Daniel S Helman

AbstractThe twentieth and twenty-first centuries witnessed political change moving away from socialism on a national scale in some countries. In one model the institutions of government were completely transformed, e.g. Russia from the USSR, while in another model markets have been added to the socialist frame, e.g. in China. The conditions of art production and hence communicative reflexivity are different in each country witnessing these transformations, yet several trends can be identified, and these will be described in a series of brief case studies.<br>

Abstract<br>Catastrophic ice loss from the Arctic and Antarctic may lead to large-scale changes in both weather and climate. From a human perspective, the worst case resulting would be changes to weather circulation such that rain patterns would be disrupted signi cantly. The impact on global agriculture is worth studying. Preliminary thoughts related to modelling this question will be presented as a part of ongoing research. Also, methods and estimates related to arti cially thickening ice at the poles perhaps to prevent such a loss will also be presented in a preliminary form.

Malia read the paper and then again. It was hard to believe. “Really?” you thought. “They’re offering money for that?” It was midweek, and you’d managed to accompany your brother to the store, where he picked up yesterday’s news for half price.

The possibility exists for creating solar panels from ice very cheaply, i.e. for the cost of the tray, wires and tensioners to hold the wires down. These would only be workable in locales wherein the ambient air temperature is cold, but the low cost makes them attractive and suggests future wide adoption. How to get there? Should governments rely on planned large-scale initiatives, on local initiatives, or on the marketplace? Various themes for context are explored. Reports of energy development in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS, comprising former Soviet republics) suggest that energy development leads to economic growth in the short term, and that there is a feedback mechanism that operates in the long term. See Apergis & Payne's 2009 article “Energy Consumption and Economic Growth” in Energy Economics. Thus energy development could be undertaken as a large-scale government initiative with economy as justification. In New York State in the US, standard solar power generation in centralized plants delivers savings to users (i.e. rate payers and tax payers) on the order of 15¢ to 40¢ per kWh. See Perez, Zweibel & Hoff's 2011 article “Solar Power Generation in the US” in Energy Policy and Branker & Pearce's 2010 “Financial return for government support of large-scale thin-film solar photovoltaic manufacturing in Canada” in the same journal for more examples. Yet the situation for solar panels from ice is unique. Extra photovoltaic panels (PV) from ice when coupled with a feed-in tariff (FIT) could result in regional electricity grids flush with cheap electricity during winter. Ice PV could also be added to homes, businesses or plants that already have PV very easily since the energy storage component is already in place. Energy storage can take the form of batteries, ultracapacitors, fuel cells or a (hybrid) combination of these, and energy storage is a current area of scientific and economic exploration. Tesla Motors recently announced a partnership to provide battery-based home energy storage cheaply (probably around $2500 per unit). Perhaps it will be a national government need to promote a nascent energy storage technology sector. Demand could be placed very high with the introduction of PV from ice. Once many units are in place, there will be a great deal of flexibility, and innovation related to solar panel technology could be promoted locally. Energy storage units are the key here. If industrial development within renewables is desired, ice may be a useful lead in. Notably, some flexibility is required. For example, it's not known what the effect of different substances dissolved in the ice would be. Perhaps nickel particles added to water as it freezes would create extra layers that would make ice PV more productive than silicon. Local initiatives or a FIT would promote experimentation to a greater extent than a national energy plant program. Citizen science could have the day. Ultimately, ice PV policy depends on governmental and societal goals. If there is no interest in developing PV technology generally, then letting the market work unfettered would bypass any development incentive and yet allow for adoption if personal desire dictates. If the PV sector is already well-developed, then a broad policy set might be negotiated with the participation of major businesses and academia, maybe including a renewable portfolio standard (RPS). If novel technological development is desired, then local initiatives and FIT make sense. Indeed, Solangi et al.'s 2010 “Review on Global Solar Energy Policy” in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews highlights the efficacy of FIT and RPS in a variety of settings.

Abstract. The Arctic is warming twice as quickly as the rest of the globe. There are perhaps fifteen years left before all the perennial Arctic sea ice has melted, and climatic as well as ecosystem health is uncertain. This set of haiku is inspired by Subhankar Banerjee's <em>Arctic Voices: Resistance at the Tipping Point</em> (2012) and other texts, in which an ethic of habitation in nature remains. Quotation and reference to <em>Arctic Voices</em> help to tell the stories in the haiku. A discussion related to the convergence of art and politics, as well as a focus for sustainability—institutional as well as technological—is included.

The Earth's core, mantle and crust are composed of rocks and minerals, and exhibit electrical and magnetic phenomena. Electrical data in particular are extremely sparse for Earth materials; fewer than one hundred minerals have piezoelectric data associated with them, for example. More data would help to constrain Earth processes and structures, such as core and mantle composition, geomagnetic anomalies, seismic electric signals, and others. Herein, two hundred seventeen minerals exhibiting ferroelectricity, pyroelectricity or piezoelectricity are presented, with quantitative data where known. Fifty-three of these are centrosymmetric, and explanations are given for their apparent violations of crystal theory. Some thermoelectric and magnetic data are also presented for minerals, and an overview of rock electricity is included. Recommendations for further study are given, as well, such as determining the dielectric behavior of rocks and minerals at depth, and testing minerals for ...

Abstract This work explores composition and melting point data (or lack of data) related to Earth's outer core, and also the possibility of a high-density plasma composition, plus gives a background on Inge Lehmann's seismological observation demonstrating a solid inner core. Implications related to geomagnetic field dynamics are also presented, as are evidence in the rock record for changes to the geomagnetic field over time, including the intersection (if any) of such changes and the origin and development of life on the planet.

The average atmospheric charge density of Earth is neutral. Charge built up from thunderstorms and lightning phenomena is offset by oceanic surface charging, and offers a source of energy that has not been harnessed broadly. Unfortunately, the total terrestrial energy of the Earth’s atmospheric electrical system is modest (250–500 MW) compared to industrial requirements: Innovations are likely to offer improvements to societal efficiency rather than broad transformations. Direct capture systems located in places with very high occurrence of lightning discharge can generate ≈1 kWh per year on average. Material processing via triggered lightning is limited to techniques that utilize rapid discharges, e.g., metal and glass preprocessing of materials, waste volume reduction, biomass energy conversion, where current prices make plasma‐arc processes prohibitive. Triggered lightning may be used to assist blasting of mountain rock; or as a high‐voltage input for processes such as nuclear fusion. Passive collection of atmospheric electricity is modest but may be used in urban agriculture to increase biomass production. Thunderstorm charge‐separation processes suggest a new class of electricity generators based on kinetic energy and material collision. Ball lightning suggests additional research in dusty plasmas. These methods are all at proof‐of‐concept or early translation stages.

Electromagnetic phenomena are sometimes associated with seismic events, but earthquake prediction using seismic electric signals (SES) has not been seriously considered since the early 1990s. There are several causes: (1) false alarms that have created panics in Greece, and (2) a strong critique of the Varotsos-Alexopoulos-Nomicos (VAN) method used there. An updated VAN method that includes time series analysis has made successful medium-range predictions, and short-range predictions when coupled with seismic time series analysis. Four types of potential mechanisms to create precursory SES relying on deformation effects, temperature effects, ore-mineral movement or groundwater variation are reviewed. Data relevant to each are insufficient to favor a single mechanism. Records of the number of false positive and missed events for an updated VAN method have not been well maintained. False positives appear to be abundant and render the method unusable. Co-seismic groundwater fluctuation...

Having recently moved to Southeast Asia, I feel at liberty to share some of my story with your readers. I started exhibiting symptoms of schizophrenia at age twenty, e.g. disorganized speech, psychotic aspect, catatonia, etc. I was hospitalized several months after, and started a fifteen year journey of learning about the disease schizophrenia and finding a cure for myself (Helman, 2018). I am told that I may not have had the disease, since my last hospitalization or medication for it was in 2006, and I am not subject anymore to symptoms. Despite having been hospitalized on ten occasions for the illness, if one has recovered, then misdiagnosis is suggested.

ABSTRACT Medication- and symptom-free recovery has been the author’s experience since March 2006. Details of 127 potentially therapeutic lifestyle activities were explored using a structured reflective analysis. These activities were divided into twelve communities: family, arts, romance, etc. Perceived therapeutic effects are noted. Also included is the author’s method for weaning from psychiatric medication very slowly, plus personal details of success.

This lesson plan was put together for a two week seminar and was part of doctoral work at Prescott College.  Learning outcomes include increased familiarity with yoga as a practice, exposure to literature on yoga as a therapeutic method and research methodology, and praxis.  It is appropriate for secondary and tertiary education, and could be expanded or adapted to suit programmatic needs. doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare.1308038

Conversion of strangers, or proselytizing, is a feature of a range of groups for religious, organizational and other aims. In twelve-step recovery programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, belief in a higher power is a requirement for working the steps to recovery. People are encouraged to find a higher power of their own understanding. This paper presents a model for using mathematics as a higher power, and shows how recovery works with mathematics in that role instead of a more traditional higher power such as God. A contemplative definition of math is given along with a description of a three-categoried epistemology: mathematics, science, and the personal. This epistemology is shown to be sufficient to work the Twelve Steps, with mathematics as a higher power. Proselytizing is not required.

School discipline remains authoritarian in the USA despite the superficial adoption of student-centered, constructivist lesson delivery. The issue may be lack of ideas for how to conduct constructivist discipline. Three novel activities are presented for classroom discipline that may close this gap. All three present discipline in a manner that is easy for a student to perform, thus increasing the likelihood of compliance. At the same time, these three are also demonstrably enriching, chosen to promote skills development.

School discipline remains authoritarian in the USA despite the superficial adoption of student-centered, constructivist lesson delivery. The issue may be lack of ideas for how to conduct constructivist discipline. Three novel activities are presented for classroom discipline that may close this gap. All three present discipline in a manner that is easy for a student to perform, thus increasing the likelihood of compliance. At the same time, these three are also demonstrably enriching, chosen to promote skills development. Introduction Groups—whether family groups, schools, informal groups of friends, relatives, or more formal associations—are primary locations of acculturation (Dovidio et al., 2011). Habits of language and thought, preferences for food and art, goals and ideas: these all can be found in primary social settings (Lillard et al., 2011). While many of these are of concern to those who have taken on the mantle of the teaching profession, it is school culture that we as t...

Prudence demands a pre-contact appraisal of ethical requirements towards living organisms as planetary science and astrobiology continue to move forward. Likewise, advances in artificial intelligence may mean that it will be necessary to have ethical guidelines in place for machine life. A novel framework for studying complementary ethical perspectives is presented along with results obtained by questionnaire and discussion with astrobiologists and computer scientists currently working in these areas. Outcomes include promoting the work of these professionals and their self-reflection, plus recommendations for policy-makers and relevant lesson plans for the classroom, plus the following inferences: Ethical perspectives based on personal, social, cultural, ecological, or quantitative themes may be orthogonal to each other. Moreover, psychometric analysis can be applied in a way that divides people into groups, and this analysis may create further social division. Technological issues such as the development of autonomous machines or discovering extraterrestrial life forms come with a responsibility that is parallel to the care that creating offspring engenders—and a more global discussion is warranted. Notwithstanding, innovation in information technology is associated with a flowering of imaginative ethical considerations that predate some of the technologies that they address. These imaginative ethics may become superfluous with time, whereas innovations in technology that impact the physical environment more directly often predate the development of relevant ethics. These relevant ethics address challenges only in hindsight. Thus, machine life and extraterrestrial life are likely to have different ethical trajectories.

Prudence demands a pre-contact appraisal of ethical requirements towards living organisms as planetary science and astrobiology continue to move forward. Likewise, advances in artificial intelligence may mean that it will be necessary to have ethical guidelines in place for machine life. A novel framework for studying complementary ethical perspectives is presented along with results obtained by questionnaire and discussion with astrobiologists and computer scientists currently working in these areas. Outcomes include promoting the work of these professionals and their self-reflection, plus recommendations for policy-makers and relevant lesson plans for the classroom, plus the following inferences: Ethical perspectives based on personal, social, cultural, ecological, or quantitative themes may be orthogonal to each other. Moreover, psychometric analysis can be applied in a way that divides people into groups, and this analysis may create further social division. Technological issues...

Conceptualizing planetary habitability depends on understanding how living organisms originated and what features of environments are essential to foster abiogenesis. Estimates of the abundance of life's building blocks are confounded by incomplete knowledge of the role of chirality and racemization in organic compounds in the origination of living organisms. Chirality is an essential feature of enzymes as well as many lock-and-key type structures. There are four known processes that can act on complex organic molecules to promote racemization for abiogenesis: quantum-tunneling effects; selection via interaction with circularly polarized light (CPL); templating processes; and interactions with electrical and magnetic (EM) fields. These occur in different places, respectively: cold interstellar space; regions of space with energetic photons, dust and/or magnetic fields; and mineral surfaces (for both templating and EM fields). Chirality as a feature of terrestrial life suggests neither a special place for local development of homochirality nor for extra-terrestrial enrichment and delivery. The presence of these molecules in three competing scenarios for life's origin - chemical gardens, geothermal fields, and ice substrates - relies on a framework of hypothesis and estimation. An easily-modified worksheet is included in the supplemental material that allows a user to generate different scenarios and data related to the distribution of chiral organic molecules as building blocks for living organisms within the galaxy. A simple hypothetical mechanism for planetary magnetic field reversals, based on a high-density plasma inner core, is also presented as a means to aid in estimating field polarity and hence the orientation of racemization processes based on planetary magnetic fields.

The average atmospheric charge density of Earth is neutral. Charge built up from thunderstorms and lightning phenomena is offset by oceanic surface charging, and offers a source of energy that has not been harnessed broadly. Unfortunately, the total terrestrial energy of the Earth's atmospheric electrical system is modest (250-500 MW) compared to industrial requirements: Innovations are likely to offer improvements to societal efficiency rather than broad transformations. Direct capture systems located in places with very high occurrence of lightning discharge can generate ~1 kWh per year on average. Materials processing via triggered lightning is limited to techniques that utilize rapid discharges, e.g. metal and glass pre-processing of materials, waste volume reduction, biomass energy conversion, where current prices make plasma-arc processes prohibitive. Triggered lightning may be used to assist blasting of mountain rock; or as a high-voltage input for processes such as nuclear fusion. Passive collection of atmospheric electricity is modest but may be used in urban agriculture to increase biomass production. Thunderstorm charge-separation processes suggest a new class of electricity generators based on kinetic energy and materials collision. Ball lightning suggests additional research in dusty plasmas. These methods are all at proof-of-concept or early translation stages.

Electromagnetic phenomena are sometimes associated with seismic events, but earthquake prediction using seismic electric signals (SES) has not been seriously considered since the early 1990s. There are several causes: (1) false alarms that have created panics in Greece, and (2) a strong critique of the Varotsos-Alexopoulos-Nomicos (VAN) method used there. An updated VAN method that includes time series analysis has made successful medium-range predictions, and short-range predictions when coupled with seismic time series analysis. Four types of potential mechanisms to create precursory SES relying on deformation effects, temperature effects, ore-mineral movement or groundwater variation are reviewed. Data relevant to each are insufficient to favor a single mechanism. Records of the number of false positive and missed events for an updated VAN method have not been well maintained. False positives appear to be abundant and render the method unusable. Co-seismic groundwater fluctuations are addressed, and two novel hypotheses of earthquake trigger mechanism are also presented: ionospherically induced electric (and resultant magnetic) fields to weaken rock thereby causing failure; and volatiles liberated from minerals additionally promoting rock failure. Recommendations for further study are included.

The Earth’s core, mantle and crust are composed of rocks and minerals, and exhibit electrical and magnetic phenomena. Electrical data in particular are extremely sparse for Earth materials; fewer than one hundred minerals have piezoelectric data associated with them, for example. This type of data helps to constrain Earth processes and structures, such as core and mantle composition, geomagnetic anomalies, seismic electric signals, and others. In this review, two hundred seventeen minerals exhibiting ferroelectricity, pyroelectricity or piezoelectricity are presented, with quantitative data where known. Fifty-three of these are centrosymmetric, and explanations are given for their apparent violations of crystal theory. Some thermoelectric and magnetic data are also presented for minerals, and an overview of rock electricity is included. Recommendations for further study are given, as well, such as determining the dielectric behavior of rocks and minerals at depth, and testing minerals for alternative energy applications.

Telluric currents are natural electrical phenomena in the Earth or its bodies of water. The strongest electric currents are related to lightning phenomena or space weather. Earth electricity can cause damage to structures, and may be useful for earthquake forecasting and other applications. Thirty-two distinct mechanisms that cause Earth electricity are
described, and a broad selection of current research is highlighted.

Metamorphism generates electrical and magnetic phenomena, and is influenced by these forces. Information fundamental to their combined study is presented, including examples from microtectonics, crystal physics, geophysics, seismology, mineralogy and materials science. Applications for earthquake prediction, planetary science research, alternative energy and science education are included. Work on reported seismic electric signals is analyzed and summarized.

Ten hypotheses related to earthquake mechanisms and prediction are presented, as well as eighteen recommendations for further study. Eight microtectonic deformation mechanisms are explored. Two hundred seventeen descriptions of minerals exhibiting ferroelectricity, pyroelectricity or piezoelectricity are presented, with quantitative data where known. Fifty-three of these are centrosymmetric, and explanations are given for their apparent violations of crystal theory. A comprehensive list of thirty-two mechanisms that generate telluric currents is also presented, as are some novel or inexpensive experimental techniques in crystal physics.

[This is a self-published version, repaginated with improved text design and layout.]

Metamorphism generates electrical and magnetic phenomena, and is influenced by these forces. Information fundamental to their combined study is presented, including examples from microtectonics, crystal physics, geophysics, seismology, mineralogy and materials science. Applications for earthquake prediction, planetary science research, alternative energy and science education are included. Work on reported seismic electric signals is analyzed and summarized.

Ten hypotheses related to earthquake mechanisms and prediction are presented, as well as eighteen recommendations for further study. Eight microtectonic deformation mechanisms are explored. Two hundred seventeen descriptions of minerals exhibiting ferroelectricity, pyroelectricity or piezoelectricity are presented, with quantitative data where known. Fifty-three of these are centrosymmetric, and explanations are given for their apparent violations of crystal theory. A comprehensive list of thirty-two mechanisms that generate telluric currents is also presented, as are some novel or inexpensive experimental techniques in crystal physics.

The paper promotes urban parks as suitable locations for geology field trips. A sample field guide of Griffith Park in Los Angeles is presented. The area described includes fault splays in the Santa Monica Fault Zone, and shows an inferred linkage between the Hollywood Fault and the Eagle Rock Fault. A conjunction of three faults is described, along with prominent jointing.

Medication- and symptom-free recovery has been the author’s experience since March 2006. Details of 127 potentially therapeutic lifestyle activities were explored using a structured reflective analysis. These activities were divided into twelve communities: family, arts, romance, etc. Perceived therapeutic effects are noted. Also included is the author’s method for weaning from psychiatric medication very slowly, plus personal details of success.

Despite coincidental earthquakes in Southern California and Hawaii during recent (April-May 2018) coronal hole events and of the devastating Mexico earthquakes of September 2017 coincident with major solar flare activity, there are many seismic events that lack associated solar activity, thus prediction seems unlikely.  Likewise with lunisolar gravitational (tidal) forces, predictive efficacy seems distant or nonexistent. Notwithstanding, extant seismic, solar and gravitational datasets make earthquake forecasting an attractive target for modeling.  Magnetic weakening of Earth materials during solar and ionospheric flux is a proposed trigger mechanism for the events. The integrated influences of these phenomena produce a hypothetical model that will be tested via machine learning for effectiveness.  The relevant physical relations will be modeled mathematically for clarity and to further the work.

The existence of Earth's solid inner core is well-known from the seismological observations of Inge Lehmann in the early part of the 20th century.  Yet if the Earth's inner core were a high-density plasma—acting as a non-Newtonian fluid—it is hypothesized to likewise transmit transverse seismic waves as solid materials do. These two alternative hypotheses—solid inner core versus high-density plasma inner core—ought to be treated differently when constructing a model of the Earth's magnetic field.  Current geodynamo models are reviewed and contrasted with magnetohydrodynamic models typically used in stellar magnetic field studies to gain insight into model fitness and suitability.  Magnetic reversals are highlighted, with an aim to make a testable hypothesis related to the state of Earth's inner core based on the mathematics involved.

This work explores composition and melting point data (or lack of data) related to Earth's outer core, and also the possibility of a high-density plasma composition, plus gives a background on Inge Lehmann's seismological observation demonstrating a solid inner core. Implications related to geomagnetic field dynamics are also presented, as are evidence in the rock record for changes to the geomagnetic field over time, including the intersection (if any) of such changes and the origin and development of life on the planet. Inner and Outer: How Do We Know? Here are the words of Inge Lehmann, who made this discovery: Evidently, there was a reflection of the waves in the interior of the earth that caused them to emerge at a shorter epicentral distance. It was shown in a simple example how this could happen. I considered a globe in which a hard mantle surrounded a softer core, the radius of which I took to be five ninths of the surrounding sphere. The velocity of the longitudinal waves was 10 km/s in the mantle and 8 km/s in the core. It was then a simple matter to calculate the time curves arising from an earthquake that took place at the surface of the globe. The P curve that resulted from waves confined to the mantle ended at 112° distance from the epicenter. P' consisted of two brances, as observed in the New Zealand earthquake. When the variation of the travel time was considered in relation to the angle of incidence, an estimate of the intensity could be obtained. In this way it was found that the intensity of the waves corresponding to the upper branch of the P' curve would be small. This was in accordance with the fact that it had been difficult to observe the upper branch.

Oriented plates of tourmaline crystals are subjected to solid-state chemical change in a pressure vessel to produce an artificial metamorphic reaction.  Electrical properties of the samples, including resistance, capacitance, piezoelectricity, pyroelectricity and magnetic induction are measured before and after the “metamorphism.”  EBSD is used to confirm the orientations of the cut plates and EDS is used to give the sample compositions before and after.  Preliminary results are given of the EBSD portion and compared to XRD data for two samples. This should be the first study focusing on the electrical contributions to metamorphism in a material from the Earth’s crust.  It is notable that electrical activity at the grain-scale level may influence the outcome of crystalplastic deformation.  Large-scale electrical contributions are also possible, though the number of parameters to influence telluric waves is large enough to preclude useful data for some time.

Major works are Piezoelectric Crystals and Their Application to Ultrasonics by Warren Mason in 1950 and Piezoelectricity by Walter Cady in 1946 and Physical Properties of Crystals by John Nye in 1957.  These were all in the 1940s and 1950s.  Then artificial materials were discovered, such things as Barium Titanite and other perovskites, whose polarizations yield more electricity.  There is nearly no current research in the electrical properties of minerals ongoing.  All of the focus is on man-made materials.

The possibility exists for creating solar panels from ice very cheaply, i.e. for the cost of the tray, wires and tensioners to hold the wires down. These would only be workable in locales wherein the ambient air temperature is cold, but the low cost makes them attractive and suggests future wide adoption. How to get there? Should governments rely on planned large-scale initiatives, on local initiatives, or on the marketplace? Various themes for context are explored.
Reports of energy development in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS, comprising former Soviet republics) suggest that energy development leads to economic growth in the short term, and that there is a feedback mechanism that operates in the long term. See Apergis & Payne's 2009 article “Energy Consumption and Economic Growth” in Energy Economics. Thus energy development could be undertaken as a large-scale government initiative with economy as justification. In New York State in the US, standard solar power generation in centralized plants delivers savings to users (i.e. rate payers and tax payers) on the order of 15¢ to 40¢ per kWh. See Perez, Zweibel & Hoff's 2011 article “Solar Power Generation in the US” in Energy Policy and Branker & Pearce's 2010 “Financial return for government support of large-scale thin-film solar photovoltaic manufacturing in Canada” in the same journal for more examples.
Yet the situation for solar panels from ice is unique. Extra photovoltaic panels (PV) from ice when coupled with a feed-in tariff (FIT) could result in regional electricity grids flush with cheap electricity during winter.  Ice PV could also be added to homes, businesses or plants that already have PV very easily since the energy storage component is already in place. Energy storage can take the form of batteries, ultracapacitors, fuel cells or a (hybrid) combination of these, and energy storage is a current area of scientific and economic exploration. Tesla Motors recently announced a partnership to provide battery-based home energy storage cheaply (probably around $2500 per unit).
Perhaps it will be a national government need to promote a nascent energy storage technology sector. Demand could be placed very high with the introduction of PV from ice. Once many units are in place, there will be a great deal of flexibility, and innovation related to solar panel technology could be promoted locally. Energy storage units are the key here. If industrial development within renewables is desired, ice may be a useful lead in.
Notably, some flexibility is required. For example, it's not known what the effect of different substances dissolved in the ice would be. Perhaps nickel particles added to water as it freezes would create extra layers that would make ice PV more productive than silicon. Local initiatives or a FIT would promote experimentation to a greater extent than a national energy plant program. Citizen science could have the day.
Ultimately, ice PV policy depends on governmental and societal goals. If there is no interest in developing PV technology generally, then letting the market work unfettered would bypass any development incentive and yet allow for adoption if personal desire dictates. If the PV sector is already well-developed, then a broad policy set might be negotiated with the participation of major businesses and academia, maybe including a renewable portfolio standard (RPS). If novel technological development is desired, then local initiatives and FIT make sense. Indeed, Solangi et al.'s 2010 “Review on Global Solar Energy Policy” in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews highlights the efficacy of FIT and RPS in a variety of settings.

Catastrophic ice loss from the Arctic and Antarctic may lead to large-scale changes in both weather and climate. From a human perspective, the worst case resulting would be changes to weather circulation such that rain patterns would be disrupted significantly. The impact on global agriculture is worth studying. Preliminary thoughts related to modelling this question will be presented as a part of ongoing research. Also, methods and estimates related to artificially thickening ice at the poles perhaps to prevent such a loss will also be presented in a preliminary form.

Ice is a mineral that exhibits paraelectricity, piezoelectricity and pyroelectricity [1,2]. Exploring whether the electrical properties of ice may influence the formation of proto-metabolic chemical systems on its surface in various settings is the aim of this work. Background information on relevant topics will be presented so that participants will be familiar with paraelectricity, piezoelectricity, pyroelectricity, ferroelectricity, capacitance [3]. The amount of electrical energy available will be quantified and the parameters of various terrestrial, planetary and cometary settings will be introduced. The action of deformation mechanisms on ice (and other rock) may also produce electrical changes. The action of these and other features will be addressed, with an aim of describing how these may provide electrical energy to a chemical system. Chiral enrichment of
surficial molecules will also be explored.

References: [1] del Valle, J. C. et al. (2014) Ferroelectrics 466(1), 166-180. [2] Whitworth, R. W. (1999) J. Phys. Chem. B 103(38), 8192-8193. [3] Helman, D. S. (2016) Periodico di Mineralogia 85, 201-248.

Currently, there are competing scientific definitions for life based on observed features; thermodynamics; biosemiotics; quantum mechanics; chirality; the ability to undergo Darwinian evolution; and others features. While these definitions are not necessarily exclusive, research in the origins of life and other related fields are hampered by there being no official definition. An international scientific body could potentially host such a definition, in much the same way that the Geologic Time Scale is hosted by the International Commission on Stratigraphy. Included are a brief overview of the problem, and also a list of several organizations that might potentially house and curate an official definition. Interested parties include researchers working in disparate fields, including astrobiology, artificial life, biochemistry and others.

Since Georg Cantor's invention of set theory in the 19th century, mathematics has increasingly contributed tools for solving scientific questions. One of these tools is the Axiom of Choice (AC), a proposition in set theory which describes the ability to choose a member from a set. AC states that one can always choose an element from a set of non-empty sets, even if the set is composed of infinite elements, such as, for example, a set of (mathematical) points; or if the number of sets to choose from is infinite. Objects composed of points can be thought of as existing only in the mind, and AC demonstrates behavior specific to this. For example, a sphere composed of points can be decomposed and recomposed into two spheres which are equivalent to the original. This is the Banach-Tarski Paradox. Without AC, mathematics can treat objects in the macroscopic world, but the addition of AC allows for the representations of objects, and thus can serve as a test for consciousness. Any physical system that employs mathematics that require the Axiom of Choice can be demonstrated as having representative states. Thus, science has a means of testing for consciousness. Some applied examples will be included.

—Ground glass may be used as a filler or pigment in many industries, including construction, papermaking, fine arts, and others. While it can replace sand in concrete, calcium carbonate in plastics and paper, and pigments in paints, the economic potential is complex, with challenges caused by uncertainties in the waste diversion of glass from current recycling programs, and by transportation cost uncertainties for fillers and pigments currently used. Climate impacts follow these two questions. An introduction to all of these issues is presented in this review.

Mathematics and science pedagogy can be practiced with as much heart and active learning as one would find in any language-learning classroom. The short sequence of activities presented here use teaching techniques adopted from the English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom and applied to mathematics and science in a way that humanities and social science students would find accessible. A few techniques are presented, including Total Physical Response (TPR) and other student-centered activities. The aim is to provide an example of how math can be taught to preserve all students' sense of wonder and creativity. Ultimately, urban sustainability rests on techniques such as these. The world needs creative scientists who have been taught to respect themselves.

Using TPR in the pre-calculus class: Math instruction inspired by second-language learning. Total Physical Response (TPR) is a second-language learning technique developed from observations of how very young children learn language in a family setting. The point of focus is the act of a parent asking or directing the very young child, e.g. "See that box over there? Go bring it to me " or some similar request that was just at the level of skill and responsibility to give the child a sense of joy and purpose in its completion, even without having mastered all the language production faculties necessary to have made such a request themselves. TPR in the classroom works in a similar fashion, with the teacher often pantomiming the actions that at the same time they are directing students to perform—a grand call and response. The academic literature is clear as to the efficacy of TPR in language-learning, and it has been used as well in science and math contexts. TPR has a track-record of success. Presented herein are examples of using TPR in the pre-calculus class, as well as further explanation of its history and efficacy. Participants should expect to be up and out of their chairs for much of the presentation. A variety of topics will be covered.

The twentieth and twenty-first centuries witnessed political change moving away from socialism on a national scale in some countries. In one model the institutions of government were completely transformed, e.g. Russia from the USSR, while in another model markets have been added to the socialist frame, e.g. in China. The conditions of art production and hence communicative reflexivity are different in each country witnessing these transformations, yet several trends can be identified, and these will be described in a series of brief case studies.

There are two distinct forms of ethics that are popular in the academic literature today: utilitarian and role-based. Utilitarian ethics focus on actions that would create the greatest good for the greatest number of individuals. In contrast, role-based ethics focus on internal (mental) states and actions that would help one inhabit a social role most effectively. Political allocations are often guided by the former, and family dynamics often by the latter. Each comes to different conclusions based on whether it is the material or spirit that is more important. Within this dichotomous framework the following issues will be explored: (1) cost-savings from machine use; (2) resource allocation strategies; (3) sustainability; (4) definitions of life and artificial intelligence; (5) the fading boundary of human and machine; and (6) cultural impacts. The text is meant to provide clarity and room for discussion. Ideas of quantification and worth will be explored.

Living organisms are a conundrum. Their origin and provenance are open questions. An operational definition for their detection has been settled upon for practical reasons, i.e. in order to plan mission goals. The spirit of such undertakings is typically noble, and yet the question arises clearly related to how humanity will engage with other living organisms. Prudence demands a pre-contact appraisal of ethical requirements towards other living organisms. To answer this question, an analogy with the number line in mathematics (integers versus the set of real numbers) will be presented to explore the structure of finite versus open-ended hierarchies. In this, the architecture of set theory will be used as a basis to describe the validity of systems hierarchies in general. Note that how numbers populate sets follow distinct rules when the elements of the sets or the sets themselves are unbounded. Principles of axiomatic versus observed conclusions will be emphasized. Results from mathematics will be used to inform analysis and dilemmas in ethical systems.

In human history the successful contacts between cultures have been held together with trade and shared economic interests. The genetic diversity of our planet is unique—as it is the result of the interactions of life with this particular environment.  As such, genomic information might form a viable trade good if contact with an extraterrestrial species were established.  The ethics of introduced species and genetic engineering are explored to the end of determining the feasibility of preparing for trade with other technologically advanced civilizations. Likewise, the idea of how information about our genomic goods might be transmitted in a way to promote stable relations is also examined. Conclusions include a rationale for preserving even microbial life found on other planets, as well as modeling to determine the environmental impact of species persistence, plus the potential of machine learning in assisting with communications.

In human history the successful contacts between cultures have been held together with trade and shared economic interests. The genetic diversity of our planet is unique—as it is the result of the interactions of life with this particular environment.  As such, genomic information might form a viable trade good if contact with an extraterrestrial species were established.  The ethics of introduced species and genetic engineering are explored to the end of determining the feasibility of preparing for trade with other technologically advanced civilizations. Likewise, the idea of how information about our genomic goods might be transmitted in a way to promote stable relations is also examined. Conclusions include a rationale for preserving even microbial life found on other planets, as well as modeling to determine the environmental impact of species persistence, plus the potential of machine learning in assisting with communications.

Having recently moved to Southeast Asia, I feel at liberty to share some of my story with your readers. I started exhibiting symptoms of schizophrenia at age twenty, e.g. disorganized speech, psychotic aspect, catatonia, etc. I was hospitalized several months after, and started a fifteen year journey of learning about the disease schizophrenia and finding a cure for myself (Helman, 2018). I am told that I may not have had the disease, since my last hospitalization or medication for it was in 2006, and I am not subject anymore to symptoms. Despite having been hospitalized on ten occasions for the illness, if one has recovered, then misdiagnosis is suggested.

This paper is a public comment on the Low Carbon Feul Standard (LCFS) proposed for readoption in California in 2014.  The focus is on tree planting for carbon sequestration as an alternative to fuels reformulations, thereby preventing the harmful atmospheric emissions cause by reformulations.

What is covered in this report?
Policy related to autonomous machines and artificial intelligence.
Policy related to space exploration and microbial and other life potentially found there.

Why are these two covered in the same report?
The fundamental issues of technology, rights and life are intertwined in a way that sometimes a view from different perspectives will give you a greater understanding of the information. The aim is for you to be well-informed.

Subjects: Career education, homeroom, citizenship, health, science, computer science
Grade level: Middle school, high school, college, career. This is a student-centered activity that will work with all four levels.
Distance learning: Yes, this activity can be adapted to use in an electronic classroom.
Time for this lesson: 50 minutes

Content goals:
    • Students will be aware of STEM and STEAM and what they stand for.
    • Students will be aware of how varied the paths to a profession are in real life.

Skills taught:
    • Quick reading for interest.
    • Identifying unknown vocabulary in readings.
    • Creative writing.
    • Public reading.
    • Critical thinking during group discussion.

Subject: Science.
Grade level: Middle school, high school, or college. This is a student-centered activity that will work with all three levels.
Distance learning: Yes, this activity can be adapted to use in an electronic classroom.
Time for this lesson: 50 minutes.

Content goals:
    • Students will be aware of what is meant by confirmation bias and of associated vocabulary words.
    • Students will be aware of the importance of strong inference.
    • Students will be aware of competing hypotheses regarding lunar formation (or some other relevant content if desired).

Skills taught:
    • Skimming science readings for general content and vocabulary.
    • Brainstorming and creativity.
    • Defining terms scientifically.
    • Critical analysis of a scientific abstract.
    • Topical research online.

The song "Sixth Extinction – Here We Are"  was composed for a class while I was a doctoral student, studying sustainability education, and the actual assignment was to write a five to seven page essay.  The course I was taking wasn't your ordinary grad school course, however.  The prof had told us not just to think outside the box, but, rather, "there is no box."  And so here it is, a song.

It's about the loss of bioculturaldiversity, which is comprised of the natural world and how life interacts with it.  For example, languages, food and clothing are all cultural markers.  They tell us about where we are situated in the world, both in relation to ourselves, our planet, and to other people.  There is joy in culture, and it's a joy both of discovery and of belonging.  Cultures grow from the ground up, so to speak, and include reference to lifeways that work, or have worked historically.  They encode human interactions with each other and with the natural world, in a way that exposes and celebrates how people meet the needs of the day.

It's not surprising that with such innovation as humanity has seen in the past few hundred years that cultural shifts occur.  How could they not?  But what the world is experiencing is remarkable: roughly half of the world's population speak only 24 languages, and 90% of the remaining 7,000 or so are likely to become extinct within this century (Loh & Harmon, 2014).  To compare: the rate of species loss currently is somewhere between 1,000 and 10,000 times what it is during stable periods in natural history (Maffi, 2014).  The rate of biodiversity loss does not appear to be slowing (Butchart et al., 2010).

Language loss has been occurring for millenia: How many native Aramaic speakers are there in the world, for example?  I'll bet this word is familiar: abracadabra.  Whether it derives from Aramaic is contentious.  But the language Aramaic is hardly used.  The economy of the day has moved on.  And the utility of language is focused on economic utility as much as anything.  (Or at least on meeting human needs, if economy implies anything more specific.)

Slavery has been a scourge of humanity since before there were large numbers of people who spoke Aramaic.  Exploitation of peoples has led to language and cultural losses historically.  These accelerated with European colonization of the globe in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, such that it is a genocide to dwarf what Nazi Germany attempted.  The colonial trajectory would have continued, if not for technology.

The steam engine and industrialization generally shifted the burden of labor from people to fossil fuels.  Perhaps this was a very good thing.  I don't imagine that slavery is good for elevating souls.  Yet, the end of this ride is near: The planetary limits of growth, and notably the emplacement of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere have challenged humanity to make a change.  And we're not doing it.  Taking a wait-and-see attitude may not be good enough.

The song is meant to be a small reminder.  It's time to get active.  It's time to start.  Here is a little more about the song: There are five verses, and each is meant to highlight one feature of biocultural diversity loss.  These features are: loss of biodiversity, loss of language diversity, loss of agricultural diversity, loss of rootedness and indigeneity, and loss of human touch.

I've already mentioned that species and languages are both under threat.  Some resources related to these are Maffi (2014) and Loh & Harmon (2014).  Likewise, agricultural systems have been consolidating themselves to adapt to industrial economic pressures.  A relevant introduction is Burlingame & Dernini (2010).  In response, it might be possible for the people living in a place to call upon the vast stores of cultural information that's been transmitted, especially in indigenous communities.
Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) hasn't traditionally been incorporated into ecological studies, and, moreover, the languages of TEK are under threat.  For food system knowledge, and for preserving regions of ecological richness, promoting collaborations between authocthonous and allocthonous stakeholders seems wise.  Some work has been done to promote a deeper understanding of sacred natural sites (Dilts, Verschuuren & Wild, 2012).

But this is not the direction that humanity has been heading in recently.  Rather, many are gluing themeselves to smartphones and electronica, and losing both the human touch and their rootedness with nature.  I'm not pessimistic, though.  The path forward is an obvious one.

In truth, tree-planting on a very, very large scale can probably offset all the anthropogenic greenhouse gases for a decade or more, and that will give people time to develop and capitalize energy sources that aren't based on fossil fuels.  I know.  It's a big number: something like a trillion and a half trees needing to be planted each year. But that's only a few hundred per person.  It's feasible.

The main thing that would spell the difference between disaster and hope is the media. I have no doubt but that the global media can grasp onto solutions and make them happen.  There's no reason for civilization to be destroyed by climatic instability.  We yet have a few years.  Let's get going.  I'll start.  I'll plant a tree.

References

Burlingame, B. & Dernini, S. (Eds.) (2010). Sustainable diets and biodiversity: Directions and solutions for policy, research and action: Proceedings of the international scientific symposium "Biodiversity and Sustainable Diets United Against Hunger," 3–5 November 2010. Rome, Italy: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Butchart, S. H., Walpole, M., Collen, B., van Strien, A., Scharlemann, J. P., Almond, R. E., ... & Watson, R. (2010). Global biodiversity: indicators of recent declines. Science, 328(5982), 1164-1168. doi: 10.1126/science.1187512

Dilts, O., Verschuuren, B., & Wild, R. (Eds.) (2012). Sacred natural sites; sources of biocultural diversity. Langscape, 2(11), 1-80. Retrieved from http://www.terralingua.org/blog/2012/09/06/terralingua-langscape-volume-2-issue-11/

Loh, J. & Harmon, D. (2014). Biocultural diversity: Threatened species, endangered languages. WWF Netherlands, Zeist, The Netherlands.

Maffi, L. (2014). Biocultural diversity at a glance. In L. Maffi and O. Dilts (Eds.) Biocultural Diversity Toolkit: Volume 1 - Introduction to Biocultural Diversity (p. 17-21). Salt Spring Island, BC, Canada: Terralingua.

Malia read the paper and then again. It was hard to believe. “Really?” you thought. “They’re offering money for that?” It was midweek, and you’d managed to accompany your brother to the store, where he picked up yesterday’s news for half price.

The Arctic is warming twice as quickly as the rest of the globe. There are perhaps fifteen years left before all the perennial Arctic sea ice has melted, and climatic as well as ecosystem health is uncertain. This set of haiku is inspired by Subhankar Banerjee's Arctic Voices: Resistance at the Tipping Point (2012) and other texts, in which an ethic of habitation in nature remains. Quotation and reference to Arctic Voices help to tell the stories in the haiku. A discussion related to the convergence of art and politics, as well as a focus for sustainability—institutional as well as technological—is included.

I've just joined the faculty at Ton Duc Thang University in Ho Chi Minh City and am helping to recruit faculty members (short-term or full-time, with PhD). In this capacity I would be very, very happy to correspond with anyone related to the positions available and how to apply. UPDATE: I have found out that the departments here can hire external research faculty… meaning that a person could be on faculty but living and working wherever they wish to be based.  The aim is to increase the research capacity of the university.

The Faculty of Labor Relations and Trade Unions is unique in focusing specifically on worker organizing, worker rights, and negotiations. (Contrast this with Cornell's ILR which is a mix of management and labor, for example.)  I have been hired as a Full-Time Lecturer, but my position here is similar to a professor on sabbatical. I am only teaching two (once-a-week) courses for the entire year, and responsible to publish two research papers in established journals and help with departmental duties.  It has been a wonderful experience for me.  Feel free to contact me at helmandaniel@tdt.edu.vn with any questions and send a CV if you would like. Ms. Vinh in the faculty office also speaks English, if you are looking for another perspective on our faculty. Note that in general, the university is looking for academics with a strong background in research to help build our research capacity. Other research areas or fields of study are also being recruited.