An Incident in the South China Sea

This article assesses characterization issues under the law of the sea, through the medium of an International Law Studies “maritime situation.” The article begins with a hypothetical scenario concerning an incident between a NATO warship and PRC vessels near Subi Reef and Thitu Island in the South China Sea. The analysis then turns to how we might assess characterization issues under the law of the sea as they apply to this incident. The lenses of analysis employed are: (1) Where, in law of the sea terms, did the incident happen? (2) Who, employing a law of the sea characterization scheme, but referencing relevant responsibility regimes, were the perpetrator vessels? (3) Where does responsibility for the conduct of these vessels lay? (4) How do these “where” and “who” factors interact in assessing the incident in terms of the law of the sea

How Do You Mass What You Cannot See? Using Paper Clips to Help Students Learn How Electron Mass Was First Measured

Many students wrongly presume that scientific knowledge is mysteriously discovered and often believe the development of this knowledge is beyond their ability to comprehend. The activity presented here – appropriate for high-school chemistry and physics students – challenges these misconceptions. Students are engaged in thinking and creativity similar to how the first scientists accurately measured the mass and charge of an electron. Through this process, students develop a deep understanding of how the mass and charge of an individual electron was determined. This activity addresses National Science Education Standards A, B, E, and G and Iowa teaching Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6

Session D1: Towards Effective, Bi-Directional Selective Fish Passage

Abstract: Barriers interfere with aquatic connectivity by preventing or limiting migratory fishes from spawning and other life history processes, and there is increasing pressure to restore connectivity. However, conflicting management objectives exist in many jurisdictions where barriers to fish movement inhibit the restoration of native fishes but protect native fish communities above barriers from undesirable invasive species. In the Laurentian Great Lakes, barriers are an important management tool in the control of invasive Sea Lampreys. Sea Lampreys remain highly destructive in the Great Lakes, and are a constant threat to a 7 billion dollar fishery. Developing selective, effective bi-directional fish passage to remove Sea Lampreys while allowing the passage of native fishes has become an issue of great importance for Great Lakes fisheries managers. To date, efforts have included a variety of approaches including velocity barriers, seasonal barriers, trap-and-sort fishways, and eel ladders. The integration of emerging technologies, such as push-pull and electrical and pheromone guidance and advances in engineering, such as eel-style ladder traps are providing hope that better selective, effective bi-directional fish passage solutions are possible. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission is developing a research theme specific to selective bi-directional fish passage in the hopes of resolving the conflict between aquatic fragmentation and invasive species control

Prospects for the Rules-Based Global Order

The two-decade period of United States post-Cold War predominance is now over, and an era of greater multipolarity has begun. Many fear that the rise of China and a resurgent Russia will bring marked decline in respect for rules and international law. Western policymakers are responding by placing greater value on the ‘rules-based global order’. In 2016 Australia’s Defence White Paper warned that “the rules-based global order is under increasing pressure and has shown signs of fragility”. This new Centre of Gravity Paper by Greg Raymond, Hitoshi Nasu, See Seng Tan and Rob McLaughlin examines the idea of a ‘Rules Based Global Order’. It brings a multi-disciplinary focus to examine how the rules based global order emerged, what it really means and what its future looks like in a more contested strategic environment