Bonjour"s A Priori Justification of Induction

Justifications of induction, and certainly a priori justifications\ud of induction, are out of fashion these days. In a\ud chapter of his recent book, In Defense of Pure Reason\ud (1998)1, however, Lawrence Bonjour, the respected American\ud epistemologist, bucks the trend and makes a valiant\ud attempt to revive the latter. What he claims can be justified\ud a priori is that if the premise of a standard inductive argument\ud obtains, then it is likely or probable that the conclusion\ud will hold. A standard inductive premise, for Bonjour,\ud will state that a certain proportion m/n of observed cases of\ud A have been cases of B, as well as specify that there has\ud been "suitable variation of the collateral circumstances�\ud and that the "observed proportion ... converges over time\ud to the fraction m/n� (Bonjour, 206-07). The standard\ud inductive conclusion will state that there is "a corresponding\ud objective regularity in the world� (212), in other\ud words an objective regularity of the form: m/n of all As are\ud Bs

Mars surface based factory. Phase 2, task 1C: Computer control of a water treatment system to support a space colony on Mars

In a continued effort to design a surface based factory on Mars for the production of oxygen and water, a preliminary study was made of the surface and atmospheric composition on Mars and determined the mass densities of the various gases in the Martian atmosphere. Based on the initial studies, oxygen and water were determined to be the two products that could be produced economically under the Martian conditions. Studies were also made on present production techniques to obtain water and oxygen. Analyses were made to evaluate the current methods of production that were adaptable to the Martian conditions. Even though the initial effort was the production of oxygen and water, it was found necessary to produce some diluted gases that can be mixed with the oxygen produced to constitute 'breathable' air. The conceptual design of a breathable air manufacturing system, a means of drilling for underground water, and storage of water for future use were completed. The design objective was the conceptual design of an integrated system for the supply of quality water for biological consumption, farming, residential and industrial use

John Fuller Oral History

Susan Mehrtens\u27 Note: Fuller was a close associate of J.P. Scott\u27s in the Lab\u27s animal behavior section at Hamilton Station Since all the records of Ham Station were destroyed after that area was closed down, both Scott\u27s and Fuller\u27s tapes are particularly valuable as rare sources of information in this aspect of the Lab\u27s work. Our meeting took place in the Wonderview Motel, with Fuller\u27s wife, Ruth, listening and occasionally interrupting. Fuller describes the work at Ham Station, his role as Assistant Director of the Lab, his decision to leave MDI and Jax -- all in the most gental and careful terms. While this interview never gets pointedly critical, incisive in its assessments, or astute in its evaluations, it does offer more information on Ham Station and behavioral aspect of Jax\u27s research. For this it is to be valued

Development and Characterization of Velocity Workspaces for the Human Knee.

The knee joint is the most complex joint in the human body. A complete understanding of the physical behavior of the joint is essential for the prevention of injury and efficient treatment of infirmities of the knee. A kinematic model of the human knee including bone surfaces and four major ligaments was studied using techniques pioneered in robotic workspace analysis. The objective of this work was to develop and test methods for determining displacement and velocity workspaces for the model and investigate these workspaces. Data were collected from several sources using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT). Geometric data, including surface representations and ligament lengths and insertions, were extracted from the images to construct the kinematic model. Fixed orientation displacement workspaces for the tibia relative to the femur were computed using ANSI C programs and visualized using commercial personal computer graphics packages. Interpreting the constraints at a point on the fixed orientation displacement workspace, a corresponding velocity workspace was computed based on extended screw theory, implemented using MATLAB(TM), and visually interpreted by depicting basis elements. With the available data and immediate application of the displacement workspace analysis to clinical settings, fixed orientation displacement workspaces were found to hold the most promise. Significant findings of the velocity workspace analysis include the characterization of the velocity workspaces depending on the interaction of the underlying two-systems of the constraint set, an indication of the contributions from passive constraints to force closure of the joint, computational means to find potentially harmful motions within the model, and realistic motions predicted from solely geometric constraints. Geometric algebra was also investigated as an alternative method of representing the underlying mathematics of the computations with promising results. Recommendations for improving and continuing the research may be divided into three areas: the evolution of the knee model to allow a representation for cartilage and the menisci to be used in the workspace analysis, the integration of kinematic data with the workspace analysis, and the development of in vivo data collection methods to foster validation of the techniques outlined in this dissertation

One Endless Dance: Tanaka Min\u27s Experimental Practice

This work is the first in-depth study of the work of avant-garde Japanese dancer/choreographer Tanaka Min, and focuses on his extensive innovations in the fields of improvised dance, training, and choreographic method. These interrelated aspects of his experimental practice are intimately concerned with the relation between space and the body, employ collaborative methods, and are strongly influenced by the life and work of Hijikata Tatsumi (widely to considered to be the founder of the butô movement). They are also deeply informed by his choice to live his daily life as an organic vegetable farmer, a choice that I argue constitutes a radical experiment in the relationship between dance and everyday life. Tanaka’s various activities are informed by the ideology of Body Weather (Shintai kisho), a personal philosophy that considers the body as omni-centric and in a state of continual change. I contextualize specific examples of Tanaka’s practice using data gleaned through participant observation, archival research, and extensive interviews with Tanaka and those who have worked with him. Tanaka Min is widely recognized as a significant figure in Japanese butô. Misconceptions about butô, ted to the Eurocentric notion of the Japanese as a people defined by traditional practices, deprive contemporary Japanese performing artists of individual agency. Employing comparative analysis with the work of other experimental choreographers in Japan and the U.S., this work repositions Tanaka as a major innovator in international contemporary dance who throughout his career has extended the radical experimentation of both the Tokyo and New York avant-garde dance movements of the nineteen-sixties