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The opportunities and challenges of developing and implementing local climate adaptation targets
No full text Climate adaptation policies have been developed at global, national and local levels, however, significant implementation gaps persist. Adaptation targets – achieved through metrics to assess the effectiveness of an adaptation action or policy – offer a potential solution to improve implementation. If adaptation actions can be compared and tracked, it should be possible to identify which actions are most effective, where more support is needed, the extent to which vulnerabilities are addressed, and evidence what progress is made. Despite this potential, the development and delivery of adaptation targets has been challenging because: (1) adaptation is context-specific - a target in one place may not be suitable in another; and (2) there is often a lack of clarity over how metrics should be designed. We aim to stimulate debate in this area through development of guiding principles for creating climate adaptation targets. These principles aim to increase the robustness of targets through the lens of equity and vulnerability as well as highlighting some key challenges and limitations in the development and implementation of adaptation targets at the local level. </p
Notes from the field – shooting green: the role of cinematography in eco-pedagogy
No full textFilm Education Special Issue 8.1: Film Education and the Environment
Guest Editors:
Dr. Hunter Vaughan (University of Cambridge)
Dr. Mette Hjort (University of Lincoln)
Dr. Pietari Kääpä (University of Warwick)
Article Title: Notes from the field: Shooting Green: The Role of Cinematography in Eco-Pedagogy
Abstract
Film production has a significant environmental impact, with an average tentpole film producing 2,840 tons of CO2e (BFI, 2021). At the University of Lincoln, we address this through our BA Film Production curriculum, which integrates sustainable cinematography practices, particularly natural lighting techniques taught in our level 5 module. This not only educates students about environmental benefits but also demonstrates the aesthetic merits of these methods.
Our BAFTA albert certified training, starting from level 4, instils sustainability at the core of student projects. By 2025-26, we aim for all graduation projects to achieve albert classification, a goal initiated by our 2023-24 cohort’s success in producing a classified film through sustainable practices like repurposing resources.
The effectiveness of our training is gauged by the growing number of graduation projects attaining albert carbon-neutral classification. Although the digital transition poses questions about camera production and media storage sustainability, it also presents opportunities for using technologies like the Arri Alexa, which is conducive to low-light cinematography.
This chapter will provide insights into embedding sustainable practices within our curriculum and how our academic research informs undergraduate and postgraduate modules. It will also reference Mind-Set (Murray, 2022), a University of Lincoln project exemplifying sustainable themes and practices.
In conclusion, our graduates are becoming sustainability leaders in the film industry. By exposing them to climate change challenges and the creative possibilities of natural light cinematography, as seen in Nomadland (Zhao, 2020) and Mind-Set (Murray, 2022), we are nurturing the next generation of innovators.
BFI (2021) A screen new deal. A route map to sustainable film production. BFI
Murray, M. (dir.) (2022) Mind-Set [film]. Middleman Productions
Zhao, C. (dir) (2020) Nomadland [film]. Searchlight Pictures
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Jumping up a level: Target distance and angle estimation facilitates successful landing in a jumping glass katydid
No full textPflugis crickets are shown here to independently control their take-off speed and take-off angular velocity when jumping to targets. This is the first time an insect has been shown to be able to control each independently.</p
Lucky Number
No full textThis story is part of a ongoing collection of short fiction that explores a wider, at times speculative, view of illness and affliction. The stories in the series (with others elsewhere in this repository) were written via a developing creative matrix practice comprised of four elements: personal experience / autobiography; imaginative elements of style, based on John Gardner's concept of fiction's "vivid and continuous dream"; mindful pre-writing practice; and research-as-inspiration.
This story a creative repsonse to the recent discovery of an extremely rare form of transmissable Alzheimer's disease, described in the article 'Iatrogenic Alzheimer’s disease in recipients of cadaveric pituitary-derived
growth hormone' in Nature Medicine 30, 2024, pp. 394–402.
NOTE: At the time of this writing, the story is not yet published, but we are nearing the three-month mark since acceptance. I will update the repository upon publication.</p
Peterhouse, Cambridge Wallpaper research and conservation report - phase 3
No full text* CONFIDENTIAL *This report covers the findings from two visits to Peterhouse, Cambridge.</p
Predicting the surface contact angle based on real-time temperature and pressure sintering principles in the fused deposition modeling process
No full textFused deposition modeling (FDM) technology presents significant opportunities for the low-cost production of complex three-dimensional structures. The issues of surface roughness and step effects caused by the layered structures formed during the FDM process have been extensively studied. However, this layered structure also plays a crucial role in the formation and stabilization of air pockets during the surface wetting process of FDM prints. Nonetheless, related studies remain relatively limited. To delve deeper into the surface wettability of FDM prints, we propose the surface contact angle prediction method (SCART, Surface contact angle prediction based on the real-time temperature) in this paper for predicting the contact angle based on the real-time temperature and pressure sintering principles in the fused deposition modeling process. By incorporating the role of pressure into the traditional FDM sintering theory, the surface structure of the printed part is modeled. Based on the dimensional characteristics of the surface structure model, a wetting equilibrium equation was established with the structural angle as a variable, enabling the evaluation of the surface wettability of the printed part and the prediction of the contact angle. The method was validated by FDM fabrication of 15 % carbon fibre-reinforced polylactic acid (15 % CF-PLA) prints, and the results show that changes in printing parameters affect pressure and sintering behavior to varying degrees, thereby altering the overall structure and bond length. The SCART method has an average relative error of 3.33 % in prediction, and the maximum error is controlled to be within 9.8 %. This provides an effective method for predicting the surface contact angle of FDM prints.</p
Strategic Fintech Investment in Banking: Capital, Blockchain Leadership, and Implications for Sustainable Growth
No full textThis research explores the determinants of banks' investments in fintech ventures and the subsequent impact on their financial resilience, as captured by risk and return. Drawing on a panel dataset encompassing banks from major economies of the US, the UK, China, and India, this study reveals that highly capitalized banks and those with a historical involvement in blockchain technology, along with strategically positioned Chief Digital Officers, are more inclined to invest in fintech companies. This implies that ample capital provides adequate financial buffers for banks to undertake the inherent risks associated with technology investment. Additionally, a proactive stance towards technological innovation, particularly in the realm of distributed ledger technology, and the presence of dedicated leadership for digital transformation play pivotal roles in shaping banks' willingness to invest in fintech. Furthermore, we find that investment in fintech improves banks' profitability, including net interest margin and return on assets. However, there is no significant evidence that fintech investment helps reduce banks' default risk. These findings have important theoretical and managerial implications, substantiating the complementary rather than substitute effects of fintech on traditional banking.</p
Towards a New Paradigm of Ownership: Employee Share Ownership as a Tool for Governance and CSR
No full text Employee Share Ownership (ESO) is emerging as a model redefining corporate ownership and labor relations, within the broader context of “shared capitalism.” Despite growing research, gaps remain in understanding its relationship with corporate governance and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This chapter explores how ESO aligns employee interests with organizational goals, enhances governance, and fosters sustainable business models. It examines the theoretical foundations of ESO, its impact on governance, and its role in promoting CSR, addressing both benefits and challenges. The chapter also considers how ESO re?defines capitalism and property rights, pushing towards more inclusive economic models. Finally, it discusses the integration of ESO with governance and CSR, and future research directions, highlighting its potential to create more equitable and responsible organizations.</p
Friendship
No full textThis study examines how friendship was defined, conceptualized, and experienced during the medieval period by both individuals and communities according to parameters influenced by religious, ethnic, cultural, and social belonging, as well as by pragmatism and emotional connections. Special attention shall be placed on the conceptual and semantic associations and interplay between love and friendship, which often coincided.
The following questions help navigate such a complex range of theorizations and interpersonal dynamics. First, what have historians said about love and friendship in the Middle Ages? Second, how did contemporaries define and conceptualize different types of amicitia (friendship), and what were the parameters used to catalog their numerous implications? Third, to what extent did models, typologies, and descriptions of friendship presented in different types of sources mirror usages, rituals, and practices defining contemporary socio-political and cultural dynamics? Fourth, were definitions of friendship consistent across geographical, political, and cultural contexts, especially when analyzing regional and local interactions that did not always conform with normative standards? In some cases, the rhetoric of friendship was adopted to legitimize contacts and collaborations between individuals and groups that were rigidly divided by social, ethnic, and religious boundaries. Focusing on interfaith and cross-cultural friendships is useful to reflect upon broader social dynamics and “hidden voices,” challenging some of the most rigid narratives regarding the Middle Ages. Finally, this chapter examines the role played by gender in categorizing a wide range of interactions defined as friendship: from companionship and tutorship to sensual love and sexual exchanges.</p
Using AI to enhance scientific discourse by transforming journals into learning communities
No full textThe introduction of generative AI into scientific publishing presents both opportunities and risks for the research ecosystem. While AI could enhance knowledge creation and streamline research processes, it may also amplify existing problems within the system. In this viewpoint article, I suggest that generative AI is likely to reinforce harmful processes unless scientific journals and editors use these technologies to transform themselves into vibrant knowledge communities that facilitate meaningful discourse and collaborative learning. I describe how AI could support this transformation by surfacing connections between researchers’ work, making peer review more dialogic, enhancing post-publication discourse, and enabling multimodal knowledge translation. However, implementing this vision faces significant challenges, deeply rooted in the entrenched incentives of the current academic publishing system. Universities evaluate faculty based largely on publication counts, funding bodies rely on traditional metrics for grant decisions, and publishers benefit from maintaining existing models. Making meaningful change, therefore, requires coordinated action across multiple stakeholders who must be willing to accept short-term costs for long-term systemic benefits. The key to success lies in consistently returning to journals’ core purpose: advancing scientific knowledge through thoughtful research and professional dialogue. By reimagining journals as AI-supported communities rather than metrics-driven repositories, we can better serve both the scientific community and the broader society it aims to benefit.</p