BLAB: the next generation

[Gary Varner]

In this email:

	1. Renewal of CHR support for the BLAB
	2. First meeting 9/17/04
	3. Publicizing the group


1. Renewal of CHR support for the BLAB

With the departure of BLAB group (ne. "The Animals Group") founder Colin 
Allen, I've become the new "convenor" of the group for purposes of 
support from the Glasscock Center for Humanities Research. The CHR 
website describes the group thus: "Brain, Language, and Animal Behavior 
(BLAB) is an interdisciplinary group of faculty and graduate students 
that meets on a bi-weekly basis to discuss current and landmark studies 
of behavior in nonhuman animals. The group facilitates bridge-building 
between the Philosophy Department and scientific disciplines and results 
in an increase of knowledge and a widening of the conceptual framework 
for all participants, particularly by bringing humanistic methods of 
reflection and analysis to bear on questions that are of broad interest 
to all."

We can assume that, like last year, the CHR will support the BLAB up to 
$1500 in expenses supporting speakers of interest to the group, travel 
related to group research interests, etc.

So, if you have suggestions for speakers we could afford to bring in, or 
other uses the funds could be put to, please pass them on to me or Adam 
Shriver (the Philosophy graduate student who did a lot of work 
organizing the group last year: a-shriver at philosophy.tamu.edu).


2. First meeting 9/17/04

Meetings were held late on Friday afternoons last year, and when we 
started off with fish last year, we got a rather good turnout. So I 
propose the following for our first meeting:

	Friday, September 17 -- 4:00 p.m.
	406 Woodson Drive, Bryan (map to come later)

	Reading: K.P. Chandroo et al., "Can fish suffer?: perspectives
	on sentience, pain, fear and stress," APPLIED ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR
	SCIENCE 86 (2004): 225-250

This is available in pdf form via the Evans Library on-line catalog. 
Sans the references, the paper is only about 16 pages long. Let us know 
if you would like to receive a copy through campus mail instead.

If you would like to participate but late Friday afternoons would not 
work for you, please let me or Adam know.


3. Publicizing the group

To help get word of this group's existence out to interested faculty and 
graduate students, Adam Shriver is putting together a flyer that we will 
be mailing to various departments on campus by the first of next week.

If you would like copies to put up or pass out, just let us know how 
many and where to send them.

Relatedly, please forward this email to anyone you know who might be 
interested in the sort of issues discussed by the BLAB.

Thanks,
-- 
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