No new perspectives, just red herrings: a reply to Gorard

No abstract.

On the ultracompact nature of 4U 1822-000

We report the discovery of a periodic modulation in the optical lightcurve of the candidate ultracompact X-ray binary 4U 1822-000. Using time-resolved optical photometry taken with the William Herschel Telescope we find evidence for a sinusoidal modulation with a semi-amplitude of 8 per cent and a period of 191 min, which is most likely close to the true orbital period of the binary. Using the van Paradijs & McClintock relation for the absolute magnitude and the distance modulus allowing for interstellar reddening, we estimate the distance to 4U 1822-000 to be 6.3 kpc. The long orbital period casts severe doubts on the ultracompact nature of 4U 1822-000.

Making hay while the sun shines? Socio-economic change, cereal production and climatic deterioration in Early Medieval Ireland

The Early Medieval period in Ireland (c. A.D. 400–1150) has been the subject of much archaeological and historical study. The recent application of various forms of archaeological sciences, as well as palaeoenvironmental studies, to the archaeological record have, however, added fresh impetus to this study area. It seems increasingly evident that significant changes to economy and society occurred during this period and were not recorded in detail in the contemporary documentary sources. This paper will attempt to outline those changes and to assess whether, or to what extent, they were influenced by climate change.

‘Care just changes your life’: Factors impacting on the mental health of children and young people in care in Northern Ireland.

This paper represents one element of a research project carried out into the mental health needs of children and young people with experiences of care in Northern Ireland. Focusing exclusively on qualitative data collected from 51 young people in care and aftercare, it discusses in the first instance how the challenges and difficulties faced by young people can manifest themselves in feelings and behaviours that may exemplify poor mental well-being. In doing so it provides an understanding of mental health in the context of these young people’s lives. Through offering a more detailed account of some of the specific issues that put these young people at increased risk, it highlights areas for further work and consideration as a means of protecting them against these risks. These include: dealing with experiences prior to care; easing and ‘‘normalising’’ the experience of living in care; and enhancing ‘‘safety nets’’ after care. A key objective of the research is to inform policy and practice through the accounts of children and young people. It is argued that more work needs to be done to find creative ways of enhancing the day-to-day experiences of young people while in care and when leaving care.

Inductive reasoning and semantic cognition: More than just different names for the same thing?

We describe evidence that certain inductive phenomena are associated with IQ, that different inductive phenomena emerge at different ages, and that the effects of causal knowledge on induction are decreased under conditions of memory load. On the basis of this evidence we argue that there is more to inductive reasoning than semantic cognition.

`No dream is ever just a dream': Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut as monofilm

This article examines Stanley Kubrick's final film, Eyes Wide Shut (1999), in relation to its source text, J.M.Q. Davies's 1999 translation of Arthur Schnitzler's Traumnovelle/Dream Story, originally published in 1926. Both the film and the novel are viewed through the lens of monodrama, a dramatic genre characterized by the attempt to convey the subjective psychical experience of a strong central protagonist. Monodramatic traits may also be found in the novel and film, and the article explores how this adaptation typifies certain aspects of the monodrama form and how those traits are portrayed through the specific conventions and limitations of the differing media.