Chemistry of the interstellar medium--an evolutionary dead end?

An analysis of the experimental data available and of the present theoretical concepts shows that even the initial physicochemical chemical precellular stages of biological evolution are impossible in the interstellar medium, while biomonomers possibly formed on asteroids and comets might have participated after transportation to the Earth in the final stages of the origin of the first precellular biological structures and then in the first living cells.     

Preventing the weaponization of outer space: Is a Chinese-Russian-European common approach possible?

Preventing the weaponization of outer space is one of the most relevant issues of the current space law debate. In recent years discussions on this issue have significantly increased in international fora, such as the UN Conference on Disarmament and the COPUOS. While it has not been possible to arrive at an agreed solution on how to efficiently deal with the problem of possible weaponization of outer space so far, several valuable proposals have been put forward. China and Russia, on the one side, and the European Union, on the other, have taken the lead in this respect. While the former have submitted a proposal for a draft treaty on the demilitarization of outer space, known as the PPWT, the latter has issued a Draft Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities. Despite the differences between the two proposals, this paper proposes the development of a Chinese, Russian and European common approach aimed at preventing the weaponization of outer space. Although such a goal is undoubtedly challenging, some political and legal factors may enable such cooperation in the not-too-distant future.     

Is space an environment?

Expanding the human sphere of influence beyond Earth presents philosophical questions that also have important practical applications. Do we need to worry about the moral implications of our actions in the vastness of space? What kind of explorers will we be - and what kind of explorers should we be? The answers to these basic questions depend greatly on what moral status is assigned to space; how it is conceptualized. This article sets forth arguments both for and against considering space as an environment, that is, as a place deserving of ethical treatment in the same way that terrestrial environments are valued and respected in environmental ethics. It sketches some answers to how space exploration could meet high ethical standards and puts forward the notion of environmental ‘virtue ethics’.     

SETI,extrasolar planets search and interstellar flight: When are they going to merge?

The SETI Permanent Study Group (abbreviated SETI PSG) of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), with web site: http://www.setileague.org/iaaseti/index.html, is one of the few international venues where, as of 2006, scientists with different backgrounds and from all over the world can meet and discuss recent advances in the scientific, technical and societal aspects of SETI. In particular, the Pe?ek Lecture that traditionally opens in October every year the SETI 1 Session of the International Astronautical Congress (IAC), is intended to describe the updated state-of-the-art in SETI and related fields with the accent on science and technology rather than on the societal consequences of a contact with ET. We have thus come to the conclusion that a Pe?ek Lecture devoted to the interplay between SETI and the rapidly evolving field of the Search for Extrasolar Planets (or Exoplanets) would be quite up-to-date, especially in view of the over 200 exoplanets rapidly discovered in the 11 years between 1995 and 2006. Moreover, besides SETI and Exoplanets, there is a third field of scientific investigation that, although not as mature as the former two fields in terms of experimental research, is striving ahead among many theoretical difficulties but might really change the course of human history when becoming reality: this is the theory (so far) of Interstellar Flight, that would one day enable us to travel across the vast interstellar distances initially by virtues of probes only, and later “in person”.The present Pe?ek Lecture is trying to compare the different grow rate and the (now small) overlap in between these three apparently “unrelated” fields. And even if we can hardly find any answer in these “dark ages” we live, let us at least raise the question: “When are SETI, Exoplanet Searches and Interstellar Flight going to merge in the future of Humankind?”.     

Is Route Learning More Than Serial Learning?

Abstract

The nature of route learning in terms of the memorizing of landmarks was investigated. In Experiment 1, participants memorized landmarks while being guided through a computer-simulated hallway (dynamic, with spatial context), or while viewing the landmarks one by one in front of a black background (static, without context). Two more conditions completed the 2 × 2 design. One condition preserved the dynamic landmark viewing properties (observers approached each object, passed it, turned to the next object, and so on), but the background was black (dynamic, without context). In the other condition the observer saw a stationary display of each object within a hallway, but did not approach the object (static, with context). Serial recall was much better after viewing the landmarks in the dynamic presentation format with spatial context than in the other conditions. Experiment 2 showed that the superior performance in the dynamic condition with context was abolished when all hallway segments were equally long. This implies that metric information is a component of route knowledge at a very early stage, which is incompatible with the dominant framework, but is compatible with the alternative framework for spatial microgenesis.     

Is there a need for an African space agency?

Over the past few years, the view has been expressed in some quarters that Africa should establish a continental space agency. Various arguments are advanced for this, but they are generally not compelling and rely mostly on pointing to the existence of other regional space cooperation organisations, or to benefits that are debatable. The article considers these arguments and concludes that there is an insufficient case for the establishment of an African space agency at this point in the development of the space arena in Africa. Instead, greater emphasis should be placed on strengthening nascent national space programmes, fostering intra-regional cooperation and raising the profile of space activities in Africa's national and regional political structures.     

US space exploration strategy: Is there a better way?

Despite the importance of space to modern life, the public has lost interest in its most human aspect, exploration. This is because spacefaring nations, and especially the USA, have clung on to outmoded cold war ways of thinking about it. The US attitude of ‘command’ over its international partners will no longer work and we must instead adopt a new, inclusive paradigm in the ‘wiki’ mould. With different countries leading different facets of a global, cooperative endeavour, and contributions reciprocated in ways valuable to all participants (e.g. through access to know-how or capacity building) there is a real possibility of advancing beyond near-Earth orbit. Keeping the ISS open for the training of future long-duration crews would be the first step in a unified human drive to the Moon, involving first a robotic village and then an international base, with Mars an ultimate goal. It the USA were to reorient its thinking towards such a project it would demonstrate true leadership.     

Is the presence of oxygen on an exoplanet a reliable biosignature?

We revisit the validity of the presence of O(2) or O(3) in the atmosphere of a rocky planet as being a biosignature. Up to now, the false positive that has been identified applies to a planet during a hot greenhouse runaway, which is restricted to planets outside the habitable zone (HZ) of the star that are closer to the star. In this paper, we explore a new possibility based on abiotic photogeneration of O(2) at the surface of a planet that could occur inside the HZ. The search for such a process is an active field of laboratory investigation that has resulted from an ongoing interest in finding efficient systems with the capacity to harvest solar energy on Earth. Although such a process is energetically viable, we find it to be a very unlikely explanation for the observation of O(2) or O(3) in the atmosphere of a telluric exoplanet in the HZ. It requires an efficient photocatalyst to be present and abundant under natural planetary conditions, which appears unlikely according to our discussion of known mineral photochemical processes. In contrast, a biological system that synthesizes its constituents from abundant raw materials and energy has the inherent adaptation advantage to become widespread and dominant (Darwinist argument). Thus, O(2) appears to continue to be a good biosignature.     

Is Memory for Routes Enhanced by an Environment's Richness in Visual Landmarks?

We tested the hypothesis that a route's memorability is dependent on the frequency with which people are exposed to visual landmarks. Undergraduates learned either a route through an urban area lacking visually salient features, or a route in a neighborhood with many shops and urban objects. They were then asked to recall the learned route in the form of route directions and sketch maps. The results showed higher recall performance for the richer environment. When presented with photographs depicting scenes along the route, participants exposed to the richer environment had higher recognition scores and shorter response times than the others. The data confirm the functional role of landmarks in route memory and wayfinding.     

能源类专业?中央空调?课程教学现状及改革对策?

在国家推行建筑节能、广西加快发展可再生能源建筑一体化技术产业的背景下,结合?中央空调?课程理论内容繁多复杂、教材教学与工程设计施工衔接不够紧密、学生学习难以找到方向的现状,提出对?中央空调?课程的改革,以工程设计为导向、明确以培养学生的工程设计能力为课程目标,转变教学思路、开展项目化教学、强化实体工程设计、完善课程考核方法、提升教师工程素质等具体对策,从而提升教学质量。     

?黄公说字?体例研究

?黄公说字?是明清学者顾景星编撰的一部重要字书,原名?贉池录?,它前承?字汇?和?正字通?,后启?康熙字典?,是我国辞书史上的一部重要著作,然而研究者寥若晨星。因此,论文先对该书进行一番简要的介绍,然后主要论述?黄公说字?一书的体例,以期引起方家对该书的重视。     

Precursor to an African Space Agency: Commentary on Dr Peter Martinez “Is there a need for an African Space Agency?”

In 2012 a working group was established to formulate the African space policy and strategy which would lead to the establishment of an African Space Agency (ASA). Dr Peter Martinez asserts in his article “Is there a need for an African Space Agency?” [1] that the arguments that have been posited in support of an ASA are flawed; namely the arguments of the existing example of the European Space Agency (ESA), and that an ASA would lead to fostering competition, synergy, industrial development and capacity building. While this viewpoint agrees that all the perfect conditions may not exist at present for the creation of an ASA, it addresses some of the issues raised by Martinez, and proposes ideas to foster intra-regional cooperation.     

基于图形-背景理论的?鹧鸪天?认知诗学解读?

图形—背景理论作为认知诗学重要的文学研究理论,其强大的文学阐释力受到越来越多的学者关注。运用其理论对?鹧鸪天?进行诗学分析,弥补了以文本为主体的传统的印象式的文学研究的不足。文章系统地分析了读者阅读文本时所触所感,从全词图形和背景动态转换入手,展现了词中图、景、情的交融,剖析读者在理解和赏析?鹧鸪天?时的心理认知过程。     

司马迁?史记?滑稽列传?优人取舍之探因

?史记?滑稽列传?是先秦仅有的专门为优人作传的篇章。因为优人地位低下,所以当时的人只把他当作记载君王事迹的附属,没有专门的篇幅来记述这个群体的状况。?滑稽列传?由此成为了一个特例,显得极其突出。对于?滑稽列传?中所载的优人本身及其事迹,司马迁都是有所取舍的。取舍的标准,跟其本人受仁义思想影响有关,也跟其自身的遭际有关。     

面向应用型人才培养模式的?信号与系统?课程建设探析?

论文论述了新升格本科院校面向应用人才培养模式下的信号与系统课程建设内容,介绍了在课程的教学资料建设、教学管理和应用、师资队伍建设、实践教学环节建设等方面所进行的有益探索和总结,对课程建设将来的规划工作提出了建议。     

人生的孤独,生命的孤独--对比海子的?九月?和陈子昂的?登幽州台歌?

海子的?九月?和陈子昂的?登幽州台歌?的创作时间前后整整相差了1290年。相隔如此之久的两首诗在情感体验和表达手法上有很多相似之处并不足怪,因为后人借鉴前人甚至抄袭前人并不少见。但这两首诗貌似神离,相似之中绝无雷同,都表现出天才诗人的艺术独创性。两首诗的作者都站在时间绵延的一个点上体悟生命,都通过空间的无涯际来表达自我的渺小及由此产生的浓重的孤独感。但两人的孤独感在深层的内涵上是不同的,陈子昂的孤独感源于人生的追求,而海子的孤独感则源于对生命的绝望。两首诗都采用意象化的表达方法,但一个意象单一,一个意象繁复。