Showing papers on "Naturalness published in 2001"

Public Understandings of Nature: A Case Study of Local Knowledge About "Natural" Forest Conditions

Abstract: This study is intended to serve as an explicit and specific example of the social construction of nature. It is motivated by the need to develop a more sophisticated language for a critical public dialogue about society's relationship with nature. We conducted a case study of environmental discourse in one local population in hopes of better understanding how a place-based community of environmental stakeholders relates to its local natural environment. We did this by analyzing discussions with local residents about the values and physical indicators they associated with the wild, authentic, healthy, and natural qualities of the forest. Findings from this type of study (such as our finding of "cultured naturalness") can enable a more sophisticated discussion about which of the many possible natural conditions are desirable environmental conditions for the future.

Standard model in the latticized bulk

Abstract: We construct the manifestly gauge invariant effective Lagrangian in $3+1$ dimensions describing the standard model in $4+1$ dimensions, following the transverse lattice technique. We incorporate split generation fermions and we explore naturalness for two Higgs configurations: a universal Higgs vacuum expectation value (VEV), common to each transverse brane, and a local Higgs VEV centered on a single brane with discrete exponential attenuation to other branes, emulating the split-generation model. Extra dimensions, with explicit Higgs configurations, do not ameliorate the naturalness problem.

The Ape that Used E-Mail: Understanding E-Communication Behavior Through Evolution Theory

Abstract: This article reviews theoretical research on e-communication behavior, identifying two main types of theories – technological and social. This review provides the rationale for developing a new theory, based on Darwin’s theory of evolution, that is neither technological nor social. Three theoretical principles are developed from evolution theory: media naturalness, innate schema similarity, and learned schema variety. The article concludes by illustrating how the theoretical principles can be used as a basis for developing a simple predictive model in the context of an online broker.

Marshall and Parsons on 'Intrinsic'

Abstract: Dan Marshall and Josh Parsons note, correctly, that the property of being either a cube or accompanied by a cube is incorrectly classified as intrinsic under the definition we have given unless it turns out to be disjunctive. Whether it is disjunctive, under the definition we gave, turns on certain judgements of the relative naturalness of properties. They doubt the judgements of relative naturalness that would classify their property as disjunctive. We disagree. They also suggest that the whole idea of judging relative naturalness is a dubious business. We reply that, like them or not, such judgements cannot easily be avoided.

All universes great and small

Abstract: If the topology of the universe is compact we show how it significantly changes our assessment of the naturalness of the observed structure of the universe and the likelihood of its present state of high isotropy and near flatness arising from generic initial conditions. We also identify the most general cosmological models with compact space.

The Grammar and Use of Korean Reflexives

Abstract: This paper discusses the relationship between grammar as linguistic knowledge, as envisaged in Generative Grammar, and usage, the result of performance. In concrete, I analyze the use of Korean reflexives "caki", "casin", and "cakicasin" by examining the occurrences of these reflexives in a 5-million-word Korean corpus, taken from a 10-million-word Korean corpus which is called "KOREA-1 Corpus", compiled at Korea University (H. Kim and B. Kang 1996). This corpus is composed of various genres of Korean texts including 10% of spoken material. From the KWIC concordances of accusative forms of these reflexives, "cakilul, casin-ul, cakicasin-ul", I examined whether a reflexive has a local antecedent or a long-distance antecedent. The result is that "caki" is almost even in having local and long-distance antecedents, but "casin" has more and "cakicasin" has much more local antecedents. I also examined the thematic roles of the local antecedents of reflexives, which shows that "casin" has relatively more Experiencer antecedents than "caki" has, although in both cases Agent antecedents dominate. The outcome of this frequency analysis suggests that a tendency (probably not yet grammaticalized), or degree of "naturalness" is real and can be captured in the usage data provided that we have a sizable amount of material which can be handled in an efficient way as provided by the corpus linguistic method of the present day. At the least, the result of such an investigation can provide a solid base from which further theorizing may proceed.

All Universes Great and Small

Abstract: If the topology of the universe is compact we show how it significantly changes our assessment of the naturalness of the observed structure of the universe and the likelihood of its present state of high isotropy and near flatness arising from generic initial conditions. We also identify the most general cosmological models with compact space.

Toward a Robust Natural Imperative for Conservation

Abstract: Paul Angermeier accurately gauges the need for a welldefined principle to guide conservation (Angermeier 2000), particularly as conservationists face complex and potentially divisive issues stemming from anthropogenic modification of ecosystems worldwide. For example, to what degree are exotic-species substitutions in biotic communities appropriate? What ecological benchmarks should be used for restoration projects? What should be the human role in shaping ecosystems? Without a unifying concept, disagreement over these kinds of issues could subvert efforts of conservation biologists in coming decades. Unfortunately, the natural imperative proposed by Angermeier appears inadequate for what lies ahead, particularly if it is to foster "fundamental changes in the prevailing relationship between humans and nature." Angermeier proposes that naturalness be the guiding principle for conservation. But he skirts a thorny underlying conundrum: the nature of naturalness in an increasingly de-naturalized world. Following J. E. Anderson (1991) and Hunter (1996), he considers things to be natural to the degree that they are not made or influenced by humans, stipulates that all human modifications to ecosystems are unnatural, and concludes that technology is what actually makes human actions unnatural (ironically while acknowledging that "technology is inherently neither destructive nor constructive; it is merely a tool of prevailing values"). Angermeier suggests that benchmarks for naturalness be time periods that "ideally reflect conditions free of human influence" on ecosystems. I suggest that Angermeier's natural imperative, as currently formulated, misses the mark as a useful framework for conservation in the twenty-first century. Consider this scenario for the coming decades: "Mixoecologists" (Soule 1990) see nothing inherently wrong with ecological substitutions-domestic cattle for native ungulates, exotic vegetation for native vegetation-as long as these yield desired ecological results (Savory & Butterfield 1999). Their agenda for ecological restoration includes reassembly of plant communities beyond natural ranges to help rare species survive the adverse effects of global

What will we learn if a Higgs boson is found

Abstract: We examine what can be deduced from the discovery of a Higgs boson, focusing on a possible discovery at LEP. The analysis begins with the most general situation where no further constraints can be deduced, and then specializes to include various assumptions. Assuming naturalness, the relatively large mass suggests that one or more of larger $\tan \beta$, large phase, or extra singlets is present. We discuss the implications of a Higgs mass discovery for the SUSY spectrum, and in particular gluinos and stops. We show that a lighter gluino produceable at the Tevatron remains a likely possibility, in disagreement with a recent claim.

30.1: Invited Paper: Naturalness and Image Quality: Towards Pereptually Optimal Color Reproduction of Natural Scenes

Abstract: This paper reviews a series of experiments in which the relation between perceived naturalness and image quality has been investigated by varying the color characteristics of a number of color reproductions of natural scenes. The main conclusion from these experiments is that naturalness and image quality are closely related but that, under certain conditions, naturalness systematically deviates from image quality. Theoretical and practical implications of this conclusion for the perceptual optimization of natural images are briefly discussed.

Naturalness in the translation of novels from English to Persian

Abstract: This thesis is about `naturalness' in the translation of novels from English into Persian. It studies, describes and explains the cultural and linguistic factors determining naturalness. This thesis consists of eight main chapters, as well as Introduction and Conclusions Chapters. The Introduction Chapter sets the problem, its significance, the questions to be addressed in the thesis and the hypotheses held. Chapters 1 to 4 discuss theoretical matters: a review of translation theories, different approaches to naturalness, analysis of possible features involved in naturalness leading to a comprehensive definition of naturalness, and methodology of the study, that is, the different methods and the procedure followed in this research. The next four chapters, i. e. chapters five to eight, have looked at the problem from different perspectives. Chapter 5 analyses the historical situation and relations within and between the Persian literary and socio-political systems that gave rise to the need for translation and establishment of the new genre of the novel in Iran. Chapter 6 deals with the norms and models constraining the Persian translators' behaviour, through an analysis of norms and their roots within the Persian literary polysystem. Chapter 7 is a cultural analysis of the period after the Islamic Revolution and compares this period with a 15-year period before the revolution. The Islamic Revolution is a very important turning point according to the cultural viewpoint and provides a very interesting opportunity for the comparison of cultural activities before and after the revolution, given the fact that this revolution is often considered to have a more cultural nature than a political one. Chapter 8 is a linguistic analysis that deals with the micro-structural level of the study, it studies the cohesive devices of reference and ellipsis and the relevant features that determine their naturalness or unnaturalness. Finally, the Conclusions Chapter gives a summary of the conclusions reached in the previous chapters, discusses the limitations of the present study and suggests some relevant topics for further studies.

Naturalness expressed in sem-values

Abstract: The subject-matter of my paper is a (language-universal) theory developed in Slovenia by a small group of linguists (under my guidance), who mainly use English, German, and Slovenian language material as the base of verification. Our work owes much to, and exploits, the (hnguistic) Naturalness Theory as elaborated especially at some Austrian and German universities; cf. Mayerthaler 1981, Wurzel 1984, Dressler et al. 1987, Stolz 1992, Dressler 2000. Naturalness Theory has also been applied to syntax, notably at the University of Klagenfurt; the basic references are Dotter 1990, Mayerthaler & Fliedl 1993, Mayerthaler et al. 1993, 1995, 1998. Within the natural syntax of the Klagenfurt brand, the Slovenian work group has built an extension, which will henceforth be referred to as "the Slovenian Theory."

Reply to Povilitis: Another Conservation Conundrum

Abstract: I am pleased that my essay on naturalness (Angermeier 2000) inspired additional thinking and writing about conservation imperatives. In my view, no question is more fundamental to conservation science and policy than "What should we conserve?" Povilitis (2001 [this issue]) raises some interesting questions about how conservation decisions should be made and concludes that an imperative based on naturalness is inadequate "to unify conservation." I agree with his conclusion but not with his rationale, which includes flawed logic and false insinuations. Below, I respond to the main issues discussed by Povilitis and try to clarify the role of naturalness as a guiding principle in biological conservation. Before addressing our disagreements, it is worth noting that we agree on at least five key points: (1) conservationists need clearly defined principles to guide conservation; (2) conservationists should distinguish between natural and anthropogenic features of ecosystems; (3) the biosphere is becoming increasingly anthropogenic or unnatural; (4) to be effective, conservation must be integrated into citizens' daily lives; and (5) responsible stewardship occurs only if people view themselves as parts of ecosystems. Our disagreements seem to stem from our views on how to achieve points 4 and 5. Povilitis promotes the social constructionist notion that the (human) masses will become conservationists if they are assured that they are "part of" rather than "apart from" nature. He also insinuates (falsely) that I espoused the human-apart-from-nature view. In fact, I argued that technologies, not humans, are unnatural (Angermeier 2000: 376). Povilitis's view overlooks the fact that the biodiversity crisis exists precisely because of human activity, especially economic development facilitated by modern, industrial-scale technology. Development and application of such technology is socially acceptable (even desirable) largely because of the prevailing view that humans are superior to (apart from) the rest of nature.

Naturalness, Markedness and the Productivity of the Old English A-Declension

Abstract: 1. Introduction and aim The purpose of this paper is to investigate the reasons why the Old English a-declension (1) of nouns eventually became the only productive one in the later history of the language, as is demonstrated by the present-day Standard English default plural marker -(e)s ( 2. Analogy as a label According to traditional handbooks, the device through which the Old English a-declension progressively increased its lexical stock is definitely analogy, that is, its unexplained capability to attract words from the other classes, which consequently lost words as a consequence of their equally unexplained weakness. 2.1. Some remarks on analogy First of all, analogy can be understood as paradigmatic regularization, as claimed, for instance, by Saussure, who wrote, "L'analogie s'exerce en faveur de la regularite et tend a unifier les procedes de formation et de flexion" (1916 [1968]: 222 [Analogy acts in favour of regularity and tends to unify the processes of word formation and inflection]). In generative grammar, analogy is the "generalization of a rule beyond its proper domain in the grammar of the older generation" (King 1969: 129), which reflects "a universal process of simplification that ultimately goes back to the child's acquisition of grammar" (King 1969: 130), and which can have different shapes, such as restructuring, rule loss, rule generalization, and rule reordering (King 1969: 131). However, even if analogical changes are superficially based on the application of rules, it should not be ignored, as Esper remarked, that "Rules are products, not of speakers, but of linguists or psycholinguists" (Esper 1973: 200), in the sense that the cases in which average speakers actually formulate rules are very rare. What speakers actually do in analogical changes is to broaden the domain of application of a rule to a context where it has not been used before, and, as Anttila aptly suggested, analogy represents "fundamental generalization, not just mere simplification" (Anttila 1977: 57). Not surprisingly, however, owing to their conception of language as an isolated system and their concentration on "ideal" speakers only, generativists have inevitably rejected the notion of analogy, but any theory which limits itself to the mere analysis and description of linguistic structures is unable to deal with phenomena such as analogical changes, which belong above all to everyday unguarded speech, as well as to language acquisition, slips of the tongue, etc. As King wrote, "If we accept the weaker interpretation of analogy as something that merely points the direction of possible change, then analogy becomes superfluous because simplification is enough" (King 1969: 133), and consequently "we reject analogy" (King 1969: 134); but while analogy equals simplification, simplification is not always the result of analogy. The fact is, as Leed pointed out, that "To say that 'grammar is enough' is to ignore mechanisms (causes, processes, events) and deal only with results (effects, consequences, interpretations of events). It is to ignore the deeper, underlying sources of the native speaker's intuition and deal only with the surface manifestations thereof' (1970: 16-17, n. 15). This is what generative linguists have actually done; as a rule, they have simply compared different stages of a language, totally overlooking the dynamics of change (2) and the relevant underlying mechanisms. …

The naturalness principle and expectations for a linear collider

Abstract: Naturalness considerations are frequently used to place theoretical upper limits on the masses of new particles in supersymmetric extensions of the standard model These theoretical limits, in turn, shape our expectations of how likely it is that new physics will be discovered at any particular collider A significant portion of the literature devoted to naturalness studies apply criteria which do not have a reliable correspondence to fine-tuning This report discusses the principled method for quantifying naturalness, and presents theoretical bounds on sparticle masses in two scenarios

Naturalness: The passive in the mainland Scandinavian languages

Abstract: Utilizing Naturalness Theory as developed especially by MAYERTHALER'S school at Klagenfurt University, the present note deals with the following aspects of the analytic and synthetic passives in the mainland Scandinavian languages: (1) In Bokmâl, the synthetic passive cannot be used with the future auxiliaries vil and skal. (2) In Bokmâl, the synthetic passive is used in the declarative sentential mode only. (3) Certain very frequent verbal lexemes admit the synthetic passive only. (4) The synthetic passive is most often used in the present tense, less often in the preterite tense, still less often in the supine, still less often in the present participle, and still less often in the infinitive. However, the infinitive is very popular in the construction modal verb + bare infinitive of the synthetic passive. This can be partially explained with the special propensity of the synthetic passive to associate with modal verbs and with the bare infinitive.

Synthesizing Intonation of Standard Arabic Language Using Neural Network

Abstract: In this paper, we propose a model to generate fundamental frequency (F0) contours using neural networks. A learning procedure is proposed as an alternative to synthesis-by-rules. The generation of correct fundamental frequency contour is one of the important issues in the naturalness of automatic text-to-speech conversion systems. The pr oposed approach is based on a standard feed-forward multi-layer network that produces global F0 contours of sentences, directly from encoded linguistic features of standard Arabic language. Our model does not need syntactic information to produce suitable declarative intonation. TD-PSOLA synthesizer is used for validation of our results.

Can Quintessence Be Natural

Abstract: We give a brief introduction to the framework of cosmological quintessence scenarios and formulate conditions for the naturalness of the underlying field theoretical models. The quintessence lagrangian is taken to be the sum of a simple exponentialpotential and a non-canonical kinetic term. This parameterization covers most variantsof quintessence and makes the naturalness conditions particularly transparent. Several “natural” scalar models lead, for the present cosmological era, to a large fraction ofhomogeneous dark energy density and an acceleration of the scale factor as suggestedby observation.