Aqua Pura: On the Purification of Religious Subjects and Aqueous Objects

This paper is concerned with the significant symbolic and ritual applications of water in the Christian religion. The presence of water both actual and figural in the Christian tradition stretches back to pre-Christian Judaism and the history of water as it appears in the scriptural accounts. The history of the relation between water and Christian faith and ideas begins in the religions of Israel and extends continuously up to the present. This history is marked by the geography, ancient politics, and anthropology of water and water usage, such that the scriptures cannot be properly understood without taking these into account. In recent eco-theological reflection, water has become an object of renewed religious concern. The author reflects on how the Christian symbolism of water sets up a reciprocal relation between water as a religious, as well as a natural, resource

On Sylvia Bowerbank, Green Literary Scholar

To accompany the posthumous publication of Sylvia Bowerbank’s personal essay “Sitting in the Bush, Or Deliberate Idleness,” eight scholars introduce her ecocritical thought and practice to a new generation of ecocritics by reflecting on the ways Sylvia herself or her writing or teaching influenced them. Their tributes to this trailblazing ecocritic emphasize her passionate commitment to radical green change within the world, within the university, and within the self

Nanosatellite fabrication and analysis

The advancements in technologies used in the aerospace industry have allowed universities to experiment with and develop small-scale satellites. Universities are taking advantage of the relatively low development costs of nanosatellite programs to give students experience in the field of spacecraft design. The purpose of Santa Clara University\u27s team, Nanosatellite Fabrication and Analysis, is to create a process to expedite the design, analysis, and fabrication phase of nanosatellite structures for students working on future satellite missions. The objective is to design four baseline nanosatellite structures to accommodate a range of potential missions where the designs are simple enough to be completely fabricated by students utilizing only the tools found in the Santa Clara University\u27s machine lab. Finite element analysis is conducted to ensure the designs meet NASA standards for natural frequency and that it can survive the forces it is subjected to during a launch. SatTherm, an easy to use thermal analysis tool for small spacecrafts, was used to conduct initial thermal simulations of the nanosatellite to determine the type of thermal components that will work for future missions. The success of team Nanosatellite Fabrication and Analysis proves that students can fabricate the structural frame of a nanosatellite using only the tools available in SCU\u27s machine lab

The role of stable isotopes in geochemistries of all types

Although I was surprised by the invitation to write a prefatory chapter for the Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, I decided to accept this opportunity to write about my experiences as a participant in the isotope geochemistry revolution that occurred 40–50 years ago. My own experiences during the early stages of my life were uniquely intertwined with those of many of the leaders of this revolution, and thus I was allowed to witness and participate in many remarkable changes in the science as a whole. In addition, I thought that my contribution might be of some interest to the members of a younger generation, to help them judge whether a scientific career could be interesting, rewarding, and worth working hard for to accomplish something. This chapter also gives me the opportunity to express my appreciation to some of the teachers, early colleagues, and students whose influences were important in my life

Linking teaching and research in disciplines and departments

This paper supports the effective links between teaching and discipline-based research in disciplinary communities and in academic departments. It is authored by Alan Jenkins, Mick Healey and Roger Zetter