scholarly journals Multispecies Pasts and the Possibilities of Multispecies Futures in the Age of the Anthropocene

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivana Živaljević
Keyword(s):  
Social Challenges ◽  
The Past ◽  
Human Exceptionalism ◽  
Nature And Culture ◽  
Diachronic Change ◽  
The World ◽  
Life On Earth ◽  
Interspecies Relations ◽  
Archaeological Perspective

The Anthropocene emerges as an aftermath of the long-held, pervasive belief in human exceptionalism, and a wake-up call to reconsider our being in the world as entangled with a plethora of other living selves. Along with ecological and social challenges facing all life on Earth, the very boundaries between Nature and Culture, biological and social, human and nonhuman are being destabilized. From an archaeological perspective, particularly relevant is the understanding of diachronic change through shifting webs of interspecies relations (sensu Tsing). By engaging with various strands of thought within archaeology, anthropology, ecology and ethology, this paper aims to offer a more inclusive, multispecies view of the past. Ultimately, a consideration of human and nonhuman histories as entangled, bears important implications for multispecies futures.

Islamic Theological Views on Darwinian Evolution

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nidhal Guessoum
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Process ◽  
Darwinian Evolution ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
Human Exceptionalism ◽  
The World ◽  
The Problem Of Evil ◽  
History Of ◽  
Life On Earth ◽  
Biological Entities ◽  
Muslim Scholars

The various positions that Muslim scholars have adopted vis-à-vis Darwin’s theory of evolution since its inception in 1859 are here reviewed with an eye on the theological arguments that are embraced, whether explicitly or implicitly. A large spectrum of views and arguments are thus found, ranging from total rejection to total acceptance, including “human exceptionalism” (evolution is applicable to all organisms and animals but not to humans). The two main theological arguments that are thus extracted from Muslim scholars’ discussions of evolution are: 1) Is God excluded by the evolutionary paradigm or does the term “Creator” acquire a new definition? 2) Does Adam still exist in the human evolution scenario, and how to include his Qur’anic story in the scientific scenario? Additional, but less crucial issues are sometimes raised in Islamic discussions of evolution: a) Does the extinction of innumerable species during the history of life on earth conflict with the traditional view of God’s creation? b) Is theodicy (“the problem of evil”) exacerbated or explained by evolution? c) Are “species” well-defined and important biological entities in the Islamic worldview? d) Can the randomness that seems inherent in the evolutionary process be reconciled with a divine creation plan? These questions are here reviewed through the writings and arguments of Muslim scholars, and general conclusions are drawn about why rejectionists find it impossible to address those issues in a manner that is consistent with their religious principles and methods, and why more progressive, less literalistic scholars are able to fold those issues within a less rigid conception of God and the world.

scholarly journals The chemistry of fossilization on Earth and Mars

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 28-32
Author(s):  
Sean McMahon
Keyword(s):  
The Sun ◽  
Testing Hypotheses ◽  
Good Fortune ◽  
The Past ◽  
Good Book ◽  
Evolution Of Life ◽  
Life On Mars ◽  
The World ◽  
Decisive Evidence ◽  
Life On Earth

The story of our world is written in the rocks. Turning over the stony pages, a trained geologist can read about mountains that rose and fell in the distant past, oceans that dried out in the sun, and continents that came together and drifted apart. The ground beneath us was shaped by processes like these over millions of years, and perhaps it is unsurprising that these epic shifts in the landscape should have left traces behind. But here and there, to our immense good fortune, the rocks yield something else: remains or traces of ancient life. If a good rock can be read like a good book, then a well-preserved fossil is like a finely wrought illustration, a vivid depiction of a fleeting moment in the life of the world. Fossils, whether on the scale of dinosaurs or individual molecules, provide our most decisive evidence for testing hypotheses about the abundance, diversity and evolution of life on Earth over the past three-and-a-half billion years. They are also our best hope for answering one of the most compelling questions in science: was there ever life on Mars?

scholarly journals COLORS IN GOND TRIBAL ART: AN INTERPRETATION AND CRITICAL EVALUATION OF COLORS IN GOND PAINTINGS OF MADHYA PRADESH.

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (3SE) ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Kumkum Bharadwaj ◽  
Anu Ukande
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Identity ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Central India ◽  
Madhya Pradesh ◽  
Cultural Elements ◽  
Social Challenges ◽  
Social Mission ◽  
The Past ◽  
Tribal Communities ◽  
The World

Fork-art forms have the great social mission of creating cultural identity. The integrity of individuals and equipping them to meet social challenges are a part of this. In Madhya Pradesh- the heart of India lies the oldest found art heritage in the world. Gond Tribal paintings ofMadhya Pradesh have gained worldwide recognition in recent years. The Gond tribe, one of the largest Tribal communities of central India resides in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Over the past decades it has been observed that tribal people are being assimilated with the rest of the population and this process has been a continuous one. With the process of integration arise challenges of retaining, preserving and promoting the cultural elements of the tribes which may face the threat of extinction. This paper attempts to analyze the changes in Gond art brought about by their gradual assimilation into mainstream arts, and the future approaches to colors.

scholarly journals Raakpunte in die ontwikkeling van ekumene in die wêreld met ekumeniese ontwikkelinge in die gereformeerde kerke in Suid-Afrika (1990–2020)

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rudolph Van der Merwe
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Critical Study ◽  
People Of God ◽  
Social Challenges ◽  
The Past ◽  
Church Unity ◽  
The World ◽  
Reformed Churches ◽  
Minimal Importance

Points of communality in the development of ecumenism worldwide with reformed churches in South Africa (1990–2020)This historic-critical study analyses the development of ecumenism from 1990 to 2020 within the traditional Afrikaans speaking reformed churches in South Africa. The study attempts to determine whether the so-called change or shift in ecumenism within reformed churches and ecumenical bodies worldwide, influenced the theology and practice of ecumenism in Afrikaans-speaking churches in South Africa (1990 to 2020). Afrikaans-speaking reformed churches not only face political and social challenges in South Africa, but also face other major challenges brought about by a postmodern society and theological developments from 1990 to 2020. The development of ecumenism in reformed churches in the world, as described by Plaatjies-Van Huffel (2011:1–11) consists of a shift from conciliar ecumenism to transformative receptive ecumenism. In the past 30 years conciliar ecumenism took its stance in absolute certainties derived from a specific viewpoint on Scripture. Conciliar ecumenism partially failed because some reformed churches excluded other reformed churches from church unity, based on a particular interpretation of Scripture. These exclusions were claimed to be based upon the “authority” derived from Scripture. This ecumenical practice did not lead to significant church unity. The transformative receptive ecumenism, on the other hand, tends to reach out to the marginalised people of God, and not only try to transform the unrighteousness in the lives of people, but also tends to learn from and accommodate the needy in the understanding of ecumenism. If the developments in worldwide ecumenism influenced ecumenical thought among reformed Afrikaans-speaking churches, the question arises: to what extent was transformative receptive ecumenism able to contribute to a better understanding of ecumenism and church unity – especially in the development of an African transformative receptive ecumenism. Also, if a shift in ecumenical practise took place, does that mean that the conciliar ecumenism of the past was of minimal importance? Is a new understanding of ecumenism (as in transformative receptive ecumenism) the alpha and omega of ecumenism in theory and practice? Shouldn’t transformative receptive ecumenism be further discussed by all churches in South Africa and the world to bring forth an ecumenical model that suits the South African situation as part of worldwide ecumenism?This chapter attempts to understand recent developments and issues within the reformed ecumenical societies and agencies in the world, after which the Afrikaans-speaking historic-reformed churches will be viewed in terms of the understanding of their calling to ecumenism. The developments and issues in the reformed world will be compared with the latest developments and issues within the Afrikaans-speaking reformed churches. A conclusion based on a comparison between ecumenism in the world and in South Africa will be drawn before some remarks on the future of ecumenical understanding concludes this study.

scholarly journals Reindeer Herding and History in the Mountains of Southern Sápmi

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-136
Author(s):  
Britta Wennstedt Edvinger
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Heritage Conservation ◽  
Reindeer Herding ◽  
Present Evidence ◽  
The Past ◽  
Nature And Culture ◽  
Cultural Heritage Conservation ◽  
The World ◽  
Winter Grazing ◽  
Culture And Language

During the summers of 1998-2000 four Saami villages in southern Sapmi carried out a survey of traditional reindeer herding sites. Reindeer herding of today engages a small Saami minority, but the reindeer herders are important as bearers of Saami culture and language. Reindeer herding has, however, been called into question from several different directions. In this process, which often leads to court, the ability of the Saami villages to present evidence of previous reindeer herding in a region, either in written records or as remains in the landscape, has become an argument for the continued rights of use of certain winter-grazing areas. As a result, archaeology has acquired a new relevance for the Saami villages. But the procedures of archaeological surveys and of the cultural heritage conservation in Sweden are based on ethnocentric assumptions. In a cultural sense, Sapmi of the past and present-day Sweden belong to two different continents, even though they happen to be situated in the same comer of the world. When working with Saami history it is necessary to do away with the distinction between "nature" and "culture", just like a number of other dualisms that are relevant only in a (modern) Western context. If we replace "nature" and "culture" with "environment", we will increase our possibilities to translate Saami history into the language of archaeology and to make archaeology relevant to local people in the mountain region.

A basic introduction to image processing using NIH-Image as a model

1994 ◽  
Vol 52 ◽  
pp. 392-393
Author(s):  
John Mansfield
Keyword(s):  
Image Processing ◽  
Digital Image ◽  
Image Acquisition ◽  
Digital Instrument ◽  
Novice User ◽  
Nih Image ◽  
The Past ◽  
Digital World ◽  
The World ◽  
Instrument Control

Advances in camera technology and digital instrument control have meant that in modern microscopy, the image that was, in the past, typically recorded on a piece of film is now recorded directly into a computer. The transfer of the analog image seen in the microscope to the digitized picture in the computer does not mean, however, that the problems associated with recording images, analyzing them, and preparing them for publication, have all miraculously been solved. The steps involved in the recording an image to film remain largely intact in the digital world. The image is recorded, prepared for measurement in some way, analyzed, and then prepared for presentation.Digital image acquisition schemes are largely the realm of the microscope manufacturers, however, there are also a multitude of “homemade” acquisition systems in microscope laboratories around the world. It is not the mission of this tutorial to deal with the various acquisition systems, but rather to introduce the novice user to rudimentary image processing and measurement.

Exiting Socialism Challenges

2006 ◽  
pp. 114-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Popov
Keyword(s):  
Social Challenges ◽  
The Earth ◽  
The World ◽  
Science And Culture ◽  
Municipal Economy

Exiting socialism by almost a third of the earth population appears to be the most prominent event of the late XX century. The author makes an attempt to formulate some challenges of this process and thus a theory of exiting socialism. First, he inquires into the concept of exiting socialism as it exists in the world. Then he analyzes real experiences in this field. The research enables the author to outline the main economic, governmental and social challenges of such exit - from municipal economy to science and culture.

An Overview of Rural to Urban Migration in China and Social Challenges

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 273-282
Author(s):  
Ziwei Qi
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Rural Populations ◽  
Urban Migration ◽  
Open Market ◽  
Labour Demand ◽  
Social Challenges ◽  
The Past ◽  
Internal Migrations ◽  
Rural To Urban Migration ◽  
Employment Sectors

The rural to urban migration in China represents one of the greatest internal migrations of people in history as rural populations have moved to cities in response to growing labour demand. One major cause of the increased labour demand was the “Reform and Open Market Policy” initiated at the end of the 1970s. The policy amplified the rural to urban divide by promoting a more thoroughly market-based economy with a corresponding reduction in the importance of agricultural production and a greater emphasis on non-agricultural market sectors. As a result, a series of economic reforms have drastically changed the cultural and social aspects of the rural area over the past three decades. Many social problems have been created due to rural to urban migration. These problems include institutional discrimination because of the restrictive household registration policies; social stigmatisation and discrimination in state-owned employment sectors and among urban residents; psychological distress and feelings of alienation.

On the Symbolism of Rain in A Farewell to Arms

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Research Tool ◽  
The Past ◽  
The World ◽  
Farewell To Arms

This paper critically analyzes the symbolic use of rain in A Farewell to Arms (1929). The researcher has applied the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis as a research tool for the analysis of the text. This hypothesis argues that the languages spoken by a person determine how one observes this world and that the peculiarities encoded in each language are all different from one another. It affirms that speakers of different languages reflect the world in pretty different ways. Hemingway’s symbolic use of rain in A Farewell to Arms (1929) is denotative, connotative, and ironical. The narrator and protagonist, Frederick Henry symbolically embodies his own perceptions about the world around him. He time and again talks about rain when something embarrassing is about to ensue like disease, injury, arrest, retreat, defeat, escape, and even death. Secondly, Hemingway has connotatively used rain as a cleansing agent for washing the past memories out of his mind. Finally, the author has ironically used rain as a symbol when Henry insists on his love with Catherine Barkley while the latter being afraid of the rain finds herself dead in it.

Profilometry. Using Corneo-scleral topography for scleral lens fitting

The Eye ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (128) ◽  
pp. 19-22
Author(s):  
Gregory DeNaeyer
Keyword(s):  
Ocular Surface ◽  
World Wide ◽  
Contact Lenses ◽  
The Past ◽  
The World ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Way

The world-wide use of scleral contact lenses has dramatically increased over the past 10 year and has changed the way that we manage patients with corneal irregularity. Successfully fitting them can be challenging especially for eyes that have significant asymmetries of the cornea or sclera. The future of scleral lens fitting is utilizing corneo-scleral topography to accurately measure the anterior ocular surface and then using software to design lenses that identically match the scleral surface and evenly vault the cornea. This process allows the practitioner to efficiently fit a customized scleral lens that successfully provides the patient with comfortable wear and improved vision.

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