A Non-Newtonian Fluid Robot

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guy Hachmon ◽  
Noam Mamet ◽  
Sapir Sasson ◽  
Tal Barkai ◽  
Nomi Hadar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Newtonian Fluid ◽  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Synthesis Reaction ◽  
Multiple Robots ◽  
Bulk Chemical ◽  
Shear Strains ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Physical Phenomena ◽  
Fundamental Physical

New types of robots inspired by biological principles of assembly, locomotion, and behavior have been recently described. In this work we explored the concept of robots that are based on more fundamental physical phenomena, such as fluid dynamics, and their potential capabilities. We report a robot made entirely of non-Newtonian fluid, driven by shear strains created by spatial patterns of audio waves. We demonstrate various robotic primitives such as locomotion and transport of metallic loads—up to 6-fold heavier than the robot itself—between points on a surface, splitting and merging, shapeshifting, percolation through gratings, and counting to 3. We also utilized interactions between multiple robots carrying chemical loads to drive a bulk chemical synthesis reaction. Free of constraints such as skin or obligatory structural integrity, fluid robots represent a radically different design that could adapt more easily to unfamiliar, hostile, or chaotic environments and carry out tasks that neither living organisms nor conventional machines are capable of.

Surfing the Waves: Hyper-Fast Computers

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vlatko Vedral
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Embedded Computer ◽  
Electronic Computers ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
The Right ◽  
Physical Phenomena ◽  
Microsoft Windows ◽  
The Waves ◽  
The Church ◽  
Basic Level

Who hasn’t heard of a computer? In a society entirely dominated by these transistor infested boxes there are probably only a few remaining isolated tribes in the Amazon or around the Kalahari that have not been affected. From organizing our finances, flying a plane, warming up food, controlling our heartbeat (for some), these devices are prevalent in each and every aspect of our society. Whether we are talking about personal computers, mainframe computers, or the embedded computers that we find in our mobile phones or microwave ovens, it is very hard to even imagine a world without them. The term computer, however, means more than just your average Apple Mac or PC. A computer, at its most basic level, is any object that can take instructions, and perform computations based on those instructions. In this sense computation is not limited to a machine or mechanical apparatus; atomic physical phenomena or living organisms are also perfectly valid forms of computers (and in many cases far more powerful than what we can achieve through current models). We’ll discuss alternative models of computation later in this chapter. Computers come in a variety of shapes and sizes and some are not always identifiable as computers at all (would you consider your fridge a computer?). Some are capable of doing millions of calculations in a single second, while others may take long periods of time to do even the most simple calculations. But theoretically, anything one computer is capable of doing, another computer is also capable of doing. Given the right instructions, and sufficient memory, the computer found in your fridge could, for example, simulate Microsoft Windows. The fact that it might be ridiculous to waste time using the embedded computer in your fridge to do anything other than what it was designed for is irrelevant – the point is that it obeys the same model of computation as every other computer and can therefore – by hook or by crook – eventually achieve the same result. This notion is based on what is now called the Church–Turing thesis (dating back to 1936), a hypothesis about the nature of mechanical calculation devices, such as electronic computers.

scholarly journals A Role for Endogenous Brain States in Organizational Research: Moving Toward a Dynamic View of Cognitive Processes

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 332-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sven Braeutigam ◽  
Nick Lee ◽  
Carl Senior
Keyword(s):  
Functional Neuroimaging ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Neural System ◽  
Reactive System ◽  
Organizational Research ◽  
Dynamic View ◽  
Brain States ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Intrinsic Brain Activity

The dominant view in neuroscience, including functional neuroimaging, is that the brain is an essentially reactive system, in which some sensory input causes some neural activity, which in turn results in some important response such as a motor activity or some hypothesized higher-level cognitive or affective process. This view has driven the rise of neuroscience methods in management and organizational research. However, the reactive view offers at best a partial understanding of how living organisms function in the real world. In fact, like any neural system, the human brain exhibits a constant ongoing activity. This intrinsic brain activity is produced internally, not in response to some environmental stimulus, and is thus termed endogenous brain activity (EBA). In the present article we introduce EBA to organizational research conceptually, explain its measurement, and go on to show that including EBA in management and organizational theory and empirical research has the potential to revolutionize how we think about human choice and behavior in organizations.

Instinct and the Origins of Mind and Behavior

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane M. Rodgers
Keyword(s):  
Social Psychology ◽  
Evolutionary Theory ◽  
History Of Psychology ◽  
Mental Development ◽  
History Of ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Almost All ◽  
And Behavior

Instinct has been one of the more contentious concepts throughout the history of psychology and social psychology. Broadly defined, instinct is considered innate, patterned behavior for living organisms that does not require learning or experience. Almost all early psychologists engaged in the study of instincts, and many attempted to classify them. One of the debates that emerged was whether there is a simple dichotomy between instinct and reason, with animals endowed with instinct for survival but only humans with the ability to rely on reason. With more influence from Darwin’s evolutionary theory, however, the idea that instincts were modifiable and a common trait for humans and animals became accepted. This also led to the idea that human instincts could be understood by examining the instincts of animals and the mental development of children. With the arrival of behaviorism, the concept of instinct began to fall out of favor altogether, and all behaviors were attributed to learning or conditioning. More recently, evolutionary psychologists have reclaimed the notion of instinct, although the understanding of this concept still varies and has an uncertain fate in the discipline.

scholarly journals Total Umwelten Create Shared Meaning the Emergent Properties of Animal Groups as a Result of Social Signalling

Biosemiotics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 431-441
Author(s):  
Amelia Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Emergent Properties ◽  
Behavioural Ecology ◽  
Environmental Niche ◽  
Shared Meaning ◽  
Social Species ◽  
Solitary Living ◽  
Group I ◽  
Theories Of Evolution ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Physical Phenomena

AbstractIn this paper, I discuss the concept of ‘shared meaning’, and the relationship between a shared understanding of signs within an animal social group and the Umwelten of individuals within the group. I explore the concept of the ‘Total Umwelt’, as described by Tønnesen, (2003), and use examples from the traditional ethology literature to demonstrate how semiotic principles can not only be applied, but underpin the observations made in animal social biology. Traditionally, neo-Darwinian theories of evolution concentrate on ‘fitness’ or an organism’s capacity to survive and reproduce in its own environmental niche. However, this process also relies on underlying signs and sign processes, which are often over-looked in traditional ethology and behavioural ecology. Biosemiotics, however, places the emphasis on sign process, with signs and signals comprising a semiosphere. Significantly, whilst the semiosphere is formulated as physical phenomena, specifically energetic and material signs which can be detected and transmitted as signals from one individual to another, it is the Umwelten of living organisms which give those signals meaning. Further, two or more Umwelten can merge, giving rise to a ‘Total Umwelt’, which facilitates shared meaning of signs between two or more individuals. Across and within generations, this gives rise to cultural interpretation of signs within populations. I argue this is the fundamental basis for emergent group properties in social species, or indeed in solitary living species where individuals interact to mate, defend territories or resources, or in raising altricial young. I therefore discuss a fusion of traditional behavioural ecology- based theory with semiotics, to examine the phenomenon of ‘shared meaning’ in animal social groups.

Physical basis of measurements and standards

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Афанасьев ◽  
Aleksandr Afanas'ev ◽  
Погонин ◽  
Anatoliy Pogonin
Keyword(s):  
Uncertainty Relation ◽  
Fundamental Physical Constants ◽  
Reference Base ◽  
Measurement Systems ◽  
The World ◽  
Heisenberg Uncertainty ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Physical Phenomena ◽  
Fundamental Physical ◽  
Principle Of Complementarity

The manual presents elements of the theory of similarity and dimensions, presents concepts of classical measurement systems, elements of the modern physical picture of the world, stability of fundamental physical constants. The Heisenberg uncertainty relation, the principle of complementarity, the principles of creating a modern reference base based on the stability of micro-world objects, the essence of physical phenomena and effects, and the physical foundations of measuring con-verters in engineering are con-sidered.

scholarly journals Artifacts and Non-Local Effects in SPM Potential Measurements

2002 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 16-21
Author(s):  
Sergei V. Kalinin ◽  
Dawn A. Bonnell
Keyword(s):  
Surface Potential ◽  
Scanning Probe Microscopy ◽  
Nanoscale Systems ◽  
First Pass ◽  
Non Local ◽  
Imaging Artifacts ◽  
Dual Pass ◽  
Scanning Surface Potential Microscopy ◽  
Physical Phenomena ◽  
Fundamental Physical

In the last few years Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) has become one of the primary tools of science and technology. In addition to topographical imaging, surface potential, conductivity, optical, ferroelectric and magnetic properties that can be studied down to the nanometer level. However, quantitative and sometimes qualitative studies of fundamental physical phenomena in meso- and nanoscale systems are often hindered by SPM imaging artifacts. Here we briefly discuss the principles of operation and the major sources of artifacts in electrostatic measurements by SPM.One of the most well known techniques for local potential imaging is Scanning Surface Potential Microscopy (SSPM). SSPM is based on dual pass imaging. The grounded tip acquires surface topography during the first pass.

Process modeling of ultraviolet disinfection

1998 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 63-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernest R. Blatchley ◽  
Zdravka Do-Quang ◽  
Marie-Laure Janex ◽  
Jean-Michel Laîné
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Scale ◽  
Process Models ◽  
Uv Disinfection ◽  
Reactor Performance ◽  
Modeling Approach ◽  
Process Characteristics ◽  
Intensity Field ◽  
Numerical Representations ◽  
Physical Phenomena ◽  
Fundamental Physical

Currently available process models for ultraviolet (UV) disinfection do not account for many of the fundamental physical phenomena that are known to affect reactor performance. A modeling approach was developed which employs numerical representations of hydrodynamics and the radiation intensity field; these simulations were accomplished by the methods of computational fluid dynamics and line-source integration. The modeling approach also allowed the identification of process characteristics which limited reactor performance. Based on the output of the models, two geometric modifications were developed and applied to a pilot-scale UV system that resulted in significant improvements in reactor performance. The results of this research illustrate the benefits of UV process analyses which incorporate detailed representations of the velocity and intensity fields.

Colloids in the study of fundamental physics

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (18) ◽  
pp. 1840008
Author(s):  
Tian Hui Zhang ◽  
Bing Yue Zhang ◽  
Jing Sheng Cao ◽  
Ying Liang ◽  
Xiang Yang Liu
Keyword(s):  
Glass Transition ◽  
Phase Behavior ◽  
Colloidal Particles ◽  
Fundamental Physics ◽  
Modeling Systems ◽  
Physical Phenomena ◽  
Fundamental Physical

Colloidal particles in solution exhibit phase behavior analogous to atoms. In the last decades, colloids have been widely employed as modeling systems in studying nucleation, crystallization, glass transition and melting. A number of advances have been achieved. These advances have greatly extended the understanding of fundamental physical phenomena. In this paper, we give a brief summary on these advances.

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