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Assessing the Feasibility of a Wealth Tax in the United States
No full textEconomists have long debated the equality, efficiency, and effectiveness of a wealth tax. Since the United States lacks a comprehensive federal wealth tax history to draw upon, this paper examines theoretical literature and empirical evidence from other countries to assess the potential for adopting such a policy in the U.S. My paper concludes that the practicality of implementing a wealth tax, would not be effective. Some theoretical arguments state that a wealth tax could address wealth inequality, generate revenue, target unrealized capital gains and traditionally untaxed assets, and promote efficiency; however, my analysis finds significant obstacles to achieving these goals in practice. While the normative benefits of a wealth tax in reducing wealth inequality is valuable, my paper argues that the desired outcomes are unlikely to be practical. Ultimately, while a wealth tax may appear theoretically sound, its practical implementation would likely be undermined by avoidance behaviors, market distortions, and high administrative costs. These challenges outweigh potential benefits, making a wealth tax an impractical solution for the U.S
Chimalpahin and the Christian Mexico City
No full textChimalpahin remains one of the well-known and influential Nahua annalists of New Spain, as his work has survived the long passage of time, and his life and views reflect a fascinating level of Nahua-Spanish cultural hybridity. One must consider how he experienced and documented the events of his lifetime in the late sixteenth century. My central question about his work is this: What does Chimalpahin do to construct and Christianize a “universal history” between Spain and Mesoamerica in his continuing present throughout the late 16th and early 17th centuries? To answer this question, I study the portrayal of Christian time, Spanish and Nahua authority, and miraculous happenings in the annals Chimalpahin made about Mexico City from 1577 to 1615. The Annals of His Time (1577-1615), translated from Nahuatl to English by James Lockhart, Susan Schroeder, and Doris Namala—historians of Latin-American History—provide this look into Christian influence on the relationship of Spaniards and Nahuas. I aim to reveal how Chimalpahin universalized Spanish and Nahua history in the annals and provide evidence and context explaining why he portrayed such a tight connection between the two civilizations while still respecting ancient traditions. I focus on the translators’ observation that Chimalpahin stresses the need to convey to future generations how the altepetl functioned in his lifetime, then relate this to how the Christian faith is important to those goals. Key to this paper is the work of historian Elke Ruhnau’s belief that Chimalpahin saw the Christian faith as a form of redemption and salvation of the Nahuas
Under My Nails and Fan Number 50
No full textTwo poems submitted for the 2025 Huntington Poetry Prize
What we\u27ve been taught to do with death : Creation and Mortality in Frankenstein, The Vulture and the Body, and The Cancer Journals
No full textProbing the Quantum World with Ultracold Atoms
No full textUltracold atomic systems have revolutionized the exploration of quantum mechanics, enabling unprecedentedly precise tests of fundamental physics, serving as efficient quantum simulators for analytically intractable problems, and hosting a wealth of exotic quantum phase transitions. This transformative field has been made possible by groundbreaking advancements in laser technology, atomic trapping, and cooling techniques. These innovations culminated in the experimental realization of Bose-Einstein condensation in 1995, fulfilling a long-standing theoretical prediction and marking a milestone in the study of many-body quantum systems. Starting from basic physical principles, this paper examines the mechanisms underlying ultracold atoms from both theoretical and applied perspectives. Beginning with an exploration of light-matter interactions and the optical forces central to cooling and trapping atoms, we build up a framework for understanding ultracold atom generation, confinement, and manipulation, and explore a few instructive applications that highlight the potential and versatility of the field
Mitigating Methane Emissions From Digestate Composting
No full textIn this paper, I propose that an established landfill CH4 mitigation strategy - the application of a mature compost biocover - has the potential to reduce CH4 emissions from statically aerated digestate composting systems
Novel Measures of Feedlot Ammonia Emissions: Indirectly through Random Forest Regression on Spectral Data and Directly through Spectral Matched Filter
No full textIndustrial-scale livestock farms, or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), are a major source of air pollutants globally including ammonia, methane, and hydrogen sulfide. Ammonia is a major contributor to rural air pollution that is released from the breakdown of livestock effluent. Mitigating regional air pollution through improved waste management practices is only possible if emissions can be accurately monitored. However, ammonia is challenging to measure directly due to its short atmospheric lifetime and weak spectral signature. Here I investigate the potential for spectroscopic imaging of the land surface to predict the presence of detectable ammonia emissions. Data on feedlot level emission rates from the California Air Resources Board were correlated with pixel-level reflectance spectra from the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source (EMIT) instrument. Though feedlot size is highly correlated with emission rate, rates could also be weakly predicted from only surface reflectance spectra using random forest regression models. I additionally investigated the direct detection of ammonia concentrations from spectral data using a spectral matched filter and found that the distribution of detected ammonia matched well with known ammonia sources. My conclusions are limited by the small number of feedlots with emissions data (n=22) and the time gap between emissions and spectral data. However, these results suggest that both random forest regression using surface covariates and direct detection via spectral matched filter are viable approaches to monitoring of ammonia emissions
A Statistical Analysis of Network Review Data From Goodreads.com
No full textThis paper examines the social dynamics of online literary communities through network analysis of Goodreads book review data. By modeling users and books as nodes within bipartite and projected networks, we analyze patterns of shared literary engagement across two genres: Poetry and Comics & Graphic Novels. We compare user behavior, connectivity, and sentiment across these genres to explore how communities form around different types of literature. Exploratory data analysis reveals that Comics exhibit higher user engagement, denser interconnectivity, and broader reviewer overlap, while Poetry networks are more fragmented. Sentiment analysis indicates slightly more positive sentiment among Comics reviews and suggests that highly connected users may be more critical. Statistical modeling allows us to consider the factors driving network structure, incorporating features like book ratings, publication years, and user sentiment. Comic books with similar average ratings are more likely to be tied, while poetry books with similar average ratings are less likely to be tied. In terms of the user networks, when looking at comics, reviewers with similar average valence scores and average ratings are more likely to be tied, while poetry reviewers with similar average valence scores and average ratings are less likely to be tied
Forever Fluorinated: The PFAS Problem
No full textPFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which have earned the moniker “forever chemicals,” are a pervasive and diverse class of chemical compounds that are resistant to degradation due to the strength of carbon-fluorine bonds. PFAS have been manufactured and used since the mid-20th century due to their unique stability and amphiphilic nature. As a result, PFAS are a global contaminant. A variety of negative health effects are associated with PFAS exposure, in part due to the binding interactions between PFAS and transport proteins. Remediation methods are needed to address PFAS contamination in soil, water, air, and organisms. In this presentation, we will discuss emerging techniques for PFAS removal and destruction as well as new regulations that limit PFAS pollution