307 research outputs found
Writing and the rights of reality: usurpation and potentiality in Derrida, Plato, Nietzsche, and Beckett
No full textThe thesis critically evaluates Jacques Derrida's conferral of the rights of reality on writing, focussing on his theory of an arche-text in light of the speculative nature of this theory. The theory is initially considered in the context of Derrida's elucidation of the usurpatory status of writing within the Platonic and Nietzschean texts. This consideration reveals an admission of writing's usurpatory status by both writers while at the same time demonstrating their awareness of the intrinsically speculative nature of this view, the significance of writing lying in its ability to exteriorise the radically indeterminate status of consciousness m relation to reality rather than its ability to displace consciousness or reality The analyses, therefore, not only bring the Derridean hypothesis of a repressive or phonocentric metaphysical episteme into question but also exhibit the historical and philosophical role of potentiality in relation to writing, writing's ultimate significance lying in its capacity to exteriorise our existence as a mode of potentiality. Accordingly, in the second half of the thesis the Derridean theory of writing is countered with a specifically Aristotelian theory of the text as it is exhibited in the prose of Samuel Beckett, an author whose significance lies in his close alignment with Derridean theory within contemporary criticism. It is demonstrated that this identification has obviated an awareness of the significance of potentiality within the Beckettian text, his work consequently being appraised in the previously neglected context of Aristotelian metaphysics
Ohio impromptu, genre and Beckett on film
No full textSamuel Beckett’s choice of the title Ohio Impromptu to name the play first performed to an audience of academics and scholars at Columbus Ohio in 1981 is one manifestation of its author’s interest in the question of literary genre; more generally, in Beckett’s dramatic works one encounters a meticulous attention to the activity of categorisation, even if the energy is often directed toward the creation of phantom genres for spectral exemplars. This essay concerns itself with Ohio Impromptu in particular because by means of elements specific to this play (including the context in which it was first performed) it comments upon its own very failure to occupy its designated genre co-ordinates (these include its identity both as a play and as an ‘impromptu’). This play, which is so apt to incorporate other genres, however, is presided over by a stage direction which locates it firmly in the theatrical context. It is in its deliberate failure to attend to this stage direction that the Beckett on Film version of the play goes beyond the mere treacherous fidelity that is inevitably a feature of any adaptation. In arguing this, the essay analyses the foregrounding in the play of questions that can be said to pertain to genre (in several senses). Its more specific intention is to suggest that, via a combination of casting and special effects, the adaptation succeeds not only in cancelling the critical reflection on the ‘genre gesture’ that is lodged in Ohio Impromptu, but also in eradicating the very disjunction between Reader and Listener upon which the play depends
Poética da penúria: a ator beckettiano
No full textTese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Comunicação e Expressão, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Literatura, Florianópolis, 2013.O objeto deste estudo é refletir sobre os principais dispositivos da poética beckettiana, os testemunhos de atores históricos que trabalharam sob a direção de Samuel Beckett para propor alguns caminhos de composição de um ator particular, que, com experiências de uma preparação dramatúrgica, condensaria um corpo em penúria. Para isso, investigamos algumas das características da obra beckettiana como a influência minimalista sobre suas peças tardias, a musicalidade que permeia o seu texto teatral e a imobilidade imposta à suas personagens. Mergulhamos no íntimo dessas personagens, com a finalidade de, através do levantamento dos principais traços absorvidos pelo ator beckettiano, estabelecer relações com o ator pós-dramático. A fim de confrontar as referências estudadas, propusemo-nos a encenar o espetáculo Inomináveis # coletivo Beckett, uma reunião das peças Play, Not I, Rough for theatre I e Footfalls. Consideramos e aferimos nossas hipóteses através de depoimentos cedidos pelos atores envolvidos em nossa encenação This work aims to study the most important tools of Samuel Beckett#s art, the testimony of historical actors who worked under his direction to propose possible ways of formation a particular actor that would condensate a body in a state of penury using experiences from dramaturgical preparation. We observed some characteristics of Beckett#s work as an influence of the Minimalism in his last plays, the musicality in his theatrical texts and the immobility of his characters. We studied the characters in depth to clear relations with the post-dramatic actors by mean of recognizing the most important features of actors involved with Samuel Beckett. In order to confront our references, we put forward a staging: Inomináveis # coletivo Beckett, a sequence of Play, Not I, Rough for theatre I and Footfalls. We investigated and assessed our hypotheses using testimonies of the actors involved in our staging
Flow-through quantification of microplastics using impedance spectroscopy
No full text© The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Colson, B. C., & Michel, A. P. M. Flow-through quantification of microplastics using impedance spectroscopy. ACS Sensors, 6(1), (2021): 238–244, doi:10.1021/acssensors.0c02223.Understanding the sources, impacts, and fate of microplastics in the environment is critical for assessing the potential risks of these anthropogenic particles. However, our ability to quantify and identify microplastics in aquatic ecosystems is limited by the lack of rapid techniques that do not require visual sorting or preprocessing. Here, we demonstrate the use of impedance spectroscopy for high-throughput flow-through microplastic quantification, with the goal of rapid measurement of microplastic concentration and size. Impedance spectroscopy characterizes the electrical properties of individual particles directly in the flow of water, allowing for simultaneous sizing and material identification. To demonstrate the technique, spike and recovery experiments were conducted in tap water with 212–1000 μm polyethylene beads in six size ranges and a variety of similarly sized biological materials. Microplastics were reliably detected, sized, and differentiated from biological materials via their electrical properties at an average flow rate of 103 ± 8 mL/min. The recovery rate was ≥90% for microplastics in the 300–1000 μm size range, and the false positive rate for the misidentification of the biological material as plastic was 1%. Impedance spectroscopy allowed for the identification of microplastics directly in water without visual sorting or filtration, demonstrating its use for flow-through sensing.The authors thank the Richard Saltonstall Charitable Foundation and the National Academies Keck Futures Initiative (NAKFI DBS13) for their funding support
El dispositivo Badiou/ Beckett y el episodio aristofánico del “croar de las ranas”
No full textThe present article hypothesizes about the comparative possibilities between the Aristophanic episode known as “the croaking of frogs”, a hypotext in Greek comedic tradition, and its revisitation as a “noise-event” both in Watt by Samuel Beckett (1906- 1989) and Citrouilles by Alain Badiou. The frog episode (Βάτραχοι) of Aristophanes (444-385 BC) is rewritten by both contemporary authors around the notions of nomination and lack of communication. Badiou’s interest, both as a philosopher and as a playwright, is to redefine the figures of inarticulacy and the conflicts between being and language based on Beckett’s dramatic postulates: the way in which the Irish author rewrites in Watt the episode of the croaking of frogs and the way in which the author of Being and Event, a great reader and scholar of Beckett, articulates, in his own production, the possible relations between Aristophanes and Beckett as central dramatic authors in his own experience and practice.El presente artículo hipotetiza las posibilidades comparatísticas que se establecen entre el episodio artistofánico conocido como “el croar de las ranas”, hipotexto de la tradición comediográfica griega, y su revisitación tanto en Watt de Samuel Beckett (1906-1989) como Citrouilles de Alain Badiou como “acontecimiento-ruido”. El episodio de Ranas (Βάτραχοι) de Aristófanes (444 a. C.-385 a. C.) aparece reescrito en ambos autores contemporáneos en torno al fénome de la nominación y la incomunicación. El interés de Badiou, en tanto filósofo y dramaturgo, es redefinir figuraciones de la inarticulación y conflictos entre el ser y el lenguaje en base a los postulados dramáticos de Beckett: la forma en que el autor irlandés reescribe en Watt el episodio del croar de las ranas y la manera en que el autor de El ser y el acontecimiento, gran lector y estudioso de Beckett, articula, en su propia producción dramatúrgica, las relaciones posibles entre Aristófanes y Beckett como autores dramáticos centrales en su propia experiencia y práctica dramatúrgica
The construction of Karen Karnak: The multi-author-function
No full textThis thesis is situated within the comparatively recent developments of Web 2.0 and the emergence of interactive WikiMedia, and explores the mode of authorship within a Read/Write culture compared to that of a Read/Only tradition. The hypothesis of this study is that the role of the audience has become merged with the author, and as such, represents new functions and attributes, distinct from a more conventional concept of authorship, in which the roles of audience and author are more separate. Read/Write and participatory culture, as defined by this study, is focused on collaboration, and includes the influences of D.I.Y. culture, Open-Source practices and the production of text by multiple authors. Multi-authorship presents a re-thinking of several concepts which support the notion of the individual author, since the focus of multi-authorship is not on attribution and ownership of a finished text, but on the continued malleability of a text. Modes of multi-authorship, demonstrated in the use of the pseudonyms Alan Smithee and Karen Eliot, represent declarative authors whose names signify multiple origins, whilst concurrently indicating a distinct body of work. The function of these names form an important context to this study, since primary research involves the construction of an experimental mode of multi-authorship utilising WikiMedia technology and the interaction of thirty nine participants, who are invited to create a body of work under the collective pseudonym Karen Karnak. The data generated by this experiment is analysed using aspects of Michel Foucault's author-function to identify and determine power structures inherent in the WikiMedia context. The interplay of power structures, including concepts such as identity, ownership and the body of work, affect the resulting mode of authorship and contribute to the construction of Karen Karnak, suggesting further areas of research into the emerging multi-author
Developing in situ instrumentation to monitor anthropogenic change
No full textSubmitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical and Oceanographic Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution February 2023.To predict and mitigate anthropogenic impacts on the ocean, we must understand the underlying systems that govern the ocean’s response to inputs (e.g. carbon dioxide, pollutants). Analytical models can be used to generate predictions and simulate intervention strategies, but they must be grounded with empirical observations. Unfortunately, there exists a technological gap: in situ instrumentation is often lacking or nonexistent for key parameters influenced by anthropogenic inputs. While discrete bottle samples can be collected and analyzed for these parameters, their limited spatiotemporal resolution constrains scientific inquiry. To help fill the technological gap, this dissertation presents the development of instrumentation for the ocean inorganic carbon system and microplastics. The first few chapters present the development process of CSPEC, a deep-sea laser spectrometer designed to measure the ocean carbon system through alternating measurements of the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). CSPEC uses tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) to measure the CO2 content of dissolved gas extracted via a membrane inlet. Chapter 2 derives membrane equilibration dynamics from first principles, thus enabling informed design decisions. The analytical results showed that cross-sensitivity to other dissolved gases can be introduced by the equilibration method, regardless of the specificity of the gas-side instrumentation. A new method, hybrid equilibration, leverages the membrane equilibration dynamics to improve time response without incurring cross-sensitivity. Chapter 3 presents POCO, a surface pCO2 instrument that employs TDLAS and a depth-compatible membrane
inlet. Through laboratory and field-testing, POCO demonstrated that hybrid equilibration overcame the gas flux limitation of deep-sea membrane inlets. Chapter 4 presents CSPEC, which successfully mapped the carbon system near different hydrothermal features at 2000 m in Guaymas Basin, becoming one of the first DIC instruments field-tested at depth. Chapter 5 introduces impedance spectroscopy for quantifying microplastics directly in water. Microplastics were successfully counted, sized, and differentiated from biology in the laboratory: a step toward in situ quantification. The analytical tools and measurement systems presented in this dissertation represent a significant step towards increasing the spatiotemporal resolution of carbon system and microplastic measurements, thus enabling broader scientific inquiry in the future.This research was supported by the following funding sources:
NSF Grant # OCE-1454067
NSF Grant # OCE-184-2053
Link Foundation Ocean Engineering and Instrumentation Ph.D. Fellowship
MITMartin Family Society of Fellows for Sustainability
Richard Saltonstall Charitable Foundation
National Academies Keck Future Initiative (NAFKI DBS13
Manifestations of resilience: an autobiographical analysis of a ‘dyslexic’
No full textThis thesis is an autobiographical study that relates my experiences, particularly my educational experiences, of living with dyslexia with the aim of elucidating its impact on the development of my selfhood. I examine the problems associated with dyslexia and evaluate how my own experiences correlate to, or are disparate from, current knowledge about this specific learning difficulty (SpLD). I explore the notion of epiphanies as a way of highlighting the impact of specific occurrences - the battles and the triumphs - within my life that have shaped my outlook and impacted on my self-development. These experiences are analysed through the lens of the theoretical constructs of resilience, stigma, significant others and the Germanic philosophical principle of Bildung as a way of understanding the development of my selfhood. This work makes an original contribution to knowledge as it is the study of the unique experiences of an individual and how dyslexia impacts upon his life. A single case can have considerable general illuminative utility. As such, the thesis is a link with others experiencing dyslexia, and therefore may help to inform them about ways to manage and cope with their SpLD in order to succeed in life. This autobiography may also be useful for those dealing with dyslexic individuals, such as parents and teachers, as they reflect on how they can support those in their care. <br/
Quantum cascade laser-based reflectance spectroscopy: a robust approach for the classification of plastic type
No full text© The Author(s), 2020. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Michel, A. P. M., Morrison, A. E., Colson, B. C., Pardis, W. A., Moya, X. A., Harb, C. C., & White, H. K. Quantum cascade laser-based reflectance spectroscopy: a robust approach for the classification of plastic type. Optics Express, 28(12), (2020): 17741-17756, doi:10.1364/OE.393231.The identification of plastic type is important for environmental applications ranging from recycling to understanding the fate of plastics in marine, atmospheric, and terrestrial environments. Infrared reflectance spectroscopy is a powerful approach for plastics identification, requiring only optical access to a sample. The use of visible and near-infrared wavelengths for plastics identification are limiting as dark colored plastics absorb at these wavelengths, producing no reflectance spectra. The use of mid-infrared wavelengths instead enables dark plastics to be identified. Here we demonstrate the capability to utilize a pulsed, widely-tunable (5.59 - 7.41 µm) mid-infrared quantum cascade laser, as the source for reflectance spectroscopy, for the rapid and robust identification of plastics. Through the application of linear discriminant analysis to the resulting spectral data set, we demonstrate that we can correctly classify five plastic types: polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS), with a 97% accuracy rate.Richard Saltonstall Charitable Foundation; National Academies Keck Futures Initiative (NAKFI DBS13)
The Concept of "Self" in Some Plays by Ibsen, Strindberg, Beckett, Osborne, and Pinter
No full textPhDCentring on Peer Gynt's onion as a symbol of modern
man's "dissolved" self, this thesis is a study of the
changing concept of "self" and its effect on the development
of dramatic technique from Ibsen's Brand and Peer
Gynt, through Strindberg's "dream plays, " to the plays of
the three most influential post-war British playwrights,
Beckett, Osborne, and Pinter.
The aim of this comparative study is not to "prove"
direct influence, but to demonstrate affinities and to
trace the continuing process of the "dissolving self"
from Brand's monumental concept of man as a being essentially
divine, to Beckett's tramps picturing themselves
as worms in a God-forsaken universe, and from Peer Gynt's
uncentred onion self, which still adds up to a tremendous
personality, to Pinter's "classic female figure" who is
divested of personality as well as of self.
The philosophical dissolution of man's essential Godgiven
self and the redefinition of the human personality
in existentialist terms as simply the sum of one's actions,
habits, or roles, has its corollary in dramatic technique,
of which the most radical example is Strindberg's A Dream
Play, where the Dreamer's self is projected on stage, not
as one indelible personality, which is still the case in
Peer Gynt, but as a motley gallery of "dream characters, "
each representing one aspect of the Dreamer's (the poet's)
discontinuous self.
Beckett's Krapp, spooling back the tapes of his
former selves in search of his quintessential "I" and
discovering that the "self" is merely a string of discarded
habits; Osborne's Archie Rice playing for time
against the inevitable annihilation of his inauthentic
comedian's mask by "the man with the hook"; and Pinter's
stupefied Stanley Webber being "crowned" by his persecutors
with a bowler hat, the symbol of conformity, and
hence of non-identity, are all modern counterparts of
Peer Gynt, the "Emperor of Self.
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