“If a black hole is an oyster, then . . .”: The discoursal trends of popularization in science fiction movies

2021 ◽  
pp. 096366252110381
Author(s):  
Esmat Babaii ◽  
Fatemeh Asadnia
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Science Fiction ◽  
Figurative Language ◽  
Pivotal Role ◽  
The Public ◽  
Statistical Estimates ◽  
Award Winning ◽  
Thought Patterns ◽  
Distorted Version ◽  
Attitude Toward Science

Science fiction movies could play a pivotal role in making scientific discoveries available to the public. In this study, we explored the dialogue-based strategies these movies employ to appealingly communicate science. To investigate the discursive resources these movies use to represent science, we analyzed the content of 10 award-winning science fiction movies over the last decade (2010–2019). The findings demonstrated that although these movies deploy certain discursive features such as pseudoscientific hints, question markers, probability signals, statistical estimates, science boosters, paradox clues, comparison markers, exemplification, and figurative language that may influence audience thought patterns and a critical-reflective attitude toward science, they predominantly represent a partial distorted version of science characterized by inconsistency, inaccuracy, and skepticism. The study posits implications for science communicators to safeguard the legitimacy of science.

Anticipating on a post covid-19 world and the pivotal role of science and technology

Coronaviruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 01 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeed Khan ◽  
Tusha Sharma ◽  
Basu Dev Banerjee ◽  
Scotty Branch ◽  
Shea Harrelson
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Pivotal Role ◽  
Public Healthcare ◽  
Healthcare Organizations ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Outbreak Management ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Health Crisis ◽  
Future Outbreak

: Currently, Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has transformed into a severe public health crisis and wreaking havoc worldwide. The ongoing pandemic has exposed the public healthcare system's weaknesses and highlighted the urgent need for investments in scientific programs and policies. A comprehensive program utilizing the science and technologydriven strategies combined with well-resourced healthcare organizations appears to be essential for current and future outbreak management.

Living machines in our cultural imagination

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Szollosy
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Science Fiction ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
Human Condition ◽  
Cultural Imagination ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Enlightenment ◽  
The Future ◽  
Public Imagination ◽  
The Human Condition

Public perceptions of robots and artificial intelligence (AI)—both positive and negative—are hopelessly misinformed, based far too much on science fiction rather than science fact. However, these fictions can be instructive, and reveal to us important anxieties that exist in the public imagination, both towards robots and AI and about the human condition more generally. These anxieties are based on little-understood processes (such as anthropomorphization and projection), but cannot be dismissed merely as inaccuracies in need of correction. Our demonization of robots and AI illustrate two-hundred-year-old fears about the consequences of the Enlightenment and industrialization. Idealistic hopes projected onto robots and AI, in contrast, reveal other anxieties, about our mortality—and the transhumanist desire to transcend the limitations of our physical bodies—and about the future of our species. This chapter reviews these issues and considers some of their broader implications for our future lives with living machines.

scholarly journals De wereld als sciencefictionroman. Over De goede zoon van Rob van Essen

2021 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-242
Author(s):  
Erica van Boven
Keyword(s):  
Science Fiction ◽  
Central Place ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Reading Experience ◽  
Award Winning ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Everyday Reality ◽  
Insight Into

Abstract Rob van Essen’s award-winning novel The good son (2018) offers its readers a puzzling reading experience. It contains a tangle of storylines and seems to lack head or tail. This contribution aims to discover composition and meaning by analyzing various aspects provided by the novel itself: timeline, plot, science fiction, ideas, poetica. This approach provides insight into the rich reservoir of meanings, whereby the importance of imagination and creation appears to have a central place. The novel, which can be labelled as a dystopian science fiction novel, as well as a novel of ideas or a novel of poetics, wants us to become aware of the mysteriousness of everyday reality. Nederlandstalig abstract Rob van Essens bekroonde roman De goede zoon (2018) biedt de lezers een verwarrende leeservaring. De roman bevat een wirwar aan verhaallijnen en heeft op het eerste gezicht nauwelijks samenhang. In deze bijdrage wordt geprobeerd compositie en betekenis te ontdekken door middel van een analyse van verschillende aspecten die uit de roman zelf naar voren komen: tijdsverloop, plot, sciencefiction, ideeën, poëtica. Daarmee ontstaat inzicht in een rijk reservoir aan betekenissen waarin het belang van scheppen en verbeelden een centrale plaats heeft. De roman, die beschouwd kan worden als een dystopische sciencefictionroman maar ook als een ideeënroman of een poëticale roman, lijkt ons te willen doordringen van de raadselachtigheid van de alledaagse werkelijkheid.

scholarly journals THE UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES OF SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO‘S THOUGHT PATTERNS IN HIS ENGLISH SPEECH TEXTS

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 150
Author(s):  
Sulistya Ningsih
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
World Peace ◽  
The Public ◽  
The World ◽  
Thought Patterns

The underlying principles of thought patterns as shown in SBY's English Speeches Texts are made because there are different responses from the public, a part of public praise that SBY is a good president, and others claim and criticize him that  he is slow (Djalal, 2007: forward page). This title so far has not been investigated. This research was aimed at finding out:  the underlying principles of SBY’s thought patterns in his English Speech Texts related to Javanese philosophy. This research is qualitative. The data selected from SBY’s speech Texts were analyzed using semantic and pragmastylistic theory then were related to Javanese philosophy. The findings are the underlying principles of SBY’s thought patterns based on Javanese philosophy manifested in his English Speech Texts are: first is Memayu Hayuning Bawana, Ambrasta dur Hangkara means to reach safety, peace, happiness and well-being of the world and its contents, to keep the world maintained and harmony. Second, Rukun agawe santosa crah agawe bubrah  means to build the condition of harmony, and avoid conflict, because conflict can be harmful to both parties. Third, tepa selira means keep thinking not to offend others or lighten the burdens of others, tolerance. Fourth is ana rembug becik dirembug means thru negotiations can avoid conflict and achieve cooperation, safety, peace and prosperity. In sum, the world peace can be reached thru discussions without war, soft powers.

scholarly journals The Lexicon of Public Sector Reform in New Zealand 1984 - 1994

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Katherine Jane Quigley
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Figurative Language ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Economic Changes ◽  
Revolutionary Era ◽  
The Public ◽  
Google Search ◽  
Selection Of

<p>This is a study of the lexical effects on New Zealand English of the legal, social and economic changes brought about by the fourth Labour government and its successor during the decade from 1984 - 1994, during which period the New Zealand public sector was radically reformed. In order to carry out this study a corpus of approximately five million written words was compiled, consisting of three parallel sets of documents from four domains of use in the public sector. Chapter One provides the rationale for scoping the study both to this particular ten-year period and to the lexis of four particular government departments, namely The Treasury and the Ministries of Social Welfare, Health and Education. A review of previous related work in the field of lexicography, and the aims and specific research questions which motivated the study, are located at the end of this first chapter. Chapter Two explains the reasons behind the selection of three particular documents for use as data sources: the Annual Reports, the annual Corporate Plans, and the triennial Briefings to the Incoming Government. This chapter also describes the methodology used to determine words for inclusion in the glossary which is located in Appendix I. The advantages and pitfalls of the Google search method are discussed, as are the approaches taken to dealing with multiword units, proper nouns, abbreviations and words of Maori origin. The construction and arrangement of the glossary are explained here, including the basis for selection of citations. In Chapter Three an overview of each ministry's dataset is given in terms of its linguistic characteristics, and the results of the study are described. The penultimate chapter catalogues the discovery of a rich vein of figurative language throughout the documents of the New Zealand Treasury, as evidenced by varied and extended metaphors used to express economic concepts. This chapter gives a brief account of metaphor theory and discusses the methodology used for identification of metaphors in the dataset. The fifth and final chapter of this study sums up the overall findings and points the way towards useful future research in this field. A major part of this study consists of the aforementioned lexicon in Appendix I of New Zealand-specific words from these domains and their illustrative citations. This lexicon is a record of the NZE words used in a particular dataset in the public sector of New Zealand. It amounts to approximately 260 entries supported by 660 citations, which were collected via an exhaustive data search of three types of government document over one decade. These terms are not new in the sense that they first appeared in NZE during the decade of this study, but approximately two-thirds of them are new in the sense that they do not appear in any dictionary of English. This collection of terms constitutes a cultural and historical archive, which records the distinctive identity of New Zealand's public sector as it underwent a revolutionary era of profound political and economic change.</p>

Religious Identity: Reflections on Revelation and Rationality

2009 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 443-459
Author(s):  
Majid Amini
Keyword(s):  
Religious Identity ◽  
Religious Diversity ◽  
Pivotal Role ◽  
Public Theology ◽  
Individual Identity ◽  
The Public ◽  
Political Implications ◽  
Ethnic Origins

AbstractThere is a widespread assumption that ethnic origins substantially contribute, if not constitute, the identity of individuals. In particular, among the ethnic elements, it is claimed that religion takes precedence and people could be individuated in terms of their religious affiliations. Indeed, public theology as an attempt to expand on the public consequences of religious doctrines and beliefs is predicated on the legitimacy of the idea of religious identity. However, the purpose of this article is to show that strictly speaking identity cannot be constituted by religion. More precisely, it is argued that a phenomenological characterization of individual identity fails to do justice to the philosophical requirements of identity. The argument is obviously philosophical by nature and is developed through an analysis of the concept of revelation. The phenomenon of revelation plays a pivotal role in the Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions, yet by its very nature owes its authenticity to something prior to itself; namely, reason. This entails the priority of reason over revelation and as such undermines claims that purport to define identity in terms of revelation/religion. This detachment of identity from religion would clearly have far reaching socio-political implications for issues such as religious diversity, pluralism and multiculturalism in particular and public theology in general.

Nutzen von Erfahrungswissen in Krisen.

2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-139
Author(s):  
Janina Barth ◽  
Andrea H. Schneider-Braunberger
Keyword(s):  
Public Discourse ◽  
Press Coverage ◽  
Political Issues ◽  
The Public ◽  
Business Reporting ◽  
Award Winning ◽  
The Media ◽  
German Newspaper ◽  
Past Experiences ◽  
Historical References

Abstract It appears to be almost self-evident that most people look towards past experiences for guidance during times of crisis. We would like to consider the empirical evidence for this assumption by analysing the public discourse regarding the reactions to crises, which includes general reporting, statements from politicians or discussions in the media. The outbreak of the Corona pandemic in Germany, starting in March 2020, opens the possibility to collect several preliminary findings by analysing relevant press coverage in the newspapers. Articles from different sections of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (F.A.Z.) and from the Handelsblatt were evaluated. As our main interest focuses on economic historical (not e. g. medical historical) research questions, we chose the F.A.Z. First, because its business reporting is important within the German newspaper environment in general. Second, because its reporting on the Corona pandemic was award-winning. Additionally, we focused on the Handelsblatt because the newspaper provides press coverage explicitly on financial, business, and political issues – all subjects directly affected by the Corona crisis. The analysis concluded that there was a rise in articles with historical references in general while the number of articles linked to businesses did not increase at the same time which can be linked to the absence of expert business history opinions on offer.

In and out of Othello

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Poonam Trivedi
Keyword(s):  
Public Sphere ◽  
Film Industry ◽  
The State ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Politics Of Identity ◽  
The Public ◽  
Award Winning ◽  
The Public Sphere ◽  
Indian Adaptation

Othello has been the play that seems to speak to current issues of racism and sexism for the last couple of decades. Recent Indian productions have stretched its relevancies further, particularly addressing the politics of identity, of individual and state, of belonging and othering. The 2014 award-winning Assamiya film Othello (We Too Have Our Othellos) appropriates and radicalizes the main concerns of the play to embody and critique the movements for self-determination that continue to rage in the state. The article examines this unusual Indian adaptation of Shakespeare that locates the play directly within the public sphere of the politics of the state through its singular focus on Othello as an ‘outsider’ figure paralleled by other such figures of contemporary Assamese society. It will contextualize the discussion of this film, its production and positioning within the film industry of Assam and attempt to define the nature of its adaptation. It will also glance at its similarities with the earlier film In Othello (2003), which too connected Shakespeare and Assam to illustrate the volatile configurations of the outsider/insider status in contemporary India.

Military Stock Footage

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steffen Hantke
Keyword(s):  
Cold War ◽  
Science Fiction ◽  
Public Domain ◽  
The Public ◽  
Standard Device ◽  
The Common ◽  
Science Fiction Films ◽  
The Military

This chapter focuses on the recruitment of the audience into the “military metaphysics” that C. Wright Mills decries as a symptom of America's Cold War mentality. More specifically, it reads attempts at recruitment made by science fiction films of the period through the use of military stock footage. Pilfering the public domain for footage to be inserted into one's own film was a standard device of inexpensive filmmaking that found one of its most extreme expressions in Alfred E. Green's Invasion U.S.A. (1952). Generally dismissed as a hack job and mercilessly lampooned by Mystery Science Theater 3000, Invasion U.S.A. is a prime example of a politically engaged film using one of the common stylistic devices of 1950s low-budget filmmaking.

Starting from Basics

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans Tammemagi
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Science Fiction ◽  
Waste Disposal ◽  
Organic Substances ◽  
Valuable Resource ◽  
Distant Galaxy ◽  
Easy Task ◽  
The Public ◽  
New Concepts ◽  
Acceptable Method

The landfill has been a child of convenience. Historically, waste was simply dumped in depressions, ravines, and other handy locales that were close to the population centers producing the waste. For centuries this was an acceptable method, but two developments caused serious environmental difficulties with this approach. First, the enormous growth in population resulted in much more garbage being generated, at the same time as land was becoming a scarcer and more valuable resource. Second, the technological and consumer revolution led to the creation of many more hazardous products—particularly synthetic organic substances such as pesticides, PCBs, paint removers, and degreasers, which ultimately wound up in landfills. Landfills grew bigger, and their contents were more toxic than ever before. The child of convenience grew up and turned into an environmental ghoul. Instead of convenience, we need to seek methods of waste disposal that do not impair our environment, use up valuable resources, or place limitations on future resources. Changing engrained habits is not an easy task. We need a revolution that sweeps aside the old ways and introduces new concepts and technologies that are in accord with philosophies that value and protect our environment. Although the gravity of the situation is becoming recognized, and some positive steps—such as streetside recycling programs—are being implemented, there is still an enormous amount to be done. Perhaps we need a different outlook on waste disposal. We should seek disposal technologies and methods that protect the environment; furthermore, these methods must be based on fundamental philosophies that the public understands, agrees with, and buys into. When we seek to redesign waste management, it is important to start with the ultimate objectives firmly in mind. We need goals and a set of rudimentary principles to guide us. Many of us have read a science fiction novel in which a lonely spaceship has been sent to explore a distant galaxy, hundreds of light years away in the farthest reaches of the known universe. Even at hyperspeeds, the spaceship must travel for centuries to reach its destination, requiring several generations of crew to pass their lives aboard the ship.

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