[SydPhil] Macquarie Philosophy WiP Seminar Tuesday 17th May - Dr Thomas Corbin & Dr Alex Gillett

[Pierrick Bourrat]

Dear All,

Our next seminar will be next Tuesday (17th May) from 1-2pm.

Attend in-person at 25C Wally's Walk, Room C326.

Or, join us on zoom at this link: https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/9kPjCyojxQTNLWLmWtZ7v3u?domain=macquarie.zoom.us<https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/CInRCzvkyVCR4B4NBsX1rTH?domain=aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com>
    Zoom Password: seminar


Dr Thomas Corbin & Dr Alex Gillett (Macquarie University)



Title

Cicada hunting, distributed cognition, and skilled auditory perception



Abstract

There are estimated to be at least 800 undescribed cicada species in Australia today. Researching these species has obvious scientific merit within multiple sub-fields of biological science. Using a cognitive ethnography, in this paper we argue that such research is also of interest to philosophers and psychologists. Specifically, cicada hunting involves a unique form of skilled auditory perception in which there is triangulation, enumeration, and differentiation in a challenging high noise-to-signal environment.


The Cicada-hunter community presents a valuable case study of ‘little science’ motivated and conducted by unpaid amateur enthusiasts developing skills and adapting existing technologies in unique ways. Cicadas are remarkably elusive creatures endowed by natural selection with a range of camouflaging traits and evading abilities. As such, successfully locating and catching specimens is difficult and requires extensive practice and the development of specifically tailored perception skills. Learning and mastering the patterned practices and skilled techniques involved in hunting cicadas leads to enculturated and skilled auditory perceptual capacities. We present this as a case study of distributed cognition in scientific practices.


Find details of upcoming seminars on our department website: https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/M5KhCANpgjC9EoEJoH9n6eb?domain=mq.edu.au<https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/M5KhCANpgjC9EoEJoH9n6eb?domain=mq.edu.au>.

For any queries relating to Macquarie Philosophy work-in-progress seminars please contact katrina.hutchison at mq.edu.au<mailto:katrina.hutchison at mq.edu.au> or pierrick.bourrat at mq.edu.au<mailto:pierrick.bourrat at mq.edu.au>.

Best wishes,
Pierrick

Pierrick Bourrat | DECRA Fellow & Senior Lecturer

[https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/-fg6CBNqjlCV8m8JmFjEt_I?domain=docs.google.com]

Philosophy Department| Macquarie University | NSW | 2109
W www.pierrickbourrat.com<https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/5x31CD1vlpTB3m3rmClRfBx?domain=pierrickbourrat.com>

Research Affiliate, The University of Sydney
Theory and Method in Biosciences | W griffithslab.org<https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/Fvq-CE8wmrtWpGpoGtQNWvU?domain=griffithslab.org>

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