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From satellites to battlegrounds : Use of outer space for peaceful purposes, the use of force and the right to self-defence in the modern space landscape
No full textThe Outer Space Treaty primarily focus on the use of outer space for ‘peaceful purposes’. The term ‘peaceful purposes’ can be interpreted in different ways, but as a minimum prohibits the placement of weapons of mass destruction in space and the threat of use of force. It can also be argued that outer space can be used for military purposes, but the exact scope is however unclear. The emergence of new space weaponry and technology raises complex issues regarding the application of force and the right to self-defence under jus ad bellum. The international regulation of militarization and military activities in outer space focuses mostly on the regulation and demilitarization of outer space, and the issue of use of force in self-defence by states is rarely touched upon. The specific targeting of satellites, and invoking the right to self-defence in response to an armed attack in outer space requires examination whether peaceful purposes allows for the use of force in self-defence can be applied in outer space, and how it is
applied in outer space and the scope of the use of force in self-defence in outer space.
The thesis finds that he right to self-defence under international space law is intricate, especially when compared to the notion of utilizing outer space solely for peaceful purposes. Article 51 of the UN Charter acknowledges the inherent right to self-defence in response to armed attacks, although there is ongoing debate on the interpretation and use of 'force' in the realm of space operations. The evolving nature of warfare, including the emergence of non-kinetic methods, presents challenges in interpreting what constitutes a permissible action of use of force in self-defence in outer space. Despite the intent to maintain outer space for peaceful purposes, the reality of increasing militarization and defensive measures underscores the need for nuanced legal frameworks that align with the unique context of outer space.
The application of Article 51 to outer space raises critical questions regarding the threshold for justifying self-defence in response to space-related threats. While the physical destruction of satellites is unequivocally recognized as an armed attack, advancements in technology introduce complexities such as non-kinetic offensive operations and dual-use satellite capabilities. However, traditional interpretations of Article 51 may not fully address the evolving challenges of space-based operations and the diverse nature of potential threats. The permissible forms of self-defence in response to space-related threats are subject to specific limitations and conditions. The principles of necessity and proportionality govern the lawful use of force, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing between minor incidents and significant armed attacks. The development of soft-law instruments, such as the Draft Code of Conduct and the draft PPWT, reflects ongoing efforts to regulate space activities and enhance international cooperation. Nonetheless, challenges persist in applying traditional legal frameworks to the dynamic and technologically complex domain of outer space
C.S. Lewis and Idealism
No full textThe aim of this dissertation is to explore Lewis’ relation to idealism. As a means of studying the topic, I have chosen to focus on three main questions: What philosophical idealism did C.S. Lewis adhere to before he became a Christian, how did George Berkeley’s subjective idealism influence him and what impact did Owen Barfield have on Lewis when it came to shifting from realism to idealism. All these questions are related to the impact idealism in its various forms had on Lewis’ philosophical journey, mainly before but also after he became a Christian. Some of the questions have been discussed by other scholars, but have not yet received final answers.
My method of research is textual analysis, which in this case means to read a text carefully and formulate my own opinion about it. After reviewing what other scholars had written on my research questions, I studied the primary sources in detail on my own and only in the final stages of the study did I return to the findings of other scholars to compare my analysis with theirs.
The first main question is to determine what philosophical idealism Lewis adhered to before he became a Christian. Lewis used the term “philosophical idealism” when he meant Absolute idealism and he adhered to it from the beginning of 1922. The second idealism Lewis called solipsism or pantheism, depending on the source, and he described it in most detail in 1928. My analysis of the steps on the way from realism to theism is one of the contributions to the research about Lewis.
Throughout the study I have stressed the importance of understanding Absolute idealism as a unique philosophy with peculiar characteristics, closer to realism than to the solipsistic belief that Lewis developed based on Berkeley, at least regarding its practical consequences. If this is not understood, wrong conclusions will be drawn about when he became an idealist in the first place and when he shifted to the next phase, to pantheism, in earnest.
The second main question is to determine in what ways Berkeley’s subjective idealism influenced Lewis. It turned out that in 1924, Lewis acquired two questions and a vision. The questions raised concerned nature and other selves, as to whether they existed independently of the self. As part of the solipsism he developed in 1928, Lewis concluded that both matter and other selves exist solely in the mind, the mind of the Spirit.
From Berkeley Lewis also acquired the vision of an all-powerful Spirit that did not create in an instant, once-and-for-all, distant act in history, but instead was an active entity who creates everything in a single, simultaneous and continuous act. In the act, three parts are present and created reciprocally: the individual, other selves and nature. I propose that Lewis adhered to this belief all his life, and this is the main reason why Lewis was thankful to Berkeley all his life, also as a Christian.
As part of the thesis, it became necessary to study letters between Barfield and Lewis, known as the “Great War” letters. The analysis led to new views, including that the Great War started later than supposed, when Barfield delved deeper into anthroposophy, which involved attaining new knowledge by occult meditation. Barfield coined it “the inspiration-imagination process” while Lewis called it “poetic imagination”. Because of their contents, I suggest that the GW II letters should be placed in the beginning of the controversy, not in the end of it. Lewis ended the “Great War” because he did not want to discuss anthroposophy anymore.
The third main question is what impact Barfield had on Lewis when it came to shifting from realism to idealism. In his autobiography, Surprised by Joy, Lewis gave Barfield credit for this shift, but to date, no scholar has been able to explain why he did so. My suggestion is that Lewis obtained from Rudolf Steiner what he owed to Barfield, an argument against materialism which enabled him to abandon the “technical” realism he had adhered to as an Absolute idealist. In a private letter, Lewis mentioned Steiner with appreciation for his “case against the common modern pseudo-scientific attitude”. This, in turn, made possible switching his belief in nature as rock-bottom reality to the Spirit as the cause of all there is. This left the way open, first, for Berkeley, and later, for Christianity.Syftet med denna avhandling är att forska i Lewis’ förhållande till idealismen. För att studera temat valde jag att fokusera på tre huvudfrågor: vilken filosofisk idealism C.S. Lewis hörde till innan han blev kristen, på vilket sätt George Berkeleys subjektiva idealism påverkade honom och vilken inverkan Owen Barfield hade när Lewis övergick från realism till idealism. Alla frågor är relaterade till idealismen i dess olika former och vilken inverkan den hade på Lewis, främst innan men också efter att han blev kristen. Vissa av frågorna har diskuterats av andra forskare, men har ännu inte fått slutgiltiga svar.
Min metod är textanalys, vilket i det här fallet innebär att läsa en text och formulera en åsikt om den. Efter att ha skapat en överblick över vad andra forskare hade skrivit om mina forskningsfrågor, studerade jag de primära källorna i detalj och först i slutskedet återvände jag till andra forskares resultat för att jämföra min analys med deras.
Den första huvudfrågan är att avgöra vilken filosofisk idealism Lewis hörde till innan han blev kristen. Lewis använde termen "filosofisk idealism" när han menade Absolut idealism och han anslöt sig till den från början av 1922. Den andra idealismen kallade Lewis solipsism eller panteism, beroende på källa, och han beskrev den i detalj 1928. Min analys av vilka steg han tog på vägen från realism till teism är ett av bidragen till Lewis-forskningen.
Genom hela studien har jag betonat vikten av att förstå den Absoluta idealismen som en unik filosofi med säregna egenskaper, som placerar den närmare realismen än den solipsism som Lewis utvecklade, åtminstone när det gällde dess praktiska konsekvenser. Förståelsen av den Absolut idealismen är avgörande när det gäller att dra slutsatser om när Lewis blev idealist och när han gick över till nästa fas, panteismen.
Den andra huvudfrågan är att avgöra på vilka sätt Berkeleys subjektiva idealism påverkade Lewis. Det visade sig att Lewis 1924 fick två frågor och en vision av Berkeley. Frågorna gällde om naturen och andra individer har en självständig existens oberoende av jaget. Som en del av den solipsism Lewis utvecklade 1928, drog han slutsatsen att både materia och andra jag existerar enbart i sinnet, Andens sinne.
Berkeley gav Lewis visionen av en allsmäktig Ande som inte skapat en gång för alla, i en avlägsen handling i historien, utan att Anden i stället är ett aktivt väsen som skapar allt i en enda, samtidig och kontinuerlig handling. I denna akt är tre delar närvarande och skapas ömsesidigt: individen, andra jag och naturen. Enligt min åsikt höll Lewis fast vid denna övertygelse hela sitt liv, och därför uttryckte han sin tacksamhet mot Berkeley även som kristen.
Som en del av avhandlingen blev det nödvändigt att studera brev mellan Barfield och Lewis, kallade ”the Great War letters”. Min analys av breven ledde till nya uppfattningar, som att ”the Great War” började med att Barfield fördjupade sig i antroposofin, vilket innebar att ny kunskap kunde uppnås genom ockult meditation. Barfield myntade begreppet "the inspiration-imagination process" medan Lewis kallade samma fenomen för "poetic imagination". Pga deras innehåll, föreslår jag att två av breven ska omplaceras så att de inleder debatten, inte avslutar den. Lewis avslutade brevkriget för att han inte ville diskutera antroposofiska frågor längre.
Den tredje frågan var vilken inverkan Barfield hade på Lewis när det gällde att övergå från realism till idealism. Hittills har ingen forskare kunnat förklara det. Mitt förslag är att vad Lewis tackade Barfield för fick han från Rudolf Steiner, ett argument mot materialismen som gjorde det möjligt för honom att överge den "tekniska" realism som han hade hållit fast vid som Absolut idealist. Argumentet i Steiner’s Philosophy of Freedom är nämligen förvånansvärt likt Lewis’ argument. I ett privat brev nämnde Lewis Steiner med uppskattning för hans "argument mot den vanliga moderna pseudovetenskapliga inställningen". Detta möjliggjorde i sin tur en filosofisk en helomvändning, som innebar att han bytte ut sin tro på naturen som den grundläggande verkligheten mot Anden som orsaken till allt som finns. Detta lämnade vägen öppen, först för Berkeley, och sedan för kristendomen.ei tietoa saavutettavuudest
Evaluation of the Image Datasets Complexity Using Convolutional Autoencoders
No full textAbstract
Background: Dataset complexity significantly impacts the performance of machine learning (ML) models and is influenced by factors such as dataset size, feature dimensionality, data distribution, and the presence of noises. Evaluation of dataset complexity is crucial to optimize the model’s performance and to anticipate challenges during the process. Various measures, including entropy, fractal dimension, Kolmogorov complexity, and neural network-based approaches like autoencoders, can quantify dataset complexity. Among these, Autoencoders (AE) are found to be a promising method for evaluating dataset complexity, particularly for image datasets. However, the effectiveness of AEs compared to the other measures of dataset complexity is still an open question.
Methods: This study investigates the effectiveness of convolutional autoencoders (CAE) in evaluating the complexity of image datasets. Experiments were conducted on different image datasets with varying levels of complexity, using various AE architectures. A methodology based on CAE was developed, using reconstruction loss as a measure of dataset complexity. The relationship between dataset complexity and CAE performance was analyzed to assess the effectiveness of CAE in measuring dataset complexity.
Results: The findings indicate that CAEs can effectively evaluate the complexity of image datasets, offering a simpler and less mathematically intensive approach compared to other measures. The study also suggests that increasing the latent space dimension improves the quality of reconstructed images, consistently reduced reconstruction loss for both datasets, and enhances CAE performance. Notably, the validation loss for the ABOships dataset was consistently lower than for the COCO dataset, indicating its lower complexity.
Conclusion: Evaluating the complexity of image datasets is critical for developing efficient models for computer vision tasks. The study's findings suggest that CAE can assist in evaluation dataset complexity providing a reliable and efficient approach. However, further research is needed to compare the effectiveness of AEs with other measures of dataset complexity and to investigate their application in various domains.
Keywords: Dataset complexity, Convolutional Autoencoder, Reconstructing loss, Latent Space dimensionalit
Ideal av skönhet : En kvalitativ analys av hybridiseringen av skönhetsideal mellan Västvärlden och Sydkorea
No full textSkönhet och skönhetsideal är kulturella konstruktioner som förändras över tid och påverkas av både globala influenser och lokala traditioner. Dessa ideal speglar estetiska preferenser, men även sociala och politiska värderingar.
Syftet med denna avhandling är att analysera hybridiseringen av skönhetsideal mellan Västvärlden och Sydkorea samt dess påverkan på kvinnliga skönhetsnormer. Genom att använda en kombination av kvalitativa metoder, inklusive diskursanalys, filmanalys och bildanalys av reklam och sociala medier, undersöks hur dessa skönhetsideal har formats och förändrats över tid. Avhandlingen bygger på teoretiska ramverk som kulturell hybriditet, kultiveringsteori och feministisk postkolonial teori för att förstå hur globala skönhetsideal formas och påverkas av medieinfluenser, kulturella sammanflätningar och historiska maktstrukturer.
Metodologiskt fokuserar avhandlingen på att analysera autentiskt och naturligt förekommande mediematerial snarare än konstruerade exempel. Genom diskursanalys undersöks hur språket och bilderna i reklammaterialet och sociala medier konstruerar och kommunicerar idealen om kvinnlig skönhet till publiken. Filmanalys och bildanalys används för att identifiera och tolka de tecken och symboler som representerar västerländska influenser i filmer och reklambilder.
Resultaten visar att det kulturella utbytet mellan Västvärlden och Sydkorea har lett till en betydande förändring av skönhetsnormer i båda regionerna. Västerländska influenser har spelat en stor roll i att forma sydkoreanska skönhetsideal, samtidigt som sydkoreansk populärkultur och skönhetsindustri, K-beauty, har börjat påverka globala skönhetsnormer. Denna hybridisering har inte bara förändrat kvinnors självbilder i Sydkorea, utan också bidragit till en ökad global spridning av sydkoreanska skönhetsideal.
Slutsatsen är att skönhetsidealet är en dynamisk kulturell konstruktion som påverkas av både globala och lokala faktorer. Forskningen betonar behovet av att förstå sambanden mellan globalisering, kulturell identitet och skönhetsstandarder för att främja en mer inkluderande syn på skönhetsidealens evolution. Avhandlingen påvisar hur skönhetsideal formas och förändras i en globaliserad värld och belyser de mångdimensionella interaktionerna mellan olika kulturella influenser
Raising the Bar 2010–2015 : Windows to Institutional Strategy, Strategy-as-Practice and Sense-Making in a Changing Organisation
No full textRaising the Bar was the institutional strategy of the University of Northampton in 2010–2015 and as such, a response to the changes in the UK university sector from 2010 onwards, emanating from the political changes of the era. This Masters dissertation, through its qualitative methodology and abductive approach and through making use of both textual analysis of the strategy document and notable thirty-one interviews of members of the University, explores what Raising the Bar really was about as a strategy. The key aim of the research project is to consider organisational strategy’s links with sense-making and strategy-as-practice at the University of Northampton at a crucial time for the organisation. The key research question is: How was Raising the Bar made sense of by key actors of the University of Northampton towards the end of the strategy period 2010–2015? The idea was to look at what people did with the strategy as indicated in their own words at the recorded interviews: how they used sense-making in relation to the strategy, and what all that might then have meant for those people, the strategy and the institution. It was argued that this amounted to further steps in the creation and development of Raising the Bar, through emerging strategy-as-practice. A case study will have its limitations as regards generalisability, but also some benefits in the form of the ability go in depth and discover matters applicable in certain contexts.
The theoretical part of the dissertation charts a journey through relevant strategic ‘schools’ for the study, notably encompassing the positional school, to which some of the key actors interviewed referred, as well as schools related for instance to organisational learning and core competencies; the key weight as regards strategy is, however, on strategy-as-practice, which is combined to institutional theory, and new discoveries are then made through sense-making. The significance of this dissertation lies in the bringing together and applying of theoretical considerations from the areas of strategy, institutional studies and sense-making via strategy-as-practice through the extensive empirical set of interviews as well as a closely-woven methodology applying some techniques also used in literary and cultural studies, as well as thematic categorisation specifically combined with sense-making. The dissertation combines theoretical worlds which many have found challenging to unite, bringing out new views of strategy-as-practice and sense-making.
The results showed that the strategy Raising the Bar could be seen in multiple ways, and also as a tool to achieve various matters. It was clearly a textual feat – something quite different from its predecessor strategy or ‘colleague strategies’ of other universities at the time – but it was also very much a springboard to new ideas, rather than a limiting cage. Raising the Bar was also a source for creative internal branding and marketing, and a catalyst for new processes. Through a careful exegesis of text and interview materials, the main contribution of this study became the discovery of strong sense-making happening in the organisation; this then amounted to further steps in the interpretation and development of Raising the Bar through dynamic strategy and even emerging strategy-as-practice, all of which affected the University of Northampton’s route of development as an institution. The most notable fruit of this process for the University was arguably the adoption of the Ashoka U Changemaker Plus values and thus also receiving the related glory, honour and, potentially, extra students and money that the Ashoka U designation indirectly brought along – and the unity that the development brought to the community. Raising the Bar was also seen as a device for the University’s having achieved its Top 50 position and a bridge towards the future Waterside campus, with all the excitement and fear that that development was about to bring along. On a theoretical level, the key implication of the study was to combine theory on strategy and institutional theory to theories on sense-making linked to strategy-as-practice. Therefore, this Masters dissertation will have made the gap between institutional theory and strategy-as-practice cum-sense-making somewhat smaller. This is of significance, given that in that theoretical area, there has been a considerable gap to be filled
Turvallisuusvaikutusten arviointi vaikutuskertoimin : Tarva-ohjelman vaikutuskertoimien päivitys v. 2021
No full textTowards an Environmentally Friendly IoT : A Transition to Sustainability through Solar Energy Harvesting
No full textAs companies tend to progressively change their approach to the environment and the associated problems, there is a noticeable inclination towards offering products with lifespans and ecological footprints aligned with a focus on neutrality and environmental respect. Replacing some components, such as batteries, thus becomes a central concern. With the aim of contributing to this positive ecological momentum, my master’s thesis focused on designing a range of IoT (Internet of Things) products powered by solar energy, built upon existing IoT platforms originally powered by disposable lithium-ion manganese batteries.
The goal is to enable virtually infinite autonomy while reducing the use of rare earth elements. Such a project requires a thorough examination of the functionalities and specificities of IoT platforms, along with the development of a comprehensive energy recovery architecture, encompassing both hardware and software aspects for managing energy utilization. This thesis aims to prove that such platforms could be solar-powered and, thus, could reduce both the ecological footprint and the maintenance costs, thanks to the removal of the disposable lithium battery from all the deployed products.
The two proposed architectures have been tested and achieved interesting results which indicate that both of them can address the targeted use case. Both architectures operated for multiple weeks without encountering any major issues
Öljysuojarahaston Jaska-hankkeen loppuraportti
No full textYmpäristöministeriön, Suomen Kuntaliiton sekä Öljyalan Keskusliiton Soili-ohjelman (polttonesteiden jakelupisteiden tutkimus- ja kunnostusohjelma) päätyttyä ympäristöhallinnossa havaittiin, että Suomessa on edelleen paljon isännättömiä öljyhiilivedyillä mahdollisesti pilaantuneita maa-alueita. Öljysuojarahasto ja ympäristöministeriö päättivät aloittaa määräaikaisen tutkimus- ja kunnostushankkeen vuonna 2012. Hanketta toteuttamaan valittiin Öljyalan Palvelukeskus Oy alihankkijanaan Pöyry Finland Oy. Hanke sai nimekseen Jaska-hanke.
Hankkeeseen soveltuvia kohteita olivat isännättömät kohteet eli kohteet, joissa pilaantumisen aiheuttajaa ei ollut mahdollista saada vastuuseen ja kiinteistön nykyiselle omistajalle kunnostamisvastuun osoittaminen olisi ollut kohtuutonta. Lisäksi kohteiden piti olla riskikohteita, mikä luokiteltiin Jaska-hankkeessa niin, että kohde sijaitsee pohjavesialueella, vesistön läheisyydessä, vedenottamon läheisyydessä tai asuinkiinteistöllä. Alueelliset ELY-keskukset ja hankeorganisaatio selvittivät hankkeeseen soveltuvat kohteet, joiden kiinteistönomistajille jaettiin tietoa ja tarjottiin mahdollisuutta lähteä mukaan hankkeeseen. Hanke oli kiinteistönomistajille ns. avaimet käteen -hanke eli hakemuksen tehtyään hankeorganisaatio hoiti tarvittavat toimenpiteet (tutkimukset ja mahdollisen kunnostamisen) kiinteistönomistajan puolesta öljysuojarahaston toimiessa hankkeen rahoittajana.
Kaikkiaan hankkeessa tutkittiin yli 400 kohdetta ja kunnostettiin noin 150 kohdetta. Pääasiassa kohteet olivat yksityishenkilöiden omistamia. Jaska-hankkeen tutkimuksilla ja kunnostuksilla on ollut suuri merkitys kohteiden kiinteistönomistajille. Muutama kunnostuskohde on edelleen kesken. Öljysuojarahaston toiminnan päättyessä vuonna 2024 myös Jaska-hanke päättyy, mutta keskeneräiset kohteet hoidetaan osana nykyisen hankeorganisaation Pirkanmaan ELY-keskuksen hallinnoimaa Maaperä kuntoon -ohjelmaa. Hankkeen kokonaiskustannukset olivat noin 11,6 miljoonaa euroa (alv. 0 %). Vuosina 2012−2023 rahaa käytettiin noin 11,2 miljoonaa euroa (alv. 0 %) ja loput menevät vielä käynnissä oleviin kunnostushankkeisiin.
Jaska-hankkeessa saavutettiin sille ennalta asetettu määrällinen tavoite. Hankkeessa toteutettuja perustutkimus- ja kunnostuskohteiden määriä voi pitää merkittävinä huomioiden kohteiden tausta ja se, että kiinteistöt ovat pääsääntöisesti yksityisomistuksessa. Ilman hanketta näistä kohteista olisi vastaavana ajanjaksona tutkittu ja kunnostettu todennäköisesti ainoastaan yksittäisiä kohteita. Jaska-hankkeeseen (sekä tutkimus-, että kunnostusvaiheeseen) osallistuminen oli kiinteistönomistajille vapaaehtoista. Osallistuminen oli aktiivista, joten hankeorganisaatio onnistui kiinteistönomistajien aktivoinnissa ja kohteiden eteenpäin viennissä.ei tietoa saavutettavuudest