Corytophanes cristatus

Number of Pages: 6Integrative BiologyGeological Science

Corytophanes hernandesii

Number of Pages: 6Integrative BiologyGeological Science

The Value of Words: Narrative as Evidence in Policymaking

Policymakers today rely primarily on statistical, financial, and other forms of technical data as their basis for decision-making. Yet, there is a potentially underestimated value in substantive reflections of the members of the public who will be affected by a particular piece of regulation. We discuss the value of narratives as input in the policy making process, based on our experience with Regulation Room–a product of an interdisciplinary initiative using innovative web technologies in real-time online experimentation. We describe professional policymakers and professional commenters as a community of practice that has limited shared repertoire with the lay members of the public trying to engage with the policymaking process, which constitutes a significant barrier to participation. Based on our work with Regulation Room, we offer an initial typology of narratives–complexity, contributory context, unintended consequences, and reframing–as a first step towards overcoming conceptual barriers to effective civic engagement in policymaking

Laminar Flame Speeds in Degenerate Oxygen-Neon Mixtures

The collapse of degenerate oxygen-neon cores (i.e., electron-capture supernovae or accretion-induced collapse) proceeds through a phase in which a deflagration wave ("flame") forms at or near the center and propagates through the star. In models, the assumed speed of this flame influences whether this process leads to an explosion or to the formation of a neutron star. We calculate the laminar flame speeds in degenerate oxygen-neon mixtures with compositions motivated by detailed stellar evolution models. These mixtures include trace amounts of carbon and have a lower electron fraction than those considered in previous work. We find that trace carbon has little effect on the flame speeds, but that material with electron fraction $Y_e \approx 0.48-0.49$ has laminar flame speeds that are $\approx 2$ times faster than those at $Y_e = 0.5$. We provide tabulated flame speeds and a corresponding fitting function so that the impact of this difference can be assessed via full star hydrodynamical simulations of the collapse process.Comment: 12 pages, 12 figures; Accepted to Ap

Rulemaking vs. Democracy: Judging and Nudging Public Participation That Counts

An underlying assumption of many open government enthusiasts is that more public participation will necessarily lead to better government policymaking: If we use technology to give people easier opportunities to participate in public policymaking, they will use these opportunities to participate effectively. Yet, experience thus far with technology-enabled rulemaking (e-rulemaking) has not confirmed this “if-then” causal link. This Article considers how this flawed causal reasoning around technology has permeated efforts to increase public participation in rulemaking