Monkey business: human–animal conflicts in urban Singapore

Ongoing human–long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis) conflicts in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Singapore, have seen native macaques significantly affected, as residential development encroaches into animals' habitat, destroying important wildlife corridors. The search for a more humane treatment of these transgressive animals can be seen as an attempt to extend and include non-human animals within humanistic notions of ethics and care, in the process destabilizing the assumed divide between human/animal. Yet, a feasible solution is difficult to reach as National Parks Board (NParks), the state agency overseeing the conservation of reserves and wildlife, has to negotiate constantly between their goal of maintaining biodiversity and appeasing the complaining residents. The paper seek to understand urban–wilderness conflicts between human–macaque, showing that the divide between tamed/wild is multi-sited, ambiguous and constantly shifting. In this regard, we are especially interested in the role of intermediaries in initiating actions to ‘make discursive as well as material space’ for macaques in the reserve. Intermediaries, here referring to NParks and animal activists, are actors who do not reside near the reserve thus having no frequent encounters with wildlife, yet are enrolled as mitigators during instances of human–animal conflicts.     

Darwin to Einstein: Primary sources on science and belief

R.G. Collingwood defined historical knowledge as essentially ‘scientific’, and saw the historian's task as the ‘re-enactment of past thoughts’. The author argues the need to go beyond Collingwood, first by demonstrating the authenticity of available evidence, and secondly, using Namier as an example, by considering methodology as well as epistemology, and the need to relate past thoughts to their present context. The ‘law of the consumption of time’ encourages historians to focus on landmark events, theories and generalisations, thus breaking from Collingwood's emphasis on fidelity to past ideas and interpreting the past from the concepts of the present. This conflict can only be reconciled by the study of historiography.     

Programme of Action: raising resources

The International Conference on Population Development (ICPD) Program of Action comprehensively covers a wide range of demographic and social issues by setting goals to be achieved over a period of 20 years. Since its initial implementation, population issues have been fundamentally linked with the countries' prospects for sustainable development. In the ICPD+5 review it was concluded that countries are committed to the Cairo agenda and to the idea that population and development go hand in hand. This commitment involves spending on population and related programs, which totals $17 billion by the year 2000 and $22 billion by 2015. Funding would come from countries (0.7% of gross domestic product to overall development assistance and 4% to population activities). However, the trend shows that countries have not achieved these targets and are decreasing rather than increasing spending on population issues, particularly from the developed countries. Findings of a survey indicated that the lack of resources is the greatest obstacle in attaining desired goals of developing countries. In addition, serious economic stagnation and an unfavorable international economic environment makes it difficult for many developing countries to resolve the problem of lack of resources, and technical capabilities are badly needed to achieve the goals of the ICPD.     

A Theory‐Based Cellular Automata for the Simulation of Land‐Use Change. 基于理论细胞自动机的土地利用变化模拟

This study proposes a theory‐based cellular automata (CA) in which CA rules are constructed on the basis of a theory of urban land‐use change and other local conditions. Rent gap theory that describes urban redevelopment and exogenous conditions that reflect urban development are embedded into a CA to simulate changes of land use. The theoretical framework provides a strong conceptual background for the CA simulation. A case study demonstrates the flexibility of the integrated framework for simulating land‐use changes in complex settings. This research aims to help decision‐makers formulate appropriate development plans.     

Evaluation of a Spatial Relationship by the Concept of Intrinsic Spatial Distance

We propose the concept of intrinsic spatial distance (ISD) for the study of a spatial relationship between any two points in space. ISD is a distance measure that takes into account the separation of two points with respect to their physical and attribute closeness. We construct an algorithm to implement this concept as an ISD measurement. Based on the ISD concept, two points in space are related through a transitional path linking one to the other. As an ISD measurement decreases, the spatial relationship between two points becomes increasingly stronger. We argue theoretically and demonstrate empirically that the ISD concept is not predisposed in favor of the first law of geography, but directly considers variance of nearness in physical distance and attribute distance to derive the extent to which two points are spatially associated. Specifically, in single attribute cases, the information uncovered by an ISD measurement is more elaborate than that revealed by Moran's I, local Moran's I, and a semivariogram, giving a meticulous account of relatedness in both local and global contexts. The ISD concept is also sufficiently general to be used to study multiple attributes of relationships. Proponemos el concepto de distancia espacial intrínseca (intrinsic spatial distance ‐ISD) para el estudio de la relación espacial entre dos puntos en el espacio. La ISD es una medición de distancia que tiene en cuenta la separación de dos puntos con respecto a su cercanía física y de atributo. Construimos un algoritmo para aplicar este concepto y crear una medición ISD. De acuerdo con en el concepto ISD, dos puntos en el espacio están relacionadas a través de un camino de transición que los vincula uno al otro. A medida que la medición ISD disminuye, la relación espacial entre dos puntos se refuerza. Argumentamos teóricamente y demostramos empíricamente que el concepto ISD no está predispuesto a favor de la primera ley de la geografía (de Tobler), pero considera directamente la varianza de la cercanía de la distancia física y la distancia del valor del atributo para derivar una medición que cuantifica el grado en el que dos puntos están asociados espacialmente. En concreto, en los casos de atributos individuales, la información revelada por una medición ISD es más sofisticada que la que proporcionada por el índice de Moran, el índice de Moran local, y el semivariograma, pues da cuanta minuciosa de la relación espacial y de atributo en contextos locales y globales. El concepto de ISD también es lo suficientemente general para ser usado en el estudio de relaciones entre múltiples atributos. 本文提出了内蕴空间距离(ISD)来研究空间中任意两点之间的空间关系。ISD是考虑空间上分离的两点各自物理和属性接近度的一种距离度量。通过构造一个算法将该概念转变为ISD可度量方式。基于ISD概念,空间上的两点通过连接两者迁移路径相关联。当ISD度量减小时,两点之间空间关系变得越来越强。理论论证和实例演示表明ISD概念并不倾向于符合地理学第一定律,但直接考虑两点间物理距离和属性距离临近性的变化可以推导两点在空间上的联系程度。特别是在单一属性案例中,相比于Moran’s I,局部Moran’s I和半方差图,ISD度量揭示了全局与局部环境中详尽的空间相关信息。同时,ISD概念在研究多属性的空间关系中也是足够通用的。     

On the Imprecision of Boundaries

Imprecision of regional boundaries is subjected to a formal analysis within a fuzzy set theoretic framework. Regions are characterized by linguistic propositions which have precise mathematical translations. It is demonstrated that boundaries are generally fuzzy and exist as gradients rather than lines. Similarly, regions overlap to a certain extent. Though regional characterizations are imprecise, the extent of a fuzzy boundary can be exactly demarcated. Concepts of regional cores and edges are also examined. A simple climatic classification problem is employed to illustrate the theoretical arguments. The framework appears to be more natural, informative, and flexible. It comprises the conventional regional concepts as special cases.     

Thinking with Excerpts: John Locke (1632–1704) and his Notebooks

In his “Méthode nouvelle,” an anonymous article in the Bibliothèque universelle of 1686, John Locke described his way of collecting excerpts in notebooks and retrieving relevant entries. The well-known practice of entering textual passages in commonplace books sits uneasily with Locke's criticism of received opinion and authority. Is it possible that he used any of these notes to think with? I suggest that the conditions for this were provided by Locke's interactions with some of his notes, including those which recorded observations, testimonies and experiments. As well as labelling excerpts and other notes with topical Titles, Locke sometimes added precise bibliographical citations, transferred material across notebooks, interpolated his own signed reflections and queries, and (eventually) dated entries.