Torques on a nearly rigid body in a relativistic gravitational field

The effect of post-Newtonian potentials on the rotation of a nearly rigid body is shown to consist of a precession and a torque. The frequency of the precession can be exactly represented by means of suitable differential operators. The relativistic torques in the quadrupole approximation depend on the instantaneous orientation of the principal axes of one body with respect to the position like the classical torque and velocity of the other. For a relatively low mass body, such as a gyroscope, these velocity-dependent torques have no observable consequences

Doppler-cancelled response to VLF gravitational waves

The interaction of long periodic gravitational waves with a three link microwave system known as the Doppler Cancelling System is discussed. This system, which was developed for a gravitational redshift experiment, uses one-way and two-way Doppler informatin to construct the beat signal of two reference oscillators moving with respect to each other. The geometric optics approximation is used to derive the frequency shift produced on a light signal propagating in a gravitational wave space-time. The signature left on the Doppler-cancelled beat by burst and continuous gravitational waves is analyzed. A comparison is made between the response to gravitational waves of the Doppler Cancelling System and that of a Doppler tracking system which employs two-way, round-trip radio waves. A three-fold repetition of the gravitational wave form is found to be a common feature of the response functions of both systems. These two functions otherwise exhibit interesting differences

Il Trattato teologico-politico di Spinoza, tra filosofia e militanza (a partire da un recente volume di Steven Nadler)

After tracing a brief history of how the relationships between metaphysics and politics in Spinoza’s philosophy have been interpreted, the author deals with Steven Nadler’s most recent book and displays its main features and ideas. Following Nadler, Caporali highlights the militant character of the Tractatus Theologico-Politicus, whose theoretical and political centre is focused on the unsolved problem of the establishment of democracy through the exclusion of the vulgus (whereas the demos should actually be the democratic subject par excellence). This theoretical impasse historically corresponds to the political defeat of Dutch Republicans and leads Spinoza to centre his last, unfinished work (the Tractatus Politicus) on the notion of “multitudo”

Considerazioni sulla rappresentanza politica

Le presenti considerazioni sulla rappresentanza politica hanno lo scopo di offrire una visione d\u2019insieme di questo peculiarissimo istituto che costituisce il fondamento delle democrazie rappresentative moderne e contemporanee. In particolare lo studio cerca di esaminare ed approfondire i nodi critici della rappresentanza politica, evidenziandone gli aspetti maggiormente controversi con riferimento alle pi\uf9 recenti evoluzioni dottrinali in materia

Spinoza e la tolleranza

The author claims: 1) in Spinoza a classical idea of toleration, if traceable, has a marginal role: no logic of concession, the one that (in Thomas’ conception) allows the prince to resign to the different cults just like one may resign to the human vices and sins; and no toleration as an intermediate claim, in view of a fuller acknowledgement of the individual rights (Locke, Voltaire); 2) in Spinoza there is a clear idea of an underlying “patience”, which lays under political power; a kind of “continuous low”, with variations that become decisive within the raising of the «imperium»: a most peculiar and original thesis that originates from the core of Spinoza’s political thought, and that reverses the traditional roles of “tolerant” and “tolerated”, of one and many, of governor and multitudo

Immagini di Mosè (in Machiavelli e Spinoza)

The author contrasts Machiavelli’s and Spinoza’s interpretation of the figure of Moses. Both think of the prophet as a prime example of the critique of the theological foundations of politics and as a consequence believe that politics is essentially immanent. Machiavelli maintains the supremacy of politics and states its absolute contingency from the standpoint of an interpretation of history and reality as abyssal and fortuitous. On the other hand, Spinoza refers to prophecy as knowledge of the first kind (imaginative knowledge) and for this very reason he also refers to it as the natural ontology of potency. Both the philosophers criticize transcendence and finalism, but Spinoza suggests there is something more definite than the unprincipled whirlwind of the world which Machiavelli describes

A Design Research Study for an affordable, low carbon housing development in Oxford

The aim of my design research is to propose an affordable, low carbon housing development in Oxford Northern Gateway Area. Researches have shown that Oxford is lacking affordable housing and that the existing stock is neither energy efficient nor designed to cope with a changing climate. Besides, the occupancy pattern is going to change in the future, with the consequent necessity of rethinking housing size and creating flexible spaces. In order to achieve a sustainable development the project aims to combine environmental improvements with socio-economic aspects. Strategies to make each housing unit more flexible have been investigated, trying to contain the costs and, at the same time, providing quality spaces. To make houses affordable and easy to construct, a timber frame prototype has been developed, it will be built by the local community through an on-site workshop, so as to provide practical skills and the possibility to freely define spaces and functions

PILOT STUDY: PLANT-BASED DIETS IN SCHOOL LUNCHES

Plant-based diets have seen a rise in popularity over the past decade. Despite only 5% of the United States currently identifying as vegetarian, this study was designed to explore interest in plant-based meals in school lunches in a school (Chandler Preparatory Academy) in Arizona. A 13-question survey, created using Qualtrics, was conducted online over a 9-day period asking students about their current diet, potential lunch choices, and general knowledge about climate change. The link was issued to students through Google classroom, a system utilized by the school. After 99 complete responses from students, it showed that despite their dietary choice to not be plant-based, students felt that more options should be available, and if they were given more frequently, they would be chosen by over 50% one to two days a week. Students were also willing to consider making changes to their diets if they knew it impacted climate change while recognizing it impacted climate change. This study serves as a pilot study to future studies where types of plant-based choices as school lunch options in which interest in plant-based options can be further evaluated

La educación (fracasada) del lector philosofus

The essay focuses on the figure of the «lector philosophus», to whom the Tractatus theologico-politicus is explicitly addressed: not the contemplative and isolated wise man, nor the philosophers of the future, with whom one can engage in an esoteric debate on truths that are disguised and muffled between the text lines, but a varied cultural and social class abundantly present in the Netherlands at the time. An aristocracy of the mind (open to rational research, against dogmatism), of the economy (free market, against the monopoly of large commercial companies), and of religion (tolerant and libertarian minority cults). It is a plurality of individuals that have to be educated to the definitive liberation from all theological prejudice, on the basis of that deistic «fides universalis» which Spinoza’s biblical exegesis outlines in the first fifteen chapters of the treatise: a theology open to reason and intended to support, at the political level, the democratic-republican faction against the repressive authoritarianism of monarchy and official cults. On the other hand, the grand political and pedagogical design of the treatise preventively excludes the «vulgus», whose ignorance and superstitions irremediably put them in the hands of the Calvinist church and of the Orange family. However, the design of a democracy without «vulgus» will soon prove to be doomed to failure.El ensayo se enfoca en la figura del «lector philosophus», a quien está explícitamente dirigido el Tractatus theologico-politicus; no el sabio contemplativo y aislado, ni los filósofos del futuro, con quienes se puede entablar un debate esotérico sobre verdades ocultas y veladas entrelíneas, sino una clase cultural y social variada presente abundantemente en la Holanda de entonces. Una aristocracia de la mente (abierta a la investigación racional, en contra del dogmatismo) de la economía (mercado libre, en contra del monopolio de las grandes compañías comerciales), y de la religión (cultos minoritarios tolerantes y libertarios). Son una pluralidad de individuos que tienen que ser educados para la liberación definitiva de todo prejuicio teológico, en base a esa deística «fides universalis» que la exégesis bíblica de Spinoza recalca en los primeros quince capítulos del tratado: una teología abierta a la razón y con la intención de apoyar, en términos políticos, la facción democrática-republicana contra el autoritarismo represivo de la monarquía y de los cultos oficiales. Por otra parte, el gran diseño político y pedagógico del tratado excluye de modo preventivo el «vulgus», cuya ignorancia y supersticiones los deja irremediablemente de la mano de la iglesia calvinista y de la familia Orange. Sin embargo, el diseño de una democracia sin «vulgus» resultará prontamente destinado al fracaso