Through A Scanner Darkly: Neuropsychology and psychosis in Philip K. Dick's novel "A Scanner Darkly"

Partly motivated by his increasing brushes with psychosis, by the early 1970s the science fiction author Philip K. Dick was struggling with increasing doubts over the nature of reality and personal identity. Perhaps unsurprisingly, characters with unstable worlds and existential doubts are a familiar focus of his work. Dick was interested in more than just description however, and often used his novels to explore personal theories of existence. During his research, he discovered the work of Roger Sperry, who had rocked the foundations of neuroscience by discovering that when separated, the hemispheres of the brain seemed, at least to some degree, independently conscious. Worried about his own perception of reality, Dick considered that this could explain his increasing feelings of alienation and self-detachment. These reflections resulted in A Scanner Darkly, a partly autobiographical near-future novel that remains an incisive commentary on society, psychosis and the brain

Preparing thermoplastic aromatic polyimides

Method prepares aromatic polyimides with significantly reduced glass-transition temperatures and without accompanying loss of high-level thermo-oxidative stability which has been typical. This has been made possible by use of diamine monomers with specific stereoisomeric features

Release of carbon fibers from burning composites

The results of a burn/explosion test program are presented. The amount of fiber released and the physical characteristics of the fibers are among the data reported

Process for interfacial polymerization of pyromellitic dianhydride and 1,2,4, 5-tetraamino-benzene Patent

Process for interfacial polymerization of pyromellitic dianhydride and tetraamino benzen

Polymer film exhibits thermal and radiation stability

Aromatic/heterocyclic polymers /Pyrrones/ have the ability to absorb large quantities of photolytic, thermal and radiolytic energies while retaining their useful properties. They are prepared from the room temperature reaction of tetraamines and tetraacids

Irradiation improves properties of an aromatic polyester

Aromatic polyester, PEN-2,6, is improved through cross-linking effected by radiation. Polymer retains properties of high tensile strength and toughness and stability at high temperatures

Source of released carbon fibers

The potential for the release of carbon fibers from aircraft crashes/fires is addressed. Simulation of the conditions of aircraft crash fires in order to predict the quantities and forms of fibrous materials which might be released from civilian aircraft crashes/fires is considered. Figures are presented which describe some typical fiber release test activities together with some very preliminary results of those activities. The state of the art of carbon fiber release is summarized as well as some of the uncertainties concerning accidental fiber release

Potential release of fibers from burning carbon composites

A comprehensive experimental carbon fiber source program was conducted to determine the potential for the release of conductive carbon fibers from burning composites. Laboratory testing determined the relative importance of several parameters influencing the amounts of single fibers released, while large-scale aviation jet fuel pool fires provided realistic confirmation of the laboratory data. The dimensions and size distributions of fire-released carbon fibers were determined, not only for those of concern in an electrical sense, but also for those of potential interest from a health and environmental standpoint. Fire plume and chemistry studies were performed with large pool fires to provide an experimental input into an analytical modelling of simulated aircraft crash fires. A study of a high voltage spark system resulted in a promising device for the detection, counting, and sizing of electrically conductive fibers, for both active and passive modes of operation

The potential for damage from the accidental release of conductive carbon fibers from burning composites

The potential damage to electrical equipment caused by the release of carbon fibers from burning commercial airliners is assessed in terms of annual expected costs and maximum losses at low probabilities of occurrence. A materials research program to provide alternate or modified composite materials for aircraft structures is reviewed

Gravothermal Catastrophe, an Example

This work discusses gravothermal catastrophe in astrophysical systems and provides an analytic collapse solution which exhibits many of the catastrophe properties. The system collapses into a trapped surface with outgoing energy radiated to a future boundary, and provides an example of catastrophic collapse.Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev.