One of the most public episodes of gatekeeping in modern science was the case of so-called 'cold fusion'. At a news conference in 1989 the electrochemists Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons announced that they had found evidence of nuclear fusion in palladium electrodes loaded with deuterium. There was worldwide interest. Many groups sought to reproduce the results, most unsuccessfully. Within months, the prevailing view became strongly negative. The claims of Fleischmann and Pons came to be regarded as disreputable, as well as false. As the Caltech physicist David Goldstein put it, cold fusion became 'a pariah field, cast out by the scientific establishment' (Goldstein 1994). The case would already be interesting for students of gatekeeping if the story had ended at that point. Even more interestingly, however, the field survived and persisted. It has been enjoying a modest renaissance, with recent government funding both in the US and the EU. This piece offers an opinionated introduction to cold fusion as a case study of scientific gatekeeping, discussing both its early and recent history
Miika Penttala, Timo Sorsa, Julie Toby Thomas
et al.
<b>Background:</b> In this study, we describe a method by which a patient can independently assess their own periodontitis risk, for example, at home, with a mobile application. The aim of the study is to use active matrix metalloproteinase aMMP-8 mouth rinse cut-off 20 ng/mL point-of-care testing (POCT) and a polynomial function to reveal patients’ statistical risk of periodontitis. <b>Methods:</b> The polynomial function presented in this study was modeled with multiple logistic regression and the function estimates the risk of periodontitis using a probability measure. To investigate variables associated with periodontitis, we used data from adult patients visiting dental clinics in Thessaloniki, Greece. <b>Results:</b> The research results revealed that with appropriate information it is possible to obtain sufficient accuracy about a patient’s potential risk of periodontitis. The function for estimating risk of periodontitis is PERIORISK = (1 + e<sup>−(3.392×X1+0.002×X2+1.858×X3−9.151)</sup>)<sup>−1</sup>, where X1 = aMMP-8 test result and tobacco smoking status, X2 = age × waist circumference and X3 = patient’s individual and parental history of diabetes. <b>Conclusions:</b> The prediction of periodontitis risk using an aMMP-8 test and a polynomial function seems to be a useful, non-invasive, safe-to-use and cost-effective tool for all people. Overall, in the model created, mouth rinse cut-off 20 ng/mL aMMP-8 test result, age, waist circumference, tobacco smoking status and patient’s individual and parental history of diabetes were found to be good factors explaining the risk of periodontitis.
Petra Saskia Bayerl, Babak Akhgar, Ernesto La Mattina
et al.
This paper investigates citizens' counter-strategies to the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by law enforcement agencies (LEAs). Based on information from three countries (Greece, Italy and Spain) we demonstrate disparities in the likelihood of ten specific counter-strategies. We further identified factors that increase the propensity for counter-strategies. Our study provides an important new perspective to societal impacts of security-focused AI applications by illustrating the conscious, strategic choices by citizens when confronted with AI capabilities for LEAs.
Data are given, commentary is supplied and explanations are provided with regard to the technical, the organizational and, of course, the human history connected to the time of research, which resulted to the paper entitled "Soil sampling and Cs-137 analysis of the Chernobyl fallout in Greece", written by late Professor S.E. Simopoulos. This paper has been provided in Greek translation within an issued honorary volume (ISBN 978-960-254-714-4). Reasonably, the narration starts with the review of the political, the financial and the social situation of Greece around 1986. Subsequently, an analysis is given on the then available means, the persons involved, the methods used, the lessons learned and any other connection with the oral history of the NTUA's Nuclear Engineering Laboratory and other relevant Greek Laboratories. For this history, written proof is now scarce and the persons available to pass it on are growing less and less. N.P. Petropoulos, now Laboratory member and then student of Professor S.E. Simopoulos was in charge of preparation of this text.
Since the mid-1990s, critical International Relations (IR) scholars have increasingly drawn on postcolonial studies to call for opening up IR. However, it has turned out to be a more challenging task than initially imagined. It requires insight into the reasons behind the differences between the forms of national IR and the implications of such variation for our understanding of the international. Such differences need inquiring into by treating those from outside North America and Western Europe as thinking actors and paying attention to their accounts of the international.
Eurocentrism occurs when research is designed in a way that occludes the global theory by drawing a direct line from ancient Greece to Renaissance Europe to modern day ‘West’ with next-to-no sociological insight into ‘connected histories’ of societies.
Over the years, methodological Eurocentrism has produced a particular narrative about Europe’s place in world history. Thus, Eurocentric narratives have allowed designing research by virtue of the persistence of concepts that have been informed by the very same narratives. The critical point being, the very concepts through which we make sense of world politics (such as state, development, sovereignty and security) have their limitations not only when transplanted to other parts of the world but also when studying ‘Europe’ itself.
Nikolaos Karnesis, Nikolaos Stergioulas, Georgios Pappas
et al.
The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission, scheduled for launch in the mid-2030s, is a gravitational wave observatory in space designed to detect sources emitting in the millihertz band. LISA is an ESA flagship mission, currently entering the Phase B development phase. It is expected to help us improve our understanding about our Universe by measuring gravitational wave sources of different types, with some of the sources being at very high redshifts $z\sim 20$. On the 23rd of February 2022 we organized the 1$^\mathrm{st}$ {\it LISA in Greece Workshop}. This workshop aimed to inform the Greek scientific and tech industry community about the possibilities of participating in LISA science and LISA mission, with the support of the Hellenic Space Center (HSC). In this white paper, we summarize the outcome of the workshop, the most important aspect of it being the inclusion of $15$ Greek researchers to the LISA Consortium, raising our total number to $22$. At the same time, we present a road-map with the future steps and actions of the Greek Gravitational Wave community with respect to the future LISA mission.
In this work, I explore the concept of quantization as a mapping from classical phase space functions to quantum operators. I discuss the early history of this notion of quantization with emphasis on the works of Schrödinger and Dirac, and how quantization fit into their overall understanding of quantum theory in the 1920's. Dirac, in particular, proposed a quantization map which should satisfy certain properties, including the property that quantum commutators should be related to classical Poisson brackets in a particular way. However, in 1946, Groenewold proved that Dirac's mapping was inconsistent, making the problem of defining a rigorous quantization map more elusive than originally expected. This result, known as the Groenewold-Van Hove theorem, is not often discussed in physics texts, but here I will give an account of the theorem and what it means for potential "corrections" to Dirac's scheme. Other proposals for quantization have arisen over the years, the first major one being that of Weyl in 1927, which was later developed by many, including Groenewold, and which has since become known as Weyl Quantization in the mathematical literature. Another, known as Geometric Quantization, formulates quantization in differential-geometric terms by appealing to the character of classical phase spaces as symplectic manifolds; this approach began with the work of Souriau, Kostant, and Kirillov in the 1960's. I will describe these proposals for quantization and comment on their relation to Dirac's original program. Along the way, the problem of operator ordering and of quantizing in curvilinear coordinates will be described, since these are natural questions that immediately present themselves when thinking about quantization.
The ionization losses -- the losses of energy by fast charged particles traveling through a matter -- have been under study for more than 100 years. The theoretical explanation of this process spans similar period. About 75 years ago, Lev Landau published a theoretical paper on the ionization losses, which drastically leveled up the research and still remains amongst the most cited in the field. The present note digests the history of theoretical development and attempts to clarify Landau's method of research and the function named after him.
The first solar neutrino experiment led by Raymond Davis Jr. showed a deficit of neutrinos relative to the solar model prediction, referred to as the "solar neutrino problem" since the 1970s. The Kamiokande experiment led by Masatoshi Koshiba successfully observed solar neutrinos, as first reported in 1989. The observed flux of solar neutrinos was almost half the prediction and confirmed the solar neutrino problem. This problem was not resolved for some time due to possible uncertainties in the solar model. In 2001, it was discovered that the solar neutrino problem is due to neutrino oscillations by comparing the Super-Kamiokande and Sudbury Neutrino Observatory results, which was the first model-independent comparison. Detailed studies of solar neutrino oscillations have since been performed, and the results of solar neutrino experiments are consistent with solar model predictions when the effect of neutrino oscillations are taken into account. In this article, the history of solar neutrino observations is reviewed with the contributions of Kamiokande and Super-Kamiokande detailed.
This is the first review of books in Greek history after a year, as the Coronavirus crisis last spring made it impossible to submit a review for the G&R volume of autumn 2020. I apologize to readers and editors for the resulting delay in reviewing two books published in 2018. The multi-volume Lexicon of Greek Personal Names has been a tremendous tool of research that one day could hopefully revolutionize the study of Greek history. The volume under review is the eighth in the series; edited by Jean-Sébastien Balzat, Richard Catling, Édouard Chiricat, and Thomas Corsten, it is devoted to inland Asia Minor, covering Pisidia, Lycaonia, Phrygia, Galatia, Paphlagonia, Cappadocia, Pontus, and Armenia. The onomastics of these areas are complex owing to the various historical processes in which they were enmeshed: centuries of migration, conquest, and cultural change meant that, in addition to the ‘native’ cultural traditions of inland Asia Minor, the Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman empires, as well as migratory movements like that of the Celts, left a deep onomastic impact. The issue is further complicated because the majority of the evidence comes from the Roman Imperial period, making diachronic comparison more difficult. This excellent volume offers a new documentary basis for studying social, cultural, and economic processes of change in these important areas of the ancient world: the full collection of the evidence makes it easier to classify names into different linguistic groups, an issue that has bedevilled the study of onomastics in Asia Minor for a very long time; it will also be possible to study regional divergences in the onomastics of different areas.
In a previous paper, we showed that a class of time travel paradoxes which cannot be resolved using Novikov's self-consistency conjecture can be resolved by assuming the existence of multiple histories or parallel timelines. However, our proof was obtained using a simplistic toy model, which was formulated using contrived laws of physics. In the present paper we define and analyze a new model of time travel paradoxes, which is more compatible with known physics. This model consists of a traversable Morris-Thorne wormhole time machine in 3+1 spacetime dimensions. We define the spacetime topology and geometry of the model, calculate the geodesics of objects passing through the time machine, and prove that this model inevitably leads to paradoxes which cannot be resolved using Novikov's conjecture, but can be resolved using multiple histories. An open-source simulation of our new model using Mathematica is available for download on GitHub. We also provide additional arguments against the Novikov self-consistency conjecture by considering two new paradoxes, the switch paradox and the password paradox, for which assuming self-consistency inevitably leads to counter-intuitive consequences. Our new results provide more substantial support to our claim that if time travel is possible, then multiple histories or parallel timelines must also be possible.
Motive and electrical energy has played a crucial role in human civilization. Since Ancient times, motive energy played a primary role in agricultural and industrial production as well as transportation. At that time, motive energy was provided by work of humans and draft animals. Later, work of water and wind power was harnessed. During the 19$^{\text{th}}$ century, steam power became the main source of motive energy in USA and Britain. Modern transportation and industry depend on the work of heat engines that use fossil fuel. A brief history of different sources of energy is presented in this work. The energy consumptions in pre-industrial and industrial societies are calculated. The lost opportunities for the Second Industrial Revolution (such as fast breeder reactors and thermonuclear power stations) are discussed. The case that the Solar Power will become the main source of energy by the second half of this century is presented. It is calculated that the Solar Power has the potential to bring about the new Industrial Revolution. Based on material and energy resources available in the Solar System, it is demonstrated that the Solar System Civilization supporting a population of 10 Quadrillion with a high standard of living is possible.
Network Science is an emerging discipline using the network paradigm to model communication systems as pair-sets of interconnected nodes and their linkages (edges). This paper applies this paradigm to study an interacting system in regional economy consisting of daily road transportation flows for labor purposes, the so-called commuting phenomenon. In particular, the commuting system in Greece including 39 non-insular prefectures is modeled into a complex network and it is studied using measures and methods of complex network analysis and empirical techniques. The study aims to detect the structural characteristics of the Greek interregional commuting network (GCN) and to interpret how this network is related to the regional development. The analysis highlights the effect of the spatial constraints in the structure of the GCN, it provides insights about the major road transport projects constructed the last decade, and it outlines a populationcontrolled (gravity) pattern of commuting, illustrating that high-populated regions attract larger volumes of the commuting activity, which consequently affects their productivity. Overall, this paper highlights the effectiveness of complex network analysis in the modeling of systems of regional economy, such as the systems of spatial interaction and the transportation networks, and it promotes the use of the network paradigm to the regional research.
Yiannis Kiouvrekis, Aris Alexias, Yiannis Filipopoulos
et al.
The expansion of network infrastructure in Greece has raised concerns about the possible negative health effects on sensitive groups, such as children, from exposure to long-term radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs). The objective of this study is to apply Unsupervised Machine Learning methods such as hierarchical clustering, in order to establish patterns of EMF radiation in schools. To this end we performed measurements in the majority schools units in the region of Thessaly in order to calculate the mean value for RF - EMF exposure in the 27 MHz - 3 GHz range, which covers the whole spectrum of RF - EMF sources. Hierarchical clustering dendrogram analysis shows that population density in urban areas of Thessaly bears no relation to the level of EMF exposure in schools. Furthermore, in $97.5\%$ of schools found in the Thessaly region, the exposure level is at least 3500 times below the Greek exposure limits while in $2.5\%$ it is a little less than 500 times below the limit.
The Magellanic Clouds were known before Magellan's voyage exactly 500 years ago, and were not given that name by Magellan himself or his chronicler Antonio Pigafetta. They were, of course, already known by local populations in South America, such as the Mapuche and Tupi-Guaranis. The Portuguese called them Clouds of the Cape, and scientific circles had long used the name of Nubecula Minor and Major. We trace how and when the name Magellanic Clouds came into common usage by following the history of exploration of the southern hemisphere and the southern sky by European explorers. While the name of Magellan was quickly associated to the Strait he discovered (within about 20 years only), the Clouds got their final scientific name only at the end of the 19th century, when scientists finally abandoned Latin as their communication language.
This study is focused on the presence of Freyeria trochylus (Freyer, 1844) and Zizeeria karsandra (Moore, 1865) on Rodos Island, Greece. F. trochylus was first found there by Turati and Fiori in 1923 and Z. karsandra by Bender in 1958. The distributional range of both species in Europe including the Mediterranean and their habitat and ecology, including their associations with ants, together with their life history and larval hostplants are examined. The life cycle of Z. karsandra is described and illustrated here for the first time for Europe as a whole.
Monasticism is a way of life that officially appeared in the 4th century CE, when many faithful people devoted to God lived a "rigorous" life. However, the cruel persecutions of the Roman emperors in the middle of the 3rd and early 4th centuries CE. was the main reason for developing and shaping a life of solitude. The father of monasticism was Saint Anthony and other important figures in the history of monasticism were Saint Pachomios and Saint Basil the Great. Monasticism from its birth to its final form
has gone through several phases, with the most important being the devotional or hermitage existence form i.e. the Lavra's solitary system, the communal system and the peculiar unique system. A life of solitude as a devotional choice began in Egypt and developed in many other places, inter alia, Palestine, Syria, Constantinople and Mount Athos. Through the organization of a communal but solitary life, one’s longevity was acquired under certain conditions and a special festive ceremony was attended by the monk in which there was a triple promise of virginity, chastity and obedience. The twenty-four hours of a monk’s life were, and still are, divided into three eight hour periods (prayer, rest and work). Another characteristic that we find since the first years of the existence of monasticism is the notion of charity. Finally, it
is worth mentioning that in many monasteries there were scriptorial centers where there was dedication to copying the Holy Scriptures and the classics of antiquity, thus saving much of our patristic texts and classical heritage for posterity. Also artistic
works such as Byzantine paintings, iconography, poetry, sculpture and music were cultivated and flourished in many monasteries such as those at Mount Athos in Greece, and Saint Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai, Egypt.
This issue's crop of books presents a strikingly diverse and geographically mobile ancient world. In this review we will travel from Britain to Arabia, taking in southern Iberia and Judaea en route, as well as considering the highly topical theme of migration. These books offer some fascinating new insights into the ancient world, as well as suggesting some intriguing historical perspectives on some of the most pressing issues of our present time.