The Kira Core group was established in the Spring of 1997, by Piet Hut,
Roger Shepard, Steven Tainer, Bas van Fraassen, and Arthur Zajonc.
Current Faculty:
Piet Hut
Piet Hut is Professor of
Interdisciplinary Studies at the Institute for Advanced Study in
Princeton. While his main research area is theoretical astrophysics,
part of his research involves multidisciplinary collaborations, from
geology, paleontology and cognitive science to particle physics and
computer science. Some of his current projects are related to the
deflection of asteroids, through the B612 Foundation, the
development of software systems large-scale simulations in
astrophysics,
through the MODEST
initiative, and the GRAPE
project of developing high-speed special purpose computers.
email: piet ATSIGN ias.edu
Roger N. Shepard
Roger
N. Shepard is Ray Lyman Wilbur Professor of Social Science Emeritus
in Stanford's Department of Psychology. He is now completing a book
based on his 1994 William James Lectures at Harvard, "Mind and World."
His previous books include Mental Images and Their Transformations
(MIT Press, 1982) and Mind Sights (W. H. Freeman, 1990).
Shepard
is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, and a recipient of the
1995 National Medal of Science.
Steven A. Tainer
Steven A. Tainer
has studied Eastern philosophical and contemplative traditions
intensively
since 1970, and now teaches Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian
fundamentals, both for groups around the country and at the Institute
for World Religions in Berkeley, CA., where he is a faculty member. He
also has a background in logic and philosophy of science, and is
preparing books evaluating the interface between modern,
scientifically-framed perspectives and matters involving human values.
Working on behalf of his teachers, Mr. Tainer is the coauthor or
editor of over eighteen books on Buddhism and Taoism (including Dragon's
Play, and Time, Space, Knowledge).
Arthur G. Zajonc
Arthur
G. Zajonc is Professor of Physics at Amherst College. His research
has been in the experimental foundations of quantum mechanics and
quantum optics. He combines these with studies in the history and
philosophy of science, and the relation of science to the humanities.
He
is the author of Catching the Light and the co-author of The
Quantum Challenge.
Previous Faculty:
Bas C. van Fraassen
Bas C. van Fraassen
is Professor of Philosophy at Princeton University. He has published
several books on the philosophy of science, including The
Scientific Image, Quantum Mechanics: An Empiricist View
and The Empirical Stance. Besides philosophy of science, his
interests include philosophy of literature and the connections
between art, literature and science.
Our webmaster is:
Jeff Thompson
Jeff Thompson studied
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Massachusetts Institute
of Technology. While formally working in this field, he informally
studied philosophy, psychology and ecology. He also studied
microrobotics at University of California, Berkeley (see the archived graduate
research page), and now works as a software engineer in automated
microfabrication.
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