On the Paradox of Tragedy : Notes for the Balance of Its Theoretical Heritage

This paper examines some of the theories that were proposed to answer the paradox of tragedy during the eighteenth century, tracking what these theories, in their diversity, show with respect to the assumptions within which the paradox of tragedy arises and the limits and possibilities this approach may offer to answer the problems raised by our aesthetic response to the pain of others. The theories can be classified according to four basic positions. The analysis of these positions encourages us to study this phenomenon from a perspective that takes into account the broader anthropological and ethical context of our emotional reactions to others and keeps in mind the peculiarities that involves the viewer's position (in contrast to the sufferer's position). Also, the analysis suggests that we set aside the search for a common solution and try to develop answers that account for the relevance of differences in both the cultural and normative context of emotional reactions, as well as how various genres and particular works model and structure these reactions

On Art, Compassion, and Memory

ABSTRACT: The late twentieth century saw an upsurge of visual artworks that vindicate the importance of artworks that show the pain endured by victims of political violence in the name of art’s unique ability to create shared memories. However, it is unclear what kind of memories art can create, and how can it create them. One common answer is that art can communicate empathically the most intimate perceptual aspects of pain and engrave them deeply in the spectator’s mind. This paper proposes to consider that question and evaluate this answer within the framework provided by the cognitive theory of emotions (Nussbaum 2003; Goldie 2000). I will first provide an analysis of an artwork by Colombian artist Doris Salcedo with the help of the theory of “criterial prefocusing” (Carroll 1998). This allows me to claim that the artistic and political importance of this artworks derives from the fact that it does not only try to generate empathy, but models it through compassion. The strength and depth of the emotion makes the experience memorable, but the cognitive structure of compassion imposes certain conditions in what kind of memory can be generated: it’s a memory not of the events recreated and not from the point of view of the victim, but a memory of the experience of the work and from the point of view of the spectator

Uniqueness of the Fock quantization of scalar fields under mode preserving canonical transformations varying in time

We study the Fock quantization of scalar fields of Klein-Gordon type in nonstationary scenarios propagating in spacetimes with compact spatial sections, allowing for different field descriptions that are related by means of certain nonlocal linear canonical transformations that depend on time. More specifically, we consider transformations that do not mix eigenmodes of the Laplace-Beltrami operator, which are supposed to be dynamically decoupled. In addition, we assume that the canonical transformations admit an asymptotic expansion for large eigenvalues (in norm) of the Laplace-Beltrami operator in the form of a series of half integer powers. Canonical transformations of this kind are found in the study of scalar perturbations in inflationary cosmologies, relating for instance the physical degrees of freedom of these perturbations after gauge fixing with gauge invariant canonical pairs of Bardeen quantities. We characterize all possible transformations of this type and show that, independently of the initial field description, the combined criterion of requiring (i) invariance of the vacuum under the spatial symmetries and (ii) a unitary implementation of the dynamics, leads to a unique equivalence class of Fock quantizations, all of them related by unitary transformations. This conclusion provides even further robustness to the validity of the proposed criterion, completing the results that have already appeared in the literature about the uniqueness of the Fock quantization under changes of field description when one permits exclusively local time dependent canonical transformations that scale the field configuration.Comment: 12 pages, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Repertorio bibliográfico: arte, estética e historia del arte en colombia 1870-1929

This article describes the origin, process, and results of a bibliographic research Project carried out by the Research Group on the Theory and History of Art in Colombia in the University of Antioquia. The primary product of this study is a database that combines bibliographic records in the fields of Colombian art, aesthetics, and art history for the period 1870 to 1929. The text emphasizes bibliographic research and the role that interdisciplinary cooperation can play between librarians and subject experts in this area of study, as well as its importance in improving the research process. It also suggests possibilities for future research in this and other areas, following the experience here described

Uniqueness of the Fock quantization of scalar fields in spatially flat cosmological spacetimes

We study the Fock quantization of scalar fields in (generically) time dependent scenarios, focusing on the case in which the field propagation occurs in --either a background or effective-- spacetime with spatial sections of flat compact topology. The discussion finds important applications in cosmology, like e.g. in the description of test Klein-Gordon fields and scalar perturbations in Friedmann-Robertson-Walker spacetime in the observationally favored flat case. Two types of ambiguities in the quantization are analyzed. First, the infinite ambiguity existing in the choice of a Fock representation for the canonical commutation relations, understandable as the freedom in the choice of inequivalent vacua for a given field. Besides, in cosmological situations, it is customary to scale the fields by time dependent functions, which absorb part of the evolution arising from the spacetime, which is treated classically. This leads to an additional ambiguity, this time in the choice of a canonical pair of field variables. We show that both types of ambiguities are removed by the requirements of (a) invariance of the vacuum under the symmetries of the three-torus, and (b) unitary implementation of the dynamics in the quantum theory. In this way, one arrives at a unique class of unitarily equivalent Fock quantizations for the system. This result provides considerable robustness to the quantum predictions and renders meaningful the confrontation with observation.Comment: 15 pages, version accepted for publication in JCA

Unitary evolution and uniqueness of the Fock quantization in flat cosmologies with compact spatial sections

We study the Fock quantization of scalar fields with a time dependent mass in cosmological scenarios with flat compact spatial sections. This framework describes physically interesting situations like, e.g., cosmological perturbations in flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker spacetimes, generally including a suitable scaling of them by a background function. We prove that the requirements of vacuum invariance under the spatial isometries and of a unitary quantum dynamics select (a) a unique canonical pair of field variables among all those related by time dependent canonical transformations which scale the field configurations, and (b) a unique Fock representation for the canonical commutation relations of this pair of variables. Though the proof is generalizable to other compact spatial topologies in three or less dimensions, we focus on the case of the three-torus owing to its relevance in cosmology, paying a especial attention to the role played by the spatial isometries in the determination of the representation.Comment: 23 pages. New section 4.2. Added references. Published in EJT

Discussão sobre as dificuldades tradutológicas do livro The Crack of Doom de Robert Cromie

Este trabalho de projeto tem dois objetivos gerais. O primeiro consiste em apresentar uma tradução inédita de onze capítulos do livro The Crack of Doom, escrito por Robert Cromie, da sua versão original, em língua inglesa, para a língua portuguesa. Trata-se de um livro escrito em 1895, que tem como tema principal o fim do mundo provocado por uma catástrofe nuclear. O segundo objetivo consiste em discutir algumas das opções tradutológicas. Com efeito, tratando-se de um livro escrito no século XIX surgiram, naturalmente, algumas questões de tradução quer a nível linguístico (nomeadamente, lexical) quer a nível cultural que são discutidas no presente relatório. Sendo as opções de tradução sempre discutíveis, procura-se justificar aqui as escolhas que fiz, enquanto tradutor. Essas escolhas são justificadas, tanto quanto possível, no âmbito de estudos sobre tradução, o que permite refletir sobre hipóteses teóricas, com base em dados empíricos.This project work has two objectives. The first objective is to expose an unpublished translation of eleven chapters of the book The Crack of Doom, written by Robert Cromie, from its original English version, to the Portuguese language. This is a book written in 1895; it has as its main theme the end of the world by means of a nuclear catastrophe. The second objective is the commentary about the options of translation. Because it is a book written in the XIX century, many translation matters arose, and those matters (linguistic and cultural matters) are debated in this particular project work. The paths that I took as a translator are debatable and questionable, and I intend to justify my options in this document: these options are justifiable, as much as they can be, with the studies of translation in mind, which makes it possible to think about theoretical hypotheses based on empirical data

Thermal tolerance limits and physiological traits as indicators of Hediste diversicolor's acclimation capacity to global and local change drivers

We would like to acknowledge project AquaMMIn (MAR-02.01.01- FEAMP-0038), co-funded by Portugal (2020) and the European Union through Mar2020 , the Operational Programme (OP) for the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) in Portugal . We also acknowledge financial support to CESAM by FCT/MCTES (LA/P/0094/2020 ), through national funds, to L'Oreal/FCT/UNESCO for the prize L'Oreal Medals for Women in Science Portugal awarded to D.M., to FCT, MEC through Scientific Employment Stimulus. PhD scholarship call 2021 ( 2021.04675 .BD to JFF). Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The AuthorsGlobal projections predict significant increases in ocean temperature and changes in ocean chemistry, including salinity variations by 2100. This has led to a substantial interest in the study of thermal ecophysiology, as temperature is a major factor shaping marine ectotherm communities. However, responses to temperature may be influenced by other factors such as salinity, highlighting the relevance of multiple stressor studies. In the present work, we experimentally evaluated the thermal tolerance of the marine ragworm Hediste diversicolor under predicted global change scenarios. Organisms were subjected to an experimental trial under control (24 °C), and two temperature treatment scenarios (ocean warming +3 °C – (27 °C) and heat wave +6 °C – (30 °C)), combined with salinity variations (20 and 30) in a full factorial design for 29 days. Environmental data from the field were collected during 2019 and 2020. At day 30 post exposure, upper thermal limits (Critical Thermal Maximum - CTMax), thermal safety margins (TSM) and acclimation capacity were measured. Higher acclimation temperatures led to higher thermal tolerance limits, confirming that H. diversicolor features some physiological plasticity, acclimation capacity and a positive thermal safety margin. This margin was greater considering in situ temperature data from 2019 than maximum temperatures for 2020 (CTMax > maximum habitat temperature–MHT). Moreover, smaller organisms displayed higher upper thermal limits suggesting that thermal tolerance is size dependent. Ragworms subjected to higher salinity also showed a higher CTMax than those acclimated to lower salinity. However, temperature and salinity showed an additive effect on CTMax, as no significant interaction was detected. We conclude that H. diversicolor can easily acclimate to increased water temperature, independently of salinity variations. Given the key role of ragworms in food webs in estuaries and coastal lagoons, substrate bioturbation and aquaculture, this information is relevant to support conservation actions, optimize culture protocols and identify thermal resistant strains.publishersversionpublishe