tag:beta.briefideas.org,2005:/trending?page=6Journal of Brief Ideas: Ideas from the last week2015-02-10T20:48:23Ztag:beta.briefideas.org,2005:Idea/222015-02-10T20:48:23Z2015-03-16T12:33:22ZUsing a lens instead of a mirror for collimating light in display holographyhttp://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15008When recording display holograms, the traditional method of collimating (making parallel) a diverging light beam is to use a parabolic mirror. This is a good method for the least light loss and the most perfect collimation, but the mirror needs to be an off-axis parabolic mirror, making it expensive. Otherwise an on-axis mirror can be use in an off-axis mode, if aberrations are tolerable. The longer the focal length of the mirror, the less off-axis it needs to be used and the lower the aberrations. But the longer the focal length, the more room the structure will occupy on a recording table, and the higher the risk of vibrations – the enemy of holography. So choosing the right mirror is a trade-off.
An option usually not considered is to use a collimating lens, in which case the system is on-axis and can occupy less space. It turns out that a plano-convex lens is almost the ideal shape for collimation. The compact set-up also results in a lower level of vibrations in the set-up. Bazargan, Kavehtag:beta.briefideas.org,2005:Idea/11762023-12-22T08:45:45Z2024-01-03T02:26:47ZEmotive signaling as a possible adaptive advantage of light-coloured eyeshttps://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10426535Blue eyes, and light-coloured eyes in general, are a comparatively unusual feature found in around 8% of the population, but are widely distributed globally and have risen in prevalence over time. The tenets of evolutionary biology posit that in order for an emergent trait to survive and become widespread it must presumably hold at least some adaptive advantage. Blue eyes have some known adaptive disadvantages such as increased sensitivity to bright light and so there has been widespread speculation about what adaptive advantages they may offer that would compensate for this drawback. Several postulates have been put forward, including enhanced facial attractiveness and less sensitivity to seasonal depression in low-light climates. Another possibility that has not yet been explored is that light-coloured eyes may have advantages for inter-personal communication; a greater colour contrast between the pupil and the iris may make changes in pupil status more apparent, possibly allowing an individual to better convey their emotional state, and may also make eye movements in general more apparent, thus enhancing communication by facial expression.Stacey, Neil Thomastag:beta.briefideas.org,2005:Idea/10932023-05-03T22:22:42Z2023-08-03T04:46:37ZProtocol Societyhttps://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8019263The concept of “protocol society” is an invitation to see social structures through the lens of the protocol—a set of voluntary rules governing communication and conduct. Examples include monastic rules, cross-border financial systems, diplomatic rituals, Internet standards, and blockchain contracts. Protocols typically coexist with other kinds of social structures, such as states and markets, and they can be an enabling substrate for those structures, but protocols are not reducible to them. Recognizing the existence of protocol-based social ordering helps reveal underappreciated aspects of historical and present societies. Protocols can also serve as the basis of imagining possible social futures—particularly in the pursuit of societies less dependent on enforcement through state violence.Schneider, Nathantag:beta.briefideas.org,2005:Idea/10872023-02-28T17:17:08Z2023-05-19T06:56:39ZInteracting With A Computer While You Are In A Chest-Deep Salt Water Tank -- Is It Feasible?https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7693277I propose research into a new alternative to sitting in a chair that could enhance one’s comfort and concentration during long hours of computer work.
For peak concentration on your computer screen, it’s best to be upright and stationary. However, this combination is difficult for your body to handle for long periods. People tend to slouch or lean back in chairs to compensate.
But being in chest-deep water for part of the day could be a game changer. Water distributes pressure across your body far more evenly than any solid object does, allowing you to stand with relaxed muscles and very little stress on your spine. Adding salt enhances this effect even further by increasing the water’s density.
New tanks could be developed with a computer monitor above water, and either an underwater keyboard and mouse or some other means of tracking underwater finger movements. Ordinary laptops could be connected from a safe distance away. Wetsuits or dry suits could be optionally worn.
Big tech companies might be interested in installing the tanks. Some remote workers may have the tanks installed in their homes. And new facilities specializing in the tanks could be open to those with a membership.Davidson, Johntag:beta.briefideas.org,2005:Idea/10182022-11-04T06:59:08Z2023-02-07T09:18:26ZA Game-Changing Cross-Disciplinary Horticultural Experiment Designhttps://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7370003Linguistic works [Human_Enha](/ideas/5bf081466bfc36efe4ede2acf7e208b3) revealed how scientific terms can be lost, mis-understood or manipulated during translation. So does the naming of plant cultivars for important edible horticultural research(H Wilde et al 2015). E.g. linguistic and anthropological tools demystified the history of tea(Sarah Rose 2011), empowering correct naming and analysis of its cultivars.
Fig (Ficus carica L.) is known for its ease to propagate(Allen Owings 2015) and the diversity of edible fruits (Encyclopedia Britannica "Fig" 2021). Fig phenotype depends heavily on environment, maintenance [Using_Fig ](/ideas/219d1ff87d596119734038cfa140f4b0) and specific cultivars; yet the value of fig researches has been undermined by confusion and misidentification among cultivars of hardly true-to-type(Allen Owings 2015) origins even from reputable donors(UDA Germplasm Resources Information Network Online Database 2022) or depositories(M Aradhya et al. 2010),not to mention lost (Figaholics.com 2022) or confused or mislabeled (FigVarieties.com 2022) origins.
Prior to an RAPD/SSR analysis, the specimen should be vetted for genuinity, e.g. with linguistic grouping to check
for synonyms caused by transliteration or translation. It provides critical evidence to whether a specific cultivar is what its name claims to be. Then genetic grouping reveals if these specific cultivars are scientifically different from each other. Then anthropology field study discloses one cultivar spread in which direction with what cultural exchange events. From there can further accurate recommendation of utilizing a specific cultivar of fig be drawn. Wu, Ditag:beta.briefideas.org,2005:Idea/9412022-05-11T21:00:10Z2022-07-14T21:59:36ZEnvironmental Impact Assessment and wildlife: from a descriptive to an experimental approachhttps://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6644355Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) aim to identify, quantify and mitigate or compensate for the impacts and cumulative effects of projects, such as transport infrastructures and power plants, on ecosystems. Therefore, consultants should provide evidence on wildlife for decision-making (i.e. to approve, modify or reject the project). Moreover, consultants should monitor wildlife populations to adapt the mitigation measures over time because of long response times (e.g. extinction debt) and because the impacts may change (i.e. adaptive management). However, consultants often only inventory the local biodiversity but do not predict the impacts of projects on wildlife. Any project is a disturbance, and any disturbance opens up an experimental scenario. Therefore, consultants should apply experimental approaches for assessing the impacts of projects on wildlife populations at the landscape scale. For instance, [Noguera et al. (2010)](https://www.ardeola.org/en/volumes/571/articles/41-53/) created an index to estimate the raptor collision risk in wind farms, and [Torres at al. (2011)](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006320711002242) applied a Before-After Control-Impact (BACI) study design to assess the impact of a motorway on a *Otis tarda* population. In conclusion, project developers should provide funding and time for consultants to work as researchers: environmental impact reports should be treated as research articles. If not, the competent authority should apply the precautionary principle.Salgado, Ivántag:beta.briefideas.org,2005:Idea/9012021-12-31T03:45:41Z2023-02-07T02:38:21ZHuman Enhanced AI Translation Should Pioneer in Aiding Underdeveloped Areas to Fight Pandemicshttps://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5816283COVID outbreaks have highlighted the importance of collaboration across geographical and political borders. Yet the English terminology associated with it can be confusing when multiple English-as-Second-or-Other-Language (ESOL) jurisdictions are involved, especially when they each have used and developed unique abbreviations. Artificial Intelligence (AI) translation alone won't help as it is based on one standard fused from multiple inputs, while such communication requires understanding of multiple standards. Several trials proved one practice helpful: prior to a meeting, each ESOL party provides a translator to convert their respective native languages to an machine-ready extent, clearing ambiguities and misunderstandings, and then leave the meeting to the hands of AI translation, with human translators interfering when necessary. Wu, Ditag:beta.briefideas.org,2005:Idea/8892021-10-31T05:31:27Z2022-11-02T13:32:11ZThe Intrapersonal Collective Action Problemhttps://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5631186As economist Thomas Schelling astutely points out in his paper Egonomics or the Art of Self-Management (1978), people are often conflicted in their decision-making by current satisfaction and long-term goals. Since these goals are contrary, it is almost like two different people exist within the same person, the present and future version of ourselves. Both variants of the same person have stratified along a temporal chain of life events influencing the current decision-maker. The current version of ourselves can only anticipate but not fully know what our future self would prefer. We can only do the best we can to contend with potential future wants and current desires.
Since we are navigating the clashing wants and needs of our future versions of ourselves with our current self, this seems to resemble an intrapersonal collective action problem. Traditionally economists have viewed collective action problems in the context of political decision-making. An individual is vying between current wants and future goals; in their decision-making, there is a potential for both sets of objectives to be at odds. A person is then suspectable to be indecisive or making concessions that find a middle ground (intrapersonal logrolling) between current and future aspirations.Clark, Petertag:beta.briefideas.org,2005:Idea/8512021-05-20T13:38:52Z2021-09-02T06:00:41ZEffect of PH on Copper hypertolarence: How does the Copper exporters of Staphylococcus aureus are maintaining its functionality within low PH of Phagosome ?https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4898503
We know that, when any bacterium entered into our body as per the innate immunity phagocytic cells majorly macrophages activated and use copper into phagosome to kill the phagocytized bacterium. Unfortunately most of the bacterium is capable to escaping this due to presence of some genes which code for copper exporters on cell membrane, similarly for Staphylococcus aureus where it code for P1B-1-type ATPase and P1B-3-type ATPase which helped to lower the cytoplasmic copper concentration and enhanced survival. But my question is that how do the ion channels (copper exporters) are functioning well inside of phagosome ? The pH of early and late phagosome and phagolysosome are respectively 6.1–6.5; 5.5–6.0; and 5–5.5 and we know that different pH can alter protein shape, so what is the scenario for those exporters and how does its functioning well? The peptidoglycan barrier can be degraded by Lysozyme, so it is possible that the low pH can hamper the bacterium copper efflux efficiency or it is may also possible that they might have any protective mechanism. It is not measured yet so in different pH it can be done.
References:
1. Doi; 10.1128/mBio.00550-18
2. Doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01368
@Eileen Uribe-Querol
@ Carlos Rosales
@Zapotoczna, Marta, et al. Chakraborty, Pallabtag:beta.briefideas.org,2005:Idea/7322020-05-06T08:24:20Z2020-07-22T11:39:58ZPlaying Football behind closed doors: A natural experiment on the link between crowd support and home advantagehttps://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3813103In football, as in many other sports, there is a sizeable advantage for the home team, found all around the globe, which means that home teams have a significantly higher chance of winning. While this effect has shrunk over the years, the exact reasons are unknown. They may include familiarity with the ground, travel burdens for the away team, and, of course, crowd support for the home team (directly, by affecting players’ performance, or indirectly, by pressuring referees).
Currently, due to the Corona-Crisis, all major leagues in Europe are suspended and it’s unclear whether professional football can resume any time soon. In Germany, preparations for re-opening the league have advanced the furthest. It seems possible that the Bundesliga might return to play in the second half of May, without supporters. There are still 81 games to play until the end of the season. While there is a public debate about the dangers of resuming the league, playing in empty stadiums would create a natural experiment on the effect of home crowd support on the match result: As no supporters are present, the home advantage should vanish or at least diminish significantly if crowd support is the major driver. Games played on neutral venues could serve the same purpose (as currently discussed in England).
Weinhardt, Michael