Two Views of the Body in Plato’s Dialogues

In this paper, I identify two distinct positions on the nature of the body in Plato’s dialogues. One view, which I call the pessimistic view, holds that the body is evil and as such represents an obstacle to one’s epistemic and moral development. Another view, which I call the optimistic view, holds that the body is not itself either evil or good, but rather is capable of becoming either. The two views are, I argue, incompatible. Worse still, each view is individually incompatible with other claims that Plato is eager to advance in some dialogues. The pessimistic view, I argue, is (and is portrayed by Plato as being) incompatible with the thesis that one who has knowledge will not err. The optimistic view is incompatible with the thesis that no one errs willingly. Here I consider a number of passages in Plato’s dialogues where the nature of the body is featured, but focus particularly on passages from the Timaeus and Laws, which explicitly endorse the pessimistic and optimistic views, respectively. Plato’s views of the body, I suggest, have far reaching implications for his views on the sources of moral error and the power of knowledge in guiding right action

Diskoseismology and QPOs Confront Black Hole Spin

We compare the determinations of the angular momentum of stellar mass black holes via the continuum and line methods with those from diskoseismology. The assumption being tested is that one of the QPOs (quasi-periodic oscillations) in each binary X-ray source is produced by the fundamental g-mode. This should be the most robust and visible normal mode of oscillation of the accretion disk, and therefore its absence should rule out diskoseismology as the origin of QPOs. The comparisons are consistent with the second highest frequency QPO being produced by this g-mode, but are not consistent with models in which one QPO frequency is that of the innermost stable circular orbit.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letters; 9 pages, references added and typos correcte

A Timing Signature of Gravitational Radiation from LMXB Neutron Stars

The coupled evolution of the spin frequency, core temperature, and r-mode amplitude of an accreting neutron star is calculated. We focus on those conditions that can produce persistent gravitational radiation from the r-mode. During X-ray quiescent phases of transient LMXBs, one may be able to identify the constant contribution of the gravitational wave emission to the spindown rate. Another signature is the r-mode contribution to the heating.Comment: To appear in the proceedings of X-ray Timing 2003: Rossi and Beyond, ed. P. Kaaret, F.K. Lamb, & J.H. Swank (Melville, NY: American Institute of Physics

Global Disk Oscillation Modes in Cataclysmic Variables and Other Newtonian Accretors

Diskoseismology, the theoretical study of small adiabatic hydrodynamical global perturbations of geometrically thin, optically thick accretion disks around black holes (and other compact objects), is a potentially powerful probe of the gravitational field. For instance, the frequencies of the normal mode oscillations can be used to determine the elusive angular momentum parameter of the black hole. The general formalism developed by diskoseismologists for relativistic systems can be readily applied to the Newtonian case of cataclysmic variables (CVs). Some of these systems (e.g., the dwarf nova SS Cygni) show rapid oscillations in the UV with periods of tens of seconds and high coherence. In this paper, we assess the possibility that these dwarf nova oscillations (DNOs) are diskoseismic modes. Besides its importance in investigating the physical origin of DNOs, the present work could help us to answer the following question. To what extent are the similarities in the oscillation phenomenology of CVs and X-ray binaries (XRBs) indicative of a common physical mechanism?Comment: 1 figur

A Study of the Holding Power and Follow-Up of North Bullitt High School Students (Classes of 1978, 1979 and 1980)

Data concerning the Classes of 1978, 1979 and 1980 from North Bullitt High School, the Bullitt County School System and the State of Kentucky were compared to determine the holding power, survival rates and whereabouts of graduates. The comparison of data concerning holding power and survival rates showed that North Bullitt High School compared favorably with both the Bullitt County School System and the State of Kentucky. The data showed that for the three year period from 1978 to 1980 the holding power of North Bullitt High School increased while the holding power of both the Bullitt County School System and the State of Kentucky decreased. The comparison of data concerning the whereabouts of graduates showed that North Bullitt High School compared favorably with the Bullitt County School System and the State of Kentucky in all but one area. The data showed that the State of Kentucky had a significantly higher percentage of graduates who planned to attend college than either North Bullitt High School or the Bullitt County School System. The comparison of data concerning the whereabouts of North Bullitt High School’s 1978, 1979 and 1980 graduates showed a significant differences between what the graduates anticipated doing after leaving school and what the graduates are actually doing