The story of humanity and the challenge of posthumanity

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoltán Boldizsár Simon
Keyword(s):  
Human Subject ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Historical Narrative ◽  
Historical Narratives ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Historical Understanding ◽  
New Era ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The One ◽  
Better Than

Today’s technological-scientific prospect of posthumanity simultaneously evokes and defies historical understanding. On the one hand, it implies a historical claim of an epochal transformation concerning posthumanity as a new era. On the other, by postulating the birth of a novel, better-than-human subject for this new era, it eliminates the human subject of modern Western historical understanding. In this article, I attempt to understand posthumanity as measured against the story of humanity as the story of history itself. I examine the fate of humanity as the central subject of history in three consecutive steps: first, by exploring how classical philosophies of history achieved the integrity of the greatest historical narrative of history itself through the very invention of humanity as its subject; second, by recounting how this central subject came under heavy criticism by postcolonial and gender studies in the last half-century, targeting the universalism of the story of humanity as the greatest historical narrative of history; and third, by conceptualizing the challenge of posthumanity against both the story of humanity and its criticism. Whereas criticism fragmented history but retained the possibility of smaller-scale narratives, posthumanity does not doubt the feasibility of the story of humanity. Instead, it necessarily invokes humanity, if only in order to be able to claim its supersession by a better-than-human subject. In that, it represents a fundamental challenge to the modern Western historical condition and the very possibility of historical narratives – small-scale or large-scale, fragmented or universal.

scholarly journals Small-scale fishing income and fuel consumption: Fiji’s artisanal sea cucumber fishery

2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
pp. 1758-1767 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven W Purcell ◽  
Watisoni Lalavanua ◽  
Brian R Cullis ◽  
Nicole Cocks
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equity ◽  
Sea Cucumber ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Breath Hold ◽  
Net Income ◽  
Fuel Use ◽  
Sea Cucumbers ◽  
Deep Water Species ◽  
And Gender

Abstract Understanding the income and costs of fishing is fundamental to managing fisheries and planning interventions to improve efficiency and gender equity. Few studies offer data on fisher incomes and fuel use in small-scale fisheries (SSFs), and fewer have assessed factors influencing variation among fishers and between genders. We interviewed 235 artisanal fishers among 34 island villages in an artisanal sea cucumber fishery in Fiji. Linear mixed models were used to determine the effect of geographic and socioeconomic variables on incomes and fuel use from fishing sea cucumbers. Net income of sea cucumbers to fishers, averaging FJ$8, 171 year−1 (US$4, 494 year−1) (range: FJ$0–52,008 year−1), varied among villages and was 47% lower for women than men. On an average, 60% of fishers’ gross annual income came from fishing and selling sea cucumbers, although this proportion varied greatly even within villages. Fishers who practised gleaning, fished less often, or possessing numerous livelihood income streams, were less economically dependent on sea cucumbers. Men tended to estimate higher incomes for an average day of fishing than women when compared with their recall of last sale. Fuel use varied greatly among regions in Fiji but, overall, averaged 428 L fisher−1 year−1, and represented 28% of gross income. More economical fishing strategies by women resulted in lower fuel use than men per fishing day. Breath-hold divers used less fuel (compared to fishers using scuba) and fishers targeting deep-water species used more fuel than other fishers. A best approximation of 8000 t CO2 year−1 for the carbon footprint of the whole fishery suggests that some SSFs, such as the one studied here, can be significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, even compared to many large-scale fisheries globally. Reforms to the management of SSFs should consider regulations that minimize carbon emissions and reduce economic dependency on vulnerable marine resources.

scholarly journals The use of interplanetary scintillation maps in the prediction of geomagnetic activity

1996 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. A. Lucek ◽  
T. D. G. Clark
Keyword(s):  
False Alarm ◽  
Geomagnetic Activity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Space Environment ◽  
Similar Proportion ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Interplanetary Scintillation ◽  
Visual Evaluation ◽  
Independent Events ◽  
Better Than

Abstract. Interplanetary scintillation (IPS), the twinkling of small angular diameter radio sources, arises from the interaction of the signal with small-scale plasma irregularities in the solar wind. The technique may be used to sense remotely the near-Earth heliosphere and has potential for tracking large-scale interplanetary disturbances from close to the Sun to the Earth. Such observations might be useful within routine geomagnetic forecasts, and we use data from the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory to test this suggestion. A forecast was based on the visual evaluation of each daily map. If an IPS event was observed then we proposed that any associated geomagnetic activity would occur either on that day, or during the following two days. We consider the success of these forecasts in predicting days when either an SSC/SI or an Ap value exceeding 30 were recorded. The identification of IPS events is necessarily subjective and so two observers compiled independent events lists, and the results were compared. Approximately half of the IPS events in each list were followed by a geomagnetic signature but comparison of the two lists showed that different days were being chosen. We also found that the forecasts had very high false alarm rates. Since IPS is sensitive to a volume we did not expect all events to be associated with a geomagnetic signature. However, the technique failed to forecast a large proportion of geomagnetic events and the association between IPS events and geomagnetic activity is not much better than would be expected by chance. Comparing the IPS forecasts with forecasts of Ap released by the Space Environment Services Center (SESC) we found that SESC correctly predicted a similar proportion of days when Ap\\geq30, but that the performance was significantly better than would be expected by chance, and had a much lower false alarm rate. We conclude that these IPS data cannot be used alone to produce reliable geomagnetic activity forecasts.

Relative Efficiency of Ancillary and Small Scale Units

1978 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 279-284
Author(s):  
K.R. Shaligram
Keyword(s):  
Small Firms ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Underlying Assumption ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
End Products ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Small Manufacturers ◽  
Better Than

Ancillary units are small firms manufacturing and supplying intermediate goods, typically to large firms. Several policy measures are under consideration to raise the output of the ancillary industry to the level of 15 per cent of the value of output of the large scale industry by 1985. The underlying assumption appears to be that the ancillary status enhances the prospect for the viability of the small firm. This paper examines whether ancillary units perform better than small scale units (small manufacturers of end products) under the conditions prevailing in India. The findings reveal no significant difference in the mean performance of the two classes of small firms. It also draws implications for policymakers and management from the findings.

Process Optimization of One-Stage Propane Pre-Cooled MRC Cycle for Small-Scale LNG Plant

2012 ◽  
Vol 516-517 ◽  
pp. 1184-1187
Author(s):  
Heng Sun ◽  
Dan Shu ◽  
Hong Mei Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Process Parameters ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Main Process ◽  
One Stage ◽  
High Energy Efficiency ◽  
The One

One-stage pre-cooled mixture refrigerant cycle can be applied in small-scale LNG plant and be special suitable for skit mounted LNG plant. It has different character with the C3MR cycle used in large-scale LNG plant. The optimization of the mixture refrigerant is carried out using HYSYS software. The effect of the main process parameters on the performance of the cycle is calculated and discussed. The result shows that appropriate ranges of the process parameters exist. Higher and lower values of the parameters will increase the energy consumption significantly. The results also indicate that the optimization of the one-stage pre-cooled mixture refrigerant cycle can obtain rather high energy efficiency that is competitive with that of the SMR which is widely employed in small-scale LNG plant.

Children Delay Gratification for Cooperative Ends

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-148
Author(s):  
Rebecca Koomen ◽  
Sebastian Grueneisen ◽  
Esther Herrmann
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Delay Of Gratification ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Delayed Gratification ◽  
Collective Action Problems ◽  
Cooperative Decision Making ◽  
Diverse Cultures ◽  
Better Than

To cooperate effectively, both in small-scale interactions and large-scale collective-action problems, people frequently have to delay gratification (i.e., resist short-term temptations in favor of joint long-term goals). Although delay-of-gratification skills are commonly considered critical in children’s social-cognitive development, they have rarely been studied in the context of cooperative decision-making. In the current study, we therefore presented pairs of children ( N = 207 individuals) with a modified version of the famous marshmallow test, in which children’s outcomes were interdependently linked such that the children were rewarded only if both members of the pair delayed gratification. Children from two highly diverse cultures (Germany and Kenya) performed substantially better than they did on a standard version of the test, suggesting that children are more willing to delay gratification for cooperative than for individual goals. The results indicate that from early in life, human children are psychologically equipped to respond to social interdependencies in ways that facilitate cooperative success.

scholarly journals Testing & Opening in Augustusburg A Success Story?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Diederichs ◽  
Timo Friedel Mitze ◽  
Felix Schulz ◽  
Klaus Waelde
Keyword(s):  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Community Level ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
County Level ◽  
Success Story ◽  
Large Scale Testing ◽  
The City ◽  
Better Than

The city of Augustusburg allowed for opening of, inter alia, restaurants and hotels joint with large-scale testing. We evaluate this testing & opening (T&O) experiment by comparing the evolution of case rates in Augustusburg with the evolution in other communities of Saxony. We have access to small-scale SARS-CoV-2 infection data at the community level (Gemeinde) instead of the county level (Landkreis) usually used for disease surveillance. Despite data challenges, we conclude that T&O did not lead to any increase in case rates in Augustusburg compared to its control county. When we measure the effect of T&O on cumulative cases, we find a small increase in Augustusburg. This difference almost completely disappears when we control for the effect of higher case rates due to more testing. Generally speaking, T&O worked much better than in comparable projects elsewhere.

scholarly journals Impact of various housing conditions on the occurrence of pathological lesions in slaughtered pigs

2019 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikola Cobanovic ◽  
Urska Jamnikar-Ciglenecki ◽  
Andrej Kirbis ◽  
Manja Krizman ◽  
Marina Stukelj ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Feeding System ◽  
Housing Conditions ◽  
Housing Density ◽  
Concrete Floor ◽  
Pathological Lesions ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Slaughtered Pigs

Introduction. This study assessed the effect of farming system, feeding system, floor type, housing density and gender on the occurrence of pathological lesions in slaughtered pigs. Materials and Methods. The study was conducted on 400 pigs from four farms with different housing conditions. The plucks of 100 slaughtered pigs from each farm were examined for pneumonia, pleurisy, pericarditis and milk spots. Results and Conclusions. Pigs housed in a large-scale indoor farm had the lowest incidence of pneumonia. The highest occurrence of pneumonia was recorded in pigs fattened in a small-scale farm in pens with outdoor access. Pigs reared on farms in pens with outdoor access had the highest incidence of milk spots. Pigs from farms using pellet feeding systems had higher incidences of pneumonia, pleurisy and milk spots than those from a farm using a liquid feeding system. A rearing system comprising concrete floors without bedding resulted in the highest incidence of pneumonia in pigs. Pigs from a farm using a concrete floor with bedding had the highest occurrence of milk spots. The lowest incidence of milk spots was recorded in pigs from farms using fully-slatted floors. Compared to low housing density, high housing density resulted in higher incidences of pneumonia, pericarditis and milk spots in pigs. A higher prevalence of lung lesions was detected in barrows than in gilts. This study showed the most significant risk factors for the occurrence of pathological lesions in slaughtered pigs are pens with outdoor access, pellet feeding system, concrete floor, high housing density and gender.

Dynamics of interaction of vortices in shear turbulent flows

2021 ◽  
Vol 102 (2) ◽  
pp. 56-67
Author(s):  
A.Zh. Turmukhambetov ◽  
◽  
S.B. Otegenova ◽  
K.A. Aitmanova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Turbulent Flows ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Equations Of Motion ◽  
Vortex Structures ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Kinematic Effect ◽  
The One

The paper analyzes the results of a theoretical study of quasi-two-dimensional turbulence, two-dimensional equations of motion of which contain additional terms. The regularities of the dynamic interaction of vortex structures in shear turbulent flows of a viscous liquid are established. Based on the model of quasi-twodimensional turbulence, numerical values of the spatial scales of intermittency are determined as an alternation of large-scale and small-scale pulsations of dynamic characteristics. The experimentally observed alternation of vortex structures and the idea of their self-organization form the basis of the assumption of the existence of a geometric parameter determined by the size of the vortex core and the distance between their centers. Therefore, the main attention is paid to the theoretical calculation of the minimum spatial scales of the intermittency of vortex clusters. As a simplification, the vortex pairs are located in a reference frame, relative to which the centers of the vortices are stationary. Thus, the kinematic effect of the transfer of one vortex into the field of another is excluded from consideration. The symmetric and unsymmetric interactions of vortices, taking into account the one-sided and opposite directions of their rotation, are considered as realizable cases. A successful attempt is made to study the influence of the internal structure of vortex clusters on the numerical values of the minimum intermittency scales. The obtained results are satisfactorily confirmed by known theoretical and experimental data. Consequently, they can be used in all practical applications, without exception, where the structure of turbulence is taken into account, as well as for improving and expanding existing semi-empirical theories.

scholarly journals Transition Economies: Performance and Challenges

2002 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Svejnar
Keyword(s):  
Transition Economies ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Type I ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Macroeconomic Stabilization ◽  
Income Gap ◽  
Advanced Economies ◽  
Better Than

I present data and assess the first twelve years of the transition from plan to market. Transformations have taken place, but the income gap between the transition and advanced economies has widened. Transition countries further east have performed worse than those further west, but policies matter. All countries carried out quickly Type I reforms, such as macroeconomic stabilization, price liberalization, small-scale privatization, and breakup of state-owned enterprises. They differed in Type II reforms, such as large-scale privatization and development of banking and legal systems. Countries that developed a functioning legal framework and corporate governance have performed better than others.

The Special Responsibility of Public Spaces to Dismantle White Supremacist Historical Narratives

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen L. B. Burgard ◽  
Michael L. Boucher
Keyword(s):  
White Supremacy ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Additive Models ◽  
Historical Narrative ◽  
Historical Narratives ◽  
Historical Understanding ◽  
White Supremacist ◽  
The Past ◽  
National Heritage ◽  
Special Responsibility

Public historical spaces hold a powerful role in the teaching of a regional and national heritage curriculum. Those public sites, markers, museums, and monuments provide the narrative from which citizens conceptualize the past and they comprise a curriculum of American history. However, the calculated and intentional omission of the histories and identities of marginalized and oppressed people creates an unequal, ahistorical void that is filled by the hegemonic normality of the White supremacist narrative, creating a curriculum of White supremacy. Using research of historical understanding, racialized historical understanding, historical understanding in museums and public spaces, and the concept of erasure in history, this chapter investigates the important role public spaces play in presenting a holistic and complete historical narrative that goes beyond the additive models of multiculturalism and preserves the culture and heritage of all peoples.

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