Creep motion of a granular pile induced by thermal cycling

We report a time-resolved study of the dynamics associated with the slow compaction of a granular column submitted to thermal cycles. The column height displays a complex behavior: for a large amplitude of the temperature cycles, the granular column settles continuously, experiencing a small settling at each cycle; By contrast, for small-enough amplitude, the column exhibits a discontinuous and intermittent activity: successive collapses are separated by quiescent periods whose duration is exponentially distributed. We then discuss potential mechanisms which would account for both the compaction and the transition at finite amplitude.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review Letters (05sep08

The Art of Walt Disney Animation Studios: Movement by Nature

Created in collaboration with the Walt Disney Animation Research Library, the “The Art of Walt Disney Animation Studios: Movement by Nature” exhibition held at the Paris Musée Art Ludique holds special appeal for students of popular culture. Some of that interest will, of course, stem from the 350 pieces on display, and some from the process by which the Disney corporation further “artifies” popular media, providing the studio’s products with an additional layer of cultural legitimacy and al..

“They All Trust Mickey Mouse": Showcasing American Capitalism in Disney Theme Parks

This paper sets out to examine ways in which the Disney company has come to enlist the help of private corporations in the design and operation of its theme parks, allowing the products and messages of large industrial conglomerates to take on increasing prominence the parks’ environment. In their celebration of the free enterprise system, the parks have striven to not only create environments especially conducive to consumption but also extol private corporations as engines of progress. Disney’s efforts to repackage industry help shed light on the media’s role in a capitalist economy – namely, the promotion not just of individual companies but of a brand of capitalism most readily acceptable by the public

‘Locus of Control’: A Selective Review of Disney Theme Parks

Long held as the province of capitalist domination, the Disney parks have recently seen other trends of analysis emerge, providing renewed emphasis on user activity and the parks’ competitive environment. In this article, we identify three trends of research toward the Disney theme parks, with the ‘locus of control’ for the parks’ meaning, design, and operations placed successively within the Disney-controlled environment of the park, within the user, and, lastly, within the park’s wider socio-economic context

De la mise en récit de l'environnement et de ses usages cognitifs, sociaux et techniques : le cas des parcs Disney

As the number-one tourist destination in the United States, the Disney theme parks are asignificant cultural phenomenon and present a unique opportunity to evaluate mass communication inlight of its influence on the user’s behavior and practices. This study aims to provide an analysis of “Imagineering”—that is, the design of narrative environments in the Disney-branded theme parks. By examining the design processes at work in the parks, the analysis shows what stories theso-called “Imagineers” intend to tell as well as how these stories fulfill the requirements of narratives in the very environment of the parks. The park thus presents the image of a fictional world that reflects the values of American society in an objective form, and in so doing provides the conditions for conformity between the user and the environment. As the repository of subjective and psychological traits (memories, values), the narrative space of the park distributes the tasks at hand between the visitor and the environment. By assigning each its role, the park subjects their interaction to a pre-established script—so well that the visitor’s behaviorsand emotions take on the appearance of performances. Besides providing implicit instructions for the proper use of the parks, narratives also serve to mobilize various social agents and in doing so create new sociotechnical systems. Grand narratives of technical and economic progress have thus helped the company secure the collaboration of prominent American corporations as well as a specific legal status for its Florida resort, giving rise to a new production system.En tant que première destination touristique aux Etats-Unis, les parcs à thèmes Disney représentent un phénomène culturel important et une opportunité unique d’évaluer les médias de masse à l’aune de leur influence sur les usages et les conduites. L’analyse se propose d’interroger le concept d’imachination (imagineering), qui désigne chez Disney la conception des environnements thématiques et narratifs des parcs. Au travers de l’examen des protocoles de création des parcs, il s’agit de déterminer comment leurs concepteurs réunissent dans l’environnement certains critères de la narrativité ainsi que les récits qu’ils s’attachent à y raconter. Ainsi, le parc offre l’image d’un monde fictionnel qui, reflétant sous une forme objective certaines valeurs portées par la société américaine, décrit les conditions d’une bonne entente entre le visiteur et son environnement. Investi par le moyen de récits d’attributs psychologiques (souvenirs, valeurs), l’espace du parc oeuvre à la répartition des tâches entre le paysage et l’usager : en assignant un rôle à l’un et à l’autre, l’espace narratif soumet leurs interactions à un script préalable, si bien que les conduites et les émotions du second y relèvent d’une performance.En même temps qu’ils décrivent implicitement les conditions du bon usage du parc, les récits servent à la mobilisation d’acteurs distincts, et, ce faisant, à l’élaboration d’un système sociotechnique : de grands récits de progrès technique et économique ont ainsi permis à la compagnie de s’attacher le concours de grandes corporations américaines et d’obtenir pour son complexe floridien un statut juridique particulier, donnant le jour à un système de production inédit

Some Reflections on Children’s Media Cultures: An Interview with David Buckingham

Entretien avec David Buckingham, dont les travaux sur les enfants, la jeunesse et les médias, ainsi que sur l’éducation aux médias sont internationalement connus. Professeur émérite d’études culturelles à Loughborough University, David Buckingham est chercheur invité à Kings College, University of London, au Royaume-Uni. Cet entretien avec Thibaut Clément s’est déroulé en octobre 2020. Le blog de David Buckingham, qui contient de nombreux essais et articles, peut être consulté à l’adresse www.davidbuckingham.net.David Buckingham is internationally known for his work on children, young people and media, and media education. He is an Emeritus Professor of Cultural Studies at Loughborough University, and a Visiting Professor at Kings College, University of London, UK. This written interview was conducted by Thibaut Clément in October 2020. David Buckingham’s blog, along with numerous essays and articles, can be found at: www.davidbuckingham.net

How Knowledge About Physical Activity Is Impacted By School Institution, Grade Level, and Gender Throughout High School Years in France?

Purpose: Despite its relevance for the training of a well-rounded physically literate individual, the development of knowledge about physical activity (KPA) is understudied. We examined how KPA is differentiated and evolves according to grade level, gender, and type of school attended by an adolescent. Method: A reliable KPA assessment tool was developed. A three-way analysis of variance was used to analyze z scores on the effects of gender, grade level, and type of school on five different dimensions of knowledge. Results: The reliability was validated. Statistically significant interactions were revealed between grade and school institution on KPA z scores. Main results showed that vocational schools displayed significantly lower levels, compared to traditional ones. The only increase in knowledge according to grade was noticeable only in traditional schools. Results revealed no significant gender differences. Discussion: The French physical education system does not seem to provide an adequate level of KPA, especially in vocational schools