El autor nos relata, mediante esta crónica, los pormenores del reciente Foro Social Mundial, realizado en la ciudad de Caracas, Venezuela. En su texto revela la preocupación por la intervención gubernamental de la administración chavista en un evento cuya máxima es justamente la independencia y la autogestión de las organizaciones que le dan forma. Sin embargo, Bracho rescata la oportunidad única de haber podido reflexionar en torno a una nueva conciencia que parece surgir de los propios actores participantes y que (...) es fruto del diálogo y del reconocimiento de saberes ancestrales por tanto tiempo desplazados de la cultura occidental moderna. (shrink)

The segregation of pupils between schools has long been a concern for the English school system. Various policies have been implemented to try and reduce segregation due to poverty and its associated challenges. This paper presents evidence on the extent of changes in segregation patterns 2007–2024, drawing attention to key education policies introduced during this period. Our analysis covers socio-economic and ethnic segregation across all state-funded schools, based on school-level pupil characteristics from the annual school census. Our focus is on (...) indicators of Free School Meals eligibility (FSM) and pupils’ ethnic group. Both indicators show similar patterns of declining segregation since 2007, with more marked changes after 2011. During this time, the prevalence of FSM eligible and from minority ethnic groups has increased. There is a strong negative correlation between prevalence of any characteristic and its segregation. For FSM prevalence the correlation with segregation is −0.7 and for ethnic minorities −0.6. Notably, the downward trend in segregation by poverty cannot be explained solely by changes in prevalence. One possible explanation is the universal implementation of Pupil Premium funding from 2011, which financially incentivised schools to enrol FSM pupils, making economically disadvantaged intakes more attractive, so reducing clustering by deprivation. (shrink)

The Copernican Principle—the assumption that humanity occupies no special position in the universe—has served as a foundational tenet of modern cosmology for over five centuries. This paper presents a comprehensive challenge to this principle, arguing that both empirical evidence and philosophical reasoning support a fundamentally egocentric view of the cosmos. Through analysis of fine-tuning parameters, simulation theory probabilities, existential risk frameworks, and metaethical considerations, we demonstrate that observational centrality is not a bias to be overcome but a fundamental feature of (...) reality indicating genuine cosmic significance. We introduce the Observational Centrality Principle (OCP) as a replacement for Copernican mediocrity, supported by the Fluctuational Significance Metric (FSM) and novel arguments from computational cosmology. Furthermore, we argue that "cosmic narcissism"—the belief in our fundamental importance—is not only empirically justified but morally beneficial, providing essential motivation for long-term thinking and ethical behavior. This work synthesizes insights from cosmology, existential risk theory, and metaethics to present a paradigm shift toward recognizing humanity's privileged position in the cosmic order. (shrink)

The persistence of ordered experience in a quantum-branching universe raises fundamental questions about how continuity is maintained across multiple possible outcomes. The Frame Survival Model (FSM) is a theoretical framework grounded in quantum decoherence, and is applicable to any system—biological or artificial—capable of sustaining integrated, survival-compatible states. FSM models reality as a sequence of discrete “Hyperframes”—complete matter–energy configurations defined by quantum decoherence events. At each transition, a system either proceeds along a survival-compatible path or terminates its trajectory within that branch. (...) When applied to consciousness, FSM formalizes subjective continuity as “threading” through a network of compatible Hyperframes, yielding an observer-relative path through the multiverse. The same formalism extends to other coherent, path-dependent processes, making FSM relevant to physics, information science, and the life sciences. By providing operational definitions for survival filtering, informational coherence, and frame-to-frame stability, FSM unifies continuity across domains and re-contextualizes longstanding paradoxes—including subjective death, quantum immortality, and identity persistence—without invoking new physics. It further suggests experimentally approachable implications, such as modulation of perceived time by changes in decoherence rates, positioning FSM as both a general continuity principle and a testable framework for applied fields such as cognitive neuroscience. (shrink)

This chapter covers the biological dimension of food safety. It discusses the EU hygiene legislation for food (section 10.2) on the basis of Regulation (EC) 852/2004—the General Hygiene Regulation (section 10.3) and Regulation (EC) 853/2004—the Hygiene Regulation for Animal Origin (section 10.4). General and specific principles and requirements of hygiene, such as the hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) principles (section 10.3.1), are explained, as is the importance and functioning of guides to good practice and the notion of an (...) integrated food safety management system (FSMS) (section 10.3.2.). In addition, the chapter deals with the microbiological criteria for foodstuffs (section 10.5). (shrink)