Chapters authored
Some Issues on Possible Connections between Creativity in Science and Technology and Old Cultural Frameworks
The paper presents some results related to the approaches used to identify possible connections between aspects of creativity in science and technology and old cultural topics and paradigms. The analysis is performed for some specific cases for nuclear physics and nuclear energy issues considered of interest in the Romanian environment. Five cases were analyzed. The evaluation method is based on some previous results proposed by the author in order to illustrate the identified, in a systematic manner, connections between creativity in science and technology and old cultural framework. By using the proposed method, a set of connections was identified for the chosen cases. The approach was tested for some specific cases, but it is expected that it may be applied to other examples as well.
Part of the book: Proceedings of the International Conference on Interdisciplinary Studies (ICIS 2016)
Some Considerations on the Lessons Learnt from the Cavalcade of Changes in Physics’ Models
This paper presents an attempt to explain and to make predictions on the change process in the physics’ models. One important goal of the search for such an attempt is to develop an approach that is able to have a certain degree of predictability of at least the direction in which the models will change, assuming that in general it is possible to have an answer to the question, whether this change process has a certain rhythmicity and follows some patterns, or it is a totally chaotic one. The paradigmatic approach of Kuhn on changes in science was one of the starting points for this search, and the use of topological aspects to describe models in physics was a starting point of the search for the approach. By using notions of categories and of syzygies from mathematics, a new approach is proposed to evaluate the direction of changes in science and technology, with an example from the nuclear physics and technology.
Part of the book: Proceedings of the International Conference on Interdisciplinary Studies (ICIS 2016)
Lessons Learnt from Some Natural Energy Sources
The chapter presents in a systematic manner the lessons learnt from the natural energy systems (NES) and their specific features. The conclusions are based on the evaluation of the risk impact on environment and for the improvement of the risk evaluation methodologies of such systems. A specific feature of the NES is the interdependence between them and society/mankind and the environment. Risk analyses for such systems have specific features underlined while compared with the features of the artificial (man-made) energy systems (MMES). Previous works illustrated in detail the NES versus MMES differences. This chapter presents the main aspects of such a review, when applied to a specific NES, the natural nuclear fission reactor in Oklo, Gabon (NES_Oklo). NES_Oklo operated about two billion years ago for about two hundreds millions of years. The lessons drawn from studying how this reactor was built, operated and self-decommissioned are of high importance for nuclear energy and not only. There are conclusions drawn from the study of Oklo reactor, which seem to shake some taboo issues in Physics, like for instance the light speed limit and other fundamental aspects of Quantum Mechanics, which have also important philosophical implications.
Part of the book: Renewable Energy