Dante's Inferno

We present a simple two-field model of inflation and show how to embed it in string theory as a straightforward generalization of axion monodromy models. Phenomenologically, the predictions are equivalent to those of chaotic inflation, and in particular include observably large tensor modes. The whole high-scale large-field inflationary dynamics takes place within a region of field space that is parametrically subplanckian in diameter, hence improving our ability to control quantum corrections and achieve slow-roll inflation

The Aporetic Ground of Revelation’s Authority in the Divine Comedy and Dante’s Demarcation and Defense of Philosophical Authority

I discuss Dante’s understanding that human existence is “ordered by two final goals” and how, for Dante, this understanding defines philosophy’s and revelation’s respective scopes of authority in guiding human conduct. Specifically, I show that, although Dante subordinates our earthly beatitude to spiritual beatitude in a way that seems to suggest the subordination of the authority of philosophy to that of revelation, he in fact limits philosophy’s scope to an arena in which its authority is not only legitimate but also crucial to the cultivation of the higher, spiritual beatitude of human activity

Chapter Releasing the Prisoners of Hope: Dante’s Purgatorio Breaks the Chains of the Born Frees

Beginning with a tribute to the late Chris 'Zithulele' Mann, a poet and activist who was deeply immersed in Dante, this chapter comments on some of the patterns that emerge from the creative contributions of the Dantessa students. Two authors affirm and explore ideas of black womanhood by appealing to Beatrice and Francesca, potentially combining the two figures. Several authors are acutely aware of the purgatorial condition of post-apartheid South Africa, suggesting a long and arduous march to freedom. The image of flight recurs: thrice, madly, into the inferno and once, temporarily, in limbo. These lively responses to La Commedia prompt the question: what kind of literary studies is proper to purgatory, and elicit a tentative reply, urging a re-invention of the discipline of letters

The Problem of Theophany in Paradiso 33

One widely discussed feature of Paradiso 33 is Dante’s emphasis on his failure to represent in words and memory his pilgrim’s exalted vision of the Trinity. Against other interpretations of this canto, I will discuss why, despite the fact that the language of failure seeks to reinforce the poetic illusion that revelation’s authority is grounded in an unmediated access to divine truth, the theophantic moment “represented” in Paradiso 33 instead shows that revelatory experience is nothing but a product of the impulse of natural reason to exceed its own legitimate scope—that is, the theophantic moment illustrates natural reason’s inherent tendency to overstep its own limits. Consequently, I shall argue, the poema sacro’s carefully constructed representations of the pilgrim’s revelatory insight are in fact grounded in Dante’s proto-humanist understanding of the authoritative role of natural reason in representing to ourselves the possibilities of our own spiritual and earthly beatitudes

A Technician's Dream? The Critical Reception of 3-D Films in Britain

Recent debates about the role of 3-D within cinema (and other media) have contained the traces of a largely anti-stereoscopic agenda that can be traced back to critical responses to 3-D in the 1950s. This article considers how British film reviews from the 1950s and 1980s established potent terms of discussion around the 3-D technology, its potential aesthetic development, and the role of stereoscopy within cinema. Exploring the parameters that the original reviewers set in place concerning the 3-D aesthetic, notably claims around realism, novelty, and gimmickry, the article argues that the language and terms of 1950s British film reviewers have worked to set an agenda that resonates through both the 1980s 3-D revival and modern day digital 3-D

Ahab, Ulysses, and the white whale: Vittorio Gassman’s adaptation of Moby-Dick

Il saggio analizza alcuni aspetti e problemi sollevati dall'adattamento teatrale del capolavoro di Melville da parte di Vittorio Gassman, con particolare attenzione all'accostamento proposto tra la figura di Ulisse e quella del capitano Ahab.The essay investigates some features and issues raised by Vittorio Gassman's adaptation for the stage of Melville's masterpiece. Specific attention is paid to the conjunction of the figures of Ulysses, on the one hand, and of Captain Ahab, on the other

It Falls to Us: Linking The Waste Land to Dante’s Divine Comedy

Be it as a completed work or as individual sections, the ambiguity of T.S. Eliot’s most famous poem has always been the subject of scholarly debate. Though concrete conclusions are seldom reached in any of these discussions, the mere exchange of readers\u27 ideas is often the most rewarding aspect of the dialogue surrounding the poem. The presented paper attempts to join that conversation through an analysis of the fifth section of The Waste Land and how it may be related to Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy. Through the interpretation of a number of allusions, I propose that there is a journey of sorts depicted in the final section of The Waste Land, and that this journey is rather similar to that seen in the first two thirds of Dante’s epic voyage through the afterlife. In exploring such a connection, new lines of interdisciplinary thought may be inspired in other members of the community, be it in a theological, philosophical, or perhaps even psychological sense. If nothing else, however, the proposed subject matter will draw attention to a potential narrative within the organized choas of The Waste Land

Fear and the musical avant-garde in games: Interviews with Jason Graves, Garry Schyman, Paul Gorman and Michael Kamper

© 2014 Intellect Ltd Article. If you have ever experienced the cold chill of fear when watching a film or playing a video or computer game, it is highly probable that your responses have been manipulated by composers exploiting the musical resources of modernism, experimental music and the avant-garde. Depictions of fear, horror, amorality, evil and so on, have come to be associated with these sound worlds, particularly within the realm of popular culture. A number of game titles and franchises have emerged in recent years, which exploit these musical associations, exploring their creative potential as vehicles of fear and horror within the context of interactive game-play. Two composers associated with this approach are Jason Graves (Dead Space franchise) and Garry Schyman (Bioshock franchise, Dante’s Inferno). This article explores perceived links between avant-garde music (as defined in ‘populist’ rather than musicological or historical terms, as a ‘catch-all’ phrase for twentieth-century music exploiting experimental techniques, modernism and atonality) and depictions of horror and fear through interviews with Graves and Schyman. Further questions are posed to Paul Gorman (audio director – Dante’s Inferno) and Michael Kamper (audio director – Bioshock 2) to contextualize the discussion by demonstrating the significant creative influence of audio directors in guiding the musical approach taken by game composers. The article would be of potential interest to anyone with an interest in game audio, commercial composition/composers, game development, creative collaboration, audio direction and the power of music to manipulate the emotions in association with visual media

Sub-Planckian Two-Field Inflation Consistent with the Lyth Bound

The BICEP2 observation of a large tensor-to-scalar ratio, $r = 0.20^{+0.07}_{-0.05}$, implies that the inflaton $\phi$ in single-field inflation models must satisfy $\phi \sim 10M_{Pl}$ in order to produce sufficient inflation. This is a problem if interaction terms suppressed by the Planck scale impose a bound \phi \; ^{<}_{\sim} \; M_{Pl}. Here we consider whether it is possible to have successful sub-Planckian inflation in the case of two-field inflation. The trajectory in field space cannot be radial if the effective single-field inflaton is to satisfy the Lyth bound. By considering a complex field $\Phi$, we show that a near circular but aperiodic modulation of a $|\Phi|^{4}$ potential can reproduce the results of $\phi^2$ chaotic inflation for $n_{s}$ and $r$ while satisfying |\Phi|\; ^{<}_{\sim} \; 0.01 M_{Pl} throughout. More generally, for models based on a $|\Phi|^{4}$ potential, the simplest sub-Planckian models are equivalent to $\phi^{2}$ and $\phi^{4/3}$ chaotic inflation.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures. Some additional references and discussion. Version published in JCA