Deterrence and Displacement in Auto Theft

Lojack is a stolen vehicle tracking technology that achieves extremely high recovery rates. Ayres and Levitt (1998) show that introduction of the system produced large reductions in vehicle thefts in areas where it was implemented in the United States. The reduced theft risk was shared by all vehicle owners, not only those who bought Lojack. This paper, in contrast, uses the introduction of Lojack to a publicly known set of Ford car models in some Mexican states to show that Lojack generates negative externalities if thieves can distinguish between Lojack and non-Lojack-equipped cars. The empirical analysis suggests that, although Lojack-equipped vehicles experienced a reduction in theft risk of 55%, most of the averted thefts were replaced by thefts of non-Lojack-equipped automobiles in neighboring states. The increase in thefts in non Lojack-serviced states was especially strong for the same car models that in Lojack-serviced states were sold equipped with Lojack.

Effects of the Planar Galactic Tides and Stellar Mass on Comet Cloud Dynamics

We report the first results of a research program to explore the sensitivity of the orbits of Oort cloud comets to changes in the strength of the Galactic tides in the plane of the disk and also to changes in the mass of the host star. We performed 2D simulations that confirm that the effects of the tides on comet orbits are sensitive to a star's distance from the Galactic center. A comet cloud closer to the Galactic center than the Sun will have comet perihelia reduced to the region of the inner planets more effectively by the planar tides alone. Similar results are found for a star of smaller mass. We also show how this phenomenon of comet injection persists for a set of alternative Galactic potential models. These preliminary results suggest a fruitful line of research, one that aims to generalize the study of comet cloud dynamics to systems different from the Solar System. In particular, it will allow us to study the roles played by comet clouds in defining the boundaries of the Galactic Habitable Zone.Comment: Published by The Open Astronomy Journal; some slight differences from published versio

Motion of particles on a Four-Dimensional Asymptotically AdS Black Hole with Scalar Hair

Motivated by black hole solutions with matter fields outside their horizon, we study the effect of these matter fields in the motion of massless and massive particles. We consider as background a four-dimensional asymptotically AdS black hole with scalar hair. The geodesics are studied numerically and we discuss about the differences in the motion of particles between the four-dimensional asymptotically AdS black holes with scalar hair and their no-hair limit, that is, Schwarzschild AdS black holes. Mainly, we found that there are bounded orbits like planetary orbits in this background. However, the periods associated to circular orbits are modified by the presence of the scalar hair. Besides, we found that some classical tests such as perihelion precession, deflection of light and gravitational time delay have the standard value of general relativity plus a correction term coming from the cosmological constant and the scalar hair. Finally, we found a specific value of the parameter associated to the scalar hair, in order to explain the discrepancy between the theory and the observations, for the perihelion precession of Mercury and light deflection.Comment: 20 pages and 9 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1309.216

The challenge of complexity for cognitive systems

Complex cognition addresses research on (a) high-level cognitive processes – mainly problem solving, reasoning, and decision making – and their interaction with more basic processes such as perception, learning, motivation and emotion and (b) cognitive processes which take place in a complex, typically dynamic, environment. Our focus is on AI systems and cognitive models dealing with complexity and on psychological findings which can inspire or challenge cognitive systems research. In this overview we first motivate why we have to go beyond models for rather simple cognitive processes and reductionist experiments. Afterwards, we give a characterization of complexity from our perspective. We introduce the triad of cognitive science methods – analytical, empirical, and engineering methods – which in our opinion have all to be utilized to tackle complex cognition. Afterwards we highlight three aspects of complex cognition – complex problem solving, dynamic decision making, and learning of concepts, skills and strategies. We conclude with some reflections about and challenges for future research

Advertising for attention in a consumer search model

We model the idea that when consumers search for products, they first visit the firm whose advertising is more salient. The gains a firm derives from being visited early increase in search costs, so equilibrium advertising increases as search costs rise. This may result in lower firm profits when search costs increase. We extend the basic model by allowing for firm heterogeneity in advertising costs. Firms whose advertising is more salient and therefore raise attention more easily charge lower prices in equilibrium and obtain higher profits. As advertising cost asymmetries increase, aggregate profits increase, advertising falls and welfare increases.Advertising; attention; consumer search; saliency;

Statistics of the fractional polarisation of extragalactic dusty sources in Planck HFI maps

We estimate the average fractional polarisation at 143, 217 and 353 GHz of a sample of 4697 extragalactic dusty sources by applying stacking technique. The sample is selected from the second version of the Planck Catalogue of Compact Sources at 857 GHz, avoiding the region inside the Planck Galactic mask (fsky ~ 60 per cent). We recover values for the mean fractional polarisation at 217 and 353 GHz of (3.10 \pm 0.75) per cent and (3.65 \pm 0.66) per cent, respectively, whereas at 143 GHz we give a tentative value of (3.52 \pm 2.48) per cent. We discuss the possible origin of the measured polarisation, comparing our new estimates with those previously obtained from a sample of radio sources. We test different distribution functions and we conclude that the fractional polarisation of dusty sources is well described by a log-normal distribution, as determined in the radio band studies. For this distribution we estimate {\mu}_{217GHz} = 0.3 \pm 0.5 (that would correspond to a median fractional polarisation of {\Pi}_{med} = (1.3 \pm 0.7) per cent) and {\mu}_{353GHz} = 0.7 \pm 0.4 ({\Pi}_{med} = (2.0 \pm 0.8) per cent), {\sigma}_{217GHz} = 1.3 \pm 0.2 and {\sigma}_{353GHz} = 1.1 \pm 0.2. With these values we estimate the source number counts in polarisation and the contribution given by these sources to the CMB B-mode angular power spectrum at 217, 353, 600 and 800 GHz. We conclude that extragalactic dusty sources might be an important contaminant for the primordial B-mode at frequencies > 217 GHz.Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1703.0995

Defining the Legal and Policy Framework to Stop the Dumping of Environmentally Harmful Products

Environmental dumping is a practice historically associated with the export of hazardous product waste from a developed country for irresponsible and often illegal disposal in a developing country. Now, with the industrialization and globalization of China and other developing countries, environmental dumping can involve both developing and developed countries as origin and destination. This dumping can be especially harmful to attempts to control under the Montreal Protocol ozone-depleting and climate-forcing chemical substances and/or products requiring unnecessarily high energy consumption. While developing country Parties to the Montreal Protocol are allowed to delay their phasedown of climate-forcing and ozone-depleting hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) during a multi-year grace period, there are advantages to earlier implementation when superior alternatives are already available at reasonable costs, as is the case for many uses of HFCs today. Thus, developing countries can benefit under the Protocol from setting controls for environmental dumping. This article aims to give policymakers, especially those in developing countries, a legal and policy “toolkit” that can be used to stop unwanted environmental dumping. It includes an examination of the history of environmental dumping, illustration of such dumping in practice, a detailed explanation and examination of the legal and policy tools, and a summary of the consequences of environmental dumping