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Abstract: Traditionally, glass-ceramics are inorganic non-metallic materials obtained by the controlled crystallization of a glass. A modern definition has widened this class of materials to solid materials containing at least one glassy and one crystalline phase. The glass is usually obtained by quenching a melt. Re-heating it to a temperature slightly above the glass transition temperature allows nucleation while an often applied second annealing step at a higher temperature causes most of the crystal growth. As in most materials, the composition and the microstructure of glass-ceramics widely governs their properties. The morphology, i.e., size, and aspect ratio of the crystal phases is of special significance and depends on the crystal structure and the occurring growth mechanism. The morphology is also affected by the chemical composition and the temperature/time schedule of the crystallization process, here components of minor concentrations can have a great effect. This review addresses the effects of nucleating agents, phase separation, crystal orientation alignment and stress introduction as tools to tailor the properties of glass-ceramic materials. Future developments in the field of glass-ceramics are discussed.
Keywords: glass ceramics, controlled crystallization, microstructure, properties
Published in DiRROS: 12.02.2025; Views: 32; Downloads: 37
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Abstract: Sexual size dimorphism theory predicts biased operational sex ratios (OSRs) and an uneven distribution of males among certain females. We studied this phenomenon through a field census of the giant wood spider Nephila pilipes (family Nephilidae) in Singapore, a species where females are, on average, 6.9 times larger than males. Specifically, we tested two hypotheses concerning male distribution, given their tendency to aggregate in certain female webs. The optimal female size hypothesis predicts that males would predominantly occupy webs of intermediate-sized females. The web clustering hypothesis posits that more males would be found in webs closer together compared to those farther apart. Our snapshot census revealed a female-biased OSR (females: males = 1.85) with an uneven distribution of males in female webs. Most males were found in webs of intermediate-sized females aligning with the optimal female size hypothesis. Proximity among female webs was indicative of male presence, lending support to the web clustering hypothesis. While our study's limited sample size warrants caution, we conclude that in N. pilipes, male occupation of female webs is facilitated by the clustering of webs, and males prefer to cohabit with optimally sized, receptive females.
Keywords: sexual size dimorphism, operational sex ratios (OSRs), male distribution, optimal female size hypothesis, web clustering hypothesis, female-biased OSR, intermediate-sized females, proximity of webs, male aggregation, arachnology, behavioral ecology, environmental zoology
Published in DiRROS: 12.02.2025; Views: 54; Downloads: 17
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Abstract: The study of artificial intelligence (aI) and religion, particularly the concept of god within video games, is a rich field that explores how digital spaces can reflect and shape philosophical and theological discourses. Ever since their first introduc-tion to the public, video games have often been a unique medium for exploring complex narratives and are tied to the different expressions of religion and spiri-tuality. The integration of aI characters or deities into video games challenges the traditional understanding of divinity and intelligence. This article examines the imaginaries of aI and god in two video games, Ga-lerians (1999) and I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream (1995), focusing on how these elements are used to construct narrative worlds and reflect cultural percep-tions of technology and the divine. In these games, the aI characters that gained consciousness started embodying god-like characteristics, such as omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence, raising questions about free will, predestination, and the nature of consciousness. These representations draw from existing religio-us traditions while also pushing the boundaries of theological thought, suggesting new interpretations of divinity in the context of advanced technology. The article will also closely examine the concepts of emotions that aIs in Galerians and I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream “experience.”The author relies on a game-immanent approach through detailed analysis of the aforementioned games in order to explore how the imaginaries of aI and god converge, offering insights into the evolving relationship between humanity, te-chnology, and spirituality.
Keywords: artificial intelligence, videogames, spirituality, Galerians, I have no mouth, and i must scream
Published in DiRROS: 11.02.2025; Views: 55; Downloads: 23
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Abstract: The influence of digitalised images on individual and societal life has become considerable. The digital media revolution exercises a particular impact on the way we engage with works of art. In contrast to other educational institutions, museums structure the relationship to the past primarily through the arrangement of objects and artefacts, and they ensure that religious and non-religious cultural heritage is preserved. However, the emergence of digital technologies is changing the self-image of museums. Even though digital copies are playing an important role for presenting medieval artefacts, there are still hardly any criteria to determine their use in muse-ums. In this regard, the present study begins with a practice-orientated re-reading of Walter Benjamin’s classic essay “The Work of art in the age of its Technological Reproducibility”. Benjamin’s essay focuses on the aura of an original work of art, which changes when it is technologically reproduced. In a practice-orientated re--reading, Benjamin’s aura can be considered from different aspects: as practices of describing, seeing and comparing. From this perspective, a deeper re-reading takes these practices as a starting point for developing further criteria: modes of presen-ting, (re)constructing and arranging. as a result, the application of these practices and criteria opens up new perspectives not only for engaging with works of art and their technologically reproduced copies, but also for digital copies. Two case studies will be used to examine whether and to what extent the crite-ria gained by re-reading Benjamin’s essay are suitable for facilitating the accessibi-lity of artefacts through digital copies. The chosen artefacts date from the period to which Benjamin ascribes the largest dense aura – the Middle ages: the Bayeux Tapestry and the Halderner altar.
Keywords: practice-theoretical approach, (religious) work of art, original artefacts, Bayeux tapestry, Halderner altar, (religious) materiality, digital copy, mechanical produced copy
Published in DiRROS: 11.02.2025; Views: 59; Downloads: 26
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Abstract: This article proposes that the material dimension of religion can be articulated and experienced online. Considering that religion is an embodied phenomenon which relies on material elements, this paper will particularly focus on religious practices taking place in immersive virtual platforms in order to comprehend how the material dimension is manifested by users in their everyday life. Through a the-oretical analysis, we propose that 3D social virtual worlds efficiently enable users to experience key material aspects such as embodiment and space, due to their high levels of immersivity, interactivity, and agency, by embodying avatars in customi-zable spaces. Meyer’s theory of mediation, Hoover and Echchaibi’s Third Spaces of Digital Religion, and Campbell’s theory of Religious–Social Shaping of Digital Technology (RSST) allows us to center the discussion on how religions are practi-ced and experienced by individuals and communities through various mediation practices, and how digital media acquires more affective meanings when they are involved in religious pursuits.
Keywords: digital religion, digital materiality, material religion, digital embodiment, virtual reality
Published in DiRROS: 11.02.2025; Views: 58; Downloads: 26
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