Energy and the State of Nations

The mathematical conditions for the existence of macroeconomic production functions that are state functions of the economic system are pointed out. The output elasticities and the elasticities of substitution of energy-dependent Cobb-Douglas, CES and LinEx production functions are calculated. The output elasticities, which measure the productive powers of production factors and whose numerical values have been obtained for Germany, Japan, and the USA, are for energy much larger and for labor much smaller than the cost shares of these factors. Energy and its conversion into physical work accounts for most of the growth that mainstream economics attributes to “technological progress” and related concepts. It decisively determines the economic state of nations. Consequences for automation and globalization and perspectives on growth are discussed.energy; economic growth; macroeconomic production functions; output elasticities

A methodology to estimate security of supply in electricity generation: results for Germany until 2030 given a high level of intermittent electricity feed-in

In this paper, we develop a methodology for deriving a consistent measure for supply adequacy in the power generation sector. We especially consider the secured generation capacity of intermittent renewable energy sources such as wind. Availability of conventional power plants is estimated through stochastic convolution of unscheduled non-usabilities. We employ our methodology to measure supply security in Germany until 2030. A detailed market analysis of power plants that are currently being built or planned provides support to our analysis for the short term. For the long term, we rely on a large-scale dispatch and investment model of the European power sector to account for the embedding of the German electricity sector in the European market. We analyze two scenarios: one with prolongation of nuclear power plants and one with a nuclear phase-out. Our results show that, even though intermittent renewables only provide very limited secured generation capacity, security of electricity supply in Germany can be assured until 2015. In the long term, the need for backup capacity for renewable energy sources increases as well as the need for electricity imports.Supply adequacy; integration of renewable energy sources; power generation; German power sector; secured generation capacity

On the Road to the New Beginning: History and Utopia in Frank Beyer’s Karbid und Sauerampfer (Carbide and Sorrel)

Today, the film Carbide and Sorrel, by the eminent and recently deceased DEFA director Frank Beyer, is a valuable retrospective look at the construction of the new Germany. Through the story of a worker tossed by his workmates onto the country’s roads in search of carbide in the summer of 1945, this 1963 comedy, made two years after the construction of the Berlin Wall, is a portrait of German society in the grip of the future protagonists of the Cold War. The protagonist’s comic peregrinations between the American and Soviet occupiers are an oblique depiction, reinforced by popular songs of the day, of a utopian existence beyond the dominant political powers.Carbure et oseille de Frank Beyer (éminent réalisateur de la DEFA récemment disparu), apparaît aujourd’hui comme un précieux témoignage documentant de manière rétrospective la construction d’une nouvelle Allemagne. À travers le parcours d’un ouvrier jeté sur les routes à l’été 1945 par ses camarades en quête de carbure, cette comédie de 1963 — produite deux ans après la construction du Mur de Berlin — esquisse le portrait d’une société allemande aux prises avec les futurs protagonistes de la guerre froide. Les pérégrinations bouffonnes, entre occupants américains et soviétiques, du protagoniste y évoquent de manière détournée, soutenue par une ingénieuse utilisation d’airs populaires, l’utopie d’une existence au-delà des blocs politiques dominants

The costs of electricity systems with a high share of fluctuating renewables - a stochastic investment and dispatch optimization model for Europe

Renewable energies are meant to produce a large share of the future electricity demand. However, the availability of wind and solar power depends on local weather conditions and therefore weather characteristics must be considered when optimizing the future electricity mix. In this article we analyze the impact of the stochastic availability of wind and solar energy on the cost-minimal power plant mix and the related total system costs. To determine optimal conventional, renewable and storage capacities for different shares of renewables, we apply a stochastic investment and dispatch optimization model to the European electricity market. The model considers stochastic feed-in structures and full load hours of wind and solar technologies and different correlations between regions and technologies. Key findings include the overestimation of fluctuating renewables and underestimation of total system costs compared to deterministic investment and dispatch models. Furthermore, solar technologies are - relative to wind turbines - underestimated when neglecting negative correlations between wind speeds and solar radiation.Stochastic programming; electricity; renewable energy

Within-person structures of daily cognitive performance cannot be inferred from between-person structures of cognitive abilities

First published online: 09 June 2020Over a century of research on between-person differences has resulted in the consensus that human cognitive abilities are hierarchically organized, with a general factor, termed general intelligence or "g," uppermost. Surprisingly, it is unknown whether this body of evidence is informative about how cognition is structured within individuals. Using data from 101 young adults performing nine cognitive tasks on 100 occasions distributed over six months, we find that the structures of individuals' cognitive abilities vary among each other, and deviate greatly from the modal between-person structure. Working memory contributes the largest share of common variance to both between- and within-person structures, but the g factor is much less prominent within than between persons. We conclude that between-person structures of cognitive abilities cannot serve as a surrogate for within-person structures. To reveal the development and organization of human intelligence, individuals need to be studied over time

Sweat: Through the Lens of Womanness

Zora Neale Hurston\u27s short story Sweat, written in 1926, explores a variety of complex issues within a politically, racially, and sexually charged backdrop. The story of Delia, an African-American laundress, who has been married to an abusive husband for fifteen years, Sweat questions roles of women and African-Americans within a social and personal context, and how those roles can be changed through an exploration of self-identity. Within the historical time frame of its writing, Sweat brings up an interesting dialogue between oppression and repression of women, as well as an emerging identification of women with their gender and the restrictions imposed by society based on race, sex, and class

Two Nice Girls Sitting On A Park Bench Talking : Why It Matters Who Interprets Space in Diana Son\u27s \u3cem\u3eStopKiss\u3c/em\u3e

In Diana Son\u27s play StopKiss we are confronted with two women who are the survivors of a hate crime based on perceived sexual orientation. This attack takes place in New York\u27s West Village. The location of the park and assumptions about this park are not the main focus of the play; nevertheless, this space is centrally important to the play and the audience. My argument revolves around a central premise: while both the gay and straight communities see the West Village as primarily gay space, the straight community assumes that gay [-occupied] space also means space safe for LGBT persons. In contrast, the gay community understands gay [-labeled] space to signify an area where LGBT persons are in greater danger of experiencing homophobic violence

Towards Ultra-Fast X-Ray Transient Absorption Spectroscopy in High Density Neon Gas: Gas Flow Model for Experimental Setup and Numerical Predictions

In this thesis, a contribution is made towards the realisation of an upcoming experiment for the investigation of non-linear effects occurring in the interaction of ultra-short, high-intensity X-ray laser pulses (provided by the European XFEL) and high-density neon gas, based on transient absorption spectroscopy. The aim is to excite K-shell electrons with a photon energy of 867:5 eV. The target vacuum setup, constructed for this purpose, is described in detail and a model to characterise the pressure conditions prevailing during the experiment's operation, depending on the input pressure, is developed. This is based on the theory of gas ow and thus on the selection of an appropriate theory for calculating the conductance-values that classify central components of the experiment. Subsequently, corresponding pressure measurement data is discussed, aiming to identify the most reliable method of predicting the chamber pressures. In the second part, a numerical simulation model, adapted for the neon experiment and based on the Schrödinger equation, is presented along with a discussion of the results obtained. Here, emphasis is put on a potential manipulation of the absorption line shapes by means of transient energy shifts and on the amplification of resonant X-ray laser light at particularly high peak intensity values