After Hermeneutics?

Recently Alain Badiou and Quentin Meillassoux have attacked the core of the phenomenological hermeneutic tradition: its commitment to the finitude of human understanding. If accurate, this critique threatens to render the whole tradition a topic of merely historical interest. Given the depth of the criticism, this essay aims to establish a provisional defense of hermeneutics. After briefly reviewing each critique, it is argued that Badiou and Meillassoux themselves face rather intractable difficulties. These difficulties, then, open the space for a hermeneutic response, which is accomplished largely by drawing on the work of Paul Ricoeur. We close with a suggested program for hermeneutic thought

Comparison of nonhomogeneous regression models for probabilistic wind speed forecasting

In weather forecasting, nonhomogeneous regression is used to statistically postprocess forecast ensembles in order to obtain calibrated predictive distributions. For wind speed forecasts, the regression model is given by a truncated normal distribution where location and spread are derived from the ensemble. This paper proposes two alternative approaches which utilize the generalized extreme value (GEV) distribution. A direct alternative to the truncated normal regression is to apply a predictive distribution from the GEV family, while a regime switching approach based on the median of the forecast ensemble incorporates both distributions. In a case study on daily maximum wind speed over Germany with the forecast ensemble from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, all three approaches provide calibrated and sharp predictive distributions with the regime switching approach showing the highest skill in the upper tail

Adsorption assisted translocation of a chain molecule through a pore in a spherical vesicle

We analyze the free energy for translocation of a polymer from the outside of a spherical vesicle to the inside. The process is assumed to be driven by the adsorption of the polymer on the inner surface of the vesicle. We argue that in the case where the polymer is adsorbed on the outer surface too, the entropic barrier for translocation is absent. We analyze the adsorption energy and find the free energy profile for the process. We argue that the motion corresponds to a polymer crossing a region with a change in free energy per segment. Based upon our earlier analsis of the behaviour of kinks in such a problem, we conclude that the translocation can occur with a crossing time $t_{cross}\sim N$

Excitation energy transfer from dye molecules to doped graphene

Recently, we have reported theoretical studies (J. Chem. Phys. 129, 054703, 2008 and J. Chem. Phys. 130, 086101, 2009) on the rate of energy transfer from an electronically excited molecule to graphene. It was found that graphene is a very efficient quencher of the electronically excited states and that the rate $\propto$ $(distance)^{-4}$. The process was found to be effective up to $30\;nm$ which is well beyond the traditional FRET limit. In this report, we study the transfer of an amount of energy $\hbar \Omega$ from a dye molecule to doped graphene. We find a crossover of the distance dependence of the rate from $(distance)^{-4}$ to exponential as the Fermi level is increasingly shifted into the conduction band, with the crossover occurring at a shift of the Fermi level by an amount $\hbar \Omega/2$.Comment: This paper was submitted to J. Chem. Phys. on 20/05/201

The experiences of medical students and junior doctors with dyslexia: a survey study

Little research exists concerning dyslexia in medical education. A qualitative study highlighted issues such as bullying and a lack of support. This project aimed to quantify those findings. An online survey was sent to junior doctors in parts of the United Kingdom. Seventy-five participated. Most (53%) were diagnosed with dyslexia at university / medical school. Most reported that dyslexia impacted upon their self-image (59%) and self-esteem (73%). Nearly half (46%) felt it influenced their career pathway choices within medicine. Participants reported bullying at medical school-from peers (24%), from academic teachers (14%), and from clinical teachers (27%); and also at work-from peers (25%), from academic teachers (13%), and from clinical teachers (23%). 88% reported that foundation schools provided no support, 92% that NHS Trusts provided none, and 90% that their deaneries provided none. The sorts of supports which seemed to be lacking were "psychological" or "pastoral" supports

A limit on behavioral plasticity in speech perception.

It is well attested that we perceive speech through the filter of our native language: a classic example is that of Japanese listeners who cannot discriminate between the American /l/ and /r/ and identify both as their own /r/ phoneme (Goto, 1971). Studies in the laboratory have shown, however, that perception of non-native speech sounds can be learned through training (Lively, Pisoni, Yamada, & Tohkura, 1994). This is consistent with neurophysiological evidence showing considerable experience-dependent plasticity in the brain at the first levels of sensory processing (Edeline & Weinberger, 1993; Kraus, et al., 1995; Merzenich & Sameshima, 1993; Weinberger, 1993). Outside of the laboratory, however, the situation seems to differ: we here report a study involving Spanish-Catalan bilingual subjects who have had the best opportunities to learn a new contrast but did not do it. Our study demonstrates a striking lack of behavioral plasticity: early and extensive exposure to a second language is not sufficient to attain the ultimate phonological competence of native speakers