Real Sense Research Articles

The owl of Minerva takes fright

This paper presents a sociological analysis of the ways in which Scotland has been transformed over the last 25 years. It takes as its starting point the talk the author gave in 1996 entitled “The Post-Modern Condition of Scottish Society”, setting out how Scotland has changed in the intervening years. It sketches out and reflects on the defining events of the period: devolution and the establishment of the Scottish Parliament; the rise to power of the Scottish National Party (SNP) as well as its shifting fortunes; all set in the context of the Scottish independence and Brexit referendums. It concludes by offering critical commentary on contemporary global issues, particularly the loss of the sense of social reality in the face of the current mood of individualism, moral relativism and post-factual narratives.

Video2Haptics: Converting Video Motion to Dynamic Haptic Feedback with Bio-Inspired Event Processing.

In cinematic VR applications, haptic feedback can significantly enhance the sense of reality and immersion for users. The increasing availability of emerging haptic devices opens up possibilities for future cinematic VR applications that allow users to receive haptic feedback while they are watching videos. However, automatically rendering haptic cues from real-time video content, particularly from video motion, is a technically challenging task. In this article, we propose a novel framework called "Video2Haptics" that leverages the emerging bio-inspired event camera to capture event signals as a lightweight representation of video motion. We then propose efficient event-based visual processing methods to estimate force or intensity from video motion in the event domain, rather than the pixel domain. To demonstrate the application of Video2Haptics, we convert the estimated force or intensity to dynamic vibrotactile feedback on emerging haptic gloves, synchronized with the corresponding video motion. As a result, Video2Haptics allows users not only to view the video but also to perceive the video motion concurrently. Our experimental results show that the proposed event-based processing methods for force and intensity estimation are one to two orders of magnitude faster than conventional methods. Our user study results confirm that the proposed Video2Haptics framework can considerably enhance the users' video experience.

The Application of Artificial Intelligence in Enhancing the Sense of Reality in Games

With the rapid development in the field of computer science, game development has emerged as one of its significant branches. Artificial Intelligence (AI), as an emerging discipline, has become increasingly integrated with the field of game development, offering new possibilities for enhancing the sense of realism and player experience in games. This paper delves into the application of AI in enhancing the sense of reality in games. Firstly, the paper analyzes the importance of the sense of reality in games and explores how AI can enhance the player's immersive experience by simulating game character behaviors. Secondly, the paper discusses the application of AI in game physics and environmental simulation. Next, the paper explores the application of AI in enhancing game audio and visual effects. Additionally, AI's application in image generation and enhancement technologies has raised the quality of game graphics to new heights. Lastly, the paper discusses the application of AI in the field of VR and AR, and how it can enhance user perception by optimizing hardware performance and providing more realistic physical experiences. The paper examines the potential of AI in improving the emotional experience of users and provides an outlook on future trends in game development.

Ascension of Jesus: Drawing from the thoughts of Andries van Aarde

This article stems from the author’s dialogue with New Testament scholar Andries van Aarde about the divinity of Jesus, during which the topic of Jesus’ ascension also arose. The author aims to focus on Van Aarde’s thinking about the ascension of Jesus. The article does not intend to provide a reflection on the exegetical and hermeneutical analysis of the biblical texts alluding to the ascension of Jesus Christ. Instead, it argues that these texts existentially emphasise a believer’s new life, theologically expressed as ‘personal ascension’, implying participation with God. In the New Testament, language expressing Jesus’ ascension was borrowed particularly from royal psalms in the Old Testament. The concept of ‘ascent to heaven’ to access the divine presence is central not only to Jewish Christian apocalyptic symbolism but it also became part of the church’s liturgy. Van Aarde contends that the modern church should preserve the reference to Jesus’ ascension in ecclesial confessional language, despite no longer affirming a three-tiered universe or adhering to the mythical language of ‘descended into hell’ and ‘ascended to heaven’.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article makes the case that Jesus Christ’s ascension serves as a liturgical celebration of victory over trauma. It demonstrates the need for a metaphorical interpretation of the ancient references to ascension. These mythological descriptions become anachronistic in our time if they are interpreted in a realistic, historical and literal sense. However, rich and meaningful victory poetry can still be communicated if the ‘ascension’ is interpreted metaphorically.

Virtual connection and real community: the qualitative experience of participating in a videoconferencing-based psychotherapy group for postpartum depression and anxiety

BackgroundGroup psychotherapy, an effective treatment for common postpartum mental disorders (e.g. depression, anxiety), has increasingly been delivered virtually since the pandemic. This study aims to understand experiential aspects of participating in videoconferencing-based group psychotherapy in the postpartum period.MethodsOur urban academic ambulatory hospital has delivered group psychotherapy for women (cis and trans) and non-binary individuals of female sex with postpartum depressive and anxiety symptomatology via videoconferencing since 2020. One therapist-facilitator conducts weekly 60-min group therapy sessions with 5-6 participants for eight weeks. Group participants were invited to complete a semi-structured qualitative interview on their experience. Using an interpretive description approach, we conducted reflexive thematic analysis to code anonymized transcripts and construct themes. Facilitator interviews were used for triangulation and additional context.ResultsOf 134 patients in video psychotherapy groups over 11 months, 14 completed an interview, as did all group facilitators (n = 3). Overall, participants felt the experience with videoconferencing group therapy was beneficial for their mental health. Three themes were constructed: (1) “Moving Towards a New Normal”: The group helped participants normalize feelings and experiences around transition to parenthood, and accessing health care virtually was now considered to be normal practice, although some wanted an element of choice. (2) “Virtual Connection, Real Community”: Connections were made virtually, yet participants felt a real sense of community. Facilitators played an important role fostering an environment in which participants could create lasting bonds. Participants noted challenges with feeling comfortable virtually and provided pragmatic and structural suggestions for enhancing the creation of community. (3) “Trade-offs to Virtual Engagement”: Participants made positive and negative trade-offs (e.g. no informal interactions, travel, isolation at home, childcare challenges) to maximize their experience and were able to be more authentic in their self-presentation to the group.ConclusionsPeople with postpartum depression and anxiety who participated in videoconferencing-based group psychotherapy appreciated the sense of community within their groups to normalize their experience transitioning to parenthood. Participants had to make trade-offs to access virtual groups, but felt the experience was worthwhile and helped improve their mental health. Findings will help inform continued delivery of virtual group mental health services.

Exploring and narrating futures in undergraduate climate change education: an innovative teaching approach

PurposeThis study aims to focus on an innovative undergraduate teaching intervention designed to guide students in exploring and narrating the potential futures of climate change. The intervention aimed to reduce the psychological distance associated with climate change by systematically investigating futures in real-world contexts. The study had two objectives: to examine students’ learning outcomes by analysing their visions of a carbon-neutral future towards the end of the intervention and to measure the intervention’s impact on students’ understanding of climate change and their perceived ability to contribute effectively.Design/methodology/approachThe intervention was implemented over two consecutive semesters. Data for analysis included student narratives from the final assignment (N = 140), where they envisioned life in a carbon-neutral city, and pre-/post-instruction surveys (N = 37) assessing content knowledge and action competence.FindingsContent analysis of student narratives revealed 12 distinct themes, encompassing infrastructural and technological advancements, lifestyle adaptations and shifts in societal attitudes towards sustainability. Statistical analysis of the survey data demonstrated significant improvements in both variables. These findings suggest that the teaching intervention effectively enhanced students’ scientific understanding of climate change, increased their self-perceived ability to take action and fostered a realistic sense of life in a sustainable future.Originality/valueThis research introduces a novel teaching intervention exploring and narrating climate change futures. Analysing personal narratives provides fresh insights into how young individuals envision sustainable living within the context of climate change, thereby contributing a unique perspective to climate change education and future studies.

The Impact of Odor Category Similarity on Multimedia Experience.

Although we have multiple senses, multimedia mainly targets vision and olfaction. To expand the senses impacted by multimedia, olfactory stimulation has been used to enhance the sense of reality. Odors are primarily matched with objects in scenes. However, it is impractical to select all odors that match all objects in a scene and offer them to viewers. As an alternative, offering a single odor in a category as representative of other odors belonging to that category has been suggested. However, it is unclear whether viewers' responses to videos with multiple odors (e.g., rose, lavender, and lily) from a category (e.g., flowers) are comparable. Therefore, we studied whether odors belonging to a given category could be similar in behavioral congruency and in the five frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma) of electroencephalogram (EEG) data collected while viewers watched videos. We conducted questionnaires and EEG experiments to understand the effects of similar odors belonging to categories. Our results showed that similar odors in a specific odor category were more congruent with videos than those in different odor categories. In our EEG data, the delta and theta bands were mainly clustered when odors were offered to viewers in similar categories. The theta band is known to be primarily related to the neural signals of odor information. Our studies showed that choosing odors based on odor categories in multimedia can be feasible.

Possible Worlds Theory: How the Imagination Transcends and Recreates Reality.

The imagination is central to human social life but undervalued worldwide and underexplored in psychology. Here, we offer Possible Worlds Theory as a synthetic theory of the imagination. We first define the imagination, mapping the mental states it touches, from dreams and hallucinations to satire and fiction. The conditions that prompt people to imagine range from trauma to physical and social deprivation, and they challenge the sense of reality, stirring a need to create possible worlds. We theorize about four cognitive operations underlying the structure of the mental states of the imagination. We then show how people embody the imagination in social behaviors such as pretense and ritual, which give rise to experiences of a special class of feelings defined by their freedom from reality. We extend Possible Worlds Theory to four domains-play, spirituality, morality, and art-and show how in flights of the imagination people create new social realities shared with others.

Myth, Religion, Imagination, and (Virtual) Realities

This article provides a way to think through the division between religious and secular approaches to contemporary society through the use of rival myths. Myths are narrative structures that invite the interplay of language and the imagination, resulting in the creation of virtual realities and social imaginaries. Strong virtual realities were once premised on myths that guided the imagination to embrace an openness to mystery and the unknowable; however, current technological culture is predicated on a closed imagination that has led to worldwide despair. Religion was originally grounded in the virtual reality inspired by language and the capacity of language to distill and extract the “virtual” from the real. The ability of language to create a virtual reality created the capacity to think of a soul, as well as destinations for the soul. In the twentieth century, Freud found that the notion of “God” that was created had become problematic for humans and so created a modern myth that would provide a secular substitute. After providing a close reading of Freud’s governing myth for modern culture, showing how it inspires the imagination and the ways in which it falls short, this article concludes with an alternative myth—that of the Invisible City—proposed to inspire faith, hope, and love in our modern world. My approach relies on a depth psychological framework, which was formed to interrogate the nature of reality (relative to individuals and culture) at the intersection of myth, religion, language, and imagination. Throughout, I use a hermeneutic methodology, which is consistent with the initial mode of depth psychological exploration as well as the central role language plays in revealing the truth of a reality. This orientation enables an exploration of a deeper sense of virtual realities than what is deployed through current technology.

The ultimate political question? Realism and omnicide

ABSTRACT Realist political theory purports to prioritize the goals of order, security, and ‘political survival’. In spite of these concerns, it has not yet addressed the growing risk that humanity might be lurching towards self-extinction. This contribution considers what omnicidal risk means for contemporary realism, making two arguments. First, we argue that omnicidal risk poses a political problem in a distinctly realist sense of the term. In doing so, we demonstrate that omnicide is a relevant concern for all realists, while ordorealists in particular hold an unrecognized commitment to mitigating omnicidal risk. Second, by demonstrating the extent to which capitalism can be considered a cause of contemporary omnicidal risk, we argue that this concern and commitment should draw realists – and, in particular, ordorealists – into a critique of contemporary political economy. Realism should not ignore omnicidal risk; instead, its consideration should work to radicalize realism.

Science, Fiction, and Contemporary Media: Blurred Borders in Knowledge Dissemination in Michael Crichton’s The Andromeda Strain

This study examines the technical methods used by Michael Crichton to blur the lines between factual information and fictional elements in his novel The Andromeda Strain. The creative use of scientific terminology and artistic documentation that supports a sense of reality plays a role in creating a certain blurring that works to enhance the blurring of the boundaries between reality and imagination. The study aims to explore the novel within the framework of postmodern literary theory, questioning the concept of absolute truth, and emphasizing the role of language and literary discourse in constructing reality. Through a critical analysis of the novel, this study seeks to clarify the methods followed by Crichton to employ language and discourse to create an atmosphere of authenticity that contributes greatly to blurring the line between reality and imagination. In addition, the study comprehensively analyses modern media platform technologies that are used to erode the boundaries between objective reality and fictional narratives, and their consequent effects on the dissemination of information. The study concluded that Crichton's novel The Andromeda Strain embodies the successful integration of scientific concepts with fantasy elements, which resulted in a captivating and intellectually stimulating narrative.

Classical music education for students: impact on creative thinking about psychology / Enseñanza de música clásica para estudiantes: el impacto en el pensamiento creativo sobre psicología

The study aims to identify the expertise of college students in classical music and evaluate individual prerequisites for listening to classical music and their impact on creative thinking in connection with psychological defence among students. The study involved 200 students from a college in China. The Chinese college students’ expertise in music was analysed based on the questionnaire method and the research design. The study revealed the following: prolonged listening to loud music, even classical, develops creative thinking and at the same time can lead to loss of self-control and partial loss of the listener’s sense of reality; music volume correlates with the desire to hear the rhythm and the frequency of music listening; there is a correlation between musical rhythm and the psychological defence mechanisms of substitution, regression, compensation, as well as tension.

High cycling stability polyaniline/carbon sphere/graphene ternary nanocomposite cathode material for asymmetric supercapacitors

Here, an asymmetric supercapacitor of the ternary nanocomposite polyaniline/carbon sphere/graphene (PANI/CS/G) is developed through a green strategy via the in-situ polymerization of aniline in carbon sphere/graphene (CS/G) dispersion prepared in a ball-mill method coupled with hydrothermal treatment. A strong interaction and thus the coverage of CS/G with PANI is revealed from the material characterization using XRD, FTIR and Raman spectroscopic techniques, and also from FESEM and HRTEM images. Uniform distribution of PANI over the CS/G provided an effective conducting network and enhanced diffusion of the electrolyte ions. PANI/CS/G showed a specific capacitance of 145.02 mF/cm2 at a current density of 1 mA/cm2 in 1 M H2SO4 originating from the electrostatic double layer capacitance behavior of the CS/G and pseudocapacitance of PANI. The fabricated asymmetric coin cell device with PANI/CS/G cathode and CS/G anode showed the highest areal capacitance of 320.78 mF/cm2 (@ 1 mA/cm2), a maximum energy density of 18.99 Wh/kg (@ 0.21 A/g), and a highest power density of 6088.48 W/kg (@ 8.68 A/g). The device displayed 101.6 % capacitance retention after 10000 cycles, indicating the effect of CS/G in diminishing the volume changes of PANI during the charge-discharge process, which usually affects the cyclic stability. By lighting a green LED, the real sense energy storage application of the supercapacitor is evaluated.

Kinship Object: A Creation Engendered from the Bewilderment of a Pillaged World

ABSTRACT Humankind is reaching a breaking point whereby the prevailing forces of relating are wholly characterized by greed, hate and domination. This worldview seems fixed and objectifies and reduces other humans who are perceived as different, as well as animals, birds, insects, trees and plants as lesser and expendable. But what if the universal attitude were one of kinship with all dynamic beings? A stance which values all forms of living matter as one of us; where nothing has greater value than another form of living matter, making each an equal part of the whole. A stance where relationships are characterized by reverence, reciprocity and the real sense that there is abundance – that there is enough to go around. Out of a sense of grief and horror over the failure of humans to love all of earth’s constituents, we have developed a novel construct presented here: a Kinship Object. This kinship object, an original psychoanalytic idea, is introduced to frame the capacity for balance with regard to relating with maturity and care to all sentient beings. The processes of possessing love and hate, concern, selfhood and otherness, and the thinking and kinship apparatuses are embedded in the kinship object.

Weather, heritage, and memory

AbstractSense of place and identity are related to the weather, and to memories and perceptions of what constitutes “normal” weather for a particular place. Weather is an important ingredient of cultural life; thus, long‐term changes to weather patterns can affect sense of place and sense of reality, although these changes will not be experienced uniformly. We argue that weather and climate should thus be considered forms of intangible cultural heritage, which we refer to as weather‐heritage. Drawing attention to place‐specific weather‐heritage that is threatened by climate change may increase support for mitigation and adaptation policies and encourage behavior change from individuals and governments. A heritage/memory lens can also draw attention to the ways in which lost weather‐heritage should be memorialized, ensuring that the right to memory of lost weather‐heritage is maintained. We therefore argue for a new research focus on weather‐heritage and memory, to understand how people remember and ascribe significance to particular weather types and patterns, and to document weather‐heritage that has been lost or is likely to be lost as climate changes. One purpose of this research should be to ensure that weather‐heritage is plural and does not become a majoritarian and exclusionary exercise in uncritical nostalgia.This article is categorized under: Climate, History, Society, Culture > Ideas and Knowledge Perceptions, Behavior, and Communication of Climate Change > Perceptions of Climate Change Trans‐disciplinary Perspectives > Humanities and the Creative Arts

EStatiG: Wearable Haptic Feedback with Multi-Phalanx Electrostatic Brake for Enhanced Object Perception in VR

Haptic gloves have enabled the immersive and realistic sense of interacting with objects in virtual reality (VR) by providing coordinated haptic sensation with visual information. However, previous approaches mainly focused on providing feedback on the fingertips or distal phalanges, with minimal attention paid to the other phalanges. We propose EStatiG, a haptic glove that delivers force feedback over all finger regions from the fingertip to the proximal phalanges. Here, we enrich the perception of object shape during grasping tasks in VR. To do this, we developed the double layer and multi-stacked electrostatic clutches (ES clutches) to form an electrostatic brake (ES brake) for each phalanx. With the lightweight structure (130 grams), we enabled high-resolution force feedback while maintaining wearability and usability. We validated the user perception performance when using the proposed device. Our results showed a significant improvement in the perception of phalanx angle positions and the overall experience of realism and immersion when interacting with various object shapes in VR.

Intertextuality in John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address

John F. Kennedy’s inaugural speech on January 20, 1961, represented more than an introduction to the new President. Kennedy was “doing politics” (Van Dijk, p. 18) in a very real sense through discourse. The intertexual references and allusions made by Kennedy transcended the contemporary time of the 1960’s by connecting the speech with the words of other Presidents of the United States. In these connections, Kennedy forged a sense of purpose that united the people of the U.S. during the Cold War.

A Strategic Study on the Infiltration of Life Experience in the Teaching of Assignments in the Upper Primary School Language Group

With the deepening of education reform and the needs of education development, more and more attention is being paid to students' language writing ability. Language writing is an important means to cultivate students' comprehensive language use ability and an important way to improve their comprehensive literacy. In order to better promote the construction and development of primary school language courses, nowadays, in the process of teaching primary school writing, teachers should stand on the children's position, pay active attention to the children's real life status, carefully plan and construct the students' life experience system, so that the students can complete the construction of the main body of the framework of the content of the assignment in the real and intentional life experience, and guide the students to pay attention to the life, awakening experience, accumulation of rich materials, so that the assignment will be more effective. Rich material, so that the content of the work of words and real sense, get rid of false, big, empty unrealistic sky, get rid of the "set work", fixed template of the undesirable phenomenon. Let the students' work content close to real life, full of real emotions, learn to choose the right life materials, build the structure of the composition, can think hard from different perspectives to express creatively. Let the assignments have something to say, let the assignments have a method to say, let the assignments have a character to say. This study focuses on students' writing in the fifth and sixth grades of primary school, focusing on life experience. The important value and significance of life experience in the teaching of language assignments in the upper primary grades helps teachers to update the concept of teaching assignments in a timely manner, improves primary school students' enjoyment of assignments, and then promotes the construction and development of primary school language assignments education.

3D dynamic landscape simulation of artificial intelligence in environmental landscape design

Three-dimensional (3D) simulations and precise landscape visualizations are crucial for various applications, like landscape management and planning, computer and connection of the landscape, evaluation, and tracking of land use. The consequences of several plans and a large scene cannot be communicated using older methods of comprehensive environmental planning and development in a timely, rational, and coordinated manner. Architects have trouble incorporating ideas into other comprehensive planning implementation processes. Architects did not thoroughly investigate the neighbourhood's demographics and matching behavioural needs and lacked critical thinking. The 3D dynamic landscape simulation is a detailed computerized three-dimensional simulation of the environment that can be dynamically presented. With the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, the system possesses a strong sense of reality, a user-friendly interface, and interactive features that can be tailored to the requirements of the contemporary urban environmental landscape. Regarding exterior publicity, domestic assistance, environmental land use planning, and information systems. The novelty of the proposed Interactive Design System based on AI (IDS-AI) is to create a 3D dynamic landscape model based on a real-life environmental scene, utilizing a Geographic Information System (GIS) to optimize landscape vision. Secondly, 3D environmental landscape design simulation was implemented using GIS spatial analysis in conjunction with the Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchical Process (FAHP) to reduce the data overlap rate and help make an accurate decision. Finally, the design incorporates the development of the interactive interface system application of landscape design and environmental resources for viewing the landscape, the factors that affect them, and the area coverage ratio of various land cover types. The experimental outcomes show that the suggested IDS model increases the gradient sensitivity level of 98.3 % and area coverage ratio of 93.4 % compared to other existing models.

Stereo‐consistent Screen Space Reflection

AbstractScreen Space Reflection (SSR) can reliably achieve highly efficient reflective effects, significantly enhancing users' sense of realism in real‐time applications. However, when directly applied to stereo rendering, popular SSR algorithms lead to inconsistencies due to the differing information between the left and right eyes. This inconsistency, invisible to human vision, results in visual discomfort. This paper analyzes and demonstrates how screen‐space geometries, fade boundaries, and reflection samples introduce inconsistent cues. Considering the complementary nature of screen information, we introduce a stereo‐aware SSR method to alleviate visual discomfort caused by screen space disparities. By contrasting our stereo‐aware SSR with conventional SSR and ray‐traced results, we showcase the effectiveness of our approach in mitigating the inconsistencies stemming from screen space differences while introducing affordable performance overhead for real‐time rendering.