Conceptual blending has been proposed as a creative cognitive process, but most theories focus on the analysis of existing blends rather than mechanisms for the efficient construction of novel blends. While conceptual blending is a powerful model for creativity, there are many challenges related to the computational application of blending. Inspired by recent theoretical research, we argue that...

The ability to generate narrative is of importance to computer systems that wish to use story effectively for entertainment, training, or education. One way to generate narrative is to use planning. However, story planners are limited by the fact that they can only operate on the story world provided, which impacts the ability of the planner to find a solution story plan and the quality and str...

After failed attempts at producing bacteria-based vaccines, the discovery of a viral agent causing yellow fever and its isolation in monkeys opened new avenues of research. Subsequent advances were the attenuation of the virus in mice and later in tissue culture; the creation of the seed lot system to avoid spontaneous mutations; the ability to produce the vaccine on a large scale in eggs; and ...

'When it changed' and 'Litmus' have been two recent book projects from Comma Press, which brought together authors and scientists to produce anthologies of science-based short stories. Each story arose from the direct collaboration of one author and one scientist, and each was followed by a discussion of the motivating science. In this talk I will describe the interaction between myself as a sc...

This research investigated the role of child-directed speech in the acquisition of vowel systems in a cross-linguistic perspective. In order to determine if vocalic systems are expanded in child-directed speech and if this extension varies crosslinguistically, child-directed speech (CDS) was compared to adult-directed speech (ADS) in three rhythmically different languages: French, English and J...

This paper takes a look at narrative forms as of yet unexplored in the field of digital interactive storytelling, and proposes methods for how they can be used in engaging ways for the user. Although the various Digital Interactive Storytelling (DIS) prototypes available produce several different story genres, they stem from the same classic narrative form. With this paper, we aim to introduce ...

Story memory tests are commonly used in clinical neuropsychology. Surprisingly, no guidelines are provided for speed of presentation for two of the most commonly used story memory tests in clinical neuropsychology. The current investigation was designed to explore whether speed of presentation influences recall on the Story subtest from the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test. Consistent with pre...

Mice were passively immunized over 6 weeks with contraceptive doses of an anti-cumulus oophorus antibody preparation. The persistence of oestrus, accompanied by complete inhibition ofconception, was observed throughout treatment. After cessation of treatment, fertility was restored within 2 weeks. Histological examination did not reveal any depletion of the ovarian oocyte stock. These results w...

Organic agriculture is an industry sector that has been experiencing steady global growth in recent years. The United States is ranked first in organic food consumption, followed by Germany and France. In 2014, the estimated market value of organic foods in the U.S. was $42 billion; 43% of this total was attributed to produce (fruits and vegetables). Organic production systems in the U.S. must ...

Emergent narrative refers to simulation-based systems in which stories emerge from the autonomous interactions among character agents and/or the human player. Despite its advantages in interactive games, emergent narrative attracts concern about whether complex narratives emerge from arbitrary interactions. This problem can be alleviated if the character agents act according to what a story sho...