The Virtues of Frugality - Why cosmological observers should release their data slowly

Cosmologists will soon be in a unique position. Observational noise will gradually be replaced by cosmic variance as the dominant source of uncertainty in an increasing number of observations. We reflect on the ramifications for the discovery and verification of new models. If there are features in the full data set that call for a new model, there will be no subsequent observations to test that model's predictions. We give specific examples of the problem by discussing the pitfalls of model discovery by prior adjustment in the context of dark energy models and inflationary theories. We show how the gradual release of data can mitigate this difficulty, allowing anomalies to be identified, and new models to be proposed and tested. We advocate that observers plan for the frugal release of data from future cosmic variance limited observations.Comment: 5 pages, expanded discussion of Lambda and of blind anlysis, added refs. Matches version to appear in MNRAS Letter

Spirituality and sustainable lifestyle

The paper aimed to provide additional insights into the wide and partly uncovered area of interactions among spirituality, happiness, life satisfaction and sustainability, supported by a survey representing the Hungarian society. As results reflect, spirituality definitely proves to matter in pro-environmental behaviour, sustainable consumption, happiness and life satisfaction

Empathetic Innovations: Connections across Boundaries

Several motivations may guide quest of a creative person for solving real life problems either faced by oneself or by others. Honey Bee Network has been documenting and valorizing grassroots innovations and traditional knowledge practices for over two decades. In this paper, I review some of the lessons emerging from the innovations triggered by a feeling of internalization of somebody else’s pain [samvedana] exactly as one’s own. The concept of empathetic innovations resonates with the Gandhian philosophy in a very intimate sense. Way back in 1924, Gandhiji had announced a prize of Rs. one lakh to improve the design of charkha [spinning wheel]. When burden becomes responsibility and when concern triggers creativity, we encounter Gandhian spirit in action. He was a great action researcher. In the first part, I summarise the journey of Honey Bee Network, the evolution of SRISTI (Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions) on the advice of Policy and Perspectives Committee of IIMA, and establishment of Grassroots Innovation Augmentation Network (GIAN) as a follow up of International Conference on Creativity and Innovations at Grassroots held at IIMA in 1997. Later, NIF (National Innovation Foundation) was set up with the help of Department of Science and Technology in 2000 to build a National Register of Grassroots Innovations and Traditional Knowledge besides bridging formal and informal science. Recently, the NIF has become a grant-in-aid institution of DST. Nine key issues discussed in the paper to amplify the concept of empathetic innovations are: Why does not adding value to people’s knowledge and creativity excite majority of young and old institutional scientists?; Does wealth necessarily improve the propensity for risk taking and innovation or the lack of it, i.e., can poverty also be a trigger for innovation? Is frugality fungible?; Whether the nature of motivation influences the incentives or disincentives for diffusion?; Should national science, technology and innovation system be fertilized by the grassroots innovations in a fundamental manner?; Do Gandhian methods still matter? Why did Gandhian institutions fossilize in the last six decades?; Will Incorporating innovations in the curriculum not trigger creativity early in life?; Will creating mobile and stationary museum of innovations help in transforming the minds? and Will Gandhian advice to youth for social engagement be still valid?

'The spirit of capitalism' and long-run growth

In this paper, we will show that the capitalist-spirit approach to economic growth has been developed by Adam Smith, Karl Marx, Max Weber and John Maynard Keynes and many others. It can be demonstrated that countries with different degree of the capitalist spirit will have different per capita consumption, per capita capital stock and different endogenous growth rates in the long run. This capitalist spirit model is also widely supported by many empirical and historical studies on cultural attributes and economic development.Spirit of capitalism, Endogenous growth, Savings, Frugality, Culture

The Architecture of Communal Living: Lessons from Arcosanti in Arizona

Paolo Soleri's arcology model (architecture + ecology addresses issues of sustainability by advocating living in a balanced relationship between urban morphology and performance within dense, integrated and compact structures. Within these structures material recycling, waste reduction and the use of renewable energy sources are adopted as part of a sustainable strategy aimed at reducing the flow of resources and energy through the urban system. Today, as governments, eager to deliver major environmental improvements, press on with as yet untried and largely untested 'centrist' policies of urban living, there is a need to research relevant models of the 'compact city' approach. Issues involved with the intensification in the use of space, higher residential densities, centralisation, compactness, the integration of land uses and aspects of self-containment need to be examined. Over the last ten years, as the criteria of sustainability have become more widely accepted and understood, the relevance of the Soleri's urban model has become clearer. Arcosanti, begun in 1970, offers a laboratory for testing the validity of Soleri's ideas. This paper examines arcology and Arcosanti within the context of sustainability. Since the energy crisis of the mid 1970s, efforts at Arcosanti have been directed toward the definition and testing of various architectural effects on a community-wide scale that could offer a response to many of today's environmental problems. But progress is painstakingly slow. Lacking the level of funding and resources that would enable it to be convincing, Arcosanti now represents not so much a specific prototypal solution, but an activist-engaged strategy that advocates the possibility of building our dreams and visions. In a world plagued by so many problems and so few alternatives, it nevertheless continues to offer a beacon of hope on the threshold of a new millennium

A History of Christian Publishing

This essay will address the histories of four major publishing companies in Grand Rapids: Zondervan, Baker, Eerdmans, and Kregel. These publishing companies, through their individual and interwoven histories have shaped and sustained the publishing industry in the Midwest, and Grand Rapids in particular. These publishing houses are significant to the history of books and publishing because, for roughly a century, these publishing houses have been producing Bibles and other evangelical materials that are educating people the world over, from the youngest Sunday school pupils to the oldest seminarian. Finally, the paper will discuss the impact these companies had collectively on the world of theological books and publishing, and will briefly touch on the state of each company toda

Where is the "Frugal Olympics"?

The one-year countdown to the 2008 Beijing Olympics and its media fanfare have come and gone, leaving behind persistent calls for an "economical and practical" Olympics to counteract perceived waste and excess in preparing for the Games. Increasingly, in the past few years, such sentiments have found their way onto the Internet, in blogs, discussion forums and local papers as a full accounting of the spending on various Olympic constructions and events has yet to be fully disclosed to the public.Similar to the open letter "OneWorld,One Dream and Universal Human Rights" from 40 Chinese academics, writers and human rights activists, these sentiments against an extravagant and wasteful Olympics provide another perspective often hidden from themedia glare aimed at festivities and publicity campaigns. This HRIC Issues Brief provides a sample of the range and diversity of these critical views on the Beijing Olympic Games expressed by Chinese Netizens on general blogs and Internet discussion and news forums

The future is now! Reframing Environmentalism in the Anthropocene

Este trabajo trata de evaluar el impacto que la noción del Antropoceno tiene sobre la teoría política medioambiental. En especial, se toman en consideración los contenidos que sobre la relación socionatural comunica esa hipótesis geológica: de la cualidad transformadora de la especie a la hibridación de la naturaleza contemporánea. De ahí se deduce la necesidad de que el ecologismo clásico modifique su discurso y su estrategia de comunicación pública, para adaptarse a una realidad socionatural que poco tiene que ver con sus tesis tradicionales. Además, se explora el concepto de habitación medioambiental como nuevo lenguaje para la sostenibilidad.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

The frugal life and why we should educate for it

The article begins with a fictional example of a life that has been spent frugally in several different ways and for different reasons over time: in wartime, through many decades of simple living, through a period marked by anxiety over the threat to future generations from the depletion of global resources and the climate crisis, to the COVID-19 emergency. The mini-biography serves as an introduction to a more systematic account of these various perspectives on frugality and reasons for adopting a frugal way of living. This provides the framework for a discussion of different aspects of education for frugality in the main body of the article. There are two brief sections at the end dealing, first, with a caveat about the climate change argument for education in frugality and, second, with wider issues that the topic raises