3,449 research outputs found
The Non-linear Dynamics of Meaning-Processing in Social Systems
Social order cannot be considered as a stable phenomenon because it contains
an order of reproduced expectations. When the expectations operate upon one
another, they generate a non-linear dynamics that processes meaning. Specific
meaning can be stabilized, for example, in social institutions, but all meaning
arises from a horizon of possible meanings. Using Luhmann's (1984) social
systems theory and Rosen's (1985) theory of anticipatory systems, I submit
equations for modeling the processing of meaning in inter-human communication.
First, a self-referential system can use a model of itself for the
anticipation. Under the condition of functional differentiation, the social
system can be expected to entertain a set of models; each model can also
contain a model of the other models. Two anticipatory mechanisms are then
possible: one transversal between the models, and a longitudinal one providing
the modeled systems with meaning from the perspective of hindsight. A system
containing two anticipatory mechanisms can become hyper-incursive. Without
making decisions, however, a hyper-incursive system would be overloaded with
uncertainty. Under this pressure, informed decisions tend to replace the
"natural preferences" of agents and an order of cultural expectations can
increasingly be shaped
Highly efficient frequency triplers in the millimeter wave region incorporating a back-to-back configuration of two varactor diodes
This paper reports on the recent development of monolithic frequency tripler array employing a back-to-back configuration of varactor diodes. Even harmonic idler
circuits are unnecessary in this design. Furthermore, no external dc bias is required. The arrangement results in highly efficient, easily-fabricated and inexpensive frequency triplers
"Meaning" as a sociological concept: A review of the modeling, mapping, and simulation of the communication of knowledge and meaning
The development of discursive knowledge presumes the communication of meaning
as analytically different from the communication of information. Knowledge can
then be considered as a meaning which makes a difference. Whereas the
communication of information is studied in the information sciences and
scientometrics, the communication of meaning has been central to Luhmann's
attempts to make the theory of autopoiesis relevant for sociology. Analytical
techniques such as semantic maps and the simulation of anticipatory systems
enable us to operationalize the distinctions which Luhmann proposed as relevant
to the elaboration of Husserl's "horizons of meaning" in empirical research:
interactions among communications, the organization of meaning in
instantiations, and the self-organization of interhuman communication in terms
of symbolically generalized media such as truth, love, and power. Horizons of
meaning, however, remain uncertain orders of expectations, and one should
caution against reification from the meta-biological perspective of systems
theory
Sociological and Communication-Theoretical Perspectives on the Commercialization of the Sciences
Both self-organization and organization are important for the further
development of the sciences: the two dynamics condition and enable each other.
Commercial and public considerations can interact and "interpenetrate" in
historical organization; different codes of communication are then
"recombined." However, self-organization in the symbolically generalized codes
of communication can be expected to operate at the global level. The Triple
Helix model allows for both a neo-institutional appreciation in terms of
historical networks of university-industry-government relations and a
neo-evolutionary interpretation in terms of three functions: (i) novelty
production, (i) wealth generation, and (iii) political control. Using this
model, one can appreciate both subdynamics. The mutual information in three
dimensions enables us to measure the trade-off between organization and
self-organization as a possible synergy. The question of optimization between
commercial and public interests in the different sciences can thus be made
empirical.Comment: Science & Education (forthcoming
Magnetic Fluctuations and Turbulence in the Venus Magnetosheath and Wake
Recent research has shown that distinct physical regions in the Venusian
induced magnetosphere are recognizable from the variations of strength and of
wave/fluctuation activity of the magnetic field. In this paper the statistical
properties of magnetic fluctuations are investigated in the Venusian
magnetosheath, terminator, and wake regions. The latter two regions were not
visited by previous missions. We found 1/f fluctuations in the magnetosheath,
large-scale structures near the terminator and more developed turbulence
further downstream in the wake. Location independent short-tailed non-Gaussian
statistics was observed.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figure
Intermittent turbulence, noisy fluctuations and wavy structures in the Venusian magnetosheath and wake
Recent research has shown that distinct physical regions in the Venusian
induced magnetosphere are recognizable from the variations of strength of the
magnetic field and its wave/fluctuation activity. In this paper the statistical
properties of magnetic fluctuations are investigated in the Venusian
magnetosheath and wake regions. The main goal is to identify the characteristic
scaling features of fluctuations along Venus Express (VEX) trajectory and to
understand the specific circumstances of the occurrence of different types of
scalings. For the latter task we also use the results of measurements from the
previous missions to Venus. Our main result is that the changing character of
physical interactions between the solar wind and the planetary obstacle is
leading to different types of spectral scaling in the near-Venusian space.
Noisy fluctuations are observed in the magnetosheath, wavy structures near the
terminator and in the nightside near-planet wake. Multi-scale turbulence is
observed at the magnetosheath boundary layer and near the quasi-parallel bow
shock. Magnetosheath boundary layer turbulence is associated with an average
magnetic field which is nearly aligned with the Sun-Venus line. Noisy magnetic
fluctuations are well described with the Gaussian statistics. Both
magnetosheath boundary layer and near shock turbulence statistics exhibit
non-Gaussian features and intermittency over small spatio-temporal scales. The
occurrence of turbulence near magnetosheath boundaries can be responsible for
the local heating of plasma observed by previous missions
Groups, organizations, families and movements: The sociology of social systems between interaction and society
KĂŒhl S. Groups, organizations, families and movements: The sociology of social systems between interaction and society. Systems Research and Behavioral Science. 2020;37(3):496-515.In enhancing a proposal by Luhmann, this contribution shows that it is possible to locate different types of systems between âfaceâtoâfaceâinteractionâ and âsocietyâ: groups, organizations, families and protest movements. The common ground of these is that they use membership to attribute persons to the system or not. However, they differ fundamentally in regard to how they understand membership. In contrast to Luhmann's differentiation between interaction, organization and society, it is not only possible to imagine different types of interlocking systems but also coequal combinations of and transitions between the different types of social systems
Online Popularity and Topical Interests through the Lens of Instagram
Online socio-technical systems can be studied as proxy of the real world to
investigate human behavior and social interactions at scale. Here we focus on
Instagram, a media-sharing online platform whose popularity has been rising up
to gathering hundred millions users. Instagram exhibits a mixture of features
including social structure, social tagging and media sharing. The network of
social interactions among users models various dynamics including
follower/followee relations and users' communication by means of
posts/comments. Users can upload and tag media such as photos and pictures, and
they can "like" and comment each piece of information on the platform. In this
work we investigate three major aspects on our Instagram dataset: (i) the
structural characteristics of its network of heterogeneous interactions, to
unveil the emergence of self organization and topically-induced community
structure; (ii) the dynamics of content production and consumption, to
understand how global trends and popular users emerge; (iii) the behavior of
users labeling media with tags, to determine how they devote their attention
and to explore the variety of their topical interests. Our analysis provides
clues to understand human behavior dynamics on socio-technical systems,
specifically users and content popularity, the mechanisms of users'
interactions in online environments and how collective trends emerge from
individuals' topical interests.Comment: 11 pages, 11 figures, Proceedings of ACM Hypertext 201
Millimeter and submillimeter wave technology developments for the next generation of fusion devices
There is increasing demand for compact watt-level coherent sources in the millimeter and submillimeter wave region. The approach that we have taken to satisfy this need is to fabricate two-dimensional grids loaded with oscillators, electronic beam steerers, and frequency multipliers for quasioptical coherent spatial combining of the outputs of a large number of low-power devices
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