2,219 research outputs found
Playful Tarot: Adaptations of Tarot In, Through, and Across Games.
The magical practice of divination through tarot emanates from the sacred, ritualistic power of play. Long before tarot accretes esoteric symbolism as a divinatory tool, Italians played it as the parlour game tarrochi. Extending this history, many games implement tarot as a mechanical framework and a source of visual imagery. Yet, not all implementations of tarot are equally successful artistically and spiritually. Ludic tarot is often mechanistic (just another way to think about buffs and stats) or superficially thematic (visual imagery without underlying semiotic content). In this paper, we will unravel the intertwined history of games and tarot, exploring its relationship to other cartomantic practices, including the dark Gnostic âGame of Saturnâ decoded by Peter Mark Adams in the Sola-Busca deck, the pragmatically cryptic Lenormand deck, and the divinatory use of standard 52-card playing decks in folk witchcraft. Building upon this historical insight, we will then analyse three related tabletop games as case studies: Chalice (in which tarot generates narratives of a failed Grail quest), Alas Vegas (which resolves conflict and generates narrative through tarot-driven blackjack), and Invisible Sun (which reinvents tarot through the circular Sooth deck driving its magic system). All three of these games weave resonant connections between the imagery and mechanics of cards and fictional gameworlds, thereby investing tarot with an eerie sense of meaningful coincidence or synchronicity. Understanding the techniques that create a more resonant experience of tarot can open the way for a deeper implementation of tarot in game development, as well as enable playful reflection and insight within the magical practice. Specifically, insights into non-digital ludic implementations of tarot can pave the way for richer and more resonant digital tarot applications, building upon and deepening the recent use of tarot in videogames (such as Tanya X. Shortâs Cartomancy anthology and Adam Maloneâs VR tarot)
Wfs1 Is Expressed In Dopaminoceptive Regions Of The Amniote Brain And Modulates Levels Of D1-Like Receptors
During amniote evolution, the construction of the forebrain has diverged across different lineages, and accompanying the structural changes, functional diversification of the homologous brain regions has occurred. This can be assessed by studying the expression patterns of marker genes that are relevant in particular functional circuits. In all vertebrates, the dopaminergic system is responsible for the behavioral responses to environmental stimuli. Here we show that the brain regions that receive dopaminergic input through dopamine receptor D1 are relatively conserved, but with some important variations between three evolutionarily distant vertebrate linesâhouse mouse (Mus musculus), domestic chick (Gallus gallus domesticus) / common quail (Coturnix coturnix) and red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta). Moreover, we find that in almost all instances, those brain regions expressing D1-like dopamine receptor genes also express Wfs1. Wfs1 has been studied primarily in the pancreas, where it regulates the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response, cellular Ca2+ homeostasis, and insulin production and secretion. Using radioligand binding assays in wild type and Wfs1-/- mouse brains, we show that the number of binding sites of D1-like dopamine receptors is increased in the hippocampus of the mutant mice. We propose that the functional link between Wfs1 and D1-like dopamine receptors is evolutionarily conserved and plays an important role in adjusting behavioral reactions to environmental stimuli
Spectrum of the Hermitian Wilson-Dirac Operator for a Uniform Magnetic Field in Two Dimensions
It is shown that the eigenvalue problem for the hermitian Wilson-Dirac
operator of for a uniform magnetic field in two dimensions can be reduced to
one-dimensional problem described by a relativistic analog of the Harper
equation. An explicit formula for the secular equations is given in term of a
set of polynomials. The spectrum exhibits a fractal structure in the infinite
volume limit. An exact result concerning the index theorem for the overlap
Dirac operator is obtained.Comment: 8 pages, latex, 3 eps figures, minor correction
Relativistic quantum measurement
Does the measurement of a quantum system necessarily break Lorentz
invariance? We present a simple model of a detector that measures the spacetime
localization of a relativistic particle in a Lorentz invariant manner. The
detector does not select a preferred Lorentz frame as a Newton-Wigner
measurement would do. The result indicates that there exists a Lorentz
invariant notion of quantum measurement and sheds light on the issue of the
localization of a relativistic particle. The framework considered is that of
single-particle mechanics as opposed to field theory. The result may be taken
as support for the interpretation postulate of the spacetime-states formulation
of single-particle quantum theory.Comment: 9 pages, no figures: Revision: references adde
A programmable two-qubit quantum processor in silicon
With qubit measurement and control fidelities above the threshold of
fault-tolerance, much attention is moving towards the daunting task of scaling
up the number of physical qubits to the large numbers needed for fault tolerant
quantum computing. Here, quantum dot based spin qubits may offer significant
advantages due to their potential for high densities, all-electrical operation,
and integration onto an industrial platform. In this system, the
initialisation, readout, single- and two-qubit gates have been demonstrated in
various qubit representations. However, as seen with other small scale quantum
computer demonstrations, combining these elements leads to new challenges
involving qubit crosstalk, state leakage, calibration, and control hardware
which provide invaluable insight towards scaling up. Here we address these
challenges and demonstrate a programmable two-qubit quantum processor in
silicon by performing both the Deutsch-Josza and the Grover search algorithms.
In addition, we characterise the entanglement in our processor through quantum
state tomography of Bell states measuring state fidelities between 85-89% and
concurrences between 73-80%. These results pave the way for larger scale
quantum computers using spins confined to quantum dots
Spatial Patterns and Sequential Sampling Plans for Estimating Densities of Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in Soybean in the North Central Region of the United States
Stink bugs are an emerging threat to soybean (Fabales: Fabaceae) in the North Central Region of the United States. Consequently, region-specific scouting recommendations for stink bugs are needed. The aim of this study was to characterize the spatial pattern and to develop sampling plans to estimate stink bug population density in soybean fields. In 2016 and 2017, 125 fields distributed across nine states were sampled using sweep nets. Regression analyses were used to determine the effects of stink bug species [Chinavia hilaris (Say) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) and Euschistus spp. (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)], life stages (nymphs and adults), and field locations (edge and interior) on spatial pattern as represented by varianceâmean relationships. Results showed that stink bugs were aggregated. Sequential sampling plans were developed for each combination of species, life stage, and location and for all the data combined. Results for required sample size showed that an average of 40â42 sample units (sets of 25 sweeps) would be necessary to achieve a precision of 0.25 for stink bug densities commonly encountered across the region. However, based on the observed geographic gradient of stink bug densities, more practical sample sizes (5â10 sample units) may be sufficient in states in the southeastern part of the region, whereas impractical sample sizes (\u3e100 sample units) may be required in the northwestern part of the region. Our findings provide research-based sampling recommendations for estimating densities of these emerging pests in soybean
Light transport in cold atoms: the fate of coherent backscattering in the weak localization regime
The recent observation of coherent backscattering (CBS) of light by atoms has
emphasized the key role of the velocity spread and of the quantum internal
structure of the atoms. Firstly, using highly resonant scatterers imposes very
low temperatures of the disordered medium in order to keep the full contrast of
the CBS interference. This criterion is usually achieved with standard laser
cooling techniques. Secondly, a non trivial internal atomic structure leads to
a dramatic decrease of the CBS contrast. Experiments with Rubidium atoms (with
a non trivial internal structure) and with Strontium (with the simplest
possible internal structure) show this behaviour and confirm theoretical
calculations
Upper limits on bolometric luminosities of ten type Ia supernova progenitors from Chandra observations
We present an analysis of Chandra observations of the position of ten nearby
(< 25 Mpc) type Ia supernovae, taken before the explosions. No sources
corresponding to progenitors were found in any of the observations. We
calculated upper limits on the bolometric luminosities of the progenitors
assuming black-body X-ray spectra with temperatures of 30-150 eV. This is
inspired by the fact that luminous super-soft X-ray sources have been suggested
as the direct progenitors of type Ia supernovae. The upper limits of two
supernovae in our sample are comparable to the luminosities of the brightest
observed super-soft sources, ruling out such sources as the progenitors of
these supernovae. In contrast to Liu et al (2012) we find that for SN2011fe we
can rule out Eddington luminosity systems for black body temperatures as low as
40 eV. Our findings are consistent with statistical studies comparing the
observed type Ia supernova rate to the number of super-soft sources or the
integrated X-ray luminosity in external galaxies. This suggest that either the
progenitors of type Ia supernovae are not accreting, nuclear burning white
dwarfs, or that they do not look like the classical super-soft sources, e.g.
because they are obscured.Comment: Accepted, MNRAS. 10 pages, 11 figures, 3 table
L\'evy Distribution of Single Molecule Line Shape Cumulants in Low Temperature Glass
We investigate the distribution of single molecule line shape cumulants,
, in low temperature glasses based on the sudden jump,
standard tunneling model. We find that the cumulants are described by L\'evy
stable laws, thus generalized central limit theorem is applicable for this
problem.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
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Mothers behaving badly: chaotic hedonism and the crisis of neoliberal social reproduction
This article focuses on the significance of the plethora of representations of mothers âbehaving badlyâ in contemporary anglophone media texts, including the films Bad Moms, Fun Mom Dinner and Bad Momâs Christmas, the book and online cartoons Hurrah for Gin and the recent TV comedy dramas Motherland, The Let Down and Catastrophe. All these media texts include representations of, first, mothers in the midst of highly chaotic everyday spaces where any smooth routine of domesticity is conspicuous by its absence; and second, mothers behaving hedonistically, usually through drinking and partying, behaviour that is more conventionally associated with men or women without children. After identifying the social type of the mother behaving badly (MBB), the article locates and analyses it in relation to several different social and cultural contexts. These contexts are: a neoliberal crisis in social reproduction marked by inequality and overwork; the continual if contested role of women as âfoundation parentsâ; and the negotiation of longer-term discourses of female hedonism. The title gestures towards a popular British sitcom of the 1990s, Men Behaving Badly, which popularized the idea of the ânew ladâ; and this article suggests that the new ladâs counterpart, the ladette, is mutating into the mother behaving badly, or the âlad momâ. Asking what work this figure does now, in a later neoliberal context, it argues that the mother behaving badly is simultaneously indicative of a widening and liberating range of maternal subject positions and symptomatic of a profound contemporary crisis in social reproduction. By focusing on the classed and racialised dynamics of the MBB â by examining who exactly is permitted to be hedonistic, and how â and by considering the MBBâs limited and partial imagining of progressive social change, the article concludes by emphasizing the urgency of creating more connections between such discourses and âparents behaving politicallyâ
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