Signs Daniel Chandler Signs We seem as a species to be driven by a desire to make meanings : above all, we are surely - meaning-makers. Distinctively, we make meanings through our creation and interpretation of 'signs'. The two dominant models of what constitutes a sign are those of the linguist Ferdinand de Saussure and the philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce. Saussure offered a 'dyadic' or two-part model of the sign. a 'signifier' ( ) - the which the sign takes; and the 'signified' ( ) - the it represents. The is the whole that results from the association of the signifier with the signified ( Saussure 1983, 67 ; Saussure 1974, 67 ). If we take a linguistic example, the word 'Open' (when it is invested with meaning by someone who encounters it on a shop doorway) is a consisting of: a : the word ; a : that the shop is open for business. A sign must have both a signifier and a signified. A linguistic sign is not a link between a thing and a name, but between a concept and a sound pattern.
Space Solar Power is Unspillable Buzz Aldrin, the second man to set foot on the Moon, has proposed an answer to the Louisiana oil spill. It’s solar energy harvested in space, known in the space community as Space Solar Power. “The timing of the oil catastrophe,” says Aldrin, “is a great opportunity for re-evaluating solar energy from space.” Click on image for larger version. May be freely distributed. We’ve been harvesting solar power in space and sending it to Earth since 1962, when the first commercial satellite, Telstar, was launched and began transmitting energy harvested by the solar panels studded all over its beach-ball-like surface. The Japanese space agency, JAXA, has committed $27 million to space solar power and has plans for a satellite capable of powering 300,000 homes. Space solar power means no more Louisiana oil spills. Take the load off the Earth. From a press release of the Space Development Steering Committee.
Escapist fiction Escapist fiction is fiction which provides a psychological escape from thoughts of everyday life by immersing the reader in exotic situations or activities. The term is not used favorably, though the condemnation contained in it may be slight. Those who defend works described as escapist from the charge either assert that they are not escapist—such as, a science fiction novel's satiric aspects address real life—or defend the notion of "escape" as such, not "escapism"—as in J. R. R. Genres which can include elements of escapist fiction include:
Outline of semiotics The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to semiotics: Semiotics – study of meaning-making, signs and sign processes (semiosis), indication, designation, likeness, analogy, metaphor, symbolism, signification, and communication. Semiotics is closely related to the field of linguistics, which, for its part, studies the structure and meaning of language more specifically. Also called semiotic studies, or semiology (in the Saussurean tradition). What type of thing is semiotics? Semiotics can be described as all of the following: Academic discipline – branch of knowledge that is taught and researched at the college or university level. Branches of semiotics[edit] Three main branches[edit] Subfields[edit] History of semiotics[edit] Methods of semiotics[edit] Semiotic analyses[edit] General semiotics concepts[edit] Semiotics organizations[edit] Semiotics publications[edit] Persons influential in semiotics[edit] Cognitive semioticians[edit] Literary semioticians[edit]
Take Action for the Environment - The Biosphère, an ecobuilding This Web page has been archived on the Web. Archived Content Information identified as archived on the Web is for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It has not been altered or updated after the date of archiving. Web pages that are archived on the Web are not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards. The Biosphere, an ecobuilding The Biosphere was already considered a green building when it was built in 1995. The Belvedere's wind turbines (Click on the image to access this section!) The green roofs and indoor garden (Click on either image to access this section!) The geothermal system The wastewater treatment plant Date Modified: This Web page has been archived on the Web. Vonnegut Icons, Symbols and a Semiotic Web – October 15th, 2005 – Semiotics, loosly speaking, is the study of signs. Simple enough. What becomes difficult is defining what a ‘sign’ actually is. When we think of signs we think of the things on the left there don’t we? We think of something visual like a signpost. What this article isn’t about This article is not about semiotics. Starting at the beginning We’ve established that semiotics is the study of signs, and signs can be made up of all sorts of stuff like language, pictures, body language etc. but what does all this mean in a practical sense? Modern day Semioticians, not only study ‘signs’ - it goes much deeper than that - they study how meaning is formed. There are three main areas of semiotics; the signs themselves, the way they are organised into systems and the context in which they appear. We’ll have a look at the first of these in this article. The Signs themselves Charles Sanders Peirce is an American philosopher recognised as the founder of modern semiotics.
Green Roofs Project 5 Tips for Writing Kick-Ass Characters Bryan Cranston as Walter White Characters make the story. They are the most difficult aspect of any work in progress, and the most crucial to its success. There are so many elements to be considered when dealing with characters, especially when your cast is many. Have no fear! 1. What was the last book you read, film you watched, or game you played where you were rooting for the main character, wishing you were by her side to help in the struggle? Now ask yourself why you felt this way about that character. Relatable characters are the ones that you can identify with, the ones you want to see succeed, and the ones who make your throat tighten when they are in jeopardy. That level of emotion is what you want your audience to experience during the trials and tribulations of your characters. 2. Always keep in mind the purpose of your character when writing your story, whether it be to mentor your hero, save the world, or become the dastardly villain that betrays others. So, where do you begin?
www.teebweb.org Passionate Reason the blog of author L.E. Henderson: How I Lost My Guilt and Became Addicted to Writing Since early childhood, I wanted to be a writer. I wrote exuberant stories about vampires, hidden treasure, and animals. Over the years, teachers, friends, and relatives read my stories, smiled, and encouraged me. They told me I wrote well, and so I should write more. By adolescence, writing was not just something I wanted to do. It became even more serious after high school graduation. With the intensity of a pilgrim, I marshaled my energies and earnestly began to plan. However, with all my ambitious planning, I had a big problem: I rarely ever wrote. I did have scattered episodes of exhilarating inspiration, and I would hurry to my notebook and scribble down my thoughts. Writing felt too important, too sacred, to even begin. At the same time, I was uncomfortably conscious of the monstrous gap between my plans and actions. I listed the potential benefits: happy creative life-style, money, office in a quaint house on a solitary beach-side mountaintop, world-wide acclaim as a genius.
Quick Facts That Debunk Hysterical Global Warming Claims « LEADING MALAYSIAN NEOCON Join the Global Warming is Unfactual group on Facebook! Take the quick poll question! Anthropogenic global warming theory is the idea that human activities that release carbon dioxide are causing the Earth’s temperature to rise drastically. Anthropogenic global warming theory has the following assumptions: 1) Carbon dioxide is the main cause of rising global temperatures 2) The main source of this carbon dioxide is from human activities 3) The temperature rise will be quick and large 4) The temperature rise will cause massive devastation and disaster 5) We must act now to stop the release of carbon dioxide But that is only one side of the story. The following collection of facts all come with citations and links. Read on and ask yourself: What do the following FACTS mean for purported human-caused global warming? - Meanwhile, on planet Earth, the oceans have been cooling since 2003. - Sea ice is growing at the fastest rate ever recorded. - It snowed in Iraq for the first time in 100 years.