In this thesis, I conduct an analysis of paradigmatic background assumptions deployed in engineering decision-making processes, in order to understand how these assumptions, operating tacitly and in tension with each other, contribute to decisions that are ethically less effective and less substantial than they would otherwise be. I do so...
I defend robust realism from arguments that raise epistemological challenges to it based on considerations about either moral disagreement or the genealogy of our moral beliefs. The first argument is the “Argument from Conciliationism,” which contends that the moral disagreements that obtain between moral peers give us reason to believe...
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Jonathan M. Kaplan, Committee Member, representing the School of History,
Philosophy, and
The high accumulation rate and negligible amount of melt at Eclipse Icefield (3017 m) in the Saint Elias Range of Yukon, Canada, allows for the preservation of a high-resolution isotopic and glaciochemical records valuable for reconstruction of climatic variables. Each of the three Eclipse ice cores have a well-constrained depth–age...
The accurate prediction of winter injury caused by low-temperature events is a key component of the effective cultivation of woody and herbaceous perennial plants. A common method employed to visualize geographic patterns in the severity of low-temperature events is to map a climatological variable that closely correlates with plant survival....
Why do rural households leave for urban places? And how does this
decision affect their economic well-being? Rural places in the United States have higher poverty and unemployment rates and lower levels of educational attainment relative to urban places. Does leaving a rural place for a city offer a pathway...
Wine is particularly vulnerable to infection by Brettanomyces bruxellensis during or shortly after malolactic fermentation (MLF). While different methods and techniques enable winemakers to prevent wine spoilage due to this organism, no single intervention is universally sufficient. Moreover application of sulfur dioxide, the most commonly used of these methods, is...
Un Paseo Encantado, an enchanted walk, is a collection of my observations and experiences in a study abroad program in Oviedo, Spain. My commentary on Spanish culture is based on reading I did prior my departure, in combination with my observations while in Spain. In six chapters, I explore the...
As the aging population continues to grow the world over, age related complications become more and more apparent among the elderly population. One such complication is age associated memory impairment, which makes the elderly more dependent on caregivers early on. NMDA receptors in the brain are important for memory formation,...
Background
Although screening mammography may contribute to decreases in breast cancer mortality in a population, it may also increase the risk of false positives, anxiety, and unnecessary and costly medical procedures in individuals. We report trends in self-reported non-normal screening mammography results, lumpectomies, and breast cancer in a representative sample...
Land use is one of the leading factors that cause environmental degradation, such as water pollution, open space contraction and habitat loss. This dissertation consists of three essays. First paper investigates the relationship between land use and water pollution. Combining land use choice model and water pollution data, I simulate...