“Knowledge is life to me”:perceptions on knowledge at the origin of the River Nile

Abstract. Education is often described as means to prepare the rising generations for the world they inherit. At the core of this is the question of knowledge that they need to acquire. A lot of discourse revolves around what this knowledge should include, but this, however, is not the focus of my research. What I turn our attention to is the idea of knowledge itself, analyzing how it is perceived and what is meant by this knowledge that we, as educators, are to pass on. (Järvinen, 2017) According to Pat Howard (1994), a certain view of knowledge has been valued and regarded over others — that is, the predominantly Western idea with an emphasis on objectivity, neutrality and rationality. This, according to some, has led to an epistemicide — one system of knowledge being so dominant that it causes the weakening or extinction of other knowledge systems. (Hall & Tandon, 2017) Recently, through the contributions offered by the decolonizing perspective to education, there has been more and more discussion around the role of local knowledge gained at the grassroots all around the globe, and its contribution to the fields of science and development work. (Howard, 1994) What this discourse occasionally leads to is a confrontation of two knowledge systems — the local and the contemporary. When there is an emphasis on local knowledge, contemporary science is labelled as white, western science that has lost its touch on reality happening at the grassroots, forcing its ideas in a top-down approach to local communities. Conversely, when there is an emphasis on contemporary sciences, local knowledge is seen as superstitious, underdeveloped and irrational. (Howard, 1994) With this dichotomy in mind, my interest in this thesis is to look for experiences where education taps into both sources of knowledge, local and contemporary with the intention of seeing what kind of assumptions are created and advanced in such settings. One example of such an educational imperative is offered by an NGO called FUNDAEC, founded in Colombia and now branching out all around the rural areas of the world. In this research, I am carrying out a phenomenographical study on the participants of one of its branching programs called Preparation for Social Action program (PSA) located in Uganda. (FUNDAEC, 1988) Through semi-structured interviews and phenomenographical data-based analysis, I formed two outcome spaces to represent the views of the participants. (Marton & Booth, 1997) According to them knowledge can be acquired from various sources and human groups either separately or from the integration of several sources. All knowledge, as the participants’ state, is not useful, however and need to be weighed by how well the knowledge can be applied to answer the needs of the individual or the community. As to its nature, knowledge is of multiple kinds — ancient and modern, religious and scientific, practical and theoretical. Regardless of the differences, all of these are facets to knowledge and when they are integrated and applied, it is possible to bring about progress that caters to the needs of all human beings and groups.Tiivistelmä. Kasvatusta usein kuvaillaan keinona valmistaa nouseva sukupolvi perimäänsä maailmaa varten. Tämän ajatuksen ytimessä on usein kysymys tiedosta, joka tämän sukupolven tulee sisäistää. Paljon keskustelua käydään siitä, millaisia asioita tämän sisäistettävän tiedon tulisi pitää sisällään — tähän osallistuminen ei ole kuitenkaan tutkimukseni tarkoitus. Sen sijaan kiinnitän huomion itse tietokäsitykseen, analysoiden sen määritelmiä ja pyrkien tarkastelemaan mitä tarkoitetaan sillä tiedolla, joita meidän, kasvattajina, tulisi jakaa ja välittää eteenpäin. Pat Howardin mukaan tietynlaista näkemystä tiedosta on pitkään arvostettu yli toisten. Tämä Howardin mukaan valtaosin länsimainen näkemys asettaa tiedon keskiöön ja sen perustaksi objektiivisuuden, neutraaliuden ja järkiperäisyyden. Tällainen tiukasti rajattu näkemys autenttisesta tiedosta on joidenkin tutkijoiden mukaan johtanut “tietämisenmurhaan” (epistemicide), joka rinnastettuna kansanmurhaan ja ”kielenmurhaan” (linguicide), kuvailee tilannetta, jossa yksi tietämisen tapa ja näkemys siitä on niin voimakas, että se johtaa muiden tietämisen tapojen heikentymiseen ja tuhoon. (Hall & Tandon, 2017; Lindstedt, 2002) Dekolonialistisen näkemyksen kautta viime vuosikymmenten aikana käsitys tiedosta on kuitenkin laajentunut ja monimuotoistunut. Erilaisten väestöryhmien ja alkuperäiskansojen ”paikallinen tietämys” (local knowledge) ja sen panos ihmiskunnan edistykseen on saamassa enemmän jalansijaa maailmanlaajuisessa keskustelussa koskien kasvatusta, tiedettä ja kehitystyötä. (Corsiglia & Snively, 2000; Hall & Tandon, 2017) Joissakin tapauksissa tämä kehityssuunta on johtanut kahden tietämysjärjestelmän (knowledge system) vastakkainasetteluun; paikallisen ja nykytieteellisen (contemporary science). Painotettaessa paikallisen tiedon tärkeyttä, nykytieteellinen tietämysjärjestelmä leimataan usein valkoiseksi länsimaalaiseksi tieteeksi, joka on menettänyt kosketuksensa ruohonjuuritasolla tapahtuvaan todellisuuteen ja pakottaa ideansa ylhäältä-alaspäin suuntautuvalla lähestymistavalla paikallisten yhteisöjen sovellettavaksi. Kun taas painotetaan nykytieteellisen tiedon tärkeyttä, paikallinen tietämys nähdään takapajuisena, kehittymättömänä ja yliluonnollisiin uskomuksiin perustuvana. (Howard, 1994) Tämä vastakkainasettelu mielessäni pyrin etsimään kokemuksia kasvatuksen laajalta kentältä, jossa koulutuksessa hyödynnetään sekä paikallista että nykytieteellistä tietoa tarkoituksenani selvittää millaisia oletuksia tiedosta ne vahvistavat. Tällaisen esimerkin tarjosi Kolumbiassa perustettu FUNDAEC-niminen järjestö, jonka toisen asteen koulutusohjelma on levinnyt maaseutualueille ympäri Latinalaista Amerikkaa ja koko maailmaa. (FUNDAEC, n.d.) Tässä tutkimuksessa toteutin fenomenografisen tutkimuksen FUNDAEC’in Preparation for Social Action -ohjelman osallistujista Ugandassa. Teemahaastattelujen ja aineistolähtöisen analyysin avulla muodostin osallistujien kuvauksista kaksi fenomenografisen tutkimuksen mukaista tulosavaruutta (outcome space). (Marton & Booth, 1997) Näiden mukaan tietoa voidaan saada monenlaisista erilaista lähteistä ja ihmisryhmiltä joko erikseen tai samanaikaisesti useita lähteitä integroiden, mutta kaikenlainen tieto ei itsessään ole hyödyllistä — se pitää punnita käytännössä ja olla sovellettavissa yksilön ja yhteisön tilanteen vaatimusten mukaan. Tietoa on osallistujien mukaan monitahoista — ikivanhaa ja modernia, uskonnollista ja tieteellistä, käytännöllistä ja teoreettista. Kaikki ovat nimityksestään huolimatta tietoa ja niistä yhdessä ammentaen ja soveltaen voidaan saavuttaa edistystä, joka vastaa oikeudenmukaisesti kaikkien ihmisten ja ihmisryhmien tarpeisiin

Mapping EK Draconis with PEPSI - Possible evidence for starspot penumbrae

We present the first temperature surface map of EK Dra from very-high-resolution spectra obtained with the Potsdam Echelle Polarimetric and Spectroscopic Instrument (PEPSI) at the Large Binocular Telescope. Changes in spectral line profiles are inverted to a stellar surface temperature map using our $i$Map code. The long-term photometric record is employed to compare our map with previously published maps. Four cool spots were reconstructed, but no polar spot was seen. The temperature difference to the photosphere of the spots is between 990 and 280K. Two spots are reconstructed with a typical solar morphology with an umbra and a penumbra. For the one isolated and relatively round spot (A), we determine an umbral temperature of 990K and a penumbral temperature of 180K below photospheric temperature. The umbra to photosphere intensity ratio of EK Dra is approximately only half of that of a comparison sunspot. A test inversion from degraded line profiles showed that the higher spectral resolution of PEPSI reconstructs the surface with a temperature difference that is on average 10% higher than before and with smaller surface areas by 10-20%. PEPSI is therefore better suited to detecting and characterising temperature inhomogeneities. With ten more years of photometry, we also refine the spot cycle period of EK Dra to 8.9$\pm$0.2 years with a continuing long-term fading trend. The temperature morphology of spot A so far appears to show the best evidence for the existence of a solar-like penumbra for a starspot. We emphasise that it is more the non-capture of the true umbral contrast rather than the detection of the weak penumbra that is the limiting factor. The relatively small line broadening of EK Dra, together with the only moderately high spectral resolutions previously available, appear to be the main contributors to the lower-than-expected spot contrasts when comparing to the Sun.Comment: Accepted for A&

Cold Collision Frequency Shift in Two-Dimensional Atomic Hydrogen

We report a measurement of the cold collision frequency shift in atomic hydrogen gas adsorbed on the surface of superfluid 4He at T<=90 mK. Using two-photon electron and nuclear magnetic resonance in 4.6 T field we separate the resonance line shifts due to the dipolar and exchange interactions, both proportional to surface density sigma. We find the clock shift Delta v_c = -1.0(1)x10^-7 Hz cm^-2 x sigma, which is about 100 times smaller than the value predicted by the mean field theory and known scattering lengths in the 3D case.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Rate Control State-of-the-art Survey

The majority of Internet traffic use Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) as the transport level protocol. It provides a reliable ordered byte stream for the applications. However, applications such as live video streaming place an emphasis on timeliness over reliability. Also a smooth sending rate can be desirable over sharp changes in the sending rate. For these applications TCP is not necessarily suitable. Rate control attempts to address the demands of these applications. An important design feature in all rate control mechanisms is TCP friendliness. We should not negatively impact TCP performance since it is still the dominant protocol. Rate Control mechanisms are classified into two different mechanisms: window-based mechanisms and rate-based mechanisms. Window-based mechanisms increase their sending rate after a successful transfer of a window of packets similar to TCP. They typically decrease their sending rate sharply after a packet loss. Rate-based solutions control their sending rate in some other way. A large subset of rate-based solutions are called equation-based solutions. Equation-based solutions have a control equation which provides an allowed sending rate. Typically these rate-based solutions react slower to both packet losses and increases in available bandwidth making their sending rate smoother than that of window-based solutions. This report contains a survey of rate control mechanisms and a discussion of their relative strengths and weaknesses. A section is dedicated to a discussion on the enhancements in wireless environments. Another topic in the report is bandwidth estimation. Bandwidth estimation is divided into capacity estimation and available bandwidth estimation. We describe techniques that enable the calculation of a fair sending rate that can be used to create novel rate control mechanisms.Peer reviewe

Doppler images and the underlying dynamo. The case of AF Leporis

The (Zeeman-)Doppler imaging studies of solar-type stars very often reveal large high-latitude spots. This also includes F stars that possess relatively shallow convection zones, indicating that the dynamo operating in these stars differs from the solar dynamo. We aim to determine whether mean-field dynamo models of late-F type dwarf stars can reproduce the surface features recovered in Doppler maps. In particular, we wish to test whether the models can reproduce the high-latitude spots observed on some F dwarfs. The photometric inversions and the surface temperature maps of AF Lep were obtained using the Occamian-approach inversion technique. Low signal-to-noise spectroscopic data were improved by applying the least-squares deconvolution method. The locations of strong magnetic flux in the stellar tachocline as well as the surface fields obtained from mean-field dynamo solutions were compared with the observed surface temperature maps. The photometric record of AF Lep reveals both long- and short-term variability. However, the current data set is too short for cycle-length estimates. From the photometry, we have determined the rotation period of the star to be 0.9660+-0.0023 days. The surface temperature maps show a dominant, but evolving, high-latitude (around +65 degrees) spot. Detailed study of the photometry reveals that sometimes the spot coverage varies only marginally over a long time, and at other times it varies rapidly. Of a suite of dynamo models, the model with a radiative interior rotating as fast as the convection zone at the equator delivered the highest compatibility with the obtained Doppler images.Comment: accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic