found in the alpha frequency range for the GRS. So, nRST systems (particularly GIS) do not explain psychopathy. rRST scales were more aligned with expectations but were explained via their “rational” basis not RST per se. Unlike internalizing, nRST does not appear strongly related to externalising disorders in general and psychopathy in particular. rRST appears distinct from nRST.

Our commentary expands upon Lew-Levy and Amir’s insights into the role of peer culture in cultural evolution. Drawing on field data from the Koygu, Nyangatom, and Aka communities, we identify two modes of group transmission (concerted and cumulative) that contribute to the stability of peer cultures over time. We describe how culturally constructed niches shape peer learning, helping explain the intercultural diversity of peer cultures.

Disagreement holds a central place within standpoint theory, yet its intersection with the debate on peer disagreement has been largely overlooked. Standpoint theory emphasizes the situatedness of knowledge based on social positions – defined by factors such as gender, race, class, and other axes of identity. This fragmentation of knowledge creates a distinct challenge for traditional notions of epistemic peers as it would make epistemic peerhood, especially across identity groups, almost impossible. To accommodate this, I suggest broadening the notion of epistemic peers using a community model of knowledge. Furthermore, I explore the dynamics of peer disagreements when one interlocutor emerges from a marginalized position. In such situations, I contend that the marginalized perspective should be assigned more weight, posing a challenge to both steadfast and equal weight views. This argument culminates in the introduction of ‘Peer-Predominant Conciliationism’, a view suggesting that, under certain circumstances, it is rational to privilege a peer’s perspective over one’s own in peer disagreement.