Delusion in general and forensic psychiatry--historical and contemporary aspects.

PubMed

Hoff, Paul

2006-01-01

Delusion has always been a central topic for psychiatric research with regard to etiology and pathogenesis and to diagnosis, treatment, and forensic relevance. Throughout the history of psychiatry as a scientific discipline, there has been dissent on the issue of whether chronic delusion is a nosological entity of its own or just a specific type of another mental disorder, e.g. schizophrenia, mania, or personality disorder, and there already is a considerable literature on this. This article seeks to elucidate the central lines of thought that have governed the scientific debate on delusions and delusion-associated phenomena since the early 19th century. Special attention is given to the practical relevance of these theoretical considerations for forensic questions and psychiatric research. Due to the complex features of delusions, research in this area may well become paradigmatic for many other complicated psycho(patho)logical phenomena, e.g. consciousness, hallucinations and psychotic depression.

The nature of the (visualization) game: Challenges and opportunities from computational geophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kellogg, L. H.

2016-12-01

As the geosciences enters the era of big data, modeling and visualization become increasingly vital tools for discovery, understanding, education, and communication. Here, we focus on modeling and visualization of the structure and dynamics of the Earth's surface and interior. The past decade has seen accelerated data acquisition, including higher resolution imaging and modeling of Earth's deep interior, complex models of geodynamics, and high resolution topographic imaging of the changing surface, with an associated acceleration of computational modeling through better scientific software, increased computing capability, and the use of innovative methods of scientific visualization. The role of modeling is to describe a system, answer scientific questions, and test hypotheses; the term "model" encompasses mathematical models, computational models, physical models, conceptual models, statistical models, and visual models of a structure or process. These different uses of the term require thoughtful communication to avoid confusion. Scientific visualization is integral to every aspect of modeling. Not merely a means of communicating results, the best uses of visualization enable scientists to interact with their data, revealing the characteristics of the data and models to enable better interpretation and inform the direction of future investigation. Innovative immersive technologies like virtual reality, augmented reality, and remote collaboration techniques, are being adapted more widely and are a magnet for students. Time-varying or transient phenomena are especially challenging to model and to visualize; researchers and students may need to investigate the role of initial conditions in driving phenomena, while nonlinearities in the governing equations of many Earth systems make the computations and resulting visualization especially challenging. Training students how to use, design, build, and interpret scientific modeling and visualization tools prepares them to better understand the nature of complex, multiscale geoscience data.

Modelling Molecular Mechanisms: A Framework of Scientific Reasoning to Construct Molecular-Level Explanations for Cellular Behaviour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Mil, Marc H. W.; Boerwinkel, Dirk Jan; Waarlo, Arend Jan

2013-01-01

Although molecular-level details are part of the upper-secondary biology curriculum in most countries, many studies report that students fail to connect molecular knowledge to phenomena at the level of cells, organs and organisms. Recent studies suggest that students lack a framework to reason about complex systems to make this connection. In this…

Scientific visualization of volumetric radar cross section data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wojszynski, Thomas G.

1992-12-01

For aircraft design and mission planning, designers, threat analysts, mission planners, and pilots require a Radar Cross Section (RCS) central tendency with its associated distribution about a specified aspect and its relation to a known threat, Historically, RCS data sets have been statically analyzed to evaluate a d profile. However, Scientific Visualization, the application of computer graphics techniques to produce pictures of complex physical phenomena appears to be a more promising tool to interpret this data. This work describes data reduction techniques and a surface rendering algorithm to construct and display a complex polyhedron from adjacent contours of RCS data. Data reduction is accomplished by sectorizing the data and characterizing the statistical properties of the data. Color, lighting, and orientation cues are added to complete the visualization system. The tool may be useful for synthesis, design, and analysis of complex, low observable air vehicles.

An integrated strategy for the planetary sciences: 1995 - 2010

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

In 1992, the National Research Council's Space Studies Board charged its Committee on Planetary and Lunar Exploration (COMPLEX) to: (1) summarize current understanding of the planets and the solar system; (2) pose the most significant scientific questions that remain; and (3) establish the priorities for scientific exploration of the planets for the period from 1995 to 2010. The broad scientific goals of solar system exploration include: (1) understanding how physical and chemical processes determine the major characteristics of the planets, and thereby help us to understand the operation of Earth; (2) learning about how planetary systems originate and evolve; (3) determining how life developed in the solar system, particularly on Earth, and in what ways life modifies planetary environments; and (4) discovering how relatively simple, basic laws of physics and chemistry can lead to the diverse phenomena observed in complex systems. COMPLEX maintains that the most useful new programs to emphasize in the period from 1995 to 2010 are detailed investigations of comets, Mars, and Jupiter and an intensive search for, and characterization of, extrasolar planets.

Basic investigation of turbine erosion phenomena

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pouchot, W. D.; Kothmann, R. E.; Fentress, W. K.; Heymann, F. J.; Varljen, T. C.; Chi, J. W. H.; Milton, J. D.; Glassmire, C. M.; Kyslinger, J. A.; Desai, K. A.

1971-01-01

An analytical-empirical model is presented of turbine erosion that fits and explains experience in both steam and metal vapor turbines. Because of the complexities involved in analyzing turbine problems, in a pure scientific sense, it is obvious that this goal can be only partially realized. Therefore, emphasis is placed on providing a useful model for preliminary erosion estimates for given configurations, fluids, and flow conditions.

The Role of Visual Representations in Scientific Practices: From Conceptual Understanding and Knowledge Generation to 'Seeing' How Science Works

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evagorou, Maria; Erduran, Sibel; Mäntylä, Terhi

2015-01-01

Background: The use of visual representations (i.e., photographs, diagrams, models) has been part of science, and their use makes it possible for scientists to interact with and represent complex phenomena, not observable in other ways. Despite a wealth of research in science education on visual representations, the emphasis of such research has…

Reproducibility in Psychological Science: When Do Psychological Phenomena Exist?

PubMed Central

Iso-Ahola, Seppo E.

2017-01-01

Scientific evidence has recently been used to assert that certain psychological phenomena do not exist. Such claims, however, cannot be made because (1) scientific method itself is seriously limited (i.e., it can never prove a negative); (2) non-existence of phenomena would require a complete absence of both logical (theoretical) and empirical support; even if empirical support is weak, logical and theoretical support can be strong; (3) statistical data are only one piece of evidence and cannot be used to reduce psychological phenomena to statistical phenomena; and (4) psychological phenomena vary across time, situations and persons. The human mind is unreproducible from one situation to another. Psychological phenomena are not particles that can decisively be tested and discovered. Therefore, a declaration that a phenomenon is not real is not only theoretically and empirically unjustified but runs counter to the propositional and provisional nature of scientific knowledge. There are only “temporary winners” and no “final truths” in scientific knowledge. Psychology is a science of subtleties in human affect, cognition and behavior. Its phenomena fluctuate with conditions and may sometimes be difficult to detect and reproduce empirically. When strictly applied, reproducibility is an overstated and even questionable concept in psychological science. Furthermore, statistical measures (e.g., effect size) are poor indicators of the theoretical importance and relevance of phenomena (cf. “deliberate practice” vs. “talent” in expert performance), not to mention whether phenomena are real or unreal. To better understand psychological phenomena, their theoretical and empirical properties should be examined via multiple parameters and criteria. Ten such parameters are suggested. PMID:28626435

PREFACE: XI Latin American Workshop on Nonlinear Phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anteneodo, Celia; da Luz, Marcos G. E.

2010-09-01

The XI Latin American Workshop on Nonlinear Phenomena (LAWNP) has been held in Búzios-RJ, Brazil, from 5-9 October 2009. This international conference is one in a series that have gathered biennially, over the past 21 years, physicists and other scientists who direct their work towards several aspects of nonlinear phenomena and complex systems. The main purpose of LAWNP meetings is to create a friendly and motivating environment, such that researchers from Latin America and from other parts of the globe can discuss not only their own latest results but also the trends and perspectives in this very interdisciplinary field of investigation. Hence, it constitutes a forum for promoting scientific collaboration and fomenting the emergence of new ideas, helping to advance the field. The XI edition (LAWNP'09) has gathered more than 230 scientists and students (most from Latin America), covering all of the world (27 different countries from North and South America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania). In total there were 18 plenary lectures, 80 parallel talks, and 140 poster contributions. A stimulating round-table discussion also took place devoted to the present and future of the Latin American Institutions in Complex Phenomena (a summary can be found at http://lawnp09.fis.puc-rio.br, in the Round-Table report link). The 2009 workshop was devoted to a wide scope of themes and points of view, pursuing to include the latest trends and developments in the science of nonlinearity. In this way, we have a great pleasure in publishing this Proceedings volume based on the high quality scientific works presented at LAWNP'09, covering already established methods as well as new approaches, discussing both theoretical and practical aspects, and addressing paradigmatic systems and also completely new problems, in nonlinearity and complexity. In fact, the present volume may be a very valuable reference for those interested in an overview on how nonlinear interactions can affect different phenomena in nature, addressing: classical and quantum chaos; instability and bifurcation; cooperative behavior; self-organization; pattern formation and synchronization; far-from-equilibrium and fluctuation dynamics; nonlinearity in fluid, plasmas, granular media, optics, and wave propagation; turbulence onset; and complexity in natural and social systems. The success of the conference was possible thanks to the financial support from many agencies, especially the Brazilian agencies Capes and CNPq, and the international agencies, Binational Itaupú, ICTP-Trieste, and CAIS-Albuquerque. Equally very important was the support by the organizer's institutions PUC-Rio de Janeiro and UFPR-Curitiba. We also must thank Journal of Physics: Conference Series, for believing in the success and scientific quality of the conference, and to the journal staff, specially Anete Ashton, for the kind and prompt help during the whole production process of this publication. Finally, and most important, we acknowledge all the participants of the LAWNP'09, whose interest and enthusiasm in advancing the science of nonlinearity constitutes the true moto making the present Proceedings a very valuable scientific contribution. Celia Anteneodo (PUC-Rio, Brazil) and Marcos G E da Luz (UFPR-Curitiba, Brazil) Conference Chairs Conference photograph Some of the conference participants. CAPES logo This issue was supported by CAPES (Agency for Evaluation and Support of Graduate Studies Programs), Brazilian govern entity devoted to the formation of human resources. CA would like to thank CAPES for financial support.

Comprehending emergent systems phenomena through direct-manipulation animation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aguirre, Priscilla Abel

This study seeks to understand the type of interaction mode that best supports learning and comprehension of emergent systems phenomena. Given that the literature has established that students hold robust misconceptions of such phenomena, this study investigates the influence of using three types of interaction; speed-manipulation animation (SMN), post-manipulation animation (PMA) and direct-manipulation animation (DMA) for increasing comprehension and testing transfer of the phenomena, by looking at the effect of simultaneous interaction of haptic and visual channels on long term and working memories when seeking to comprehend emergent phenomena. The questions asked were: (1) Does the teaching of emergent phenomena, with the aid of a dynamic interactive modeling tool (i.e., SMA, PMA or DMA), improve students' mental model construction of systems, thus increasing comprehension of this scientific concept? And (2) does the teaching of emergent phenomena, with the aid of a dynamic interactive modeling tool, give the students the necessary complex cognitive skill which can then be applied to similar (near transfer) and/or novel, but different, (far transfer) scenarios? In an empirical study undergraduate and graduate students were asked to participate in one of three experimental conditions: SMA, PMA, or DMA. The results of the study found that it was the participants of the SMA treatment condition that had the most improvement in post-test scores. Students' understanding of the phenomena increased most when they used a dynamic model with few interactive elements (i.e., start, stop, and speed) that allowed for real time visualization of one's interaction on the phenomena. Furthermore, no indication was found that the learning of emergent phenomena, with the aid of a dynamic interactive modeling tool, gave the students the necessary complex cognitive skill which could then be applied to similar (near transfer) and/or novel, but different, (far transfer) scenarios. Finally, besides treatment condition, gender and age were also shown to be predictors of score differences; overall, males did better than females, and younger students did better than older students.

Climate science in the tropics: waves, vortices and PDEs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khouider, Boualem; Majda, Andrew J.; Stechmann, Samuel N.

2013-01-01

Clouds in the tropics can organize the circulation on planetary scales and profoundly impact long range seasonal forecasting and climate on the entire globe, yet contemporary operational computer models are often deficient in representing these phenomena. On the other hand, contemporary observations reveal remarkably complex coherent waves and vortices in the tropics interacting across a bewildering range of scales from kilometers to ten thousand kilometers. This paper reviews the interdisciplinary contributions over the last decade through the modus operandi of applied mathematics to these important scientific problems. Novel physical phenomena, new multiscale equations, novel PDEs, and numerical algorithms are presented here with the goal of attracting mathematicians and physicists to this exciting research area.

Deaf Pupils' Reasoning about Scientific Phenomena: School Science as a Framework for Understanding or as Fragments of Factual Knowledge.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Molander, B. O.; Pedersen, Svend; Norell, Kia

2001-01-01

A Swedish interview study of how deaf pupils reason about phenomena in a science context revealed significant variation in the extent to which pupils used scientific principles for reasoning about science phenomena, which suggests that for some pupils, school science offers little as a framework for reasoning. (Contains references.) (DB)

Teachers' Use of Curriculum to Support Students in Writing Scientific Arguments to Explain Phenomena

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNeill, Katherine L.

2009-01-01

The role of the teacher is essential for students' successful engagement in scientific inquiry practices. This study focuses on teachers' use of an 8-week chemistry curriculum that explicitly supports students in one particular inquiry practice, the construction of scientific arguments to explain phenomena in which students justify their claims…

Developing Marine Science Instructional Materials Using Integrated Scientist-Educator Collaborative Design Teams: A Discussion of Challenges and Success Developing Real Time Data Projects for the COOL Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDonnell, J.; Duncan, R. G.; Glenn, S.

2007-12-01

Current reforms in science education place increasing demands on teachers and students to engage not only with scientific content but also to develop an understanding of the nature of scientific inquiry (AAAS, 1993; NRC, 1996). Teachers are expected to engage students with authentic scientific practices including posing questions, conducting observations, analyzing data, developing explanations and arguing about them using evidence. This charge is challenging for many reasons most notably the difficulty in obtaining meaningful data about complex scientific phenomena that can be used to address relevant scientific questions that are interesting and understandable to K-12 students. We believe that ocean sciences provide an excellent context for fostering scientific inquiry in the classroom. Of particular interest are the technological and scientific advances of Ocean Observing Systems, which allow scientists to continuously interact with instruments, facilities, and other scientists to explore the earth-ocean- atmosphere system remotely. Oceanographers are making long-term measurements that can also resolve episodic oceanic processes on a wide range of spatial and temporal scales crucial to resolving scientific questions related to Earth's climate, geodynamics, and marine ecosystems. The availability of a diverse array of large data sets that are easily accessible provides a unique opportunity to develop inquiry-based learning environments in which students can explore many important questions that reflect current research trends in ocean sciences. In addition, due to the interdisciplinary nature of the ocean sciences these data sets can be used to examine ocean phenomena from a chemical, physical, or biological perspective; making them particularly useful for science teaching across the disciplines. In this session we will describe some of the efforts of the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence- Mid Atlantic (COSEE MA) to develop instructional materials, in which students use real-time-data (RTD) to generate explanations about important ocean phenomena. We will discuss our use of an Instructional Design Model (Gauge 1987) to: 1) assess our audience need, 2) develop an effective collaborative design team, 3) develop and evaluate the instructional product, and 4) implement professional development designed to familiarize teachers with oceans sciences as a context for scientific inquiry.

Alaska Science Center: Providing Timely, Relevant, and Impartial Study of the Landscape, Natural Resources, and Natural Hazards for Alaska and Our Nation

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2007-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Nation's largest water, earth, and biological science and civilian mapping agency, has studied the natural features of Alaska since its earliest geologic expeditions in the 1800s. The USGS Alaska Science Center (ASC), with headquarters in Anchorage, Alaska, studies the complex natural science phenomena of Alaska to provide scientific products and results to a wide variety of partners. The complexity of Alaska's unique landscapes and ecosystems requires USGS expertise from many science disciplines to conduct thorough, integrated research.

[The contribution of neuroscience to the understanding of moral behavior].

PubMed

Slachevsky, Andrea; Silva, Jaime R; Prenafeta, María Luisa; Novoa, Fernando

2009-03-01

The neuro-scientific study of moral actions and judgments is particularly relevant to medicine, especially when assessing behavior disorders secondary to brain diseases. In this paper, moral behavior is reviewed from an evolutionary and neuro-scientific perspective. We discuss the role of emotions in moral decisions, the role of brain development in moral development and the cerebral basis of moral behavior. Empirical evidence shows a relationship between brain and moral development: changes in cerebral architecture are related to changes in moral decision complexity. Moral development takes a long time, achieving its maturity during adulthood. It is suggested that moral cognition depends on cerebral regions and neural networks related to emotional and cognitive processing (i.e. prefrontal and temporal cortex) and that moral judgments are complex affective and cognitive phenomena. This paper concludes with the suggestion that a satisfactory clinical/legal evaluation of a patient requires that the neural basis of moral behavior should be taken into account.

Achievements of ATS-6 beacon experiment over Indian sub-continent

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deshpande, M. R.; Rastogi, R. G.; Vats, H. O.; Sethia, G.; Chandra, H.; Davies, K.; Grubb, R. N.; Jones, J. E.

1978-01-01

The repositioning of the ATS-6 satellite at 34 deg E enabled the scientific community of India to use the satellite's radio beacon for ionospheric studies. Two scientific projects were undertaken. The objective of the first project was to map ionospheric electron content, range rate errors, traveling ionospheric phenomena, solar flare effect, and magnetic phenomena. The second project was aimed at studying geophysical phenomena associated with the equatorial electrojet. The principal results of these studies are described.

Inquiry Learning: Students' Perception of Light Wave Phenomena in an Informal Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ford, Ken

2011-01-01

This study involved identifying students' perception of light phenomena and determined if they learned the scientific concepts of light that were presented to them by an interactive science exhibit. The participants in this study made scientific inquiry about light by using a powerful white light source, a prism, converging lenses, diverging…

Students' Evaluation of the Credibility of Scientific Models that Represent Natural Entities and Phenomena

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Balushi, Sulaiman M.

2011-01-01

The purpose of the current study was to explore learners' evaluation of the credibility of scientific models that represent natural entities and phenomena. Participants were 845 students in grades 9-11 (aged 15-17 years) and 108 prospective science teachers in Oman, totaling 953 students. A survey called Epistemologies about the Credibility of…

magHD: a new approach to multi-dimensional data storage, analysis, display and exploitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Angleraud, Christophe

2014-06-01

The ever increasing amount of data and processing capabilities - following the well- known Moore's law - is challenging the way scientists and engineers are currently exploiting large datasets. The scientific visualization tools, although quite powerful, are often too generic and provide abstract views of phenomena, thus preventing cross disciplines fertilization. On the other end, Geographic information Systems allow nice and visually appealing maps to be built but they often get very confused as more layers are added. Moreover, the introduction of time as a fourth analysis dimension to allow analysis of time dependent phenomena such as meteorological or climate models, is encouraging real-time data exploration techniques that allow spatial-temporal points of interests to be detected by integration of moving images by the human brain. Magellium is involved in high performance image processing chains for satellite image processing as well as scientific signal analysis and geographic information management since its creation (2003). We believe that recent work on big data, GPU and peer-to-peer collaborative processing can open a new breakthrough in data analysis and display that will serve many new applications in collaborative scientific computing, environment mapping and understanding. The magHD (for Magellium Hyper-Dimension) project aims at developing software solutions that will bring highly interactive tools for complex datasets analysis and exploration commodity hardware, targeting small to medium scale clusters with expansion capabilities to large cloud based clusters.

Rigged or rigorous? Partnerships for research and evaluation of complex social problems: Lessons from the field of violence against women and girls.

PubMed

Zimmerman, Cathy; Michau, Lori; Hossain, Mazeda; Kiss, Ligia; Borland, Rosilyne; Watts, Charlotte

2016-09-01

There is growing demand for robust evidence to address complex social phenomena such as violence against women and girls (VAWG). Research partnerships between scientists and non-governmental or international organizations (NGO/IO) are increasingly popular, but can pose challenges, including concerns about potential conflicts of interest. Drawing on our experience collaborating on VAWG research, we describe challenges and contributions that NGO/IO and academic partners can make at different stages of the research process and the effects that collaborations can have on scientific inquiry. Partners may struggle with differing priorities and misunderstandings about roles, limitations, and intentions. Benefits of partnerships include a shared vision of study goals, differing and complementary expertise, mutual respect, and a history of constructive collaboration. Our experience suggests that when investigating multi-faceted social problems, instead of 'rigging' study results, research collaborations can strengthen scientific rigor and offer the greatest potential for impact in the communities we seek to serve.

Visions of visualization aids - Design philosophy and observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ellis, Stephen R.

1989-01-01

Aids for the visualization of high-dimensional scientific or other data must be designed. Simply casting multidimensional data into a two-dimensional or three-dimensional spatial metaphor does not guarantee that the presentation will provide insight or a parsimonious description of phenomena implicit in the data. Useful visualization, in contrast to glitzy, high-tech, computer-graphics imagery, is generally based on preexisting theoretical beliefs concerning the underlying phenomena. These beliefs guide selection and formatting of the plotted variables. Visualization tools are useful for understanding naturally three-dimensional data bases such as those used by pilots or astronauts. Two examples of such aids for spatial maneuvering illustrate that informative geometric distortion may be introduced to assist visualization and that visualization of complex dynamics alone may not be adequate to provide the necessary insight into the underlying processes.

Can modular psychological concepts like affect and emotion be assigned to a distinct subset of regional neural circuits?. Comment on "The quartet theory of human emotions: An integrative and neurofunctional model" by S. Koelsch et al.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fehr, Thorsten; Herrmann, Manfred

2015-06-01

The proposed Quartet Theory of Human Emotions by Koelsch and co-workers [11] adumbrates evidence from various scientific sources to integrate and assign the psychological concepts of 'affect' and 'emotion' to four brain circuits or to four neuronal core systems for affect-processing in the brain. The authors differentiate between affect and emotion and assign several facultative, or to say modular, psychological domains and principles of information processing, such as learning and memory, antecedents of affective activity, emotion satiation, cognitive complexity, subjective quality feelings, degree of conscious appraisal, to different affect systems. Furthermore, they relate orbito-frontal brain structures to moral affects as uniquely human, and the hippocampus to attachment-related affects. An additional feature of the theory describes 'emotional effector-systems' for motor-related processes (e.g., emotion-related actions), physiological arousal, attention and memory that are assumed to be cross-linked with the four proposed affect systems. Thus, higher principles of emotional information processing, but also modular affect-related issues, such as moral and attachment related affects, are thought to be handled by these four different physiological sub-systems that are on the other side assumed to be highly interwoven at both physiological and functional levels. The authors also state that the proposed sub-systems have many features in common, such as the selection and modulation of biological processes related to behaviour, perception, attention and memory. The latter aspect challenges an ongoing discussion about the mind-body problem: To which degree do the proposed sub-systems 'sufficiently' cover the processing of complex modular or facultative emotional/affective and/or cognitive phenomena? There are current models and scientific positions that almost completely reject the idea that modular psychological phenomena are handled by a distinct selection of regional brain systems or neural modules, but rather suggest highly complex and cross-linked neural networks individually shaped by livelong learning and experience [e.g., 6,7,10,13]. This holds in particular true for complex emotional phenomena such as aggression or empathy in social interaction [8,13]. It thus remains questionable, whether - beyond primary sensory and motor-processing - a small number of modular sub-systems sufficiently cover the organisation of specific phenomenological and social features of perception and behaviour [7,10].

Generative mechanistic explanation building in undergraduate molecular and cellular biology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Southard, Katelyn M.; Espindola, Melissa R.; Zaepfel, Samantha D.; Bolger, Molly S.

2017-09-01

When conducting scientific research, experts in molecular and cellular biology (MCB) use specific reasoning strategies to construct mechanistic explanations for the underlying causal features of molecular phenomena. We explored how undergraduate students applied this scientific practice in MCB. Drawing from studies of explanation building among scientists, we created and applied a theoretical framework to explore the strategies students use to construct explanations for 'novel' biological phenomena. Specifically, we explored how students navigated the multi-level nature of complex biological systems using generative mechanistic reasoning. Interviews were conducted with introductory and upper-division biology students at a large public university in the United States. Results of qualitative coding revealed key features of students' explanation building. Students used modular thinking to consider the functional subdivisions of the system, which they 'filled in' to varying degrees with mechanistic elements. They also hypothesised the involvement of mechanistic entities and instantiated abstract schema to adapt their explanations to unfamiliar biological contexts. Finally, we explored the flexible thinking that students used to hypothesise the impact of mutations on multi-leveled biological systems. Results revealed a number of ways that students drew mechanistic connections between molecules, functional modules (sets of molecules with an emergent function), cells, tissues, organisms and populations.

Framing of scientific knowledge as a new category of health care research.

PubMed

Salvador-Carulla, Luis; Fernandez, Ana; Madden, Rosamond; Lukersmith, Sue; Colagiuri, Ruth; Torkfar, Ghazal; Sturmberg, Joachim

2014-12-01

The new area of health system research requires a revision of the taxonomy of scientific knowledge that may facilitate a better understanding and representation of complex health phenomena in research discovery, corroboration and implementation. A position paper by an expert group following and iterative approach. 'Scientific evidence' should be differentiated from 'elicited knowledge' of experts and users, and this latter typology should be described beyond the traditional qualitative framework. Within this context 'framing of scientific knowledge' (FSK) is defined as a group of studies of prior expert knowledge specifically aimed at generating formal scientific frames. To be distinguished from other unstructured frames, FSK must be explicit, standardized, based on the available evidence, agreed by a group of experts and subdued to the principles of commensurability, transparency for corroboration and transferability that characterize scientific research. A preliminary typology of scientific framing studies is presented. This typology includes, among others, health declarations, position papers, expert-based clinical guides, conceptual maps, classifications, expert-driven health atlases and expert-driven studies of costs and burden of illness. This grouping of expert-based studies constitutes a different kind of scientific knowledge and should be clearly differentiated from 'evidence' gathered from experimental and observational studies in health system research. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Validation techniques of agent based modelling for geospatial simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darvishi, M.; Ahmadi, G.

2014-10-01

One of the most interesting aspects of modelling and simulation study is to describe the real world phenomena that have specific properties; especially those that are in large scales and have dynamic and complex behaviours. Studying these phenomena in the laboratory is costly and in most cases it is impossible. Therefore, Miniaturization of world phenomena in the framework of a model in order to simulate the real phenomena is a reasonable and scientific approach to understand the world. Agent-based modelling and simulation (ABMS) is a new modelling method comprising of multiple interacting agent. They have been used in the different areas; for instance, geographic information system (GIS), biology, economics, social science and computer science. The emergence of ABM toolkits in GIS software libraries (e.g. ESRI's ArcGIS, OpenMap, GeoTools, etc) for geospatial modelling is an indication of the growing interest of users to use of special capabilities of ABMS. Since ABMS is inherently similar to human cognition, therefore it could be built easily and applicable to wide range applications than a traditional simulation. But a key challenge about ABMS is difficulty in their validation and verification. Because of frequent emergence patterns, strong dynamics in the system and the complex nature of ABMS, it is hard to validate and verify ABMS by conventional validation methods. Therefore, attempt to find appropriate validation techniques for ABM seems to be necessary. In this paper, after reviewing on Principles and Concepts of ABM for and its applications, the validation techniques and challenges of ABM validation are discussed.

Social, Biological and Physical Meta-Mechanisms a tale of Tails

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

West, Bruce J.

The tale concerns the uncertainty of knowledge in the natural, social and life sciences and the tails are associated with the statistical distributions and correlation functions describing these scientific uncertainties. The tails in many phenomena are mentioned, including the long-range correlations in DNA sequences, the longtime memory in human gait and heart beats, the patterns over time in the births of babies to teenagers, as well as in the sexual pairings of homosexual men, and the volatility in financial markets among many other exemplars. I shall argue that these phenomena are so complex that no one is able to understand them completely. However, insights and partial knowledge about such complex mechanistic understanding of the phenomena being studied. These strategies include the development of models, using the fractal stochastic processes, chaotic dynamical systems, and the fractional calculus; all of which are tied together, using the concept of scaling, and therein hangs the tale. The perspective adopted in this lecture is not the dogmatic presentation often found in text books, in large part because there is no "right answer" to the questions being posed. Rather than answers, there are clues, indications, suggestions and tracks in the snow, as there always are at the frontiers of science. Is is my perspective of this frontier that I will be presenting and which is laid out in detail in Physiology, Promiscuity and Prophecy at the Millennium: A Tale of Tails25.

Luminous Phenomena - A Scientific Investigation of Anomalous Luminous Atmospheric Phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teodorani, M.

2003-12-01

Anomalous atmospheric luminous phenomena reoccur in several locations of Earth, in the form of multi-color light balls characterized by large dimensions, erratic motion, long duration and a correlated electromagnetic field. The author (an astrophysicist) of this book, which is organized as a selection of some of his technical and popularizing papers and seminars, describes and discusses all the efforts that have been done in 10 years, through several missions and a massive data analysis, in order to obtain some scientific explanation of this kind of anomalies, in particular the Hessdalen anomaly in Norway. The following topics are treated in the book: a) geographic archive of the areas of Earth where such phenomena are known to reoccur most often; b) observational techniques of astrophysical kind that have been used to acquire the data; c) main scientific results obtained so far; d) physical interpretation and natural hypothesis vs. ETV hypothesis; e) historical and chronological issues; f) the importance to brindle new energy sources; g) the importance to keep distance from any kind of "ufology". An unpublished chapter is entirely devoted to a detailed scientific investigation project of light phenomena reoccurring on the Ontario lake; the chosen new-generation multi-wavelength sensing instrumentation that is planned to be used in future missions in that specific area, is described together with scientific rationale and planned procedures. The main results, which were obtained in other areas of the world, such as the Arizona desert, USA and the Sibillini Mountains, Italy, are also briefly mentioned. One chapter is entirely dedicated to the presentation of extensive abstracts of technical papers by the author concerning this specific subject. The book is accompanied with a rich source of bibliographic references.

Toward a scientifically rigorous basis for developing mapped ecological regions.

USGS Publications Warehouse

McMahon, G.; Wiken, E.B.; Gauthier, D.A.

2004-01-01

Despite the wide use of ecological regions in conservation and resource-management evaluations and assessments, a commonly accepted theoretical basis for ecological regionalization does not exist. This fact, along with the paucity of focus on ecological regionalization by professional associations, journals, and faculties, has inhibited the advancement of a broadly acceptable scientific basis for the development, use, and verification of ecological regions. The central contention of this article is that ecological regions should improve our understanding of geographic and ecological phenomena associated with biotic and abiotic processes occurring in individual regions and also of processes characteristic of interactions and dependencies among multiple regions. Research associated with any ecoregional framework should facilitate development of hypotheses about ecological phenomena and dominant landscape elements associated with these phenomena, how these phenomena are structured in space, and how they function in a hierarchy. Success in addressing the research recommendations outlined in this article cannot occur within an ad hoc, largely uncoordinated research environment. Successful implementation of this plan will require activities--coordination, funding, and education--that are both scientific and administrative in nature. Perhaps the most important element of an infrastructure to support the scientific work of ecoregionalization would be a national or international authority similar to the Water and Science Technology Board of the National Academy of Sciences.

Toward a Scientifically Rigorous Basis for Developing Mapped Ecological Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McMahon, Gerard; Wiken, Ed B.; Gauthier, David A.

2004-04-01

Despite the wide use of ecological regions in conservation and resource-management evaluations and assessments, a commonly accepted theoretical basis for ecological regionalization does not exist. This fact, along with the paucity of focus on ecological regionalization by professional associations, journals, and faculties, has inhibited the advancement of a broadly acceptable scientific basis for the development, use, and verification of ecological regions. The central contention of this article is that ecological regions should improve our understanding of geographic and ecological phenomena associated with biotic and abiotic processes occurring in individual regions and also of processes characteristic of interactions and dependencies among multiple regions. Research associated with any ecoregional framework should facilitate development of hypotheses about ecological phenomena and dominant landscape elements associated with these phenomena, how these phenomena are structured in space, and how they function in a hierarchy. Success in addressing the research recommendations outlined in this article cannot occur within an ad hoc, largely uncoordinated research environment. Successful implementation of this plan will require activities—coordination, funding, and education—that are both scientific and administrative in nature. Perhaps the most important element of an infrastructure to support the scientific work of ecoregionalization would be a national or international authority similar to the Water and Science Technology Board of the National Academy of Sciences.

Microgravity Program strategic plan, 1991

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The all encompassing objective of the NASA Microgravity Program is the use of space as a lab to conduct research and development. The on-orbit microgravity environment, with its substantially reduced buoyancy forces, hydrostatic pressures, and sedimentation, enables the conduction of scientific studies not possible on Earth. This environment allows processes to be isolated and controlled with an accuracy that cannot be obtained in the terrestrial environment. The Microgravity Science and Applications Div. has defined three major science categories in order to develop a program structure: fundamental science, including the study of the behavior of fluids, transport phenomena, condensed matter physics, and combustion science; materials science, including electronic and photonic materials, metals and alloys, and glasses and ceramics; and biotechnology, focusing on macromolecular crystal growth as well as cell and molecular science. Experiments in these areas seek to provide observations of complex phenomena and measurements of physical attributes with a precision that is enabled by the microgravity environment.

Mathematics, structuralism and biology.

PubMed

Saunders, P T

1988-01-01

A new approach is gaining ground in biology, one that has much in common with the structuralist tradition in other fields. It is very much in the spirit of an earlier view of biology and indeed of science in general. It is also, though this is not generally recognized, in the spirit of twentieth century physics. As in modern physics, however, it is not a question of ignoring all the progress that has been made within the former paradigm. On the contrary, the aim is to use it as a basis for setting out in a somewhat different direction. Complex phenomena do not generally lend themselves to reductionist analyses which seek explanation only in terms of detailed mechanisms, but a proper scientific discussion of structure must make full use of what we have already learned - by whatever means - about the processes that underly the phenomena we are trying to understand.

Physics of Cell Adhesion Failure and Human Diseases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Family, Fereydoon

Emergent phenomena in living systems, including your ability to read these lines, do not obviously follow as a consequence of the fundamental laws of physics. Understanding the physics of living systems clearly falls outside the conventional boundaries of scientific disciplines and requires a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach. Here I will discuss how theoretical and computational techniques from statistical physics can be used to make progress in explaining the physical mechanisms that underlie complex biological phenomena, including major diseases. In the specific cases of macular degeneration and cancer that we have studied recently, we find that the breakdown of the mechanical stability in the local tissue structure caused by weakening of the cell-cell adhesion plays a key role in the initiation and progression of the disease. This finding can help in the development of new therapies that would prevent or halt the initiation and progression of these diseases.

Interdisciplinary matrix in economics: two applications to the transition from socialism to capitalism.

PubMed

Jakimowicz, Aleksander

2009-10-01

The 7-fold interdisciplinary matrix is introduced. This integrated methodological point of view is original, although it is based on ideas of others in various ways. The name for this new approach draws on the Kuhnian notion of a disciplinary matrix. There are four components of the Kuhnian matrix on which the existence of scientific communities hinges: symbolic generalizations, models, values, and exemplars. In this context the term "paradigm" should refer to exemplars. The interdisciplinary matrix is composed of seven elements: cybernetics, catastrophe theory, fractal geometry, deterministic chaos, artificial intelligence, theory of complexity, and humanistic values. Scientific developments have recently brought substantial changes in the structure of scientific communities. Transferability of ideas and thoughts contributed to the creation of scientific communities, which unite representatives of various professions. When researching into certain phenomena we no longer need to develop theories for them from scratch, as we can draw on the achievements in other disciplines. Two examples of the employment of the interdisciplinary matrix in macroeconomics are elaborated here: the investment cycle model in socialist economy, and the model of economic transformation based on chaotic hysteresis.

Prescriptive scientific narratives for communicating usable science.

PubMed

Downs, Julie S

2014-09-16

In this paper I describe how a narrative approach to science communication may help audiences to more fully understand how science is relevant to their own lives and behaviors. The use of prescriptive scientific narrative can help to overcome challenges specific to scientific concepts, especially the need to reconsider long-held beliefs in the face of new empirical findings. Narrative can captivate the audience, driving anticipation for plot resolution, thus becoming a self-motivating vehicle for information delivery. This quality gives narrative considerable power to explain complex phenomena and causal processes, and to create and reinforce memory traces for better recall and application over time. Because of the inherent properties of narrative communication, their creators have a special responsibility to ensure even-handedness in selection and presentation of the scientific evidence. The recent transformation in communication and information technology has brought about new platforms for delivering content, particularly through interactivity, which can use structured self-tailoring to help individuals most efficiently get exactly the content that they need. As with all educational efforts, prescriptive scientific narratives must be evaluated systematically to determine whether they have the desired effects in improving understanding and changing behavior.

Prescriptive scientific narratives for communicating usable science

PubMed Central

Downs, Julie S.

2014-01-01

In this paper I describe how a narrative approach to science communication may help audiences to more fully understand how science is relevant to their own lives and behaviors. The use of prescriptive scientific narrative can help to overcome challenges specific to scientific concepts, especially the need to reconsider long-held beliefs in the face of new empirical findings. Narrative can captivate the audience, driving anticipation for plot resolution, thus becoming a self-motivating vehicle for information delivery. This quality gives narrative considerable power to explain complex phenomena and causal processes, and to create and reinforce memory traces for better recall and application over time. Because of the inherent properties of narrative communication, their creators have a special responsibility to ensure even-handedness in selection and presentation of the scientific evidence. The recent transformation in communication and information technology has brought about new platforms for delivering content, particularly through interactivity, which can use structured self-tailoring to help individuals most efficiently get exactly the content that they need. As with all educational efforts, prescriptive scientific narratives must be evaluated systematically to determine whether they have the desired effects in improving understanding and changing behavior. PMID:25225369

A Guide to Nuclear Weapons Phenomena and Effects Literature

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-10-31

and Disarmament Agency. An article entitled "Limited Nuclear War" in Scientific American (Reference ECE-14) is also of interest because of its rela... Sistems and the Aemosphere’-BCj=9. 43 Personne l; .-EP)- / 47 Civilian .S’ector and the .Environment, (ECE) 50 5 SPECIAL REFERENCE MATERIALS (R) ’<ൾ...approximations. DNA has sponsored the development of software for scientific and military applications of nuclear weapon phenomena and effects information

Guiding students towards sensemaking: teacher questions focused on integrating scientific practices with science content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benedict-Chambers, Amanda; Kademian, Sylvie M.; Davis, Elizabeth A.; Palincsar, Annemarie Sullivan

2017-10-01

Science education reforms articulate a vision of ambitious science teaching where teachers engage students in sensemaking discussions and emphasise the integration of scientific practices with science content. Learning to teach in this way is complex, and there are few examples of sensemaking discussions in schools where textbook lessons and teacher-directed discussions are the norm. The purpose of this study was to characterise the questioning practices of an experienced teacher who taught a curricular unit enhanced with educative features that emphasised students' engagement in scientific practices integrated with science content. Analyses indicated the teacher asked four types of questions: explication questions, explanation questions, science concept questions, and scientific practice questions, and she used three questioning patterns including: (1) focusing students on scientific practices, which involved a sequence of questions to turn students back to the scientific practice; (2) supporting students in naming observed phenomena, which involved a sequence of questions to help students use scientific language; and (3) guiding students in sensemaking, which involved a sequence of questions to help students learn about scientific practices, describe evidence, and develop explanations. Although many of the discussions in this study were not yet student-centred, they provide an image of a teacher asking specific questions that move students towards reform-oriented instruction. Implications for classroom practice are discussed and recommendations for future research are provided.

The Utility of Person-Specific Analyses for Investigating Developmental Processes: An Analytic Primer on Studying the Individual

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gayles, Jochebed G.; Molenaar, Peter C. M.

2013-01-01

The fields of psychology and human development are experiencing a resurgence of scientific inquiries about phenomena that unfold at the level of the individual. This article addresses the issues of analyzing intraindividual psychological/developmental phenomena using standard analytical techniques for interindividual variation. When phenomena are…

Ideas for a Teaching Sequence for the Concept of Energy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duit, Reinders; Neumann, Knut

2014-01-01

The energy concept is one of the most important ideas for students to understand. Looking at phenomena through the lens of energy provides powerful tools to model, analyse and predict phenomena in the scientific disciplines. The cross-disciplinary nature of the energy concept enables students to look at phenomena from different angles, helping…

Thermal Imaging in the Science Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Short, Daniel B.

2012-01-01

Thermal cameras are useful tools for use in scientific investigation and for teaching scientific concepts to students in the classroom. Demonstrations of scientific phenomena can be greatly enhanced visually by the use of this cutting-edge technology. (Contains 7 figures.)

The relation between air pollution data and planetary boundary layer quantities in a complex coastal industrial site nearby populated areas.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mammarella, M. C.; Grandoni, G.; Fernando, J.; Cacciani, M.; di Sabatino, S.; Favaron, M.; Fedele, P.

2010-09-01

The connection among boundary layer phenomena, atmospheric pollutant dynamics and human health is an established fact, taking many different forms depending on local characteristics, including slope and position of relief and/or coastline, surface roughness, emission patterns. The problem is especially interesting in complex and coastal terrain, where concurrence of slope and sea induced local circulation interact reciprocally, yielding a complex pattern whose interpretation may go beyond pure modeling, and devise specific measurements among which the planetary boundary layer (PBL) height. An occasion for studying this important theme has been offered by Regione Molise and Valle del Biferno Consortium (COSIB), for the specific case of the industrial complex of Valle del Biferno, 3 km inland of Termoli, in Central Italy, on the Adriatic coast. The local government, sensitive to air quality and public health in the industrial area, together with COSIB has co-financed a research project aimed at gaining knowledge about local meteorology, PBL phenomena and atmospheric pollutant dispersion in the area. Expected results include new air quality monitoring and control methodologies in Valle del Biferno for a sustainable development in an environmentally respectful manner, at a site already characterized by a high environmental and landscape value. The research project, developed by ENEA, has began in 2007 and will conclude in December 2010. Project activities involve research group from Europe, the United States of America, and the Russian Federation. Scientific and practical results will be published and presented in occasion of the final workshop to be held on project conclusion. The scientific interest of Valle del Biferno case stems from the specific local characteristics at site. Given the valley orientation respect to mean synoptic circulation, local effects as sea and slope breezes are dominant, and a complex wind regime develops affecting local transport and diffusion of pollutants emitted in the area of the industrial complex. All effects studied, although influenced by local conditions, characterize not only this industrial area but all areas located along the coastline. This location is highly frequent in Italy and the World, as most industrial complexes in the World occur at coastal sites, where access to harbors and transport networks are facilitated. The Valle del Biferno case may then yield important data to many industrial sites.

Validity Evidence for a Learning Progression of Scientific Explanation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yao, Jian-Xin; Guo, Yu-Ying

2018-01-01

Providing scientific explanations for natural phenomena is a fundamental aim of science; therefore, scientific explanation has been selected as one of the key practices in science education policy documents around the world. To further elaborate on existing educational frameworks of scientific explanation in K-12, we propose a learning progression…

Evolution and Natural Selection: Learning by Playing and Reflecting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herrero, David; del Castillo, Héctor; Monjelat, Natalia; García-Varela, Ana Belén; Checa, Mirian; Gómez, Patricia

2014-01-01

Scientific literacy is more than the simple reproduction of traditional school science knowledge and requires a set of skills, among them identifying scientific issues, explaining phenomena scientifically and using scientific evidence. Several studies have indicated that playing computer games in the classroom can support the development of…

Bibliometric Evidence for a Hierarchy of the Sciences.

PubMed

Fanelli, Daniele; Glänzel, Wolfgang

2013-01-01

The hypothesis of a Hierarchy of the Sciences, first formulated in the 19(th) century, predicts that, moving from simple and general phenomena (e.g. particle dynamics) to complex and particular (e.g. human behaviour), researchers lose ability to reach theoretical and methodological consensus. This hypothesis places each field of research along a continuum of complexity and "softness", with profound implications for our understanding of scientific knowledge. Today, however, the idea is still unproven and philosophically overlooked, too often confused with simplistic dichotomies that contrast natural and social sciences, or science and the humanities. Empirical tests of the hypothesis have usually compared few fields and this, combined with other limitations, makes their results contradictory and inconclusive. We verified whether discipline characteristics reflect a hierarchy, a dichotomy or neither, by sampling nearly 29,000 papers published contemporaneously in 12 disciplines and measuring a set of parameters hypothesised to reflect theoretical and methodological consensus. The biological sciences had in most cases intermediate values between the physical and the social, with bio-molecular disciplines appearing harder than zoology, botany or ecology. In multivariable analyses, most of these parameters were independent predictors of the hierarchy, even when mathematics and the humanities were included. These results support a "gradualist" view of scientific knowledge, suggesting that the Hierarchy of the Sciences provides the best rational framework to understand disciplines' diversity. A deeper grasp of the relationship between subject matter's complexity and consensus could have profound implications for how we interpret, publish, popularize and administer scientific research.

Leveraging Understanding of Flow of Variable Complex Fluid to Design Better Absorbent Hygiene Products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krautkramer, C.; Rend, R. R.

2014-12-01

Menstrual flow, which is a result of shedding of uterus endometrium, occurs periodically in sync with a women's hormonal cycle. Management of this flow while allowing women to pursue their normal daily lives is the purpose of many commercial products. Some of these products, e.g. feminine hygiene pads and tampons, utilize porous materials in achieving their goal. In this paper we will demonstrate different phenomena that have been observed in flow of menstrual fluid through these porous materials, share some of the advances made in experimental and analytical study of these phenomena, and also present some of the unsolved challenges and difficulties encountered while studying this kind of flow. Menstrual fluid is generally composed of four main components: blood plasma, blood cells, cervical mucus, and tissue debris. This non-homogeneous, multiphase fluid displays very complex rheological behavior, e. g., yield stress, thixotropy, and visco-elasticity, that varies throughout and between menstrual cycles and among women due to various factors. Flow rates are also highly variable during menstruation and across the population and the rheological properties of the fluid change during the flow into and through the product. In addition to these phenomena, changes to the structure of the porous medium within the product can also be seen due to fouling and/or swelling of the material. This paper will, also, share how the fluid components impact the flow and the consequences for computer simulation, the creation of a simulant fluid and testing methods, and for designing products that best meet consumer needs. We hope to bring to light the challenges of managing this complex flow to meet a basic need of women all over the world. An opportunity exists to apply learnings from research in other disciplines to improve the scientific knowledge related to the flow of this complex fluid through the porous medium that is a sanitary product.

Spelling out the fear. Thoughts on science communication from a dangerous country

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Todesco, Micol

2015-04-01

The rapid growth of population and the increasing costs of natural disaster demand for an effective hazard mitigation. A key element for mitigation is a good and widespread understanding of the adverse natural phenomena. But science communication is a complex matter especially when dealing with natural hazards, where the heaviness of responsibility is further loaded with the uncertainty of phenomena. The society needs the scientific advise and science explores the natural processes, depict scenarios and provide probabilistic frameworks for the assessment of the associated hazard. Yet, the message can be easily misunderstood, the same words can have different meaning for different stakeholders. Denial is another problem: when our lives are at stake we rarely listen: the scientific advise can be disregarded, or received with disappointment. In the worst case, scientists can be charged with offence, as occurred in Italy where seismologist were accused of manslaughter in the aftermath of the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake. Scientists need to provide all the necessary information to let the people take informed decisions. This means we need to find effective ways to discuss unpleasant scenarios, and to address scary topics that often lack definite solutions, facing the risk that our very communication strategies may be used against ourselves. The outreach video on volcanic hazard presented here will offer the opportunity to draw some general considerations on where and why the scientific knowledge gets lost. Without easy solutions at hand, this talk will highlight some of the elements into play, in an attempt to understand the rule of a game and the role of science in the society.

Who Is Scientifically Literate, Anyway?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hinman, Richard L.

1998-01-01

Recently, the National Academy of Sciences promulgated national standards for science education and defined scientific literacy. Literates should be able to describe, explain, and predict natural phenomena; understand popular-press articles on science; and evaluate the quality of scientific information, based on source and method. A fictional…

A complex systems science perspective for whole systems of complementary and alternative medicine research.

PubMed

Koithan, Mary; Bell, Iris R; Niemeyer, Kathryn; Pincus, David

2012-01-01

Whole systems complementary and alternative medicine (WS-CAM) approaches share a basic worldview that embraces interconnectedness; emergent, non-linear outcomes to treatment that include both local and global changes in the human condition; a contextual view of human beings that are inseparable from and responsive to their environments; and interventions that are complex, synergistic, and interdependent. These fundamental beliefs and principles run counter to the assumptions of reductionism and conventional biomedical research methods that presuppose unidimensional simple causes and thus dismantle and individually test various interventions that comprise only single aspects of the WSCAM system. This paper will demonstrate the superior fit and practical advantages of using complex adaptive systems (CAS) and related modeling approaches to develop the scientific basis for WS-CAM. Furthermore, the details of these CAS models will be used to provide working hypotheses to explain clinical phenomena such as (a) persistence of changes for weeks to months between treatments and/or after cessation of treatment, (b) nonlocal and whole systems changes resulting from therapy, (c) Hering's law, and (d) healing crises. Finally, complex systems science will be used to offer an alternative perspective on cause, beyond the simple reductionism of mainstream mechanistic ontology and more parsimonious than the historical vitalism of WS-CAM. Rather, complex systems science provides a scientifically rigorous, yet essentially holistic ontological perspective with which to conceptualize and empirically explore the development of disease and illness experiences, as well as experiences of healing and wellness. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Deaf pupils' reasoning about scientific phenomena: school science as a framework for understanding or as fragments of factual knowledge.

PubMed

Molander, B O; Pedersen, S; Norell, K

2001-01-01

Many studies have been conducted on hearing pupils' understanding of science. Findings from these studies have been used as grounds for planning instruction in school science. This article reports findings from an interview study of how deaf pupils in compulsory school reason about phenomena in a science context. The results reveal that there is variation in the extent to which pupils use scientific principles for reasoning about science phenomena. For some pupils, school science seems to have little to offer as a framework for reasoning. The results also generate questions about the need in school instruction of deaf and hard-of-hearing pupils to consider the specific teaching and learning situations in a deaf environment.

Enabling technologies built on a sonochemical platform: challenges and opportunities.

PubMed

Cintas, Pedro; Tagliapietra, Silvia; Caporaso, Marina; Tabasso, Silvia; Cravotto, Giancarlo

2015-07-01

Scientific and technological progress now occurs at the interface between two or more scientific and technical disciplines while chemistry is intertwined with almost all scientific domains. Complementary and synergistic effects have been found in the overlay between sonochemistry and other enabling technologies such as mechanochemistry, microwave chemistry and flow-chemistry. Although their nature and effects are intrinsically different, these techniques share the ability to significantly activate most chemical processes and peculiar phenomena. These studies offer a comprehensive overview of sonochemistry, provide a better understanding of correlated phenomena (mechanochemical effects, hot spots, etc.), and pave the way for emerging applications which unite hybrid reactors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Novice Explanations of Hurricane Formation Offer Insights into Scientific Literacy and the Development of Expert-Like Conceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arthurs, Leilani A.; Van Den Broeke, Matthew S.

2016-01-01

The ability to explain scientific phenomena is a key feature of scientific literacy, and engaging students' prior knowledge, especially their alternate conceptions, is an effective strategy for enhancing scientific literacy and developing expertise. The gap in knowledge about the alternate conceptions that novices have about many of Earth's…

Scientific Research: How Many Paradigms?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strawn, George O.

2012-01-01

As Yogi Berra said, "Predictions are hard, especially about the future." In this article, the author offers a few forward-looking observations about the emerging impact of information technology on scientific research. Scientific research refers to a particular method for acquiring knowledge about natural phenomena. This method has two dimensions:…

Scientific Explanations in Greek Upper Secondary Physics Textbooks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Velentzas, Athanasios; Halkia, Krystallia

2018-01-01

In this study, an analysis of the structure of scientific explanations included in physics textbooks of upper secondary schools in Greece was completed. In scientific explanations for specific phenomena found in the sample textbooks, the "explanandum" is a logical consequence of the "explanans," which in all cases include at…

Teaching global and local environmental change through Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mauri, Emanuela Paola; Rossi, Giovanni

2013-04-01

Human beings perceive the world primarily through their sense of sight. This can explain why the use of images is so important and common in educational materials, in particular for scientific subjects. The development of modern technologies for visualizing the scientific features of the Earth has provided new opportunities for communicating the increasing complexity of science both to the public and in school education. In particular, the use of Earth observation satellites for civil purposes, which started in the 70s, has opened new perspectives in the study of natural phenomena and human impact on the environment; this is particularly relevant for those processes developing on a long term period and on a global scale. Instruments for Remote Sensing increase the power of human sight, giving access to additional information about the physical world, which the human eye could not otherwise perceive. The possibility to observe from a remote perspective significant processes like climate change, ozone depletion, desertification, urban development, makes it possible for observers to better appreciate and experience the complexity of environment. Remote Sensing reveals the impact of human activities on ecosystems: this allows students to understand important concepts like global and local change in much more depth. This poster describes the role and effectiveness of Remote Sensing imagery in scientific education, and its importance towards a better global environmental awareness.

CONCEPTUAL DESIGN REPORT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

ROBINSON,K.

2006-12-31

Brookhaven National Laboratory has prepared a conceptual design for a world class user facility for scientific research using synchrotron radiation. This facility, called the ''National Synchrotron Light Source II'' (NSLS-II), will provide ultra high brightness and flux and exceptional beam stability. It will also provide advanced insertion devices, optics, detectors, and robotics, and a suite of scientific instruments designed to maximize the scientific output of the facility. Together these will enable the study of material properties and functions with a spatial resolution of {approx}1 nm, an energy resolution of {approx}0.1 meV, and the ultra high sensitivity required to perform spectroscopymore » on a single atom. The overall objective of the NSLS-II project is to deliver a research facility to advance fundamental science and have the capability to characterize and understand physical properties at the nanoscale, the processes by which nanomaterials can be manipulated and assembled into more complex hierarchical structures, and the new phenomena resulting from such assemblages. It will also be a user facility made available to researchers engaged in a broad spectrum of disciplines from universities, industries, and other laboratories.« less

Supporting Students' Knowledge Integration with Technology-Enhanced Inquiry Curricula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiu, Jennifer Lopseen

2010-01-01

Dynamic visualizations of scientific phenomena have the potential to transform how students learn and understand science. Dynamic visualizations enable interaction and experimentation with unobservable atomic-level phenomena. A series of studies clarify the conditions under which embedding dynamic visualizations in technology-enhanced inquiry…

Automatic Beam Path Analysis of Laser Wakefield Particle Acceleration Data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rubel, Oliver; Geddes, Cameron G.R.; Cormier-Michel, Estelle

2009-10-19

Numerical simulations of laser wakefield particle accelerators play a key role in the understanding of the complex acceleration process and in the design of expensive experimental facilities. As the size and complexity of simulation output grows, an increasingly acute challenge is the practical need for computational techniques that aid in scientific knowledge discovery. To that end, we present a set of data-understanding algorithms that work in concert in a pipeline fashion to automatically locate and analyze high energy particle bunches undergoing acceleration in very large simulation datasets. These techniques work cooperatively by first identifying features of interest in individual timesteps,more » then integrating features across timesteps, and based on the information derived perform analysis of temporally dynamic features. This combination of techniques supports accurate detection of particle beams enabling a deeper level of scientific understanding of physical phenomena than hasbeen possible before. By combining efficient data analysis algorithms and state-of-the-art data management we enable high-performance analysis of extremely large particle datasets in 3D. We demonstrate the usefulness of our methods for a variety of 2D and 3D datasets and discuss the performance of our analysis pipeline.« less

A Simple Exercise Reveals the Way Students Think about Scientific Modeling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruebush, Laura; Sulikowski, Michelle; North, Simon

2009-01-01

Scientific modeling is an integral part of contemporary science, yet many students have little understanding of how models are developed, validated, and used to predict and explain phenomena. A simple modeling exercise led to significant gains in understanding key attributes of scientific modeling while revealing some stubborn misconceptions.…

Creating a Taken-as-Shared Understanding for Scientific Explanation: Classroom Norm Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saglam, Yilmaz; Karaaslan, Emre Harun; Ayas, Alipasa

2014-01-01

The study aimed to investigate whether classroom norm perspective influence the students' capability of elucidating a natural phenomena and beliefs about scientific explanation. In particular, our objective was to explore the process by which the norm for scientific explanation was established and discover how the students' explanation…

Logical Thinking Abilities among Form 4 Students in the Interior Division of Sabah, Malaysia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fah, Lay Yoon

2009-01-01

The science curriculum in Malaysia emphasizes the acquisition of scientific skills, thinking skills, and the inculcation of scientific attitudes and noble values. Besides that, the acquisition of scientific and technological knowledge and its application to the natural phenomena and students' daily experiences are also equally emphasized. The…

Scientists vs. Vesuvius: limits of volcanology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlino, Stefano; Somma, Renato

2014-05-01

Recently, Italian newspapers reported the statements of Japanese and American volcanologists which declared the high hazard related to the future occurrence of catastrophic eruption at Vesuvius. Is this a reliable picture from scientific point of view? The evaluation of volcanic hazard is based on a general statistical law for which the chances of an eruptive event increase when energy decreases. This law is constructed on the basis of empirical data. Thus, the possibility that a plinian-like eruption occurs, for each volcano, is rare and further reduced for worst-case scenario. However, empirical data are not supported by a robust scientific theory, experimentally verifiable through an exact forecast of a long-term eruption, both in time limits and in energy. Today, the lack of paradigms able to predict in a deterministic way such a complex phenomena, limit the field of the scientists that cannot go further evaluations of a purely probabilistic nature. From this point of view volcanology cannot be considered an hard quantitative Science. The declaration according to which Vesuvius, sooner or later, will produce a catastrophic eruption, yet apparently obvious if we consider the very high degree of urbanization, is not supported by any experimentally verifiable theory. Therefore, the statement according to which Vesuvius next eruptive event will be catastrophic is false. In probabilistic terms, it is actually the least possible scenario. Recognizing the cognitive limits in this research field means to encourage research itself towards the determination of more solid paradigms, in order to get more exact forecasts about such complex phenomena. The scientific compromise of defining risk scenarios, rather than deterministic evaluations about future eruptive events, precisely reflects the limits of research that have to be contemplated even by Civil Protection. Having considered these limits, every risk scenario, even the most conservative, will be ineffective in absence of an adequate political program about the reduction of the exposed value of the area and the systemic risk. In such a context, the Vesuvius area, the recent enlargement of the red zone could not represent an effective method of defence from natural disasters.

Preface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mallamace, Francesco; Quintana, Jacqueline

2002-03-01

Complex systems represent one of the richest and more fascinating fields of current scientific research. The reason behind this is the important role that the properties of complex systems and materials play in a variety of different but overlapping areas in physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and social sciences, like medicine and economy. Such unusually broad research field is, therefore, of primary interest nowadays in pure science and technology. The role of statistical physics in this new field of complex systems has been present since its onset and it has been accelerating recently. Methods developed for studying ordering phenomena in simple systems have been generalized for application to more complex forms of matter (polymers, biological macromolecules, glasses, etc) and complex processes (e.g. chaos, turbulence, economy, jamming, biological processes). In particular, many different phenomena (considered in the past to belong to separate research fields) have now a common description. Pillars of such a description are the concepts of scaling and universality. The International Conference on `Scaling Concepts and Complex Systems' (a satellite meeting of STATPHYS21) was devoted to give an overview on recent developments around these two concepts. The Conference took place in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, in July 9-14 2001. The meeting was held in the Gordon Conference style and was attended by about 100 scientists, it covered a large variety of theoretical and experimental research topics of current interest in complex systems and materials. The meeting consisted of a total number of about 40 invited and contributed talks and a poster session. The topics covered included: scaling behaviour, supra-molecular systems, aggregation, aggregation kinetics, growth mechanisms, disordered systems, soft condensed matter (polymers, biological polymers, bio-colloids, gels, colloids, membranes and interfacial phenomena), granular matter, phase separation and out-of-equilibrium dynamics, non-linear dynamics, chaos, turbulence and chaotic dynamics. The present issue contains a substantial number of the invited and contributed talks presented at the meeting. We made an effort to arrange these papers with an order similar to that of presentation during the meeting. It is our pleasure to thank the scientific committee, all the speakers, the session chairs and all participants who contributed to the success of the conference. We are grateful to the Bonino-Pulejo Foundation (Messina-Italy), and to the President On. Nino Calarco, for the Patronage and the enthusiastic support. Our thanks goes also for the Messina University, the INFM (Istituto Nazionale per la Fisica della Materia, Italy), the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT, Mexico) and the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM). The Conference was sponsored by the INFM-Sec.C, CONACyT, UNAM, the Bonino-Pulejo Foundation which contributed financial support to participants and to the publication of the present issue. We are grateful to them for the support. Last, but not the least, we express our warmest gratitude to all the members of the local organizing committee for their assistance and for the work spent in organizing this meeting and especially to Professor~Alberto Robledo for his valuable advice.

Using spatial principles to optimize distributed computing for enabling the physical science discoveries

PubMed Central

Yang, Chaowei; Wu, Huayi; Huang, Qunying; Li, Zhenlong; Li, Jing

2011-01-01

Contemporary physical science studies rely on the effective analyses of geographically dispersed spatial data and simulations of physical phenomena. Single computers and generic high-end computing are not sufficient to process the data for complex physical science analysis and simulations, which can be successfully supported only through distributed computing, best optimized through the application of spatial principles. Spatial computing, the computing aspect of a spatial cyberinfrastructure, refers to a computing paradigm that utilizes spatial principles to optimize distributed computers to catalyze advancements in the physical sciences. Spatial principles govern the interactions between scientific parameters across space and time by providing the spatial connections and constraints to drive the progression of the phenomena. Therefore, spatial computing studies could better position us to leverage spatial principles in simulating physical phenomena and, by extension, advance the physical sciences. Using geospatial science as an example, this paper illustrates through three research examples how spatial computing could (i) enable data intensive science with efficient data/services search, access, and utilization, (ii) facilitate physical science studies with enabling high-performance computing capabilities, and (iii) empower scientists with multidimensional visualization tools to understand observations and simulations. The research examples demonstrate that spatial computing is of critical importance to design computing methods to catalyze physical science studies with better data access, phenomena simulation, and analytical visualization. We envision that spatial computing will become a core technology that drives fundamental physical science advancements in the 21st century. PMID:21444779

Using spatial principles to optimize distributed computing for enabling the physical science discoveries.

PubMed

Yang, Chaowei; Wu, Huayi; Huang, Qunying; Li, Zhenlong; Li, Jing

2011-04-05

Contemporary physical science studies rely on the effective analyses of geographically dispersed spatial data and simulations of physical phenomena. Single computers and generic high-end computing are not sufficient to process the data for complex physical science analysis and simulations, which can be successfully supported only through distributed computing, best optimized through the application of spatial principles. Spatial computing, the computing aspect of a spatial cyberinfrastructure, refers to a computing paradigm that utilizes spatial principles to optimize distributed computers to catalyze advancements in the physical sciences. Spatial principles govern the interactions between scientific parameters across space and time by providing the spatial connections and constraints to drive the progression of the phenomena. Therefore, spatial computing studies could better position us to leverage spatial principles in simulating physical phenomena and, by extension, advance the physical sciences. Using geospatial science as an example, this paper illustrates through three research examples how spatial computing could (i) enable data intensive science with efficient data/services search, access, and utilization, (ii) facilitate physical science studies with enabling high-performance computing capabilities, and (iii) empower scientists with multidimensional visualization tools to understand observations and simulations. The research examples demonstrate that spatial computing is of critical importance to design computing methods to catalyze physical science studies with better data access, phenomena simulation, and analytical visualization. We envision that spatial computing will become a core technology that drives fundamental physical science advancements in the 21st century.

[Occultism, parapsychology and the esoteric from the perspective of psychopathology].

PubMed

Scharfetter, C

1998-10-01

The concepts and main themes of occultism, parapsychology and esoterics are set in comparison to religion, spirituality, mysticism. The cultural relativity of these concepts is emphasised. Occultism means dealing with phenomena, processes, and/or powers which are not accessible to "normal perception". The manipulation of such powers is effected via (white, black, grey) magic. Parapsychology, in its popular sense, deals with occult phenomena, whereas scientific parapsychology investigates them empirically. Esoterics is a complex of beliefs within a hermetic tradition about occult processes and about desting after death. Transpersonal psychology deals with these issues while calling them "spiritual". Effects of paranormal experiences and actions on the side of the actor as well as the adept are discussed: personality types, interpersonal effects, crises and psychoses (mediumistic psychoses). The concept of dissociation of subpersonalities (subselves) appears to be a viable perspective to explain these phenomena. In mediumistic psychoses, the splitting of non-ego parts of the psyche leads to a manifestation of schizophrenic symptoms. Dangers for mental health are an ego inflation by self-attribution of "superhuman" power. A personality disposition for parapsychological perception and/or action may be seen in schizotypia and similar near-psychotic "personalities up the border". Adepts of occultism may present with a "false self" in the sense of Winnicott.

Text Savvy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guilford, Jacquelyn; Bustamante, Annette; Mackura, Kelly; Hirsch, Susan; Lyon, Edward; Estrada, Kelly

2017-01-01

Learning science is language intensive. Students might have to interpret the meaning of models, support claims with evidence, communicate arguments, and discuss phenomena and scientific principles. For English Language Learners (ELLs), engaging in scientific and engineering practices includes additional challenges. This article describes a series…

Learning by Self-Explaining Causal Diagrams in High-School Biology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cho, Young Hoan; Jonassen, David H.

2012-01-01

Understanding scientific phenomena requires comprehension and application of the underlying causal relationships that describe those phenomena (Carey 2002). The current study examined the roles of self-explanation and meta-level feedback for understanding causal relationships described in a causal diagram. In this study, 63 Korean high-school…

Probing Year 11 Physics Students' Understandings of Gravitation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Simon; Dawson, Vaille

2015-01-01

Science education involves students learning explanations of natural phenomena which are neither obvious nor intuitive. Generally, they have been arrived at and refined by years of dedicated inquiry on the part of large scientific communities. At the same time, these phenomena often concern the objects of everyday experience regarding which…

Seeing the Unseen

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Kenneth; Tevaarwerk, Emma; Unterman, Nathan; Grdinic, Marcel; Campbell, Jason; Chandrasekhar, Venkat; Chang, R. P. H.

2006-01-01

Nanoscience refers to the fundamental study of scientific phenomena, which occur at the nanoscale--nanotechnology to the exploitation of novel properties and functions of materials in the sub-100 nm size range. One of the underlying principles of science is development of models of observed phenomena. In biology, the Hardy-Weinberg principle is a…

Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) and Frisson: Mindfully Induced Sensory Phenomena That Promote Happiness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

del Campo, Marisa A.; Kehle, Thomas J.

2016-01-01

There are many important phenomena involved in human functioning that are unnoticed, misunderstood, not applied, or do not pique the interest of the scientific community. Among these, "autonomous sensory meridian response" ("ASMR") and "frisson" are two very noteworthy instances that may prove to be therapeutically…

[A nosology for supernatural phenomena and the construction of the 'possessed' brain in the nineteenth century].

PubMed

Goncalves, Valeria Portugal; Ortega, Francisco

2013-06-01

At the end of the twentieth century, supernatural phenomena such as so called trances and possession by spirits received a scientific classification, which includes the numerous diagnoses of the dominant psychiatry. At the end of the nineteenth century we can observe a process of scientific categorization of phenomena considered to have originated in superstition or popular imagination. In this work we show how trances and spiritual possession were studied by Franz Anton Mesmer and his followers when developing the concept of magnetism; by James Braid during the creation of his theory of hypnosis; and by Jean Martin Charcot, which marked the entry of hysteria into nosological classification. Despite the differences between these schools, we identify the use of the brain and cerebral metaphors as the foundation of theories of the mind.

Foundations of “new” social science: Institutional legitimacy from philosophy, complexity science, postmodernism, and agent-based modeling

PubMed Central

Henrickson, Leslie; McKelvey, Bill

2002-01-01

Since the death of positivism in the 1970s, philosophers have turned their attention to scientific realism, evolutionary epistemology, and the Semantic Conception of Theories. Building on these trends, Campbellian Realism allows social scientists to accept real-world phenomena as criterion variables against which theories may be tested without denying the reality of individual interpretation and social construction. The Semantic Conception reduces the importance of axioms, but reaffirms the role of models and experiments. Philosophers now see models as “autonomous agents” that exert independent influence on the development of a science, in addition to theory and data. The inappropriate molding effects of math models on social behavior modeling are noted. Complexity science offers a “new” normal science epistemology focusing on order creation by self-organizing heterogeneous agents and agent-based models. The more responsible core of postmodernism builds on the idea that agents operate in a constantly changing web of interconnections among other agents. The connectionist agent-based models of complexity science draw on the same conception of social ontology as do postmodernists. These recent developments combine to provide foundations for a “new” social science centered on formal modeling not requiring the mathematical assumptions of agent homogeneity and equilibrium conditions. They give this “new” social science legitimacy in scientific circles that current social science approaches lack. PMID:12011408

Complexity theory and physical unification: From microscopic to oscopic level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavlos, G. P.; Iliopoulos, A. C.; Karakatsanis, L. P.; Tsoutsouras, V. G.; Pavlos, E. G.

During the last two decades, low dimensional chaotic or self-organized criticality (SOC) processes have been observed by our group in many different physical systems such as space plasmas, the solar or the magnetospheric dynamics, the atmosphere, earthquakes, the brain activity as well as in informational systems. All these systems are complex systems living far from equilibrium with strong self-organization and phase transition character. The theoretical interpretation of these natural phenomena needs a deeper insight into the fundamentals of complexity theory. In this study, we try to give a synoptic description of complexity theory both at the microscopic and at the oscopic level of the physical reality. Also, we propose that the self-organization observed oscopically is a phenomenon that reveals the strong unifying character of the complex dynamics which includes thermodynamical and dynamical characteristics in all levels of the physical reality. From this point of view, oscopical deterministic and stochastic processes are closely related to the microscopical chaos and self-organization. In this study the scientific work of scientists such as Wilson, Nicolis, Prigogine, Hooft, Nottale, El Naschie, Castro, Tsallis, Chang and others is used for the development of a unified physical comprehension of complex dynamics from the microscopic to the oscopic level.

Dialectic and science: Galen, Herophilus and Aristotle on phenomena.

PubMed

Tieleman, T

1995-01-01

This paper examines the nature of Galen's argument in the De placitis Hippocratis et Platonis, books 2-3, concerned with the location of the psychic functions within the body. To this question Galen applies a coherent set of methodological principles, integrating Aristotelian dialectic and scientific demonstration based on anatomical experiments. Galen disagrees with Aristotle in that he relegates the endoxa from the realm of dialectic to that of rhetoric. His attitude is marked by a distinctive emphasis on perceptible phenomena as the starting point for scientific inquiry. This and other features can be traced back to the Hellenistic scientist Herophilus.

QUANTUM: The Exhibition - quantum at the museum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laforest, Martin; Olano, Angela; Day-Hamilton, Tobi

Distilling the essence of quantum phenomena, and how they are being harnessed to develop powerful quantum technologies, into a series of bite-sized, elementary-school-level pieces is what the scientific outreach team at the University of Waterloo's Institute for Quantum Computing was tasked with. QUANTUM: The Exhibition uses a series of informational panels, multimedia and interactive displays to introduce visitors to quantum phenomena and how they will revolutionize computing, information security and sensing. We'll discuss some of the approaches we took to convey the essence and impact of quantum mechanics and technologies to a lay audience while ensuring scientific accuracy.

Fostering Environmental Literacy For A Changing Earth: Interactive and Participatory Outreach Programs at Biosphere 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavao-Zuckerman, M.; Huxman, T.; Morehouse, B.

2008-12-01

Earth system and ecological sustainability problems are complex outcomes of biological, physical, social, and economic interactions. A common goal of outreach and education programs is to foster a scientifically literate community that possesses the knowledge to contribute to environmental policies and decision making. Uncertainty and variability that is both inherent in Earth system and ecological sciences can confound such goals of improved ecological literacy. Public programs provide an opportunity to engage lay-persons in the scientific method, allowing them to experience science in action and confront these uncertainties face-on. We begin with a definition of scientific literacy that expands its conceptualization of science beyond just a collection of facts and concepts to one that views science as a process to aid understanding of natural phenomena. A process-based scientific literacy allows the public, teachers, and students to assimilate new information, evaluate climate research, and to ultimately make decisions that are informed by science. The Biosphere 2 facility (B2) is uniquely suited for such outreach programs because it allows linking Earth system and ecological science research activities in a large scale controlled environment setting with outreach and education opportunities. A primary outreach goal is to demonstrate science in action to an audience that ranges from K-12 groups to retired citizens. Here we discuss approaches to outreach programs that focus on soil-water-atmosphere-plant interactions and their roles in the impacts and causes of global environmental change. We describe a suite of programs designed to vary the amount of participation a visitor has with the science process (from passive learning to data collection to helping design experiments) to test the hypothesis that active learning fosters increased scientific literacy and the creation of science advocates. We argue that a revised framing of the scientific method with a more open role for citizens in science will have greater success in fostering science literacy and produce a citizenry that is equipped to tackle complex environmental decision making.

The International Space Weather Initiative (ISWI)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davila, Joseph M.

2010-01-01

The International Heliophysical Year (IHY) provided a successful model for the deployment of arrays of small scientific instruments in new and scientifically interesting geographic locations, and outreach. The new International Space Weather Initiative (ISWI) is designed to build on this momentum to promote the observation, understanding, and prediction space weather phenomena, and to communicate the scientific results to the public.

Lessons from the History of the Concept of the Ray for Teaching Geometrical Optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andreou, C.; Raftopoulos, A.

2011-10-01

There are two indisputable findings in science education research. First, students go to school with some intuitive beliefs about the natural world and physical phenomena that pose an obstacle to the learning of formal science. Second, these beliefs result from the confluence of two factors, namely, their everyday experience as they interact with the world around them and a set of operational constraints or principles that channel both perceptually and conceptually the way these experiences are perceived and interpreted. History of science suggests that the theories of early scientists through which they sought to explain physical phenomena relied mostly on ideas that closely fitted their experiences of the relevant phenomena. This characteristic of the early scientific ideas is the root of the epistemological difficulties that early scientists faced in their attempts to explain the phenomena. In this paper, we focus on the early theories in optics (from ancient Greek to the late Islamic scientific traditions) and argue that students face some of the same epistemological problems as early scientists in explaining vision and optical phenomena for the reason that students' intuitive beliefs are also closely tied to particular phenomena and as a result the underlying notions are fragmentary and lack the necessary generality that would allow them to cover many disparate phenomena. Knowledge of these epistemological problems can help the instructor to identify the key elements for a better understanding of the formal theory of optics and, in turn, lead to a more effective instruction.

Can Science Test Supernatural Worldviews?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fishman, Yonatan I.

2009-01-01

Several prominent scientists, philosophers, and scientific institutions have argued that science cannot test supernatural worldviews on the grounds that (1) science presupposes a naturalistic worldview (Naturalism) or that (2) claims involving supernatural phenomena are inherently beyond the scope of scientific investigation. The present paper…

Mapping the Structure and Dynamics of Genomics-Related MeSH Terms Complex Networks

PubMed Central

Siqueiros-García, Jesús M.; Hernández-Lemus, Enrique; García-Herrera, Rodrigo; Robina-Galatas, Andrea

2014-01-01

It has been proposed that the history and evolution of scientific ideas may reflect certain aspects of the underlying socio-cognitive frameworks in which science itself is developing. Systematic analyses of the development of scientific knowledge may help us to construct models of the collective dynamics of science. Aiming at scientific rigor, these models should be built upon solid empirical evidence, analyzed with formal tools leading to ever-improving results that support the related conclusions. Along these lines we studied the dynamics and structure of the development of research in genomics as represented by the entire collection of genomics-related scientific papers contained in the PubMed database. The analyzed corpus consisted in more than 49,000 articles published in the years 1987 (first appeareance of the term Genomics) to 2011, categorized by means of the Medical Subheadings (MeSH) content-descriptors. Complex networks were built where two MeSH terms were connected if they are descriptors of the same article(s). The analysis of such networks revealed a complex structure and dynamics that to certain extent resembled small-world networks. The evolution of such networks in time reflected interesting phenomena in the historical development of genomic research, including what seems to be a phase-transition in a period marked by the completion of the first draft of the Human Genome Project. We also found that different disciplinary areas have different dynamic evolution patterns in their MeSH connectivity networks. In the case of areas related to science, changes in topology were somewhat fast while retaining a certain core-stucture, whereas in the humanities, the evolution was pretty slow and the structure resulted highly redundant and in the case of technology related issues, the evolution was very fast and the structure remained tree-like with almost no overlapping terms. PMID:24699262

Serious science games, social selves and complex nature of possible selves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Mubina Schroeder

2012-12-01

Margaret Beier, Leslie Miller, and Shu Wang's paper, Science games and the development of possible selves examines the effects of game-playing in a serious scientific game on science possible selves identity creation, utilizing a possible selves identification instrument they created. This paper continues the discussion that Beier and colleagues start in the paper by calling into question both the idea that a predictive model of science career choice can be attained by serious science game-playing and the nature of the instrument created and used by Beier and her colleagues to identify participants' creation of science possible selves. Recommendations include incorporating the idea of possible selves as being complex, dynamic and intertwined with self-concept in interpreting their findings and casting a wider net to capture the phenomena of their participants' identities and experiences by potentially making use of possible selves identification methodologies from the career training arena.

Simplistic and complex thought in medicine: the rationale for a person-centered care model as a medical revolution

PubMed Central

Reach, Gérard

2016-01-01

According to the concept developed by Thomas Kuhn, a scientific revolution occurs when scientists encounter a crisis due to the observation of anomalies that cannot be explained by the generally accepted paradigm within which scientific progress has thereto been made: a scientific revolution can therefore be described as a change in paradigm aimed at solving a crisis. Described herein is an application of this concept to the medical realm, starting from the reflection that during the past decades, the medical community has encountered two anomalies that, by their frequency and consequences, represent a crisis in the system, as they deeply jeopardize the efficiency of care: nonadherence of patients who do not follow the prescriptions of their doctors, and clinical inertia of doctors who do not comply with good practice guidelines. It is proposed that these phenomena are caused by a contrast between, on the one hand, the complex thought of patients and doctors that sometimes escapes rationalization, and on the other hand, the simplification imposed by the current paradigm of medicine dominated by the technical rationality of evidence-based medicine. It is suggested therefore that this crisis must provoke a change in paradigm, inventing a new model of care defined by an ability to take again into account, on an individual basis, the complex thought of patients and doctors. If this overall analysis is correct, such a person-centered care model should represent a solution to the two problems of patients’ nonadherence and doctors’ clinical inertia, as it tackles their cause. These considerations may have important implications for the teaching and the practice of medicine. PMID:27103790

The NSF ITR Project: Framework for the National Virtual Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szalay, A. S.; Williams, R. D.; NVO Collaboration

2002-05-01

Technological advances in telescope and instrument design during the last ten years, coupled with the exponential increase in computer and communications capability, have caused a dramatic and irreversible change in the character of astronomical research. Large-scale surveys of the sky from space and ground are being initiated at wavelengths from radio to x-ray, thereby generating vast amounts of high quality irreplaceable data. The potential for scientific discovery afforded by these new surveys is enormous. Entirely new and unexpected scientific results of major significance will emerge from the combined use of the resulting datasets, science that would not be possible from such sets used singly. However, their large size and complexity require tools and structures to discover the complex phenomena encoded within them. We plan to build the NVO framework both through coordinating diverse efforts already in existence and providing a focus for the development of capabilities that do not yet exist. The NVO we envisage will act as an enabling and coordinating entity to foster the development of further tools, protocols, and collaborations necessary to realize the full scientific potential of large astronomical datasets in the coming decade. The NVO must be able to change and respond to the rapidly evolving world of IT technology. In spite of its underlying complex software, the NVO should be no harder to use for the average astronomer, than today's brick-and-mortar observatories and telescopes. Development of these capabilities will require close interaction and collaboration with the information technology community and other disciplines facing similar challenges. We need to ensure that the tools that we need exist or are built, but we do not duplicate efforts, and rely on relevant experience of others.

Bulletin Board Ideas: Worldwide Scientific Events

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schiffman, Maurice K.

1977-01-01

Describes a bulletin board activity that identifies scientific phenomena occurring worldwide during the school year. A map of the world is marked with colored pins as students find news information of places and kind of event (e.g.; volcanoes, floods, crop failures, human epidemics). (CS)

Advancing complementary and alternative medicine through social network analysis and agent-based modeling.

PubMed

Frantz, Terrill L

2012-01-01

This paper introduces the contemporary perspectives and techniques of social network analysis (SNA) and agent-based modeling (ABM) and advocates applying them to advance various aspects of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). SNA and ABM are invaluable methods for representing, analyzing and projecting complex, relational, social phenomena; they provide both an insightful vantage point and a set of analytic tools that can be useful in a wide range of contexts. Applying these methods in the CAM context can aid the ongoing advances in the CAM field, in both its scientific aspects and in developing broader acceptance in associated stakeholder communities. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Four stages of a scientific discipline; four types of scientist.

PubMed

Shneider, Alexander M

2009-05-01

In this article I propose the classification of the evolutionary stages that a scientific discipline evolves through and the type of scientists that are the most productive at each stage. I believe that each scientific discipline evolves sequentially through four stages. Scientists at stage one introduce new objects and phenomena as subject matter for a new scientific discipline. To do this they have to introduce a new language adequately describing the subject matter. At stage two, scientists develop a toolbox of methods and techniques for the new discipline. Owing to this advancement in methodology, the spectrum of objects and phenomena that fall into the realm of the new science are further understood at this stage. Most of the specific knowledge is generated at the third stage, at which the highest number of original research publications is generated. The majority of third-stage investigation is based on the initial application of new research methods to objects and/or phenomena. The purpose of the fourth stage is to maintain and pass on scientific knowledge generated during the first three stages. Groundbreaking new discoveries are not made at this stage. However, new ways to present scientific information are generated, and crucial revisions are often made of the role of the discipline within the constantly evolving scientific environment. The very nature of each stage determines the optimal psychological type and modus operandi of the scientist operating within it. Thus, it is not only the talent and devotion of scientists that determines whether they are capable of contributing substantially but, rather, whether they have the 'right type' of talent for the chosen scientific discipline at that time. Understanding the four different evolutionary stages of a scientific discipline might be instrumental for many scientists in optimizing their career path, in addition to being useful in assembling scientific teams, precluding conflicts and maximizing productivity. The proposed model of scientific evolution might also be instrumental for society in organizing and managing the scientific process. No public policy aimed at stimulating the scientific process can be equally beneficial for all four stages. Attempts to apply the same criteria to scientists working on scientific disciplines at different stages of their scientific evolution would be stimulating for one and detrimental for another. In addition, researchers operating at a certain stage of scientific evolution might not possess the mindset adequate to evaluate and stimulate a discipline that is at a different evolutionary stage. This could be the reason for suboptimal implementation of otherwise well-conceived scientific policies.

Judgments of Widely Held Beliefs about Psychological Phenomena among South African Postgraduate Psychology Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kagee, A.; Harper, M.; Spies, G.

2008-01-01

Lay understandings of human cognition, affect, and behaviour often diverge from the findings of scientific investigations. The present study examined South African fourth year psychology students' judgments about the factual correctness of statements of psychological phenomena that have been demonstrated to be incorrect by empirical research.…

Exposure to Science Is Not Enough: The Influence of Classroom Experiences on Belief in Paranormal Phenomena

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manza, Lou; Hilperts, Keri; Hindley, Lauren; Marco, Christina; Santana, Amanda; Hawk, Michelle Vosburgh

2010-01-01

Beliefs in scientifically unsubstantiated ideas were investigated with a study that contrasted college students' attitudes toward paranormal phenomena before and after exposure to skeptical arguments concerning these events. Specifically, students enrolled in 2 sections of a psychological statistics course were exposed to illustrations of…

Three dimensional empirical mode decomposition analysis apparatus, method and article manufacture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gloersen, Per (Inventor)

2004-01-01

An apparatus and method of analysis for three-dimensional (3D) physical phenomena. The physical phenomena may include any varying 3D phenomena such as time varying polar ice flows. A repesentation of the 3D phenomena is passed through a Hilbert transform to convert the data into complex form. A spatial variable is separated from the complex representation by producing a time based covariance matrix. The temporal parts of the principal components are produced by applying Singular Value Decomposition (SVD). Based on the rapidity with which the eigenvalues decay, the first 3-10 complex principal components (CPC) are selected for Empirical Mode Decomposition into intrinsic modes. The intrinsic modes produced are filtered in order to reconstruct the spatial part of the CPC. Finally, a filtered time series may be reconstructed from the first 3-10 filtered complex principal components.

Ubiquitous Geo-Sensing for Context-Aware Analysis: Exploring Relationships between Environmental and Human Dynamics

PubMed Central

Sagl, Günther; Blaschke, Thomas; Beinat, Euro; Resch, Bernd

2012-01-01

Ubiquitous geo-sensing enables context-aware analyses of physical and social phenomena, i.e., analyzing one phenomenon in the context of another. Although such context-aware analysis can potentially enable a more holistic understanding of spatio-temporal processes, it is rarely documented in the scientific literature yet. In this paper we analyzed the collective human behavior in the context of the weather. We therefore explored the complex relationships between these two spatio-temporal phenomena to provide novel insights into the dynamics of urban systems. Aggregated mobile phone data, which served as a proxy for collective human behavior, was linked with the weather data from climate stations in the case study area, the city of Udine, Northern Italy. To identify and characterize potential patterns within the weather-human relationships, we developed a hybrid approach which integrates several spatio-temporal statistical analysis methods. Thereby we show that explanatory factor analysis, when applied to a number of meteorological variables, can be used to differentiate between normal and adverse weather conditions. Further, we measured the strength of the relationship between the ‘global’ adverse weather conditions and the spatially explicit effective variations in user-generated mobile network traffic for three distinct periods using the Maximal Information Coefficient (MIC). The analyses result in three spatially referenced maps of MICs which reveal interesting insights into collective human dynamics in the context of weather, but also initiate several new scientific challenges. PMID:23012571

Scaffolding Student Learning in the Discipline-Specific Knowledge through Contemporary Science Practices: Developing High-School Students' Epidemiologic Reasoning through Data Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oura, Hiroki

Science is a disciplined practice about knowing puzzling observations and unknown phenomena. Scientific knowledge of the product is applied to develop technological artifacts and solve complex problems in society. Scientific practices are undeniably relevant to our economy, civic activity, and personal lives, and thus public education should help children acquire scientific knowledge and recognize the values in relation to their own lives and civil society. Likewise, developing scientific thinking skills is valuable not only for becoming a scientist, but also for becoming a citizen who is able to critically evaluate everyday information, select and apply only the trustworthy, and make wise judgments in their personal and cultural goals as well as for obtaining jobs that require complex problem solving and creative working in the current knowledge-based economy and rapid-changing world. To develop students' scientific thinking, science instruction should focus not only on scientific knowledge and inquiry processes, but also on its epistemological aspects including the forms of causal explanations and methodological choices along with epistemic aims and values under the social circumstances in focal practices. In this perspective, disciplinary knowledge involves heterogeneous elements including material, cognitive, social, and cultural ones and the formation differs across practices. Without developing such discipline-specific knowledge, students cannot enough deeply engage in scientific "practices" and understand the true values of scientific enterprises. In this interest, this dissertation explores instructional approaches to make student engagement in scientific investigations more authentic or disciplinary. The present dissertation work is comprised of three research questions as stand-alone studies written for separate publication. All of the studies discuss different theoretical aspects related to disciplinary engagement in epidemiologic inquiry and student development in epidemiologic reasoning. The first chapter reviews literature on epistemological instruction and explores theoretical frameworks for epistemically-guided instruction. The second chapter explores methodological strategies to elicit students' disciplinary understanding and demonstrates an approach with a case study in which students engaged in a curriculum unit for an epidemiologic investigation. The last chapter directs the focus into scientific reasoning and demonstrates how the curriculum unit and its scaffolds helped students develop epidemiologic reasoning with a focus on population-based reasoning.

Cinderella Separates a Mixture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Streller, Sabine

2014-01-01

Scientific investigations are usually introduced to children by referring to phenomena and occurrences that they already know about from their environment. The goal is that children learn to understand everyday observations and experiences from a scientific perspective, pose questions, express and test simple hypotheses by planning and performing…

Linking Neuroscience and Psychoanalysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Habicht, Manuela H.

This review discusses the relationship between neuroscience and psychoanalysis and introduces a new scientific method called neuro-psychoanalysis, a combination of the two phenomena. A significant difference between the two is that psychoanalysis has not evolved scientifically since it has not developed objective methods for testing ideas that it…

Visions of visualization aids: Design philosophy and experimental results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ellis, Stephen R.

1990-01-01

Aids for the visualization of high-dimensional scientific or other data must be designed. Simply casting multidimensional data into a two- or three-dimensional spatial metaphor does not guarantee that the presentation will provide insight or parsimonious description of the phenomena underlying the data. Indeed, the communication of the essential meaning of some multidimensional data may be obscured by presentation in a spatially distributed format. Useful visualization is generally based on pre-existing theoretical beliefs concerning the underlying phenomena which guide selection and formatting of the plotted variables. Two examples from chaotic dynamics are used to illustrate how a visulaization may be an aid to insight. Two examples of displays to aid spatial maneuvering are described. The first, a perspective format for a commercial air traffic display, illustrates how geometric distortion may be introduced to insure that an operator can understand a depicted three-dimensional situation. The second, a display for planning small spacecraft maneuvers, illustrates how the complex counterintuitive character of orbital maneuvering may be made more tractable by removing higher-order nonlinear control dynamics, and allowing independent satisfaction of velocity and plume impingement constraints on orbital changes.

Hypnosis and imaging of the living human brain.

PubMed

Landry, Mathieu; Raz, Amir

2015-01-01

Over more than two decades, studies using imaging techniques of the living human brain have begun to explore the neural correlates of hypnosis. The collective findings provide a gripping, albeit preliminary, account of the underlying neurobiological mechanisms involved in hypnotic phenomena. While substantial advances lend support to different hypotheses pertaining to hypnotic modulation of attention, control, and monitoring processes, the complex interactions among the many mediating variables largely hinder our ability to isolate robust commonalities across studies. The present account presents a critical integrative synthesis of neuroimaging studies targeting hypnosis as a function of suggestion. Specifically, hypnotic induction without task-specific suggestion is examined, as well as suggestions concerning sensation and perception, memory, and ideomotor response. The importance of carefully designed experiments is highlighted to better tease apart the neural correlates that subserve hypnotic phenomena. Moreover, converging findings intimate that hypnotic suggestions seem to induce specific neural patterns. These observations propose that suggestions may have the ability to target focal brain networks. Drawing on evidence spanning several technological modalities, neuroimaging studies of hypnosis pave the road to a more scientific understanding of a dramatic, yet largely evasive, domain of human behavior.

Method and metaphysics in Clements's and Gleason's ecological explanations.

PubMed

Eliot, Christopher

2007-03-01

To generate explanatory theory, ecologists must wrestle with how to represent the extremely many, diverse causes behind phenomena in their domain. Early twentieth-century plant ecologists Frederic E. Clements and Henry A. Gleason provide a textbook example of different approaches to explaining vegetation, with Clements allegedly committed, despite abundant exceptions, to a law of vegetation, and Gleason denying the law in favor of less organized phenomena. However, examining Clements's approach to explanation reveals him not to be expressing a law, and instead to be developing an explanatory structure without laws, capable of progressively integrating causal complexity. Moreover, Clements and Gleason largely agree on the causes of vegetation; but, since causal understanding here underdetermines representation, they differ on how to integrate recognized causes into general theory--that is, in their methodologies. Observers of the case may have mistakenly assumed that scientific representation across the disciplines typically aims at laws like Newton's, and that representations always reveal scientists' metaphysical commitments. Ironically, in the present case, this assumption seems to have been made even by observers who regard Clements as nai ve for his alleged commitment to an ecological law.

[Science and law in courts].

PubMed

Tallacchini, Mariachiara

2014-01-01

Science and law can be seen as the main creators of orders and rules in knowledge-based societies. These relations are particularly delicate in domains where scientific uncertainty and probabilistic causality are more frequently involved, such as environment and health. The decision of the Court of Florence (Tuscany Region, Northern Italy) (Second Criminal Division, 3217/2010, 17th May 2010) - here analysed - deals with the uncertain correlations between PM10 and health. The criminal law case involved some public officers in Tuscany, indicted for having failed to adopt the adequate measures to keep PM10 levels within the limits set by European Directive 2008/50/EC on air quality. In arguing that accusations were ill-founded, the Court, while invoking the validity of science, deliberately chose the scientific evidence relevant to drawing specific legal consequences. Meteorological phenomena are considered as the single determinant of high levels of PM10; their uncertainty is framed as absolute unpredictability and ungovernability, and from these flaws non-responsibility. The concept of coproduction is applied as a useful critical tool to open up the complex relationships between science and law by showing how scientific and legal concepts generate and influence each other even when legal regulations claims to be neutrally and objectively science-based.

"Lomonosov" Satellite—Space Observatory to Study Extreme Phenomena in Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadovnichii, V. A.; Panasyuk, M. I.; Amelyushkin, A. M.; Bogomolov, V. V.; Benghin, V. V.; Garipov, G. K.; Kalegaev, V. V.; Klimov, P. A.; Khrenov, B. A.; Petrov, V. L.; Sharakin, S. A.; Shirokov, A. V.; Svertilov, S. I.; Zotov, M. Y.; Yashin, I. V.; Gorbovskoy, E. S.; Lipunov, V. M.; Park, I. H.; Lee, J.; Jeong, S.; Kim, M. B.; Jeong, H. M.; Shprits, Y. Y.; Angelopoulos, V.; Russell, C. T.; Runov, A.; Turner, D.; Strangeway, R. J.; Caron, R.; Biktemerova, S.; Grinyuk, A.; Lavrova, M.; Tkachev, L.; Tkachenko, A.; Martinez, O.; Salazar, H.; Ponce, E.

2017-11-01

The "Lomonosov" space project is lead by Lomonosov Moscow State University in collaboration with the following key partners: Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Russia, University of California, Los Angeles (USA), University of Pueblo (Mexico), Sungkyunkwan University (Republic of Korea) and with Russian space industry organizations to study some of extreme phenomena in space related to astrophysics, astroparticle physics, space physics, and space biology. The primary goals of this experiment are to study: Ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECR) in the energy range of the Greizen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin (GZK) cutoff; Ultraviolet (UV) transient luminous events in the upper atmosphere; Multi-wavelength study of gamma-ray bursts in visible, UV, gamma, and X-rays; Energetic trapped and precipitated radiation (electrons and protons) at low-Earth orbit (LEO) in connection with global geomagnetic disturbances; Multicomponent radiation doses along the orbit of spacecraft under different geomagnetic conditions and testing of space segments of optical observations of space-debris and other space objects; Instrumental vestibular-sensor conflict of zero-gravity phenomena during space flight. This paper is directed towards the general description of both scientific goals of the project and scientific equipment on board the satellite. The following papers of this issue are devoted to detailed descriptions of scientific instruments.

Understanding the Alternative Conceptions of Pre-Service Secondary Science Teachers about Tidal Phenomena Based on Toulmin's Argumentation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oh, Jun-Young

2014-01-01

Constructing explanations and participating in argumentative discourse are seen as essential practices of scientific inquiry. The objective of this study was to explore the elements and origins of pre-service secondary science teachers' alternative conceptions of tidal phenomena based on the elements used in Toulmin's Argument Model through…

Using a Concept Cartoon© Method to Address Elementary School Students' Ideas about Natural Phenomena

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minárechová, Michaela

2016-01-01

This study investigated the identification and subsequent development or modification of students´ ideas about scientific phenomena by teaching by concept cartoons© method. We found out ideas of students of the fourth grade of primary school by conceptual tasks which were parts of quasi-experiment (pretest and posttest design). For triangulation…

Teachers' and Prospective Teachers' Explanations of Liquid-State Phenomena: A Comparative Study Involving Three European Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leite, Laurinda; Mendoza, Jose; Borsese, Aldo

2007-01-01

As contact with liquids occurs from an early stage in individuals' lives, children construct explanations for liquids and liquid-state phenomena. These may differ from the accepted scientific explanations, interfere with formal teaching, and even persist until entry into higher education. The objective of this investigation is to compare…

Generative Mechanistic Explanation Building in Undergraduate Molecular and Cellular Biology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Southard, Katelyn M.; Espindola, Melissa R.; Zaepfel, Samantha D.; Bolger, Molly S.

2017-01-01

When conducting scientific research, experts in molecular and cellular biology (MCB) use specific reasoning strategies to construct mechanistic explanations for the underlying causal features of molecular phenomena. We explored how undergraduate students applied this scientific practice in MCB. Drawing from studies of explanation building among…

Statistical Physics of Complex Substitutive Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Qing

Diffusion processes are central to human interactions. Despite extensive studies that span multiple disciplines, our knowledge is limited to spreading processes in non-substitutive systems. Yet, a considerable number of ideas, products, and behaviors spread by substitution; to adopt a new one, agents must give up an existing one. This captures the spread of scientific constructs--forcing scientists to choose, for example, a deterministic or probabilistic worldview, as well as the adoption of durable items, such as mobile phones, cars, or homes. In this dissertation, I develop a statistical physics framework to describe, quantify, and understand substitutive systems. By empirically exploring three collected high-resolution datasets pertaining to such systems, I build a mechanistic model describing substitutions, which not only analytically predicts the universal macroscopic phenomenon discovered in the collected datasets, but also accurately captures the trajectories of individual items in a complex substitutive system, demonstrating a high degree of regularity and universality in substitutive systems. I also discuss the origins and insights of the parameters in the substitution model and possible generalization form of the mathematical framework. The systematical study of substitutive systems presented in this dissertation could potentially guide the understanding and prediction of all spreading phenomena driven by substitutions, from electric cars to scientific paradigms, and from renewable energy to new healthy habits.

GIS-mapping of environmental assessment of the territories in the region of intense activity for the oil and gas complex for achievement the goals of the Sustainable Development (on the example of Russia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yermolaev, Oleg

2014-05-01

The uniform system of complex scientific-reference ecological-geographical should act as a base for the maintenance of the Sustainable Development (SD) concept in the territories of the Russian Federation subjects or certain regions. In this case, the assessment of the ecological situation in the regions can be solved by the conjugation of the two interrelated system - the mapping and the geoinformational. The report discusses the methodological aspects of the Atlas-mapping for the purposes of SD in the regions of Russia. The Republic of Tatarstan viewed as a model territory where a large-scale oil-gas complex "Tatneft" PLC works. The company functions for more than 60 years. Oil fields occupy an area of more than 38 000 km2; placed in its territory about 40 000 oil wells, more than 55 000 km of pipelines; more than 3 billion tons of oil was extracted. Methods for to the structure and requirements for the Atlas's content were outlined. The approaches to mapping of "an ecological dominant" of SD conceptually substantiated following the pattern of a large region of Russia. Several trends of thematically mapping were suggested to be distinguished in the Atlas's structure: • The background history of oil-fields mine working; • The nature preservation technologies while oil extracting; • The assessment of natural conditions of a humans vital activity; • Unfavorable and dangerous natural processes and phenomena; • The anthropogenic effect and environmental surroundings change; • The social-economical processes and phenomena. • The medical-ecological and geochemical processes and phenomena; Within these groups the other numerous groups can distinguished. The maps of unfavorable and dangerous processes and phenomena subdivided in accordance with the types of processes - of endogenous and exogenous origin. Among the maps of the anthropogenic effects on the natural surroundings one can differentiate the maps of the influence on different nature's spheres - atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, etc. In this way, all thematic groups brought together into four main sections: • The introduction (the maps of a general condition and social-economical state, a region's rating in Republic; • The components of natural, social-economics systems that form the conditions for the ecological situations; • The integrated maps of exertion and change of the environment; • The strategy to reach an ecological equilibrium. The following data confirm that: more than 200 electronic analytical, complex and synthetic maps; more than 1000 small rivers basins, 6000 landscapes areas, 500 anthropogenic pollutions source, etc. The extensive information, richness and diversity of the maps content, objective indices used in the maps, open the door to wide opportunities to apply different methods of cartography analysis comprising both usual visional one and the geographical constructions, cartometry statistical data treatment, respectively. The methods of mathematical-mapping and computer modeling presume to compute spatial correlations and mutual conformity of phenomena and to estimate the homogeneity of the ecological conditions, to reveal the leading factors of distribution and phenomena and processes development using the means of multidimensional statistical analysis.

Ambiguous Science and the Visual Representation of the Real

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newbold, Curtis Robert

2012-01-01

The emergence of visual media as prominent and even expected forms of communication in nearly all disciplines, including those scientific, has raised new questions about how the art and science of communication epistemologically affect the interpretation of scientific phenomena. In this dissertation I explore how the influence of aesthetics in…

Using Relational Reasoning to Learn about Scientific Phenomena at Unfamiliar Scales

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Resnick, Ilyse; Davatzes, Alexandra; Newcombe, Nora S.; Shipley, Thomas F.

2016-01-01

Many scientific theories and discoveries involve reasoning about extreme scales, removed from human experience, such as time in geology, size in nanoscience. Thus, understanding scale is central to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Unfortunately, novices have trouble understanding and comparing sizes of unfamiliar large and small…

Inquiry through Modeling: Exploring the Tensions between Natural & Sexual Selection Using Crickets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bouwma-Gearhart, Jana; Bouwma, Andrew

2015-01-01

The "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States, 2013) recommend that science courses engage communities of students in scientific practices that include building accurate conceptual models of phenomena central to the understanding of scientific disciplines. We offer a set of activities, implemented successfully at both the…

Using Models to Understand Sea Level Rise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barth-Cohen, Lauren; Medina, Edwing

2017-01-01

Important science phenomena--such as atomic structure, evolution, and climate change--are often hard to observe directly. That's why an important scientific practice is to use scientific models to represent one's current understanding of a system. Using models has been included as an essential science and engineering practice in the "Next…

An Inexpensive LED Light Sensor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kutzner, Mickey; Wright, Richard; Kutzner, Emily

2010-01-01

Light irradiance measurements are important for students grappling with abstract optical phenomena such as the inverse square law, polarization, diffraction, interference, and spectroscopy. A variety of commercial light sensors are available from scientific vendors such as the CI-6504A from PASCO scientific and the LS-BTA from Vernier Software and…

Designing Project-Based Instruction to Foster Generative and Mechanistic Understandings in Genetics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duncan, Ravit Golan; Tseng, Katie Ann

2011-01-01

The acquisition of scientific knowledge is fraught with difficulties and challenges for the learner. The very nature of some scientific domains contributes to the learning difficulties students' experience. Phenomena in these domains are composed of multiple organization levels featuring complicated interactions within and across these levels.…

Drama Activities as Ideational Resources for Primary-Grade Children in Urban Science Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Varelas, Maria; Pappas, Christine C.; Tucker-Raymond, Eli; Kane, Justine; Hankes, Jennifer; Ortiz, Ibett; Keblawe-Shamah, Neveen

2010-01-01

In this study we explored how dramatic enactments of scientific phenomena and concepts mediate children's learning of scientific meanings along material, social, and representational dimensions. These drama activities were part of two integrated science-literacy units, "Matter" and "Forest," which we developed and implemented…

Applying Scientific Principles to Resolve Student Misconceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yin, Yue

2012-01-01

Misconceptions about sinking and floating phenomena are some of the most challenging to overcome (Yin 2005), possibly because explaining sinking and floating requires students to understand challenging topics such as density, force, and motion. Two scientific principles are typically used in U.S. science curricula to explain sinking and floating:…

Energy and Sociology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cottrell, Fred

The realization that all scientific phenomena are manifestations of energy, rather than separate subjects of inquiry for chemists, physicists, or biologists, has encouraged scientists to explore gaps between the traditional fields of scientific inquiry. In light of this fact, it would seem that the flow of energy should be a major area of concern…

Using Relational Reasoning to Learn about Scientific Phenomena at Unfamiliar Scales

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Resnick, Ilyse; Davatzes, Alexandra; Newcombe, Nora S.; Shipley, Thomas F.

2017-01-01

Many scientific theories and discoveries involve reasoning about extreme scales, removed from human experience, such as time in geology and size in nanoscience. Thus, understanding scale is central to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Unfortunately, novices have trouble understanding and comparing sizes of unfamiliar large and…

When physics is not "just physics": complexity science invites new measurement frames for exploring the physics of cognitive and biological development.

PubMed

Kelty-Stephen, Damian; Dixon, James A

2012-01-01

The neurobiological sciences have struggled to resolve the physical foundations for biological and cognitive phenomena with a suspicion that biological and cognitive systems, capable of exhibiting and contributing to structure within themselves and through their contexts, are fundamentally distinct or autonomous from purely physical systems. Complexity science offers new physics-based approaches to explaining biological and cognitive phenomena. In response to controversy over whether complexity science might seek to "explain away" biology and cognition as "just physics," we propose that complexity science serves as an application of recent advances in physics to phenomena in biology and cognition without reducing or undermining the integrity of the phenomena to be explained. We highlight that physics is, like the neurobiological sciences, an evolving field and that the threat of reduction is overstated. We propose that distinctions between biological and cognitive systems from physical systems are pretheoretical and thus optional. We review our own work applying insights from post-classical physics regarding turbulence and fractal fluctuations to the problems of developing cognitive structure. Far from hoping to reduce biology and cognition to "nothing but" physics, we present our view that complexity science offers new explanatory frameworks for considering physical foundations of biological and cognitive phenomena.

Engaging Undergraduate Biology Students in Scientific Modeling: Analysis of Group Interactions, Sense-Making, and Justification

PubMed Central

Bierema, Andrea M.-K.; Schwarz, Christina V.; Stoltzfus, Jon R.

2017-01-01

National calls for improving science education (e.g., Vision and Change) emphasize the need to learn disciplinary core ideas through scientific practices. To address this need, we engaged small groups of students in developing diagrammatic models within two (one large-enrollment and one medium-enrollment) undergraduate introductory biology courses. During these activities, students developed scientific models of biological phenomena such as enhanced growth in genetically modified fish. To investigate whether undergraduate students productively engaged in scientific practices during these modeling activities, we recorded groups of students as they developed models and examined three characteristics: how students 1) interacted with one another, 2) made sense of phenomena, and 3) justified their ideas. Our analysis indicates that students spent most of the time on task, developing and evaluating their models. Moreover, they worked cooperatively to make sense of core ideas and justified their ideas to one another throughout the activities. These results demonstrate that, when provided with the opportunity to develop models during class, students in large-enrollment lecture courses can productively engage in scientific practices. We discuss potential reasons for these outcomes and suggest areas of future research to continue advancing knowledge regarding engaging students in scientific practices in large-enrollment lecture courses. PMID:29196429

Design and Use Online Platforms to Learn Mathematics and the Use of Them in Simulations of Problems in Applied Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Méndez-Fragoso, Ricardo; Villavicencio-Torres, Mirna; Martínez-Moreno, Josué

2017-01-01

In this contribution, we show the practical use of the computer to visualise simple computational simulations to show phenomena that occur in everyday life, or require an abstract understanding for being unintuitive phenomena. The relationship of the mathematics to different scientific disciplines motivates us to devise different treatments to…

Synergy between Teacher Practices and Curricular Scaffolds to Support Students in Using Domain-Specific and Domain-General Knowledge in Writing Arguments to Explain Phenomena

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNeill, Katherine L.; Krajcik, Joseph

2009-01-01

We investigated how 2 different curricular scaffolds (context-specific vs. generic), teacher instructional practices, and the interaction between these 2 types of support influenced students' learning of science content and their ability to write scientific arguments to explain phenomena. The context-specific scaffolds provided students with hints…

A Cross-Age Study of Pupils' Conceptions Concerning the Movement of Air Masses in the Troposphere.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papadimitriou, Vasiliki; Londridou, Paraskevi

Since weather plays an important role in many ways in our everyday life, the study of meteorological phenomena by school children becomes of great importance in enhancing their scientific literacy. This necessity becomes even more important today, as these phenomena are connected to serious environmental problems such as climate change and air…

[Advances in plant ecophysiological studies on re-vegetation of degraded ecosystem].

PubMed

Zhao, Ping

2003-11-01

Natural force and human intervention lead to many local, regional, and sometimes global changes in plant community patterns. Regardless of the cause and intensity of these changes, ecosystem can recover most of their attributes through natural succession, or can be repaired by human assistance. The essentiality of restoration of degraded ecosystem is community succession, a process during which an ecosystem evolves from primary stage to advanced stage, and its structure and function change from simple to complex plant. Ecophysiological study could explain some macroscopical phenomena of the ecology of re-vegetation of degraded ecosystem, and provide a scientific base for assembling pioneering plant community. The advances in plant ecophysiological study on re-vegetation of degraded ecosystems were reviewed in this paper.

The science of space weather.

PubMed

Eastwood, Jonathan P

2008-12-13

The basic physics underpinning space weather is reviewed, beginning with a brief overview of the main causes of variability in the near-Earth space environment. Although many plasma phenomena contribute to space weather, one of the most important is magnetic reconnection, and recent cutting edge research in this field is reviewed. We then place this research in context by discussing a number of specific types of space weather in more detail. As society inexorably increases its dependence on space, the necessity of predicting and mitigating space weather will become ever more acute. This requires a deep understanding of the complexities inherent in the plasmas that fill space and has prompted the development of a new generation of scientific space missions at the international level.

Students' Development and Use of Models to Explain Electrostatic Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayer, Kristin Elizabeth

The National Research Council (2012) recently published A Framework for K-12 Science Education that describes a vision for science classrooms where students engage in three dimensions--scientific and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas--to explain phenomena or observations they can make about the universe around them. This vision of science instruction is a significant shift from current classroom instruction. This dissertation provides detailed examples of how students developed and used models to build causal explanations of phenomena. I co-taught classes that focused on having students develop and revise models of electric fields and atomic structure using a curriculum that was designed to align with the three-dimensional vision of learning. I developed case studies of eleven students from these classes. I analyzed the students' responses and interviewed the students throughout the school year. By comparing and contrasting the analysis across the analysis of students' interviews, I identified four themes: 1) students could apply their ideas to explain novel and abstract phenomena; 2) students struggled to connect changes in their atomic models to evidence, but ended up with dynamic models of atomic structure that they could apply to explain phenomena; 3) students developed models of atomic structure that they applied to explain phenomena, but they did not use models of electric fields in this way; and 4) too much focus on details interfered with students' ability to apply their models to explain new phenomena. This dissertation highlights the importance of focusing on phenomena in classrooms that aim at aligning with three-dimensional learning. Students struggled to focus on specific content and apply their ideas to explain phenomena at the same time. In order to apply ideas to new context, students had to shift their focus from recalling ideas to applying the ideas they do have. A focus on phenomena allowed students to show their understanding through applying their ideas to new context. During this transition, students struggled, and in particular, had a hard time using evidence from experiments to justify the changes they made to their models of atomic structure. While the changes students made looked unproductive at times, by the end of the semester, students had developed models of atomic structure that incorporated relationships among charged components that they could apply to explain complex phenomena. Asking students to explore and evaluate their own ideas supported their development of models that they could apply to explain new context they experience in their future.

Scientific Controversies in Teaching Science: The Case of Volta.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kipnis, Nahum

2001-01-01

Discusses a way of introducing a scientific controversy that emphasizes objective aspects of such issues as multiple theoretical interpretation of phenomena, choosing a theory, and insistence on the chosen theory. The goal is to give students a better insight into the workings of science and provide guidelines for building theories in their own…

Undergraduate Non-Science Majors' Descriptions and Interpretations of Scientific Data Visualizations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swenson, Sandra Signe

2010-01-01

Professionally developed and freely accessible through the Internet, scientific data maps have great potential for teaching and learning with data in the science classroom. Solving problems or developing ideas while using data maps of Earth phenomena in the science classroom may help students to understand the nature and process of science. Little…

The Impact of Three-Dimensional Computational Modeling on Student Understanding of Astronomical Concepts: A Quantitative Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, John; Barnett, Michael; MaKinster, James; Keating, Thomas

2004-01-01

The increased availability of computational modeling software has created opportunities for students to engage in scientific inquiry through constructing computer-based models of scientific phenomena. However, despite the growing trend of integrating technology into science curricula, educators need to understand what aspects of these technologies…

Making Meaning of Scientific Practices: Exploring the Pathways and Variations of Classrooms Engaging in Science Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ko, Mon-Lin Monica

2013-01-01

A focus of reforms in standards, learning environments, teacher preparation programs and professional development is to support teachers' and students' engagement with scientific practices such as argumentation, modeling and generating explanations for real-world phenomena (NRC, 2011). Engaging in these practices in authentic ways…

Analogical Encoding with and without Instructions for Case Comparison of Scientific Phenomena

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mason, Lucia; Tornatora, Maria Caterina

2016-01-01

The study aimed to extend current research on conditions that better support analogical encoding through mutual alignment. We focused on two variables that have not been examined independently in previous studies: the joint presentations of two cases of a scientific phenomenon and the explicit instructions for comparison. One hundred and…

Report of the Terrestrial Bodies Science Working Group. Volume 7: The Galilean satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fanale, F. P.; Beckman, J. C.; Chapman, C. R.; Coroniti, F. V.; Johnson, T. V.; Malin, M. C.

1977-01-01

The formational and evolutionary history of natural satellites, their mineralogical composition and other phenomena of scientific interest are discussed. Key scientific questions about IO, Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa are posed and the measurements and instruments required for a Galilean satellite lander in the 1980's are described.

Implicit Learning in Science: Activating and Suppressing Scientific Intuitions to Enhance Conceptual Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jeremy Yi-Ming

This dissertation examines the thesis that implicit learning plays a role in learning about scientific phenomena, and subsequently, in conceptual change. Decades of research in learning science demonstrate that a primary challenge of science education is overcoming prior, naive knowledge of natural phenomena in order to gain scientific understanding. Until recently, a key assumption of this research has been that to develop scientific understanding, learners must abandon their prior scientific intuitions and replace them with scientific concepts. However, a growing body of research shows that scientific intuitions persist, even among science experts. This suggests that naive intuitions are suppressed, not supplanted, as learners gain scientific understanding. The current study examines two potential roles of implicit learning processes in the development of scientific knowledge. First, implicit learning is a source of cognitive structures that impede science learning. Second, tasks that engage implicit learning processes can be employed to activate and suppress prior intuitions, enhancing the likelihood that scientific concepts are adopted and applied. This second proposal is tested in two experiments that measure training-induced changes in intuitive and conceptual knowledge related to sinking and floating objects in water. In Experiment 1, an implicit learning task was developed to examine whether implicit learning can induce changes in performance on near and far transfer tasks. The results of this experiment provide evidence that implicit learning tasks activate and suppress scientific intuitions. Experiment 2 examined the effects of combining implicit learning with traditional, direct instruction to enhance explicit learning of science concepts. This experiment demonstrates that sequencing implicit learning task before and after direct instruction has different effects on intuitive and conceptual knowledge. Together, these results suggest a novel approach for enhancing learning for conceptual change in science education.

COED Transactions, Vol. IX, No. 3, March 1977. Evaluation of a Complex Variable Using Analog/Hybrid Computation Techniques.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marcovitz, Alan B., Ed.

Described is the use of an analog/hybrid computer installation to study those physical phenomena that can be described through the evaluation of an algebraic function of a complex variable. This is an alternative way to study such phenomena on an interactive graphics terminal. The typical problem used, involving complex variables, is that of…

Modelling transport phenomena in a multi-physics context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marra, Francesco

2015-01-01

Innovative heating research on cooking, pasteurization/sterilization, defrosting, thawing and drying, often focuses on areas which include the assessment of processing time, evaluation of heating uniformity, studying the impact on quality attributes of the final product as well as considering the energy efficiency of these heating processes. During the last twenty years, so-called electro-heating-processes (radio-frequency - RF, microwaves - MW and ohmic - OH) gained a wide interest in industrial food processing and many applications using the above mentioned technologies have been developed with the aim of reducing processing time, improving process efficiency and, in many cases, the heating uniformity. In the area of innovative heating, electro-heating accounts for a considerable portion of both the scientific literature and commercial applications, which can be subdivided into either direct electro-heating (as in the case of OH heating) where electrical current is applied directly to the food or indirect electro-heating (e.g. MW and RF heating) where the electrical energy is firstly converted to electromagnetic radiation which subsequently generates heat within a product. New software packages, which make easier solution of PDEs based mathematical models, and new computers, capable of larger RAM and more efficient CPU performances, allowed an increasing interest about modelling transport phenomena in systems and processes - as the ones encountered in food processing - that can be complex in terms of geometry, composition, boundary conditions but also - as in the case of electro-heating assisted applications - in terms of interaction with other physical phenomena such as displacement of electric or magnetic field. This paper deals with the description of approaches used in modelling transport phenomena in a multi-physics context such as RF, MW and OH assisted heating.

Modelling transport phenomena in a multi-physics context

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Marra, Francesco

2015-01-22

Innovative heating research on cooking, pasteurization/sterilization, defrosting, thawing and drying, often focuses on areas which include the assessment of processing time, evaluation of heating uniformity, studying the impact on quality attributes of the final product as well as considering the energy efficiency of these heating processes. During the last twenty years, so-called electro-heating-processes (radio-frequency - RF, microwaves - MW and ohmic - OH) gained a wide interest in industrial food processing and many applications using the above mentioned technologies have been developed with the aim of reducing processing time, improving process efficiency and, in many cases, the heating uniformity. Inmore » the area of innovative heating, electro-heating accounts for a considerable portion of both the scientific literature and commercial applications, which can be subdivided into either direct electro-heating (as in the case of OH heating) where electrical current is applied directly to the food or indirect electro-heating (e.g. MW and RF heating) where the electrical energy is firstly converted to electromagnetic radiation which subsequently generates heat within a product. New software packages, which make easier solution of PDEs based mathematical models, and new computers, capable of larger RAM and more efficient CPU performances, allowed an increasing interest about modelling transport phenomena in systems and processes - as the ones encountered in food processing - that can be complex in terms of geometry, composition, boundary conditions but also - as in the case of electro-heating assisted applications - in terms of interaction with other physical phenomena such as displacement of electric or magnetic field. This paper deals with the description of approaches used in modelling transport phenomena in a multi-physics context such as RF, MW and OH assisted heating.« less

Correlated randomness and switching phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanley, H. E.; Buldyrev, S. V.; Franzese, G.; Havlin, S.; Mallamace, F.; Kumar, P.; Plerou, V.; Preis, T.

2010-08-01

One challenge of biology, medicine, and economics is that the systems treated by these serious scientific disciplines have no perfect metronome in time and no perfect spatial architecture-crystalline or otherwise. Nonetheless, as if by magic, out of nothing but randomness one finds remarkably fine-tuned processes in time and remarkably fine-tuned structures in space. Further, many of these processes and structures have the remarkable feature of “switching” from one behavior to another as if by magic. The past century has, philosophically, been concerned with placing aside the human tendency to see the universe as a fine-tuned machine. Here we will address the challenge of uncovering how, through randomness (albeit, as we shall see, strongly correlated randomness), one can arrive at some of the many spatial and temporal patterns in biology, medicine, and economics and even begin to characterize the switching phenomena that enables a system to pass from one state to another. Inspired by principles developed by A. Nihat Berker and scores of other statistical physicists in recent years, we discuss some applications of correlated randomness to understand switching phenomena in various fields. Specifically, we present evidence from experiments and from computer simulations supporting the hypothesis that water’s anomalies are related to a switching point (which is not unlike the “tipping point” immortalized by Malcolm Gladwell), and that the bubbles in economic phenomena that occur on all scales are not “outliers” (another Gladwell immortalization). Though more speculative, we support the idea of disease as arising from some kind of yet-to-be-understood complex switching phenomenon, by discussing data on selected examples, including heart disease and Alzheimer disease.

Biological Evolution and the History of the Earth Are Foundations of Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2008-01-01

AGU affirms the central importance of including scientific theories of Earth history and biological evolution in science education. Within the scientific community, the theory of biological evolution is not controversial, nor have ``alternative explanations'' been found. This is why no competing theories are required by the U.S. National Science Education Standards. Explanations of natural phenomena that appeal to the supernatural or are based on religious doctrine-and therefore cannot be tested through scientific inquiry-are not scientific, and have no place in the science classroom.

Opportunities and Challenges for the Emerging Field of Positive Emotion Regulation: A Commentary on the Special Edition on Positive Emotions and Cognitions in Clinical Psychology.

PubMed

Dunn, Barnaby D

2017-01-01

The importance of developing a better understanding of positive emotion regulation in both healthy and clinical populations is now recognised. This special edition brings together leading figures in the positive emotion regulation field and has contributions characterizing positive phenomena, differentiating them from negative phenomena, and evaluating underlying psychological mechanisms that drive these phenomena. This commentary reviews these articles to highlight challenges and opportunities for this emerging field, including the need to better characterize positive phenomena, to be more explicit about how the links between negative and positive phenomena are conceptualised, to evaluate more robustly underlying mechanisms, to standardize measurement of positive constructs, and to ensure that these scientific findings lead to meaningful changes in real-world policy and practice.

Optimized Materials From First Principles Simulations: Are We There Yet?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Galli, G; Gygi, F

2005-07-26

In the past thirty years, the use of scientific computing has become pervasive in all disciplines: collection and interpretation of most experimental data is carried out using computers, and physical models in computable form, with various degrees of complexity and sophistication, are utilized in all fields of science. However, full prediction of physical and chemical phenomena based on the basic laws of Nature, using computer simulations, is a revolution still in the making, and it involves some formidable theoretical and computational challenges. We illustrate the progress and successes obtained in recent years in predicting fundamental properties of materials in condensedmore » phases and at the nanoscale, using ab-initio, quantum simulations. We also discuss open issues related to the validation of the approximate, first principles theories used in large scale simulations, and the resulting complex interplay between computation and experiment. Finally, we describe some applications, with focus on nanostructures and liquids, both at ambient and under extreme conditions.« less

Selection of relevant input variables in storm water quality modeling by multiobjective evolutionary polynomial regression paradigm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Creaco, E.; Berardi, L.; Sun, Siao; Giustolisi, O.; Savic, D.

2016-04-01

The growing availability of field data, from information and communication technologies (ICTs) in "smart" urban infrastructures, allows data modeling to understand complex phenomena and to support management decisions. Among the analyzed phenomena, those related to storm water quality modeling have recently been gaining interest in the scientific literature. Nonetheless, the large amount of available data poses the problem of selecting relevant variables to describe a phenomenon and enable robust data modeling. This paper presents a procedure for the selection of relevant input variables using the multiobjective evolutionary polynomial regression (EPR-MOGA) paradigm. The procedure is based on scrutinizing the explanatory variables that appear inside the set of EPR-MOGA symbolic model expressions of increasing complexity and goodness of fit to target output. The strategy also enables the selection to be validated by engineering judgement. In such context, the multiple case study extension of EPR-MOGA, called MCS-EPR-MOGA, is adopted. The application of the proposed procedure to modeling storm water quality parameters in two French catchments shows that it was able to significantly reduce the number of explanatory variables for successive analyses. Finally, the EPR-MOGA models obtained after the input selection are compared with those obtained by using the same technique without benefitting from input selection and with those obtained in previous works where other data-modeling techniques were used on the same data. The comparison highlights the effectiveness of both EPR-MOGA and the input selection procedure.

The Role of Perspective Taking in How Children Connect Reference Frames When Explaining Astronomical Phenomena

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plummer, Julia D.; Bower, Corinne A.; Liben, Lynn S.

2016-01-01

This study investigates the role of perspective-taking skills in how children explain spatially complex astronomical phenomena. Explaining many astronomical phenomena, especially those studied in elementary and middle school, requires shifting between an Earth-based description of the phenomena and a space-based reference frame. We studied 7- to…

The Neuropsychoanalytic Approach: Using Neuroscience as the Basic Science of Psychoanalysis.

PubMed

Johnson, Brian; Flores Mosri, Daniela

2016-01-01

Neuroscience was the basic science behind Freud's psychoanalytic theory and technique. He worked as a neurologist for 20 years before being aware that a new approach to understand complex diseases, namely the hysterias, was needed. Solms coined the term neuropsychoanalysis to affirm that neuroscience still belongs in psychoanalysis. The neuropsychoanalytic field has continued Freud's original ideas as stated in 1895. Developments in psychoanalysis that have been created or revised by the neuropsychoanalysis movement include pain/relatedness/opioids, drive, structural model, dreams, cathexis, and dynamic unconscious. Neuroscience has contributed to the development of new psychoanalytic theory, such as Bazan's (2011) description of anxiety driven by unconscious intentions or "phantoms." Results of adopting the "dual aspect monism" approach of idiographic psychoanalytic clinical observation combined with nomothetic investigation of related human phenomena include clarification and revision of theory, restoration of the scientific base of psychoanalysis, and improvement of clinical treatments. By imbricating psychoanalytic thinking with neuroscience, psychoanalysts are also positioned to make contributions to neuroscience research. Freud's original Project for a Scientific Psychology/Psychology for Neurologists can be carried forward in a way that moves psychoanalysis into the twenty-first century as a core contemporary science (Kandel, 1999). Neuroscience as the basic science of psychoanalysis both improves the field, and enhances its scientific and cultural status.

The Neuropsychoanalytic Approach: Using Neuroscience as the Basic Science of Psychoanalysis

PubMed Central

Johnson, Brian; Flores Mosri, Daniela

2016-01-01

Neuroscience was the basic science behind Freud's psychoanalytic theory and technique. He worked as a neurologist for 20 years before being aware that a new approach to understand complex diseases, namely the hysterias, was needed. Solms coined the term neuropsychoanalysis to affirm that neuroscience still belongs in psychoanalysis. The neuropsychoanalytic field has continued Freud's original ideas as stated in 1895. Developments in psychoanalysis that have been created or revised by the neuropsychoanalysis movement include pain/relatedness/opioids, drive, structural model, dreams, cathexis, and dynamic unconscious. Neuroscience has contributed to the development of new psychoanalytic theory, such as Bazan's (2011) description of anxiety driven by unconscious intentions or “phantoms.” Results of adopting the “dual aspect monism” approach of idiographic psychoanalytic clinical observation combined with nomothetic investigation of related human phenomena include clarification and revision of theory, restoration of the scientific base of psychoanalysis, and improvement of clinical treatments. By imbricating psychoanalytic thinking with neuroscience, psychoanalysts are also positioned to make contributions to neuroscience research. Freud's original Project for a Scientific Psychology/Psychology for Neurologists can be carried forward in a way that moves psychoanalysis into the twenty-first century as a core contemporary science (Kandel, 1999). Neuroscience as the basic science of psychoanalysis both improves the field, and enhances its scientific and cultural status. PMID:27790160

From ether theory to ether theology: Oliver Lodge and the physics of immortality.

PubMed

Raia, Courtenay Grean

2007-01-01

This article follows the development of physicist Oliver Lodge's religio-scientific worldview, beginning with his reticent attraction to metaphysics in the early 1880s to the full formulation of his "ether theology" in the late 1890s. Lodge undertook the study of psychical phenomena such as telepathy, telekinesis, and "ectoplasm" to further his scientific investigations of the ether, speculating that electrical and psychical manifestations were linked phenomena that described the deeper underlying structures of the universe, beneath and beyond matter. For Lodge, to fully understand the ether was to force from the universe an ultimate Revelation, and psychical research, as the most modern and probatory science, was poised to replace religion as the means of that disclosure. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Perceived Credibility of Scientific Claims, Paranormal Phenomena, and Miracles among Primary Teacher Students: A Comparative Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keranto, Tapio

2001-01-01

Presents data collected concerning scientific, religious, and magic-occult connections from Finnish, Estonian, and Michigan primary teacher students to answer questions such as Do we find any differences between the credibility estimates?, Are there any differences between primary teacher students raised in different societies and educated in…

Making and Recording Observations: When Done Well, Observations Can Serve as Evidence When Engaging in Science Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arias, Anna Maria; Davis, Elizabeth A.

2016-01-01

Making and recording scientific observations is a fundamental activity of the scientific community. Scientists use their senses and tools (e.g., magnifying glasses, rulers, colored pencils) to make records of the phenomena (e.g., light energy, ecosystems) they are investigating. These observations often serve as evidence in the scientific…

The Concept and Role of Knowledge Worker and Workplace Fit in Learning Organisation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaižauskiene, Laura; Tuncikiene, Živile

2016-01-01

The theoretical research was conducted in order to identify the phenomena of "fit", to see its roots and development as well as theoretical progress in the main scientific areas and identify its position in management scientific field. Two elements of the fit model are highlighted: knowledge workers and workplaces in a broad sense. The…

Toward the Long-Term Scientific Study of Encounter Group Phenomena: I. Methodological Considerations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diamond, Michael Jay; Shapiro, Jerrold Lee

This paper proposes a model for the long-term scientific study of encounter, T-, and sensitivity groups. The authors see the need for overcoming major methodological and design inadequacies of such research. They discuss major methodological flaws in group outcome research as including: (1) lack of adequate base rate or pretraining measures; (2)…

Visualization of bioelectric phenomena.

PubMed

Palmer, T C; Simpson, E V; Kavanagh, K M; Smith, W M

1992-01-01

Biomedical investigators are currently able to acquire and analyze physiological and anatomical data from three-dimensional structures in the body. Often, multiple kinds of data can be recorded simultaneously. The usefulness of this information, either for exploratory viewing or for presentation to others, is limited by the lack of techniques to display it in intuitive, accessible formats. Unfortunately, the complexity of scientific visualization techniques and the inflexibility of commercial packages deter investigators from using sophisticated visualization methods that could provide them added insight into the mechanisms of the phenomena under study. Also, the sheer volume of such data is a problem. High-performance computing resources are often required for storage and processing, in addition to visualization. This chapter describes a novel, language-based interface that allows scientists with basic programming skills to classify and render multivariate volumetric data with a modest investment in software training. The interface facilitates data exploration by enabling experimentation with various algorithms to compute opacity and color from volumetric data. The value of the system is demonstrated using data from cardiac mapping studies, in which multiple electrodes are placed in an on the heart to measure the cardiac electrical activity intrinsic to the heart and its response to external stimulation.

Detailed thermodynamic analyses of high-speed compressible turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Towery, Colin; Darragh, Ryan; Poludnenko, Alexei; Hamlington, Peter

2016-11-01

Interactions between high-speed turbulence and flames (or chemical reactions) are important in the dynamics and description of many different combustion phenomena, including autoignition and deflagration-to-detonation transition. The probability of these phenomena to occur depends on the magnitude and spectral content of turbulence fluctuations, which can impact a wide range of science and engineering problems, from the hypersonic scramjet engine to the onset of Type Ia supernovae. In this talk, we present results from new direct numerical simulations (DNS) of homogeneous isotropic turbulence with turbulence Mach numbers ranging from 0 . 05 to 1 . 0 and Taylor-scale Reynolds numbers as high as 700. A set of detailed analyses are described in both Eulerian and Lagrangian reference frames in order to assess coherent (structural) and incoherent (stochastic) thermodynamic flow features. These analyses provide direct insights into the thermodynamics of strongly compressible turbulence. Furthermore, presented results provide a non-reacting baseline for future studies of turbulence-chemistry interactions in DNS with complex chemistry mechanisms. This work was supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) under Award No. FA9550-14-1-0273, and the Department of Defense (DoD) High Performance Computing Modernization Program (HPCMP) under a Frontier project award.

[Investigations of psychic/spiritual phenomena in the nineteenth century: somnambulism and spiritualism, 1811-1860].

PubMed

Pimentel, Marcelo Gulão; Alberto, Klaus Chaves; Moreira-Almeida, Alexander

2016-01-01

In the early nineteenth century, investigations into the nature of psychic/spiritual phenomena, like trances and the supposed acquisition of information unattainable using normal sensory channels, prompted much debate in the scientific arena. This article discusses the main explanations offered by the researchers of psychic phenomena reported between 1811 and 1860, concentrating on the two main movements in the period: magnetic somnambulism and modern spiritualism. While the investigations of these phenomena gave rise to multiple theories, they did not yield any consensus. However, they did have implications for the understanding of the mind and its disorders, especially in the areas of the unconscious and dissociation, constituting an important part of the history of psychology and psychiatry.

Slow slip phenomena in Cascadia from 2007 and beyond: a review

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gomberg, Joan; ,

2010-01-01

Recent technological advances combined with more detailed analyses of seismologic and geodetic observations have fundamentally changed our understanding of the ways in which tectonic stresses arising from plate motions are accommodated by slip on faults. The traditional view that relative plate motions are accommodated by a simple cycle of stress accumulation and release on “locked” plate-boundary faults has been revolutionized by the serendipitous discovery and recognition of the significance of slow-slip phenomena, mostly in the deeper reaches of subduction zones. The Cascadia subduction zone, located in the Pacific Northwest of the conterminous United States and adjacent Canada, is an archetype of exploration and learning about slow-slip phenomena. These phenomena are manifest as geodetically observed aseismic transient deformations accompanied by a previously unrecognized class of seismic signals. Although secondary failure processes may be involved in generating the seismic signals, the primary origins of both aseismic and seismic phenomena appear to be episodic fault slip, probably facilitated by fluids, on a plate interface that is critically stressed or weakened. In Cascadia, this transient slip evolves more slowly and over more prolonged durations relative to the slip in earthquakes, and it occurs between the 30- and 40-km-depth contours of the plate interface where information was previously elusive. Although there is some underlying organization that relaxes nearly all the accrued plate-motion stresses along the entirety of Cascadia, we now infer that slow slip evolves in complex patterns indicative of propagating stress fronts. Our new understanding provides key constraints not only on the region where the slow slip originates, but also on the probable characteristics of future megathrust earthquakes in Cascadia. Herein, we review the most significant scientific issues and progress related to understanding slow-slip phenomena in Cascadia and highlight some of their societal implications. We provide a comprehensive review, from the big picture as inferred from studies of regional-scale monitoring data to the details revealed by innovative, focused experiments and new instrumentation. We focus on what has been learned largely since 2007, when several major investments in monitoring and temporary deployments dramatically increased the quality and quantity of available data.

Damage Assessment of Structures an Air Force Office of Scientific Research Structural Mechanics Perspective

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-07-01

air turbulence and structural vibration , etc. Flexible load- bearing skins and reconfigurable support structures for smart and adaptive morphing...phenomena for flapping-wing micro air vehicles, the prevention and control of nonlinear and aeroelastic phenomena, energy harvesting from environmental...Embedded Ultrasonic NDE is a research project aimed at studying the Lamb wave interaction between piezoelectric wafer active sensors (PWAS) and the host

Personality psychology: lexical approaches, assessment methods, and trait concepts reveal only half of the story--why it is time for a paradigm shift.

PubMed

Uher, Jana

2013-03-01

This article develops a comprehensive philosophy-of-science for personality psychology that goes far beyond the scope of the lexical approaches, assessment methods, and trait concepts that currently prevail. One of the field's most important guiding scientific assumptions, the lexical hypothesis, is analysed from meta-theoretical viewpoints to reveal that it explicitly describes two sets of phenomena that must be clearly differentiated: 1) lexical repertoires and the representations that they encode and 2) the kinds of phenomena that are represented. Thus far, personality psychologists largely explored only the former, but have seriously neglected studying the latter. Meta-theoretical analyses of these different kinds of phenomena and their distinct natures, commonalities, differences, and interrelations reveal that personality psychology's focus on lexical approaches, assessment methods, and trait concepts entails a) erroneous meta-theoretical assumptions about what the phenomena being studied actually are, and thus how they can be analysed and interpreted, b) that contemporary personality psychology is largely based on everyday psychological knowledge, and c) a fundamental circularity in the scientific explanations used in trait psychology. These findings seriously challenge the widespread assumptions about the causal and universal status of the phenomena described by prominent personality models. The current state of knowledge about the lexical hypothesis is reviewed, and implications for personality psychology are discussed. Ten desiderata for future research are outlined to overcome the current paradigmatic fixations that are substantially hampering intellectual innovation and progress in the field.

Complex Phenomena Understanding in Electricity through Dynamically Linked Concrete and Abstract Representations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taramopoulos, A.; Psillos, D.

2017-01-01

The present study investigates the impact of utilizing virtual laboratory environments combining dynamically linked concrete and abstract representations in investigative activities on the ability of students to comprehend simple and complex phenomena in the field of electric circuits. Forty-two 16- to 17-year-old high school students participated…

Establishment of the New Ecuadorian Solar Physics Phenomena Division

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopez, E. D.

2014-02-01

Crucial physical phenomena occur in the equatorial atmosphere and ionosphere, which are currently understudied and poorly understood. Thus, scientific campaigns for monitoring the equatorial region are required in order to provide the necessary data for the physical models. Ecuador is located in strategic geographical position where these studies can be performed, providing quality data for the scientific community working in understanding the nature of these physical systems. The Quito Astronomical Observatory of National Polytechnic School is moving in this direction by promoting research in space sciences for the study of the equatorial zone. With the participation and the valuable collaboration of international initiatives such us AWESOME, MAGDAS, SAVNET and CALLISTO, the Quito Observatory is establishing a new space physics division on the basis of the International Space Weather Initiative. In this contribution, the above initiative is presented by inviting leaders of other scientific projects to deploy its instruments and to work with us providing the necessary support to the creation of this new strategic research center

Hauntings, homeopathy, and the Hopkinsville Goblins: using pseudoscience to teach scientific thinking

PubMed Central

Schmaltz, Rodney; Lilienfeld, Scott O.

2014-01-01

With access to information ever increasing, it is essential that students acquire the skills to distinguish fact from fiction. By incorporating examples of pseudoscience into lectures, instructors can provide students with the tools needed to understand the difference between scientific and pseudoscientific or paranormal claims. We discuss examples involving psychics, ghosts, aliens, and other phenomena in relation to scientific thinking. In light of research literature demonstrating that presenting and dispelling scientific misconceptions in the classroom is an effective means of countering non-scientific or pseudoscientific beliefs, we provide examples of pseudoscience that can be used to help students acquire healthy skepticism while avoiding cynicism. PMID:24860520

Hauntings, homeopathy, and the Hopkinsville Goblins: using pseudoscience to teach scientific thinking.

PubMed

Schmaltz, Rodney; Lilienfeld, Scott O

2014-01-01

With access to information ever increasing, it is essential that students acquire the skills to distinguish fact from fiction. By incorporating examples of pseudoscience into lectures, instructors can provide students with the tools needed to understand the difference between scientific and pseudoscientific or paranormal claims. We discuss examples involving psychics, ghosts, aliens, and other phenomena in relation to scientific thinking. In light of research literature demonstrating that presenting and dispelling scientific misconceptions in the classroom is an effective means of countering non-scientific or pseudoscientific beliefs, we provide examples of pseudoscience that can be used to help students acquire healthy skepticism while avoiding cynicism.

Stock network stability in times of crisis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heiberger, Raphael H.

2014-01-01

Despite many efforts crises on financial markets are in large part still scientific black-boxes. In this paper, we use a winner-take-all approach to construct a longitudinal network of S&P 500 companies and their correlations between 2000 and 2012. A comparison to complex ecosystems is drawn, especially whether the May-Wigner theorem can describe real-world economic phenomena. The results confirm the utility of the May-Wigner theorem as a stability indicator for the US stock market, since its development matches with the two major crises of this period, the dot-com bubble and, particularly, the financial crisis. In those times of financial turmoil, the stock network changes its composition, but unlike ecological systems it tightens and the disassortative structure of prosperous markets transforms into a more centralized topology.

Classifying prion and prion-like phenomena.

PubMed

Harbi, Djamel; Harrison, Paul M

2014-01-01

The universe of prion and prion-like phenomena has expanded significantly in the past several years. Here, we overview the challenges in classifying this data informatically, given that terms such as "prion-like", "prion-related" or "prion-forming" do not have a stable meaning in the scientific literature. We examine the spectrum of proteins that have been described in the literature as forming prions, and discuss how "prion" can have a range of meaning, with a strict definition being for demonstration of infection with in vitro-derived recombinant prions. We suggest that although prion/prion-like phenomena can largely be apportioned into a small number of broad groups dependent on the type of transmissibility evidence for them, as new phenomena are discovered in the coming years, a detailed ontological approach might be necessary that allows for subtle definition of different "flavors" of prion / prion-like phenomena.

The Scientific Method - Critical and Creative Thinking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cotton, John; Scarlise, Randall

2011-10-01

The ``scientific method'' is not just for scientists! Combined with critical thinking, the scientific method can enable students to distinguish credible sources of information from nonsense and become intelligent consumers of information. Professors John Cotton and Randall Scalise illustrate these principles using a series of examples and demonstrations that is enlightening, educational, and entertaining. This lecture/demonstration features highlights from their course (whose unofficial title is ``debunking pseudoscience'' ) which enables students to detect pseudoscience in its many guises: paranormal phenomena, free-energy devices, alternative medicine, and many others.

Chemical datuments as scientific enablers.

PubMed

Rzepa, Henry S

2013-01-23

This article is an attempt to construct a chemical datument as a means of presenting insights into chemical phenomena in a scientific journal. An exploration of the interactions present in a small fragment of duplex Z-DNA and the nature of the catalytic centre of a carbon-dioxide/alkene epoxide alternating co-polymerisation is presented in this datument, with examples of the use of three software tools, one based on Java, the other two using Javascript and HTML5 technologies. The implications for the evolution of scientific journals are discussed.

Science Education in Primary Schools: Is an Animation Worth a Thousand Pictures?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barak, Miri; Dori, Yehudit J.

2011-10-01

Science teaching deals with abstract concepts and processes that very often cannot be seen or touched. The development of Java, Flash, and other web-based applications allow teachers and educators to present complex animations that attractively illustrate scientific phenomena. Our study evaluated the integration of web-based animated movies into primary schools science curriculum. Our goal was to examine teachers' methods for integrating animated movies and their views about the role of animations in enhancing young students' thinking skills. We also aimed at investigating the effect of animated movies on students' learning outcomes. Applying qualitative and quantitative tools, we conducted informal discussions with science teachers (N = 15) and administered pre- and post-questionnaires to 4th (N = 641) and 5th (N = 694) grade students who were divided into control and experimental groups. The experimental group students studied science while using animated movies and supplementary activities at least once a week. The control group students used only textbooks and still-pictures for learning science. Findings indicated that animated movies support the use of diverse teaching strategies and learning methods, and can promote various thinking skills among students. Findings also indicated that animations can enhance scientific curiosity, the acquisition of scientific language, and fostering scientific thinking. These encouraging results can be explained by the fact that the students made use of both visual-pictorial and auditory-verbal capabilities while exploring animated movies in diverse learning styles and teaching strategies.

Towards a Conceptual Profile: Rethinking Conceptual Mediation in the Light of Recent Cognitive and Neuroscientific Findings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dawson, Chris

2014-01-01

One important focus for science education researchers over many years has been the attempts to replace students' commonsense and non-scientific explanations of various phenomena by scientific explanations. The approach we adopted almost three decades ago was conceptual mediation, and this was shown to have a considerable level of success with…

Exogeoconservation: Protecting geological heritage on celestial bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matthews, Jack J.; McMahon, Sean

2018-08-01

Geoconservation is an increasingly widely adopted theoretical, practical and administrative approach to the protection of geological and geomorphological features of special scientific, functional, historic, cultural, aesthetic, or ecological value. Protected sites on Earth include natural rocky outcrops, shorelines, river banks, and landscapes, as well as human-made structures such as road cuts and quarries exposing geological phenomena. However, geoconservation has rarely been discussed in the context of other rocky and icy planets, rings, moons, dwarf planets, asteroids, or comets, which present extraordinarily diverse, beautiful, and culturally, historically and scientifically important geological phenomena. Here we propose to adapt geoconservation strategies for protecting the geological heritage of these celestial bodies, and introduce the term 'exogeoconservation' and other associated terms for this purpose. We argue that exogeoconservation is acutely necessary for the scientific exploration and responsible stewardship of celestial bodies, and suggest how this might be achieved and managed by means of international protocols. We stress that such protocols must be sensitive to the needs of scientific, industrial, and other human activities, and not unduly prohibitive. However, with space exploration and exploitation likely to accelerate in coming decades, it is increasingly important that an internationally agreed, holistic framework be developed for the protection of our common 'exogeoheritage'.

In search of the proper scientific approach: Hayek's views on biology, methodology, and the nature of economics.

PubMed

Beck, Naomi

2009-12-01

Friedrich August von Hayek (1899-1992) is mainly known for his defense of free-market economics and liberalism. His views on science--more specifically on the methodological differences between the physical sciences on the one hand, and evolutionary biology and the social sciences on the other--are less well known. Yet in order to understand, and properly evaluate Hayek's political position, we must look at the theory of scientific method that underpins it. Hayek believed that a basic misunderstanding of the discipline of economics and the complex phenomena with which it deals produced misconceptions concerning its method and goals, which led in turn to the adoption of dangerous policies. The objective of this article is to trace the development of Hayek's views on the nature of economics as a scientific discipline and to examine his conclusions concerning the scope of economic prediction. In doing so, I will first show that Hayek's interest in the natural sciences (especially biology), as well as his interest in epistemology, were central to his thought, dating back to his formative years. I will then emphasize the important place of historical analysis in Hayek's reflections on methodology and examine the reasons for his strong criticism of positivism and socialism. Finally, in the third and fourth sections that constitute the bulk of this article, I will show how Hayek's understanding of the data and goal of the social sciences (which he distinguished from those of the physical sciences), culminated in an analogy that sought to establish economics and evolutionary biology as exemplary complex sciences. I will challenge Hayek's interpretation of this analogy through a comparison with Darwin's views in The Origin of Species, and thus open a door to re-evaluating the theoretical foundations of Hayek's political claims.

A Scientific Approach to the Investigation on Anomalous Atmospheric Light Phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teodorani, M.

2011-12-01

Anomalous atmospheric light phenomena tend to occur recurrently in several places of our planet. Statistical studies show that a phenomenon's real recurrence area can be identified only after pondering reported cases on the population number and on the diffusion of communication media. The main scientific results that have been obtained so far after explorative instrumented missions have been carried out are presented, including the empirical models that have been set up in order to describe the observed reality. Subsequently, a focused theorization is discussed in order to attack the physical problem concerning the structure and the dynamics of "light balls" and the enigma related to the central force that maintains them in spherical shape. Finally, several important issues are discussed regarding methodology, strategy, tactics and interdisciplinary approaches.

Too good to be true: publication bias in two prominent studies from experimental psychology.

PubMed

Francis, Gregory

2012-04-01

Empirical replication has long been considered the final arbiter of phenomena in science, but replication is undermined when there is evidence for publication bias. Evidence for publication bias in a set of experiments can be found when the observed number of rejections of the null hypothesis exceeds the expected number of rejections. Application of this test reveals evidence of publication bias in two prominent investigations from experimental psychology that have purported to reveal evidence of extrasensory perception and to indicate severe limitations of the scientific method. The presence of publication bias suggests that those investigations cannot be taken as proper scientific studies of such phenomena, because critical data are not available to the field. Publication bias could partly be avoided if experimental psychologists started using Bayesian data analysis techniques.

Make a Nature Trail

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Janice K.

1973-01-01

Discusses the planning, construction, use, and maintenance of a nature trail. Ideal for demonstrating interrelationships between plants and animals, conservation practices, wildlife management, plant succession, forestry, geologic features and other scientific phenomena. (JR)

Good-bye to Fairy Tales

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schamp, Homer W., Jr.

1975-01-01

Discusses attitudes seemingly engendered by practices in science teaching. Comments on explanations of scientific phenomena which appear in recent science texts as over-simplified and thus impede the child's imagination. (Author/EB)

SOFIA Technology: The NASA Airborne Astronomy Ambassador (AAA) Experience and Online Resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, C.; Harman, P. K.; Backman, D. E.

2016-12-01

SOFIA, an 80/20 partnership of NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), consists of a modified Boeing 747SP carrying a reflecting telescope with an effective diameter of 2.5 meters. SOFIA is the largest airborne observatory in the world, capable of observations impossible for even the largest and highest ground-based telescopes. The SOFIA Program Office is at NASA ARC, Moffett Field, CA; the aircraft is based in Palmdale, CA. During its planned 20-year lifetime, SOFIA will foster development of new scientific instrumentation and inspire the education of young scientists and engineers. Astrophysicists are awarded time on SOFIA to study many kinds of astronomical objects and phenomena. Among the most interesting are: Star birth, evolution, and death Formation of new planetary systems Chemistry of complex molecules in space Planet and exoplanet atmospheres Galactic gas & dust "ecosystems" Environments around supermassive black holes SOFIA currently has eight instruments, five US-made and three German. The instruments — cameras, spectrometers, and a photometer,— operate at near-, mid- and far-infrared wavelengths, each spectral range being best suited to studying particular celestial phenomena. NASA's Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors' (AAAs) experience includes a STEM immersion component. AAAs are onboard during two overnight SOFIA flights that provide insight into the acquisition of scientific data as well as the interfaces between the telescope, instrument, & aircraft. AAAs monitor system performance and view observation targets from their dedicated workstation during flights. Future opportunities for school district partnerships leading to selection of future AAA cohorts will be offered in 2018-19. AAAs may access public archive data via the SOFIA Data Cycle System (DCS) https://dcs.sofia.usra.edu/. Additional SOFIA science and other resources are available at: www.sofia.usra.edu, including lessons that use photovoltaic circuits, and other technology for the classroom.

Extracting physics through deep data analysis

DOE PAGES

Strelcov, Evgheni; Belianinov, Alex; Sumpter, Bobby G.; ...

2014-10-31

In recent decades humankind has become very apt at generating and recording enormous amounts of data, ranging from tweets and selfies on social networks, to financial transactions in banks and stores. The scientific community has not shunned this popular trend and now routinely produces hundreds of petabytes of data per year [1]. This is because materials and phenomena in the world around us exist in an interweaved, entangled form, which gives rise to the complexity of the Universe and determines the size and complexity of the data that describes it. Science and technology endeavor to unravel this convolution and extractmore » pure components from the mixtures, be it in ore mining and metal smelting or separation of thermal conductivity into the electronic and phononic contributions. Decomposition of complex behavior is the key to understanding manifestations of Nature. However, tools to carry out this task are not readily available, and therefore, intricate systems often remain well-characterized experimentally, but still not well understood due to intricacy of the collected data. Lastly, in materials science, understanding and ultimately designing new materials with complex properties will require the ability to integrate and analyze data from multiple instruments, including computational models, designed to probe complementary ranges of space, time, and energy.« less

Dual-phase evolution in complex adaptive systems

PubMed Central

Paperin, Greg; Green, David G.; Sadedin, Suzanne

2011-01-01

Understanding the origins of complexity is a key challenge in many sciences. Although networks are known to underlie most systems, showing how they contribute to well-known phenomena remains an issue. Here, we show that recurrent phase transitions in network connectivity underlie emergent phenomena in many systems. We identify properties that are typical of systems in different connectivity phases, as well as characteristics commonly associated with the phase transitions. We synthesize these common features into a common framework, which we term dual-phase evolution (DPE). Using this framework, we review the literature from several disciplines to show that recurrent connectivity phase transitions underlie the complex properties of many biological, physical and human systems. We argue that the DPE framework helps to explain many complex phenomena, including perpetual novelty, modularity, scale-free networks and criticality. Our review concludes with a discussion of the way DPE relates to other frameworks, in particular, self-organized criticality and the adaptive cycle. PMID:21247947

Dual-phase evolution in complex adaptive systems.

PubMed

Paperin, Greg; Green, David G; Sadedin, Suzanne

2011-05-06

Understanding the origins of complexity is a key challenge in many sciences. Although networks are known to underlie most systems, showing how they contribute to well-known phenomena remains an issue. Here, we show that recurrent phase transitions in network connectivity underlie emergent phenomena in many systems. We identify properties that are typical of systems in different connectivity phases, as well as characteristics commonly associated with the phase transitions. We synthesize these common features into a common framework, which we term dual-phase evolution (DPE). Using this framework, we review the literature from several disciplines to show that recurrent connectivity phase transitions underlie the complex properties of many biological, physical and human systems. We argue that the DPE framework helps to explain many complex phenomena, including perpetual novelty, modularity, scale-free networks and criticality. Our review concludes with a discussion of the way DPE relates to other frameworks, in particular, self-organized criticality and the adaptive cycle.

Social Impact of Solar Eclipse in Indonesia: A Comparative Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mumpuni, Emanuel S.; Hidayat, Bambang

2012-09-01

The social impact and public comprehension of the natural phenomenon varies depending on how a particular cultural background perceives the phenomenon and how the interaction between general public and the authoritative bodies has persisted. While astronomers and scientists have taken for granted that solar eclipse is a natural phenomenon and subjected it to various scientific studies, large percentages of the population have been left uninformed scientifically and have responded to the phenomena quite differently. The technical and scientific aspects of the earliest expedition, to Padang (Sumatra) in 1901, have recently been discussed at length.Two major solar eclipses, namely the 1926 and 1929, offered many scientific outputs as well as results on observations of societies: anthropology, demography, and culinary habits of the local inhabitants. Those days, science was the preserve of a few selected. To a certain degree, many old perceptions of on natural phenomena, with their ruling deities still lingered on. The purpose of this paper is to show the changing views of the endogenous population in particular after the government's massive efforts to enlighten the people and to empower the younger generations in comprehending natural phenomena. The great efforts of the Government of Indonesia's Institute of Sciences (LIPI) related to the June 1983 solar eclipse produced a dramatic change in the sense of appreciation of solar eclipse as a natural phenomenon in consequence of relative motions of the Sun, Moon and the Earth. It took however another five years, till the time of the great eclipse in 1988, to a full fruition in which younger generations as well as older ones abandoned almost completely the old views and embarked on the understanding the value of solar eclipse for science.

When Simple Harmonic Motion Is Not that Simple: Managing Epistemological Complexity by Using Computer-Based Representations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parnafes, Orit

2010-01-01

Many real-world phenomena, even "simple" physical phenomena such as natural harmonic motion, are complex in the sense that they require coordinating multiple subtle foci of attention to get the required information when experiencing them. Moreover, for students to develop sound understanding of a concept or a phenomenon, they need to learn to get…

The Relationship between Learners' Distrust of Scientific Models, Their Spatial Ability, and the Vividness of Their Mental Images

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Balushi, Sulaiman M.

2013-01-01

The purpose of the current study was to examine the nature of the relationship between learners' distrust of scientific models that represent unseen entities and phenomena, their spatial ability, and the vividness of their mental images. The sample consisted of 302 tenth grade students in the Sultanate of Oman. Three measures were used for this…

FuturICT: Participatory computing to understand and manage our complex world in a more sustainable and resilient way

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helbing, D.; Bishop, S.; Conte, R.; Lukowicz, P.; McCarthy, J. B.

2012-11-01

We have built particle accelerators to understand the forces that make up our physical world. Yet, we do not understand the principles underlying our strongly connected, techno-socio-economic systems. We have enabled ubiquitous Internet connectivity and instant, global information access. Yet we do not understand how it impacts our behavior and the evolution of society. To fill the knowledge gaps and keep up with the fast pace at which our world is changing, a Knowledge Accelerator must urgently be created. The financial crisis, international wars, global terror, the spreading of diseases and cyber-crime as well as demographic, technological and environmental change demonstrate that humanity is facing serious challenges. These problems cannot be solved within the traditional paradigms. Moving our attention from a component-oriented view of the world to an interaction-oriented view will allow us to understand the complex systems we have created and the emergent collective phenomena characterising them. This paradigm shift will enable new solutions to long-standing problems, very much as the shift from a geocentric to a heliocentric worldview has facilitated modern physics and the ability to launch satellites. The FuturICT flagship project will develop new science and technology to manage our future in a complex, strongly connected world. For this, it will combine the power of information and communication technology (ICT) with knowledge from the social and complexity sciences. ICT will provide the data to boost the social sciences into a new era. Complexity science will shed new light on the emergent phenomena in socially interactive systems, and the social sciences will provide a better understanding of the opportunities and risks of strongly networked systems, in particular future ICT systems. Hence, the envisaged FuturICT flagship will create new methods and instruments to tackle the challenges of the 21st century. FuturICT could indeed become one of the most important scientific endeavours ever, by revealing the principles that make socially interactive systems work well, by inspiring the creation of new platforms to explore our possible futures, and by initiating an era of social and socio-inspired innovations.

Are Life, Consciousness, and Intelligence Cosmic Phenomena?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kostro, Ludwik

2013-09-01

First of all the scientific reasons of astrophysics, astronomy and modern astrobiology in favor of the existence of life, consciousness and intelligence in the Universe will be presented and estimated (e.g. the Nobel Laureate Christian de Duve's arguments). The part played in this kind of scientific debate by the Copernicus principle will be stressed from the scientific and philosophical point of view. Since there are also philosophers and theologians who argue in favor of the existence of life in the Universe, their arguments will be shortly presented and estimated as well.

Chemical datuments as scientific enablers

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

This article is an attempt to construct a chemical datument as a means of presenting insights into chemical phenomena in a scientific journal. An exploration of the interactions present in a small fragment of duplex Z-DNA and the nature of the catalytic centre of a carbon-dioxide/alkene epoxide alternating co-polymerisation is presented in this datument, with examples of the use of three software tools, one based on Java, the other two using Javascript and HTML5 technologies. The implications for the evolution of scientific journals are discussed. PMID:23343381

Scientific Motivational Techniques Adaptable to Social Studies Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steiner, Robert L.

1975-01-01

Two science classroom techniques that can be used in the social studies classroom to motivate students involve puzzling phenomena and relating science to social issues such as over-population, energy, and pollution. (JR)

Does Science Presuppose Naturalism (or Anything at All)?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fishman, Yonatan I.; Boudry, Maarten

2013-05-01

Several scientists, scientific institutions, and philosophers have argued that science is committed to Methodological Naturalism (MN), the view that science, by virtue of its methods, is limited to studying `natural' phenomena and cannot consider or evaluate hypotheses that refer to supernatural entities. While they may in fact exist, gods, ghosts, spirits, and extrasensory or psi phenomena are inherently outside the domain of scientific investigation. Recently, Mahner (Sci Educ 3:357-371, 2012) has taken this position one step further, proposing the more radical view that science presupposes an a priori commitment not just to MN, but also to ontological naturalism (ON), the metaphysical thesis that supernatural entities and phenomena do not exist. Here, we argue that science presupposes neither MN nor ON and that science can indeed investigate supernatural hypotheses via standard methodological approaches used to evaluate any `non-supernatural' claim. Science, at least ideally, is committed to the pursuit of truth about the nature of reality, whatever it may be, and hence cannot exclude the existence of the supernatural a priori, be it on methodological or metaphysical grounds, without artificially limiting its scope and power. Hypotheses referring to the supernatural or paranormal should be rejected not because they violate alleged a priori methodological or metaphysical presuppositions of the scientific enterprise, but rather because they fail to satisfy basic explanatory criteria, such as explanatory power and parsimony, which are routinely considered when evaluating claims in science and everyday life. Implications of our view for science education are discussed.

The overdiagnosis of what? On the relationship between the concepts of overdiagnosis, disease, and diagnosis.

PubMed

Hofmann, Bjørn

2017-12-01

Overdiagnosis and disease are related concepts. Widened conceptions of disease increase overdiagnosis and vice versa. This is partly because there is a close and complex relationship between disease and overdiagnosis. In order to address the problems with overdiagnosis, we may benefit from a closer understanding this relationship. Accordingly, the objective of this article is to elucidate the relationship between disease and overdiagnosis. To do so, the article starts with scrutinizing how overdiagnosis can explain the expansion of the concept of disease. Then it investigates how definitions of disease address various challenges of overdiagnosis. The article specifically investigates recent attempts to clarify the relationship between the concepts of disease and overdiagnosis. Several shortcomings are identified and lead to a closer analysis of overdiagnosis in the diagnostic process. Contrary to recent contributions to the field, it is argued that cases of overdiagnosis are not cases of disease. They are non-verified labelling of disease. It is revealed how overdiagnosis establishes an unwarranted link between indicative phenomena, such as polyps or cell changes, and harm, and thereby generates a link to disease. One implication of this study is that we should stop attributing disease language to indicative phenomena. That is, we should stop calling it "cancer screening" when we are actually searching for polyps. Another implications is that we should strive for scientific progress in differentiating phenomena that are of negative value to us from those that are not. In overdiagnosis we diagnose something that is not disease: it is over-diagnosis.

Updated Panel-Method Computer Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ashby, Dale L.

1995-01-01

Panel code PMARC_12 (Panel Method Ames Research Center, version 12) computes potential-flow fields around complex three-dimensional bodies such as complete aircraft models. Contains several advanced features, including internal mathematical modeling of flow, time-stepping wake model for simulating either steady or unsteady motions, capability for Trefftz computation of drag induced by plane, and capability for computation of off-body and on-body streamlines, and capability of computation of boundary-layer parameters by use of two-dimensional integral boundary-layer method along surface streamlines. Investigators interested in visual representations of phenomena, may want to consider obtaining program GVS (ARC-13361), General visualization System. GVS is Silicon Graphics IRIS program created to support scientific-visualization needs of PMARC_12. GVS available separately from COSMIC. PMARC_12 written in standard FORTRAN 77, with exception of NAMELIST extension used for input.

Living on an Active Earth: Perspectives on Earthquake Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lay, Thorne

2004-02-01

The annualized long-term loss due to earthquakes in the United States is now estimated at $4.4 billion per year. A repeat of the 1923 Kanto earthquake, near Tokyo, could cause direct losses of $2-3 trillion. With such grim numbers, which are guaranteed to make you take its work seriously, the NRC Committee on the Science of Earthquakes begins its overview of the emerging multidisciplinary field of earthquake science. An up-to-date and forward-looking survey of scientific investigation of earthquake phenomena and engineering response to associated hazards is presented at a suitable level for a general educated audience. Perspectives from the fields of seismology, geodesy, neo-tectonics, paleo-seismology, rock mechanics, earthquake engineering, and computer modeling of complex dynamic systems are integrated into a balanced definition of earthquake science that has never before been adequately articulated.

Theory of the Origin, Evolution, and Nature of Life

PubMed Central

Andrulis, Erik D.

2011-01-01

Life is an inordinately complex unsolved puzzle. Despite significant theoretical progress, experimental anomalies, paradoxes, and enigmas have revealed paradigmatic limitations. Thus, the advancement of scientific understanding requires new models that resolve fundamental problems. Here, I present a theoretical framework that economically fits evidence accumulated from examinations of life. This theory is based upon a straightforward and non-mathematical core model and proposes unique yet empirically consistent explanations for major phenomena including, but not limited to, quantum gravity, phase transitions of water, why living systems are predominantly CHNOPS (carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur), homochirality of sugars and amino acids, homeoviscous adaptation, triplet code, and DNA mutations. The theoretical framework unifies the macrocosmic and microcosmic realms, validates predicted laws of nature, and solves the puzzle of the origin and evolution of cellular life in the universe. PMID:25382118

Integrating Computational Science Tools into a Thermodynamics Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vieira, Camilo; Magana, Alejandra J.; García, R. Edwin; Jana, Aniruddha; Krafcik, Matthew

2018-01-01

Computational tools and methods have permeated multiple science and engineering disciplines, because they enable scientists and engineers to process large amounts of data, represent abstract phenomena, and to model and simulate complex concepts. In order to prepare future engineers with the ability to use computational tools in the context of their disciplines, some universities have started to integrate these tools within core courses. This paper evaluates the effect of introducing three computational modules within a thermodynamics course on student disciplinary learning and self-beliefs about computation. The results suggest that using worked examples paired to computer simulations to implement these modules have a positive effect on (1) student disciplinary learning, (2) student perceived ability to do scientific computing, and (3) student perceived ability to do computer programming. These effects were identified regardless of the students' prior experiences with computer programming.

The impact of supercomputers on experimentation: A view from a national laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peterson, V. L.; Arnold, J. O.

1985-01-01

The relative roles of large scale scientific computers and physical experiments in several science and engineering disciplines are discussed. Increasing dependence on computers is shown to be motivated both by the rapid growth in computer speed and memory, which permits accurate numerical simulation of complex physical phenomena, and by the rapid reduction in the cost of performing a calculation, which makes computation an increasingly attractive complement to experimentation. Computer speed and memory requirements are presented for selected areas of such disciplines as fluid dynamics, aerodynamics, aerothermodynamics, chemistry, atmospheric sciences, astronomy, and astrophysics, together with some examples of the complementary nature of computation and experiment. Finally, the impact of the emerging role of computers in the technical disciplines is discussed in terms of both the requirements for experimentation and the attainment of previously inaccessible information on physical processes.

The Species Problem and the Value of Teaching and the Complexities of Species

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chung, Carl

2004-01-01

Discussions on species taxa directly refer to a range of complex biological phenomena. Given these phenomena, biologists have developed and continue to appeal to a series of species concepts and do not have a clear definition for it as each species concept tells us part of the story or helps the biologists to explain and understand a subset of…

Proceedings of the Fourth Microgravity Fluid Physics and Transport Phenomena Conference

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

This conference presents information to the scientific community on research results, future directions, and research opportunities in microgravity fluid physics and transport phenomena within NASA's microgravity research program. The conference theme is "The International Space Station." The conference publication consists of the full Proceedings of the 4th Microgravity Fluid Physics and Transport Phenomena Conference on CD-ROM, containing full papers presented at the conference. Ninety papers are presented in 21 technical sessions, and a special exposition session presents 32 posters describing the work of principal investigators new to NASA's program in this discipline. Eighty-eight papers and 25 posters are presented in their entirety on the CD-ROM.

Sixth Microgravity Fluid Physics and Transport Phenomena Conference: Exposition Topical Areas 1-6. Volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Bhim (Compiler)

2002-01-01

The Sixth Microgravity Fluid Physics and Transport Phenomena Conference provides the scientific community the opportunity to view the current scope of the Microgravity Fluid Physics and Transport Phenomena Program, current research opportunities, and plans for the near future. The conference focuses not only on fundamental research but also on applications of this knowledge towards enabling future space exploration missions. A whole session dedicated to biological fluid physics shows increased emphasis that the program has placed on interdisciplinary research. The conference includes invited plenary talks, technical paper presentations, poster presentations, and exhibits. This CP (conference proceeding) is a compilation of the abstracts, presentations, and posters presented at the conference.

Analysis of the transmission characteristics of China's carbon market transaction price volatility from the perspective of a complex network.

PubMed

Jia, Jingjing; Li, Huajiao; Zhou, Jinsheng; Jiang, Meihui; Dong, Di

2018-03-01

Research on the price fluctuation transmission of the carbon trading pilot market is of great significance for the establishment of China's unified carbon market and its development in the future. In this paper, the carbon market transaction prices of Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenzhen, and Guangdong were selected from December 29, 2013 to March 26, 2016, as sample data. Based on the view of the complex network theory, we construct a price fluctuation transmission network model of five pilot carbon markets in China, with the purposes of analyzing the topological features of this network, including point intensity, weighted clustering coefficient, betweenness centrality, and community structure, and elucidating the characteristics and transmission mechanism of price fluctuation in China's five pilot cities. The results of point intensity and weighted clustering coefficient show that the carbon prices in the five markets remained unchanged and transmitted smoothly in general, and price fragmentation is serious; however, at some point, the price fluctuates with mass phenomena. The result of betweenness centrality reflects that a small number of price fluctuations can control the whole market carbon price transmission and price fluctuation evolves in an alternate manner. The study provides direction for the scientific management of the carbon price. Policy makers should take a positive role in promoting market activity, preventing the risks that may arise from mass trade and scientifically forecasting the volatility of trading prices, which will provide experience for the establishment of a unified carbon market in China.

Cosmic Concepts: A Video Series for Scaffolded Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eisenhamer, Bonnie; Summers, Frank; Maple, John

2016-01-01

Scaffolding is widely considered to be an essential element of effective teaching and is used to help bridge knowledge gaps for learners. Scaffolding is especially important for distance-learning programs and computer-based learning environments. Preliminary studies are showing that when students learn about complex topics within computer-based learning environments without scaffolding, they fail to gain a conceptual understanding of the topic. As a result, researchers have begun to emphasize the importance of scaffolding for web-based as well as in-person instruction.To support scaffolded teaching practices and techniques, while addressing the needs of life-long learners, we have created the Cosmic Concepts video series. The series consists of short, one-topic videos that address scientific concepts with a special emphasis on those that traditionally cause confusion or are layered with misconceptions. Each video focuses on one idea at a time and provides a clear explanation of phenomena that is succinct enough for on-demand reference usage by all types of learners. Likewise, the videos can be used by educators to scaffold the scientific concepts behind astronomical images, or can be sequenced together to create well-structured pathways for presenting deeper and more layered ideas. This approach is critical for communicating information about astronomical discoveries that are often dense with unfamiliar concepts, complex ideas, and highly technical details. Additionally, learning tools in video formats support multi-sensory presentation approaches that can make astronomy more accessible to a variety of learners.

What Studying Leadership Can Teach Us About the Science of Behavior.

PubMed

Malott, Maria E

2016-05-01

Throughout history, individuals have changed the world in significant ways, forging new paths; demonstrating remarkable capacity to inspire others to follow; and repeatedly showing independence, resilience, consistency, and commitment to principle. However, significant cultural change is rarely accomplished single-handedly; instead, it results from the complex and dynamic interaction of groups of individuals. To illustrate how leaders participate in cultural phenomena, I describe how a few individuals helped to establish the Cold War. In this analysis, I distinguish two types of cultural phenomena: metacontingencies, involving lineages of interlocking behavioral contingencies, and cultural cusps, involving complicated, unique, and nonreplicable interrelations between individuals and circumstances. I conclude that by analyzing leaders' actions and their results, we can appreciate that cultural and behavioral phenomena are different, and although cultural phenomena are inherently complex and in many cases do not lend themselves to replication, not only should the science of behavior account for them, cultural phenomena should also constitute a major area of behavior analysis study and application.

[Is the brain the creator of psychic phenomena or is a paradigm shift inevitable?].

PubMed

Bonilla, Ernesto

2014-06-01

Every day new scientific information is appearing that cannot be explained using the classical Newtonian model and is calling for the emergence of a new paradigm that would include the explanation of such phenomena as telepathy, clairvoyance, presentiment, precognition, out of the body experiences, psychic healing, after-death communication, near-death experiences and reincarnation. The materialist paradigm which considers the brain as the sole cause of consciousness and psychic phenomena has been challenged by a new paradigm that seems to demonstrate that there is not a cause-effect relationship between brain activity and psychic phenomena but only a correlation between them, since these phenomena can be experienced without the body and appear to have an extra-cerebral origin (cosmic field, cosmic consciousness?). Of course, the brain is intensely involved in the manifestation of consciousness in our daily life but this is not equivalent to affirm that brain creates consciousness. Recent findings force us to consider a non-physical, spiritual and transpersonal aspect of reality.

A tale of two congresses: the psychological study of psychical, occult, and religious phenomena, 1900-1909.

PubMed

Taves, Ann

2014-01-01

In so far as researchers viewed psychical, occult, and religious phenomena as both objectively verifiable and resistant to extant scientific explanations, their study posed thorny issues for experimental psychologists. Controversies over the study of psychical and occult phenomena at the Fourth Congress of International Psychology (Paris, 1900) and religious phenomena at the Sixth (Geneva, 1909) raise the question of why the latter was accepted as a legitimate object of study, whereas the former was not. Comparison of the Congresses suggests that those interested in the study of religion were willing to forego the quest for objective evidence and focus on experience, whereas those most invested in psychical research were not. The shift in focus did not overcome many of the methodological difficulties. Sub-specialization formalized distinctions between psychical, religious, and pathological phenomena; obscured similarities; and undercut the nascent comparative study of unusual experiences that had emerged at the early Congresses. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hazeltine, Richard D.

The mission of the Institute for Fusion Studies has been to serve as a national center for theoretical fusion and plasma physics research. As an independent scientific group of critical size, its objectives were to conduct research on fundamental phenomena important to fusion; to serve as a center for fusion theory exchange activities with other countries; to exchange scientific developments with other academic disciplines; and to train students and postdoctoral fellows in fusion and plasma physics research.

Hessdalen Light Phenomena and the Inconsistency of the "Car-Headlight" Interpretation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teodorani, M.

Some gratuitous criticism attempted to attack research concerning the scientific study of anomalous light phenomena in Hessdalen, Norway, by artfully constructing a castle in the air based on the arbitrary assumption that the "EMBLA 2002" field-study was dedicated to car headlights. This paper summarizes and analyzes in a few essential details the reasons why this "criticism" hasn't any reason to be considered such, as it is only a well-constructed fake. Some epistemological aspects are treated as well.

Resolving polarized stellar features thanks to polarimetric interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rousselet-Perraut, Karine; Chesneau, Olivier; Vakili, Farrokh; Mourard, Denis; Janel, Sebastien; Lavaud, Laurent; Crocherie, Axel

2003-02-01

Polarimetry is a powerful means for detecting and constraining various physical phenomena, such as scattering processes or magnetic fields, occuring in a large panel of stellar objects: extended atmospheres of hot stars, CP stars, Young Stellar Objects, Active Galaxy Nuclei, ... However, the lack of angular resolution is generally a strong handicap to drastically constrain the physical parameters and the geometry of the polarizing phenomena because of the cancelling of the polarized signal. In fact, even if stellar features are strongly polarized, the (spectro-)polarimetric signal integrated over the stellar surface rarely exceeds few percents. Coupling polarimetric and interferometric devices allows to resolve these local polarized structures and thus to constrain complex patchy stellar surfaces and/or environments such as disk topology in T Tauri stars, hot stars radiative winds or oscillations in Be star envelopes. In this article, we explain how interfero-polarimetric observables, basically the contrast and the position of the interference fringe patterns versus polarization (and even versus wavelength) are powerful to address the above scientific drivers and we emphasize on the key point of instrumental and data calibrations: since interferometric measurements are differential ones between 2 or more beams, this strongly relaxes the calibration requirements for the fringe phase observable. Prospects induced by the operation of the optical aperture synthesis arrays are also discussed.

Book Review: Physics of the Space Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holman, Gordon D.

1998-01-01

Space physics, narrowly defined as the study of Earth's plasma environment, has had an identity crisis throughout its relatively brief existence as a discipline. - The limited and often serendipitous nature of the data requires the research style of an astrophysicist. However, the in situ observations and instrumentation that are central to the field are quite different from the remote observations and instrumentation of astronomy. Compared to neutral gases, the wealth of additional phenomena and the complexity associated with magnetized plasmas and their interaction leaves little in common with the atmospheric scientist. Although the phenomena studied in space physics are ultimately important to astrophysics, the intimate measurements of plasma properties provide a greater commonality with the plasma physicist. Space physics has experienced something of a renaissance in the past few years. The interdisciplinary umbrella "Solar-Terrestrial Physics" or "Sun-Earth Connection" has stimulated an increasing interaction of space physicists, solar physicists and atmospheric scientists. Spectacular images of the Sun from Yohkoh and SOHO and solar-activity-related damage to communications satellites have increased the public's awareness of and interest in "space weather". The dangers of energetic particles and currents in space to technological systems and to future space exploration have elevated space physics observations from interesting scientific measurements that can be included on a space probe to critically important measurements that must be made.

Efficient particle-in-cell simulation of auroral plasma phenomena using a CUDA enabled graphics processing unit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sewell, Stephen

This thesis introduces a software framework that effectively utilizes low-cost commercially available Graphic Processing Units (GPUs) to simulate complex scientific plasma phenomena that are modeled using the Particle-In-Cell (PIC) paradigm. The software framework that was developed conforms to the Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA), a standard for general purpose graphic processing that was introduced by NVIDIA Corporation. This framework has been verified for correctness and applied to advance the state of understanding of the electromagnetic aspects of the development of the Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis. For each phase of the PIC methodology, this research has identified one or more methods to exploit the problem's natural parallelism and effectively map it for execution on the graphic processing unit and its host processor. The sources of overhead that can reduce the effectiveness of parallelization for each of these methods have also been identified. One of the novel aspects of this research was the utilization of particle sorting during the grid interpolation phase. The final representation resulted in simulations that executed about 38 times faster than simulations that were run on a single-core general-purpose processing system. The scalability of this framework to larger problem sizes and future generation systems has also been investigated.

Review of current results in computational studies of hydrocarbon phase and transport properties in nanoporous structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stroev, N.; Myasnikov, A.

2017-12-01

This article provides a general overview of the main simulation results on the behavior of gas/liquids under confinement conditions, namely hydrocarbons in shale formations, and current understanding of such phenomena. In addition to the key effects, which different research groups obtained and which have to be taken into account during the creation of reservoir simulation software, a list of methods is briefly covered. Comprehensive understanding of both fluid phase equilibrium and transport properties in nanoscale structures is of great importance for many scientific and technical disciplines, especially for petroleum engineering considering the hydrocarbon behavior in complex shale formations, the development of which increases with time. Recent estimations show that a significant amount of resources are trapped inside organic matter and clays, which has extremely low permeability and yet great economic potential. The issue is not only of practical importance, as the existing conventional approaches by definition are unable to capture complicated physics phenomena for effective results, but it is also of fundamental value. The research of the processes connected with such deposits is necessary for both evaluations of petroleum reservoir deposits and hydrodynamic simulators. That is why the review is divided into two major parts—equilibrium states of hydrocarbons and their transport properties in highly confined conditions.

Axisymmetric Lattice Boltzmann Model of Droplet Impact on Solid Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalgamoni, Hussein; Yong, Xin

2017-11-01

Droplet impact is a ubiquitous fluid phenomena encountered in scientific and engineering applications such as ink-jet printing, coating, electronics manufacturing, and many others. It is of great technological importance to understand the detailed dynamics of drop impact on various surfaces. The lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) emerges as an efficient method for modeling complex fluid systems involving rapidly evolving fluid-fluid and fluid-solid interfaces with complex geometries. In this work, we model droplet impact on flat solid substrates with well-defined wetting behavior using a two-phase axisymmetric LBM with high density and viscosity contrasts. We extend the two-dimensional Lee and Liu model to capture axisymmetric effect in the normal impact. First we compare the 2D axisymmetric results with the 2D and 3D results reported by Lee and Liu to probe the effect of axisymmetric terms. Then, we explore the effects of Weber number, Ohnesorge number, and droplet-surface equilibrium contact angle on the impact. The dynamic contact angle and spreading factor of the droplet during impact are investigated to qualitatively characterize the impact dynamics.

The adaption and use of research codes for performance assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liebetrau, A.M.

1987-05-01

Models of real-world phenomena are developed for many reasons. The models are usually, if not always, implemented in the form of a computer code. The characteristics of a code are determined largely by its intended use. Realizations or implementations of detailed mathematical models of complex physical and/or chemical processes are often referred to as research or scientific (RS) codes. Research codes typically require large amounts of computing time. One example of an RS code is a finite-element code for solving complex systems of differential equations that describe mass transfer through some geologic medium. Considerable computing time is required because computationsmore » are done at many points in time and/or space. Codes used to evaluate the overall performance of real-world physical systems are called performance assessment (PA) codes. Performance assessment codes are used to conduct simulated experiments involving systems that cannot be directly observed. Thus, PA codes usually involve repeated simulations of system performance in situations that preclude the use of conventional experimental and statistical methods. 3 figs.« less

Modeling complex systems in the geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balcerak, Ernie

2013-03-01

Many geophysical phenomena can be described as complex systems, involving phenomena such as extreme or "wild" events that often do not follow the Gaussian distribution that would be expected if the events were simply random and uncorrelated. For instance, some geophysical phenomena like earthquakes show a much higher occurrence of relatively large values than would a Gaussian distribution and so are examples of the "Noah effect" (named by Benoit Mandelbrot for the exceptionally heavy rain in the biblical flood). Other geophysical phenomena are examples of the "Joseph effect," in which a state is especially persistent, such as a spell of multiple consecutive hot days (heat waves) or several dry summers in a row. The Joseph effect was named after the biblical story in which Joseph's dream of seven fat cows and seven thin ones predicted 7 years of plenty followed by 7 years of drought.

Reflections on curiosity.

PubMed

van Bemmel, J H

2008-01-01

The purpose of this article is to show that curiosity is the driving force behind all scientific endeavors. The second purpose is to show that all science is constrained on its underlying assumptions. Three examples are used to illustrate the above theses: one from cosmology, the second from biomedical research, and the third from the formalization of human reasoning in a computer. The three examples are supported by quotes from Albert Einstein. Research in cosmology shows that the horizon of our knowledge is continuously expanding but that major scientific questions remain to be solved. The second example from biomedicine explains that the more we discover of the details of living phenomena, the more complex they appear to be. The example involving human reasoning makes clear that the brain is still largely unknown territory. Like Einstein, who said he held 'humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind', I have a deep admiration for the Architect who reveals himself in the details that we are privileged to study in our research. As Albert Einstein said: The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.

Online Interactive Teaching Modules Enhance Quantitative Proficiency of Introductory Biology Students

PubMed Central

Nelson, Kären C.; Marbach-Ad, Gili; Keller, Michael; Fagan, William F.

2010-01-01

There is widespread agreement within the scientific and education communities that undergraduate biology curricula fall short in providing students with the quantitative and interdisciplinary problem-solving skills they need to obtain a deep understanding of biological phenomena and be prepared fully to contribute to future scientific inquiry. MathBench Biology Modules were designed to address these needs through a series of interactive, Web-based modules that can be used to supplement existing course content across the biological sciences curriculum. The effect of the modules was assessed in an introductory biology course at the University of Maryland. Over the course of the semester, students showed significant increases in quantitative skills that were independent of previous math course work. Students also showed increased comfort with solving quantitative problems, whether or not they ultimately arrived at the correct answer. A survey of spring 2009 graduates indicated that those who had experienced MathBench in their course work had a greater appreciation for the role of mathematics in modern biology than those who had not used MathBench. MathBench modules allow students from diverse educational backgrounds to hone their quantitative skills, preparing them for more complex mathematical approaches in upper-division courses. PMID:20810959

Scientists and artists: ""Hey! You got art in my science! You got science on my art

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Elfman, Mary E; Hayes, Birchard P; Michel, Kelly D

The pairing of science and art has proven to be a powerful combination since the Renaissance. The combination of these two seemingly disparate disciplines ensured that even complex scientific theories could be explored and effectively communicated to both the subject matter expert and the layman. In modern times, science and art have frequently been considered disjoint, with objectives, philosophies, and perspectives often in direct opposition to each other. However, given the technological advances in computer science and high fidelity 3-D graphics development tools, this marriage of art and science is once again logically complimentary. Art, in the form of computermore » graphics and animation created on supercomputers, has already proven to be a powerful tool for improving scientific research and providing insight into nuclear phenomena. This paper discusses the power of pairing artists with scientists and engineers in order to pursue the possibilities of a widely accessible lightweight, interactive approach. We will use a discussion of photo-realism versus stylization to illuminate the expected beneficial outcome of such collaborations and the societal advantages gained by a non-traditional pa11nering of these two fields.« less

Identifying secondary-school students' difficulties when reading visual representations displayed in physics simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

López, Víctor; Pintó, Roser

2017-07-01

Computer simulations are often considered effective educational tools, since their visual and communicative power enable students to better understand physical systems and phenomena. However, previous studies have found that when students read visual representations some reading difficulties can arise, especially when these are complex or dynamic representations. We have analyzed how secondary-school students read the visual representations displayed in two PhET simulations (one addressing the friction-heating at microscopic level, and the other addressing the electromagnetic induction), and different typologies of reading difficulties have been identified: when reading the compositional structure of the representation, when giving appropriate relevance and semantic meaning to each visual element, and also when dealing with multiple representations and dynamic information. All students experienced at least one of these difficulties, and very similar difficulties appeared in the two groups of students, despite the different scientific content of the simulations. In conclusion, visualisation does not imply a full comprehension of the content of scientific simulations per se, and an effective reading process requires a set of reading skills, previous knowledge, attention, and external supports. Science teachers should bear in mind these issues in order to help students read images to take benefit of their educational potential.

Online interactive teaching modules enhance quantitative proficiency of introductory biology students.

PubMed

Thompson, Katerina V; Nelson, Kären C; Marbach-Ad, Gili; Keller, Michael; Fagan, William F

2010-01-01

There is widespread agreement within the scientific and education communities that undergraduate biology curricula fall short in providing students with the quantitative and interdisciplinary problem-solving skills they need to obtain a deep understanding of biological phenomena and be prepared fully to contribute to future scientific inquiry. MathBench Biology Modules were designed to address these needs through a series of interactive, Web-based modules that can be used to supplement existing course content across the biological sciences curriculum. The effect of the modules was assessed in an introductory biology course at the University of Maryland. Over the course of the semester, students showed significant increases in quantitative skills that were independent of previous math course work. Students also showed increased comfort with solving quantitative problems, whether or not they ultimately arrived at the correct answer. A survey of spring 2009 graduates indicated that those who had experienced MathBench in their course work had a greater appreciation for the role of mathematics in modern biology than those who had not used MathBench. MathBench modules allow students from diverse educational backgrounds to hone their quantitative skills, preparing them for more complex mathematical approaches in upper-division courses.

Plasma wave experiment for the ISEE-3 mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scarf, F. L.

1982-01-01

Analysis of data from a scientific instrument designed to study solar wind and plasma wave phenomena on the ISEE-3 mission is presented. The performance of work on the data analysis phase is summarized.

Seasonal-scale Observational Data Analysis and Atmospheric Phenomenology for the Cold Land Processes Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poulos, Gregory S.; Stamus, Peter A.; Snook, John S.

2005-01-01

The Cold Land Processes Experiment (CLPX) experiment emphasized the development of a strong synergism between process-oriented understanding, land surface models and microwave remote sensing. Our work sought to investigate which topographically- generated atmospheric phenomena are most relevant to the CLPX MSA's for the purpose of evaluating their climatic importance to net local moisture fluxes and snow transport through the use of high-resolution data assimilation/atmospheric numerical modeling techniques. Our task was to create three long-term, scientific quality atmospheric datasets for quantitative analysis (for all CLPX researchers) and provide a summary of the meteorologically-relevant phenomena of the three MSAs (see Figure) over northern Colorado. Our efforts required the ingest of a variety of CLPX datasets and the execution an atmospheric and land surface data assimilation system based on the Navier-Stokes equations (the Local Analysis and Prediction System, LAPS, and an atmospheric numerical weather prediction model, as required) at topographically- relevant grid spacing (approx. 500 m). The resulting dataset will be analyzed by the CLPX community as a part of their larger research goals to determine the relative influence of various atmospheric phenomena on processes relevant to CLPX scientific goals.

Understanding Starts in the Mesocosm: Conceptual metaphor as a framework for external representations in science teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niebert, Kai; Gropengiesser, Harald

2015-04-01

In recent years, researchers have become aware of the experiential grounding of scientific thought. Accordingly, research has shown that metaphorical mappings between experience-based source domains and abstract target domains are omnipresent in everyday and scientific language. The theory of conceptual metaphor explains these findings based on the assumption that understanding is embodied. Embodied understanding arises from recurrent bodily and social experience with our environment. As our perception is adapted to a medium-scale dimension, our embodied conceptions originate from this mesocosmic scale. With respect to this epistemological principle, we distinguish between micro-, meso- and macrocosmic phenomena. We use these insights to analyse how external representations of phenomena in the micro- and macrocosm can foster learning when they (a) address the students' learning demand by affording a mesocosmic experience or (b) assist reflection on embodied conceptions by representing their image schematic structure. We base our considerations on empirical evidence from teaching experiments on phenomena from the microcosm (microbial growth and signal conduction in neurons) and the macrocosm (greenhouse effect and carbon cycle). We discuss how the theory of conceptual metaphor can inform the development of external representations.

Molecular gastronomy, a scientific look at cooking.

PubMed

This, Hervé

2009-05-19

Food preparation is such a routine activity that we often do not question the process. For example, why do we cook as we do? Why do we eat certain foods and avoid other perfectly edible ingredients? To help answer these questions, it is extremely important to study the chemical changes that food undergoes during preparation; even simply cutting a vegetable can lead to enzymatic reactions. For many years, these molecular transformations were neglected by the food science field. In 1988, the scientific discipline called "molecular gastronomy" was created, and the field is now developing in many countries. Its many applications fall into two categories. First, there are technology applications for restaurants, for homes, or even for the food industry. In particular, molecular gastronomy has led to "molecular cooking", a way of food preparation that uses "new" tools, ingredients, and methods. According to a British culinary magazine, the three "top chefs" of the world employ elements of molecular cooking. Second, there are educational applications of molecular gastronomy: new insights into the culinary processes have led to new culinary curricula for chefs in many countries such as France, Canada, Italy, and Finland, as well as educational programs in schools. In this Account, we focus on science, explain why molecular gastronomy had to be created, and consider its tools, concepts, and results. Within the field, conceptual tools have been developed in order to make the necessary studies. The emphasis is on two important parts of recipes: culinary definitions (describing the objective of recipes) and culinary "precisions" (information that includes old wives' tales, methods, tips, and proverbs, for example). As for any science, the main objective of molecular gastronomy is, of course, the discovery of new phenomena and new mechanisms. This explains why culinary precisions are so important: cooks of the past could see, but not interpret, phenomena that awaited scientific studies. For French cuisine alone, more than 25,000 culinary precisions have been collected since 1980. The study of the organization of dishes was improved by the introduction of a formalism called "complex disperse systems/nonperiodical organization of space" (CDS/NPOS). CDS describes the colloidal materials from which the parts of a dish are made; NPOS provides an overall description of a dish. This formalism has proven useful for the study of both scientific (examining phenomena to arrive at a mechanism) and technological (using the results of science to improve technique) applications. For example, it can be used to describe the physical structure of dishes (science) but also to examine the characteristics of classical French sauces (technology). Many questions still remain in the field of molecular gastronomy. For example, one "Holy Grail" of the field is the prediction of physical, biological, chemical, and organoleptic properties of systems from their CDS/NPOS formula. Another issue to be worked out is the relationship between compound migration in food and chemical modifications of those migrating compounds. These questions will likely keep scientists busy in the near future.

The paraphysical principles of natural philosophy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beichler, James Edward

The word `paraphysics' has never been precisely defined. To establish paraphysics as a true science, the word is first defined and its scope and limits identified. The natural phenomena which are studied in paraphysics, psi phenomena, are distinguished by their common physical properties. The historical roots of paraphysics are also discussed. Paraphysics can be defined, represented by a specific body of natural phenomena and it has a historical basis. Therefore, paraphysics is a distinguishable science. It only needs a theoretical foundation. Rather than using a quantum approach, a new theory of physical reality can be based upon a field theoretical point of view. This approach dispels philosophical questions regarding the continuity/discrete debate and the wave/particle paradox. Starting from a basic Einstein-Kaluza geometrical structure and assuming a real fifth dimension, a comprehensive and complete theory emerges. The four forces of nature are unified as are the quantum and relativity. Life, mind, consciousness and psi emerge as natural consequences of the physics. The scientific concept of consciousness, ambiguous at best, has become an increasingly important factor in modern physics. No one has ever defined consciousness in an acceptable manner let alone develop a workable theory of consciousness while no viable physical theories of life and mind are even being considered even though they are prerequisites of consciousness. In the five-dimensional model, life, mind and consciousness are explained as increasingly complex `entanglements' or patterns of density variation within the single unified field. Psi is intimately connected to consciousness, giving the science of paranormal phenomena a theoretical basis in the physics of hyperspace. Psi results from different modes of consciousness interacting non-locally via the fifth dimension. Several distinct areas of future research are suggested which will lead to falsification of the theory. A new theory of the atomic nucleus is clearly indicated as is a simple theory of the predominant spiral shape of galaxies. A quantifiable theory of life is also suggested. And finally, this model strongly implies a direct correspondence between emotional states and psi phenomena which should render the existence of psi verifiable.

A teaching proposal on electrostatics based on the history of science through the reading of historical texts and argumentative discussions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castells, Marina; Konstantinidou, Aikaterini; Cerveró, Josep M.

2016-05-01

Researches on electrostatics' conceptions found that students have ideas and conceptions that disagree with the scientific models and that might explain students' learning difficulties. To favour the change of student's ideas and conceptions, a teaching sequence that relies on a historical study of electrostatics is proposed. It begins with an exploration of electrostatics phenomena that students would do with everyday materials. About these phenomena they must draw their own explanations that will be shared and discussed in the class. The teacher will collect and summarize the ideas and explanations which are nearer the history of science. A brief history of electrostatics is introduced then, and some texts from scientists are used in an activity role-play-debate type in which the "supporters of a single fluid" and "supporters of two fluids" have to present arguments for their model and/or against the other model to explain the phenomena observed in the exploration phase. In the following, students will read texts related to science applications, the main aim of this activity is to relate electrostatics phenomena with current electricity. The first text explains how Franklin understood the nature of the lightning and the lightning rod and the second is a chapter of a roman about one historical episode situated in the Barcelona of the XVIII Century. Students will use the historical models of one and of two fluids to explain these two phenomena, and will compare them with the scientific explanation of the "accepted" science of nowadays introduced by the teacher. With this type of teaching proposal, conceptual aspect of electrostatics will be learnt, but also the students will learn about the nature and history of science and culture, as well as about the practice of argumentation.

Technical basis, supporting information, and strategy for development and implementation of DOE policy for natural phenomena hazards

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Murray, R.C.

1991-09-01

Policy for addressing natural phenomenon comprises a hierarchy of interrelated documents. The top level of policy is contained in the code of Federal Regulations which establishes the framework and intent to ensure overall safety of DOE facilities when subjected to the effects of natural phenomena. The natural phenomena to be considered include earthquakes and tsunami, winds, hurricanes and tornadoes, floods, volcano effects and seiches. Natural phenomena criteria have been established for design of new facilities; evaluation of existing facilities; additions, modifications, and upgrades to existing facilities; and evaluation criteria for new or existing sites. Steps needed to implement these fourmore » general criteria are described. The intent of these criteria is to identify WHAT needs to be done to ensure adequate protection from natural phenomena. The commentary provides discussion of WHY this is needed for DOE facilities within the complex. Implementing procedures identifying HOW to carry out these criteria are next identified. Finally, short and long term tasks needed to identify the implementing procedure are tabulated. There is an overall need for consistency throughout the DOE complex related to natural phenomena including consistent terminology, policy, and implementation. 1 fig, 6 tabs.« less

Understanding of Energy in Biology and Vitalistic Conceptions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barak, Judith; Gorodetsky, Malka; Chipman, David

1997-01-01

Addresses the possible connection between misconceptions of energy in biological phenomena and adherence to scientifically oriented conceptions of biology. Makes recommendations for basing the biology curriculum on the second law of thermodynamics. Contains 31 references. (DDR)

What's the problem? A response to "secular humanism and scientific psychiatry"

PubMed Central

Bolton, Derek

2006-01-01

Notwithstanding the interest and importance of Szasz's position, it neglects the phenomena, the real problems which take people to the clinic seeking treatment, and the conditionality of the notion of individual responsibility. PMID:16759418

Measuring the Level of Complexity of Scientific Inquiries: The LCSI Index

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eilam, Efrat

2015-01-01

The study developed and applied an index for measuring the level of complexity of full authentic scientific inquiry. Complexity is a fundamental attribute of real life scientific research. The level of complexity is an overall reflection of complex cognitive and metacognitive processes which are required for navigating the authentic inquiry…

Concept Formation in Scientific Knowledge Discovery from a Constructivist View

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Wei; Gero, John S.

The central goal of scientific knowledge discovery is to learn cause-effect relationships among natural phenomena presented as variables and the consequences their interactions. Scientific knowledge is normally expressed as scientific taxonomies and qualitative and quantitative laws [1]. This type of knowledge represents intrinsic regularities of the observed phenomena that can be used to explain and predict behaviors of the phenomena. It is a generalization that is abstracted and externalized from a set of contexts and applicable to a broader scope. Scientific knowledge is a type of third-person knowledge, i.e., knowledge that independent of a specific enquirer. Artificial intelligence approaches, particularly data mining algorithms that are used to identify meaningful patterns from large data sets, are approaches that aim to facilitate the knowledge discovery process [2]. A broad spectrum of algorithms has been developed in addressing classification, associative learning, and clustering problems. However, their linkages to people who use them have not been adequately explored. Issues in relation to supporting the interpretation of the patterns, the application of prior knowledge to the data mining process and addressing user interactions remain challenges for building knowledge discovery tools [3]. As a consequence, scientists rely on their experience to formulate problems, evaluate hypotheses, reason about untraceable factors and derive new problems. This type of knowledge which they have developed during their career is called “first-person” knowledge. The formation of scientific knowledge (third-person knowledge) is highly influenced by the enquirer’s first-person knowledge construct, which is a result of his or her interactions with the environment. There have been attempts to craft automatic knowledge discovery tools but these systems are limited in their capabilities to handle the dynamics of personal experience. There are now trends in developing approaches to assist scientists applying their expertise to model formation, simulation, and prediction in various domains [4], [5]. On the other hand, first-person knowledge becomes third-person theory only if it proves general by evidence and is acknowledged by a scientific community. Researchers start to focus on building interactive cooperation platforms [1] to accommodate different views into the knowledge discovery process. There are some fundamental questions in relation to scientific knowledge development. What aremajor components for knowledge construction and how do people construct their knowledge? How is this personal construct assimilated and accommodated into a scientific paradigm? How can one design a computational system to facilitate these processes? This chapter does not attempt to answer all these questions but serves as a basis to foster thinking along this line. A brief literature review about how people develop their knowledge is carried out through a constructivist view. A hydrological modeling scenario is presented to elucidate the approach.

Concept Formation in Scientific Knowledge Discovery from a Constructivist View

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Wei; Gero, John S.

The central goal of scientific knowledge discovery is to learn cause-effect relationships among natural phenomena presented as variables and the consequences their interactions. Scientific knowledge is normally expressed as scientific taxonomies and qualitative and quantitative laws [1]. This type of knowledge represents intrinsic regularities of the observed phenomena that can be used to explain and predict behaviors of the phenomena. It is a generalization that is abstracted and externalized from a set of contexts and applicable to a broader scope. Scientific knowledge is a type of third-person knowledge, i.e., knowledge that independent of a specific enquirer. Artificial intelligence approaches, particularly data mining algorithms that are used to identify meaningful patterns from large data sets, are approaches that aim to facilitate the knowledge discovery process [2]. A broad spectrum of algorithms has been developed in addressing classification, associative learning, and clustering problems. However, their linkages to people who use them have not been adequately explored. Issues in relation to supporting the interpretation of the patterns, the application of prior knowledge to the data mining process and addressing user interactions remain challenges for building knowledge discovery tools [3]. As a consequence, scientists rely on their experience to formulate problems, evaluate hypotheses, reason about untraceable factors and derive new problems. This type of knowledge which they have developed during their career is called "first-person" knowledge. The formation of scientific knowledge (third-person knowledge) is highly influenced by the enquirer's first-person knowledge construct, which is a result of his or her interactions with the environment. There have been attempts to craft automatic knowledge discovery tools but these systems are limited in their capabilities to handle the dynamics of personal experience. There are now trends in developing approaches to assist scientists applying their expertise to model formation, simulation, and prediction in various domains [4], [5]. On the other hand, first-person knowledge becomes third-person theory only if it proves general by evidence and is acknowledged by a scientific community. Researchers start to focus on building interactive cooperation platforms [1] to accommodate different views into the knowledge discovery process. There are some fundamental questions in relation to scientific knowledge development. What aremajor components for knowledge construction and how do people construct their knowledge? How is this personal construct assimilated and accommodated into a scientific paradigm? How can one design a computational system to facilitate these processes? This chapter does not attempt to answer all these questions but serves as a basis to foster thinking along this line. A brief literature review about how people develop their knowledge is carried out through a constructivist view. A hydrological modeling scenario is presented to elucidate the approach.

Contextual analysis of immunological response through whole-organ fluorescent imaging.

PubMed

Woodruff, Matthew C; Herndon, Caroline N; Heesters, B A; Carroll, Michael C

2013-09-01

As fluorescent microscopy has developed, significant insights have been gained into the establishment of immune response within secondary lymphoid organs, particularly in draining lymph nodes. While established techniques such as confocal imaging and intravital multi-photon microscopy have proven invaluable, they provide limited insight into the architectural and structural context in which these responses occur. To interrogate the role of the lymph node environment in immune response effectively, a new set of imaging tools taking into account broader architectural context must be implemented into emerging immunological questions. Using two different methods of whole-organ imaging, optical clearing and three-dimensional reconstruction of serially sectioned lymph nodes, fluorescent representations of whole lymph nodes can be acquired at cellular resolution. Using freely available post-processing tools, images of unlimited size and depth can be assembled into cohesive, contextual snapshots of immunological response. Through the implementation of robust iterative analysis techniques, these highly complex three-dimensional images can be objectified into sortable object data sets. These data can then be used to interrogate complex questions at the cellular level within the broader context of lymph node biology. By combining existing imaging technology with complex methods of sample preparation and capture, we have developed efficient systems for contextualizing immunological phenomena within lymphatic architecture. In combination with robust approaches to image analysis, these advances provide a path to integrating scientific understanding of basic lymphatic biology into the complex nature of immunological response.

Different states of the transient luminous phenomena in Hessdalen valley, Norway.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hauge, B. G.; Montebugnoli, S.

2012-04-01

The transient luminous phenomena's in Hessdalen valley has at least been observed for 200 years, since 1811, when the priest Jacob T. Krogh did the first written documentation. The valley is located in the middle of Norway, isolated and with sub arctic climate. The former mining district has no more than 140 inhabitants, and the deep mines are closed and filled with water. The valley has been under scientific surveillance since 1998 when the first automated and remote controlled observatory was put into action. Today a Norwegian, Italian and French collaboration runs 3 different research stations inside the valley. Each year a scientific field campaign establishes 4 temporary bases in the mountains, and up to 100 students and researchers man these bases for up to 14 days in september when the moon is down. The Hessdalen phenomena is not easy to detect, and approximately only 20 observations is done each year. The work done the last 14 years suggests that the phenomenon has different states, at least 6 detected so far. The states are so different that to se a coupling between them is difficult. New work done into dusty plasma physics suggest that the different phenomena's may be of the same origin, since the ionized grains of dusty plasma can change states from weakly coupled (gaseous) to crystalline, altering shape/formation and leading to different phenomena. Optical spectrometry from 2007 suggested that the luminous phenomena consisted of burning air and dust from the valley. Work done by G.S Paiva and C.A Taft suggests that radon decay from closed mines may be the mechanism that ionizes dust and triggers this phenomena. The 6 different main states of the Hessdalen phenomena, Doublet, Fireball, Plasma ray, Dust cloud, Flash and Invisible state is described and discussed. Investigation of the atmosphere inside the Hessdalen valley with low frequency directional RADAR, reveals large areas of ionized matter, giving a reflecting area big enough to saturate the input of the radar receiver. Together with long living time, ground analysis and radio active measurements, do not support the radon decay theory, and other forms of ionizing mechanisms must be investigated. The phenomenon's energy source is still not revealed, and the question of internal or external power source is also unexplained.

Social behavioural epistemology and the scientific community.

PubMed

Watve, Milind

2017-07-01

The progress of science is influenced substantially by social behaviour of and social interactions within the scientific community. Similar to innovations in primate groups, the social acceptance of an innovation depends not only upon the relevance of the innovation but also on the social dominance and connectedness of the innovator. There are a number of parallels between many well-known phenomena in behavioural evolution and various behavioural traits observed in the scientific community. It would be useful, therefore, to use principles of behavioural evolution as hypotheses to study the social behaviour of the scientific community. I argue in this paper that a systematic study of social behavioural epistemology is likely to boost the progress of science by addressing several prevalent biases and other problems in scientific communication and by facilitating appropriate acceptance/rejection of novel concepts.

75 FR 12175 - Application(s) for Duty-Free Entry of Scientific Instruments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-15

..., micro and nano-sized phenomena from a variety of sources. The samples will be fixed, sectioned and attached to grids to be viewed in the instrument. Justification for Duty-Free Entry: There are no domestic...

Implementing the "Curriculum and Evaluation Standards."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pacyga, Robert

1994-01-01

Describes two activities to analyze unit-cell structures from a geometric viewpoint and invite students to apply their mathematical understanding to scientific phenomena. Students form models of the simple cube, a building block of crystalline structures, and a methane molecule. (MDH)

Arenaviruses. Genes, proteins, and expression

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oldstone, M.B.A.

1987-01-01

This book provides a discussion of current knowledge on Arenaviruses. These viruses are the cause of major health problems, such as Lassa fever and Junin virus disease, and have been the Rosetta stone on which many of the major concepts in viral pathogenesis and immunobiology have been built. For example, study of lymphocytic choriomeningitis naturally and experimentally induced infection in the normal mouse host presented the scientific community with the first and definitive work on the following topics: virus induced immune response disease, immunologic tolerance, virus induced immune complex disease, presence and generation of cytotoxic T cells in vitro andmore » in vivo, H-2 restriction and dual recognition phenomena, and viral disease induced by altering physiologic or differential functions of a cell without causing alterations of house keeping or vital functions, i.e. pathology in the absence of cell or tissue lysis.« less

Climate Informatics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Monteleoni, Claire; Schmidt, Gavin A.; Alexander, Francis J.; Niculescu-Mizil, Alexandru; Steinhaeuser, Karsten; Tippett, Michael; Banerjee, Arindam; Blumenthal, M. Benno; Ganguly, Auroop R.; Smerdon, Jason E.;

Planning for the future workforce in hematology research

PubMed Central

Abkowitz, Janis L.; Coller, Barry S.; DiMichele, Donna M.

2015-01-01

The medical research and training enterprise in the United States is complex in both its scope and implementation. Accordingly, adaptations to the associated workforce needs present particular challenges. This is particularly true for maintaining or expanding national needs for physician-scientists where training resource requirements and competitive transitional milestones are substantial. For the individual, these phenomena can produce financial burden, prolong the career trajectory, and significantly influence career pathways. Hence, when national data suggest that future medical research needs in a scientific area may be met in a less than optimal manner, strategies to expand research and training capacity must follow. This article defines such an exigency for research and training in nonneoplastic hematology and presents potential strategies for addressing these critical workforce needs. The considerations presented herein reflect a summary of the discussions presented at 2 workshops cosponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the American Society of Hematology. PMID:25758827

Robust Decision-making Applied to Model Selection

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hemez, Francois M.

2012-08-06

The scientific and engineering communities are relying more and more on numerical models to simulate ever-increasingly complex phenomena. Selecting a model, from among a family of models that meets the simulation requirements, presents a challenge to modern-day analysts. To address this concern, a framework is adopted anchored in info-gap decision theory. The framework proposes to select models by examining the trade-offs between prediction accuracy and sensitivity to epistemic uncertainty. The framework is demonstrated on two structural engineering applications by asking the following question: Which model, of several numerical models, approximates the behavior of a structure when parameters that define eachmore » of those models are unknown? One observation is that models that are nominally more accurate are not necessarily more robust, and their accuracy can deteriorate greatly depending upon the assumptions made. It is posited that, as reliance on numerical models increases, establishing robustness will become as important as demonstrating accuracy.« less

Transferable Reactive Force Fields: Extensions of ReaxFF-lg to Nitromethane.

PubMed

Larentzos, James P; Rice, Betsy M

2017-03-09

Transferable ReaxFF-lg models of nitromethane that predict a variety of material properties over a wide range of thermodynamic states are obtained by screening a library of ∼6600 potentials that were previously optimized through the Multiple Objective Evolutionary Strategies (MOES) approach using a training set that included information for other energetic materials composed of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen. Models that best match experimental nitromethane lattice constants at 4.2 K and 1 atm are evaluated for transferability to high-pressure states at room temperature and are shown to better predict various liquid- and solid-phase structural, thermodynamic, and transport properties as compared to the existing ReaxFF and ReaxFF-lg parametrizations. Although demonstrated for an energetic material, the library of ReaxFF-lg models is supplied to the scientific community to enable new research explorations of complex reactive phenomena in a variety of materials research applications.

Understanding climate: A strategy for climate modeling and predictability research, 1985-1995

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thiele, O. (Editor); Schiffer, R. A. (Editor)

1985-01-01

The emphasis of the NASA strategy for climate modeling and predictability research is on the utilization of space technology to understand the processes which control the Earth's climate system and it's sensitivity to natural and man-induced changes and to assess the possibilities for climate prediction on time scales of from about two weeks to several decades. Because the climate is a complex multi-phenomena system, which interacts on a wide range of space and time scales, the diversity of scientific problems addressed requires a hierarchy of models along with the application of modern empirical and statistical techniques which exploit the extensive current and potential future global data sets afforded by space observations. Observing system simulation experiments, exploiting these models and data, will also provide the foundation for the future climate space observing system, e.g., Earth observing system (EOS), 1985; Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) North, et al. NASA, 1984.

Understanding Islamist political violence through computational social simulation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Watkins, Jennifer H; Mackerrow, Edward P; Patelli, Paolo G

Understanding the process that enables political violence is of great value in reducing the future demand for and support of violent opposition groups. Methods are needed that allow alternative scenarios and counterfactuals to be scientifically researched. Computational social simulation shows promise in developing 'computer experiments' that would be unfeasible or unethical in the real world. Additionally, the process of modeling and simulation reveals and challenges assumptions that may not be noted in theories, exposes areas where data is not available, and provides a rigorous, repeatable, and transparent framework for analyzing the complex dynamics of political violence. This paper demonstrates themore » computational modeling process using two simulation techniques: system dynamics and agent-based modeling. The benefits and drawbacks of both techniques are discussed. In developing these social simulations, we discovered that the social science concepts and theories needed to accurately simulate the associated psychological and social phenomena were lacking.« less

Do Our Means of Inquiry Match our Intentions?

PubMed Central

Petscher, Yaacov

2016-01-01

A key stage of the scientific method is the analysis of data, yet despite the variety of methods that are available to researchers they are most frequently distilled to a model that focuses on the average relation between variables. Although research questions are frequently conceived with broad inquiry in mind, most regression methods are limited in comprehensively evaluating how observed behaviors are related to each other. Quantile regression is a largely unknown yet well-suited analytic technique similar to traditional regression analysis, but allows for a more systematic approach to understanding complex associations among observed phenomena in the psychological sciences. Data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988/2000 are used to illustrate how quantile regression overcomes the limitations of average associations in linear regression by showing that psychological well-being and sex each differentially relate to reading achievement depending on one’s level of reading achievement. PMID:27486410

Planning for the future workforce in hematology research.

PubMed

Hoots, W Keith; Abkowitz, Janis L; Coller, Barry S; DiMichele, Donna M

2015-04-30

The medical research and training enterprise in the United States is complex in both its scope and implementation. Accordingly, adaptations to the associated workforce needs present particular challenges. This is particularly true for maintaining or expanding national needs for physician-scientists where training resource requirements and competitive transitional milestones are substantial. For the individual, these phenomena can produce financial burden, prolong the career trajectory, and significantly influence career pathways. Hence, when national data suggest that future medical research needs in a scientific area may be met in a less than optimal manner, strategies to expand research and training capacity must follow. This article defines such an exigency for research and training in nonneoplastic hematology and presents potential strategies for addressing these critical workforce needs. The considerations presented herein reflect a summary of the discussions presented at 2 workshops cosponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the American Society of Hematology.

Energy-level alignment at organic heterointerfaces

PubMed Central

Oehzelt, Martin; Akaike, Kouki; Koch, Norbert; Heimel, Georg

2015-01-01

Today’s champion organic (opto-)electronic devices comprise an ever-increasing number of different organic-semiconductor layers. The functionality of these complex heterostructures largely derives from the relative alignment of the frontier molecular-orbital energies in each layer with respect to those in all others. Despite the technological relevance of the energy-level alignment at organic heterointerfaces, and despite continued scientific interest, a reliable model that can quantitatively predict the full range of phenomena observed at such interfaces is notably absent. We identify the limitations of previous attempts to formulate such a model and highlight inconsistencies in the interpretation of the experimental data they were based on. We then develop a theoretical framework, which we demonstrate to accurately reproduce experiment. Applying this theory, a comprehensive overview of all possible energy-level alignment scenarios that can be encountered at organic heterojunctions is finally given. These results will help focus future efforts on developing functional organic interfaces for superior device performance. PMID:26702447

Methodological support for the further abstraction of and philosophical examination of empirical findings in the context of caring science.

PubMed

Lindberg, Elisabeth; Österberg, Sofia A; Hörberg, Ulrica

2016-01-01

Phenomena in caring science are often complex and laden with meanings. Empirical research with the aim of capturing lived experiences is one way of revealing the complexity. Sometimes, however, results from empirical research need to be further discussed. One way is to further abstract the result and/or philosophically examine it. This has previously been performed and presented in scientific journals and doctoral theses, contributing to a greater understanding of phenomena in caring science. Although the intentions in many of these publications are laudable, the lack of methodological descriptions as well as a theoretical and systematic foundation can contribute to an ambiguity concerning how the results have emerged during the analysis. The aim of this paper is to describe the methodological support for the further abstraction of and/or philosophical examination of empirical findings. When trying to systematize the support procedures, we have used a reflective lifeworld research (RLR) approach. Based on the assumptions in RLR, this article will present methodological support for a theoretical examination that can include two stages. In the first stage, data from several (two or more) empirical results on an essential level are synthesized into a general structure. Sometimes the analysis ends with the general structure, but sometimes there is a need to proceed further. The second stage can then be a philosophical examination, in which the general structure is discussed in relation to a philosophical text, theory, or concept. It is important that the theories are brought in as the final stage after the completion of the analysis. Core dimensions of the described methodological support are, in accordance with RLR, openness, bridling, and reflection. The methodological support cannot be understood as fixed stages, but rather as a guiding light in the search for further meanings.

Nanomaterials-based enzyme electrochemical biosensors operating through inhibition for biosensing applications.

PubMed

Kurbanoglu, Sevinc; Ozkan, Sibel A; Merkoçi, Arben

2017-03-15

In recent years great progress has been made in applying nanomaterials to design novel biosensors. Use of nanomaterials offers to biosensing platforms exceptional optical, electronic and magnetic properties. Nanomaterials can increase the surface of the transducing area of the sensors that in turn bring an increase in catalytic behaviors. They have large surface-to-volume ratio, controlled morphology and structure that also favor miniaturization, an interesting advantage when the sample volume is a critical issue. Biosensors have great potential for achieving detect-to-protect devices: devices that can be used in detections of pollutants and other treating compounds/analytes (drugs) protecting citizens' life. After a long term focused scientific and financial efforts/supports biosensors are expected now to fulfill their promise such as being able to perform sampling and analysis of complex samples with interest for clinical or environment fields. Among all types of biosensors, enzymatic biosensors, the most explored biosensing devices, have an interesting property, the inherent inhibition phenomena given the enzyme-substrate complex formation. The exploration of such phenomena is making remarkably important their application as research and applied tools in diagnostics. Different inhibition biosensor systems based on nanomaterials modification has been proposed and applied. The role of nanomaterials in inhibition-based biosensors for the analyses of different groups of drugs as well as contaminants such as pesticides, phenolic compounds and others, are discussed in this review. This deep analysis of inhibition-based biosensors that employ nanomaterials will serve researchers as a guideline for further improvements and approaching of these devices to real sample applications so as to reach society needs and such biosensor market demands. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Meta-Modeling: A Knowledge-Based Approach to Facilitating Model Construction and Reuse

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keller, Richard M.; Dungan, Jennifer L.

1997-01-01

In this paper, we introduce a new modeling approach called meta-modeling and illustrate its practical applicability to the construction of physically-based ecosystem process models. As a critical adjunct to modeling codes meta-modeling requires explicit specification of certain background information related to the construction and conceptual underpinnings of a model. This information formalizes the heretofore tacit relationship between the mathematical modeling code and the underlying real-world phenomena being investigated, and gives insight into the process by which the model was constructed. We show how the explicit availability of such information can make models more understandable and reusable and less subject to misinterpretation. In particular, background information enables potential users to better interpret an implemented ecosystem model without direct assistance from the model author. Additionally, we show how the discipline involved in specifying background information leads to improved management of model complexity and fewer implementation errors. We illustrate the meta-modeling approach in the context of the Scientists' Intelligent Graphical Modeling Assistant (SIGMA) a new model construction environment. As the user constructs a model using SIGMA the system adds appropriate background information that ties the executable model to the underlying physical phenomena under investigation. Not only does this information improve the understandability of the final model it also serves to reduce the overall time and programming expertise necessary to initially build and subsequently modify models. Furthermore, SIGMA's use of background knowledge helps eliminate coding errors resulting from scientific and dimensional inconsistencies that are otherwise difficult to avoid when building complex models. As a. demonstration of SIGMA's utility, the system was used to reimplement and extend a well-known forest ecosystem dynamics model: Forest-BGC.

How well do middle school science programs measure up? Findings from Project 2061's curriculum review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kesidou, Sofia; Roseman, Jo Ellen

2002-08-01

The purposes of this study were to examine how well middle school programs support the attainment of key scientific ideas specified in national science standards, and to identify typical strengths and weaknesses of these programs using research-based criteria. Nine widely used programs were examined by teams of teachers and specialists in research on teaching and learning. Reviewers found that whereas key ideas were generally present in the programs, they were typically buried between detailed or even unrelated ideas. Programs only rarely provided students with a sense of purpose for the units of study, took account of student beliefs that interfere with learning, engaged students with relevant phenomena to make abstract scientific ideas plausible, modeled the use of scientific knowledge so that students could apply what they learned in everyday situations, or scaffolded student efforts to make meaning of key phenomena and ideas presented in the programs. New middle school science programs that reflect findings from learning research are needed to support teachers better in helping students learn key ideas in science. The criteria and findings from this study on the inadequacies in existing programs could serve as guidelines in new curriculum development.

Post-Cold War Science and Technology at Los Alamos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Browne, John C.

2002-04-01

Los Alamos National Laboratory serves the nation through the development and application of leading-edge science and technology in support of national security. Our mission supports national security by: ensuring the safety, security, and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile; reducing the threat of weapons of mass destruction in support of counter terrorism and homeland defense; and solving national energy, environment, infrastructure, and health security problems. We require crosscutting fundamental and advanced science and technology research to accomplish our mission. The Stockpile Stewardship Program develops and applies, advanced experimental science, computational simulation, and technology to ensure the safety and reliability of U.S. nuclear weapons in the absence of nuclear testing. This effort in itself is a grand challenge. However, the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, reminded us of the importance of robust and vibrant research and development capabilities to meet new and evolving threats to our national security. Today through rapid prototyping we are applying new, innovative, science and technology for homeland defense, to address the threats of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons globally. Synergistically, with the capabilities that we require for our core mission, we contribute in many other areas of scientific endeavor. For example, our Laboratory has been part of the NASA effort on mapping water on the moon and NSF/DOE projects studying high-energy astrophysical phenomena, understanding fundamental scaling phenomena of life, exploring high-temperature superconductors, investigating quantum information systems, applying neutrons to condensed-matter and nuclear physics research, developing large-scale modeling and simulations to understand complex phenomena, and exploring nanoscience that bridges the atomic to macroscopic scales. In this presentation, I will highlight some of these post-cold war science and technology advances including our national security contributions, and discuss some of challenges for Los Alamos in the future.

Hazards in volcanic arcs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sparks, S. R.

2008-12-01

Volcanic eruptions in arcs are complex natural phenomena, involving the movement of magma to the Earth's surface and interactions with the surrounding crust during ascent and with the surface environment during eruption, resulting in secondary hazards. Magma changes its properties profoundly during ascent and eruption and many of the underlying processes of heat and mass transfer and physical property changes that govern volcanic flows and magmatic interactions with the environment are highly non-linear. Major direct hazards include tephra fall, pyroclastic flows from explosions and dome collapse, volcanic blasts, lahars, debris avalanches and tsunamis. There are also health hazards related to emissions of gases and very fine volcanic ash. These hazards and progress in their assessment are illustrated mainly from the ongoing eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano. Montserrat. There are both epistemic and aleatory uncertainties in the assessment of volcanic hazards, which can be large, making precise prediction a formidable objective. Indeed in certain respects volcanic systems and hazardous phenomena may be intrinsically unpredictable. As with other natural phenomena, predictions and hazards inevitably have to be expressed in probabilistic terms that take account of these uncertainties. Despite these limitations significant progress is being made in the ability to anticipate volcanic activity in volcanic arcs and, in favourable circumstances, make robust hazards assessments and predictions. Improvements in monitoring ground deformation, gas emissions and seismicity are being combined with more advanced models of volcanic flows and their interactions with the environment. In addition more structured and systematic methods for assessing hazards and risk are emerging that allow impartial advice to be given to authorities during volcanic crises. There remain significant issues of how scientific advice and associated uncertainties are communicated to provide effective mitigation during volcanic crises.

Plasmakristall-4: A microgravity complex plasma facility on the way to launch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pustylnik, Mikhail; Thomas, Hubertus; Fortov, Vladimir; Thoma, Markus; Lipaev, Andrey; Morfill, Gregor; Molotkov, Vladimir; Usachev, Alexander; Zobnin, Andrey; Tarantik, Karl; Albrecht, Sebastian; Deysenroth, Christian; Rau, Christian; Mitic, Slobodan; Nosenko, Vladimir; Fink, Martin; Prof

Complex plasmas, a special case of dusty plasmas, are one of the most interesting physical objects to be studied under microgravity conditions. A way from dusty plasmas to complex plasmas was revealed when strong coupling phenomena in the dust subsystem were first theoretically predicted and then observed under ground laboratory conditions. Complex plasmas are, therefore, dusty plasmas, which are prepared intentionally to study generic phenomena of condensed matter physics. Complex plasmas have several advantages in this respect: Real-time, virtually undamped dynamics of the system can be resolved on the kinetic level, i.e. on the level of single microparticles. Under ground laboratory conditions the microparticles are strongly affected by the gravitational force, which has to be compensated by strong electrostatic forces. Therefore, the volume occupied by the microparticles is limited to sheath region. This makes formation of uniform 3D structures under ground condition almost impossible. Microgravity is therefore essential for studying 3D complex plasma systems. The next lab for complex plasma research under mug-conditions will be PK-4, a joint Russian-European project. The special feature of PK-4 (with respect to its predecessor PK-3 Plus on the ISS) is that it will allow to study the fluid phenomena. Geometry of the plasma chamber (a glass tube with the working part of about 200 mm long and 30 mm diameter) implies presence of micropaticle flows along its axis. A custom-made power supply will create either a DC or polarity-switched discharge inside the chamber filled with either neon or argon. In the DC mode the negatively-charged microparticles will drift opposite to the electric field. Polarity switching can be done with up to several kHz frequency, which will allow the discharge to change polarity, whereas heavy microparticles will be insensitive to such fast variations of the electric field. In this way, microparticles will be trapped inside the plasma chamber. For the diagnostics of the microparticles, two CCD cameras and an illumination laser sheet are available. Cameras and the laser focal plane are movable along the plasma chamber and cover almost the entire working area. Moving the laser sheet and cameras across the plasma chamber axis will allow to obtain information on the 3D structure of the microparticle clouds. Background plasma may be monitored by the so-called plasma glow camera, which produces three kaleidoscopic images of the plasma. Two of these images are filtered for two neon spectral lines and the third one represents the integral glow. Also, a spectrometer whose receiving optics is movable together with the cameras is available as a diagnostic means. Several microparticles manipulation techniques are implemented in PK-4, starting from simple discharge current modulation to using a powerful infrared laser exerting radiation pressure on microparticles. The experiment is going to be conducted on board of the International Space Station. The launch is scheduled to October 2014. Even before being launched into orbit, the PK-4 project already delivered lots of interesting scientific results, obtained in ground laboratory and parabolic flight experiments and numerical simulations. First of all, the kinetic model of the discharge was built and the discharge parameters, such as electron density and temperature, number density of metastable atoms were measured. Diagnostic methods are being further developed to be used on orbit. Then, the microscopic properties of the microparticles (i.e. their charge and forces acting on them) were determined using dynamic methods. Size dynamics (growth and etching) of microparticles in PK-4 discharges were studied. Collective plasma phenomena (such as e.g. dust-acoustic) waves were investigated. And, finally, the interdisciplinary experiments, making a link between the PK-4 plasmas and real condensed matter were conducted. Such phenomenon as electrorheology was successfully modelled with PK-4 complex plasmas in a parabolic flight. A review of the results and a roadmap for future orbital operations will be presented in this contribution.

Predicting ectotherm disease vector spread—benefits from multidisciplinary approaches and directions forward

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Stephanie Margarete; Beierkuhnlein, Carl

2013-05-01

The occurrence of ectotherm disease vectors outside of their previous distribution area and the emergence of vector-borne diseases can be increasingly observed at a global scale and are accompanied by a growing number of studies which investigate the vast range of determining factors and their causal links. Consequently, a broad span of scientific disciplines is involved in tackling these complex phenomena. First, we evaluate the citation behaviour of relevant scientific literature in order to clarify the question "do scientists consider results of other disciplines to extend their expertise?" We then highlight emerging tools and concepts useful for risk assessment. Correlative models (regression-based, machine-learning and profile techniques), mechanistic models (basic reproduction number R 0) and methods of spatial regression, interaction and interpolation are described. We discuss further steps towards multidisciplinary approaches regarding new tools and emerging concepts to combine existing approaches such as Bayesian geostatistical modelling, mechanistic models which avoid the need for parameter fitting, joined correlative and mechanistic models, multi-criteria decision analysis and geographic profiling. We take the quality of both occurrence data for vector, host and disease cases, and data of the predictor variables into consideration as both determine the accuracy of risk area identification. Finally, we underline the importance of multidisciplinary research approaches. Even if the establishment of communication networks between scientific disciplines and the share of specific methods is time consuming, it promises new insights for the surveillance and control of vector-borne diseases worldwide.

AIC and the challenge of complexity: A case study from ecology.

PubMed

Moll, Remington J; Steel, Daniel; Montgomery, Robert A

2016-12-01

Philosophers and scientists alike have suggested Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC), and other similar model selection methods, show predictive accuracy justifies a preference for simplicity in model selection. This epistemic justification of simplicity is limited by an assumption of AIC which requires that the same probability distribution must generate the data used to fit the model and the data about which predictions are made. This limitation has been previously noted but appears to often go unnoticed by philosophers and scientists and has not been analyzed in relation to complexity. If predictions are about future observations, we argue that this assumption is unlikely to hold for models of complex phenomena. That in turn creates a practical limitation for simplicity's AIC-based justification because scientists modeling such phenomena are often interested in predicting the future. We support our argument with an ecological case study concerning the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park, U.S.A. We suggest that AIC might still lend epistemic support for simplicity by leading to better explanations of complex phenomena. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhancing the Conceptual Understanding of Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gabel, Dorothy

2003-01-01

Describes three levels of understanding science: the phenomena (macroscopic), the particle (microscopic), and the symbolic. Suggests that the objective of science instruction at all levels is conceptual understanding of scientific inquiry. Discusses effective instructional strategies, including analogy, collaborative learning, concept mapping,…

Making Connections by Using Molecular Models in Geometry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pacyga, Robert

1995-01-01

Describes two activities to analyze unit-cell structures from a geometric viewpoint and invites students to apply their mathematical understanding to scientific phenomena. Students form models of the simple cube, a building block of crystalline structures, and a methane molecule. (MKR)

How Do Students Make Sense of Science?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linn, Marcia C.; Songer, Nancy Butler

1993-01-01

Eighth graders' ideas about thermodynamics, and their understanding of thermodynamics principles, were assessed before and after they attended a one-semester course on thermodynamics. Results characterized students' views concerning scientific explanations of phenomena, parsimonious versus descriptive explanations, the application of science…

Communicate science: an example of food related hands-on laboratory approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Addezio, Giuliana; Marsili, Antonella; Vallocchia, Massimiliano

2014-05-01

The Laboratorio Didattica e Divulgazione Scientifica of the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV's Educational and Outreach Laboratory) organized activity with kids to convey scientific knowledge and to promote research on Earth Science, focusing on volcanic and seismic hazard. The combination of games and learning in educational activity can be a valuable tool for study of complex phenomena. Hands-on activity may help in engage kids in a learning process through direct participation that significantly improves the learning performance of children. Making learning fun motivate audience to pay attention on and stay focused on the subject. We present the experience of the hand-on laboratory "Laboratorio goloso per bambini curiosi di scienza (a delicious hands-on laboratory for kids curious about science)", performed in Frascati during the 2013 European Researchers' Night, promoted by the European Commission, as part of the program organized by the Laboratorio Didattica e Divulgazione Scientifica in the framework of Associazione Frascati Scienza (http://www.frascatiscienza.it/). The hand-on activity were designed for primary schools to create enjoyable and unusual tools for learning Earth Science. During this activity kids are involved with something related to everyday life, such as food, through manipulation, construction and implementation of simple experiments related to Earth dynamics. Children become familiar with scientific concepts such as composition of the Earth, plates tectonic, earthquakes and seismic waves propagation and experience the effect of earthquakes on buildings, exploring their important implications for seismic hazard. During the activity, composed of several steps, participants were able to learn about Earth inner structure, fragile lithosphere, waves propagations, impact of waves on building ecc.., dealing with eggs, cookies, honey, sugar, polenta, flour, chocolate, candies, liquorice sticks, bread, pudding and sweets. The activity was successful as more than 500 kids of different ages participated with great enthusiasm, as well as they parents, and gave the chance to explore and manipulate even complex scientific arguments without getting the feeling of having doing this.

Featured Article: Genotation: Actionable knowledge for the scientific reader

PubMed Central

Willis, Ethan; Sakauye, Mark; Jose, Rony; Chen, Hao; Davis, Robert L

2016-01-01

We present an article viewer application that allows a scientific reader to easily discover and share knowledge by linking genomics-related concepts to knowledge of disparate biomedical databases. High-throughput data streams generated by technical advancements have contributed to scientific knowledge discovery at an unprecedented rate. Biomedical Informaticists have created a diverse set of databases to store and retrieve the discovered knowledge. The diversity and abundance of such resources present biomedical researchers a challenge with knowledge discovery. These challenges highlight a need for a better informatics solution. We use a text mining algorithm, Genomine, to identify gene symbols from the text of a journal article. The identified symbols are supplemented with information from the GenoDB knowledgebase. Self-updating GenoDB contains information from NCBI Gene, Clinvar, Medgen, dbSNP, KEGG, PharmGKB, Uniprot, and Hugo Gene databases. The journal viewer is a web application accessible via a web browser. The features described herein are accessible on www.genotation.org. The Genomine algorithm identifies gene symbols with an accuracy shown by .65 F-Score. GenoDB currently contains information regarding 59,905 gene symbols, 5633 drug–gene relationships, 5981 gene–disease relationships, and 713 pathways. This application provides scientific readers with actionable knowledge related to concepts of a manuscript. The reader will be able to save and share supplements to be visualized in a graphical manner. This provides convenient access to details of complex biological phenomena, enabling biomedical researchers to generate novel hypothesis to further our knowledge in human health. This manuscript presents a novel application that integrates genomic, proteomic, and pharmacogenomic information to supplement content of a biomedical manuscript and enable readers to automatically discover actionable knowledge. PMID:26900164

Featured Article: Genotation: Actionable knowledge for the scientific reader.

PubMed

Nagahawatte, Panduka; Willis, Ethan; Sakauye, Mark; Jose, Rony; Chen, Hao; Davis, Robert L

2016-06-01

We present an article viewer application that allows a scientific reader to easily discover and share knowledge by linking genomics-related concepts to knowledge of disparate biomedical databases. High-throughput data streams generated by technical advancements have contributed to scientific knowledge discovery at an unprecedented rate. Biomedical Informaticists have created a diverse set of databases to store and retrieve the discovered knowledge. The diversity and abundance of such resources present biomedical researchers a challenge with knowledge discovery. These challenges highlight a need for a better informatics solution. We use a text mining algorithm, Genomine, to identify gene symbols from the text of a journal article. The identified symbols are supplemented with information from the GenoDB knowledgebase. Self-updating GenoDB contains information from NCBI Gene, Clinvar, Medgen, dbSNP, KEGG, PharmGKB, Uniprot, and Hugo Gene databases. The journal viewer is a web application accessible via a web browser. The features described herein are accessible on www.genotation.org The Genomine algorithm identifies gene symbols with an accuracy shown by .65 F-Score. GenoDB currently contains information regarding 59,905 gene symbols, 5633 drug-gene relationships, 5981 gene-disease relationships, and 713 pathways. This application provides scientific readers with actionable knowledge related to concepts of a manuscript. The reader will be able to save and share supplements to be visualized in a graphical manner. This provides convenient access to details of complex biological phenomena, enabling biomedical researchers to generate novel hypothesis to further our knowledge in human health. This manuscript presents a novel application that integrates genomic, proteomic, and pharmacogenomic information to supplement content of a biomedical manuscript and enable readers to automatically discover actionable knowledge. © 2016 by the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine.

Sixth Microgravity Fluid Physics and Transport Phenomena Conference Abstracts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Bhim (Compiler)

2002-01-01

The Sixth Microgravity Fluid Physics and Transport Phenomena Conference provides the scientific community the opportunity to view the current scope of the Microgravity Fluid Physics and Transport Phenomena Program, current research opportunities, and plans for the near future. The conference focuses not only on fundamental research but also on applications of this knowledge towards enabling future space exploration missions. A whole session dedicated to biological fluid physics shows increased emphasis that the program has placed on interdisciplinary research. The conference includes invited plenary talks, technical paper presentations, poster presentations, and exhibits. This TM is a compilation of abstracts of the papers and the posters presented at the conference. Web-based proceedings, including the charts used by the presenters, will be posted on the web shortly after the conference.

Data evaluation, analysis, and scientific study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, S. T.

1991-01-01

Extensive work was performed in data analysis and modeling of solar active phenomena. The work consisted in the study of UV data from the Ultraviolet Spectrometer and Polarimeter (UVSP) instrument on board the Solar Maximum Mission satellite. These data were studied in conjunction with X-rays from the Hard X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (HXIS) instrument, and with H-alpha and magnetographic data from ground-based observatories. The processes we studied are the active phenomena which result from the interaction of the solar magnetic fields with the plasma in the outer regions of the solar atmosphere. These processes include some very dynamic processes such as the prominence eruptions and the 'microflares'. Our research aimed at characterizing the following: the observed phenomena, the possible physical models, and the relevance to the chromospheric and coronal heating.

The Formalization of Cultural Psychology. Reasons and Functions.

PubMed

Salvatore, Sergio

2017-03-01

In this paper I discuss two basic theses about the formalization of cultural psychology. First, I claim that formalization is a relevant, even necessary stage of development of this domain of science. This is so because formalization allows the scientific language to achieve a much needed autonomy from the commonsensical language of the phenomena that this science deals with. Second, I envisage the two main functions that formalization has to perform in the field of cultural psychology: on the one hand, it has to provide formal rules grounding and constraining the deductive construction of the general theory; on the other hand, it has to provide the devices for supporting the interpretation of local phenomena, in terms of the abductive reconstruction of the network of linkages among empirical occurrences comprising the local phenomena.

A Collaborative Education Network for Advancing Climate Literacy using Data Visualization Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDougall, C.; Russell, E. L.; Murray, M.; Bendel, W. B.

2013-12-01

One of the more difficult issues in engaging broad audiences with scientific research is to present it in a way that is intuitive, captivating and up-to-date. Over the past ten years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has made significant progress in this area through Science On a Sphere(R) (SOS). SOS is a room-sized, global display system that uses computers and video projectors to display Earth systems data onto a six-foot diameter sphere, analogous to a giant animated globe. This well-crafted data visualization system serves as a way to integrate and display global change phenomena; including polar ice melt, projected sea level rise, ocean acidification and global climate models. Beyond a display for individual data sets, SOS provides a holistic global perspective that highlights the interconnectedness of Earth systems, nations and communities. SOS is now a featured exhibit at more than 100 science centers, museums, universities, aquariums and other institutions around the world reaching more than 33 million visitors every year. To facilitate the development of how this data visualization technology and these visualizations could be used with public audiences, we recognized the need for the exchange of information among the users. To accomplish this, we established the SOS Users Collaborative Network. This network consists of the institutions that have an SOS system or partners who are creating content and educational programming for SOS. When we began the Network in 2005, many museums had limited capacity to both incorporate real-time, authentic scientific data about the Earth system and interpret global change visualizations. They needed not only the visualization platform and the scientific content, but also assistance with methods of approach. We needed feedback from these users on how to craft understandable visualizations and how to further develop the SOS platform to support learning. Through this Network and the collaboration among members, we have, collectively, been able to advance all of our efforts. The member institutions, through regular face-to-face workshops and an online community, share practices in creation and cataloging of datasets, new methods for delivering content via SOS, and updates on the SOS system and software. One hallmark of the SOS Users Collaborative Network is that it exemplifies an ideal partnership between federal science agencies and informal science education institutions. The science agencies (including NOAA, NASA, and the Department of Energy) provide continuously updated global datasets, scientific expertise, funding, and support. In turn, museums act as trusted public providers of scientific information, provide audience-appropriate presentations, localized relevance to global phenomena and a forum for discussing the complex science and repercussions of global change. We will discuss the characteristics of this Network that maximize collaboration and what we're learning as a community to improve climate literacy.

Environmental problems of resort towns of Caucasian Mineralnye Vody region during the anthropocene era

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Efimenko, Natalia; Chalaya, Elena; Povolotckaia, Nina; Artamonova, Mariya; Senik, Irina; Slepykh, Viktor

2017-04-01

There has been studied the influence of ecological factors on rehabilitation properties of the atmospheric surface layer (ASL) in the mountain resorts of the Caucasian Mineralnye Vody Region (CMVR) according to the research methods [1] accepted in balneology. Taking into consideration the data of the long-term complex multiple-factor bioclimatic monitoring (PRIC FMBA, IFA RAS, SNP), it has been revealed: - the increase in frequency of inter-day variability of the integral index of weather pathogenicity (IIWP) in the range of 0,352,0). These signs are noted on the background of the continuing period of climate warming. At the present time the rehabilitation potential of ASL in the resorts of Caucasian Mineralnye Vody region is estimated within 2,08-2,68 points (max =3,0 points). Mountainous areas are more sensitive to anthropogenic impacts, changes of radiation mode and circulation modes. It was revealed that there are a number of phenomena and trends in ASL of the mountainous sites, which are negative markers of urbanization process and advent of Anthropocene era. Therefore, it is actual to form a new concept of sustainable development of mountainous resort towns with scientifically grounded territorial complex system of conservation based on the modern principles of resort town-planning that will contain some scientifically proven and legally defended criteria of environmental pressures, principles of environmentally protective gardening, regulation of transportation flows, ecologically reasonable methods of waste elimination. Finally, all the efforts must be directed to preserving natural medical resources and ensuring of their renewal. References: 1. Resort study of Caucasian Mineralnye Vody region / Under the general edition of MD, prof. V. V. Uyba. Scientific publication. - Pyatigorsk: PRIC FMBA. Volume 1. - 2009. - 335 p.; Volume 2. - 2011. - 368 p.

A Complexity Approach to Evaluating National Scientific Systems through International Scientific Collaborations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zelnio, Ryan J.

2013-01-01

This dissertation seeks to contribute to a fuller understanding of how international scientific collaboration has affected national scientific systems. It does this by developing three methodological approaches grounded in social complexity theory and applying them to the evaluation of national scientific systems. The first methodology identifies…

Modeling and applications in microbial food safety

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Mathematical modeling is a scientific and systematic approach to study and describe the recurrent events or phenomena with successful application track for decades. When models are properly developed and validated, their applications may save costs and time. For the microbial food safety concerns, ...

Students' Evaluations about Climate Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lombardi, Doug; Brandt, Carol B.; Bickel, Elliot S.; Burg, Colin

2016-01-01

Scientists regularly evaluate alternative explanations of phenomena and solutions to problems. Students should similarly engage in critical evaluation when learning about scientific and engineering topics. However, students do not often demonstrate sophisticated evaluation skills in the classroom. The purpose of the present study was to…

Plasma wave experiment for the ISEE-3 mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scarf, F. L.

1983-01-01

An analysis of data from a scientific instrument designed to study solar wind and plasma wave phenomena on the ISEE-3 Mission is provided. Work on the data analysis phase of the contract from 1 October 1982 through 30 March 1983 is summarized.

ONR (Office of Naval Research) Far East Scientific Bulletin. Volume 9, Number 2, April - June 1984,

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-06-01

minutes. The DH unit is also used for aluminum killing, removal of nonmetallic inclusions (mainly oxides ), calcium treatment for sulfide inclusion...life sciences. His scientific interests include environmental physiology and a more recent interest in membrane phenomena. Dr. lampietro is a member...and 35 kV and is applied to a 5 mm vacuum spark gap but the gap does not break down -. - until a laser pulse is focused on the sharp anode . Enough of

Computer applications. Annual report, October 1, 1977-September 30, 1978. [LASL data base management activities regarding agricultural phenomena in southwestern US

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sanders, W.M.; Campbell, C.L.; Lester, J.V.

1979-09-01

The Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory is funded by the US Department of Agriculture to apply scientific and computer technology to solve agricultural problems. This report summarizes work during the period October 1, 1977, through September 30, 1978, on the application of computer technology to three areas: (1) surveillance of slaughterplants in Texas; (2) a pilot study of the New Mexico Brucellosis Eradication Program; and (3) the Market Cattle Identification program in Texas.

AXAF: The Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pellerin, Charles J.; Weisskopf, Martin C.; Neal, Valerie

2005-01-01

X-rays are produced by violent, energetic, and explosive phenomena in the universe. The Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF) is an orbiting observatory designed to view these X-rays. The National Academy of Sciences Survey Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics has recommended AXAF as the #1 priority among all major new astronomy programs. The scientific importance of AXAF was also highlighted by the Academy's Survey Committee on Physics. Why has AXAF earned such enthusiastic support, not only among astronomers, but also broadly within the nation's scientific community?

Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing in Plasma Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, William

2005-03-01

Advanced computing is generally recognized to be an increasingly vital tool for accelerating progress in scientific research during the 21st Century. For example, the Department of Energy's ``Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing'' (SciDAC) Program was motivated in large measure by the fact that formidable scientific challenges in its research portfolio could best be addressed by utilizing the combination of the rapid advances in super-computing technology together with the emergence of effective new algorithms and computational methodologies. The imperative is to translate such progress into corresponding increases in the performance of the scientific codes used to model complex physical systems such as those encountered in high temperature plasma research. If properly validated against experimental measurements and analytic benchmarks, these codes can provide reliable predictive capability for the behavior of a broad range of complex natural and engineered systems. This talk reviews recent progress and future directions for advanced simulations with some illustrative examples taken from the plasma science applications area. Significant recent progress has been made in both particle and fluid simulations of fine-scale turbulence and large-scale dynamics, giving increasingly good agreement between experimental observations and computational modeling. This was made possible by the combination of access to powerful new computational resources together with innovative advances in analytic and computational methods for developing reduced descriptions of physics phenomena spanning a huge range in time and space scales. In particular, the plasma science community has made excellent progress in developing advanced codes for which computer run-time and problem size scale well with the number of processors on massively parallel machines (MPP's). A good example is the effective usage of the full power of multi-teraflop (multi-trillion floating point computations per second) MPP's to produce three-dimensional, general geometry, nonlinear particle simulations which have accelerated progress in understanding the nature of plasma turbulence in magnetically-confined high temperature plasmas. These calculations, which typically utilized billions of particles for thousands of time-steps, would not have been possible without access to powerful present generation MPP computers and the associated diagnostic and visualization capabilities. In general, results from advanced simulations provide great encouragement for being able to include increasingly realistic dynamics to enable deeper physics insights into plasmas in both natural and laboratory environments. The associated scientific excitement should serve to stimulate improved cross-cutting collaborations with other fields and also to help attract bright young talent to the computational science area.

Future Sky Surveys: New Discovery Frontiers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tyson, J. Anthony; Borne, Kirk D.

2012-03-01

Driven by the availability of new instrumentation, there has been an evolution in astronomical science toward comprehensive investigations of new phenomena. Major advances in our understanding of the Universe over the history of astronomy have often arisen from dramatic improvements in our capability to observe the sky to greater depth, in previously unexplored wavebands, with higher precision, or with improved spatial, spectral, or temporal resolution. Substantial progress in the important scientific problems of the next decade (determining the nature of dark energy and dark matter, studying the evolution of galaxies and the structure of our own Milky Way, opening up the time domain to discover faint variable objects, and mapping both the inner and outer Solar System) can be achieved through the application of advanced data mining methods and machine learning algorithms operating on the numerous large astronomical databases that will be generated from a variety of revolutionary future sky surveys. Over the next decade, astronomy will irrevocably enter the era of big surveys and of really big telescopes. New sky surveys (some of which will produce petabyte-scale data collections) will begin their operations, and one or more very large telescopes (ELTs = Extremely Large Telescopes) will enter the construction phase. These programs and facilities will generate a remarkable wealth of data of high complexity, endowed with enormous scientific knowledge discovery potential. New parameter spaces will be opened, in multiple wavelength domains as well as the time domain, across wide areas of the sky, and down to unprecedented faint source flux limits. The synergies of grand facilities, massive data collections, and advanced machine learning algorithms will come together to enable discoveries within most areas of astronomical science, including Solar System, exo-planets, star formation, stellar populations, stellar death, galaxy assembly, galaxy evolution, quasar evolution, and cosmology. Current and future sky surveys, comprising an alphabet soup of project names (e.g., Pan- STARRS, WISE, Kepler, DES, VST, VISTA, GAIA, EUCLID, SKA, LSST, and WFIRST; some of which are discussed in Chapters 17, 18, and 20),will contribute to the exponential explosion of complex data in astronomy. The scientific goals of these projects are as monumental as the programs themselves. The core scientific output of all of these will be their scientific data collection. Consequently, data mining and machine learning algorithms and specialists will become a common component of future astronomical research with these facilities. This synergistic combination and collaboration among multiple disciplines are essential in order to maximize the scientific discovery potential, the science output, the research efficiency, and the success of these projects.

The NASA Microgravity Fluid Physics Program: Research Plans for the ISS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kohl, Fred J.; Singh, Bhim S.; Shaw, Nancy J.; Chiaramonte, Francis P.

2003-01-01

Building on over four decades of research and technology development related to the behavior of fluids in low gravity environments, the current NASA Microgravity Fluid Physics Program continues the quest for knowledge to further understand and design better fluids systems for use on earth and in space. NASA's Biological and Physical Research Enterprise seeks to exploit the space environment to conduct research supporting human exploration of space (strategic research), research of intrinsic scientific importance and impact (fundamental research), and commercial research. The strategic research thrust will build the vital knowledge base needed to enable NASA's mission to explore the Universe and search for life. There are currently five major research areas in the Microgravity Fluid Physics Program: complex fluids, niultiphase flows and phase change, interfacial phenomena, biofluid mechanics, and dynamics and instabilities. Numerous investigations into these areas are being conducted in both ground-based laboratories and facilities and in the flight experiments program. Most of the future NASA- sponsored flight experiments in microgravity fluid physics and transport phenomena will be carried out on the International Space Station (ISS) in the Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR), in the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG), in EXPRESS racks, and in other facilities provided by international partners. This paper presents an overview of the near- and long-term visions for NASA's Microgravity Fluid Physics Research Program and brief descriptions of hardware systems planned to enable this research.

Chaos in World Politics: A Reflection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferreira, Manuel Alberto Martins; Filipe, José António Candeias Bonito; Coelho, Manuel F. P.; Pedro, Isabel C.

Chaos theory results from natural scientists' findings in the area of non-linear dynamics. The importance of related models has increased in the last decades, by studying the temporal evolution of non-linear systems. In consequence, chaos is one of the concepts that most rapidly have been expanded in what research topics respects. Considering that relationships in non-linear systems are unstable, chaos theory aims to understand and to explain this kind of unpredictable aspects of nature, social life, the uncertainties, the nonlinearities, the disorders and confusion, scientifically it represents a disarray connection, but basically it involves much more than that. The existing close relationship between change and time seems essential to understand what happens in the basics of chaos theory. In fact, this theory got a crucial role in the explanation of many phenomena. The relevance of this kind of theories has been well recognized to explain social phenomena and has permitted new advances in the study of social systems. Chaos theory has also been applied, particularly in the context of politics, in this area. The goal of this chapter is to make a reflection on chaos theory - and dynamical systems such as the theories of complexity - in terms of the interpretation of political issues, considering some kind of events in the political context and also considering the macro-strategic ideas of states positioning in the international stage.

Rogue waves: a unique approach to multidisciplinary physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Residori, S.; Onorato, M.; Bortolozzo, U.; Arecchi, F. T.

2017-01-01

Rogue waves are giant waves appearing erratically and unexpectedly on the ocean surfaces. Their existence, considered as mythical in the ancient times, has recently been recognised by the scientific community and, since then, rogue waves have become the object of numerous theoretical and experimental studies. Their relevance is not restricted to oceanography, but it extends in a wide spectrum of physical contexts. General models and mathematical tools have been developed on a interdisciplinary ground and many experiments have been specifically conceived for the observation of rogue waves in a variety of different physical systems. Rogue wave phenomena are, nowadays, studied, for instance, in hydrodynamics, optics, plasmas, complex media, Bose-Einstein condensation and acoustics. We can, therefore, consider rogue waves as a paradigmatic description, able to account for the manifestation of extreme events in multidisciplinary physics. In this review, we present the main physical concepts and mathematical tools for the description of rogue waves. We will refer mostly to examples from water waves and optics, the two domains having in common the non-linear Schrödinger equation from which prototype rogue wave solutions can be derived. We will highlight the most common features of the rogue wave phenomena, as the large deviations from the Gaussian statistics of the amplitude, the existence of many uncorrelated 'grains' of activity and their clustering in inhomogeneous spatial domains via large-scale symmetry breaking.

Preface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vargas, Helion

2005-06-01

The biennial International Conferences on Photoacoustic and Photothermal Phenomena (ICPPP) are widely recognized as the major venue for the dissemination of recent and significant research results in the traditional areas, as well as in new and exciting outgrowths of this interdisciplinary field. The ICPPP is concerned with the science, applications and technologies involving the optical, electron-beam or otherwise production, propagation and detection of acoustic, thermal and general diffusion-wave fields.

Proceedings of the Fourth Microgravity Fluid Physics and Transport Phenomena Conference

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Bhim S. (Editor)

1999-01-01

This conference presents information to the scientific community on research results, future directions, and research opportunities in microgravity fluid physics and transport phenomena within NASA's microgravity research program. The conference theme is "The International Space Station." Plenary sessions provide an overview of the Microgravity Fluid Physics Program, the International Space Station and the opportunities ISS presents to fluid physics and transport phenomena researchers, and the process by which researchers may become involved in NASA's program, including information about the NASA Research Announcement in this area. Two plenary lectures present promising areas of research in electrohydrodynamics/electrokinetics in the movement of particles and in micro- and meso-scale effects on macroscopic fluid dynamics. Featured speakers in plenary sessions present results of recent flight experiments not heretofore presented. The conference publication consists of this book of abstracts and the full Proceedings of the 4th Microgravity Fluid Physics and Transport Phenomena Conference on CD-ROM, containing full papers presented at the conference (NASA/CP-1999-208526/SUPPL1).

A phenomenology of meditation-induced light experiences: traditional buddhist and neurobiological perspectives

PubMed Central

Lindahl, Jared R.; Kaplan, Christopher T.; Winget, Evan M.; Britton, Willoughby B.

2014-01-01

The scientific study of Buddhist meditation has proceeded without much attention to Buddhist literature that details the range of psychological and physiological changes thought to occur during meditation. This paper presents reports of various meditation-induced light experiences derived from American Buddhist practitioners. The reports of light experiences are classified into two main types: discrete lightforms and patterned or diffuse lights. Similar phenomena are well documented in traditional Buddhist texts but are virtually undocumented in scientific literature on meditation. Within Buddhist traditions, these phenomena are attributed a range of interpretations. However, because it is insufficient and problematic to rely solely upon the textual sources as a means of investigating the cause or significance of these phenomena, these qualitative reports are also considered in relation to scientific research on light-related experiences in the context of sensory deprivation, perceptual isolation, and clinical disorders of the visual system. The typologies derived from these studies also rely upon reports of experiences and closely match typologies derived from the qualitative study of contemporary practitioners and typologies found in Buddhist literary traditions. Taken together, these studies also provide evidence in support of the hypothesis that certain meditative practices – especially those that deliberately decrease social, kinesthetic, and sensory stimulation and emphasize focused attention – have perceptual and cognitive outcomes similar to sensory deprivation. Given that sensory deprivation increases neuroplasticity, meditation may also have an enhanced neuroplastic potential beyond ordinary experience-dependent changes. By providing and contextualizing these reports of meditation-induced light experiences, scientists, clinicians, and meditators gain a more informed view of the range of experiences that can be elicited by contemplative practices. PMID:24427148

Causation in epidemiology

PubMed Central

Parascandola, M; Weed, D

2001-01-01

Causation is an essential concept in epidemiology, yet there is no single, clearly articulated definition for the discipline. From a systematic review of the literature, five categories can be delineated: production, necessary and sufficient, sufficient-component, counterfactual, and probabilistic. Strengths and weaknesses of these categories are examined in terms of proposed characteristics of a useful scientific definition of causation: it must be specific enough to distinguish causation from mere correlation, but not so narrow as to eliminate apparent causal phenomena from consideration. Two categories—production and counterfactual—are present in any definition of causation but are not themselves sufficient as definitions. The necessary and sufficient cause definition assumes that all causes are deterministic. The sufficient-component cause definition attempts to explain probabilistic phenomena via unknown component causes. Thus, on both of these views, heavy smoking can be cited as a cause of lung cancer only when the existence of unknown deterministic variables is assumed. The probabilistic definition, however, avoids these assumptions and appears to best fit the characteristics of a useful definition of causation. It is also concluded that the probabilistic definition is consistent with scientific and public health goals of epidemiology. In debates in the literature over these goals, proponents of epidemiology as pure science tend to favour a narrower deterministic notion of causation models while proponents of epidemiology as public health tend to favour a probabilistic view. The authors argue that a single definition of causation for the discipline should be and is consistent with both of these aims. It is concluded that a counterfactually-based probabilistic definition is more amenable to the quantitative tools of epidemiology, is consistent with both deterministic and probabilistic phenomena, and serves equally well for the acquisition and the application of scientific knowledge.


Keywords: causality; counterfactual; philosophy PMID:11707485

Complex Systems Education for natural Hazards and from down to up Pushing of Government and Officials: A Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zvelebil, J.

2009-04-01

There is no point to discuss necessity of knowledge of Complex System or Nonlinear Science sensu lato at all education levels and practical decision making. Author feels that fulfilling of this strategic task needs to apply three tactics. However, each of them possesses different urgency. The highest priority has extensive education of new alternative paradigm for students. The reason is, study of Natural Science is highly fragmented into too one-theme-narrowly aimed specializations at Czech Universities. Common introductions into general methodology of science are unfortunately old fashioned, if any. They stress regular, reductionist, and time-less paradigm of classical physics without any alternatives, even the one of quantum theory by statistical physics. According former, our world is full of passive, simple, material items, which are being displaced, dragged, and changed (reversibly) by outer forces. Their interplays gradually, reaching one-by one higher levels of causal organization - all levels with the same types of canonical description, finally form the visible macro-reality. This view is in direct contradiction with student's personal experience. They see their World full of self-sustaining items actively using to that their own, inner intrinsic mechanisms. From molecules up, they are not simple things. In contrary, they are highly organized, and are even further organizing themselves into higher complexes by rich mutual interactions. In biology, those items are even caring-about-themselves entities, which actively survey and manipulate their outer environment to gain energy to increase their organization. Moreover, unhappy students are facing common view there is no "hard science" without being able to reduce results of their scientific work into a few mathematical equations, by which the observed "fata morgana" is reduced into "really scientific" description by "basic rules of Nature", which, hidden behind the scene, are causes of all the observed interplays of highly organized entities. Of course, such efforts mainly fail due to existence of qualitative differences between description of the same phenomena on different time-space scales or functional levels. Main features of a basic course "Application of nonlinear dynamics and Theory of Complex Systems for Physical Geographers" are described. They also partially follow the course reader's opinion about necessity of new reunion of modern philosophy and methodology of natural and human sciences Dangerous distortion of reflections of reality by the frequently proposed substitution of human science methodology by the natural science one is stressed. On the contrary, examples from philosophy (Bergson 1919, Wittgenstein 1953), which had anticipated and even defined some profound themes of Complex Systems (e.g. Kauffman 1993), as e.g. self-organizing, entropy decreasing behavior, or existence of discontinuities between description of the same phenomena on different time-space scales or functional levels. The second priority has information dissemination for decisions makers of natural Hazards management. Any successful Case history is better then ten popular lectures for those decision makers. A case history of highly computerized Integrated Information System (IIS) for unstable rock slope monitoring, on-line rock fall precursors diagnostics of time series and automated early warning launching, the both with the use of predominantly nonlinear tools is outlined. It stands to support author's opinion that pushing of officials is effective only if it is provided from down to up. That means it is based on satisfactory solution of specific community needs, instead of from up to down flowing more or less general directives of some far away sitting clerks. The third tactical item is rather long-distance run. Change of paradigm cannot be ordered, it is matter of generation change, as on scientific, as well as on decision makers (hopefully recruited from students already aware of Complex Systems Theory). Acknowledgement: The study was supported by T110190504 Project of Academy of Sciences of Czech Republic, by MSN 00216 20831 Project of Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of Czech Republic, and by IPL -M121 Project of ICL.

A quantum theoretical approach to information processing in neural networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barahona da Fonseca, José; Barahona da Fonseca, Isabel; Suarez Araujo, Carmen Paz; Simões da Fonseca, José

2000-05-01

A reinterpretation of experimental data on learning was used to formulate a law on data acquisition similar to the Hamiltonian of a mechanical system. A matrix of costs in decision making specifies values attributable to a barrier that opposed to hypothesis formation about decision making. The interpretation of the encoding costs as frequencies of oscillatory phenomena leads to a quantum paradigm based in the models of photoelectric effect as well as of a particle against a potential barrier. Cognitive processes are envisaged as complex phenomena represented by structures linked by valence bounds. This metaphor is used to find some prerequisites to certain types of conscious experience as well as to find an explanation for some pathological distortions of cognitive operations as they are represented in the context of the isolobal model. Those quantum phenomena are understood as representing an analogue programming for specific special purpose computations. The formation of complex chemical structures within the context of isolobal theory is understood as an analog quantum paradigm for complex cognitive computations.

Perceptual learning and human expertise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kellman, Philip J.; Garrigan, Patrick

2009-06-01

We consider perceptual learning: experience-induced changes in the way perceivers extract information. Often neglected in scientific accounts of learning and in instruction, perceptual learning is a fundamental contributor to human expertise and is crucial in domains where humans show remarkable levels of attainment, such as language, chess, music, and mathematics. In Section 2, we give a brief history and discuss the relation of perceptual learning to other forms of learning. We consider in Section 3 several specific phenomena, illustrating the scope and characteristics of perceptual learning, including both discovery and fluency effects. We describe abstract perceptual learning, in which structural relationships are discovered and recognized in novel instances that do not share constituent elements or basic features. In Section 4, we consider primary concepts that have been used to explain and model perceptual learning, including receptive field change, selection, and relational recoding. In Section 5, we consider the scope of perceptual learning, contrasting recent research, focused on simple sensory discriminations, with earlier work that emphasized extraction of invariance from varied instances in more complex tasks. Contrary to some recent views, we argue that perceptual learning should not be confined to changes in early sensory analyzers. Phenomena at various levels, we suggest, can be unified by models that emphasize discovery and selection of relevant information. In a final section, we consider the potential role of perceptual learning in educational settings. Most instruction emphasizes facts and procedures that can be verbalized, whereas expertise depends heavily on implicit pattern recognition and selective extraction skills acquired through perceptual learning. We consider reasons why perceptual learning has not been systematically addressed in traditional instruction, and we describe recent successful efforts to create a technology of perceptual learning in areas such as aviation, mathematics, and medicine. Research in perceptual learning promises to advance scientific accounts of learning, and perceptual learning technology may offer similar promise in improving education.

Visual Data Exploration and Analysis - Report on the Visualization Breakout Session of the SCaLeS Workshop

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bethel, E. Wes; Frank, Randy; Fulcomer, Sam

Scientific visualization is the transformation of abstract information into images, and it plays an integral role in the scientific process by facilitating insight into observed or simulated phenomena. Visualization as a discipline spans many research areas from computer science, cognitive psychology and even art. Yet the most successful visualization applications are created when close synergistic interactions with domain scientists are part of the algorithmic design and implementation process, leading to visual representations with clear scientific meaning. Visualization is used to explore, to debug, to gain understanding, and as an analysis tool. Visualization is literally everywhere--images are present in this report,more » on television, on the web, in books and magazines--the common theme is the ability to present information visually that is rapidly assimilated by human observers, and transformed into understanding or insight. As an indispensable part a modern science laboratory, visualization is akin to the biologist's microscope or the electrical engineer's oscilloscope. Whereas the microscope is limited to small specimens or use of optics to focus light, the power of scientific visualization is virtually limitless: visualization provides the means to examine data that can be at galactic or atomic scales, or at any size in between. Unlike the traditional scientific tools for visual inspection, visualization offers the means to ''see the unseeable.'' Trends in demographics or changes in levels of atmospheric CO{sub 2} as a function of greenhouse gas emissions are familiar examples of such unseeable phenomena. Over time, visualization techniques evolve in response to scientific need. Each scientific discipline has its ''own language,'' verbal and visual, used for communication. The visual language for depicting electrical circuits is much different than the visual language for depicting theoretical molecules or trends in the stock market. There is no ''one visualization too'' that can serve as a panacea for all science disciplines. Instead, visualization researchers work hand in hand with domain scientists as part of the scientific research process to define, create, adapt and refine software that ''speaks the visual language'' of each scientific domain.« less

Agent-based spin model for financial markets on complex networks: Emergence of two-phase phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Yup; Kim, Hong-Joo; Yook, Soon-Hyung

2008-09-01

We study a microscopic model for financial markets on complex networks, motivated by the dynamics of agents and their structure of interaction. The model consists of interacting agents (spins) with local ferromagnetic coupling and global antiferromagnetic coupling. In order to incorporate more realistic situations, we also introduce an external field which changes in time. From numerical simulations, we find that the model shows two-phase phenomena. When the local ferromagnetic interaction is balanced with the global antiferromagnetic interaction, the resulting return distribution satisfies a power law having a single peak at zero values of return, which corresponds to the market equilibrium phase. On the other hand, if local ferromagnetic interaction is dominant, then the return distribution becomes double peaked at nonzero values of return, which characterizes the out-of-equilibrium phase. On random networks, the crossover between two phases comes from the competition between two different interactions. However, on scale-free networks, not only the competition between the different interactions but also the heterogeneity of underlying topology causes the two-phase phenomena. Possible relationships between the critical phenomena of spin system and the two-phase phenomena are discussed.

Synchronization in complex oscillator networks and smart grids.

PubMed

Dörfler, Florian; Chertkov, Michael; Bullo, Francesco

2013-02-05

The emergence of synchronization in a network of coupled oscillators is a fascinating topic in various scientific disciplines. A widely adopted model of a coupled oscillator network is characterized by a population of heterogeneous phase oscillators, a graph describing the interaction among them, and diffusive and sinusoidal coupling. It is known that a strongly coupled and sufficiently homogeneous network synchronizes, but the exact threshold from incoherence to synchrony is unknown. Here, we present a unique, concise, and closed-form condition for synchronization of the fully nonlinear, nonequilibrium, and dynamic network. Our synchronization condition can be stated elegantly in terms of the network topology and parameters or equivalently in terms of an intuitive, linear, and static auxiliary system. Our results significantly improve upon the existing conditions advocated thus far, they are provably exact for various interesting network topologies and parameters; they are statistically correct for almost all networks; and they can be applied equally to synchronization phenomena arising in physics and biology as well as in engineered oscillator networks, such as electrical power networks. We illustrate the validity, the accuracy, and the practical applicability of our results in complex network scenarios and in smart grid applications.

Numerical Methods of Computational Electromagnetics for Complex Inhomogeneous Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cai, Wei

Understanding electromagnetic phenomena is the key in many scientific investigation and engineering designs such as solar cell designs, studying biological ion channels for diseases, and creating clean fusion energies, among other things. The objectives of the project are to develop high order numerical methods to simulate evanescent electromagnetic waves occurring in plasmon solar cells and biological ion-channels, where local field enhancement within random media in the former and long range electrostatic interactions in the latter are of major challenges for accurate and efficient numerical computations. We have accomplished these objectives by developing high order numerical methods for solving Maxwell equationsmore » such as high order finite element basis for discontinuous Galerkin methods, well-conditioned Nedelec edge element method, divergence free finite element basis for MHD, and fast integral equation methods for layered media. These methods can be used to model the complex local field enhancement in plasmon solar cells. On the other hand, to treat long range electrostatic interaction in ion channels, we have developed image charge based method for a hybrid model in combining atomistic electrostatics and continuum Poisson-Boltzmann electrostatics. Such a hybrid model will speed up the molecular dynamics simulation of transport in biological ion-channels.« less

The Multi-Scale Network Landscape of Collaboration.

PubMed

Bae, Arram; Park, Doheum; Ahn, Yong-Yeol; Park, Juyong

2016-01-01

Propelled by the increasing availability of large-scale high-quality data, advanced data modeling and analysis techniques are enabling many novel and significant scientific understanding of a wide range of complex social, natural, and technological systems. These developments also provide opportunities for studying cultural systems and phenomena--which can be said to refer to all products of human creativity and way of life. An important characteristic of a cultural product is that it does not exist in isolation from others, but forms an intricate web of connections on many levels. In the creation and dissemination of cultural products and artworks in particular, collaboration and communication of ideas play an essential role, which can be captured in the heterogeneous network of the creators and practitioners of art. In this paper we propose novel methods to analyze and uncover meaningful patterns from such a network using the network of western classical musicians constructed from a large-scale comprehensive Compact Disc recordings data. We characterize the complex patterns in the network landscape of collaboration between musicians across multiple scales ranging from the macroscopic to the mesoscopic and microscopic that represent the diversity of cultural styles and the individuality of the artists.

Visualizing driving forces of spatially extended systems using the recurrence plot framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riedl, Maik; Marwan, Norbert; Kurths, Jürgen

2017-12-01

The increasing availability of highly resolved spatio-temporal data leads to new opportunities as well as challenges in many scientific disciplines such as climatology, ecology or epidemiology. This allows more detailed insights into the investigated spatially extended systems. However, this development needs advanced techniques of data analysis which go beyond standard linear tools since the more precise consideration often reveals nonlinear phenomena, for example threshold effects. One of these tools is the recurrence plot approach which has been successfully applied to the description of complex systems. Using this technique's power of visualization, we propose the analysis of the local minima of the underlying distance matrix in order to display driving forces of spatially extended systems. The potential of this novel idea is demonstrated by the analysis of the chlorophyll concentration and the sea surface temperature in the Southern California Bight. We are able not only to confirm the influence of El Niño events on the phytoplankton growth in this region but also to confirm two discussed regime shifts in the California current system. This new finding underlines the power of the proposed approach and promises new insights into other complex systems.

Multi-level and hybrid modelling approaches for systems biology.

PubMed

Bardini, R; Politano, G; Benso, A; Di Carlo, S

2017-01-01

During the last decades, high-throughput techniques allowed for the extraction of a huge amount of data from biological systems, unveiling more of their underling complexity. Biological systems encompass a wide range of space and time scales, functioning according to flexible hierarchies of mechanisms making an intertwined and dynamic interplay of regulations. This becomes particularly evident in processes such as ontogenesis, where regulative assets change according to process context and timing, making structural phenotype and architectural complexities emerge from a single cell, through local interactions. The information collected from biological systems are naturally organized according to the functional levels composing the system itself. In systems biology, biological information often comes from overlapping but different scientific domains, each one having its own way of representing phenomena under study. That is, the different parts of the system to be modelled may be described with different formalisms. For a model to have improved accuracy and capability for making a good knowledge base, it is good to comprise different system levels, suitably handling the relative formalisms. Models which are both multi-level and hybrid satisfy both these requirements, making a very useful tool in computational systems biology. This paper reviews some of the main contributions in this field.

Art and architecture as experience: an alternative approach to bridging art history and the neurosciences.

PubMed

Zschocke, Nina

2012-08-01

In 1972, Michael Baxandal characterizes the processes responsible for the cultural relativism of art experience as highly complex and unknown in their physiological detail. While art history still shows considerable interest in the brain sciences forty years later, most cross-disciplinary studies today are referring to the neurosciences in an attempt to seek scientific legitimization of variations of a generalized and largely deterministic model of perception, reducing interaction between a work of art and its observers to a set of biological automatisms. I will challenge such an approach and take up art theory's interest in the historico-cultural and situational dimensions of art experience. Looking at two examples of large-scale installation and sculptural post-war American art, I will explore instable perceptions of depth and changing experiences of space that indicate complex interactions between perceptual and higher cognitive processes. The argument will draw on recent theories describing neuronal processes underlying multistable phenomena, eye movement, visual attention and decision-making. As I will show a large number of neuroscientific studies provide theoretical models that help us analyse not the anthropological constants but the influence of cultural, individual and situational variables on aesthetic experience.

The Future of Psychology: Connecting Mind to Brain

PubMed Central

Barrett, Lisa Feldman

2009-01-01

Psychological states such as thoughts and feelings are real. Brain states are real. The problem is that the two are not real in the same way, creating the mind–brain correspondence problem. In this article, I present a possible solution to this problem that involves two suggestions. First, complex psychological states such as emotion and cognition an be thought of as constructed events that can be causally reduced to a set of more basic, psychologically primitive ingredients that are more clearly respected by the brain. Second, complex psychological categories like emotion and cognition are the phenomena that require explanation in psychology, and, therefore, they cannot be abandoned by science. Describing the content and structure of these categories is a necessary and valuable scientific activity. Physical concepts are free creations of the human mind, and are not, however it may seem, uniquely determined by the external world.—Einstein & Infeld (1938, p. 33) The cardinal passions of our life, anger, love, fear, hate, hope, and the most comprehensive divisions of our intellectual activity, to remember, expect, think, know, dream (and he goes on to say, feel) are the only facts of a subjective order…—James (1890, p. 195) PMID:19844601

David Brandner | NREL

Science.gov Websites

chemical reaction engineering and transport phenomena Analytical analysis of complex bio-derived samples and Lignin Areas of Expertise Analytical analysis of complex samples Chemical reaction engineering and

Stokes phenomena in discrete Painlevé II.

PubMed

Joshi, N; Lustri, C J; Luu, S

2017-02-01

We consider the asymptotic behaviour of the second discrete Painlevé equation in the limit as the independent variable becomes large. Using asymptotic power series, we find solutions that are asymptotically pole-free within some region of the complex plane. These asymptotic solutions exhibit Stokes phenomena, which is typically invisible to classical power series methods. We subsequently apply exponential asymptotic techniques to investigate such phenomena, and obtain mathematical descriptions of the rapid switching behaviour associated with Stokes curves. Through this analysis, we determine the regions of the complex plane in which the asymptotic behaviour is described by a power series expression, and find that the behaviour of these asymptotic solutions shares a number of features with the tronquée and tri-tronquée solutions of the second continuous Painlevé equation.

Stokes phenomena in discrete Painlevé II

PubMed Central

Joshi, N.

2017-01-01

We consider the asymptotic behaviour of the second discrete Painlevé equation in the limit as the independent variable becomes large. Using asymptotic power series, we find solutions that are asymptotically pole-free within some region of the complex plane. These asymptotic solutions exhibit Stokes phenomena, which is typically invisible to classical power series methods. We subsequently apply exponential asymptotic techniques to investigate such phenomena, and obtain mathematical descriptions of the rapid switching behaviour associated with Stokes curves. Through this analysis, we determine the regions of the complex plane in which the asymptotic behaviour is described by a power series expression, and find that the behaviour of these asymptotic solutions shares a number of features with the tronquée and tri-tronquée solutions of the second continuous Painlevé equation. PMID:28293132

Report for MaRIE Drivers Workshop on needs for energetic material's studies.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Specht, Paul Elliott

Energetic materials (i.e. explosives, propellants, and pyrotechnics) have complex mesoscale features that influence their dynamic response. Direct measurement of the complex mechanical, thermal, and chemical response of energetic materials is critical for improving computational models and enabling predictive capabilities. Many of the physical phenomena of interest in energetic materials cover time and length scales spanning several orders of magnitude. Examples include chemical interactions in the reaction zone, the distribution and evolution of temperature fields, mesoscale deformation in heterogeneous systems, and phase transitions. This is particularly true for spontaneous phenomena, like thermal cook-off. The ability for MaRIE to capture multiple lengthmore » scales and stochastic phenomena can significantly advance our understanding of energetic materials and yield more realistic, predictive models.« less

The Microscopic Representation of Complex Oscopic Phenomena Critical Slowing Down - a Blessing in Disguise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solomon, S.

The following sections are included: * The Microscopic Representation Paradigm * CSD Appearance and Measurement * Elimination of CSD as Understanding of oscopic Dynamics * MicRep Use in Multiscale Phenomena * Conclusions * Acknowledgements * References * Notes Added in Proof: Visualization Experiments * References Added in Proof

Using synthetic biology to make cells tomorrow's test tubes.

PubMed

Garcia, Hernan G; Brewster, Robert C; Phillips, Rob

2016-04-18

The main tenet of physical biology is that biological phenomena can be subject to the same quantitative and predictive understanding that physics has afforded in the context of inanimate matter. However, the inherent complexity of many of these biological processes often leads to the derivation of complex theoretical descriptions containing a plethora of unknown parameters. Such complex descriptions pose a conceptual challenge to the establishment of a solid basis for predictive biology. In this article, we present various exciting examples of how synthetic biology can be used to simplify biological systems and distill these phenomena down to their essential features as a means to enable their theoretical description. Here, synthetic biology goes beyond previous efforts to engineer nature and becomes a tool to bend nature to understand it. We discuss various recent and classic experiments featuring applications of this synthetic approach to the elucidation of problems ranging from bacteriophage infection, to transcriptional regulation in bacteria and in developing embryos, to evolution. In all of these examples, synthetic biology provides the opportunity to turn cells into the equivalent of a test tube, where biological phenomena can be reconstituted and our theoretical understanding put to test with the same ease that these same phenomena can be studied in the in vitro setting.

Scaffolding Learning from Molecular Visualizations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Hsin-Yi; Linn, Marcia C.

2013-01-01

Powerful online visualizations can make unobservable scientific phenomena visible and improve student understanding. Instead, they often confuse or mislead students. To clarify the impact of molecular visualizations for middle school students we explored three design variations implemented in a Web-based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE) unit on…

Toward the Relational Management of Educational Measurement Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chung, Gregory K. W. K.

2014-01-01

Background: Historically, significant advances in scientific understanding have followed advances in measurement and observation. As the resolving power of an instrument increased, so have gains in the understanding of the phenomena being observed. Modern interactive systems are potentially the new "microscopes" when they are…

Capitalizing on Curiosity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Devitt, Adam

2011-01-01

State and national standards have shifted what science learning should be from "plug and chug" formulas, to deep understanding of natural phenomena, competence developing ideas through the inquiry process, and even communicating scientific ideas among their communities (NRC 2007). By inquiring into his own teaching endeavors, the author continues…

Toward an Interdisciplinary Science of Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayes, Linda J.; Fryling, Mitch J.

2009-01-01

Cultural events are of interest to scientists working in many scientific domains. Given this, an interdisciplinary science of culture may provide a more thorough understanding of cultural phenomena. However, interdisciplinary sciences depend upon the validity and vitality of the participating disciplines. This article reviews the nature of…

CAWSES Related Projects in Japan : Grant-in-Aid for Creative Scientific Research ügBasic Study of Space Weather Predictionüh and CHAIN (Continuous H Alpha Imaging Network)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shibata, K.; Kurokawa, H.

The Grant-in-Aid for Creative Scientific Research of the Ministry of Education Science Sports Technology and Culture of Japan The Basic Study of Space Weather Prediction PI K Shibata Kyoto Univ has started in 2005 as 5 years projects with total budget 446Myen The purpose of this project is to develop a physical model of solar-terrestrial phenomena and space storms as a basis of space weather prediction by resolving fundamental physics of key phenomena from solar flares and coronal mass ejections to magnetospheric storms under international cooperation program CAWSES Climate and Weather of the Sun-Earth System Continuous H Alpha Imaging Network CHAIN Project led by H Kurokawa is a key project in this space weather study enabling continuous H alpha full Sun observations by connecting many solar telescopes in many countries through internet which provides the basis of the study of space weather prediction

Can Science Explain the Human Mind? Intuitive Judgments About the Limits of Science.

PubMed

Gottlieb, Sara; Lombrozo, Tania

2018-01-01

Can science explain romantic love, morality, and religious belief? We documented intuitive beliefs about the limits of science in explaining the human mind. We considered both epistemic evaluations (concerning whether science could possibly fully explain a given psychological phenomenon) and nonepistemic judgments (concerning whether scientific explanations for a given phenomenon would generate discomfort), and we identified factors that characterize phenomena judged to fall beyond the scope of science. Across six studies, we found that participants were more likely to judge scientific explanations for psychological phenomena to be impossible and uncomfortable when, among other factors, they support first-person, introspective access (e.g., feeling empathetic as opposed to reaching for objects), contribute to making humans exceptional (e.g., appreciating music as opposed to forgetfulness), and involve conscious will (e.g., acting immorally as opposed to having headaches). These judgments about the scope of science have implications for science education, policy, and the public reception of psychological science.

Heavenly Bodies and Phenomena in Petroglyphs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tokhatyan, Karen

2016-12-01

In Armenian culture are amply reflected realities connected with Universe. Their figurative expressions are also petroglyphs in which there are representations of solar signs, swastika, Moon crescend, planets, stars, star groups, constellations, Milky Way, Earth. Among heavenly and atmospheric phenomena are: eclipce, meteor, comet, ligthning, cloud, rain and rainbow. There are many products of scientific thinking: stellar maps, calendars, compasses, astronomical records, Zodiac signs and ideograms. Thousands of the Armenian petroglyphs that were created millennia ago by an indigenous ethnos - Armenians, point to the significant place of celestial bodies and luminaries, especially the Sun, stars, and stellar constellations in our ancestors' cosmological perceptions.

Complex Constructivism: A Theoretical Model of Complexity and Cognition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doolittle, Peter E.

2014-01-01

Education has long been driven by its metaphors for teaching and learning. These metaphors have influenced both educational research and educational practice. Complexity and constructivism are two theories that provide functional and robust metaphors. Complexity provides a metaphor for the structure of myriad phenomena, while constructivism…

How the World Gains Understanding of a Planet: Analysis of Scientific Understanding in Earth Sciences and of the Communication of Earth-Scientific Explanation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voute, S.; Kleinhans, M. G.; de Regt, H.

2010-12-01

A scientific explanation for a phenomenon is based on relevant theory and initial and background conditions. Scientific understanding, on the other hand, requires intelligibility, which means that a scientist can recognise qualitative characteristic consequences of the theory without doing the actual calculations, and apply it to develop further explanations and predictions. If explanation and understanding are indeed fundamentally different, then it may be possible to convey understanding of earth-scientific phenomena to laymen without the full theoretical background. The aim of this thesis is to analyze how scientists and laymen gain scientific understanding in Earth Sciences, based on the newest insights in the philosophy of science, pedagogy, and science communication. All three disciplines have something to say about how humans learn and understand, even if at very different levels of scientists, students, children or the general public. If different disciplines with different approaches identify and quantify the same theory in the same manner, then there is likely to be something “real” behind the theory. Comparing methodology and learning styles of the different disciplines within the Earth Sciences and by critically analyze earth-scientific exhibitions in different museums may provide insight in the different approaches for earth-scientific explanation and communication. In order to gain earth-scientific understanding, a broad suite of tools is used, such as maps and images, symbols and diagrams, cross-sections and sketches, categorization and classification, modelling, laboratory experiments, (computer) simulations and analogies, remote sensing, and fieldwork. All these tools have a dual nature, containing both theoretical and embodied components. Embodied knowledge is created by doing the actual modelling, intervening in experiments and doing fieldwork. Scientific practice includes discovery and exploration, data collection and analyses, verification or falsification and conclusions that must be well grounded and argued. The intelligibility of theories is improved by the combination of these two types of understanding. This is also attested by the fact that both theoretical and embodied skills are considered essential for the training of university students at all levels. However, from surprised and confounded reactions of the public to natural disasters it appears that just showing scientific results is not enough to convey the scientific understanding to the public. By using the tools used by earth scientists to develop explanations and achieve understanding, laymen could achieve understanding as well without rigorous theoretical training. We are presently investigating in science musea whether engaging the public in scientific activities based on embodied skills leads to understanding of earth-scientific phenomena by laymen.

A Scaffolding Framework to Support Learning of Emergent Phenomena Using Multi-Agent-Based Simulation Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Basu, Satabdi; Sengupta, Pratim; Biswas, Gautam

2015-01-01

Students from middle school to college have difficulties in interpreting and understanding complex systems such as ecological phenomena. Researchers have suggested that students experience difficulties in reconciling the relationships between individuals, populations, and species, as well as the interactions between organisms and their environment…

Synchronization in complex networks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Arenas, A.; Diaz-Guilera, A.; Moreno, Y.

Synchronization processes in populations of locally interacting elements are in the focus of intense research in physical, biological, chemical, technological and social systems. The many efforts devoted to understand synchronization phenomena in natural systems take now advantage of the recent theory of complex networks. In this review, we report the advances in the comprehension of synchronization phenomena when oscillating elements are constrained to interact in a complex network topology. We also overview the new emergent features coming out from the interplay between the structure and the function of the underlying pattern of connections. Extensive numerical work as well as analyticalmore » approaches to the problem are presented. Finally, we review several applications of synchronization in complex networks to different disciplines: biological systems and neuroscience, engineering and computer science, and economy and social sciences.« less

Atmospheric studies in complex terrain: a planning guide for future studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Orgill, M.M.

The objective of this study is to assist the US Department of Energy in Conducting its atmospheric studies in complex terrain (ASCOT0 by defining various complex terrain research systems and relating these options to specific landforms sites. This includes: (1) reviewing past meteorological and diffusion research on complex terrain; (2) relating specific terrain-induced airflow phenomena to specific landforms and time and space scales; (3) evaluating the technical difficulty of modeling and measuring terrain-induced airflow phenomena; and (4) avolving severdal research options and proposing candidate sites for continuing and expanding field and modeling work. To evolve research options using variable candidatemore » sites, four areas were considered: site selection, terrain uniqueness and quantification, definition of research problems and research plans. 36 references, 111 figures, 20 tables.« less

Leibniz on the unicorn and various other curiosities.

PubMed

Ariew, R

1998-11-01

I discuss some of Leibniz's pronouncements about fringe phenomena--various monsters; talking dogs; genies and prophets; unicorns, glossopetrae, and other games of nature--in order to understand better Leibniz's views on science and the role these curiosities play in his plans for scientific academies and societies. However, given that Leibniz's sincerity has been called into question in twentieth-century secondary literature, I begin with a few historiographical remarks so as to situate these pronouncements within the Leibnizian corpus. What emerges is an image of Leibniz as a sober, cautious interpreter, a skeptic one might say but one who is prepared to concede the possibility of many strange phenomena. Leibniz expects these fringe phenomena to take their place among the natural curiosities catalogued as part of a hoped for empirical database intended as means toward the perfection of the sciences.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Suratwala, Tayyab

The high level objectives of the this work were to: 1) scientifically understand critical phenomena affecting the surface figure during full aperture finishing; 2) utilize these fundamentals to more deterministically control the surface figure during finishing; 3) successfully polish under rogue particle-‘free’ environments during polishing by understanding/preventing key sources of rogue particles.

Lifelong Education. II. Factors Contributing to Change in Education Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Educational Documentation and Information, 1972

1972-01-01

The factors contributing to the need for educational change in the direction of lifelong learning are discussed: global phenomena (economic change and demographic trends); scientific and technological developments (obsolescence of knowledge, development of human sciences, the application of technological progress to education); and social dynamics…

Approaches to Classroom-Based Computational Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guzdial, Mark

Computational science includes the use of computer-based modeling and simulation to define and test theories about scientific phenomena. The challenge for educators is to develop techniques for implementing computational science in the classroom. This paper reviews some previous work on the use of simulation alone (without modeling), modeling…

Children's Exploration of Physical Phenomena during Object Play

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solis, S. Lynneth; Curtis, Kaley N.; Hayes-Messinger, Amani

2017-01-01

Researchers propose that experiencing and manipulating physical principles through objects allows young children to formulate scientific intuitions that may serve as precursors to learning in STEM subjects. This may be especially true when children discover these physical principles through object affordances during play. The present study…

Acid Rain: An Educational Opportunity?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marion, James I.

1984-01-01

Deals with how educators can handle the subject of acid rain; illustrates suggestions with experiences of grade nine students visiting Frost Valley Environmental Education Center (Oliverea, New York) to learn scientific concepts through observation of outdoor phenomena, including a stream; and discusses acid rain, pH levels, and pollution control…

Science and the Citizen

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scientific American, 1978

1978-01-01

Reports on the following topics: (1) a national science and technology plan for China, (2) operable nuclear power plants in the U.S., (3) the university presidents' report on scientific research, (4) the pluperfect square, (5) test tube potatoes, and (6) Russian research of paranormal phenomena a century ago. (MA)

Metaphors Describing Energy Transfer through Ecosystems: Helpful or Misleading?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wernecke, Ulrike; Schwanewedel, Julia; Harms, Ute

2018-01-01

Energy transfer in ecosystems is an abstract and challenging topic for learners. Metaphors are widely used in scientific and educational discourse to communicate ideas about abstract phenomena. However, although considered valuable teaching tools, metaphors are ambiguous and can be misleading when used in educational contexts. Educational…

Curve Balls, Airplane Wings, and Prairie Dog Holes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnes, George B.

1984-01-01

Describes activities involving Bernoulli's principle which allows students to experience the difference between knowledge and scientific understanding. Explanations for each of the activities (using such materials as wooden spools, straws, soda bottles and table tennis balls) and explanations of phenomena in terms of Bernoulli's are provided. (BC)

Phenomenology Depends on Human Nature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reber, Rolf

2006-01-01

This paper comments on the article "Psychology and Phenomenology: A Clarification" by H. H. Kendler. Kendler contrasted objective phenomena going on in the mind with phenomenological convictions. He concluded, on the basis of a thoughtful analysis, that scientific psychology cannot validate moral principles, which have to be agreed upon by…

Lightning Phenomenology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawasaki, Zen

This paper presents a phenomenological idea about lightning flash to share the back ground understanding for this special issue. Lightning discharges are one of the terrible phenomena, and Benjamin Franklin has led this natural phenomenon to the stage of scientific investigation. Technical aspects like monitoring and location are also summarized in this article.

Should Science be Taught in Early Childhood?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eshach, Haim; Fried, Michael N.

2005-09-01

This essay considers the question of why we should teach science to K-2. After initial consideration of two traditional reasons for studying science, six assertions supporting the idea that even small children should be exposed to science are given. These are, in order: (1) Children naturally enjoy observing and thinking about nature. (2) Exposing students to science develops positive attitudes towards science. (3) Early exposure to scientific phenomena leads to better understanding of the scientific concepts studied later in a formal way. (4) The use of scientifically informed language at an early age influences the eventual development of scientific concepts. (5) Children can understand scientific concepts and reason scientifically. (6) Science is an efficient means for developing scientific thinking. Concrete illustrations of some of the ideas discussed in this essay, particularly, how language and prior knowledge may influence the development of scientific concepts, are then provided. The essay concludes by emphasizing that there is a window of opportunity that educators should exploit by presenting science as part of the curriculum in both kindergarten and the first years of primary school.

Setting priorities for space research: Opportunities and imperatives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

Discussed here is the first phase of a study by a task group convened by the Space Studies Board to ascertain whether it should attempt to develop a methodology for recommending priorities among the various initiatives in space research (that is, scientific activities concerned with phenomena in space or utilizing observations from space). It is argued that such priority statements by the space research community are both necessary and desirable and would contribute to the formulation and implementation of public policy. The establishment of priorities to enhance effective management of the nation's scientific research program in space is advocated. It is argued that scientific objectives and purposes should determine how and under what circumstances research should be done.

Simulation and Experimentation in an Astronomy Laboratory, Part II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maloney, F. P.; Maurone, P. A.; Hones, M.

1995-12-01

The availability of low-cost, high-performance computing hardware and software has transformed the manner by which astronomical concepts can be re-discovered and explored in a laboratory that accompanies an astronomy course for non-scientist students. We report on a strategy for allowing each student to understand fundamental scientific principles by interactively confronting astronomical and physical phenomena, through direct observation and by computer simulation. Direct observation of physical phenomena, such as Hooke's Law, begins by using a computer and hardware interface as a data-collection and presentation tool. In this way, the student is encouraged to explore the physical conditions of the experiment and re-discover the fundamentals involved. The hardware frees the student from the tedium of manual data collection and presentation, and permits experimental design which utilizes data that would otherwise be too fleeting, too imprecise, or too voluminous. Computer simulation of astronomical phenomena allows the student to travel in time and space, freed from the vagaries of weather, to re-discover such phenomena as the daily and yearly cycles, the reason for the seasons, the saros, and Kepler's Laws. By integrating the knowledge gained by experimentation and simulation, the student can understand both the scientific concepts and the methods by which they are discovered and explored. Further, students are encouraged to place these discoveries in an historical context, by discovering, for example, the night sky as seen by the survivors of the sinking Titanic, or Halley's comet as depicted on the Bayeux tapestry. We report on the continuing development of these laboratory experiments. Futher details and the text for the experiments are available at the following site: http://astro4.ast.vill.edu/ This work is supported by a grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Atomic-scale visualization of oxide thin-film surfaces.

PubMed

Iwaya, Katsuya; Ohsawa, Takeo; Shimizu, Ryota; Okada, Yoshinori; Hitosugi, Taro

2018-01-01

The interfaces of complex oxide heterostructures exhibit intriguing phenomena not observed in their constituent materials. The oxide thin-film growth of such heterostructures has been successfully controlled with unit-cell precision; however, atomic-scale understandings of oxide thin-film surfaces and interfaces have remained insufficient. We examined, with atomic precision, the surface and electronic structures of oxide thin films and their growth processes using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy. Our results reveal that oxide thin-film surface structures are complicated in contrast to the general perception and that atomically ordered surfaces can be achieved with careful attention to the surface preparation. Such atomically ordered oxide thin-film surfaces offer great opportunities not only for investigating the microscopic origins of interfacial phenomena but also for exploring new surface phenomena and for studying the electronic states of complex oxides that are inaccessible using bulk samples.

Inspiring future experimental scientists through questions related to colour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fairchild, Mark D.; Melgosa, Manuel

2014-07-01

In general, it can be stated that unfortunately in most countries the number of students interested in traditional scientific disciplines (e.g. physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, etc.) for his/her future professional careers has considerably decreased during the past years. It is likely that among the reasons of this trend we can find that many students feel that these disciplines are particularly difficult, complex, abstract, and even boring, while they consider applied sciences (e.g. engineering) as much more attractive options to them. Here we aim to attract people of very different ages to traditional scientific disciplines, and promote scientific knowledge, using a set of colour questions related to everyday experiences. From our answers to these questions we hope that people can understand and learn science in a rigorous, relaxed and amusing way, and hopefully they will be inspired to continue exploring on their own. Examples of such colour questions can be found at the free website http://whyiscolor.org from Mark D. Fairchild. For a wider dissemination, most contents of this website have been recently translated into Spanish language by the authors, and published in the book entitled "La tienda de las curiosidades sobre el color" (Editorial University of Granada, Spain, ISBN: 9788433853820). Colour is certainly multidisciplinary, and while it can be said that it is mainly a perception, optics is a key discipline to understand colour stimuli and phenomena. The classical first approach in colour science as the result of the interaction of light, objects, and the human visual system will be also reviewed.

Plasmakristall-4: New complex (dusty) plasma laboratory on board the International Space Station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pustylnik, M. Y.; Fink, M. A.; Nosenko, V.; Antonova, T.; Hagl, T.; Thomas, H. M.; Zobnin, A. V.; Lipaev, A. M.; Usachev, A. D.; Molotkov, V. I.; Petrov, O. F.; Fortov, V. E.; Rau, C.; Deysenroth, C.; Albrecht, S.; Kretschmer, M.; Thoma, M. H.; Morfill, G. E.; Seurig, R.; Stettner, A.; Alyamovskaya, V. A.; Orr, A.; Kufner, E.; Lavrenko, E. G.; Padalka, G. I.; Serova, E. O.; Samokutyayev, A. M.; Christoforetti, S.

2016-09-01

New complex-plasma facility, Plasmakristall-4 (PK-4), has been recently commissioned on board the International Space Station. In complex plasmas, the subsystem of μm-sized microparticles immersed in low-pressure weakly ionized gas-discharge plasmas becomes strongly coupled due to the high (103-104 e) electric charge on the microparticle surface. The microparticle subsystem of complex plasmas is available for the observation at the kinetic level, which makes complex plasmas appropriate for particle-resolved modeling of classical condensed matter phenomena. The main purpose of PK-4 is the investigation of flowing complex plasmas. To generate plasma, PK-4 makes use of a classical dc discharge in a glass tube, whose polarity can be switched with the frequency of the order of 100 Hz. This frequency is high enough not to be felt by the relatively heavy microparticles. The duty cycle of the polarity switching can be also varied allowing to vary the drift velocity of the microparticles and (when necessary) to trap them. The facility is equipped with two videocameras and illumination laser for the microparticle imaging, kaleidoscopic plasma glow observation system and minispectrometer for plasma diagnostics and various microparticle manipulation devices (e.g., powerful manipulation laser). Scientific experiments are programmed in the form of scripts written with the help of specially developed C scripting language libraries. PK-4 is mainly operated from the ground (control center CADMOS in Toulouse, France) with the support of the space station crew. Data recorded during the experiments are later on delivered to the ground on the removable hard disk drives and distributed to participating scientists for the detailed analysis.

Plasmakristall-4: New complex (dusty) plasma laboratory on board the International Space Station.

PubMed

Pustylnik, M Y; Fink, M A; Nosenko, V; Antonova, T; Hagl, T; Thomas, H M; Zobnin, A V; Lipaev, A M; Usachev, A D; Molotkov, V I; Petrov, O F; Fortov, V E; Rau, C; Deysenroth, C; Albrecht, S; Kretschmer, M; Thoma, M H; Morfill, G E; Seurig, R; Stettner, A; Alyamovskaya, V A; Orr, A; Kufner, E; Lavrenko, E G; Padalka, G I; Serova, E O; Samokutyayev, A M; Christoforetti, S

2016-09-01

New complex-plasma facility, Plasmakristall-4 (PK-4), has been recently commissioned on board the International Space Station. In complex plasmas, the subsystem of μm-sized microparticles immersed in low-pressure weakly ionized gas-discharge plasmas becomes strongly coupled due to the high (10 3 -10 4 e) electric charge on the microparticle surface. The microparticle subsystem of complex plasmas is available for the observation at the kinetic level, which makes complex plasmas appropriate for particle-resolved modeling of classical condensed matter phenomena. The main purpose of PK-4 is the investigation of flowing complex plasmas. To generate plasma, PK-4 makes use of a classical dc discharge in a glass tube, whose polarity can be switched with the frequency of the order of 100 Hz. This frequency is high enough not to be felt by the relatively heavy microparticles. The duty cycle of the polarity switching can be also varied allowing to vary the drift velocity of the microparticles and (when necessary) to trap them. The facility is equipped with two videocameras and illumination laser for the microparticle imaging, kaleidoscopic plasma glow observation system and minispectrometer for plasma diagnostics and various microparticle manipulation devices (e.g., powerful manipulation laser). Scientific experiments are programmed in the form of scripts written with the help of specially developed C scripting language libraries. PK-4 is mainly operated from the ground (control center CADMOS in Toulouse, France) with the support of the space station crew. Data recorded during the experiments are later on delivered to the ground on the removable hard disk drives and distributed to participating scientists for the detailed analysis.

Continental Scientific Drilling and Exploration Act. Introduced in the Senate, Ninety-Ninth Congress, Second Session, September 19, 1986

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1986-01-01

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources report on S. 1026 recommends without amendment the bill which directs the Secretaries of the Interior and the National Science Foundation to cooperate in implementing the Continental Scientific Drilling Program (CSDP). The purpose of the CSDP is to enhance the knowledge and understanding of the composition, structure, dynamics, and evolution of the continental crust, including how such processes affect natural phenomena. The report includes background and the need for the legislation and summarizes the four sections.

Economics' Fall from Grace

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rudolph, Lloyd I.; Rudolph, Susanne Hoeber

2010-01-01

Not long ago, many political scientists suffered from economics envy. Some still do. They view economics as the queen of the social sciences, claiming that it is "scientific," like physics. Physicists and other natural scientists spend most of their time trying to explain phenomena, but non-behavioral micro-economists spend most of their time on…

Learning through Creating Robotic Models of Biological Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cuperman, Dan; Verner, Igor M.

2013-01-01

This paper considers an approach to studying issues in technology and science, which integrates design and inquiry activities towards creating and exploring technological models of scientific phenomena. We implemented this approach in a context where the learner inquires into a biological phenomenon and develops its representation in the form of a…

Understanding the Nature of Structures in Education: Recent Developments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van der Walt, Johannes L.

2015-01-01

In this paper the author discusses how 21st century education researchers could and in his opinion, should approach the scientific description of the various entities that they might encounter. The word "entities" in pedagogical context refers to phenomena and structures such as "an education system", "education",…

Mathematical Modeling: A Structured Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anhalt, Cynthia Oropesa; Cortez, Ricardo

2015-01-01

Mathematical modeling, in which students use mathematics to explain or interpret physical, social, or scientific phenomena, is an essential component of the high school curriculum. The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) classify modeling as a K-12 standard for mathematical practice and as a conceptual category for high school…

Can Dynamic Visualizations Improve Middle School Students' Understanding of Energy in Photosynthesis?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ryoo, Kihyun; Linn, Marcia C.

2012-01-01

Dynamic visualizations have the potential to make abstract scientific phenomena more accessible and visible to students, but they can also be confusing and difficult to comprehend. This research investigates how dynamic visualizations, compared to static illustrations, can support middle school students in developing an integrated understanding of…

In situ visualization for large-scale combustion simulations.

PubMed

Yu, Hongfeng; Wang, Chaoli; Grout, Ray W; Chen, Jacqueline H; Ma, Kwan-Liu

2010-01-01

As scientific supercomputing moves toward petascale and exascale levels, in situ visualization stands out as a scalable way for scientists to view the data their simulations generate. This full picture is crucial particularly for capturing and understanding highly intermittent transient phenomena, such as ignition and extinction events in turbulent combustion.

The Activity Summary Board

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Touitou, Israel; Barry, Stephen; Bielik, Tom; Schneider, Barbara; Krajcik, Joseph

2018-01-01

Project-based learning (PBL) is an instructional approach to science teaching that supports the "Next Generation Science Standards" (Krajcik 2015; NGSS Lead States 2013). In a PBL lesson, students design and solve real-world problems or explain scientific phenomena. Students using a PBL model learn and retain more than those not using…

Science Teaching: What Does It Mean?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tseitlin, Michael; Galili, Igal

2006-01-01

This study considers the relationship between science, science teaching and the philosophy of science perceiving these three cultural phenomena as a semantic triad. This approach presents science teaching as being a form of a scientific reflection. The relationship of science teaching to the philosophy of science is advocated to be essential,…

Does Science Presuppose Naturalism (or Anything at All)?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fishman, Yonatan I.; Boudry, Maarten

2013-01-01

Several scientists, scientific institutions, and philosophers have argued that science is committed to Methodological Naturalism (MN), the view that science, by virtue of its methods, is limited to studying "natural" phenomena and cannot consider or evaluate hypotheses that refer to supernatural entities. While they may in fact exist, gods,…

Students' Development and Use of Models to Explain Electrostatic Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayer, Kristin Elizabeth

2017-01-01

The National Research Council (2012) recently published A Framework for K-12 Science Education that describes a vision for science classrooms where students engage in three dimensions--scientific and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas--to explain phenomena or observations they can make about the universe…

76 FR 61668 - Application(s) for Duty-Free Entry of Scientific Instruments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-05

... electron-beam induced signals such as characteristic x-ray analysis, electron beam induced current... semiconductor materials, metals, ceramics, and biological tissues, to determine the influence of impurities on... transformation of metals, and the study of other phenomena. Justification for Duty- Free Entry: There are no...

Studies of two cumulative effects riddles

Treesearch

R. M. Rice; R. R. Ziemer; J. Lewis; T. E. Lisle

1989-01-01

Although it is unquestionably prudent to consider the cumulative watershed effects (CWEs) of timber harvesting, the presumed CWE phenomena offer limited opportunity for scientific inquiry. We are addressing two questions: are there synergistic sedimentation effects of sufficient magnitude to warrant consideration beyond efforts to reduce on-site erosion; and what are...

Explanation and the Nature of Scientific Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCain, Kevin

2015-01-01

Explaining phenomena is a primary goal of science. Consequently, it is unsurprising that gaining a proper understanding of the nature of explanation is an important goal of science education. In order to properly understand explanation, however, it is not enough to simply consider theories of the nature of explanation. Properly understanding…

Getting into ENSO

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Hyonyong; Jax, Dan

2004-01-01

To develop scientific literacy in today's global era, however, it is important that students learn about interactions within the Earth's systems worldwide. A unit exploring El Nino and La Nina-phenomena that can result in extreme weather events in locations all around the world-can help bridge this gap and broaden students awareness of global…

ISEE/ICE plasma wave data analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greenstadt, E. W.

1989-01-01

The work performed for the period 1 Jan. 1985 to 30 Oct. 1989 is presented. The objective was to provide reduction and analysis of data from a scientific instrument designed to study solar wind and plasma wave phenomena on the International Sun Earth Explorer 3 (ISEE-3)/International Cometary Explorer (ICE) missions.

Modeling the Round Earth through Diagrams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Padalkar, Shamin; Ramadas, Jayashree

2008-01-01

Earlier studies have found that students, including adults, have problems understanding the scientifically accepted model of the Sun-Earth-Moon system and explaining day-to-day astronomical phenomena based on it. We have been examining such problems in the context of recent research on visual-spatial reasoning. Working with middle school students…

Energy Connections and Misconnections across Chemistry and Biology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kohn, Kathryn P.; Underwood, Sonia M.; Cooper, Melanie M.

2018-01-01

Despite the number of university students who take courses in multiple science disciplines, little is known about how they connect concepts between disciplines. Energy is a concept that underlies all scientific phenomena and, as such, provides an appropriate context in which to investigate student connections and misconnections across disciplines.…

Scholarly Mission Fostering Scholarship in Research, Theory, and Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LaMontagne, Lynda L.; And Others

1996-01-01

Graduate programs at the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing are designed to enlarge students' knowledge of research and its relevance to their particular types of practice and to enhance students' precision in using the scientific approach to identify phenomena of concern and to solve nursing and health care problems. (Author)

Investigating Science Collaboratively: A Case Study of Group Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zinicola, Debra A.

2009-01-01

Discussions of one urban middle school group of students who were investigating scientific phenomena were analyzed; this study was conducted to discern if and how peer interaction contributes to learning. Through a social constructivist lens, case study methodology, we examined conceptual change among group members. Data about science talk was…

Time-lapse cinemicroscopy.

PubMed

Riddle, P N

1990-01-01

Cinematography commenced as a scientific technique used as a system for "slowing down" observed movement. Marey in 1888 (1) constructed, following a number of other ideas, a "Chambre Chronophoto-graphique," which had practically all the elements of the modern cine camera. With this he made serial photographs (not transparencies) of various biological phenomena (2).

Standing Waves and Inquiry Using Water Droplets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinclair, Dina; Vondracek, Mark

2015-01-01

Most high school and introductory college physics classes study simple harmonic motion and various wave phenomena. With the majority of states adopting the Next Generation Science Standards and pushing students to explore the scientific process for themselves, there is a growing demand for hands-on inquiry activities that involve and develop more…

The Bio-Logic and machinery of plant morphogenesis.

PubMed

Niklas, Karl J

2003-04-01

Morphogenesis (the development of organic form) requires signal-trafficking and cross-talking across all levels of organization to coordinate the operation of metabolic and genomic networked systems. Many biologists are currently converging on the pictorial conventions of computer scientists to render biological signaling as logic circuits supervising the operation of one or more signal-activated metabolic or gene networks. This approach can redact and simplify complex morphogenetic phenomena and allows for their aggregation into diagrams of larger, more "global" networked systems. This conceptualization is discussed in terms of how logic circuits and signal-activated subsystems work, and it is illustrated for examples of increasingly more complex morphogenetic phenomena, e.g., auxin-mediated cell expansion, entry into the mitotic cell cycle phases, and polar/lateral intercellular auxin transport. For each of these phenomena, a posited circuit/subsystem diagram draws rapid attention to missing components, either in the logic circuit or in the subsystem it supervises. These components must be identified experimentally if each of these basic phenomena is to be fully understood. Importantly, the power of the circuit/subsystem approach to modeling developmental phenomena resides not in its pictorial appeal but in the mathematical tools that are sufficiently strong to reveal and quantify the synergistics of networked systems and thus foster a better understanding of morphogenesis.

[Stability of home based care arrangements for people with dementia : Development of a consensus definition of stability using expert focus groups].

PubMed

von Kutzleben, Milena; Köhler, Kerstin; Dreyer, Jan; Holle, Bernhard; Roes, Martina

2017-04-01

The majority of people with dementia in Germany live at home. These informal care arrangements, which are mostly coordinated by informal carers, are the backbone of home-based dementia care. Creating and maintaining stability is an underlying theme in informal care; however, a definition of the complex phenomenon of 'stability' in this context is still lacking. The aim was to develop a working definition of stability of home-based care arrangements for people with dementia, which can be applied in current and future research projects at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Witten (DZNE Witten) and others. Ensuing from prior research a preliminary version of the definition was formulated. This definition was discussed in a focus group of scientific experts with expertise in dementia research and care (n = 8). After data analysis using content analysis, the definition was revised during a scientific colloquium (n = 18) and a consensus was finally reached. There were four major themes which were considered by the experts as being relevant for the definition of stability: (1) creating and maintaining stability as a continuous adaptation process, (2) a qualitative component of stability, (3) persons with dementia and informal carers as pivotal players and (4) transitions to residential care. The working definition introduced in this article reflects the authors' understanding of the phenomenon of stability of home-based care arrangements for people with dementia. In times of increasing need for evidence-based interventions it is necessary to develop elaborated definitions of complex phenomena in order to be able to systematically evaluate the efficacy of interventions on the basis of a common understanding.

Understanding Complex Adaptive Systems by Playing Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Bilsen, Arthur; Bekebrede, Geertje; Mayer, Igor

2010-01-01

While educators teach their students about decision making in complex environments, managers have to deal with the complexity of large projects on a daily basis. To make better decisions it is assumed, that the latter would benefit from better understanding of complex phenomena, as do students as the professionals of the future. The goal of this…

General description and understanding of the nonlinear dynamics of mode-locked fiber lasers.

PubMed

Wei, Huai; Li, Bin; Shi, Wei; Zhu, Xiushan; Norwood, Robert A; Peyghambarian, Nasser; Jian, Shuisheng

2017-05-02

As a type of nonlinear system with complexity, mode-locked fiber lasers are known for their complex behaviour. It is a challenging task to understand the fundamental physics behind such complex behaviour, and a unified description for the nonlinear behaviour and the systematic and quantitative analysis of the underlying mechanisms of these lasers have not been developed. Here, we present a complexity science-based theoretical framework for understanding the behaviour of mode-locked fiber lasers by going beyond reductionism. This hierarchically structured framework provides a model with variable dimensionality, resulting in a simple view that can be used to systematically describe complex states. Moreover, research into the attractors' basins reveals the origin of stochasticity, hysteresis and multistability in these systems and presents a new method for quantitative analysis of these nonlinear phenomena. These findings pave the way for dynamics analysis and system designs of mode-locked fiber lasers. We expect that this paradigm will also enable potential applications in diverse research fields related to complex nonlinear phenomena.

Colloquium: Fractional calculus view of complexity: A tutorial

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

West, Bruce J.

2014-10-01

The fractional calculus has been part of the mathematics and science literature for 310 years. However, it is only in the past decade or so that it has drawn the attention of mainstream science as a way to describe the dynamics of complex phenomena with long-term memory, spatial heterogeneity, along with nonstationary and nonergodic statistics. The most recent application encompasses complex networks, which require new ways of thinking about the world. Part of the new cognition is provided by the fractional calculus description of temporal and topological complexity. Consequently, this Colloquium is not so much a tutorial on the mathematics of the fractional calculus as it is an exploration of how complex phenomena in the physical, social, and life sciences that have eluded traditional mathematical modeling become less mysterious when certain historical assumptions such as differentiability are discarded and the ordinary calculus is replaced with the fractional calculus. Exemplars considered include the fractional differential equations describing the dynamics of viscoelastic materials, turbulence, foraging, and phase transitions in complex social networks.

Preface: cardiac control pathways: signaling and transport phenomena.

PubMed

Sideman, Samuel

2008-03-01

Signaling is part of a complex system of communication that governs basic cellular functions and coordinates cellular activity. Transfer of ions and signaling molecules and their interactions with appropriate receptors, transmembrane transport, and the consequent intracellular interactions and functional cellular response represent a complex system of interwoven phenomena of transport, signaling, conformational changes, chemical activation, and/or genetic expression. The well-being of the cell thus depends on a harmonic orchestration of all these events and the existence of control mechanisms that assure the normal behavior of the various parameters involved and their orderly expression. The ability of cells to sustain life by perceiving and responding correctly to their microenvironment is the basis for development, tissue repair, and immunity, as well as normal tissue homeostasis. Natural deviations, or human-induced interference in the signaling pathways and/or inter- and intracellular transport and information transfer, are responsible for the generation, modulation, and control of diseases. The present overview aims to highlight some major topics of the highly complex cellular information transfer processes and their control mechanisms. Our goal is to contribute to the understanding of the normal and pathophysiological phenomena associated with cardiac functions so that more efficient therapeutic modalities can be developed. Our objective in this volume is to identify and enhance the study of some basic passive and active physical and chemical transport phenomena, physiological signaling pathways, and their biological consequences.

The big and intricate dreams of little organelles: Embracing complexity in the study of membrane traffic.

PubMed

Liu, Allen P; Botelho, Roberto J; Antonescu, Costin N

2017-09-01

Compartmentalization of eukaryotic cells into dynamic organelles that exchange material through regulated membrane traffic governs virtually every aspect of cellular physiology including signal transduction, metabolism and transcription. Much has been revealed about the molecular mechanisms that control organelle dynamics and membrane traffic and how these processes are regulated by metabolic, physical and chemical cues. From this emerges the understanding of the integration of specific organellar phenomena within complex, multiscale and nonlinear regulatory networks. In this review, we discuss systematic approaches that revealed remarkable insight into the complexity of these phenomena, including the use of proximity-based proteomics, high-throughput imaging, transcriptomics and computational modeling. We discuss how these methods offer insights to further understand molecular versatility and organelle heterogeneity, phenomena that allow a single organelle population to serve a range of physiological functions. We also detail on how transcriptional circuits drive organelle adaptation, such that organelles may shift their function to better serve distinct differentiation and stress conditions. Thus, organelle dynamics and membrane traffic are functionally heterogeneous and adaptable processes that coordinate with higher-order system behavior to optimize cell function under a range of contexts. Obtaining a comprehensive understanding of organellar phenomena will increasingly require combined use of reductionist and system-based approaches. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Diffusion Geometry Unravels the Emergence of Functional Clusters in Collective Phenomena.

PubMed

De Domenico, Manlio

2017-04-21

Collective phenomena emerge from the interaction of natural or artificial units with a complex organization. The interplay between structural patterns and dynamics might induce functional clusters that, in general, are different from topological ones. In biological systems, like the human brain, the overall functionality is often favored by the interplay between connectivity and synchronization dynamics, with functional clusters that do not coincide with anatomical modules in most cases. In social, sociotechnical, and engineering systems, the quest for consensus favors the emergence of clusters. Despite the unquestionable evidence for mesoscale organization of many complex systems and the heterogeneity of their interconnectivity, a way to predict and identify the emergence of functional modules in collective phenomena continues to elude us. Here, we propose an approach based on random walk dynamics to define the diffusion distance between any pair of units in a networked system. Such a metric allows us to exploit the underlying diffusion geometry to provide a unifying framework for the intimate relationship between metastable synchronization, consensus, and random search dynamics in complex networks, pinpointing the functional mesoscale organization of synthetic and biological systems.

Diffusion Geometry Unravels the Emergence of Functional Clusters in Collective Phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Domenico, Manlio

2017-04-01

Collective phenomena emerge from the interaction of natural or artificial units with a complex organization. The interplay between structural patterns and dynamics might induce functional clusters that, in general, are different from topological ones. In biological systems, like the human brain, the overall functionality is often favored by the interplay between connectivity and synchronization dynamics, with functional clusters that do not coincide with anatomical modules in most cases. In social, sociotechnical, and engineering systems, the quest for consensus favors the emergence of clusters. Despite the unquestionable evidence for mesoscale organization of many complex systems and the heterogeneity of their interconnectivity, a way to predict and identify the emergence of functional modules in collective phenomena continues to elude us. Here, we propose an approach based on random walk dynamics to define the diffusion distance between any pair of units in a networked system. Such a metric allows us to exploit the underlying diffusion geometry to provide a unifying framework for the intimate relationship between metastable synchronization, consensus, and random search dynamics in complex networks, pinpointing the functional mesoscale organization of synthetic and biological systems.

Introduction to the LaRC central scientific computing complex

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shoosmith, John N.

1993-01-01

The computers and associated equipment that make up the Central Scientific Computing Complex of the Langley Research Center are briefly described. The electronic networks that provide access to the various components of the complex and a number of areas that can be used by Langley and contractors staff for special applications (scientific visualization, image processing, software engineering, and grid generation) are also described. Flight simulation facilities that use the central computers are described. Management of the complex, procedures for its use, and available services and resources are discussed. This document is intended for new users of the complex, for current users who wish to keep appraised of changes, and for visitors who need to understand the role of central scientific computers at Langley.

In the Footsteps of Irving Langmuir: Physical Chemistry in Service of Society

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carter, Emily

The approach that Irving Langmuir took during his scientific career in industry at General Electric exemplifies the best that we chemical physicists/physical chemists can offer the world. His name is associated with very fundamental concepts and phenomena (e.g., the Langmuir isotherm, Langmuir-Blodgett films) along with practical inventions (e.g., the Langmuir probe, Langmuir trough). He worked at the interface of physics, chemistry, and engineering, with much of his important work devoted to understanding surface and interface phenomena. I have - unintentionally - followed in his footsteps, trained as a physical chemist who now leads the engineering school at Princeton. In this talk, I will give examples from my research as to how fundamental physical chemistry techniques and concepts - based largely on quantum mechanics - can be harnessed to help the world transition to a sustainable energy future. In the footsteps of Irving, surface and interfacial phenomena will figure prominently in the examples chosen.

Switching Phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanley, H. E.; Buldyrev, S. V.; Franzese, G.; Havlin, S.; Mallamace, F.; Mazza, M. G.; Kumar, P.; Plerou, V.; Preis, T.; Stokely, K.; Xu, L.

One challenge of biology, medicine, and economics is that the systems treated by these serious scientific disciplines can suddenly "switch" from one behavior to another, even though they possess no perfect metronome in time. As if by magic, out of nothing but randomness one finds remarkably fine-tuned processes in time. The past century has, philosophically, been concerned with placing aside the human tendency to see the universe as a fine-tuned machine. Here we will address the challenge of uncovering how, through randomness (albeit, as we shall see, strongly correlated randomness), one can arrive at some of the many temporal patterns in physics, economics, and medicine and even begin to characterize the switching phenomena that enable a system to pass from one state to another. We discuss some applications of correlated randomness to understanding switching phenomena in various fields. Specifically, we present evidence from experiments and from computer simulations supporting the hypothesis that water's anomalies are related to a switching point (which is not unlike the "tipping point" immortalized by Malcolm Gladwell), and that the bubbles in economic phenomena that occur on all scales are not "outliers" (another Gladwell immortalization).

Moon-based Earth Observation for Large Scale Geoscience Phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Huadong; Liu, Guang; Ding, Yixing

2016-07-01

The capability of Earth observation for large-global-scale natural phenomena needs to be improved and new observing platform are expected. We have studied the concept of Moon as an Earth observation in these years. Comparing with manmade satellite platform, Moon-based Earth observation can obtain multi-spherical, full-band, active and passive information,which is of following advantages: large observation range, variable view angle, long-term continuous observation, extra-long life cycle, with the characteristics of longevity ,consistency, integrity, stability and uniqueness. Moon-based Earth observation is suitable for monitoring the large scale geoscience phenomena including large scale atmosphere change, large scale ocean change,large scale land surface dynamic change,solid earth dynamic change,etc. For the purpose of establishing a Moon-based Earth observation platform, we already have a plan to study the five aspects as follows: mechanism and models of moon-based observing earth sciences macroscopic phenomena; sensors' parameters optimization and methods of moon-based Earth observation; site selection and environment of moon-based Earth observation; Moon-based Earth observation platform; and Moon-based Earth observation fundamental scientific framework.

The Planetary Virtual Observatory and Laboratory (PVOL) and its integration into the Virtual European Solar and Planetary Access (VESPA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hueso, R.; Juaristi, J.; Legarreta, J.; Sánchez-Lavega, A.; Rojas, J. F.; Erard, S.; Cecconi, B.; Le Sidaner, Pierre

2018-01-01

Since 2003 the Planetary Virtual Observatory and Laboratory (PVOL) has been storing and serving publicly through its web site a large database of amateur observations of the Giant Planets (Hueso et al., 2010a). These images are used for scientific research of the atmospheric dynamics and cloud structure on these planets and constitute a powerful resource to address time variable phenomena in their atmospheres. Advances over the last decade in observation techniques, and a wider recognition by professional astronomers of the quality of amateur observations, have resulted in the need to upgrade this database. We here present major advances in the PVOL database, which has evolved into a full virtual planetary observatory encompassing also observations of Mercury, Venus, Mars, the Moon and the Galilean satellites. Besides the new objects, the images can be tagged and the database allows simple and complex searches over the data. The new web service: PVOL2 is available online in http://pvol2.ehu.eus/.

New Insights into Perfluorinated Sulfonic-Acid Ionomers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kusoglu, Ahmet; Weber, Adam Z.

In this comprehensive review, recent progress and developments on perfluorinated sulfonic-acid (PFSA) membranes have been summarized on many key topics. Although quite well investigated for decades, PFSA ionomers’ complex behavior, along with their key role in many emerging technologies, have presented significant scientific challenges but also helped create a unique cross-disciplinary research field to overcome such challenges. Research and progress on PFSAs, especially when considered with their applications, are at the forefront of bridging electrochemistry and polymer (physics), which have also opened up development of state-of-the-art in situ characterization techniques as well as multiphysics computation models. Topics reviewed stem frommore » correlating the various physical (e.g., mechanical) and transport properties with morphology and structure across time and length scales. In addition, topics of recent interest such as structure/transport correlations and modeling, composite PFSA membranes, degradation phenomena, and PFSA thin films are presented. Throughout, the impact of PFSA chemistry and side-chain is also discussed to present a broader perspective.« less

Simulation of the spatial distribution of the acoustic pressure in sonochemical reactors with numerical methods: a review.

PubMed

Tudela, Ignacio; Sáez, Verónica; Esclapez, María Deseada; Díez-García, María Isabel; Bonete, Pedro; González-García, José

2014-05-01

Numerical methods for the calculation of the acoustic field inside sonoreactors have rapidly emerged in the last 15 years. This paper summarizes some of the most important works on this topic presented in the past, along with the diverse numerical works that have been published since then, reviewing the state of the art from a qualitative point of view. In this sense, we illustrate and discuss some of the models recently developed by the scientific community to deal with some of the complex events that take place in a sonochemical reactor such as the vibration of the reactor walls and the nonlinear phenomena inherent to the presence of ultrasonic cavitation. In addition, we point out some of the upcoming challenges that must be addressed in order to develop a reliable tool for the proper designing of efficient sonoreactors and the scale-up of sonochemical processes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Heterogeneous Sensor Data Exploration and Sustainable Declarative Monitoring Architecture: Application to Smart Building

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Servigne, S.; Gripay, Y.; Pinarer, O.; Samuel, J.; Ozgovde, A.; Jay, J.

2016-09-01

Concerning energy consumption and monitoring architectures, our goal is to develop a sustainable declarative monitoring architecture for lower energy consumption taking into account the monitoring system itself. Our second is to develop theoretical and practical tools to model, explore and exploit heterogeneous data from various sources in order to understand a phenomenon like energy consumption of smart building vs inhabitants' social behaviours. We focus on a generic model for data acquisition campaigns based on the concept of generic sensor. The concept of generic sensor is centered on acquired data and on their inherent multi-dimensional structure, to support complex domain-specific or field-oriented analysis processes. We consider that a methodological breakthrough may pave the way to deep understanding of voluminous and heterogeneous scientific data sets. Our use case concerns energy efficiency of buildings to understand relationship between physical phenomena and user behaviors. The aim of this paper is to give a presentation of our methodology and results concerning architecture and user-centric tools.

KANTS: a stigmergic ant algorithm for cluster analysis and swarm art.

PubMed

Fernandes, Carlos M; Mora, Antonio M; Merelo, Juan J; Rosa, Agostinho C

2014-06-01

KANTS is a swarm intelligence clustering algorithm inspired by the behavior of social insects. It uses stigmergy as a strategy for clustering large datasets and, as a result, displays a typical behavior of complex systems: self-organization and global patterns emerging from the local interaction of simple units. This paper introduces a simplified version of KANTS and describes recent experiments with the algorithm in the context of a contemporary artistic and scientific trend called swarm art, a type of generative art in which swarm intelligence systems are used to create artwork or ornamental objects. KANTS is used here for generating color drawings from the input data that represent real-world phenomena, such as electroencephalogram sleep data. However, the main proposal of this paper is an art project based on well-known abstract paintings, from which the chromatic values are extracted and used as input. Colors and shapes are therefore reorganized by KANTS, which generates its own interpretation of the original artworks. The project won the 2012 Evolutionary Art, Design, and Creativity Competition.

New Insights into Perfluorinated Sulfonic-Acid Ionomers

DOE PAGES

Kusoglu, Ahmet; Weber, Adam Z.

2017-01-23

In this comprehensive review, recent progress and developments on perfluorinated sulfonic-acid (PFSA) membranes have been summarized on many key topics. Although quite well investigated for decades, PFSA ionomers’ complex behavior, along with their key role in many emerging technologies, have presented significant scientific challenges but also helped create a unique cross-disciplinary research field to overcome such challenges. Research and progress on PFSAs, especially when considered with their applications, are at the forefront of bridging electrochemistry and polymer (physics), which have also opened up development of state-of-the-art in situ characterization techniques as well as multiphysics computation models. Topics reviewed stem frommore » correlating the various physical (e.g., mechanical) and transport properties with morphology and structure across time and length scales. In addition, topics of recent interest such as structure/transport correlations and modeling, composite PFSA membranes, degradation phenomena, and PFSA thin films are presented. Throughout, the impact of PFSA chemistry and side-chain is also discussed to present a broader perspective.« less

Doing science by waving hands: Talk, symbiotic gesture, and interaction with digital content as resources in student inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gregorcic, Bor; Planinsic, Gorazd; Etkina, Eugenia

2017-12-01

In this paper, we investigate some of the ways in which students, when given the opportunity and an appropriate learning environment, spontaneously engage in collaborative inquiry. We studied small groups of high school students interacting around and with an interactive whiteboard equipped with Algodoo software, as they investigated orbital motion. Using multimodal discourse analysis, we found that in their discussions the students relied heavily on nonverbal meaning-making resources, most notably hand gestures and resources in the surrounding environment (items displayed on the interactive whiteboard). They juxtaposed talk with gestures and resources in the environment to communicate ideas that they initially were not able to express using words alone. By spontaneously recruiting and combining a diverse set of meaning-making resources, the students were able to express relatively fluently complex ideas on a novel physics topic, and to engage in practices that resemble a scientific approach to exploration of new phenomena.

Kondo blockade due to quantum interference in single-molecule junctions

PubMed Central

Mitchell, Andrew K.; Pedersen, Kim G. L.; Hedegård, Per; Paaske, Jens

2017-01-01

Molecular electronics offers unique scientific and technological possibilities, resulting from both the nanometre scale of the devices and their reproducible chemical complexity. Two fundamental yet different effects, with no classical analogue, have been demonstrated experimentally in single-molecule junctions: quantum interference due to competing electron transport pathways, and the Kondo effect due to entanglement from strong electronic interactions. Here we unify these phenomena, showing that transport through a spin-degenerate molecule can be either enhanced or blocked by Kondo correlations, depending on molecular structure, contacting geometry and applied gate voltages. An exact framework is developed, in terms of which the quantum interference properties of interacting molecular junctions can be systematically studied and understood. We prove that an exact Kondo-mediated conductance node results from destructive interference in exchange-cotunneling. Nonstandard temperature dependences and gate-tunable conductance peaks/nodes are demonstrated for prototypical molecular junctions, illustrating the intricate interplay of quantum effects beyond the single-orbital paradigm. PMID:28492236

Supporting Reform-Oriented Secondary Science Teaching Through the Use of a Framework to Analyze Construction of Scientific Explanations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richmond, Gail; Parker, Joyce M.; Kaldaras, Leonora

2016-08-01

The Next-Generation Science Standards (NGSS) call for a different approach to learning science. They promote three-dimensional (3D) learning that blends disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts and scientific practices. In this study, we examined explanations constructed by secondary science teacher candidates (TCs) as a scientific practice outlined in the NGSS necessary for supporting students' learning of science in this 3D way. We examined TCs' ability to give explanations that include explicit statements of underlying reasons for natural phenomena, as opposed to simply describing patterns or laws. In their methods courses, TCs were taught to organize explanations into a what/how/why framework, where what refers to what happens in specific cases (data or observations); how refers to how things usually happen and is equivalent to patterns or laws; and why refers to causal explanations or models. We examined TCs' ability to do this spontaneously and in a resource-rich environment as a first step in gauging their preparedness for NGSS-aligned teaching. We found that (1) the ability of TCs to articulate complete and accurate causal scientific explanations for phenomena exists along a continuum; (2) TCs in our sample whose explanations fell on the upper end of this continuum were more likely to provide complete and accurate explanations even in the absence of support from explicit standards; and (3) teacher candidate's ability to construct complete and accurate explanations did not correlate with cross-course performance or academic major. The implications of these findings for the preparation of teachers for NGSS-based science instruction are discussed.

Lattice Boltzmann modeling of transport phenomena in fuel cells and flow batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Ao; Shyy, Wei; Zhao, Tianshou

2017-06-01

Fuel cells and flow batteries are promising technologies to address climate change and air pollution problems. An understanding of the complex multiscale and multiphysics transport phenomena occurring in these electrochemical systems requires powerful numerical tools. Over the past decades, the lattice Boltzmann (LB) method has attracted broad interest in the computational fluid dynamics and the numerical heat transfer communities, primarily due to its kinetic nature making it appropriate for modeling complex multiphase transport phenomena. More importantly, the LB method fits well with parallel computing due to its locality feature, which is required for large-scale engineering applications. In this article, we review the LB method for gas-liquid two-phase flows, coupled fluid flow and mass transport in porous media, and particulate flows. Examples of applications are provided in fuel cells and flow batteries. Further developments of the LB method are also outlined.

Interface Physics in Complex Oxide Heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zubko, Pavlo; Gariglio, Stefano; Gabay, Marc; Ghosez, Philippe; Triscone, Jean-Marc

2011-03-01

Complex transition metal oxides span a wide range of crystalline structures and play host to an incredible variety of physical phenomena. High dielectric permittivities, piezo-, pyro-, and ferroelectricity are just a few of the functionalities offered by this class of materials, while the potential for applications of the more exotic properties like high temperature superconductivity and colossal magnetoresistance is still waiting to be fully exploited. With recent advances in deposition techniques, the structural quality of oxide heterostructures now rivals that of the best conventional semiconductors, taking oxide electronics to a new level. Such heterostructures have enabled the fabrication of artificial multifunctional materials. At the same time they have exposed a wealth of phenomena at the boundaries where compounds with different structural instabilities and electronic properties meet, giving unprecedented access to new physics emerging at oxide interfaces. Here we highlight some of these exciting new interface phenomena.

Autoscopic phenomena and one's own body representation in dreams.

PubMed

Occhionero, Miranda; Cicogna, Piera Carla

2011-12-01

Autoscopic phenomena (AP) are complex experiences that include the visual illusory reduplication of one's own body. From a phenomenological point of view, we can distinguish three conditions: autoscopic hallucinations, heautoscopy, and out-of-body experiences. The dysfunctional pattern involves multisensory disintegration of personal and extrapersonal space perception. The etiology, generally either neurological or psychiatric, is different. Also, the hallucination of Self and own body image is present during dreams and differs according to sleep stage. Specifically, the representation of the Self in REM dreams is frequently similar to the perception of Self in wakefulness, whereas in NREM dreams, a greater polymorphism of Self and own body representation is observed. The parallels between autoscopic phenomena in pathological cases and the Self-hallucination in dreams will be discussed to further the understanding of the particular states of self awareness, especially the complex integration of different memory sources in Self and body representation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

On Klatzky and Creswell (2014): saving social priming effects but losing science as we know it?

PubMed

Schwartz, Barry

2015-05-01

Klatzky and Creswell (2014) offer an interpretation of the unreliability of social priming effects by analogizing them to what is known about the complexity of cross-modal transfer effects in perception. The complexity of these transfer effects arises because they are both multiply determined and stochastic. In this commentary, I argue that Klatzky and Creswell's thoughtful contribution raises the possibility that there might be deep and substantive limits to both the replicability and the generalizability of many of the phenomena that most interest psychologists, including social priming effects. Psychological phenomena largely governed by what Fodor (1983) called the "central system" may resist both replication and generalization by their very nature and not because of weak and underpowered experimental methods. With such phenomena, science might give us very good tools for explanation, but not for prediction (replication). © The Author(s) 2015.

TESIS experiment on EUV imaging spectroscopy of the Sun

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuzin, S. V.; Bogachev, S. A.; Zhitnik, I. A.; Pertsov, A. A.; Ignatiev, A. P.; Mitrofanov, A. M.; Slemzin, V. A.; Shestov, S. V.; Sukhodrev, N. K.; Bugaenko, O. I.

2009-03-01

TESIS is a set of solar imaging instruments in development by the Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Science, to be launched aboard the Russian spacecraft CORONAS-PHOTON in December 2008. The main goal of TESIS is to provide complex observations of solar active phenomena from the transition region to the inner and outer solar corona with high spatial, spectral and temporal resolution in the EUV and Soft X-ray spectral bands. TESIS includes five unique space instruments: the MgXII Imaging Spectroheliometer (MISH) with spherical bent crystal mirror, for observations of the Sun in the monochromatic MgXII 8.42 Å line; the EUV Spectoheliometer (EUSH) with grazing incidence difraction grating, for the registration of the full solar disc in monochromatic lines of the spectral band 280-330 Å; two Full-disk EUV Telescopes (FET) with multilayer mirrors covering the band 130-136 and 290-320 Å; and the Solar EUV Coronagraph (SEC), based on the Ritchey-Chretien scheme, to observe the inner and outer solar corona from 0.2 to 4 solar radii in spectral band 290-320 Å. TESIS experiment will start at the rising phase of the 24th cycle of solar activity. With the advanced capabilities of its instruments, TESIS will help better understand the physics of solar flares and high-energy phenomena and provide new data on parameters of solar plasma in the temperature range 10-10K. This paper gives a brief description of the experiment, its equipment, and its scientific objectives.

Scientific Inquiry on Anomalous Atmospheric Light Phenomena: Past Research Gaps and New Methodological Goals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teodorani, M.

2009-12-01

On the basis of the experience of this author, a decade of scientific research on earthlights is amply discussed and pondered from the point of view of instrumental measurements. After an introduction that shows a brief synthesis of what has been done so far, all the different measurement techniques and tactical/strategic procedures that have been used so far or that are planned for the near future are discussed in detail. Constructive criticism on the gaps that emerged from this research is punctually pointed out. New procedural ideas are widely proposed and scientifically motivated in order to improve this research and to stimulate researchers on this field in order to search for an optimum common protocol.

Let us keep observing and play in sand boxes (Henry Darcy Medal Lecture)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Illangasekare, T. H.

2012-04-01

Henry Darcy was a civil engineer recognized for a number of technical achievements and scientific discoveries. The sand column experiments for which he is known revealed the linear relationship that exists between fluid motion and driving forces at low velocities. Freeze and Back (1983) stated, ''The experiments carried out by Darcy with the help of his assistant, Ritter, in Dijon, France in 1855 and 1856 represent the beginning of groundwater hydrology as a quantitative science." Because of the prominence given to this experiment, two important facts behind Darcy's contributions to subsurface hydrology have not received much attention. First, Darcy was not only a good engineer, but he was also a highly respected scientist whose knowledge of both the fundamentals of fluid mechanics and the natural world of geology led to better conceptualizing and quantifying of groundwater processes at relevant scales to solve practical problems. The experiments for which he is known may have already been conceived, based on his theoretical understanding, and the results were anticipated (Brown 2002). Second, Darcy, through his contributions with Dupuit, showed that they understood hydrologeology at a regional scale and developed methods for quantification at the scale of geologic stratum (Ritz and Bobek, 2008). The primary thesis of this talk is that scientific contributions such as the one Darcy made require appreciation and a thorough understanding of fundamental theory coupled with observation and recording of phenomena both in nature and in the laboratory. Along with all of the significant theoretical, mathematical modeling, and computational advances we have made in the last several decades, laboratory experiments designed to observe phenomena and processes for better insight, accurate data generation, and hypothesis development are critically important to make scientific and engineering advances to address some of the emerging and societally important problems in hydrology and water resources engineering. Kleinhans et al. (2010) convincingly argued the same point, noting, "Many major issues of hydrology are open to experimental investigation." Current and emerging problems with water supply and their hydrologic implications are associated with sustainability of water as a resource for global food production, clean water for potable use, protection of human health, and impacts and implications of global warming and climate change on water resources. This talk will address the subsurface hydrologic science issues that are central to these problems and the role laboratory experimentation can play in helping to advance the basic knowledge. Improved understanding of fundamental flow, transport, reactive, and biological processes that occur at the pore-scale and their manifestation at different modeling and observational scales will continue to advance the subsurface science. Challenges also come from the need to integrate porous media systems with bio-geochemical and atmospheric systems, requiring observing and quantifying complex phenomena across interfaces (e.g., fluid/fluid in pores to land/atmospheric in the field). This talk will discuss how carefully designed and theory driven experiments at various test scales can play a central role in providing answers to critical scientific questions and how they will help to fill knowledge gaps. It will also be shown that careful observations will lead to the refinement of existing theories or the development of new ones. Focusing on the subsurface, the need to keep observing through controlled laboratory experimentation in various test scales from small cells to large sand boxes will be emphasized. How the insights obtained from such experiments will complement modeling and field investigations are highlighted through examples.

Inquiry learning: Students' perception of light wave phenomena in an informal environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, Ken

This study involved identifying students' perception of light phenomena and determined if they learned the scientific concepts of light that were presented to them by an interactive science exhibit. The participants in this study made scientific inquiry about light by using a powerful white light source, a prism, converging lenses, diverging lenses, concave and convex mirrors in an informal science setting. The sample used in the study consisted of 40 subjects (15 males and 25 females) in a college program at a University located in the Southern region of the United States. The participants were selected using a convenient sampling process from a population enrolled in a pre-calculus class and a physics class. The participants were engaged in pretest on light wave phenomena using the Inquiry Laboratory Light Island exhibit. After the pretest, the participants were engaged in activities, where they reflected white light off the surface of concave and convex mirrors, refracted white light through converging and diverging lens, and passed white light through a prism. They also made observations of the behavior and characteristics of light from the patterns that it created. After three weeks, the participants were given the Inquiry Laboratory Light Island exhibit posttest. The findings of the study indicated that the means yielded a higher average for the participants' posttest scores. The t-Test results were statistically significant, which confirmed that the concepts of light wave phenomena were perceived and learned by the participants. The Inquiry Laboratory survey questions analyzed using the chi-square test suggested that participants were in agreement with the concepts about light. In addition, Cramer's phi and Cramer's V suggested a moderate relationship and association between the genders of the participants on the concepts of light wave phenomena. Furthermore, the interview and observation protocol processes confirmed that students perceived and learned the science concepts of light wave phenomena by the way they responded to the researcher's interview questions. Implications from the study suggested that further study be carried out on the learning process in an informal science setting and should be supported by corporations, businesses, educational institutions, and organizations. Although the findings from this study aided in the development of a structured approach that enhanced student motivation, interest, and learning about light waves in physics/physical science there is still a need to do more research in this area.

Scientific and technical complex for modeling, researching and testing of rocket-space vehicles’ electric power installations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bezruchko, Konstantin; Davidov, Albert

2009-01-01

In the given article scientific and technical complex for modeling, researching and testing of rocket-space vehicles' power installations which was created in Power Source Laboratory of National Aerospace University "KhAI" is described. This scientific and technical complex gives the opportunity to replace the full-sized tests on model tests and to reduce financial and temporary inputs at modeling, researching and testing of rocket-space vehicles' power installations. Using the given complex it is possible to solve the problems of designing and researching of rocket-space vehicles' power installations efficiently, and also to provide experimental researches of physical processes and tests of solar and chemical batteries of rocket-space complexes and space vehicles. Scientific and technical complex also allows providing accelerated tests, diagnostics, life-time control and restoring of chemical accumulators for rocket-space vehicles' power supply systems.

When FE Lecturers Go the Extra Mile: The Rhetoric and the Reality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lobb, Rhonda

2017-01-01

This paper explores the concept of "going the extra mile" from the perceptions of 30 lecturers and six middle managers working within the further education (FE) sector. Until now, the phenomena of discretionary behaviour has only been researched using a scientific, positivist approach adopting the construct of organisational citizenship…

Construction, Categorization, and Consensus: Student Generated Computational Artifacts as a Context for Disciplinary Reflection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilkerson-Jerde, Michelle Hoda

2014-01-01

There are increasing calls to prepare K-12 students to use computational tools and principles when exploring scientific or mathematical phenomena. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether and how constructionist computer-supported collaborative environments can explicitly engage students in this practice. The Categorizer is a…

EvoBuild: A Quickstart Toolkit for Programming Agent-Based Models of Evolutionary Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagh, Aditi; Wilensky, Uri

2018-01-01

Extensive research has shown that one of the benefits of programming to learn about scientific phenomena is that it facilitates learning about mechanisms underlying the phenomenon. However, using programming activities in classrooms is associated with costs such as requiring additional time to learn to program or students needing prior experience…

Gravity related features of plant growth behavior studied with rotating machines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, A. H.

1996-01-01

Research in plant physiology consists mostly of studies on plant growth because almost everything a plant does is done by growing. Most aspects of plant growth are strongly influenced by the earth's gravity vector. Research on those phenomena address scientific questions specifically about how plants use gravity to guide their growth processes.

Low-Cost Alternative for Signal Generators in the Physics Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pathare, Shirish Rajan; Raghavendra, M. K.; Huli, Saurabhee

2017-01-01

Recently devices such as the optical mouse of a computer, webcams, Wii remote, and digital cameras have been used to record and analyze different physical phenomena quantitatively. Devices like tablets and smartphones are also becoming popular. Different scientific applications available at Google Play (Android devices) or the App Store (iOS…

Astronomy in Early Childhood Education: A Concept-Based Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ampartzaki, Maria; Kalogiannakis, Michail

2016-01-01

In an attempt to understand the natural world's phenomena, young children form their perceptions of different aspects of the macrocosm, which they contrast with new scientific concepts. This process calls for an early intervention that will provide the stimuli and the tools for the development of new concepts, ideas, and cognitive structures. The…

USSR and Eastern Europe Scientific Abstracts, Geophysics, Astronomy and Space, Number 393

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-04-01

Pankov, "A Voice from Distant Stars"] [Excerpt] During recent years radioastronomy has made it possible to detect extremely "dark" phenomena and...Earlier in radioastronomy it was most common to use apparatus oper- ating on radio tubes and semiconductor crystals. But such apparatus has a serious

Transferring Knowledge from the Classroom to the Real World: Redox Concepts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soudani, Mohamed; Sivade, Andre; Cros, Daniele; Medimagh, Mohamed Salah

2000-01-01

Describes a study of the ability of fourth-year university student-teachers to use their theoretical knowledge of redox concepts to interpret natural phenomena of everyday life. Uses word-association tests, multiple-choice and open questions and reports that the students have difficulties in recognizing the scientific nature of well-known everyday…

Goethe's Theory of Color and Scientific Intuition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zajonc, Arthur G.

1976-01-01

Summarizes Goethe's color studies and his methods of study. It is proposed that the act of accurate qualitative observation creates the capability in the observer for an intuitive understanding of the physical laws underlying the phenomena under observation. The use of such a method as a basis for laboratory instruction is discussed. (Author/CP)

The scientific results of the low energy portion of A-2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garmire, G.

1979-01-01

Galactic phenomena observed using the HEAO 1 detectors are discussed. A source map of the soft X-ray sky is presented. Specific topics covered include the optical outburst of U Geminorum, low energy RS CVn stars, and the dwarf nova SS Cygni. Aspects of the SS Cygni pulsations are analyzed.

Modeling as an Anchoring Scientific Practice for Explaining Friction Phenomena

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neilson, Drew; Campbell, Todd

2017-01-01

Through examining the day-to-day work of scientists, researchers in science studies have revealed how models are a central sense-making practice of scientists as they construct and critique explanations about how the universe works. Additionally, they allow predictions to be made using the tenets of the model. Given this, alongside research…

A Case Study of Three Children's Original Interpretations of the Moon's Changing Appearance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilhelm, Jennifer

2009-01-01

A case study of three children was conducted to shed light on the process that children undergo in developing their understanding of physical phenomena. Using the notion of spontaneous construction and its relationship with school learning of scientific concepts, children's early thoughts of the moon's appearance were explored. Research questions…

Systematic considerations in the area of multiple chemical sensitivity.

PubMed Central

Benignus, V A

1997-01-01

Many workers who speculate about multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) have devised a large number of hypothetical constructs designed to explain the phenomena. Too often these are not logically connected to the larger body of scientific thought but instead appeal to ideas not documented in accessible literature and often appearing metaphysical in nature. PMID:9167984

Assessment at the Intersection of Science and Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pearson, P. David; Knight, Amanda M.; Cannady, Matthew A.; Henderson, J. Bryan; McNeill, Katherine L.

2015-01-01

The authors of this article, all of whom have been a part of this effort to assess argumentation in literacy-rich science curriculum, have struggled with our attempts to build 3 argument-related assessments--understanding, critiquing, and constructing arguments about scientific phenomena in both oral and written modes. Loosely affiliated with the…

Descriptive Analysis in Education: A Guide for Researchers. NCEE 2017-4023

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loeb, Susanna; Dynarski, Susan; McFarland, Daniel; Morris, Pamela; Reardon, Sean; Reber, Sarah

2017-01-01

Whether the goal is to identify and describe trends and variation in populations, create new measures of key phenomena, or describe samples in studies aimed at identifying causal effects, description plays a critical role in the scientific process in general and education research in particular. Descriptive analysis identifies patterns in data to…

Spatial Thinking as the Dimension of Progress in an Astronomy Learning Progression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plummer, Julia D.

2014-01-01

The big idea of "celestial motion", observational astronomy phenomena explained by the relative position and motion of objects in the solar system and beyond, is central to astronomy in primary and secondary education. In this paper, I argue that students' progress in developing productive, scientific explanations for this class of…

Capsela Scientific: Hands-On Physical Science Curriculum for Grades 3-9.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swartz, Clifford; Friedman, Madeleine

Many educators feel that elementary school science programs should concentrate on phenomena and concepts that are literally tangible. This document serves as the teaching manual which accompanies the Capsela modular system of manipulative and motorized models. The experiments in the manual are intended to provide a structured approach to using the…

Developing Pedagogical Tools to Improve Teaching Multiple Models of the Gene in High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Auckaraaree, Nantaya

2013-01-01

Multiple models of the gene are used to explore genetic phenomena in scientific practices and in the classroom. In genetics curricula, the classical and molecular models are presented in disconnected domains. Research demonstrates that, without explicit connections, students have difficulty developing an understanding of the gene that spans…

The Wisdom of Scientific Inquiry on Education. Science Education Information Reports, Occasional Paper Series, Science Paper 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glass, Gene V.

After distinguishing between elucidatory inquiry (directed toward theory and model construction for understanding and explaining phenomena) and evaluative inquiry (determining the worth of a thing), and providing nine differentiating characteristics, the author discusses the progress of educational elucidatory inquiry. He concludes that it has not…

Computers in Biological Education: Simulation Approaches. Genetics and Evolution. CAL Research Group Technical Report No. 13.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, P. J.

Three examples of genetics and evolution simulation concerning Mendelian inheritance, genetic mapping, and natural selection are used to illustrate the use of simulations in modeling scientific/natural processes. First described is the HERED series, which illustrates such phenomena as incomplete dominance, multiple alleles, lethal alleles,…

Beyond Explanations: What Else Do Students Need to Understand Science?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamza, Karim M.; Wickman, Per-Olof

2009-01-01

Students' difficulties with learning science have generally been framed in terms of their generalized conceptual knowledge of a science topic as elicited through their explanations of natural phenomena. In this paper, we empirically explore what more goes into giving a scientific account of a natural phenomenon than giving such generalized…

An Interactive Science Blog at UCF for High School Science Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paredes, Jesus; del Barco, Enrique

2010-01-01

High school physics students are often capable of, and commonly interested in, understanding natural phenomena beyond those described in their textbooks. In order to supplement the shortage of topics covered in their physics courses, many students turn to popular scientific books, journals, and other media. There, they discover a plethora of…

Psychology Is Still a Problematic Science and the Public Knows It

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teo, Thomas

2012-01-01

According to the philosophers of science Hempel and Oppenheim (1948), who were cited appropriately by Lilienfeld (see record 2011-12007-001) in his article, scientific explanations serve to answer "why" questions. Clarifying the logic of explanations in the sciences, they developed famously the notion that phenomena can be explained (using…

Two-Year Community: Construction with Scaffolds: Helping Community College Students Build Explanations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bennett, Steve; Gotwals, Amelia Wenk

2017-01-01

Science education reform documents call for students to learn science by engaging in inquiry and using science practices. One such science practice is constructing evidence-based explanations. Few students enter community college science classrooms having experience with, or being proficient in, using evidence to explain scientific phenomena.…

Evidence for Effective Uses of Dynamic Visualisations in Science Curriculum Materials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McElhaney, Kevin W.; Chang, Hsin-Yi; Chiu, Jennifer L.; Linn, Marcia C.

2015-01-01

Dynamic visualisations capture aspects of scientific phenomena that are difficult to communicate in static materials and benefit from well-designed scaffolds to succeed in classrooms. We review research to clarify the impacts of dynamic visualisations and to identify instructional scaffolds that mediate their success. We use meta-analysis to…

Argument Construction in Understanding Noncovalent Interactions: A Comparison of Two Argumentation Frameworks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, A. Kat; Oliver-Hoyo, M. T.

2016-01-01

Argument construction is a valuable ability for explaining scientific phenomena and introducing argumentation skills as part of a curriculum can greatly enhance student understanding by promoting self-reflection on the topic under investigation. This article aims to use argument construction as a technique to support an activity designed to…

Ciencias 2 (Science 2). [Student's Workbook].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raposo, Lucilia

Ciencias 2 is the second in a series of elementary science textbooks written for Portuguese-speaking students. The text develops the basic skills that students need to study their surroundings and observe natural facts and phenomena by following scientific methods. The book is composed of 10 chapters and includes 57 lessons. Topics included are…

Teaching Energy Using an Integrated Science Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poggi, Valeria; Miceli, Cristina; Testa, Italo

2017-01-01

Despite its relevance to all scientific domains, the debate surrounding the teaching of energy is still open. The main point remains the problems students have in understanding some aspects of the energy concept and in applying their knowledge to the comprehension of natural phenomena. In this paper, we present a research-based interdisciplinary…

Developing Explanations and Developing Understanding: Students Explain the Phases of the Moon Using Visual Representations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parnafes, Orit

2012-01-01

This article presents a theoretical model of the process by which students construct and elaborate explanations of scientific phenomena using visual representations. The model describes progress in the underlying conceptual processes in students' explanations as a reorganization of fine-grained knowledge elements based on the Knowledge in Pieces…

Containerless experiments in fluid physics in microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trinh, E. H.

1990-01-01

The physical phenomena associated with the behavior of liquid samples freely suspended in low gravity must be thoroughly understood prior to undertaking detailed scientific studies of the materials under scrutiny. The characteristics of molten specimens under the action of containerless positioning stresses must be identified and separated from the specific phenomena relating to the absence of an overwhelming gravitational field. The strategy designed to optimize the scientific return of reliable experimental data from infrequent microgravity investigations should include the gradual and logical phasing of more sophisticated studies building on the accumulated results from previous flight experiments. Lower temperature fluid physics experiments using model materials can provide a great deal of information that can be useful in analyzing the behavior of high temperature melts. The phasing of the experimental capabilities should, therefore, also include a gradual build-up of more intricate and specialized diagnostic instrumentation and environmental control and monitoring capabilities. Basic physical investigations should also be distinguished from specific materials technology issues. The latter investigations require very specific high temperature (and high vacuum) devices that must be thoroughly mastered on the ground prior to implementing them in space.

Reviews and perspectives of high impact atmospheric processes in the Mediterranean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michaelides, Silas; Karacostas, Theodore; Sánchez, Jose Luis; Retalis, Adrianos; Pytharoulis, Ioannis; Homar, Víctor; Romero, Romualdo; Zanis, Prodromos; Giannakopoulos, Christos; Bühl, Johannes; Ansmann, Albert; Merino, Andrés; Melcón, Pablo; Lagouvardos, Konstantinos; Kotroni, Vassiliki; Bruggeman, Adriana; López-Moreno, Juan Ignacio; Berthet, Claude; Katragkou, Eleni; Tymvios, Filippos; Hadjimitsis, Diofantos G.; Mamouri, Rodanthi-Elisavet; Nisantzi, Argyro

2018-08-01

The Mediterranean region is a unique area characterized by a large spectrum of atmospheric phenomena, some of which have a high impact on many aspects of human activities, safety and wellbeing. The area is long considered as a hot spot of such atmospheric phenomena deserving multidisciplinary scientific attention. The scientific research that has been carried out on these high impact atmospheric processes that occur in the Mediterranean area is indeed widespread and the available international literature is very extensive. The paper touches initially the temperature and precipitation regimes, followed by a discussion of floods and droughts. The exciting cyclogenetic patterns of explosive cyclones and medicanes are presented in separate sections. The lightning activity and the presence of dust and other pollutants are also presented herein. The atmospheric chemistry of the region which is increasingly becoming of utmost importance for the area under study is distinctly discussed. Attempts to modify the weather (the precipitation, in particular) are outlined too. The effects of climatic change on various atmospheric processes are considered throughout this paper, in addition to a dedicated section on temperature and precipitation.

Latent variables underlying the memory beliefs of Chartered Clinical Psychologists, Hypnotherapists and undergraduate students.

PubMed

Ost, James; Easton, Simon; Hope, Lorraine; French, Christopher C; Wright, Daniel B

2017-01-01

In courts in the United Kingdom, understanding of memory phenomena is often assumed to be a matter of common sense. To test this assumption 337 UK respondents, consisting of 125 Chartered Clinical Psychologists, 88 individuals who advertised their services as Hypnotherapists (HTs) in a classified directory, the Yellow Pages TM , and 124 first year undergraduate psychology students, completed a questionnaire that assessed their knowledge of 10 memory phenomena about which there is a broad scientific consensus. HTs' responses were the most inconsistent with the scientific consensus, scoring lowest on six of these ten items. Principal Components Analysis indicated two latent variables - reflecting beliefs about memory quality and malleability - underlying respondents' responses. In addition, respondents were asked to rate their own knowledge of the academic memory literature in general. There was no significant relationship between participants' self reported knowledge and their actual knowledge (as measured by their responses to the 10-item questionnaire). There was evidence of beliefs among the HTs that could give rise to some concern (e.g., that early memories from the first year of life are accurately stored and are retrievable).

Narratives in Mind and Media: A Cognitive Semiotic Account of Novices Interpreting Visual Science Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matuk, Camillia Faye

Visual representations are central to expert scientific thinking. Meanwhile, novices tend toward narrative conceptions of scientific phenomena. Until recently, however, relationships between visual design, narrative thinking, and their impacts on learning science have only been theoretically pursued. This dissertation first synthesizes different disciplinary perspectives, then offers a mixed-methods investigation into interpretations of scientific representations. Finally, it considers design issues associated with narrative and visual imagery, and explores the possibilities of a pedagogical notation to scaffold the understanding of a standard scientific notation. Throughout, I distinguish two categories of visual media by their relation to narrative: Narrative visual media, which convey content via narrative structure, and Conceptual visual media, which convey states of relationships among objects. Given the role of narrative in framing conceptions of scientific phenomena and perceptions of its representations, I suggest that novices are especially prone to construe both kinds of media in narrative terms. To illustrate, I first describe how novices make meaning of the science conveyed in narrative visual media. Vignettes of an undergraduate student's interpretation of a cartoon about natural selection; and of four 13-year olds' readings of a comic book about human papillomavirus infection, together demonstrate conditions under which designed visual narrative elements facilitate or hinder understanding. I next consider the interpretation of conceptual visual media with an example of an expert notation from evolutionary biology, the cladogram. By combining clinical interview methods with experimental design, I show how undergraduate students' narrative theories of evolution frame perceptions of the diagram (Study 1); I demonstrate the flexibility of symbolic meaning, both with the content assumed (Study 2A), and with alternate manners of presenting the diagram (Study 2B); finally, I show the effects of content assumptions on the diagrams students invent of phylogenetic data (Study 3A), and how first inventing a diagram influences later interpretations of the standard notation (Study 3B). Lastly, I describe the prototype design and pilot test of an interactive diagram to scaffold biology students' understanding of this expert scientific notation. Insights from this dissertation inform the design of more pedagogically useful representations that might support students' developing fluency with expert scientific representations.

Let's do science with children

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paolini, Mara

2013-04-01

The school where I worked in 2011,was for primary school teachers-to-be. Classes were formed by a high number of students with a handicapped student in each class. The school was attended mainly by girls with low self-esteem and difficulties in fulfilling their homework. Moreover secondary school students often find science far from their world and rather boring. So helping them understand the relationship between science and everyday life, between chemistry and society was my main objective . Simple / elementary experiments were chosen : if presented and carried out with scientific method, they can prove very useful in the development of specific abilities, from simple observation to the more complex and vital ability to grasp cause and effect relation. I think that the direct observation of facts and phenomena is the foundation to stimulate the process of learning and abstracting experiments: A. The pressure as a force, the behavior of the hot and cold water. 1. the implosion of the can 2. the candle 3. the balloon and the bottle 4. the egg in the bottle Monitoring and evaluation The direct observation of students during operations and final written reports were the ways which was evaluated the project. Results of the project carried out: The students were able to use scientific language correctly, to explain the phenomenon to primary school children using their own ideas. they also devised a table where to list the experiments carried out

Basics of Bayesian methods.

PubMed

Ghosh, Sujit K

2010-01-01

Bayesian methods are rapidly becoming popular tools for making statistical inference in various fields of science including biology, engineering, finance, and genetics. One of the key aspects of Bayesian inferential method is its logical foundation that provides a coherent framework to utilize not only empirical but also scientific information available to a researcher. Prior knowledge arising from scientific background, expert judgment, or previously collected data is used to build a prior distribution which is then combined with current data via the likelihood function to characterize the current state of knowledge using the so-called posterior distribution. Bayesian methods allow the use of models of complex physical phenomena that were previously too difficult to estimate (e.g., using asymptotic approximations). Bayesian methods offer a means of more fully understanding issues that are central to many practical problems by allowing researchers to build integrated models based on hierarchical conditional distributions that can be estimated even with limited amounts of data. Furthermore, advances in numerical integration methods, particularly those based on Monte Carlo methods, have made it possible to compute the optimal Bayes estimators. However, there is a reasonably wide gap between the background of the empirically trained scientists and the full weight of Bayesian statistical inference. Hence, one of the goals of this chapter is to bridge the gap by offering elementary to advanced concepts that emphasize linkages between standard approaches and full probability modeling via Bayesian methods.

Methodological support for the further abstraction of and philosophical examination of empirical findings in the context of caring science

PubMed Central

Lindberg, Elisabeth; Österberg, Sofia A.; Hörberg, Ulrica

2016-01-01

Phenomena in caring science are often complex and laden with meanings. Empirical research with the aim of capturing lived experiences is one way of revealing the complexity. Sometimes, however, results from empirical research need to be further discussed. One way is to further abstract the result and/or philosophically examine it. This has previously been performed and presented in scientific journals and doctoral theses, contributing to a greater understanding of phenomena in caring science. Although the intentions in many of these publications are laudable, the lack of methodological descriptions as well as a theoretical and systematic foundation can contribute to an ambiguity concerning how the results have emerged during the analysis. The aim of this paper is to describe the methodological support for the further abstraction of and/or philosophical examination of empirical findings. When trying to systematize the support procedures, we have used a reflective lifeworld research (RLR) approach. Based on the assumptions in RLR, this article will present methodological support for a theoretical examination that can include two stages. In the first stage, data from several (two or more) empirical results on an essential level are synthesized into a general structure. Sometimes the analysis ends with the general structure, but sometimes there is a need to proceed further. The second stage can then be a philosophical examination, in which the general structure is discussed in relation to a philosophical text, theory, or concept. It is important that the theories are brought in as the final stage after the completion of the analysis. Core dimensions of the described methodological support are, in accordance with RLR, openness, bridling, and reflection. The methodological support cannot be understood as fixed stages, but rather as a guiding light in the search for further meanings. PMID:26925926

Learning by doing? Prospective elementary teachers' developing understandings of scientific inquiry and science teaching and learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haefner, Leigh Ann; Zembal-Saul, Carla

This study examined prospective elementary teachers' learning about scientific inquiry in the context of an innovative life science course. Research questions included: (1) What do prospective elementary teachers learn about scientific inquiry within the context of the course? and (2) In what ways do their experiences engaging in science investigations and teaching inquiry-oriented science influence prospective elementary teachers' understanding of science and science learning and teaching? Eleven prospective elementary teachers participated in this qualitative, multi-participant case study. Constant comparative analysis strategies attempted to build abstractions and explanations across participants around the constructs of the study. Findings suggest that engaging in scientific inquiry supported the development more appropriate understandings of science and scientific inquiry, and that prospective teachers became more accepting of approaches to teaching science that encourage children's questions about science phenomena. Implications include careful consideration of learning experiences crafted for prospective elementary teachers to support the development of robust subject matter knowledge.

Studies in nonlinear problems of energy. Progress report, October 1, 1993--September 30, 1994

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matkowsky, B.J.

1994-09-01

The authors concentrate on modeling, analysis and large scale scientific computation of combustion and flame propagation phenomena, with emphasis on the transition from laminar to turbulent combustion. In the transition process a flame passed through a stages exhibiting increasingly complex spatial and temporal patterns which serve as signatures identifying each stage. Often the transitions arise via bifurcation. The authors investigate nonlinear dynamics, bifurcation and pattern formation in the successive stage of transition. They describe the stability of combustion waves, and transitions to combustion waves exhibiting progressively higher degrees of spatio-temporal complexity. One aspect of this research program is the systematicmore » derivation of appropriate, approximate models from the original models governing combustion. The approximate models are then analyzed. The authors are particularly interested in understanding the basic mechanisms affecting combustion, which is a prerequisite to effective control of the process. They are interested in determining the effects of varying various control parameters, such as Nusselt number, Lewis number, heat release, activation energy, Damkohler number, Reynolds number, Prandtl number, Peclet number, etc. The authors have also considered a number of problems in self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS), in which combustion waves are employed to synthesize advanced materials. Efforts are directed toward understanding fundamental mechanisms. 167 refs.« less

Object-oriented design and implementation of CFDLab: a computer-assisted learning tool for fluid dynamics using dual reciprocity boundary element methodology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedrich, J.

1999-08-01

As lecturers, our main concern and goal is to develop more attractive and efficient ways of communicating up-to-date scientific knowledge to our students and facilitate an in-depth understanding of physical phenomena. Computer-based instruction is very promising to help both teachers and learners in their difficult task, which involves complex cognitive psychological processes. This complexity is reflected in high demands on the design and implementation methods used to create computer-assisted learning (CAL) programs. Due to their concepts, flexibility, maintainability and extended library resources, object-oriented modeling techniques are very suitable to produce this type of pedagogical tool. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) enjoys not only a growing importance in today's research, but is also very powerful for teaching and learning fluid dynamics. For this purpose, an educational PC program for university level called 'CFDLab 1.1' for Windows™ was developed with an interactive graphical user interface (GUI) for multitasking and point-and-click operations. It uses the dual reciprocity boundary element method as a versatile numerical scheme, allowing to handle a variety of relevant governing equations in two dimensions on personal computers due to its simple pre- and postprocessing including 2D Laplace, Poisson, diffusion, transient convection-diffusion.

Collective Intelligence: Aggregation of Information from Neighbors in a Guessing Game.

PubMed

Pérez, Toni; Zamora, Jordi; Eguíluz, Víctor M

2016-01-01

Complex systems show the capacity to aggregate information and to display coordinated activity. In the case of social systems the interaction of different individuals leads to the emergence of norms, trends in political positions, opinions, cultural traits, and even scientific progress. Examples of collective behavior can be observed in activities like the Wikipedia and Linux, where individuals aggregate their knowledge for the benefit of the community, and citizen science, where the potential of collectives to solve complex problems is exploited. Here, we conducted an online experiment to investigate the performance of a collective when solving a guessing problem in which each actor is endowed with partial information and placed as the nodes of an interaction network. We measure the performance of the collective in terms of the temporal evolution of the accuracy, finding no statistical difference in the performance for two classes of networks, regular lattices and random networks. We also determine that a Bayesian description captures the behavior pattern the individuals follow in aggregating information from neighbors to make decisions. In comparison with other simple decision models, the strategy followed by the players reveals a suboptimal performance of the collective. Our contribution provides the basis for the micro-macro connection between individual based descriptions and collective phenomena.

Collective Intelligence: Aggregation of Information from Neighbors in a Guessing Game

PubMed Central

Pérez, Toni; Zamora, Jordi; Eguíluz, Víctor M.

2016-01-01

Complex systems show the capacity to aggregate information and to display coordinated activity. In the case of social systems the interaction of different individuals leads to the emergence of norms, trends in political positions, opinions, cultural traits, and even scientific progress. Examples of collective behavior can be observed in activities like the Wikipedia and Linux, where individuals aggregate their knowledge for the benefit of the community, and citizen science, where the potential of collectives to solve complex problems is exploited. Here, we conducted an online experiment to investigate the performance of a collective when solving a guessing problem in which each actor is endowed with partial information and placed as the nodes of an interaction network. We measure the performance of the collective in terms of the temporal evolution of the accuracy, finding no statistical difference in the performance for two classes of networks, regular lattices and random networks. We also determine that a Bayesian description captures the behavior pattern the individuals follow in aggregating information from neighbors to make decisions. In comparison with other simple decision models, the strategy followed by the players reveals a suboptimal performance of the collective. Our contribution provides the basis for the micro-macro connection between individual based descriptions and collective phenomena. PMID:27093274

Consensus on core phenomena and statements describing Basic Body Awareness Therapy within the movement awareness domain in physiotherapy.

PubMed

Skjaerven, L H; Mattsson, M; Catalan-Matamoros, D; Parker, A; Gard, G; Gyllensten, A Lundvik

2018-02-26

Physiotherapists are facing complex health challenges in the treatment of persons suffering from long-lasting musculoskeletal disorders and mental health problems. Basic Body Awareness Therapy (BBAT) is a physiotherapy approach within the movement awareness domain developed to bridge physical, mental, and relational health challenges. The purpose of this study was to reach a consensus on core phenomena and statements describing BBAT. A consensus-building process was conducted using the nominal group technique (NGT). Twenty-one BBAT experts from 10 European countries participated in a concentrated weekend workshop of 20 hours. All participants signed informed consent. Participants reached a consensus on 138 core phenomena, clustered in three overarching categories: clinical core, historical roots, and research and evaluation phenomena. Of the 106 clinical core phenomena, the participants agreed on three categories of phenomena: movement quality, movement awareness practice, and movement awareness therapy and pedagogy. Furthermore, the participants reached 100 percent consensus on 16 of 30 statements describing BBAT. This study provides a consensus on core phenomena and statements describing BBAT. The data reveal phenomena implemented when promoting movement quality through movement awareness. Data provide clarity in some aspects of the vocabulary as fundamental theory. Further reearch will be developed.

Extreme events and natural hazards: The complexity perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schultz, Colin

2012-10-01

Advanced societies have become quite proficient at defending against moderate-size earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, or other natural assaults. What still pose a significant threat, however, are the unknowns, the extremes, the natural phenomena encompassed by the upper tail of the probability distribution. Alongside the large or powerful events, truly extreme natural disasters are those that tie different systems together: an earthquake that causes a tsunami, which leads to flooding, which takes down a nuclear reactor. In the geophysical monograph Extreme Events and Natural Hazards: The Complexity Perspective, editors A. Surjalal Sharma, Armin Bunde, Vijay P. Dimro, and Daniel N. Baker present a lens through which such multidisciplinary phenomena can be understood. In this interview, Eos talks to Sharma about complexity science, predicting extreme events and natural hazards, and the push for "big data."

Teaching optical phenomena with Tracker

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodrigues, M.; Simeão Carvalho, P.

2014-11-01

Since the invention and dissemination of domestic laser pointers, observing optical phenomena is a relatively easy task. Any student can buy a laser and experience at home, in a qualitative way, the reflection, refraction and even diffraction phenomena of light. However, quantitative experiments need instruments of high precision that have a relatively complex setup. Fortunately, nowadays it is possible to analyse optical phenomena in a simple and quantitative way using the freeware video analysis software ‘Tracker’. In this paper, we show the advantages of video-based experimental activities for teaching concepts in optics. We intend to show: (a) how easy the study of such phenomena can be, even at home, because only simple materials are needed, and Tracker provides the necessary measuring instruments; and (b) how we can use Tracker to improve students’ understanding of some optical concepts. We give examples using video modelling to study the laws of reflection, Snell’s laws, focal distances in lenses and mirrors, and diffraction phenomena, which we hope will motivate teachers to implement it in their own classes and schools.

Epigenetics and Psychoneuroimmunology: Mechanisms and Models

PubMed Central

Mathews, Herbert L.; Janusek, Linda Witek

2010-01-01

In this Introduction to the Named Series “Epigenetics, Brain, Behavior, and Immunity” an overview of epigenetics is provided with a consideration of the nature of epigenetic regulation including DNA methylation, histone modification and chromatin remodeling. Illustrative examples of recent scientific developments are highlighted to demonstrate the influence of epigenetics in areas of research relevant to those who investigate phenomena within the scientific discipline of psychoneuroimmunology. These examples are presented in order to provide a perspective on how epigenetic analysis will add insight into the molecular processes that connect the brain with behavior, neuroendocrine responsivity and immune outcome. PMID:20832468

GPS Sounding Rocket Developments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bull, Barton

1999-01-01

Sounding rockets are suborbital launch vehicles capable of carrying scientific payloads several hundred miles in altitude. These missions return a variety of scientific data including; chemical makeup and physical processes taking place in the atmosphere, natural radiation surrounding the Earth, data on the Sun, stars, galaxies and many other phenomena. In addition, sounding rockets provide a reasonably economical means of conducting engineering tests for instruments and devices used on satellites and other spacecraft prior to their use in more expensive activities. This paper addresses the NASA Wallops Island history of GPS Sounding Rocket experience since 1994 and the development of highly accurate and useful system.

Mergers, Acquisitions, and Access: STM Publishing Today

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robertson, Kathleen

Electronic publishing is changing the fundamentals of the entire printing/delivery/archive system that has served as the distribution mechanism for scientific research over the last century and a half. The merger-mania of the last 20 years, preprint pools, and publishers' licensing and journals-bundling plans are among the phenomena impacting the scientific information field. Science-Technology-Medical (STM) publishing is experiencing a period of intense consolidation and reorganization. This paper gives an overview of the economic factors fueling these trends, the major STM publishers, and the government regulatory bodies that referee this industry in Europe, Canada, and the USA.

Principles of complementary medicine in terms of a suggested scientific basis.

PubMed

Popp, Fritz-Albert

2008-05-01

In order to create a scientific basis of complementary medicine it is certainly necessary to add a more non-local approach to the molecular substance of orthodox "life-sciences". It should be able to explain strange phenomena like healing by homeopathy or acupuncture. A possible frame concerns oscillatory electromagnetic interactions as regulatory and - in case of disease--deregulatory impulses of the organisms. These couplings are found, for instance, in biological rhythms, external rhythmical influences (sun exposure, atmospheric disturbances), and vibrations of the body over a huge range of frequencies. One basic example is biophotons and "delayed luminescence".

Benjamin Franklin and medicine.

PubMed

Hirschmann, J V

2005-12-06

Benjamin Franklin, called Dr. Franklin after receiving an honorary degree in 1759 for his contributions to understanding electricity, was not formally trained as a physician. Nevertheless, he had numerous interests in medicine, including experimentation, shrewd observations about health and disease in himself and others, civic activities, and inventions of medical devices. These achievements show his capacity for detailed, perceptive insights; his fastidiousness in recording his observations; and his thoughtful analyses of scientific phenomena and human conduct. In medicine, perhaps uniquely in his life, his major interests intersected: scientific pursuits, civic activities, amused scrutiny of human behavior, and the desire to improve the lot of his fellow man.

Modeling of Economy Considering Crisis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrov, Lev F.

2009-09-01

We discuss main modeling's problems of economy dynamic processes and the reason forecast's absence of economic crisis. We present a structure of complexity level of system and models and discuss expected results concerning crisis phenomena. We formulate the basic perspective directions of the mathematical modeling of economy, including possibility of the analysis of the pre crisis, crisis and post crisis phenomena in economic systems.

Emerging Conceptual Understanding of Complex Astronomical Phenomena by Using a Virtual Solar System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gazit, Elhanan; Yair, Yoav; Chen, David

2005-01-01

This study describes high school students' conceptual development of the basic astronomical phenomena during real-time interactions with a Virtual Solar System (VSS). The VSS is a non-immersive virtual environment which has a dynamic frame of reference that can be altered by the user. Ten 10th grade students were given tasks containing a set of…

Local spatial frequency analysis for computer vision

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krumm, John; Shafer, Steven A.

1990-01-01

A sense of vision is a prerequisite for a robot to function in an unstructured environment. However, real-world scenes contain many interacting phenomena that lead to complex images which are difficult to interpret automatically. Typical computer vision research proceeds by analyzing various effects in isolation (e.g., shading, texture, stereo, defocus), usually on images devoid of realistic complicating factors. This leads to specialized algorithms which fail on real-world images. Part of this failure is due to the dichotomy of useful representations for these phenomena. Some effects are best described in the spatial domain, while others are more naturally expressed in frequency. In order to resolve this dichotomy, we present the combined space/frequency representation which, for each point in an image, shows the spatial frequencies at that point. Within this common representation, we develop a set of simple, natural theories describing phenomena such as texture, shape, aliasing and lens parameters. We show these theories lead to algorithms for shape from texture and for dealiasing image data. The space/frequency representation should be a key aid in untangling the complex interaction of phenomena in images, allowing automatic understanding of real-world scenes.

["Unintended consequences of scientific discoveries" or: "Heterogeny of purposes" as phenomena of the history of science].

PubMed

Wittkau-Horgby, A

2001-01-01

This paper deals with an old observation in respect to man's action--the problem of unintended consequences of human action. It presents the scientific approaches to this phenomenon in the 18th century and focusses then on the problem of unintended consequences of scientific discoveries. Using the prominent examples of Copernicus and Darwin the author shows that the actual outcomes and final effects of scientific discoveries must not necessarily be the originally intended ones. On the contrary, especially those results of scientific discoveries which have affected the sphere of world view (Weltanschauung) like the research works of Copernicus and Darwin were originally meant to be only scientific studies. The final results in respect to the world view were on Copernicus' side not even realized and on Darwin's side neither intended nor welcomed. The conclusion of this analysis is that due to the fact that both scientists did not have the intention to change the world view they can only partly be regarded to be responsible for the fundamental changes they finally caused.

Convective phenomena at high resolution over Europe and the Mediterranean. The join EURO-CORDEX and Med-CORDEX flagship pilot study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coppola, Erika; Sobolowski, Stefan

2017-04-01

The join EURO-CORDEX and Med-CORDEX Flagship Pilot Study dedicated to the frontier research of using convective permitting models to address the impact of human induced climate change on convection, has been recently approved and the scientific community behind the project is made of 30 different scientific institutes distributed all around Europe. The motivations for such a challenge is the availability of large field campaigns dedicated to the study of heavy precipitation events such as HyMeX and high resolution dense observation networks like WegnerNet, RdisaggH (CH),COMEPHORE (Fr), SAFRAN (Fr), EURO4M-APGD (CH); the increased computing capacity and model developments; the emerging trend signals in extreme precipitation at daily and mainly sub-daily time scale in the Mediterranean and Alpine regions and the priority of convective extreme events under the WCRP Grand Challenge on climate extremes, because they carry both society-relevant and scientific challenges. The main objective of this effort are to investigate convective-scale events, their processes and their changes in a few key regions of Europe and the Mediterranean using convection-permitting RCMs, statistical models and available observations. To provide a collective assessment of the modeling capacity at convection-permitting scale and to shape a coherent and collective assessment of the consequences of climate change on convective event impacts at local to regional scales. The scientific aims of this research are to investigate how the convective events and the damaging phenomena associated with them will respond to changing climate conditions in several European regions with different climates. To understand if an improved representation of convective phenomena at convective permitting scales will lead to upscaled added value and finally to assess the possibility to replace these costly convection-permitting experiments with statistical approaches like "convection emulators". The common initial domain will be an extended Alpine domain and all the groups will simulate a minimum of 10 years period with ERA-interim boundary conditions, with the possibility of other two sub-domains one in the Northwest continental Europe and another in the Southeast Mediterranean. The scenario simulations will be completed for three different 10 years time slices one in the historical period, one in the near future and the last one in the far future for the RCP8.5 scenario. The first target of this scientific community is to have an ensemble of 1-2 years ERA-interim simulations ready by next summer.

Geoethics and natural hazards: general reflections on the relationship between geoscientists and society

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peppoloni, Silvia

2013-04-01

The development of modern science has changed the relationship between humans and natural phenomena. The great geoscientists of the past have contributed to the construction of the modern world, by revolutionizing the way in which humans perceive themselves, by changing their references of space and time inside the Universe. However, in the majority of the populations is observed the persistence of a fatalistic mentality or an attitude which believes that science can solve everything. In fact, throughout the centuries the fear of earthquakes, eruptions, floods has not changed in humans. The scientific rational approach is certainly an effective way to limit the scope of irrationality and uncertainty. The fear is not eliminable, but the proper dissemination of scientific knowledge and an adequate preparedness can help to mitigate it and transform it into an attitude of respect for the natural processes that govern the Geosphere. Therefore, geoscientists have a great responsibility towards society, which needs to face natural hazards. They have the duty to transfer knowledge and methods, to communicate information and errors, to awaken in people the interest for the phenomena and their evolution. Ultimately, geoscientists can contribute to bring science closer to society. The lack of involvement in scientific knowledge of the various components of society (citizens, politicians, mass media) can lead to two negative consequences: • the cultural and social marginalization of scientists, together with a loss of the sense of the role they can play in protecting society from natural hazards; • the tendency of people to embrace preconceived ideas in non critical way, ideas provided by a media information often incorrect, to lose good sense, until to develop fideistic attitudes based on few observed elements. In the scientific field the probabilistic method is a widespread way to analyze the natural phenomena. It allows to give an estimate of time, place and size of an event, in an attempt to manage the natural hazards that threaten human life and activities. However, geoscientists have to be aware of the risk that the uncertainty of occurrence of a natural phenomenon becomes an alibi to decline their responsibilities. The population should be informed also about the limits of the scientific methods used, so that it can better understand and share the decisions taken to deal with a natural hazard. Informing the population on natural risks should be prioritized for geoscientists, their ethical commitment to reduce as much as possible the sufferings of human beings and to manage the environment in a reasonable and responsible way.

New findings and instrumentation from the NASA Lewis microgravity facilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, Howard D.; Greenberg, Paul S.

1990-01-01

The study of fundamental combustion and fluid physics in a microgravity environment is a relatively new scientific endeavor. The microgravity environment enables a new range of experiments to be performed since: buoyancy-induced flows are nearly eliminated; normally obscured forces and flows may be isolated; gravitational settling or sedimentation is nearly eliminated; and larger time or length scales in experiments become permissible. Unexpected phenomena have been observed, with surprising frequency, in microgravity experiments, raising questions about the degree of accuracy and completeness of the classical understanding. An overview is provided of some new phenomena found through ground-based, microgravity research, the instrumentation used in this research, and plans for new instrumentation.

A Brief Overview of Adolescent Developmental Problems in Hong Kong

PubMed Central

Shek, Daniel T. L.; Keung Ma, Hing; Sun, Rachel C. F.

2011-01-01

Several adolescent developmental problems in Hong Kong are briefly reviewed in this paper. First, rising adolescent substance abuse trends are described. Second, Internet use problems and Internet addiction among young people are examined. Third, worrying trends in adolescent sexuality are identified. Fourth, phenomena on bullying among young people are reviewed. Finally, phenomena related to adolescent materialistic orientation are focused upon. With reference to these adolescent developmental problems, possible solutions are briefly discussed particularly with reference to the ecological perspective. It is argued that the related scientific literature provides useful pointers for designing the curriculum in the extension phase of the Project P.A.T.H.S. in Hong Kong. PMID:22194661

Simulation of wave interactions with MHD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batchelor, D.; Alba, C.; Bateman, G.; Bernholdt, D.; Berry, L.; Bonoli, P.; Bramley, R.; Breslau, J.; Chance, M.; Chen, J.; Choi, M.; Elwasif, W.; Fu, G.; Harvey, R.; Jaeger, E.; Jardin, S.; Jenkins, T.; Keyes, D.; Klasky, S.; Kruger, S.; Ku, L.; Lynch, V.; McCune, D.; Ramos, J.; Schissel, D.; Schnack, D.; Wright, J.

2008-07-01

The broad scientific objectives of the SWIM (Simulation 01 Wave Interaction with MHD) project are twofold: (1) improve our understanding of interactions that both radio frequency (RF) wave and particle sources have on extended-MHD phenomena, and to substantially improve our capability for predicting and optimizing the performance of burning plasmas in devices such as ITER: and (2) develop an integrated computational system for treating multiphysics phenomena with the required flexibility and extensibility to serve as a prototype for the Fusion Simulation Project. The Integrated Plasma Simulator (IPS) has been implemented. Presented here are initial physics results on RP effects on MHD instabilities in tokamaks as well as simulation results for tokamak discharge evolution using the IPS.

Comparing Virtual and Physical Robotics Environments for Supporting Complex Systems and Computational Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berland, Matthew; Wilensky, Uri

2015-01-01

Both complex systems methods (such as agent-based modeling) and computational methods (such as programming) provide powerful ways for students to understand new phenomena. To understand how to effectively teach complex systems and computational content to younger students, we conducted a study in four urban middle school classrooms comparing…

Sampling from complex networks using distributed learning automata

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rezvanian, Alireza; Rahmati, Mohammad; Meybodi, Mohammad Reza

2014-02-01

A complex network provides a framework for modeling many real-world phenomena in the form of a network. In general, a complex network is considered as a graph of real world phenomena such as biological networks, ecological networks, technological networks, information networks and particularly social networks. Recently, major studies are reported for the characterization of social networks due to a growing trend in analysis of online social networks as dynamic complex large-scale graphs. Due to the large scale and limited access of real networks, the network model is characterized using an appropriate part of a network by sampling approaches. In this paper, a new sampling algorithm based on distributed learning automata has been proposed for sampling from complex networks. In the proposed algorithm, a set of distributed learning automata cooperate with each other in order to take appropriate samples from the given network. To investigate the performance of the proposed algorithm, several simulation experiments are conducted on well-known complex networks. Experimental results are compared with several sampling methods in terms of different measures. The experimental results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed algorithm over the others.

User's guide for ENSAERO: A multidisciplinary program for fluid/structural/control interaction studies of aircraft (release 1)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guruswamy, Guru P.

1994-01-01

Strong interactions can occur between the flow about an aerospace vehicle and its structural components resulting in several important aeroelastic phenomena. These aeroelastic phenomena can significantly influence the performance of the vehicle. At present, closed-form solutions are available for aeroelastic computations when flows are in either the linear subsonic or supersonic range. However, for aeroelasticity involving complex nonlinear flows with shock waves, vortices, flow separations, and aerodynamic heating, computational methods are still under development. These complex aeroelastic interactions can be dangerous and limit the performance of aircraft. Examples of these detrimental effects are aircraft with highly swept wings experiencing vortex-induced aeroelastic oscillations, transonic regime at which the flutter speed is low, aerothermoelastic loads that play a critical role in the design of high-speed vehicles, and flow separations that often lead to buffeting with undesirable structural oscillations. The simulation of these complex aeroelastic phenomena requires an integrated analysis of fluids and structures. This report presents a summary of the development, applications, and procedures to use the multidisciplinary computer code ENSAERO. This code is based on the Euler/Navier-Stokes flow equations and modal/finite-element structural equations.

Analysis of extreme hydrological phenomena in southern Italy (Calabria region)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caloiero, Tommaso; Aceto, Luigi; Aurora Pasqua, A.; Petrucci, Olga

2017-04-01

Calabria (southern Italy) is a region exposed to the effects of contrasting climatic and hydrological phenomena. In fact, due to its oblong shape, to its position in the middle of the Mediterranean Basin, and for its mountainous nature, Calabria shows a high spatial variability of the climatic features and of related phenomena such as floods and drought. The present paper is based on the historical database ASICal (Historically flooded areas in Calabria), a catalogue of effects of floods and rain-related landslides that occurred in the region since the XIX Century. The catalogue has been built using the typical historical data sources as chronicles, diaries, historical books, local and regional agencies, press archives, scientific papers, and documents of civil protection offices. From these sources, we selected information on damage caused by rain related phenomena at a municipal scale and chronologically sorted by year, month and day. The analysis of the entire catalogue allows highlighting the regional Damaging Hydrogeological Events (DHE), defined as periods of intense rain causing damage on regional sectors conventionally selected as larger than 30% of the entire regional territory. For each event, as a measure of the magnitude of rainfall, the return period of the daily rainfall recorded during the event has been evaluated. In addition, we recently carried out a similar historical research to identify the main drought events affecting the region. In this case, due to the spatial and temporal characteristics of drought, data are collected both at municipal and regional scale, and the temporal scale is generally monthly or annual. For each event, we used as climatic descriptors a drought index for monitoring drought phenomena. Among drought indices, we used the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) which can be considered the most robust and effective, since it can be calculated for different time-scales and can be used to analyse different drought categories. Moreover, the SPI is easier to calculate than complex indices, as it is based on precipitation alone, and allows comparing drought conditions among different periods and regions. Both the series have been analysed jointly, in order to obtain the general trend of extreme rain and drought, characterised by mean of descriptive climatic features and damage caused. The results supply a glance in the past climatic history of the region that can be used to project to future and be prepared for ongoing changes related to climate changes. In fact, the identification of the most floods and drought prone areas can be useful for both civil protection mitigation strategies and water resources management (water used for home, industrial, and agricultural purposes).

The contamination of scientific literature: looking for an antidote

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liotta, Marcello

2017-04-01

Science may have very strong implications for society. The knowledge of the processes occurring around the society represents a good opportunity to take responsible decisions. This is particularly true in the field of geosciences. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, climate changes and many other natural phenomena still need to be further investigated. The role of the scientific community is to increase the knowledge. Each member can share his own ideas and data thus allowing the entire scientific community to receive a precious contribution. The latter one often derives from research activities, which are expensive in terms of consumed time and resources. Nowadays the sharing of scientific results occurs through the publication on scientific journals. The reading of available scientific literature thus represents a unique opportunity to define the state of the art on a specific topic and to address research activities towards something new. When published results are obtained through a rigorous scientific process, they constitute a solid background where each member can add his ideas and evidences. Differently, published results may be affected by scientific misconduct; they constitute a labyrinth where the scientists lose their time in the attempt of truly understanding the natural processes. The normal scientific dialectic should unmask such results, thus avoiding literature contamination and making the scientific framework more stimulating. The scientific community should look for the best practice to reduce the risk of literature contamination.

Life science teachers' decision making on sex education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gill, Puneet Singh

The desires of young people and especially young bodies are constructed at the intersections of policies that set the parameters of sex education policies, the embodied experiences of students in classrooms, and the way bodies are discussed in the complex language of science. Moreover, more research points to the lack of scientifically and medically accurate information about sex education. Through this research, I hope to extend the discussion about sex education to life science classrooms, where youth can discuss how sex occurs according to scientific concepts and processes. However, science classrooms are caught in a double bind: They maintain positivist methods of teaching science while paying little attention to the nature of science or the nature and function of science that offer explanations of scientific phenomena. In this study, I describe how science teachers made decisions about what to include or not include about sexuality in a life science classroom and the discursive frameworks that shaped these decisions. I also analyzed the ways that these relationships functioned to produce certain truths, or discourses. The current trends in research concerning SSI are pointing to understanding how controversial issues are framed according to personal philosophies, identities, and teaching approaches. If we can understand science teachers' inner aspects as they relate to sexuality education, we can also understand the deep-seeded motivations behind how these specific issues are being taught. In science classrooms where a discussion of the body is part of the curriculum, specific discourses of the body and sex/sexuality are excluded. In this study, I describe how science teachers made decisions about what to include or not include about sexuality in a life science classroom and the discursive practices that shaped these decisions.

Open Data Infrastructures And The Future Of Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boulton, G. S.

2016-12-01

Open publication of the evidence (the data) supporting a scientific claim has been the bedrock on which the scientific advances of the modern era of science have been built. It is also of immense importance in confronting three challenges unleashed by the digital revolution. The first is the threat the digital data storm poses to the principle of "scientific self-correction", in which false concepts are weeded out because of a demonstrable failure in logic or in the replication of observations or experiments. Large and complex data volumes are difficult to make openly available in ways that make rigorous scrutiny possible. Secondly, linking and integrating data from different sources about the same phenomena have created profound new opportunities for understanding the Earth. If data are neither accessible nor useable, such opportunities cannot be seized. Thirdly, open access publication, open data and ubiquitous modern communications enhance the prospects for an era of "Open Science" in which science emerges from behind its laboratory doors to engage in co-production of knowledge with other stakeholders in addressing major contemporary challenges to human society, in particular the need for long term thinking about planetary sustainability. If the benefits of an open data regime are to be realised, only a small part of the challenge lies in providing "hard" infrastructure. The major challenges lie in the "soft" infrastructure of relationships between the components of national science systems, of analytic and software tools, of national and international standards and the normative principles adopted by scientists themselves. The principles that underlie these relationships, the responsibilities of key actors and the rules of the game needed to maximise national performance and facilitate international collaboration are set out in an International Accord on Open Data.

SPIRE, the ``Spin Triangle'': Athens, Hamburg, Buenos Aires: Advancing Nanospintronics and Nanomagnetism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Arthur R.

2012-02-01

Future technological advances at the frontier of `elec'tronics will increasingly rely on the use of the spin property of the electron at ever smaller length scales. As a result, it is critical to make substantial efforts towards understanding and ultimately controlling spin and magnetism at the nanoscale. In SPIRE, the goal is to achieve these important scientific advancements through a unique combination of experimental and theoretical techniques, as well as complementary expertise and coherent efforts across three continents. The key experimental tool of choice is spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy -- the premier method for accessing the spin structure of surfaces and nanostructures with resolution down to the atomic scale. At the same time, atom and molecule deposition and manipulation schemes are added in order to both atomically engineer, and precisely investigate, novel nanoscale spin structures. These efforts are being applied to an array of physical systems, including single magnetic atomic layers, self-assembled 2-D molecular arrays, single adatoms and molecules, and alloyed spintronic materials. Efforts are aimed at exploring complex spin structures and phenomena occurring in these systems. At the same time, the problems are approached, and in some cases guided, by the use of leading theoretical tools, including analytical approaches such as renormalization group theory, and computational approaches such as first principles density functional theory. The scientific goals of the project are achieved by a collaborative effort with the international partners, engaging students at all levels who, through their research experiences both at home and abroad, gain international research outlooks as well as understandings of cultural differences, by working on intriguing problems of mutual interest. A novel scientific journalism internship program based at Ohio University furthers the project's broader impacts.

High performance computing and communications: Advancing the frontiers of information technology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1997-12-31

This report, which supplements the President`s Fiscal Year 1997 Budget, describes the interagency High Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC) Program. The HPCC Program will celebrate its fifth anniversary in October 1996 with an impressive array of accomplishments to its credit. Over its five-year history, the HPCC Program has focused on developing high performance computing and communications technologies that can be applied to computation-intensive applications. Major highlights for FY 1996: (1) High performance computing systems enable practical solutions to complex problems with accuracies not possible five years ago; (2) HPCC-funded research in very large scale networking techniques has been instrumental inmore » the evolution of the Internet, which continues exponential growth in size, speed, and availability of information; (3) The combination of hardware capability measured in gigaflop/s, networking technology measured in gigabit/s, and new computational science techniques for modeling phenomena has demonstrated that very large scale accurate scientific calculations can be executed across heterogeneous parallel processing systems located thousands of miles apart; (4) Federal investments in HPCC software R and D support researchers who pioneered the development of parallel languages and compilers, high performance mathematical, engineering, and scientific libraries, and software tools--technologies that allow scientists to use powerful parallel systems to focus on Federal agency mission applications; and (5) HPCC support for virtual environments has enabled the development of immersive technologies, where researchers can explore and manipulate multi-dimensional scientific and engineering problems. Educational programs fostered by the HPCC Program have brought into classrooms new science and engineering curricula designed to teach computational science. This document contains a small sample of the significant HPCC Program accomplishments in FY 1996.« less

JPRS Report, Science & Technology, USSR: Science and Technology Policy.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-03-03

accordance with the Kazakhstan Regional Scientific Research Program, which is called upon to unite scientific development of a basic and applied nature...Resources for 1986-1990 and the Period to 2000." The institute is a part of the union Avtogennyye protsessy Scientific Technical Complex and the...republic Tsvetnaya metallurgiya Scientific Technical Complex and is participating in the work of the creative youth collective for the automation of

Electrical Anomalies Observed During DC3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lang, Timothy J.; Rutledge, Steven A.; Dolan, Brenda; Krehbiel, Paul; Rison, William; Lindsey, Daniel T.; Lyons, Walt

2013-01-01

The primary scientific goals of DC3 involved improving our understanding of the chemical impacts of thunderstorms and their anvils. However, the Colorado domain provided opportunities to study other interesting phenomena, including the potential impacts of smoke ingestion on convection and thunderstorms, electrification processes in smoke plumes and pyrocumulonimbus clouds, and the production of sprites by unconventional thunderstorm.

Examining Pre-Service Teachers' Use of Atomic Models in Explaining Subsequent Ionisation Energy Values

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wheeldon, Ruth

2012-01-01

Chemistry students' explanations of ionisation energy phenomena often involve a number of non-scientific or inappropriate ideas being used to form causality arguments. Research has attributed this to many science teachers using these ideas themselves (Tan and Taber, in "J Chem Educ" 86(5):623-629, 2009). This research extends this work by…

Interpreting Student Views of Learning Experiences in a Contextualized Science Discourse in Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nashon, Samson Madera; Anderson, David

2013-01-01

Despite the centrality of the informal manufacturing sector ("Jua Kali") to the Kenyan society and its richness in scientific phenomena, there is no strong link between activities in the Jua Kali and school science. And, although there has been an ongoing public discourse in Kenya to industrialize, this hope is unlikely without…

Tether Optical Phenomena (TOP) experiment

NASA Image and Video Library

1996-03-14

STS075-310-002 (22 Feb.-9 March 1996) --- Astronaut Maurizio Cheli, STS-75 mission specialist, works with the Tether Optical Phenomenon System (TOPS) on the flight deck of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Columbia. Cheli, representing the European Space Agency (ESA), joined four other astronauts and an international payload specialists for 16 days of scientific research in Earth-orbit.

Shadow Formation at Preschool from a Socio-Materiality Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Impedovo, Maria Antonietta; Delserieys-Pedregosa, Alice; Jégou, Corinne; Ravanis, Konstantinos

2017-01-01

The paper is set in socio-material farming to offer a way of conceptualising actions and interactions of children in preschool involved in the understanding of scientific concepts. A model of early science education about the physical phenomena of shadow formation is implemented in group work in a French context. The research involved 44 children…

Investigating Elementary Teachers' Thinking about and Learning to Notice Students' Science Ideas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luna, Melissa Jo

2013-01-01

Children naturally use observations and everyday thinking to construct explanations as to why phenomena happen in the world. Science instruction can benefit by starting with these ideas to help children build coherent scientific understandings of how the physical world works. To do so, science teaching must involve attending to students'…

Teachers as Learners Examine Land-Use Change in the Local Environment Using Remote Sensing Imagery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klagges, Hope; Harbor, Jon; Shepardson, Daniel; Bell, Cheryl; Meyer, Jason; Burgess, Willie; Leuenberger, Ted

2002-01-01

In environmental science education, learners are exposed to earth phenomena that occur across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. However, it is challenging for learners to grasp the significance of spatial and temporal change because they have limited perspectives of the Earth. Within the scientific community, remotely sensed imagery is…

The Role of Scientific Modeling Criteria in Advancing Students' Explanatory Ideas of Magnetism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, Meng-Fei; Brown, David E.

2015-01-01

Student construction of models is a strong focus of current research and practice in science education. In order to study in detail the interactions between students' model generation and evaluation and their development of explanatory ideas to account for magnetic phenomena, a multi-session teaching experiment was conducted with a small number of…

Hard X-ray imaging facility for space shuttle: A scientific and conceptual engineering study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peterson, L. E.; Hudson, H. S.; Hurford, G.; Schneible, D.

1976-01-01

A shuttle-accommodated instrument for imaging hard X-rays in the study of nonthermal particles and high temperature particles in various solar and cosmic phenomena was defined and its feasibility demonstrated. The imaging system configuration is described as well as the electronics, aspect systems, mechanical and thermal properties and the ground support equipment.

Lessons about Climate Change Pose Many Challenges for Science Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavanagh, Sean

2007-01-01

This article reports on lessons about climate change which pose many challenges for science teachers. The natural world today offers a broad--and dire--catalog of scientific phenomena for teachers wanting to craft classroom lessons on the topic of climate change. As public concern about global warming increases, teachers are carving out a larger…

The Legacy of Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burke, J.

1985-01-01

The mechanisms of techno-scientific and philosophical change are examined and related to the nature and transformation of society and mankind himself. In parallel with the notion that the fundamental mechanism of change is the free juxtaposition of disparate phenomena, it is suggested that, with the tools that modern technology provides, we may be moving toward a no-paradigm culture.

On the Use of Analogy to Connect Core Physical and Chemical Concepts to Those at the Nanoscale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muniz, Marc N.; Oliver-Hoyo, Maria T.

2014-01-01

Nanoscale science remains at the forefront of modern scientific endeavors. As such, students in chemistry need to be prepared to navigate the physical and chemical concepts that describe the unique phenomena observed at this scale. Current approaches to integrating nanoscale topics into undergraduate chemistry curricula range from the design of…

Interplanetary monitoring platform engineering history and achievements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Butler, P. M.

1980-01-01

In the fall of 1979, last of ten Interplanetary Monitoring Platform Satellite (IMP) missions ended a ten year series of flights dedicated to obtaining new knowledge of the radiation effects in outer space and of solar phenomena during a period of maximum solar flare activity. The technological achievements and scientific accomplishments from the IMP program are described.

Mathematical Modeling in Science: Using Spreadsheets to Create Mathematical Models and Address Scientific Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horton, Robert M.; Leonard, William H.

2005-01-01

In science, inquiry is used as students explore important and interesting questions concerning the world around them. In mathematics, one contemporary inquiry approach is to create models that describe real phenomena. Creating mathematical models using spreadsheets can help students learn at deep levels in both science and mathematics, and give…

Contributions of Model-Based Learning to the Restructuring of Graduation Students' Mental Models on Natural Hazards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moutinho, Sara; Moura, Rui; Vasconcelos, Clara

2017-01-01

Model-Based learning is a methodology that facilitates students' construction of scientific knowledge, which, sometimes, includes restructuring their mental models. Taking into consideration students' learning process, its aim is to promote a deeper understanding of phenomena's dynamics through the manipulation of models. Our aim was to ascertain…

Throwing Paper Wads in the Chemistry Classroom: Really Active Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orvis, Jessica N.; Orvis, Jeffrey A.

2005-01-01

Active engagement in the classroom is one of the best tools available for overcoming conceptual difficulties. Science educators agree that students of all ages learn more by participating actively in the interpretation of scientific phenomena (NAS 2003; NSF 1998). In this article, the authors describe demonstrations in class using paper wads as an…

Using a Modeling Approach To Explore Scientific Epistemology with High School Biology Students. Research Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cartier, Jennifer

This paper describes a study of high school students' participation in the construction and revision of explanatory models as they attempted to account for a variety of inheritance phenomena observed in computer-generated "fruit flies". Throughout the course students were encouraged to explore epistemological issues related to the assessment and…

Enhancing the Scientific Process with Artificial Intelligence: Forest Science Applications

Treesearch

Ronald E. McRoberts; Daniel L. Schmoldt; H. Michael Rauscher

1991-01-01

Forestry, as a science, is a process for investigating nature. It consists of repeatedly cycling through a number of steps, including identifying knowledge gaps, creating knowledge to fill them, and organizing, evaluating, and delivering this knowledge. Much of this effort is directed toward creating abstract models of natural phenomena. The cognitive techniques of AI...

From Seeing to Observing: How Parents and Children Learn to See Science in a Botanical Garden

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eberbach, Catherine; Crowley, Kevin

2017-01-01

How do children begin to make the transition from seeing the natural world to scientifically observing the natural world? This study explored how differences in parent conversational strategies and disciplinary knowledge impact children's experience observing biological phenomena during shared informal learning. A total of 79 parent-child pairs…

ONR Far East Scientific Information Bulletin

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-09-01

In bone, grafting onto a polymer chain, inter- continuous processes, such as reactive extru- chain reactions, formation of interpenetrat- sion and...reaction kinetics, rheology, and side- and end-chain grafting , homopolymer transport phenomena occurring during REX. chain coupling, polymer...the Grafting reactions yield block or graft coupling species becomes a part of the chain, copolymers. Polyethylene, polypropylene, or by

Characterizing High School Students' Written Explanations in Biology Laboratories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peker, Deniz; Wallace, Carolyn S.

2011-03-01

The purpose of this qualitative interpretive research study was to examine high school students' written scientific explanations during biology laboratory investigations. Specifically, we characterized the types of epistemologies and forms of reasoning involved in students' scientific explanations and students' perceptions of scientific explanations. Sixteen students from a rural high school in the Southeastern United States were the participants of this research study. The data consisted of students' laboratory reports and individual interviews. The results indicated that students' explanations were primarily based on first-hand knowledge gained in the science laboratories and mostly representing procedural recounts. Most students did not give explanations based on a theory or a principle and did not use deductive reasoning in their explanations. The students had difficulties explaining phenomena that involved intricate cause-effect relationships. Students perceived scientific explanation as the final step of a scientific inquiry and as an account of what happened in the inquiry process, and held a constructivist-empiricist view of scientific explanations. Our results imply the need for more explicit guidance to help students construct better scientific explanations and explicit teaching of the explanatory genre with particular focus on theoretical and causal explanations.

Answers from deep inside the Earth; Continental Scientific Drilling at Cajon Pass, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Russ, D.P.

1989-01-01

Drilling of a 12,000-foot-deep scientific well has been completed at Cajon Pass in southern California to measure crustal properties, to determine crustal structure, and to better understanding the generation of earthquakes along the San Andreas fault. A joint effort of the National Science Foundation (NFS) and the U.S Geological Survey (USGS), the well was begun in November 1986, and is one of the first projects to be undertaken in the new national Continental Scientific Drilling Program. This program aims to enchance our knowledge of the compostiion, sturcture, dynamics, and evolution of the continental crust and of how these factors affect the origin and distribution of mineral and energy resources and natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. 

Pioneer 10. [observations of Jupiter environment and asteroid belt hazards

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, C. F.

1974-01-01

On Dec. 4, 1973, after 21 months in flight, Pioneer 10 passed by Jupiter at a distance within 130,000 km of its cloud tops. During the month before and after, instrumentation on the spacecraft made a number of scientific measurements of the Jupiter environment, thus completing one of three scientific objectives of the mission. Previously, Pioneer 10 had explored the asteroid belt and had completed the second scientific objective by determining that the belt did not present a hazard to spacecraft passing through it. The third objective, the exploration of interplanetary phenomena, started with the launch of Pioneer 10 and will not be completed until 1977 when the spacecraft nears the orbit of Uranus and the signal from the spacecraft becomes too weak to be heard at ground receivers.

Magical beliefs and discriminating science from pseudoscience in undergraduate professional students.

PubMed

Garrett, Bernard M; Cutting, Roger L

2017-11-01

Paranormal beliefs and magical thinking exist in the public, and amongst university students. Researchers have found that media can influence such beliefs. A 2012 study suggested pseudoscientific rationales can influence acceptance of reported paranormal phenomena. Using a paranormal belief survey and controlled experiment this work explores the paranormal beliefs and test the effects of three versions of a supernatural news story on undergraduate professional students. One version of the story presented a simple news article, another the same with a pseudoscientific rationale, and another gave a discrediting scientific critique. Results confirmed that many students do hold magical beliefs but discriminated between scientific and pseudoscientific narratives. However, pre-existing paranormal beliefs were associated with an increased likelihood of students finding paranormal reports scientific, believable and credible.

Man against volcano: The eruption on Heimaey, Vestmann Islands, Iceland

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, R.S.; Moore, J.G.

1976-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey carries out scientific studies in the geological, hydrological, and cartographic sciences generally within the 50 states, but also in cooperation with scientific organizations in many foreign countries for the investigation of unusual earth science phenomena throughout the world. The following material discusses the impact of the 1973 volcanic eruption of Eldfell on the fishing port of Vestmannaeyjar on the island of Heimaey, Iceland. Before the eruption was over, approximately one-third of the town of Vestmannaeyjar had been obliterated but, more importantly, the potential damage had been reduced markedly by the spraying of seawater onto the advancing lava flows, causing them to be slowed, stopped, or diverted from the undamaged portion of the town. The Survey's interest and involvement in the Heimaey eruption in Iceland was occasioned by the possibility that the procedures used to control the course of the flowing lava and to reduce the damage in a modern town may some day be needed in Hawaii and possibly even in the continental United States. This publication is based on the observations of two USGS geologists, Richard S. Williams, Jr. and James G. Moore, as well as on information from the Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Icelandic scientists' reports through the Center for Short-Lived Phenomena, and other published scientific reports. A number of Icelandic scientists studied the scientific aspects of the eruption and the engineering aspects of the control of lava flows, in particular, Professors Thorbjb'rn Sigurgeirsson and Sigurdur Thorarinsson of the University of Iceland Science Institute. Also, Icelandic governmental officials provided logistical and other support, in particular, Mr. Steingnmur Hermannsson, Director, Icelandic National Research Council and Professor Magnus Magnusson, Director, University of Iceland Science Institute.

Astronomical phenomena: events with high impact factor in teaching optics and photonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Curticapean, Dan

2014-07-01

Astronomical phenomena fascinate people from the very beginning of mankind up to today. They have a enthusiastic effect, especially on young people. Among the most amazing and well-known phenomena are the sun and moon eclipses. The impact factor of such events is very high, as they are being covered by mass media reports and the Internet, which provides encyclopedic content and discussion in social networks. The principal optics and photonics topics that can be included in such lessons originate from geometrical optics and the basic phenomena of reflection, refraction and total internal reflection. Lenses and lens systems up to astronomical instruments also have a good opportunity to be presented. The scientific content can be focused on geometrical optics but also diffractive and quantum optics can be incorporated successfully. The author will present how live streams of the moon eclipses can be used to captivate the interest of young listeners for optics and photonics. The gathered experience of the last two moon eclipses visible from Germany (on Dec, 21 2010 and Jun, 15 2011) will be considered. In an interactive broadcast we reached visitors from more than 135 countries.

Dynamic analysis, transformation, dissemination and applications of scientific multidimensional data in ArcGIS Platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shrestha, S. R.; Collow, T. W.; Rose, B.

2016-12-01

Scientific datasets are generated from various sources and platforms but they are typically produced either by earth observation systems or by modelling systems. These are widely used for monitoring, simulating, or analyzing measurements that are associated with physical, chemical, and biological phenomena over the ocean, atmosphere, or land. A significant subset of scientific datasets stores values directly as rasters or in a form that can be rasterized. This is where a value exists at every cell in a regular grid spanning the spatial extent of the dataset. Government agencies like NOAA, NASA, EPA, USGS produces large volumes of near real-time, forecast, and historical data that drives climatological and meteorological studies, and underpins operations ranging from weather prediction to sea ice loss. Modern science is computationally intensive because of the availability of an enormous amount of scientific data, the adoption of data-driven analysis, and the need to share these dataset and research results with the public. ArcGIS as a platform is sophisticated and capable of handling such complex domain. We'll discuss constructs and capabilities applicable to multidimensional gridded data that can be conceptualized as a multivariate space-time cube. Building on the concept of a two-dimensional raster, a typical multidimensional raster dataset could contain several "slices" within the same spatial extent. We will share a case from the NOAA Climate Forecast Systems Reanalysis (CFSR) multidimensional data as an example of how large collections of rasters can be efficiently organized and managed through a data model within a geodatabase called "Mosaic dataset" and dynamically transformed and analyzed using raster functions. A raster function is a lightweight, raster-valued transformation defined over a mixed set of raster and scalar input. That means, just like any tool, you can provide a raster function with input parameters. It enables dynamic processing of only the data that's being displayed on the screen or requested by an application. We will present the dynamic processing and analysis of CFSR data using the chains of raster function and share it as dynamic multidimensional image service. This workflow and capabilities can be easily applied to any scientific data formats that are supported in mosaic dataset.

Scaled experiments to determine the role of density on granular flows behavior: preliminary results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez Sedano, L. A.; Sarocchi, D.; Borselli, L.; Segura, O.

2013-12-01

Geological granular flows are very complex, gravity driven phenomena which can show different behaviors depending on its origin and the characteristics of the constituent material. Due to their dangerous nature, and multiple scientific and technological applications, these phenomena has being studied deeply in order to have a better comprehension, however, after more than one century of scientific research it remains as an open topic with more questions than answers. One of the aspects that still need exhaustive research is the effect of clast density on the flowing granular material, as pointed out by previous laboratory and field studies. There are anyway few studies which have tried to explain the role of bulk density, as well the density of different phases, as it increasing or decreasing on the kinematic and the rheological characteristics of geological granular flows. The content of low density juvenile material seems to condition the processes of transformations of debris flows to more diluted phases, as well the transport and emplacing mechanisms. It is well known that the content of clay in debris flows has great influence on its behavior, physical processes and the deposits characteristics for this reason lahars has being subdivided in base of this parameter. Our hypothesis is that, in like manner, the presence of low density material inside the granular flows (dry and wet) could conditioning its physical characteristics and its behavior. In order to put this to the test, we made some laboratory experiments using a five meter long and 0.3 m wide experimental flume equipped with a wide range of sensors and laser barriers to precisely measure the rheological properties and kinematic of the sliding avalanches. A special effort was devoted to determine a threshold or critical level in the amount of low density material at which the avalanche behavior suffer appreciable changes. The obtained preliminary results confirm our hypothesis and encouraged to perform further experiments. Such studies are important because they could provide useful information for developing analog models that take into account this important physical property.

Thinking Like a Wolf, a Sheep, or a Firefly: Learning Biology through Constructing and Testing Computational Theories--An Embodied Modeling Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilensky, Uri; Reisman, Kenneth

2006-01-01

Biological phenomena can be investigated at multiple levels, from the molecular to the cellular to the organismic to the ecological. In typical biology instruction, these levels have been segregated. Yet, it is by examining the connections between such levels that many phenomena in biology, and complex systems in general, are best explained. We…

Convective phenomena at high resolution over Europe and the Mediterranean. The join EURO-CORDEX and Med-CORDEX flagship pilot study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coppola, E.; Sobolowski, S.

2017-12-01

The join EURO-CORDEX and Med-CORDEX Flagship Pilot Study dedicated to the frontier research of using convective permitting (CP) models to address the impact of human induced climate change on convection, has been recently approved and the scientific community behind the project is made of 30 different scientific European institutes. The motivations for such a challenge is the availability of large field campaigns dedicated to the study of heavy precipitation events; the increased computing capacity and model developments; the emerging trend signals in extreme precipitation at daily and mainly sub-daily time scale in the Mediterranean and Alpine regions and the priority of convective extreme events under the WCRP Grand Challenge on climate extremes. The main objective of this effort are to investigate convective-scale events, their processes and changes in a few key regions of Europe and the Mediterranean using CP RCMs, statistical models and available observations. To provide a collective assessment of the modeling capacity at CP scale and to shape a coherent and collective assessment of the consequences of climate change on convective event impacts at local to regional scales. The scientific aims of this research are to investigate how the convective events and the damaging phenomena associated with them will respond to changing climate conditions in different European climates zone. To understand if an improved representation of convective phenomena at convective permitting scales will lead to upscaled added value and finally to assess the possibility to replace these costly convection-permitting experiments with statistical approaches like "convection emulators". The common initial domain will be an extended Alpine domain and all the groups will simulate a minimum of 10 years period with ERA-interim boundary conditions, with the possibility of other two sub-domains one in the Northwest continental Europe and another in the Southeast Mediterranean. The scenario simulations will be completed for three different 10 years time slices one in the historical period, one in the near future and the last one in the far future for the RCP8.5 scenario. The first target of this scientific community is to have an ensemble of 1-2 years ERA-interim simulations ready by late 2017 and a set of test cases to use as a pilot study.

The role of fractional calculus in modeling biological phenomena: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ionescu, C.; Lopes, A.; Copot, D.; Machado, J. A. T.; Bates, J. H. T.

2017-10-01

This review provides the latest developments and trends in the application of fractional calculus (FC) in biomedicine and biology. Nature has often showed to follow rather simple rules that lead to the emergence of complex phenomena as a result. Of these, the paper addresses the properties in respiratory lung tissue, whose natural solutions arise from the midst of FC in the form of non-integer differ-integral solutions and non-integer parametric models. Diffusion of substances in human body, e.g. drug diffusion, is also a phenomena well known to be captured with such mathematical models. FC has been employed in neuroscience to characterize the generation of action potentials and spiking patters but also in characterizing bio-systems (e.g. vegetable tissues). Despite the natural complexity, biological systems belong as well to this class of systems, where FC has offered parsimonious yet accurate models. This review paper is a collection of results and literature reports who are essential to any versed engineer with multidisciplinary applications and bio-medical in particular.

Tsunami propagation modelling - a sensitivity study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dao, M. H.; Tkalich, P.

2007-12-01

Indian Ocean (2004) Tsunami and following tragic consequences demonstrated lack of relevant experience and preparedness among involved coastal nations. After the event, scientific and forecasting circles of affected countries have started a capacity building to tackle similar problems in the future. Different approaches have been used for tsunami propagation, such as Boussinesq and Nonlinear Shallow Water Equations (NSWE). These approximations were obtained assuming different relevant importance of nonlinear, dispersion and spatial gradient variation phenomena and terms. The paper describes further development of original TUNAMI-N2 model to take into account additional phenomena: astronomic tide, sea bottom friction, dispersion, Coriolis force, and spherical curvature. The code is modified to be suitable for operational forecasting, and the resulting version (TUNAMI-N2-NUS) is verified using test cases, results of other models, and real case scenarios. Using the 2004 Tsunami event as one of the scenarios, the paper examines sensitivity of numerical solutions to variation of different phenomena and parameters, and the results are analyzed and ranked accordingly.

Emperipolesis, entosis and cell cannibalism: Demystifying the cloud.

PubMed

Gupta, Nidhi; Jadhav, Kiran; Shah, Vandana

2017-01-01

There are intense published data in literature related to cell engulfment phenomena such as emperipolesis, entosis and cell cannibalism. All these are closely related phenomena with a very fine line of differences. Its correct identification has a significant diagnostic and prognostic value. After extensive literature search, a gap of knowledge was found in concept designing and clarity about understanding of aforementioned terminologies. The authors have attempted to review data of these closely knit terminologies and further organize its characteristic appearances, pathogenetic aspects and prognostic implications. The data published in English Language, from 1925 to 2015, were collected using keywords such as emperipolesis, entosis and cell cannibalism through scientific database systems such as MEDLINE, Science Direct, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar. Articles were selected which have focused to explain the phenomenon, presentation and pathogenesis of one or more of this phenomenon. A total of 48 articles were retrieved, thirty of which were selected. The various cell engulfment phenomena are very similar looking but operate through entirely different pathways.

Initiating Young Children into Basic Astronomical Concepts and Phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kallery, M.

2010-07-01

In the present study we developed and implemented three units of activities aiming at acquainting very young children with basic astronomical concepts and phenomena such as the sphericity of the earth, the earth’s movements and the day/night cycle. The activities were developed by a group composed of a researcher/facilitator and six early-years teachers. In the activities children were presented with appropriate for their age scientific information along with conceptual tools such as a globe and an instructional video. Action research processes were used to optimize classroom practices and to gather useful information for the final shaping of the activities and the instruction materials. In these activities the adopted approach to learning can be characterized as socially constructed. The results indicated awareness of concepts and phenomena that the activities dealt with in high percentages of children, storage of the new knowledge in the long term memory and easy retrieval of it, and children’s enthusiasm for the subject.

The circle of the soul: the role of spirituality in health care.

PubMed

Moss, Donald

2002-12-01

This paper examines the critical attitude of behavioral professionals toward spiritual phenomena, and the current growing openness toward a scientific study of spirituality and its effects on health. Health care professionals work amidst sickness and suffering, and become immersed in the struggles of suffering persons for meaning and spiritual direction. Biofeedback and neurofeedback training can facilitate relaxation, mental stillness, and the emergence of spiritual experiences. A growing body of empirical studies documents largely positive effects of religious involvement on health. The effects of religion and spirituality on health are diverse, ranging from such tangible and easily understood phenomena as a reduction of health-risk behaviors in church-goers, to more elusive phenomena such as the distant effects of prayer on health and physiology. Psychophysiological methods may prove useful in identifying specific physiological mechanisms mediating such effects. Spirituality is also a dimension in much of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and the CAM arena may offer a window of opportunity for biofeedback practice.

Proceedings of the Fifth Microgravity Fluid Physics and Transport Phenomena Conference

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Bhim S. (Editor)

2000-01-01

The Fifth Microgravity Fluid Physics and Transport Phenomena Conference provided the scientific community the opportunity to view the current scope of the Microgravity Fluid Physics and Transport Phenomena Program and research opportunities and plans for the near future. Consistent with the conference theme "Microgravity Research an Agency-Wide Asset" the conference focused not only on fundamental research but also on applications of this knowledge towards enabling future space exploration missions. The conference included 14 invited plenary talks, 61 technical paper presentations, 61 poster presentations, exhibits and a forum on emerging research themes focusing on nanotechnology and biofluid mechanics. This web-based proceeding includes the presentation and poster charts provided by the presenters of technical papers and posters that were scanned at the conference site. Abstracts of all the papers and posters are included and linked to the presentations charts. The invited and plenary speakers were not required to provide their charts and are generally not available for scanning and hence not posted. The conference program is also included.

T. rex and Godzilla: Finding Science in Science Fiction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Engelmann, G. F.; Chure, D. J.

2017-12-01

Works of fiction act as a powerful vehicle for inculcating an intuitive understanding (or misunderstanding) of scientific concepts in the audience. They can communicate information about scientific phenomena or how science is done. These entertainments can contribute to scientific literacy of the public and provide valuable outreach opportunities, but scientific accuracy is rarely even a minor consideration in developing fictional stories. Science educators can still make use of popular fiction to promote science education and outreach. Varied approaches have focused on the physical science in classic space operas, but historical sciences can make use of public interest in fictional tales involving prehistoric creatures and settings. Dinosaurs like T. rex inspire awe and widespread popular appeal that can nurture an interest in fossils but also serves as a gateway to all the other sciences on which paleontology depends, and to the scientific endeavor itself. But the portrayal of dinosaurs has met with negative criticism of details that is not likely to be productive of further discussion and learning. Perhaps it is not so important that authors and film makers didn't get it right; that "correctness" of terms and reconstructions is less important than the opportunity to improve public understanding of how science works; to cultivate a habit of critical thinking and an analytical approach to interpreting the world. Dinosaurs and other long extinct creatures can provide examples of how we know what we know; what kind of evidence is available and how it can be interpreted; how creative framing of hypotheses allows imaginative conjectures to be constrained by observations. They can open informative discussions of how scientists work in gathering data and developing and testing hypotheses. For example, how do paleontologists find fossils? Monsters, unrealistic fantasy creatures like Godzilla, have great charismatic appeal, and can prompt discussions of the obstacles posed by physical laws to the actual existence of such phenomena, such as the effects of such large scale on mass and inertia. Alternatively, one could undertake a scientifically constrained flight of fancy that considers what properties would be needed to make such fantastic beasts possible. Imagination and creativity can bring real science to fiction.

An Easy & Fun Way to Teach about How Science "Works": Popularizing Haack's Crossword-Puzzle Analogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pavlova, Iglika V.; Lewis, Kayla C.

2013-01-01

Science is a complex process, and we must not teach our students overly simplified versions of "the" scientific method. We propose that students can uncover the complex realities of scientific thinking by exploring the similarities and differences between solving the familiar crossword puzzles and scientific "puzzles."…

Echoes That Never Were: American Mobile Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, 1956-1983

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-05-11

research, develop, operate, maintain, and sustain complex technological systems , ICBMs were--and remain--a system blending technical matters, scientific ...maintain, and sustain complex technological systems , ICBMs were--and remain--a system blending technical matters, scientific laws, economic...technological system that blended scientific laws, economic realities, political forces, and social concerns that included environmentalism and

Towards a unified study of extreme events using universality concepts and transdisciplinary analysis methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balasis, George; Donner, Reik V.; Donges, Jonathan F.; Radebach, Alexander; Eftaxias, Konstantinos; Kurths, Jürgen

2013-04-01

The dynamics of many complex systems is characterized by the same universal principles. In particular, systems which are otherwise quite different in nature show striking similarities in their behavior near tipping points (bifurcations, phase transitions, sudden regime shifts) and associated extreme events. Such critical phenomena are frequently found in diverse fields such as climate, seismology, or financial markets. Notably, the observed similarities include a high degree of organization, persistent behavior, and accelerated energy release, which are common to (among others) phenomena related to geomagnetic variability of the terrestrial magnetosphere (intense magnetic storms), seismic activity (electromagnetic emissions prior to earthquakes), solar-terrestrial physics (solar flares), neurophysiology (epileptic seizures), and socioeconomic systems (stock market crashes). It is an open question whether the spatial and temporal complexity associated with extreme events arises from the system's structural organization (geometry) or from the chaotic behavior inherent to the nonlinear equations governing the dynamics of these phenomena. On the one hand, the presence of scaling laws associated with earthquakes and geomagnetic disturbances suggests understanding these events as generalized phase transitions similar to nucleation and critical phenomena in thermal and magnetic systems. On the other hand, because of the structural organization of the systems (e.g., as complex networks) the associated spatial geometry and/or topology of interactions plays a fundamental role in the emergence of extreme events. Here, a few aspects of the interplay between geometry and dynamics (critical phase transitions) that could result in the emergence of extreme events, which is an open problem, will be discussed.