Hope in the Face of Temporal Devastation

This article evaluates Jonathan Lear's account of radical hope in light of the phenomenon of social acceleration. According to Lear's philosophical exegesis of the life of the Crow Nation's last chief, Plenty Coups, radical hope is hope based on the conviction that the world's goodness transcends but includes the goodness of human culture. Such hope enables a culture to persevere in the face of its own collapse through political humility, by which a culture draws on the resources of other cultures in order to revive itself. Social acceleration—which results in the warping of our sense of time as tensed between past, present, and future—demands a more primordial form of radical hope, based on the affirmation of the world's own temporalities as simultaneously resisting and sustaining our own cultural temporalities. This in turn involves a more self-critical form of political humility.     

HOW THE OLD LEFT HAS FOUND A NEW PLACE IN THE MEMORY GAME

In his new book, How Modernity Forgets, Paul Connerton seeks to show a relationship between the workings of late capitalism and the institutionalization of forgetfulness in ever more abstract conceptions of space and time. He uses this argument to explain why the topic of collective memory has waxed so large in contemporary historical scholarship. I interpret his argument in light of his earlier work on habit memory and his still earlier critique of Frankfurt School social theory. I close with some comments on his study in the context of recent work on mnemonic practices in modern culture.     

EUROCODE 8 DESIGN RESPONSE SPECTRA EVALUATION USING THE K-NET JAPANESE DATABASE

The Eurocode 8 (EC8) currently proposes two standard shapes for the design response spectra. Type 1 spectra are enriched in long period and are suggested for high seismicity regions. Conversely, Type 2 spectra are proposed for low to moderate seismicity areas (like France), and exhibit both a larger amplification at short period, and a much smaller long period contents, with respect to Type 1 spectra. These propositions, however, were constrained using few events mostly recorded on analogical instruments. In the present study, we use the Japanese high quality digital K-net array in order to evaluate the proposed ECS response spectra. Furthermore, all K-net stations have geotechnical characterisation. We first constructed a database of shallow events, depth less than 25 km, to avoid subduction related records. The database spans six years of seismicity from 1996 until 2003. Thus, 591 events were selected with moment magnitude between 4 and 7.3, recorded at 691 stations, giving a total of 6812 two horizontal components accelerograms. Using these records, we computed spectral ground-motion prediction equations and we used them to review the shape of the proposed EC8 spectra. In particular, we studied the plateau-PGA ratio level, the period interval where this plateau is constant, and site amplification effects. The results show surprisingly that the Type 2 rock better envelope the Japanese data. Another interesting observation is that the K-net data corresponding to all soil classes are rich in short periods around 0.1 s. This characteristic has not been observed in other worldwide databases. Normalised empirical predictions show a widening of the plateau as the soil conditions degrade. This suggests that the Type 2 EC8 spectra do not cover enough the long periods for EC3-soil classes C, D and E. Finally, the computed ground-motion prediction equations show that the peak ground acceleration (PGA) is nearly invariant to the soil conditions. Soil effects are mainly seen in the shape and plateau level.     

EMPIRICAL EVALUATION OF SITE EFFECTS BY MEANS OF H/V SPECTRAL RATIOS AT THE LOCATIONS OF STRONG MOTION ACCELEROMETERS IN ISRAEL

Acceleration data from local and regional earthquakes is of prime importance in evaluating the seismic hazard. Consequently, strong motion accelerometers are currently installed at more than 60 locations in Israel. We have explored the possibility of site amplification effects at 10 sites where local earthquakes triggered strong motion accelerometers by integrating empirical and analytical estimations. Implementing H/V spectral ratio techniques using 15 accelerograms from nine earthquakes, 105 seismograms shear-wave records of 35 local and regional earthquakes and seismograms of microtremors were used in the empirical evaluations. The subsurface models were constructed by integrating available geological and geophysical information at the analysed site with empirically evaluated site response functions. Amplification effects of factor 3-6 are observed at various frequencies in the 0.8-6.0 Hz band. Through the analysis process it became evident that the instant availability of many useful time windows of microtremors provides systematic estimations of the fundamental resonance frequency of each site and their associated amplification levels, which are similar to those obtained from H/V spectral ratios of seismograms and accelerograms and to those inferred from the subsurface geology. Analytical transfer functions should be reviewed with respect to empirical site response evaluations. Estimations that are based on only one approach may be totally misleading.     

VERTICAL EARTHQUAKE GROUND MOTION RECORDS: AN OVERVIEW

Recent research clearly shows the importance of including the vertical component of earthquake ground motion in seismic analysis and design. In addition, pioneering studies [e.g., Elnashai and Papazoglou (1997)] have explored and documented the characteristics of available near-field vertical ground motion records. As a follow-up, this paper complements earlier studies, and investigates additional far-field records and available downhole array vertical motion records. A total of 111 free-field strong motion records (from California) and available downhole array records are employed. Compared to near-field records, far-field records generally contain more energy at longer periods. Based on the available data, response spectra are presented for near-field and far-field records respectively. The currently scarce downhole-array vertical motion records show that significant amplification may occur within the top 10-20 m soil layers. A simple one-dimensional (ID) vertical wave propagation model did not appear adequate for modelling the observed downhole array response. In using such a simplified model, very high viscous damping in the range of 15-25% was needed to match the recorded downhole vertical response, even for small tremors. Additional data and research are required [Beresnev et al., 2002] towards the development of a rational vertical motion site response analysis procedure.     

A THEORETICAL ATTENUATION MODEL FOR EARTHQUAKE-INDUCED GROUND MOTION

A theoretical attenuation model of earthquake-induced ground motion is presented and discussed. This model is related directly to physical quantities such as source and wave motion parameters. An attenuation formula for rms acceleration of ground motion is derived and verified using acceleration data from moderate-sized earthquakes recorded in Iceland from 1986 to 1997. The source parameters and the crustal attenuation are computed uniformly for the applied earthquake data. Furthermore, attenuation formulas for peak ground acceleration are put forward.     

KOSELLECK ON MODERNITY,HISTORIK, AND LAYERS OF TIME

In the scholarly reception of his work, Reinhart Koselleck's notion of modernity and his theory of multiple times have been cast as essentially at odds with each other. This article argues that although these positions are valid, Koselleck's writings can also accommodate an interpretation according to which the theory of multiple temporalities, or “layers of time,” provides theoretical ground for the modern understanding of time and history. Elaborating on this insight, the article shows the linkages sustaining the unity between Koselleck's formal theory of multiple times and his interpretation of modernity. To that end, I outline the main premises of the temporalization thesis that lies at the heart of Koselleck's theory of modernity, scrutinize his notion of Historik within which the framework “layers of time” belongs, and explore Niklas Olsen's and Helge Jordheim's interpretive accounts on how to conceive of the relationship between the two strands in Koselleck's thought. Ultimately, I argue that “layers of time” entails the formal conditions for historical acceleration, which is crucial for explaining the emergence of a specifically modern temporality wherein experience and expectation increasingly grow apart.     

Fixing the Membership of the Lords and Commons: The Case of Sir John Cam Hobhouse and the Nottingham By-Election, 1834

When Melbourne replaced Grey in 1834 he looked to recruit men with experience to join his government. He enlisted Sir John Cam Hobhouse, but Hobhouse needed a seat in the Commons. This was achieved by a writ of acceleration, whereby Viscount Duncannon, one of the sitting MPs for Nottingham, was called into the Lords in his father's lifetime to release a seat in the Commons. Writs had normally been used to strengthen the power of the government in the Lords, and the resentment in Nottingham at this political fix was expressed in a full-scale contest with accusations that the town was being turned into a government nomination borough. Hobhouse might have hoped for a free run as he had already been appointed to the cabinet. Rather, he was forced to fight for the seat, and to go through most of the activities more frequently associated with general elections.     

Financial Constraints on the Modernization of the Russian Economy

A British economist examines the main obstacles to economic modernization in the Russian economy. After arguing that increased investment is required if the Russian economy is to undergo significant modernization, he presents a framework for identifying binding constraints on such investment. A number of popular explanations of Russia's persistent underinvestment are considered, with particular emphasis on financial constraints. Recent Russian government proposals to restructure the financial system are then assessed in light of their implications for the wider economic modernization. On the basis of the growth diagnostics framework employed in the paper, the author makes the case that the binding constraint on investment in Russia is the poor quality of domestic financial intermediation.     

NEW EMPIRICAL RESPONSE SPECTRAL ATTENUATION LAWS FOR MODERATE EUROPEAN EARTHQUAKES

This paper presents response spectral attenuation laws used in the new French Safety Rule, which is the reference for nuclear safety studies in France. Attenuation laws were derived from 965 horizontal and 485 vertical components from a two-step inversion method and accounts for geometrical spreading, anelastic attenuation and geological site condition. The datasets are mainly constituted of European strong motion records (83%) recently collected and homogeneously processed. In order to complete the distribution data beyond magnitude 6, a few American records were added, representing 17% of the datasets. The magnitude type and source-to-site distance definitions chosen to derive the laws are tested with respect to other definitions. These parametric tests induce a conservative law, for some magnitude and distance ranges of interest. The residual values between observed and predicted spectral accelerations are studied and do not exhibit any bias. The inferred laws are in good agreement with classical strong motion attenuation laws.