Sidgwick, Reflective Equilibrium and the Triviality Charge

I argue against the claim that it is trivial to state that Sidgwick used the method of wide reflective equilibrium. This claim is based on what could be called the Triviality Charge, which is pressed against the method of wide reflective equilibrium by Peter Singer. According to this charge, there is no alternative to using the method if it is interpreted as involving all relevant philosophical background arguments. The main argument against the Triviality Charge is that although the method of wide reflective equilibrium is compatible with coherentism (understood as a form of weak foundationalism) as well as moderate foundationalism, it is not compatible with strong foundationalism. Hence, the claim that a philosopher uses the method of wide reflective equilibrium is informative. In particular, this is true with regard to Sidgwick

The focal plane reception pattern calculation for a paraboloidal antenna with a nearby fence

A computer simulation program is described which is used to estimate the effects of a proximate diffraction fence on the performance of paraboloid antennas. The computer program is written in FORTRAN. The physical problem, mathematical formulation and coordinate references are described. The main control structure of the program and the function of the individual subroutines are discussed. The Job Control Language set-up and program instruction are provided in the user's instruction to help users execute the present program. A sample problem with an appropriate output listing is made available as an illustration of the usage of the program

Reflective equilibrium is enough: against the need for preselecting considered judgements

Neste artigo focamo-nos num elemento controverso do método do equilíbrio reflexivo, nomeadamente a ideia de Rawls de que os compromissos que entram no processo justificatório deveriam ser pré-seleccionados ou filtrados: de acordo com Rawls, apenas os juízos bem ponderados deveriam ser levados em conta na filosofia moral. Os críticos deste processo de filtragem distribuem-se por dois campos: 1) Os críticos do equilíbrio reflexivo rejeitam o processo de filtragem rawlsiano por ser excessivamente fraco e procuram um que seja mais fiável e que constituiria um diferente método epistémico; 2) Os proponentes do equilíbrio reflexivo rejeitam o processo de filtragem Rawlsiano por ser excessivamente excludente. Nós defendemos o ER, em oposição aos seus críticos, argumentando que este método pode assegurar compromissos razoáveis sem estar dependente de um processo externo forte de filtragem. No entanto, alinhamo-nos com os proponentes críticos do equilíbrio reflexivo, defendendo que, sem este processo de filtragem fraco, o ER rawlsiano revela-se como mais plausível tanto como um método geral, como no contexto da filosofia moral.In this paper, we focus on one controversial element of the method of reflective equilibrium, namely Rawls’ idea that the commitments that enter the justificatory procedure should be pre-selected or filtered: According to him, only considered judgements should be taken into account in moral philosophy. There are two camps of critics of this filtering process: 1) Critics of reflective equilibrium: They reject the Rawlsian filtering process as too weak and seek a more reliable one, which would actually constitute a distinct epistemic method. 2) Proponents of reflective equilibrium: They reject the Rawlsian filtering process as too exclusionary. We defend RE against its critics, arguing that the method can secure reasonable commitments without depending on a strong external filtering process. However, we side with the critical proponents of reflective equilibrium and argue that without the Rawlsian weak filtering process, RE is more plausible both as a general method as well as in the context of moral philosophy

Testable two-loop radiative neutrino mass model based on an LLQdcQdcLLQd^cQd^c effective operator

A new two-loop radiative Majorana neutrino mass model is constructed from the gauge-invariant effective operator $L^i L^j Q^k d^c Q^l d^c \epsilon_{ik} \epsilon_{jl}$ that violates lepton number conservation by two units. The ultraviolet completion features two scalar leptoquark flavors and a color-octet Majorana fermion. We show that there exists a region of parameter space where the neutrino oscillation data can be fitted while simultaneously meeting flavor-violation and collider bounds. The model is testable through lepton flavor-violating processes such as ${\mu} \to e{\gamma}$, $\mu \to eee$, and $\mu N \to eN$ conversion, as well as collider searches for the scalar leptoquarks and color-octet fermion. We computed and compiled a list of necessary Passarino-Veltman integrals up to boxes in the approximation of vanishing external momenta and made them available as a Mathematica package, denoted as ANT.Comment: 42 pages, 11 figures, typo in Eq. (4.9) as well as wrong chirality structures in Secs. 4.5 and 5.2 corrected, final results unchange

A Discrete Hardy-Laptev-Weidl-Type Inequality and Associated Schrödinger-Type Operators

Although the classical Hardy inequality is valid only in the three- and higher dimensional case, Laptev and Weidl established a two-dimensional Hardy-type inequality for the magnetic gradient with an Aharonov-Bohm magnetic potential. Here we consider a discrete analogue, replacing the punctured plane with a radially exponential lattice. In addition to discrete Hardy and Sobolev inequalities, we study the spectral properties of two associated self-adjoint operators. In particular, it is shown that, for suitable potentials, the discrete Schrödingertype operator in the Aharonov-Bohm field has essential spectrum concentrated at 0, and the multiplicity of its lower spectrum satisfies a CLR-type inequality.Although the classical Hardy inequality is valid only in the three- and higher dimensional case, Laptev and Weidl established a two-dimensional Hardy-type inequality for the magnetic gradient with an Aharonov-Bohm magnetic potential. Here we consider a discrete analogue, replacing the punctured plane with a radially exponential lattice. In addition to discrete Hardy and Sobolev inequalities, we study the spectral properties of two associated self-adjoint operators. In particular, it is shown that, for suitable potentials, the discrete Schrödingertype operator in the Aharonov-Bohm field has essential spectrum concentrated at 0, and the multiplicity of its lower spectrum satisfies a CLR-type inequality

An overview of the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project: U.S.-Canada integration

The Salish Sea Marine Survival Project (Project) is a multi-year transboundary effort to determine the primary factors affecting juvenile salmon and steelhead survival in the Salish Sea. The Project, coordinated by nonprofits Long Live the Kings (U.S.) and the Pacific Salmon Foundation (Canada), brings together multidisciplinary expertise from over 20 Federal and State agencies, Tribes, academia and nonprofit organizations on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border. Through the development of a comprehensive, ecosystem-based research framework; coordinated data collection and standardization; and improved information sharing, the Project will help managers better understand the critical relationship between salmon and the Salish Sea. This transboundary initiative began in 2012 and will last seven years. Foundational reports include the Pacific Salmon Foundation’s Strait of Georgia Chinook and Coho Proposal (2009) and subsequently the Hypotheses and Preliminary Research Recommendations for Puget Sound (2012). In November 2012, a workshop with 90 participants was held to receive feedback from the broader scientific community regarding the critical elements of a US-Canada research program. The foundational and workshop summary reports are available at the Project web site (www.marinesurvivalproject.org). Science teams are now using this information to develop and implement the necessary research. We will present an overview of the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project, describing its history, leading hypotheses for poor survival, current status in research development and implementation, and how this work will contribute to Salish Sea sustainable resource management and recovery efforts. We will highlight the multi-disciplinary, collaborative nature of this project and the role of non-governmental organizations in aiding this large-scale initiative

The NASA Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT): NASA's Next Step for U.S. Deep Space Propulsion

NASA s Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) project is developing next generation ion propulsion technologies to enhance the performance and lower the costs of future NASA space science missions. This is being accomplished by producing Engineering Model (EM) and Prototype Model (PM) components, validating these via qualification-level and integrated system testing, and preparing the transition of NEXT technologies to flight system development. The project is currently completing one of the final milestones of the effort, that is operation of an integrated NEXT Ion Propulsion System (IPS) in a simulated space environment. This test will advance the NEXT system to a NASA Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 6 (i.e., operation of a prototypical system in a representative environment), and will confirm its readiness for flight. Besides its promise for upcoming NASA science missions, NEXT may have excellent potential for future commercial and international spacecraft applications