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We present Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr isotope composition data on mafic-ultramafic massifs in the Khangai Mountains of Western Mongolia: Oortsog-Uul, Nomgon, and Yamaat-Uul. The U-Pb age of zircon and its Lu-Hf isotope and trace-element compositions were determined by LA-ICP-MS. New and previous geochronological data obtained by SIMS and LA-ICP-MS support the Permian age of the studied gabbros. The trace-element composition of zircon, characterized by strong HREE enrichment ((Lu/Gd) _n > 7) and cerium positive (Ce/Ce^* > 6.6) and europium negative (Eu/Eu^* = 0.16-0.49) anomalies, indicates its magmatic genesis and the possibility of using isotope characteristics to assess the origin of mafic magmas. The formation of zircon from a residual mafic melt is inferred from the enrichment of zircon in U and Th with increasing Th/U, reflecting the accumulation of these highly incompatible elements in the residual melt, and the crystallization temperature of zircon (810-880 °С). The geochemical characteristics of the rocks, their isotopic composition, the absence of xenogenic ancient zircons, and the lack of correlation between ε_Nd( T ) and major indices of crustal contamination indicate that crustal contamination did not influence the composition of the gabbros. Isotopic data on rocks and zircon indicate the involvement of two mantle sources in the formation of the mafic-ultramafic massifs of the Khangai Mountains: (a) depleted, predominant for the Nomgon and Yamaat-Uul massifs (ε_Hf = +16.1... +2.0; ε_Nd = +4.5... 0.0; and I_Sr = 0.70385... 0.70537), and (b) enriched, predominant for the second phase of the Oortsog-Uul massif (ε_Hf = +1.4... +0.2; ε_Nd = -3.6... -5.7; and I_Sr = 0.70704... 0.70933).

One of the significant fields in narrative research is the development of the “narrative paradigm” carried out by W. Fischer. It has been determined that the main differences in the understanding of narrative and the narrative paradigm are associated, firstly, with considering narrative as a universal form of communication and, secondly, with recognizing the “argumentative” function of narrative as a priority. The persuasiveness of a narrative depends on its internal coherence, credibility, and consistency with the values and beliefs of the listener or audience. The advantages of the narrative paradigm in comparison with the rational one are analysed. In W. Fisher’s view, they are that in the narrative paradigm social control is excluded, introducing to it is carried out naturally, the participants in the narrative paradigm are equal due to the exclusion of experts and, in addition, it has not only descriptive, but also normative functions. The moral status of the narrative paradigm is shown to be at least problematic. But social control is possible.

The article deals with the issue of defining the concept of utility. The purpose of the discussion is to characterize metaphysical, scientific and systemic approaches to determining utility and to show their advantages and disadvantages. The argument is based on comparative and transcendental methods. The ideas of metaphysicians, scientists working in the political economic and evolutionary fields, utilitarians, pragmatists, and representatives of the philosophy of technology are considered. As a result of the study, six ways to define the concept of utility are identified and characterized. It is shown that each definition related to utility acts as a way of capturing the relationship between sensuality, mind and reason, the ideal and real worlds. A general definition of utility is formulated as an idea of reason expressing the unity of apperception.

Modern industrial-technological civilization, along with science and mathematics, has entered a crisis period of evolution, which will end only when civilization enters a new, more spiritual stage of development. Rationalism, based upon operating with “fixed” con-cepts (in the spirit of the law of identity in logic), is outdated and unable to express the specificity of developing objects studied by the theory of self-organization. More complex thinking with moving concepts-images is being formed in science. The article describes the difficulties of the development of mathematics in the 21st century and ways to overcome them. New ideas are introduced: the future of mathematics lies in the development of scientists’ creativity, intuitive insight and the promotion of new, deeper concepts and theorems-guesses expressing their properties, rather than in the logical rigor of proofs. A large part of evidence will eventually be transferred to artificial intelligence. Modern mathematical knowledge is growing due to the applied aspect - modeling. Mathematics has already become a “branch of industry”. Science comes close to art. A new criterion of scientific character will appear, that is “truth as beauty”.

The article formulates arguments for the adequacy of philosophical concepts in the context of the use of data analysis and artificial intelligence. Firstly, we show the importance of teaching computer programs in the field of artificial intelligence about causal relationships to increase their adaptability, develop the ability to explain the results obtained and bring them closer to natural intelligence. Secondly, we show the heuristic nature of causal interpretation as a basis for the operational description of biasing factors and their rational blocking in randomized experiments. Finally, we describe the prerequisites for the hypothetical participation in science of philosophers who are proficient in formal methods as critics of their shortcomings and as consultants on the correct application of philosophical concepts in science.

In his recent paper, C. Fuchs formulates QBism in the form of eight postulates. We criticise QBism as an antirealist position and propose an alternative - contextual quantum realism (QCR). 1. A quantum state is not “an agent’s personal judgement” (QBism), nor is it subjective (QBism), but objective (QCR). It describes not the current experience (QBism), but a state of a physical system in context (QCR). 2. A quantum measurement is a (literally) measurement of quantum reality (QCR), rather than an agent’s action upon its external world (QBism). It can only be regarded as an action in the sense in which a cognitive Wittgensteinian language game is an action (QCR). 3. The result of a quantum measurement is objective, though context-sensitive (QCR), rather than subjective (QBism), personal to the agent performing the action (QBism). 4. The quantum formalism is normative (QCR and QBism) and at the same time descriptive (QCR). The wave function tells us what to expect and how a quantum experiment should be conducted (i.e. plays the role of a norm), and also describes the state of a quantum system in context (QCR). 5. Unitary evolution is objective (QCR), not subjective (QBism). It does not express an agent’s degrees of belief (QBism). 6. Probability 1 is ontic (QCR), not an agent’s maximum degree of subjective certainty without ontic content (QBism). 7. In general, measurement outcomes are not predetermined (QCR and QBism), i.e. “unperformed measurements have no outcomes” (for QCR, this is an analytical judgement; for QBism this is a thesis), but they are predetermined in the case of probabilities 1 and 0 (QCR). In the case of probabilities 0 and 1, one can speak of performed measurements (QCR). 8. Quantum theory is a universal Wittgensteinian rule (norm), i.e. a rule (norm) rooted in experience, reality (QCR). It can be used by any competent subject (QCR and QBism). We illustrate the difference between QCR and QBism on the example of how they treat “Wigner’s friend” thought experiment and consider their attitude to phenomenology.

In modern epistemology, the production of knowledge is understood as a collective enterprise, which implies not only the coordination of the efforts of individual researchers, but also the presence of collective agents of cognition. The behavior of such a collective agent is presumably determined by its inherent collective rationality and intentionality. “Bracketing out” the individual agent allows, in particular, to eliminate the gap between individual and collective rationality, which is a significant problem in the production of knowledge understood as a public good, since it can lead to freeriding and scientific egoism. At the same time, the construction of collective agents of cognition does not always seem to be a justified tool in methodological and metaphysical terms. An alternative may be a mixed theoretical scheme, namely the representation of scientific cognition as collective action, but without collective intentionality.

The results of the influence of crown density of the ash-leaved maple ( Acer negundo L.) population on the formation of forest phytocenosis litter are presented. The objects of the study were forest floors formed under natural stands of ash maple on the territory of abandoned arable land within the city of Kemerovo. The vegetation cover was described, the dominant plant species and their general projective cover were determined. Analytical samples of the samples were dried to an air-dry state, weighed to determine the proportion of each plant fraction (leaves, grass, branches) and litter reserves per absolutely dry mass were determined. From the litter samples, taking into account the A0L and A0F horizons, selected from the ash maple plantations at each site, an average sample was prepared, in which the ash content was determined by dry ashing in a muffle furnace at 400-500 °C according to GOST 24027.2-80 and the nitrogen content was determined by the method Kjeldahl. It was revealed that the formation of the litter of forest phytocenoses is influenced by the density of the crowns of the ash maple population, as well as the content of mineral and organic compounds of plant litter. The predominant composition of the litter in phytocenoses was a fermentation layer of incompletely decomposed, morphologically identifiable plant residues with an increase in nitrogen and ash content in comparison with the overlying layer. In the under-crown space of the ash-leaved maple, plant remains were arranged according to the content of chemical compounds in descending order: leaves ˃ branches ˃ grass. Trees in open stands had the most intense mineralization of litter, probably due to a higher accumulation of phytomass and chemical compounds compared to trees of other studied groups. The results of the study can be used to monitor natural ecosystems.

Plant litter is a connecting flux between plants and soil, and the rate of soil organic matter accumulation depends on its decomposition. Despite the abundance of data on the mass of litterfall in Russian pine forests, generalized assessments of the influence of growing conditions on this process are rare. Approximately constant rate of organic matter flux from tree plants on forest floor surface was detected base on 5 years of observation (during 2017-2022) that can rarely be disturbed due to significant litterfall of branches during winter. The tree litterfall influx in pine forest of Lichen type was 233.4 g/m² per year, in bilberry type pine forest - 206.1, and in Sphagnosa type pine forest - 109.6 g/m² per year much of that (66-72 %) formed from May to October. In relatively clear on composition pine forests pine needle produce 48-62 % from total litterfall. Branches (predominantly pine) and pine bark has a significant input that reach to 12-16 % and 12-14 % from tree litterfall, respectively. Growing conditions influence the share of birch ( Betula L.) eaves, pine needle and cones in total mass of litterfall. Obtained data can be used to assess the cycle of matter and carbon in the pine forests of the northern taiga zone.

The experience of creating and studying Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.) provenances shows that there is a connection between the success of growing trees and their geographical origin. Some of them are capable of surpassing local ones in terms of productivity, yield and other features. To select successful climatypes, it is important consider their sustainability to various unfavorable environmental factors, including fungal diseases. The most dangerous pine disease is annosum root rot ( Heterobasidion annosum (Fr.) Bref.). The studies were carried out in Scots pine provenance trials of the Orekhovo-Zuevsky forestry district (east part of Moscow region) in the period from 2016 to 2023. The current health and phytopathological state of 38 climatypes, as well as adjacent pine stands of local origin, have been assessed. A complex of 12 species of fungi associated with pine have been identified. H. annosum causes the greatest damage. Numerous pockets of dead trees associated with the development of this pathogen have been identified in the areas. The proportion of dieback trees in different origin pine stands is not the same: 22 climatypes are superior to forest stands of local origin. Most climatypes from the northwestern and western regions relative to the control (Lithuania, Estonia, Brest region of Belarus), as well as some from neighboring regions (Smolensk, Bryansk, Ryazan regions) are more successful. Almost all unfavorable climatypes originate from regions located east of the test plot (Kostroma, Samara, Sverdlovsk, Novosibirsk regions). Pine stands originated from Udmurtia, Bashkortostan, Omsk region and Yakutia are characterized by a successful state, despite their origin from the regions, very remote from the trial location.