93,315 research outputs found
Simplicity Effects in the Experience of Near-Miss
Near-miss experiences are one of the main sources of intense emotions.
Despite people's consistency when judging near-miss situations and when
communicating about them, there is no integrated theoretical account of the
phenomenon. In particular, individuals' reaction to near-miss situations is not
correctly predicted by rationality-based or probability-based optimization. The
present study suggests that emotional intensity in the case of near-miss is in
part predicted by Simplicity Theory.Comment: jld-11040601; Proceedings of the 33rd Annual Conference of the
Cognitive Science Society, Austin, TX : United States (2011
Dionysus Torn to Pieces: An Examination of The Sound and the Fury in Light of the Philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche
Over the course of this thesis the author considers the problem of truth in life as manifested in William Faulknerâs The Sound and the Fury by means of the Nietzschean conception of the Dionysian. The examination unfolds in a sequential analysis of the novelâs four sections, an analysis framed by Nietzscheâs four theses on ââReasonâ in Philosophy:â the author considers the first section (Ben) symbolic of manâs subversion to what is directly before his eyes, and yet discovers in Benâs idiocy a refutation of that same apparent reality in a presently-realized past, personified in Benâs sister, Caddy; the bounds and liberties of perspective realized, the author considers how in the second section (Quentin) the limits and illusions of perspective defy rationality, and turn cultural truths into the heralds of their own apparent destruction yet aesthetic apotheosis; in the third section (Jason), the author discovers the hollow core of Jasonâs morality, and ultimately recognizes in the final brotherâs illusions and rationalities a meaningless martyrdom of a present believed by Jason to be denied him by the past; the author ultimately discovers what meaning the three brothersâ perspectives signifyânamely, Pandoraâs solaceâin the novelâs blacksâspecifically, Dilseyâbefore confronting the nihilistic implications of Benâs recurring agony and bliss in the novelâs torturous final scene. The author concludes that the ultimate depravity of the novel, when considered the effect of the artistâs journey through the brothersâ purely perspectival realities, renders both truth and appearance moot in the fruitfulness, agony, and destruction of life. This allows the author not to deprive The Sound and the Fury of its depths of experience, but actually celebrate those depths as the necessary effect of life within a culture hostile to life
Loss of Andreev Backscattering in Superconducting Quantum Point Contacts
We study effects of magnetic field on the energy spectrum in a
superconducting quantum point contact. The supercurrent induced by the magnetic
field leads to intermode transitions between the electron waves that pass and
do not pass through the constriction. The latter experience normal reflections
which couple the states with opposite momenta inside the quantum channel and
create a minigap in the energy spectrum that depends on the magnetic field
The Characteristics of Primitivism in Ernest Hemingway's the Old Man and the Sea
Authors of any periods unconsciously tend to explore the sublimity and free expression of feeling, the simplicity of style and themes, the portrayal of the 'noble savage', the glorification of nature, the excitement of physical power and sensuous use of language. These are the characteristics of primitivism, the celebration of an earlier stage of human development, which is uncorrupted, vigorous, genuine expression of life. Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea clearly depicts the characteristics of primitivism as seen in the portrayal of its main character, Santiago. Hemingway's regret on the impact of technology led him to write the novella with its hero who is depicted with the qualities of being a true hero, a winner 'who takes nothing' ; a 'noble savage' with great courage of physical action while dealing with nature. Santiago has become the portrayal of Hemingway's criticism toward the development of civilization and the urban way of life
Analyzing helicopter evasive maneuver effectiveness against rocket-propelled grenades
It has long been acknowledged that military helicopters are vulnerable to ground-launched threats, in particular, the RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenade. Current helicopter threat mitigation strategies rely on a combination of operational tactics and selectively placed armor plating, which can help to mitigate but not entirely remove the threat. However, in recent years, a number of active protection systems designed to protect land-based vehicles from rocket and missile fire have been developed. These systems all use a sensor suite to detect, track, and predict the threat trajectory, which is then employed in the computation of an intercept trajectory for a defensive kill mechanism. Although a complete active protection system in its current form is unsuitable for helicopters, in this paper, it is assumed that the active protection systemâs track and threat trajectory prediction subsystem could be used offline as a tool to develop tactics and techniques to counter the threat from rocket-propelled grenade attacks. It is further proposed that such a maneuver can be found by solving a pursuitâevasion differential game. Because the first stage in solving this problem is developing the capability to evaluate the game, nonlinear dynamic and spatial models for a helicopter, RPG-7 round, and gunner, and evasion strategies were developed and integrated into a new simulation engine. Analysis of the results from representative vignettes demonstrates that the simulation yields the value of the engagement pursuitâevasion game. It is also shown that, in the majority of cases, survivability can be significantly improved by performing an appropriate evasive maneuver. Consequently, this simulation may be used as an important tool for both designing and evaluating evasive tactics and is the first step in designing a maneuver-based active protection system, leading to improved rotorcraft survivability
Dubious decision evidence and criterion flexibility in recognition memory.
When old-new recognition judgments must be based on ambiguous memory evidence, a proper criterion for responding "old" can substantially improve accuracy, but participants are typically suboptimal in their placement of decision criteria. Various accounts of suboptimal criterion placement have been proposed. The most parsimonious, however, is that subjects simply over-rely on memory evidence - however faulty - as a basis for decisions. We tested this account with a novel recognition paradigm in which old-new discrimination was minimal and critical errors were avoided by adopting highly liberal or conservative biases. In Experiment 1, criterion shifts were necessary to adapt to changing target probabilities or, in a "security patrol" scenario, to avoid either letting dangerous people go free (misses) or harming innocent people (false alarms). Experiment 2 added a condition in which financial incentives drove criterion shifts. Critical errors were frequent, similar across sources of motivation, and only moderately reduced by feedback. In Experiment 3, critical errors were only modestly reduced in a version of the security patrol with no study phase. These findings indicate that participants use even transparently non-probative information as an alternative to heavy reliance on a decision rule, a strategy that precludes optimal criterion placement
Barnes Hospital Bulletin
https://digitalcommons.wustl.edu/bjc_barnes_bulletin/1069/thumbnail.jp
High efficiency gaseous tracking detector for cosmic muon radiography
A tracking detector system has been constructed with an innovative approach
to the classical multi-wire proportional chamber concept, using contemporary
technologies. The detectors, covering an area of 0.58 square meters each, are
optimized for the application of muon radiography. The main features are high
(>99.5%) and uniform detection efficiency, 9 mm FWHM position resolution,
filling gas consumption below 2 liters per hour for the non toxic, non
flammable argon and carbon dioxide mixture. These parameters, along with the
simplicity of the construction and the tolerance for mechanical effects, make
the detectors to be a viable option for a large area muography observation
system.Comment: 15 pages, 15 figure
Fashionable connections: Alicia LeFanu and writing from the edge
This article focuses upon Alicia LeFanu (fl. 1809â36), author of several poems, six multi-volume novels, a critical biography of her grandmother, Frances Sheridan, and articles for the Court Magazine. Descended from an eminent literary family, and since misremembered as a mere âpetticoat novelistâ, LeFanu complicates ideas of the centre and the periphery in her writing. I explore how this interest is figured in LeFanu's use of the chapter epigraph, developing work I have undertaken as editor of LeFanu's early novel, Strathallan (1816). LeFanu's epigraphs persist across her fiction as a dimension in which she not only reflects upon literary legacies, but also contests the boundaries of her own print culture. Through its consideration of LeFanu, as author and reader, the article further reflects upon the significance of her example for a broader understanding of other women writers at the edges and borders of Romanticism, and of their literary networks
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