Joseph D. Ramsey

Interests

I have lots of interests, both academic and artistic. Here are some.

Automatic Causal Search

Can we infer causal structure from data using automated algorithms? If so, how can it best be done for various types of causal inference problems? One very pleasant perk of working in the philosophy department at Carnegie Mellon University is the chance to explore this question in the detail it deserves.

Java Programming

I've programmed in various languages over the years, but for the past several years I've programmed primarily in Java. Lately I've focused on applications programming and algorithm implementation.

Philosophy of Cognitive Science

Doing a Ph.D. degree at the University of California at San Diego during the 1990's gave me a unique opportunity to explore the philosophy of cognitive science, not just historically but also in terms of contemporary work that's being done in philosophy, neuroscience, computer science, psychology, anthropology, and other disciplines.

Classical Piano

I've played and performed music ever since I was a kid - different instruments (piano, trombone, bassoon, guzheng, etc.), different styles (classical, jazz, Chinese, etc.) but I always come back to classical piano. My favorite composer is definitely Bach.

Chinese

Now that I've discovered that my browser will display Chinese I can't resist the urge to read Chinese language web pages. Here's the web page for Nanjing University, where I studied in 1987-1988.

Poetry

In the last year or so I've started to write poetry, as part of a writing group I participate in, led by Deborah Bogen. Here are some books of poetry I really like (it's a new list, bear with me):

Dylan Thomas, The Poems of Dylan Thomas.
Wallace Stevens, Collected Poems.
Seamus Heaney, Opened Ground.
Tang Shi San Bai Shou (300 Tang Poems).

Last updated 7/2/06