Empirical Determination of Bang-Bang Operations

Strong and fast "bang-bang" (BB) pulses have been recently proposed as a means for reducing decoherence in a quantum system. So far theoretical analysis of the BB technique relied on model Hamiltonians. Here we introduce a method for empirically determining the set of required BB pulses, that relies on quantum process tomography. In this manner an experimenter may tailor his or her BB pulses to the quantum system at hand, without having to assume a model Hamiltonian.Comment: 14 pages, 2 eps figures, ReVTeX4 two-colum

Japanese Perception of Nature in the Novel Snow Country

Appreciation of the natural environment has long been an institutionalized part of Japanese culture. Conventions of Japanese literature employ natural images to convey human emotions within a spiritual framework of the native Japanese philosophies of Zen Buddhism and Shintoism, and the broader Eastern approach of harmony with nature. Set in a geographically unique region of Japan, Kawabata Yasunari's novel Yukiguni (Snow Country) illustrates fundamental elements of Japanese landscape perception. Alienation of the urban dweller from nature, a major theme of the novel, is relevant to the changes in environmental and cultural attitudes found in contemporary Japan

Nuclear Waste in the Pacific: Perceptions of the Risks

PhD University of Hawaii at Manoa 1984Includes bibliographical references (leaves 322–341).This dissertation examines the problem of the disposal of high-level nuclear waste in the Pacific region. There is a consensus of scientific opinion that the technical difficulties in waste disposal can be overcome. The most acceptable solution seems to be the multi-barrier approach for deep land-based geologic disposal. A questionnare survey on the perception of nuclear and other hazards, conducted with student populations in Japan and Australia, and a survey of reporting of nuclear "events" in Pacific newspapers over the period 1946 to the 1980s, reveal that the image of nuclear weapons dominates public views on the risks associated with waste disposal in Australia, Japan, and the Pacific Islands. The problem of finding a suitable site for a nuclear waste disposal facility is to a large extent political. The capacity of anti-nuclear groups to influence waste disposal policies in Australia, Japan, and the Pacific Islands is examined. Current public attitudes toward nuclear waste disposal will delay the further development of activities connected with the nuclear fuel cycle, but this may change over time if the connection between commercial nuclear power and nuclear weapons can be severed more effectively. The most urgent problem in the region is the waste from the ambitious nuclear power programs of Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Regional co-operation in the waste management field among these three countries, leading to a disposal facility within East Asian territory, should be possible, and would demonstrate a willingess on the part of the East Asians to accept fully the risks, as well as the benefits of electricity generated from nuclear power

The acceptance of long-range weather forecasts: a question of perception?

These perceptions were examined by a survey of property managers across Queensland who were involved in a wide variety of agricultural activities. Results from the survey, which was conducted prior to the release of ENSO-based long-range forecasts in Australia, reveal that the acceptance and subsequent use of these forecasts as an effective planning tool may be initially limited by a number of factors. Desired levels of forecast reliability, forecast presentation style, use of terminology in forecasts and perceptions with regard to weather information services are discussed. -from Author

The acceptance of long-range weather forecasts: a question of perception?

These perceptions were examined by a survey of property managers across Queensland who were involved in a wide variety of agricultural activities. Results from the survey, which was conducted prior to the release of ENSO-based long-range forecasts in Australia, reveal that the acceptance and subsequent use of these forecasts as an effective planning tool may be initially limited by a number of factors. Desired levels of forecast reliability, forecast presentation style, use of terminology in forecasts and perceptions with regard to weather information services are discussed. -from Author

Socio-economic impacts of climate change: potential for decision- making in Redcliffe, Queensland

A preliminary assessment is made of problems associated with potential sea-level rises in the coastal community of Redcliffe (Queensland, Australia), including: The nature of the risk to specific areas; The land use and infrastructure at risk; Economic, social and managerial consequences of the various hazard dimensions. These dimensions are evaluated against the perceptions and envisaged responses of the community to a hazard of low imaginability in a technologically advanced society. The paper reports on the level of awareness in a stratified sample of the local population, and a Delphi type survey among a group of key community representatives and decision-makers. The main results discuss the perceptions of decision makers as to their responsibilities for adjustment to the hazard, the relationships between expected impacts and planning horizons, and different evaluations of impacts by sectional community interests. -from Author