A research department can be defined by the focus of its activities. And as long as that activity is steady (even intense: see attached image), the research department is very much alive.

Just to begin: ether are two basic forms of research, thus: on the one hand, goals-oriented research and, on the other hand, research based on capacities, wants, abilities and strengths. I leave aside the former (for the time being) and concentrate on the latter.

A fine-tuned definition of a research team is to depart from the capacities and strengths of the individuals: a) that conform the team, b) that want or could be accepted into the team.

I agree with you, dear Marcel, about the asymmetry between human and non-human species, and the consequences for the development (and sometimes, even the prestige) of research departments. It's time we overcame such asymmetries. Big challenges and problems await for a more united and cross-disciplinary cooperation.

Dear Marcel, you have pointed out a damn fact about the logistic constraints of the realization dreams of research departments, in general.

A research department can be defined by the focus of its activities. And as long as that activity is steady (even intense: see attached image), the research department is very much alive.

Let me read Marcel´s question literally instead of as an allegory for university narrowness in general.

A research team or department can be definable a priori by the theme(s) of the main publications and courses of its mature members, and a posteriori by the projected publications and courses of its maturing members.

As a humanist by profession, I do not find it excessive to devote 100% of my own scholarly activity and 66.67% of my university´s to the study of homo sapiens. We have no evidence that other species are producing culture even remotely approaching the culture of homo sapiens in richness and depth. When the cognitive instruments of homo sapiens allow us to discover the contrary in non-human cultures, then I will offer a different response to this question. Right now, it is too early to respond positively.

Further, universities are subject to greater budgetary constraints than ever. Therefore any change in orientation would necessarily have to begin within the forms in existence now.

Very simple, compared to the logistics requisites @ Andrei!

Yes, Andrei, we are in the vast minority, yet devote all too little study to bacteria culture (let alone virus). One could call this policy discrimination.

I was confused too, dear Kamal, so I answered in two parts. I suspect there is allegory here, because our friend Marcel is level-headed.

Andrei, I highly doubt that the earth was ordered by mice. If it were, they would have performed a much better job than we humans. But only a non-anthropocentric university could confirm my hypothesis.

To stimulate discussion on biological complexity, not perceived importance from a human scientific/social point of view:

The biological complexity of a single bird species (let's say a black-capped chic-a-dee) is probably at similar levels as that of humans. For instance, each individual in each species is unique in biological composition. This biological complexity revealed in a single species is reflected in massive investment in human research and education (medicine, social sciences, languages, economy, law sciences....). How can field biologists rapidly discover underlying mechanisms of biological variation in a non-domesticated species (e.g. 1 out of more than 8000 existing bird species) given they have access to a small fraction of what is invested in humans (including what people might call 'human resources')?

And to add an example in medicine:

How much medical problems in an individual black-capped chick-a-dee can be identified/solved by a medical doctor/ veterinarian/ field biologist?

Dear Marcel,

Think of the irony: it has taken an anthropocentric university system to determine that humans and chimpanzees have almost all the same genetic matter! Accordingly, I vote in favor of keeping the altruistic anthropocentric system intact!

My remarks above are relevant given that financial organisations (NSF, ANR, ....) impose to scientists they rapidly find solutions defined in projects. Is this truly a feasible approach given the huge investments in human research and education? E. g. How long does/will it take to solve problems related to 'human AIDS' versus how long does/will it take to solve problems related to 'non-domesticated avian AIDS'?

Dear Marcel,

If you know of some subhuman (superhuman) species that can cure an outbreak of shingles (zoster) that is afflicting me now despite inoculations, I would vote for a university that supported researchers belonging to that blessed species.

Hello Nelson,

Perhaps you could say: 'I would vote for a university that only worked on that blessed species...' Anyway, whole universities are devoted to one species (e.g. human medicine)....

Cheers

Thanks, Kamal. My son recommended the same cream and I will indeed. This is a classic case of temporary shingles, limited to one side. It will disappear next week.

Dear Kamal Bani-Hani,

I agree that the situation is not always clear in terms of the question for this thread.

I have been blessed by being in several research departments during the past 30 years. What strikes me as a dominant feature of a research department is the steady intensity of the efforts by researchers.

In addition to the steady intensity commonly found in the activities of a research department, there is another way to arrive at a definition of a research department. I am thinking of evidence of research activity in such a department.

For example, consider the attached image that, in my opinion, reflects the prodigious output many architects in designing the buildings in London. The artist has done good work in creating a visual synthesis of architectural designs. That synthesis bespeaks of tremendous research effort on the part of the artist.

Dear Nelson/Kamal,

What is the underlying mechanisms of the origin of what you have? Why did it appear? Would others have got it in similar conditions or not? How does it evolve. Is it's evolution individual-specific or environment-specific? Can the phenomenon be predicted with precision or not? Etc...

Dear Nelson,

'Chick-a-dee' refers to the call of the chickadee. Why didn't you correct me? (Cheers)

Dear James,

I like the art pictures for which you make promotion! How does art or architecture interact with human biological processes? Are interactions individual-specific or environment-specific? How is individual health status reflected in art? Topics for multi-disciplinary research?

Dear Marcel,

You ask very interesting, good, important questions.

Here are my responses to the first question.

How does art or architecture interact with human biological processes?

Visual art and architecture directly impact on human vision and perception. In terms of vision, I agree with David Mumford that we find patterns in art objects and architecture midst lots of noise. The heart of our perceptual power is in finding some aspects (patterns) in art and architecture that resonates with our past and our sensitivity about what is considered beautiful, good, worthy of our attention.

Hello Peter,

Some people claim that there is a link between perceived colours and human feelings. This would f. i. imply that how you paint your living room will have an impact on how you will feel (e.g. relaxed versus excited, ...) or not? This would also imply that aspects related to art not only may have psychological, but also physiological, consequences?

A research team can be defined as a team which is directed towards one definite goal, but exploring all related facts and fields about it. Since it is a team, it is not centered towards the team mrmber's own betterment but the betterment of the team. All are equally qualified for working, equally motivated and contributing equally towards the solution of the problem.

Marcel,

Apparently, there are links between perceived colours and human feelings.

It was

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Theory of Colours (Farbenlehre), 1810, trans. by C.L. Eastlake, MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass., 1970

who suggested "...the theory of colours, in strictness, may be investigated quite independently of optics". Goethe adheres to Aristotle's view that colour arises from the transition from brightness to darkness.

Goethe anticipated Ewald Hering's Opponent process theory by proposing a symmetric colour wheel (see attached image). He writes, "The chromatic circle... [is] arranged in a general way according to the natural order... for the colours diametrically opposed to each other in this diagram are those which reciprocally evoke each other in the eye. Thus, yellow demands violet; orange [demands] blue; purple [demands] green; and vice versa: thus... all intermediate gradations reciprocally evoke each other; the simpler colour demanding the compound, and vice versa.

Goethe also investigated the effects of colour on the physiology of individuals in an art of colour psychology. Because of this, he included aesthetic qualities in his colour wheel — associating red with the beautiful, orange with the noble, yellow to the good, green to the useful, blue to the mean, and violet to the unnecessary. For more about this, see

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_Colours

Dear Peter,

I used the same approach to indicate studies on art listed in Google Scholar .

Key word 'Art': 4.720.000 hits (0.05 seconds)

Key words 'Human art': 3.820.000 hits (0.03 seconds)

Key words 'Animal art': 3.110.000 hits (0.07 seconds)

I expected 'art' or 'human art' to be largely over-represented. I presume there must be overlap in the sources indicated...

How to handle all this information. More than a lifetime job I presume. Perhaps to be handled by a whole university only focusing on causes and consequences of art?

Cheers

Do we need education or scientific teams/departments with/without physical walls to more efficiently handle the information deluge in a given topic? Are multi-author papers therefore more 'up-date' than single author papers?

Dear All, Lijo Francis, Patrick Low and others that you know are not able any longer to log in their RG account from yesterday. RG suspended their accounts without any reason. I don't know why, but I find this an outstanding abuse. Please help them and inform all other participants as this is a signal that things are not going in the right way in RG before it happens to you!

Regards

Gianni