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The Fertile Crescent, its hilly flanks and surrounding drylands has been a critical region for studying how climate has influenced societal change, and this review focuses on the region over the last 20,000 years. The complex social, economic, and environmental landscapes in the region today are not new phenomena and understanding their interactions requires a nuanced, multidisciplinary understanding of the past. This review builds on a history of collaboration between the social and natural palaeoscience disciplines. We provide a multidisciplinary, multiscalar perspective on the relevance of past climate, environmental, and archaeological research in assessing present day vulnerabilities and risks for the populations of southwest Asia. We discuss the complexity of palaeoclimatic data interpretation, particularly in relation to hydrology, and provide an overview of key time periods of palaeoclimatic interest. We discuss the critical role that vegetation plays in the human-climate-environment nexus and discuss the implications of the available palaeoclimate and archaeological data, and their interpretation, for palaeonarratives of the region, both climatically and socially. We also provide an overview of how modelling can improve our understanding of past climate impacts and associated change in risk to societies. We conclude by looking to future work, and identify themes of "scale" and "seasonality" as still requiring further focus. We suggest that by appreciating a given locale's place in the regional hydroscape, be it an archaeological site or palaeoenvironmental archive, more robust links to climate can be made where appropriate and interpretations drawn will demand the resolution of factors acting across multiple scales. This article is categorized under:Human Water > Water as Imagined and RepresentedScience of Water > Water and Environmental ChangeWater and Life > Nature of Freshwater Ecosystems.

In Southeast Arabia (i.e. the United Arab Emirates [UAE] and Oman), geoconservation is a budding initiative, but to date, there has been limited evaluation of geoheritage sites in this region. Many geoheritage evaluation methods have been developed over the last 20 years, but the most popular methods reflect experiences from experts in Europe. The representativeness of these methods for different regional, cultural, and social contexts requires scrutiny. This study developed the first parametric method for geoheritage evaluation focused on Southeast Arabia, using Fujairah, UAE as a case study. The study applied a novel approach based on questionnaires completed by regional geoscience academics, local nature tourism professionals, and local science teachers. The preferences they expressed for scientific value, educational value, and touristic value, respectively, were used to develop the evaluation method. To test the requirements for informed decisions by tourism professionals and science teachers, the study compared results of questionnaires from two occasions: after a seminar on regional geoheritage sites, and after site visits. The resulting method deviates from previous methods in the relative weight it places on various criteria, substantiating the need to target wider regional voices in methods for geoheritage evaluation in Fujairah and Southeast Arabia. It reflects the need to consider cultural and societal differences, as well as curricular requirements for the educational value, that are not highlighted in existing evaluation methods. The applicability of the method was tested and confirmed by ranking geosites in Fujairah, and the method could be used at a regional scale in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are a collaborative teaching team at a mid-sized, predominately white institution (PWI), who sought to explore teaching about antiblackness in teacher education. Using an antiblackness theoretical framework we asked: (1) What are our individual and collective curricular responsibilities as marginalized faculty and instructors within this present moment? (2) How have we adapted and adjusted to meet our senses of responsibility, specifically in addressing antiblackness?; and (3) What are the experiences, reflections, and challenges we face teaching about antiblackness during the COVID-19 pandemic? Using "narrative as praxis" as our methodology and holistic coding, we journaled in response to our research questions. There were three themes that we produced from the data: our bodies are curriculum, questioning and self-doubt, and the responsibility and urgency of doing this work. We conclude with a call to action for teacher education to take up teaching about antiblackness throughout the curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To the Editor: The papers (Parker, 2015a, 2015b) to which Dr. Cardena refers in his letter published in the Fall 2015 JP (Cardena, 2015) were intended to be constructive critiques [...]

Research on hypnosis and on psi has led to disputable correlational findings. This review indicates all the contemporary studies have major methodological weaknesses and failed to produce replicable findings and to predict future psi scores. A critique is made of the correlational approach as largely relating guessing behavior to weak psychological variables of doubtful validity. The net outcome is that research into hypnotic psi, rather than fulfilling the promise of a functional relationship based on solid ground, has become bogged down with correlational variables, methodological flaws, and what appear to be nonreplicable findings. An argument is made for a refocusing of research efforts on the most promising variables, namely 'positive dissociation' and 'positive schizotypy.' In the absence of full-scale sophisticated projects, the suggestion is that progress can be best made by the study of selected star participants or even so-called virtuoso performers. In this context the health versus pathology issue is a basic one that remains to be resolved. The issues raised are considered to be fundamental ones for a theory of consciousness. Keywords: hypnosis, psi, schizotypal personality, trance, consciousness La recherche sur l'hypnose et le psi a produit des resultats correlationnels discutables. Ce passage en revue indique que toutes les etudes contemporaines ont des faiblesses methodologiques majeures et echouent a produire des resultats reproductibles et a predire de futures performances psi. Nous faisons une critique de l'approche correlationnelle comme pouvant etre ramenee a la mise en lien de tentatives pour deviner des cibles et des variables psychologiques faibles dont la validite est douteuse. Le resultat net est que la recherche sur le psi hypnotique, plutot que de satisfaire les promesses d'une relation fonctionnelle basee sur un terrain solide, s'est embourbee avec des variables correlationnelles, des biais methodologiques et des resultats apparemment non reproductibles. Nous affirmons donc que les recherches doivent etre reorientees sur les variables les plus prometteuses, a savoir la << dissociation positive >> et la << schizotypie positive >>. En l'absence de projets sophistiques a grande echelle, nous suggerons que des progres pourraient etre fait par les etudes selectionnant des participants doues ou ceux qu'on appelle des virtuoses. Dans ce contexte, l'opposition problematique entre sante et pathologie reste a resoudre. Les problemes souleves sont consideres comme fondamentaux pour le developpement d'une theorie de la conscience. Forschungen zu Hypnose und Psi haben zu umstrittenen korrelativen Ergebnissen gefuhrt. Diese Forschungsubersicht kommt zu dem Ergebnis, dass alle gegenwartigen Studien erhebliche methodologische Schwachstellen aufweisen, zu keinen replizierbaren Ergebnissen gefuhrt haben und nicht in der Lage waren, zukunftige Psi-Treffer vorherzusagen. Der korrelative Zugang wird kritisiert, da er im wesentlichen aus Rateverhalten in Bezug auf schwache psychologische Variablen von zweifelhafter Validitat besteht. Unterm Strich bleibt ubrig, dass die Forschung zu Psi unter Hypnose--anstatt die Hoffnung nach einem funktionellen Zusammenhang zu erfullen, der auf eine sichere Grundlage hat--sich festgefahren hat mit Korrelationsvariablen, methodologischen Mangeln und offenbar nicht-replizierbaren Ergebnissen. Es wird fur eine Neuausrichtung der Forschungsbemuhungen auf die erfolgversprechendsten Variablen geworben, namlich auf 'positive Dissoziation' und 'positive Schizotypie'. Angesichts des Fehlens ausgearbeiteter und differenzierter Forschungsprojekte wird vorgeschlagen, dass Fortschritte am ehesten zu erzielen sind, wenn ausgewahlte Starteilnehmer oder sogar sogenannte virtuose Spitzenkonner untersucht werden. In diesem Zusammenhang stellt sich die Frage nach Gesundheit-versus-Pathologie als grundlegend heraus, die gelost werden muss. Die hier aufgeworfenen Fragen sind fur eine Bewusstseinstheorie von fundamentaler Bedeutung. La investigacion sobre la hipnosis y psi ha producido resultados correlacionales discutibles. Esta critica indica que todos los estudios contemporaneos tienen importantes deficiencias metodologicas y no pudieron producir resultados replicables y predecir resultados psi futuros. Hago una critica del enfoque correlacional como relacionado en gran medida a adivinanzas con variables psicologicas debiles de dudosa validez. El resultado neto es que la investigacion de psi hipnotica, en lugar de cumplir con la promesa de una relacion funcional solida, se ha empantanado en variables de correlacion, fallas metodologicas, y lo que parecen ser resultados no replicables. Arguyo que se deben reorientar los esfuerzos de investigacion en las variables mas prometedoras, a saber la disociacion 'positiva' 'y la 'esquizotipia positiva. 'En la ausencia de proyectos sofisticados a gran escala, sugiero que se puede progresar mas estudiando participantes seleccionados estrellas o incluso a los llamados virtuosos. En este contexto, el problema de salud frente a la la patologia es basico y queda por resolver. Las cuestiones planteadas son fundamentales para una teoria de la consciencia., In the first paper, it became clear that Rhine's assertion that hypnosis is a jungle of variables appears to be well-founded. The review of the 60-year dispute concerning whether or [...]

Contemporary research efforts have attempted to establish a psi-conducive hypnotic state primarily in terms of hypnotizability and dissociation. Much of this appears to be founded on the early historical association between hypnotic and psi phenomena, a misunderstood meta-analysis, and a number of shared variables. In reality, the state concept of hypnosis is still highly disputed and a review of the 60 years of intensive research on hypnosis indicates hypnosis is best seen as a complex combination of various factors: a 'jungle of variables' rather than a unitary state. This implies the search for a specific psi-conducive state may be an illusory venture. However, some of the efforts to reduce hypnosis to unconsciously elicited expectancies or 'automaticity' appear to reflect the current trend to denigrate the role of conscious processes. Paradoxically, the more dramatic phenomena of hypnosis may instead illustrate the potency of altered belief systems in effecting major changes in psychological processes. Keywords: hypnotic state, psi, consciousness, placebo effect Les recherches contemporaines se sont efforcees d'etablir un etat hypnotique favorisant le psi a partir des notions d'hypnotisabilite et de dissociation. Cela vient en grande partie de l'heritage historique association les phenomenes hypnotiques et psi, une meta-analyse mal comprise et un certain nombre de variables communes. En realite, l'hypnose concue comme un etat fait toujours l'objet de nombreux debats et un passage en revue de 60 ans de recherches intensives sur l'hypnose indique que l'hypnose serait plutot a voir comme une combinaison complexe de divers facteurs : une << jungle de variables >> plutot qu'un etat unitaire. Cela implique que la recherche d'un etat specifique favorisant le psi pourrait n'etre qu'une entreprise vouee a l'echec. Toutefois, certains des efforts pour reduire l'hypnose a des attentes suscitees inconsciemment ou a de << l'automaticite >> semblent refleter la tendance actuelle a denigrer le role des processus conscients. Paradoxalement, les phenomenes les plus spectaculaires de l'hypnose pourraient plutot illustrer l'aptitude des systemes de croyance modifiee a modifier de facon majeure les processus psychologiques. Gegenwartige Forschungsanstrengungen wurden in der Absicht unternommen, einen psi-forderlichen hypnotischen Zustand in erster Linie mit Hilfe von Hypnotisierbarkeit und Dissoziation nachzuweisen. Das meiste davon scheint auf eine fruhe historische Verbindung zwischen hypnotischen und Psi-Phanomenen zuruckzugehen, einer falsch interpretierten Meta-Analyse und einer Anzahl gemeinsamer Variablen. In Wirklichkeit ist die Auffassung von Hypnose als einem Zustand immer noch ausserst umstritten, und eine Ubersicht uber 60 Jahre intensiver Hypnoseforschung deutet daraufhin, dass Hypnose bestenfalls als komplexes Zusammenspiel verschiedener Faktoren gesehen werden kann--eher als ein 'Dschungel aus Variablen' als ein einheitlicher Zustand. Die Suche nach einem spezifisch psi-forrderlichen Zustand konnte sich daher als illusorisches Unternehmen heraussteilen. Einige der Versuche, Hypnose auf unbewusst induzierte Erwartungen oder auf 'Automatizitat' zu reduzieren, scheint den gegenwartigen Trend widerzuspiegeln, die Rolle bewusster Prozesse abzuwerten. Paradoxerweise konnen andererseits die dramatischeren Hypnosephanomene dadurch, dass sie grossere Anderungen bei psychologischen Prozessen bewirken, die Wirkmachtigkeit veranderter Glaubenssysteme illustrieren. Los esfuerzos de investigacion contemporaneos han intentado establecer un estado hipnotico propicio a psi principalmente en terminos de hipnotizabilidad y disociacion. Mucho de esto parece estar fundado en la temprana asociacion historica entre los fenomenos hipnoticos y psi, un meta-analisis incomprendido, y una serie de variables compartidas. En realidad, el concepto de estado de hipnosis continua siendo disputado y una revision de los 60 anos de investigacion intensiva sobre la hipnosis indica que la hipnosis es una combinacion compleja de varios factores: una 'jungla de variables' mas que un estado unitario. Esto implica que la busqueda de un estado especifico propicio a psi puede ser una empresa ilusoria. Sin embargo, algunos de los esfuerzos para reducir la hipnosis a expectativas elicitadas inconscientemente o 'automaticidad' parecen reflejar la tendencia actual para denigrar el papel de los procesos conscientes. Paradojicamente, los fenomenos mas dramaticos de la hipnosis pueden ilustrar el poder de sistemas de creencias alterados para efectuar cambios importantes en ios procesos psicologicos., In a previous paper (Parker & Millar, 2014) the crisis in psi research was related to the failure to deal with the psi-based experimenter effect. The myth here was that [...]