Robinson Crusoe: literature and religion

The essay discusses Daniel Defoe´s novel Robinson Crusoe , in relationship to the way that the it reflects some of the more important ideas of the eighteenth century English thoughts which provided the climate for the issues it raises. It will examine the historical context of the novel, and discuss the philosophical ideas which had gained so much appeal to men in this new “age of enlightment” and its focus on the nature of man. In Robinson Crusoe, Defoe takes the opportunity to explore the relatioship between “natural man” and man as he is shaped by civilization.En Robinson Crusoe, de Daniel Defoe, se presenta algunas ideas básicas concernientes a la obra que son primordiales en el pensa- miento inglés del siglo XVIII. Estas ideas son el pilar del clima de los temas tratados en la novela. Se examina el contexto histó- rico y las ideas filosóficas que adquirieron tanta importancia en el hombre de esta “edad del iluminismo”. En Robinson Crusoe, Defoe se da la oportunidad de explorar la relación entre el “hombre natural” y el hombre, tal como lo moldeaba la civilización de aquella época

George Orwell y 1984: una visión personal

George Orwell´s 1984 is considered a great negative utopia, in the sense it depicts the nightmare of what life might become in an oligarchic collectivism pursued to its logical conclusion. Under a social setup which is nothing but totalitarian barbarism, eternal warfare is the price one pays for an elusive peace. The Party with capital P keeps a total control over all of man´s actions as well as thoughts . The novel is a great satire and it attempts to diagnose man´s alienation in all its aspects, but with special emphasis on the social organization recommended by Marx and practiced by Stalin.  La obra 1984, de George Orwell se toma como una gran utopía negativa ya que describe la pesadilla en que puede convertirse la existencia del hombre bajo un colectivismo oligárquico llevado a un fin lógico. Bajo un contexto social, que no es otra cosa que un barbarismo totalitario, el eterno estado bélico es el precio que se paga por una esquiva condición de pacifismo. El Partido, así escrito, con P mayúscula, mantiene el control total de pensamiento y obra de sus seguidores. La obra literaria es una sátira al extremo que intenta un diagnóstico de la alienación en todos sus aspectos pero enfatizando la organización social propuesta por Marx y llevada a la práctica por Stalin. 

Kaluza's theory in generalized coordinates

Maxwell's equations can be obtained in generalized coordinates by considering the electromagnetic field as an external agent. The work here presented shows how to obtain the electrodynamics for a charged particle in generalized coordinates eliminating the concept of external force. Based on Kaluza's formalism, the one here presented extends the 5x5 metric into a 6x6 space-time giving enough room to include magnetic monopoles in a very natural way.Comment: 11 pages, RevTex. Accepted for publication in the Journal of Matematical Physic

A structure factor approach to the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect

Structure factor theory (SFT) is applied to analyze distortions to the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR) due the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect (SZE) in typical clusters of galaxies. It is shown that a suitable structure factor associated to a collisionless (Knudsen) gas is able to reproduce the SZE distortion of the CMBR . Physical arguments suggest that SFT yields an approximate solution to the Kompaneets equation and sets plausible values for the two ``free'' parameters involved in the calculation of the spectral distortion. Finally, further applications of the SFT to other standard cosmological problems are briefly discussed.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures. RevTex. Submitted to Physica

Brillouin scattering and the CMB

Brillouin scattering of photons off the density fluctuations in a fluid is potentially important for cosmology. We derive the Brillouin spectral distortion of blackbody radiation, and discuss the possible implications for the cosmic microwave background. The thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect is slightly modified by Brillouin distortion, but only at very long wavelengths.Comment: 4 pages Revtex, 2 figs. Minor changes to improve clarity; version to appear in GR

Recognition of Environmentally Vulnerable Depositional Facies in the Chacahua Lagoon, Oaxaca, Mexico

Over the years, human activity and environmental problems have impacted the Chacahua Lagoon in the State of Oaxaca, Mexico. In an attempt to gain more insight into the current environmental conditions of this lagoon, twenty-eight bottom sediment samples were collected in August 2003. Using depth, physical properties (grain-size and texture) and biological characteristics (organic matter and CaCO3 contents) of sediments as environmental indicators, three depositional facies were identified implementing cluster analysis, each facies seems to be under the influence of different processes. In terms of environmental concern, it was determined that the central part of the lagoon presents a high potential of pollutant sorption, thus this sector should be closely monitored.Over the years, human activity and environmental problems have impacted the Chacahua Lagoon in the State of Oaxaca, Mexico. In an attempt to gain more insight into the current environmental conditions of this lagoon, twenty-eight bottom sediment samples were collected in August 2003. Using depth, physical properties (grain-size and texture) and biological characteristics (organic matter and CaCO3 contents) of sediments as environmental indicators, three depositional facies were identified implementing cluster analysis, each facies seems to be under the influence of different processes. In terms of environmental concern, it was determined that the central part of the lagoon presents a high potential of pollutant sorption, thus this sector should be closely monitored

Recognition of Environmentally Vulnerable Depositional Facies in the Chacahua Lagoon, Oaxaca, Mexico

Over the years, human activity and environmental problems have impacted the Chacahua Lagoon in the State of Oaxaca, Mexico. In an attempt to gain more insight into the current environmental conditions of this lagoon, twenty-eight bottom sediment samples were collected in August 2003. Using depth, physical properties (grain-size and texture) and biological characteristics (organic matter and CaCO3 contents) of sediments as environmental indicators, three depositional facies were identified implementing cluster analysis, each facies seems to be under the influence of different processes. In terms of environmental concern, it was determined that the central part of the lagoon presents a high potential of pollutant sorption, thus this sector should be closely monitored.Over the years, human activity and environmental problems have impacted the Chacahua Lagoon in the State of Oaxaca, Mexico. In an attempt to gain more insight into the current environmental conditions of this lagoon, twenty-eight bottom sediment samples were collected in August 2003. Using depth, physical properties (grain-size and texture) and biological characteristics (organic matter and CaCO3 contents) of sediments as environmental indicators, three depositional facies were identified implementing cluster analysis, each facies seems to be under the influence of different processes. In terms of environmental concern, it was determined that the central part of the lagoon presents a high potential of pollutant sorption, thus this sector should be closely monitored