Le jeu vidéo comme moyen de surmonter les limites de la pensée pour envisager la catastrophe

The idea of disaster afflicts the mind to such an extent that it prevents us from believing what we in fact know. For instance, Bergson knew the first World War was likely to occur before it actually broke out, yet he could not believe it. Similarly, the future consequences of global warming are known. However, we do not consider it possible, which therefore prevents us from taking the necessary measures to avoid it, before time runs out. Our inability to believe in the possibility of catastrophy outside of actually experiencing it is explained by the fact that it completely upsets our existence : by its very nature, it goes beyond the possibilities of the mind. Disaster becomes thinkable, and thus possible, only once it has occurred and has become unavoidable. Making a dedicated video game would be a way to circumvent this existing mental impasse and allow us to foresee the ecological disaster coming.This would entail creating an experience for the player where all elements involved would be based on scientific knowledge. Ecosystems are complex systems whose processes can only be investigated through computer simulation. Playing this video game would expose the player, from a distance, to life conditions caused by disaster. The possibility of disaster would then become obvious, provided the game emphasized the warnings present all around us of what is going to happen if we do not take the indispensable and drastic measures to prevent it.La catastrophe frappe la pensée d'une étrange impossibilité qui interdit de croire ce que l'on sait pourtant. Bergson raconte ainsi qu'il savait que la grande guerre était probable avant qu'elle ne soit déclarée, mais qu'il ne parvenait cependant pas à y croire. De même, les conséquences à venir du réchauffement climatique sont connues, pourtant nous ne pouvons nous résoudre à l'envisager comme possible, ce qui interdit de prendre les mesures nécessaires pour l'éviter. L'incapacité de croire à la possibilité de la catastrophe, si ce n'est en en faisant l'épreuve, tient à ce qu'elle bouleverse de fond en comble l'existence : elle excède, par sa nature même, les possibilités de la pensée. Ce n'est qu'une fois la catastrophe advenue qu'elle devient pensable, et donc possible, alors qu'elle est devenue inéluctable. La réalisation d'un jeu vidéo dédié permettrait de surmonter l'impasse dans laquelle se trouve prise la pensée pour appréhender la catastrophe écologique à venir. Il s'agirait de susciter une expérience dont les formes sensibles seraient définies sur la base d'un savoir scientifique. Les écosystèmes sont des systèmes complexes dont les processus ne peuvent être appréhendés qu'au moyen de la simulation informatique. La pratique du jeu exposerait ainsi le joueur, sur un mode distancié, aux conditions de vie suscitées par la catastrophe. La possibilité de la catastrophe deviendrait manifeste, si le jeu permettait de mettre en évidence, dans notre monde, les signes, partout présents, de ce qui se prépare, si nous ne prenons pas les mesures drastiques indispensables pour l'éviter

Le vivant comme condition de l'acte vidéoludique

Nous nous attachons à mettre en évidence l'importance de la notion de vivant pour comprendre quelle est la nature de l'acte vidéoludique. Le jeu trouve son sens dans la possibilité qu'il offre à l'individu de faire l'expérience de lui-même comme vivant. Non seulement le jeu vidéo, en tant que jeu, relève de cette démarche, mais le phénomène de l'immersion, qui lui est spécifique, doit lui aussi être compris comme une forme d'exploration des possibilités de la vie

How a colloidal paste flows – scaling behaviors in dispersions of aggregated particles under mechanical stress –

We have developed a novel computational scheme that allows direct numerical simulation of the mechanical behavior of sticky granular matter under stress. We present here the general method, with particular emphasis on the particle features at the nanometric scale. It is demonstrated that, although sticky granular material is quite complex and is a good example of a challenging computational problem (it is a dynamical problem, with irreversibility, self-organization and dissipation), its main features may be reproduced on the basis of rather simple numerical model, and a small number of physical parameters. This allows precise analysis of the possible deformation processes in soft materials submitted to mechanical stress. This results in direct relationship between the macroscopic rheology of these pastes and local interactions between the particles

The diphtheria immunization clinic

The Schick Test, given an accurate and constant technique with some degree of practice in interpretation of results, gives a reliable indication of the state of immunity or susceptibility of persons in relation to diphtheria.It is possible, moreover, to create in the susceptible that state of immunity which is found to exist naturally in others.The reliability of the Test is proved by the results obtained in lowering the incidence of diphtheria in institutions, fever hospitals, and various closed and semi-closed communities in this country and in America.An immunization clinic may be held in special clinic premises or in a school classroom or welfare centre. Where schools are c oncerned, little upset of the daily routine need occur. Shrewd staffing of such a clinic is advisable and records must be accurately made and filed, and general clerical work reduced to a minimum. The more clerical work the doctor and nurse have to do, the less time will be available for treatment and the greater will be the cost of this treatment in consequence. Efficient co- operation between the staff of the clinic and the district health visitors goes a long way towards completion of the injection course.The Schick Test should be dispensed with in children under the age of five years.Toxoid anti-toxin mixture is a reliable product and rarely gives rise to untoward reactions. These may be either general, local, or general and local, but seldom lead to discomfort, and are transient. They are less frequent than with Toxin anti-toxin, and less severe. While, moreover, it may be a weaker antigen than Formol toxoid, and necessitates the giving of three injections as compared with one or two of Alum-precipitated toxoid, time taken in acquiring immunity is of no particular importance, the chief consideration being certainty of protection with a minimum of upset. In my series 0.6 per cent of injections gave rise to reactions, the majority occurring after the first injection and in older children.The first step to be taken towards the success of any immunization scheme is the gaining of the support of Head Teachers. Once this is obtained, lectures, film demonstrations, posters and even broadcasting may be employed. General practitioners and nurses, thereafter, can do more perhaps than they realise in encouraging those who may rely upon their advice from day to day in regard to medical matters.Statistics show that immunization leads to a marked reduction in incidence among inoculated as compared with unprotected children, and while it is possible through immunization to decrease the incidence-rate very considerably, and even to reduce the death-rate, it is the inclusion of the pre-school child in any scheme which is the really important factor in this reduction.The cost of immunization is about one- ninetieth of the cost of treatment in hospital.While there is a theoretical risk of increase in the virulent carrier-rate following upon immunization within a community, this, in practice, is not of necessity true

Role of Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor in Obesity, Insulin Resistance, Type 2 Diabetes, and Associated Hepatic Co-Morbidities: A Comprehensive Review of Human and Rodent Studies

<p>Obesity is associated with a chronic low-grade inflammatory state that drives the -development of obesity-related co-morbidities such as insulin resistance/type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and cardiovascular disease. This metabolic inflammation is thought to originate in the adipose tissue, which becomes inflamed and insulin resistant when it is no longer able to expand in response to excess caloric and nutrient intake. The production of inflammatory mediators by dysfunctional adipose tissue is thought to drive the development of more complex forms of disease such as type 2 diabetes and NAFLD. An important factor that may contribute to metabolic inflammation is the cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF). Increasing evidence suggests that MIF is released by adipose tissue in obesity and that it is also involved in metabolic and inflammatory processes that underlie the development of obesity-related pathologies. This review provides a comprehensive summary of our current knowledge on the role of MIF in obesity, its production by adipose tissue, and its involvement in the development of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and NAFLD. We discuss the main findings from recent clinical studies in obese subjects and weight-loss intervention studies as well as results from clinical studies in patients with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, we summarize findings from experimental disease models studying the contribution of MIF in obesity and insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and hepatic lipid accumulation and fibrosis. Although many of the findings support a pro-inflammatory role of MIF in disease development, recent reports also provide indications that MIF may exert protective effects under certain conditions.</p

From colloidal dispersions to colloidal pastesthrough solid–liquid separation processes

Solid–liquid separation is an operation that starts with a dispersion of solid particles in a liquid and removes some of the liquid from the particles, producing a concentrated solid paste and a clean liquid phase. It is similar to thermodynamic processes where pressure is applied to a system in order to reduce its volume. In dispersions, the resistance to this osmotic compression depends on interactions between the dispersed particles. The first part of this work deals with dispersions of repelling particles, which are either silica nanoparticles or synthetic clay platelets, dispersed in aqueous solutions. In these conditions, each particle is surrounded by an ionic layer, which repels other ionic layers. This results in a structure with strong short-range order. At high particle volume fractions, the overlap of ionic layers generates large osmotic pressures; these pressures may be calculated, through the cell model, as the cost of reducing the volume of each cell. The variation of osmotic pressure with volume fraction is the equation of state of the dispersion. The second part of this work deals with dispersions of aggregated particles, which are silica nanoparticles, dispersed in water and flocculated by multivalent cations. This produces large bushy aggregates, with fractal structures that are maintained through interparticle surface– surface bonds. As the paste is submitted to osmotic pressures, small relative displacements of the aggregated particles lead to structural collapse. The final structure is made of a dense skeleton immersed in a nearly homogeneous matrix of aggregated particles. The variation of osmotic resistance with volume fraction is the compression law of the paste; it may be calculated through a numerical model that takes into account the noncentral interparticle forces. According to this model, the response of aggregated pastes to applied stress may be controlled through the manipulation of interparticle adhesion

Recent advances in understanding Candida albicans hyphal growth

International audienceMorphological changes are critical for the virulence of a range of plant and human fungal pathogens. is a major human fungal Candida albicans pathogen whose ability to switch between different morphological states is associated with its adaptability and pathogenicity. In particular, C. albicans can switch from an oval yeast form to a filamentous hyphal form, which is characteristic of filamentous fungi. What mechanisms underlie hyphal growth and how are they affected by environmental stimuli from the host or resident microbiota? These questions are the focus of intensive research, as understanding hyphal growth has broad implications for cell C. albicans biological and medical research

Évaluation de l'implantation du DEC virtuel

Titre de l'écran-titre (visionné le 28 oct. 2005)Également disponible en format papierBibliogr

Awareness of lifestyle and colorectal cancer risk:findings from the BeWEL study

It is estimated that 47% of colorectal cancers (CRC) could be prevented by appropriate lifestyles. This study aimed to identify awareness of the causes of CRC in patients who had been diagnosed with a colorectal adenoma through the Scottish Bowel Screening Programme and subsequently enrolled in an intervention trial (using diet and physical activity education and behavioural change techniques) (BeWEL). At baseline and 12-month follow-up, participants answered an open-ended question on factors influencing CRC development. Of the 329 participants at baseline, 40 (12%) reported that they did not know any risk factors and 36 (11%) failed to identify specific factors related to diet and activity. From a potential knowledge score of 1 to 6, the mean score was 1.5 (SD 1.1, range 0 to 5) with no difference between intervention and control groups. At follow-up, the intervention group had a significantly greater knowledge score and better weight loss, diet, and physical activity measures than the control group. Awareness of relevant lifestyle factors for CRC remains low in people at increased risk of the disease. Opportunities within routine NHS screening to aid the capability (including knowledge of risk factors) of individuals to make behavioural changes to reduce CRC risk deserve exploration.Additional co-author: The BeWEL team. The BeWEL Team consists of Shaun Treweek, Fergus Daly, Jill Belch, Jackie Rodger, Alison Kirk, Anne Ludbrook, Petra Rauchhaus, Patricia Norwood, Joyce Thompson, and Jane Wardle