Qualitative Spatial Reasoning in Interpreting Text and Narrative

Abstract

Simple natural language texts and narratives often raise problems in commonsense spatial knowledge and reasoning of surprising logical complexity and geometric richness. In this article, I consider a dozen short texts—five taken from literature, the remainder contrived as illustrations—and discuss the spatial reasoning involved in understanding them. I conclude by summarizing their common features, and by tentatively drawing some morals for research in this area.     

Private, state and international public interests in space law

This paper deals with the hierarchy and the interrelationship of private, state and public interests in international space law. Our purpose is to discuss which of these interests must have priority in relation to the others and to try to outline a fair and equitable balance among them in order to stimulate the rightful achievement of each one of them, avoiding harm to the others.     

Explaining public support for space exploration funding in America: A multivariate analysis

Recent studies have identified the need to understand what shapes public attitudes toward space policy. I address this gap in the literature by developing a multivariate regression model explaining why many Americans support government spending on space exploration. Using pooled data from the 2006 and 2008 General Social Surveys, the study reveals that spending preferences on space exploration are largely apolitical and associated instead with knowledge and opinions about science. In particular, the odds of wanting to increase funding for space exploration are significantly higher for white, male Babyboomers with a higher socio-economic status, a fondness for organized science, and a post-secondary science education. As such, I argue that public support for NASA's spending epitomizes what Launius termed “Apollo Nostalgia” in American culture. That is, Americans benefitting most from the old social order of the 1960s developed a greater fondness for science that makes them more likely to lament the glory days of space exploration. The article concludes with suggestions for how to elaborate on these findings in future studies.     

Footprints of alien technology

If alien civilizations do, or did, exist, their technology will impact their environment. Some consideration has been given to the detection of large-scale astro-engineering, such as Dyson spheres. However, a very advanced technology might leave more subtle footprints requiring sophisticated scientific methods to uncover. We must not overlook the possibility that alien technology has impacted our immediate astronomical environment, even Earth itself, but probably a very long time ago. This raises the question of what traces, if anything, might remain today. I shall consider the possibilities of biological, geological and physical traces, and suggest ways that we might search for them.     

弹射筒的原理和设计

弹射筒是航天火工装置中的一种,它的结构简单用途广泛,能对弹射物体产生力和运动速度。文章主要介绍通过不同装药设计控制弹射筒的性能,以便满足用户的使用要求。     

隐身巡航导弹及其探测技术研究

隐身巡航导弹的出现对现有的攻防对抗体系提出了挑战,如何防御隐身巡航导弹已成为当前的热点技术之一。讨论了巡航导弹的隐身技术、目标特性及对其进行探测的技术。     

夹芯的典型参数对夹层板受迫振动影响分析

根据伽辽金法,用Matlab/Simulink软件对推导的经典板假设理论、一阶剪切理论蜂窝夹层板运动方程进行了数值仿真。简单算例的计算结果表明两者基本一致。基于一阶剪切理论讨论了蜂窝夹芯泊松比对蜂窝夹层板低阶频率的影响。发现当泊松比接近1时对频率响应有显著的影响。     

信息技术是把双刃剑

随着信息技术的发展和普及,其对人类社会发挥越来越深刻的影响。本文在分析信息技术的体系结构、特点、功能基础上,讨论了信息技术给当今社会带来的巨大影响,这些影响既有正面的,也有负面的,信息技术是一把高悬在人类头顶上的双刃剑。对此,我们唯一的选择是:扬长避短,去芜取精。     

基于窄相关技术的GPS接收机多径误差分析

GPS接收机的误差受多种因素影响,多径干扰便是其中一项。特别在差分GPS地面站接收机中,更有必要研究多径误差对测量的影响。减少多径干扰的办法有两大类:一类是采用特殊天线;另一类是在接收机中采取一定的措施。文中针对第二种方法中的利用窄相关技术的GPS接收机展开分析。分析影响接收机多径误差的因素及利用窄相关技术的接收机对多径误差消除的效果,并给出仿真及分析结果。     

被动雷达导引头对双噪声源的分辨与跟踪

研究比幅体制反辐射导引头在主波束内受到双噪声调频干扰源干扰的情况,对角误差信号采用聚类分析,将两噪声源分辨开来,并对其中一个噪声源进行稳定的跟踪.     

基于熵权的模糊AHP法在星载天线指向机构驱动组件选型中的应用

针对星载天线指向机构驱动组件方案的选择涉及因素较多且各因素具有不同程度的模糊性的特点,分析并建立了方案评价指标体系,并运用基于熵权的模糊层次分析法（AHP）构建了方案评价模型。以某卫星星载天线驱动组件方案为例,依照该方法进行评价并选出了适合该型号的最佳方案,验证了方法的有效性。     

Space exploration and human survival

I am sympathetic to the view that, given the likelihood of massive natural disasters, such as collisions between the Earth and large asteroids, we should engage in large-scale space exploration and colonization so as to hedge our bets against extinction. I will consider several criticisms of this view. For example, some philosophers may raise objections against the notion of long-term human survival as a value. How can we have obligations towards beings who have not even been conceived yet and thus cannot be properly said to have rights? On a different note, Wendell Berry argues that the abundance of resources in space will produce bad character, for good character requires the discipline of finitude. Others challenge the connection between space exploration and survival, for they fear that by entertaining the promise of new Earths in the heavens we are more likely to neglect our planet, thus leading to our downfall. Presumably, we should instead increase our efforts to restore and preserve the balance of nature. I will advance a variety of replies. For example, we do decide for posterity to a great extent. We may plant the trees from which “our” descendants will receive nourishment and shade, or we may destroy what could have given them a fighting chance against drought and famine. We have an obligation not to plant a bomb that will go off two years from now in a hospital nursery, and another to ensure that the buildup of chemicals in the hospital water tank will not reach critical mass and kill most of the newborns in ten years. The “balance of nature” involved in another objection is a myth that cannot be justified by natural history, whether astronomical or biological. Moreover, the inevitable changes in the environment, independent of asteroid impacts, will make the Earth uninhabitable in a few hundreds of millions and years. In addition, in order to act wisely we need an understanding of the Earth as a planet, and this requires the exploration of space.     

Folding patterns of planar gossamer space structures consisting of membranes and booms

The combination of large membranes and light-weight deployable booms, often called a gossamer structure, has enabled innovative space missions, such as solar sailing, to become possible. Though many designs have been proposed and demonstrated, two problems remain regarding the folding patterns of the membranes. The first problem involves considering the thickness of a membrane to enable uniform and compact folding. The other involves membrane-folding patterns that allow for connecting the membrane to the booms at multiple points and deploying them together while minimizing the use of complex mechanisms. This study proposes three methods that consider the thickness, and two of them can keep the crease lines straight, in contrast to the conventional non-straight crease line solutions. In addition, this study derives one effective design to integrate a membrane with diagonal booms through the systematic classification of existing membrane folding patterns.     

卫星导航信号畸变导致的测距偏差的估计方法

为定量评估导航信号的测距性能,本文研究了在轨卫星导航信号畸变导致的测距偏差估计问题。基于Vernier采样原理利用大口径抛物面天线采集在轨卫星导航信号,经数据处理获得一个伪码周期的脉冲波形。在此基础上,对该波形起点位置进行精确估计,然后根据延迟锁定环工作原理产生超前本地波形和滞后本地波形,获得E-L鉴别器曲线,最后估计鉴别器曲线的零交叉点偏差,该偏差即为卫星导航信号畸变导致的测距偏差。利用北斗卫星采集信号,获得了B1频点I支路信号的测距偏差,验证了该估计方法的正确性。     

传输/反射法测量复介电常数的三个方程研究

介绍了利用传输／反射参数测量复介电常数的三个方程。利用奇偶模方法分析传输线与二端口网络，得到传播常数与归一化特性阻抗的解析解。进而得到确定复介电常数的三个方程。利用这些方程仅用一次测量解决已有传输／反射法中存在的低损耗材料的厚度谐振问题、多值性问题及其它问题。讨论了利用这三个方程通过一次测量解决上述问题的方法并分析了这些方程的测量不确定度。最后给出了实验结果。     

基于调频连续波的太赫兹频段转台成像方法研究

高分辨成像雷达是太赫兹技术的重要应用之一,目前太赫兹雷达源的功率水平和太赫兹雷达的应用环境决定了要优先考虑采用调频连续波体制。因此文章在转台成像方式下分析了调频连续波太赫兹雷达信号模型和处理方法,实现了高分辨成像,并与X频段的成像结果进行了对比分析,验证了太赫兹调频连续波ISAR成像的优势。     

Legal science as catalyzer of SETI science, engineering and operations

Law is the oldest social science; in this condition it has a protagonic role in the development of other sciences, engineering and operations, because it allows them to aim for the desired goal in order and in a frame of legal possibility.The search for extraterrestrial intelligence implies the will of establishing a further relation. Relationships imply law.The role of law is not only participative as in multidisciplinary programs, but also interdisciplinary in the sense of harmonizing the several legal frameworks of the diverse sciences.SETI protocols I and II show, since their first draft, the harmonizing role of law. They are appropriated guidelines for a code of ethics and a code of conduct.The refinement of the concepts must be continued to reach finally the legal principles that shall govern these activities. Principles must be established before the production of facts, because law as a science, does not conceive the lacunae. Moreover, space law has always anticipated the technical facts hierarchizing its scientific condition.     

Atlas II and IIA analyses and environments validation

General Dynamics has now flown all four versions of the Atlas commercial launch vehicle, which cover a payload weight capability to geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) in the range of 5000–8000 lb. The key analyses to set design and environmental test parameters for the vehicle modifications and the ground and flight test data that validated them were prepared in paper IAF-91-170 for the first version, Atlas I.

This paper presents similar data for the next two versions, Atlas II and IIA. The Atlas II has propellant tanks lengthened by 12 ft and is boosted by MA-5A rocket engines uprated to 474,000 lb liftoff thrust. GTO payload capability is 6225 lb with the 11-ft fairing. The Atlas IIA is an Atlas II with uprated RL10A-4 engines on the lengthened Centaur II upper stage. The two 20,800 lb thrust, 449 s specific impulse engines with an optional extendible nozzle increase payload capability to GTO to 6635 lb. The paper describes design parameters and validated test results for many other improvements that have generally provided greater capability at less cost, weight and complexity and better reliability. Those described include: moving the MA-5A start system to the ground, replacing the vernier engines with a simple 50 lb thrust on-off hydrazine roll control system, addition of a POGO suppressor, replacement of Centaur jettisonable insulation panels with fixed foam, a new inertial navigation unit (INU) that combines in one package a ring-laser gyro based strapdown guidance system with two MIL-STD-1750A processors, redundant MIL-STD-1553 data bus interfaces, robust Ada-based software and a new Al-Li payload adapter. Payload environment is shown to be essentially unchanged from previous Atlas vehicles. Validation of load, stability, control and pressurization requirements for the larger vehicle is discussed.

All flights to date (five Atlas II, one Atlas IIA) have been successful in launching satellites for EUTELSAT, the U.S. Air Force and INTELSAT. Significant design parameters validated by these flights are presented. Particularly noteworthy has been the performance of the INU, which has provided average GTO insertion errors of only 10 miles apogee, 0.2 miles perigee and 0.004 degrees inclination. It is concluded that Atlas II/IIA have successfully demonstrated probably the largest number of current state-of-the-art components of any expendable launch vehicle flying today.     

基于快速编译码的LDPC-CPM系统设计

低密度校验(LPDC)码是目前公认的性能最好的信道编码之一,而连续相位调制(CPM)是一种具有高频谱效率和高功率效率的调制方式,根据级联码理论将二者进行合理的级联设计将更好地发挥出他们的优点.在对LDPC和CPM进行详细分析的基础上,设计了一种CPM调制的快速编译码方法,并基于该方法设计了LDPC - CPM串行级联系...     

燃烧室内壁复杂型面加工

燃烧室内壁是液氧煤油发动机推力室中的重要部件之一。其工作时承受高温、高压燃气;内、外壁均为曲线拟合母线的回转体;直径大、长度长、且壁薄;内冷却环带槽结构特殊。在整个研制过程中,主要就加工方法、工艺流程、零件的装夹、定位基准的确定、程序设计、工艺装备设计、切削刀具、检测量具、切削参数等方面做了研究。按研究方案已加工出多件产品,经整机系统试车,效果良好,达到了预期目的和效果。