ESSAYS Collection The singularities from the general relativity resulting by solving Einstein's equations were and still are the subject of many scientific debates: Are there singularities in spacetime, or not? Big Bang was an initial singularity? If singularities exist, what is their ontology? Is the general theory of relativity a theory that has shown its limits in this case? In this essay I argue that there are singularities, and the general theory of relativity, as any other scientific theory at present, is not valid for singularities. But that does not mean, as some scientists think, that it must be regarded as being obsolete. After a brief presentation of the specific aspects of Newtonian classical theory and the special theory of relativity, and a brief presentation of the general theory of relativity, the chapter Ontology of General Relativity presents the ontological aspects of general relativity. The next chapter, Singularities, is dedicated to the presentation of the singularities resulting in general relativity, the specific aspects of the black holes and the event horizon, including the Big Bang debate as original singularity, and arguments for the existence of the singularities. In Singularity Ontology, I am talking about the possibilities of ontological framing of singularities in general and black holes in particular, about the hole argument highlighted by Einstein, and the arguments presented by scientists that there are no singularities and therefore that the general theory of relativity is in deadlock. In Conclusions I outline and summarize briefly the arguments that support my above views. CONTENTS Abstract Introduction Classical Theory and Special Relativity General Relativity (GR) 1 Ontology of General Relativity 2 Singularities Black Holes Event Horizon Big Bang Are there Singularities? 3 Ontology of Singularities Ontology of black holes The hole argument There are no singularities Conclusions Notes Bibliography

A collection of personal essays in philosophy of science (physics, especially gravity), philosophy of information and communication technology, current social issues (emotional intelligence, COVID-19 pandemic, eugenics, intelligence), philosophy of art, and logic and philosophy of language. The distinction between falsification and refutation in the demarcation problem of Karl Popper Imre Lakatos - Heuristics and methodological tolerance Isaac Newton on the action at a distance in gravity: With or without God? Causal Loops in Time Travel The singularities as ontological limits of the general relativity Epistemology of Experimental Gravity - Scientific Rationality Philosophy of Blockchain Technology - Ontologies Big Data Ethics in Research Emotions and Emotional Intelligence in Organizations COVID-19 Pandemic - Philosophical Approaches Evolution and Ethics of Eugenics Epistemology of Intelligence Agencies Solaris, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky - Psychological and philosophical aspects Causal theories of reference for proper names CONTENTS: The distinction between falsification and refutation in the demarcation problem of Karl Popper - - - Abstract - - - Introduction - - - 1 The demarcation problem - - - 2 Pseudoscience - - - 3 Falsifiability - - - 4 Falsification and refutation - - - 5 Extension of falsifiability - - - 6 Criticism of falsifiability - - - 7 Support of falsifiability - - - 8 The current trend - - - Conclusions - - - Bibliography - - - Notes Imre Lakatos - Heuristics and methodological tolerance - - - Rational reconstruction of science through research programmes - - - Dogmatic Falsificationism - - - Justificationism - - - Bibliography Isaac Newton vs. Robert Hooke on the law of universal gravitation - - - Abstract - - - Introduction - - - Robert Hooke's contribution to the law of universal gravitation - - - Isaac Newton's contribution to the law of universal gravitation - - - Robert Hooke's claim of his priority on the law of universal gravitation - - - Newton's defense - - - The controversy in the opinion of other contemporary scientists - - - What the supporters of Isaac Newton say - - - What the supporters of Robert Hooke say - - - Conclusions - - - Bibliography - - - Notes Isaac Newton on the action at a distance in gravity: With or without God? - - - Abstract - - - Introduction - - - Principia - - - Correspondence with Richard Bentley - - - Queries in Opticks - - - Conclusions - - - Bibliography Causal Loops in Time Travel - - - Abstract - - - Introduction - - - History of the concept of time travel - - - Grandfather paradox - - - The philosophy of time travel - - - Causal loops - - - Conclusions - - - Bibliography - - - Notes The singularities as ontological limits of the general relativity - - - Abstract - - - Introduction - - - - - - Classical Theory and Special Relativity - - - - - - General Relativity (GR) - - - 1 Ontology of General Relativity - - - 2 Singularities - - - - - - Black Holes - - - - - - - - - Event Horizon - - - - - - Big Bang - - - - - - Are there Singularities? - - - 3 Ontology of Singularities - - - - - - Ontology of black holes - - - - - - The hole argument - - - - - - There are no singularities - - - Conclusions - - - Notes - - - Bibliography Epistemology of Experimental Gravity - Scientific Rationality - - - Introduction - - - - - - Gravity - - - - - - Gravitational tests - - - - - - Methodology of Lakatos - Scientific rationality - - - - - - The natural extension of the Lakatos methodology - - - - - - - - - Bifurcated programs - - - - - - - - - Unifying programs - - - 1. Newtonian gravity - - - - - - 1.1 Heuristics of Newtonian gravity - - - - - - 1.2 Proliferation of post-Newtonian theories - - - - - - 1.3 Tests of post-Newtonian theories - - - - - - - - - 1.3.1 Newton's proposed tests - - - - - - - - - 1.3.2 Tests of post-Newtonian theories - - - - - - 1.4 Newtonian gravity anomalies - - - - - - 1.5 Saturation point in Newtonian gravity - - - 2. General relativity - - - - - - 2.1 Heuristics of the general relativity - - - - - - 2.2 Proliferation of post-Einsteinian gravitational theories - - - - - - 2.3 Post-Newtonian parameterized formalism (PPN) - - - - - - 2.4 Tests of general relativity and post-Einsteinian theories - - - - - - - - - 2.4.1 Tests proposed by Einstein - - - - - - - - - 2.4.2 Tests of post-Einsteinian theories - - - - - - - - - 2.4.3 Classic tests - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.3.1 Precision of Mercury's perihelion - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.3.2 Light deflection - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.3.3 Gravitational redshift - - - - - - - - - 2.4.4 Modern tests - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.4.1 Shapiro Delay - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.4.2 Gravitational dilation of time - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.4.3 Frame dragging and geodetic effect - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.4.4 Testing of the principle of equivalence - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.4.5 Solar system tests - - - - - - - - - 2.4.5 Strong field gravitational tests - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.5.1 Gravitational lenses - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.5.2 Gravitational waves - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.5.3 Synchronization binary pulsars - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.5.4 Extreme environments - - - - - - - - - 2.4.6 Cosmological tests - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.6.1 The expanding universe - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.6.2 Cosmological observations - - - - - - - - - - - - 2.4.6.3 Monitoring of weak gravitational lenses - - - - - - 2.5 Anomalies of general relativity - - - - - - 2.6 The saturation point of general relativity - - - 3. Quantum gravity - - - - - - 3.1 Heuristics of quantum gravity - - - - - - 3.2 The tests of quantum gravity - - - - - - 3.3 Canonical quantum gravity - - - - - - - - - 3.3.1 Tests proposed for the CQG - - - - - - - - - 3.3.2. Loop quantum gravity - - - - - - 3.4 String theory - - - - - - - - - 3.4.1 Heuristics of string theory - - - - - - - - - 3.4.2. Anomalies of string theory - - - - - - 3.5 Other theories of quantum gravity - - - - - - 3.6 Unification (The Final Theory) - - - 4. Cosmology - - - Conclusions - - - Notes - - - Bibliography Philosophy of Blockchain Technology - Ontologies - - - Abstract - - - Introduction - - - Blockchain Technology - - - - - - Design - - - - - - Models - - - Bitcoin - - - Philosophy - - - Ontologies - - - - - - Narrative ontologies - - - - - - Enterprise ontologies - - - Conclusions - - - Bibliography - - - Notes Big Data Ethics in Research - - - Abstract - - - 1. Introduction - - - - - - 1.1 Definitions - - - - - - 1.2 Big Data dimensions - - - 2. Technology - - - - - - 2.1 Applications - - - - - - - - - 2.1.1 In research - - - 3. Philosophical aspects - - - 4. Legal aspects - - - - - - 4.1 GDPR - - - - - - - - - Stages of processing of personal data - - - - - - - - - Principles of data processing - - - - - - - - - Privacy policy and transparency - - - - - - - - - Purposes of data processing - - - - - - - - - Design and implicit confidentiality - - - - - - - - - The (legal) paradox of Big Data - - - 5. Ethical issues - - - - - - Ethics in research - - - - - - Awareness - - - - - - Consent - - - - - - Control - - - - - - Transparency - - - - - - Trust - - - - - - Ownership - - - - - - Surveillance and security - - - - - - Digital identity - - - - - - Tailored reality - - - - - - De-identification - - - - - - Digital inequality - - - - - - Privacy - - - 6. Big Data research - - - Conclusions - - - Bibliography Emotions and Emotional Intelligence in Organizations - - - Abstract - - - 1. Emotions - - - - - - 1.1 Models of emotion - - - - - - 1.2 Processing emotions - - - - - - 1.3 Happiness - - - - - - 1.4 The philosophy of emotions - - - - - - 1.5 The ethics of emotions - - - 2. Emotional intelligence - - - - - - 2.1 Models of emotional intelligence - - - - - - - - - 2.1.1 Model of abilities of Mayer and Salovey - - - - - - - - - 2.1.2 Goleman's mixed model - - - - - - - - - 2.1.3 The mixed model of Bar-On - - - - - - - - - 2.1.4 Petrides' model of traits - - - - - - 2.2 Emotional intelligence in research and education - - - - - - 2.3 The philosophy of emotional intelligence - - - - - - - - - 2.3.1 Emotional intelligence in Eastern philosophy - - - 3. Emotional intelligence in organizations - - - - - - 3.1 Emotional labor - - - - - - 3.2 The philosophy of emotional intelligence in organizations - - - - - - 3.3 Critique of emotional intelligence in organizations - - - - - - 3.4 Ethics of emotional intelligence in organizations - - - - - - Conclusions - - - Bibliography COVID-19 Pandemic - Philosophical Approaches - - - Abstract - - - Introduction - - - 1 Viruses - - - - - - 1.1 Ontology - - - 2 Pandemics - - - - - - 2.1 Social dimensions - - - - - - 2.2 Ethics - - - 3 COVID-19 - - - - - - 3.1 Biopolitics - - - - - - 3.2 Neocommunism - - - - - - 3.3 Desocialising - - - 4 Forecasting - - - Bibliography Evolution and Ethics of Eugenics - - - Abstract - - - Introduction - - - New Eugenics - - - The Future of Eugenics - - - Conclusions - - - Bibliography Epistemology of Intelligence Agencies - - - Abstract - - - 1 Introduction - - - - - - 1.1. History - - - 2. Intelligence activity - - - - - - 2.1. Organizations - - - - - - 2.2. Intelligence cycle - - - - - - 2.3 Intelligence gathering - - - - - - 2.4. Intelligence analysis - - - - - - 2.5. Counterintelligence - - - - - - 2.6. Epistemic communities - - - 3. Ontology - - - 4. Epistemology - - - - - - 4.1. The tacit knowledge (Polanyi) - - - 5. Methodologies - - - 6. Analogies with other disciplines - - - - - - 6.1. Science - - - - - - 6.2. Archeology - - - - - - 6.3. Business - - - - - - 6.4. Medicine - - - 7. Conclusions - - - Bibliography Solaris, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky - Psychological and philosophical aspects - - - Abstract - - - Introduction - - - 1 Cinema technique - - - 2 Psychological Aspects - - - 3 Philosophical aspects - - - Conclusions - - - Bibliography - - - Notes Causal theories of reference for proper names - - - Abstract - - - Introduction - - - 1. The causal theory of reference - - - 2. Saul Kripke - - - 3. Gareth Evans - - - 4. Michael Devitt - - - 5. Blockchain and the causal tree of reference - - - Conclusions - - - Bibliografie About the author - - - Nicolae Sfetcu - - - - - - Contact Publishing House - - - MultiMedia Publishing

Others hoped that peaceful coexistence with singularities could be achieved by proving a form of Roger Penrose's "cosmic censorship" hypothesis, which would place singularities safely inside black holes.

In Singularities at the Threshold: The Ontology of Unrest, Bruno Gullì calls into question the concept of the independent and sovereign individual of the liberal (and neoliberal) tradition from the standpoint of the ontology of singularity, that is, the plural constitution of what appears to be an individual. Singularity is not the result of a process of individuation, but the process itself. He argues that the process of individuation—whereby at each stage everything appears to be individuated as such, to be an individual thing—is in reality always already plural, a process of transindividuation, or better, trans-dividuation. Gullì further examines why singularity is usually confused with individuality; what comes after the sovereign and independent individual, after the subject; and what the role of subversive and liberated singularities is in bringing about a new ethos and a better world.

"The Reddish Polyergus, the most powerful ants of France by their courage in the fighting, form a people composed of four orders of citizens: males, females, neutrals or warriors ... and slaves, workers conquered on suitable species. I am neutral, and I am proud of it. Is there a life more noble, more chivalrous than mine: to fight, to conquer or to die!... We live for years, and all this time we spend it to serve the country and the nation, to contribute to its greatness, to its power; to make us serve as kings ... and enjoy the sun!"

The sixteen papers collected in this volume are expanded and revised versions of talks delivered at the Second International Conference on the Ontology of Spacetime, organized by the International Society for the Advanced Study of Spacetime (John Earman, President) at Concordia University (Montreal) from 9 to 11 June 2006. Most chapters are devoted to subjects directly relating to the ontology of spacetime. The book starts with four papers that discuss the ontological status of spacetime and the processes occurring in it from a point of view that is first of all conceptual and philosophical. The focus then slightly shifts in the five papers that follow, to considerations more directly involving technical considerations from relativity theory. After this, Time, Becoming and Change take centre stage in the next five papers. The book ends with two excursions into relatively uncharted territory: a consideration of the status of Kaluza-Klein theory, and an investigation of possible relations between the nature of spacetime and condensed matter physics, respectively. - Space and time in present-day physics and philosophy - Relatively low level of technicality, easily accessible - Introduction from scratch of the debates surrounding time - Broad spectrum of approaches, coherently represented

This book contains selected papers from the First International Conference on the Ontology of Spacetime. Its fourteen chapters address two main questions: first, what is the current status of the substantivalism/relationalism debate, and second, what about the prospects of presentism and becoming within present-day physics and its philosophy? The overall tenor of the four chapters of the book's first part is that the prospects of spacetime substantivalism are bleak, although different possible positions remain with respect to the ontological status of spacetime. Part II and Part III of the book are devoted to presentism, eternalism, and becoming, from two different perspectives. In the six chapters of Part II it is argued, in different ways, that relativity theory does not have essential consequences for these issues. It certainly is true that the structure of time is different, according to relativity theory, from the one in classical theory. But that does not mean that a decision is forced between presentism and eternalism, or that becoming has proved to be an impossible concept. It may even be asked whether presentism and eternalism really offer different ontological perspectives at all. The writers of the last four chapters, in Part III, disagree. They argue that relativity theory is incompatible with becoming and presentism. Several of them come up with proposals to go beyond relativity, in order to restore the prospects of presentism.· Space and time in present-day physics and philosophy · Introduction from scratch of the debates surrounding time · Broad spectrum of approaches, coherently represented