A desire for immersion: the panorama to the Oculus Rift

The paper argues that the experience of viewing 360° historical scenes, either within the "real" environment of the panorama or contemporary "virtual" environments, arises in part from the attraction of the affecting experience. Tracing a line from ancient Greece and Rome through to contemporary technological innovations in Virtual Reality, we explore an idea that what links all of these experiences is not solely a response to social, political or historical streams but a manifestation of a pan-historical human desire for the Dionysiac. Using texts by theorists as diverse as Nietzsche, Baudrillard, Rheingold, Gibson and Shaviro, we suggest that the impetus for viewing historical scenes within 360° environments is at least partly involved in wanting to go beyond spectatorship and intellectual curiousity, towards presence and intoxication. Attempts to tease out the ideological content of an immersive experience must be done in the context of the craving of audience members for the sensual, the sensational, the being present, and other "illegitimate" forms of impetus to view and experiences. These always already exist alongside and perhaps even before the more legitimate goals of gaining knowledge, historical perspective, education and information. Charlton and Moar explore the idea that this desire for immersion impels us to submerge ourselves in historical scenes. Thus immersion is the link between panoramas and new panoramic experiences afforded by new technologies such as the Oculus Rift

VR and the dramatic theatre: are they fellow creatures?

This paper describes an experimental project that aims to investigate the scope of methodological and technical possibilities of using 360° videos for experiencing authored drama. In particular, it examines how a work written for the medium of theatre, with a traditional audience-drama relationship of viewer invisibility and non-participation, might translate into a viewing experience as a VR drama. The technical and dramaturgical issues arising from this are discussed. Specifically, the shared voyeuristic quality of both media is examined. Is the invisible viewer of VR drama in the invidious role of Glaucon’s iniquitous shepherd Gyges, or does the medium give invisibility a cloak of aesthetic value

A single supplement of a standardised bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) extract (36 % wet weight anthocyanins) modifies glycaemic response in individuals with type 2 diabetes controlled by diet and lifestyle

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Toxicity of Bacillus thuringiensis CrylAb Toxin to the Predator Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae)

Laboratory feeding studies were carried out to determine the effects of the Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) CrylAb toxin on developmental time and mortality of Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) larvae. A bioassay technique was developed that allowed for incorporation of the CrylAb toxin into a liquid diet that was then encapsulated within small paraffin spheres. Because only 2nd and 3rd instars can penetrate the surface of the paraffin spheres, 2 different methods were used to rear chrysopid larvae through the 1st instar. The 1st method used small foam cubes soaked in non-encapsulated, liquid diet (with or without CrylAb). The 2nd method used Ephestia kuehniella (Hübner) eggs as prey during the first instar (no CrylAb exposure). After reaching the 2nd instar, all larvae received encapsulated, artificial diet with or without CrylAb, respectively. When reared only on artificial diet containing CrylAb toxin, total immature mortality was significantly higher (57%) than in the respective untreated control (30%). Also, significantly more chrysopid larvae died (29%) that received CrylAb later during their larval development compared with the respective control (17%). Although mortality was consistently higher, no or only small differences in developmental times were observed between CrylAb-treated and untreated C. carnea larvae. C. carnea larvae required significantly more time to complete larval development when reared on artificial diet only than when reared first on E. kuehniella eggs followed by encapsulated artificial diet or on only E. kuehniella eggs, regardless of exposure to CrylAb. These results demonstrate that CrylAb is toxic to C. carnea at 100 μmg/ml of diet by using encapsulated artificial die

Progress on Open Science: towards a shared research knowledge system. Final report of the Open Science Policy Platform

This final report of the EU Open Science Policy Platform (OSPP) provides a brief overview of its four-year mandate from 2016 to 2020, followed by an update on progress by each stakeholder group over the past two years since the publication of the OSPP’s recommendations across the European Commission’s eight ambitions on Open Science, (OSPP-REC1). This summary of Practical Commitments for Implementation with specific examples of progress by each stakeholder community across Europe (see Annex A) is followed by a perspective from each group on the major outstanding blockers to progress and possible next steps. The group of 25 key stakeholder representatives have then come together to propose a vision for moving beyond Open Science to create a shared research knowledge system by 2030