The Victorian era stood as an important moment in the historical relationship between scientific inquiry and religious beliefs. Bernard Lightman, a Canadian historian, professor and author of Victorian Sciences and Religions: Discordant Harmonies, highlighted the importance of this period, writing, \u201cIf there is any period in the post-Newtonian age that deserves to be seen as an arena of societal warfare between science and religion, surely the Victorian period is a strong candidate.\u201d For example, Charles Darwin\u2019s momentous 1859 publication of On the Origin of Species in this era remains one of the main catalysts in the conflict between science and religion. Darwin\u2019s publication on evolutionary theory brought attention to major inconsistencies between religious belief and scientific fact. These inconsistencies sparked many heated debates regarding the validity of previously held theological views. Yet, to characterize this era as simply a battleground between science and religion simplifies the views that many Victorian intellectuals held regarding these matters. Thomas Henry (T.H.) Huxley, known as \u201cDarwin\u2019s Bulldog\u201d and the father of agnosticism, arose as one of the key figures who embodied the complex intellectual views regarding the\r\nrelationship between religion and science in the Victorian era.
" }, { "name": "Ratala, Sreeyutha", "degree": "Other", "year": "2025", "title": "A Forgotten Flame", "advisor": "Unknown, Unknown", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechThesis:06242025-163915813", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Ratala", "given": "Sreeyutha" }, "id": "Sreeyutha-Ratala", "display_name": "Ratala, Sreeyutha" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "english" ], "doi": "10.7907/jtan-4n18", "abstract": "[Introduction] The rain hadn\u2019t come yet, but Arie could feel its weight in the air. The damp chill crept into her bones as she shifted beneath the scraps of cardboard that made up her shelter. The edges had already softened from last night\u2019s mist, and she knew the next real storm would tear it apart. She would have to rebuild her makeshift home again, find new crates, new strips of cloth to patch the gaps. For now, she curled into herself, pressing her back against the wooden crate she used as a wall, listening to the city\u2019s static pulse." }, { "name": "Speer, Edward", "degree": "Other", "year": "2025", "title": "The Good Life+: Well-Being in Virtual Worlds", "advisor": "Quartz, Steven R.", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechThesis:06302025-172754389", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Speer", "given": "Edward" }, "id": "Speer-Edward", "display_name": "Speer, Edward" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Quartz", "given": "Steven R." }, "id": "Quartz-S-R", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "Quartz, Steven R." } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "philosophy" ], "doi": "10.7907/d62w-gn55", "abstract": "Virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) technologies are rapidly becoming more sophisticated, increasingly offering users the experience of simulated presence. As these technologies advance, they raise important questions about the nature of well-being in virtual worlds. Classical accounts emphasize the importance of authenticity for well-being, and deny that virtual worlds can provide authentic experiences. This paper combines insights from the philosophy and psychology of well-being to argue that virtual worlds can provide authentic experiences, and analyzes the quality of experiences in virtual worlds over several dimensions relevant to well-being to show that one can live The Good Life+: The Good Life in a virtual world." }, { "name": "Taveira, Mariana Vale", "degree": "Other", "year": "2025", "title": "Dot, Letter, Legend: Johann Bayer's Graphic Code", "advisor": "Gaida, Margaret", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechThesis:08122025-212632192", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Taveira", "given": "Mariana Vale" }, "id": "Taveira-Mariana-Vale", "display_name": "Taveira, Mariana Vale" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Gaida", "given": "Margaret" }, "id": "Gaida-Margaret", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "Gaida, Margaret" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "philosophy" ], "doi": "10.7907/aw8c-0858", "abstract": "[Introduction] In the Western imagination, the night sky long oscillated between myth and measurement. When the tenth-century Persian astronomer al-Sufi redrafted Ptolemy\u2019s star list in his Book of Fixed Stars (964 CE), he paired naked-eye observations with richly painted constellation figures, proving that pictures could do double duty as both art and empirical record [1]. Late-medieval scholars echoed that hybrid style \u2013 Hyginus\u2019s woodcuts (1482) filled the heavens with decorative heroes [2], while Alessandro Piccolomini\u2019s De le Stelle Fisse (1540) spotlighted positional grids [3]. Yet none of these charts provided a visual idiom robust enough to anchor the new Copernican vision of a three-dimensional celestial sphere. That idiom arrived in 1603, when the Augsburg lawyer-uranographer Johann Bayer published Uranometria [4]." }, { "name": "Taveira, Mariana Vale", "degree": "Other", "year": "2025", "title": "From Carbon to Silicon: A Philosophical Case for Surviving Through Mind Uploading", "advisor": "Hitchcock, Christopher", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechThesis:08122025-215044786", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Taveira", "given": "Mariana Vale" }, "id": "Taveira-Mariana-Vale", "display_name": "Taveira, Mariana Vale" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Hitchcock", "given": "Christopher" }, "id": "Hitchcock-C-R", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "Hitchcock, Christopher" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "philosophy" ], "doi": "10.7907/zmzb-4m51", "abstract": "[Introduction] You lie on an operating table, mortally wounded by a car crash. Your doctors present a stunning opportunity: Procedure A \u2013 a comprehensive brain scan to upload your mind onto a supercomputer, which would then animate a replacement brainless body \u2013 or Procedure B \u2013 a conventional (but dangerous) brain transplant to another also brainless new body. With only hours left to live, you must choose quickly and wisely. Yet what does \u201cwisely\u201d mean here? If our aim is survival, we first need a working theory of what survival entails in the face of such radical technology. \r\nIn what follows, I will argue for choosing Procedure A \u2013 uploading one\u2019s mind to a supercomputer \u2013 on the grounds that such an action preserves the functional and psychological continuity that, in my view, constitutes personal identity. I will draw on selected theories of personal identity to demonstrate why uploading one\u2019s mind to a supercomputer plausibly satisfies the conditions for survival and then I will consider possible objections and explain how they can be addressed by emphasizing psychological continuity rather than numerical identity of substance. In concluding, I will reflect on why Procedure A remains the most reliable path to preserving me." }, { "name": "Won, Elizabeth", "degree": "Other", "year": "2025", "title": "Reliable Unreliability \u2013 Narrative Bias in Autofiction", "advisor": "Weinstein, Cindy; Holland, Jocelyn", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechThesis:06302025-165533854", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Won", "given": "Elizabeth" }, "id": "Won-Elizabeth", "display_name": "Won, Elizabeth" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Weinstein", "given": "Cindy" }, "id": "Weinstein-C", "orcid": "0009-0006-0352-2981", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "Weinstein, Cindy" }, { "name": { "family": "Holland", "given": "Jocelyn" }, "id": "Holland-J", "orcid": "0000-0001-7812-1329", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "Holland, Jocelyn" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "english" ], "doi": "10.7907/f6mq-7642", "abstract": "[Introduction] Narrative unreliability in fiction presents a compelling paradox: the more subjectively biased a narrator appears, the more reliably they reveal their authentic self. Across literary history, such narrative unreliability has captivated readers precisely because it mirrors our inherently subjective experiences. Consider Humbert Humbert in Vladimir Nabokov\u2019s Lolita, whose charismatic yet morally distorted voice seduces readers into overlooking his crimes. Similarly, John Dowell in Ford Madox Ford\u2019s The Good Soldier frames his account through emotional prejudice, prompting readers to question the reliability and accuracy of his perceptions. Even in novels featuring non-human narrators, such as Kazuo Ishiguro\u2019s artificially created protagonists, Klara and Kathy, humanlike emotional biases become central, further highlighting the fundamental role subjectivity plays in narrative engagement. Unreliability, or the presence of emotional bias, is the very thing that ties us to these characters, creating profound connections between reader and narrator." }, { "name": "Davis, Grace", "degree": "Other", "year": "2024", "title": "Mountains of Self: Dream Revelations Transcending Frame Narratives", "advisor": "Holland, Jocelyn", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechThesis:07222024-171049871", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Davis", "given": "Grace" }, "id": "Davis-Grace", "display_name": "Davis, Grace" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Holland", "given": "Jocelyn" }, "id": "Holland-J", "orcid": "0000-0001-7812-1329", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "Holland, Jocelyn" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "philosophy" ], "doi": "10.7907/b3nv-n771", "abstract": "[Introduction] Dreams have long been a source of curiosity and awe to humankind, inspiring centuries of study, interpretation, and discussion. The enigma of dreams\u2014where they come from, what they mean, and why they occur\u2014is shared by nearly all people, so it\u2019s no surprise that the concept of dreaming has also been the subject of countless stories. Stories told through lens of both dream and reality often use framing as a method of separating the narrative of the dream from the narrative of \u201creality\u201d in the story. In such stories, there are usually three frames: the frame of the reader and the world the reader is living in, the frame of the story, and the frame of the dream within the story. Such stories interrogate the connection between these three frames; almost invariably, the connection is related to dreamer themselves. Dreams manifest truths about the dreamer, often revealing a picture of a self that the dreamer may not be able to see or face in waking life. Elements of a dream can be manifestations of these truths; these elements then transcend the frame of the dream, reaching from the dream into the story\u2019s reality and, at times, even into the reality of the reader themselves." }, { "name": "Kim, Joseph Hakkyu", "degree": "Other", "year": "2024", "title": "Dear Goose", "advisor": "Unknown, Unknown", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechThesis:07172024-185142124", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Kim", "given": "Joseph Hakkyu" }, "id": "Kim-Joseph-Hakkyu", "orcid": "0009-0000-8633-0833", "display_name": "Kim, Joseph Hakkyu" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "english" ], "doi": "10.7907/39zb-fz59", "abstract": "[Introduction] Dear Goose, I am hesitant to write to you. Because I know you don\u2019t like to read. Because I know English is hard. I am writing to thank you, to apologize to you, and to get to know you. I am told that is important." }, { "name": "Kulkarni, Shrishti Pankaj", "degree": "Other", "year": "2024", "title": "Beowulf and the Moral Dilemma Between Kingship and Heroism", "advisor": "Jahner, Jennifer A.", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechThesis:07172024-183149322", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Kulkarni", "given": "Shrishti Pankaj" }, "id": "Kulkarni-Shrishti-Pankaj", "display_name": "Kulkarni, Shrishti Pankaj" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Jahner", "given": "Jennifer A." }, "id": "Jahner-J-A", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "Jahner, Jennifer A." } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "english" ], "doi": "10.7907/9g8e-vk35", "abstract": "[Introduction] While Beowulf is largely a poem chronicling the exploits of the titular hero, one of the integral roles in Beowulf is that of the king. From the very exposition of the poem, the reader is introduced to the kings of the Danes and their respective lineages, implicitly highlighting the role of the kings in shaping the story. The poem describes a variety of kings, both \u201cgood\u201d and \u2018bad\u2019, but what is especially interesting to note is the use of kings as both a complement and a contrast to heroes. The values and responsibilities of the king seem to differ vastly from that of a hero, with the exception of the titular character Beowulf himself. Despite ascending the throne and serving as a \u201cgood king\u201d (2390) \u201cfor fifty years\u201d (2733), Beowulf still seems to toe the line between serving as a king and serving as a hero, which makes him a prime candidate while analysing the moral code of kings and heroes in the poem Beowulf. This essay aims to explore how the expectations from kings and heroes contrast each other in Beowulf, and how Beowulf himself seems to be unwilling to transition between the two states." }, { "name": "Liaw, Sarah Yuan Ni", "degree": "Other", "year": "2024", "title": "The Paradox of Authentic Happiness and Existential Suffering", "advisor": "Quartz, Steven R.", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechThesis:07172024-184031599", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Liaw", "given": "Sarah Yuan Ni" }, "id": "Liaw-Sarah-Yuan-Ni", "orcid": "0009-0007-5673-7254", "display_name": "Liaw, Sarah Yuan Ni" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Quartz", "given": "Steven R." }, "id": "Quartz-S-R", "display_name": "Quartz, Steven R." } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "philosophy" ], "doi": "10.7907/nrma-mj91", "abstract": "[Introduction] Is the apparent connection between happiness and authenticity as straightforward as it seems? Intuitively, if we are \u2018true to ourselves\u2019 or, colloquially, if we \u2018follow what our heart desires\u2019, we should experience more positive feelings, or \u2018happiness\u2019. However, why does existentialism often invoke negative feelings like suffering and despair when a big part of it focuses on being \u2018true to ourselves\u2019? Why is there such an incompatibility between happiness and existentialism? To explore this paradox, I will briefly review the discord between authenticity and existential suffering. I then argue that current scholarship on well-being and happiness does not satisfactorily address this perceived incompatibility. I will do so by demonstrating that widely accepted normative theories of subjective well-being\u2014particularly those steeped in the pursuit of hedonistic pleasures\u2014are potentially emblematic of projects of bad faith. Counter-intuitively, I posit that the existentialist can attain happiness by demonstrating proportionality between the experience of suffering and the experience of being authentic. I will also substantiate this by showing how components of existential concepts, including suffering as a catalyst and self-concordance, significantly influence well-being." }, { "name": "Lin, Po-Hsuan", "degree": "Other", "year": "2024", "title": "Essays in Behavioral Game Theory Solution Concepts", "advisor": "Palfrey, Thomas R.", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:05072024-184743172", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Lin", "given": "Po-Hsuan" }, "id": "Lin-Po-Hsuan", "orcid": "0000-0003-3437-1734", "display_name": "Lin, Po-Hsuan" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Palfrey", "given": "Thomas R." }, "id": "Palfrey-T-R", "orcid": "0000-0003-0769-8109", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "Palfrey, Thomas R." } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "Tamuz", "given": "Omer" }, "id": "Tamuz-O", "orcid": "0000-0002-0111-0418", "role": "chair", "display_name": "Tamuz, Omer" }, { "name": { "family": "Camerer", "given": "Colin F." }, "id": "Camerer-C-F", "orcid": "0000-0003-4049-1871", "role": "member", "display_name": "Camerer, Colin F." }, { "name": { "family": "Palfrey", "given": "Thomas R." }, "id": "Palfrey-T-R", "orcid": "0000-0003-0769-8109", "role": "member", "display_name": "Palfrey, Thomas R." }, { "name": { "family": "Rosenthal", "given": "Jean-Laurent" }, "id": "Rosenthal-J-L", "role": "member", "display_name": "Rosenthal, Jean-Laurent" } ], "option_major": [ "socsci" ], "doi": "10.7907/kbwg-w708", "abstract": "This dissertation introduces two novel behavioral solution concepts for dynamic games: the cursed sequential equilibrium (CSE) and the dynamic cognitive hierarchy solution (DCH). Chapter 1 offers an overview of these theories and highlights their departure from standard equilibrium theory.
\r\n\r\nChapter 2 develops the cursed sequential equilibrium, incorporating the bias where players neglect the correlation between other players\u2019 private types and actions into game theory. This framework extends the analysis of cursed equilibrium proposed by Eyster and Rabin (2005) from games in strategic form to multi-stage games, and applies it to various applications in economics and political economy.
\r\n\r\nChapter 3 introduces the dynamic cognitive hierarchy solution, which relaxes the requirement of mutual consistency of beliefs by extending the cognitive hierarchy approach from games in strategic form to the extensive form. An important feature is that the solution can be dramatically different for games that are strategically equivalent from the perspective of standard equilibrium theory.
\r\n\r\nThis property, which I call the \u201crepresentation effect,\u201d has significant implications for experimental methodology and real-world phenomena. To test this effect, in Chapter 4, I design and conduct a laboratory experiment on the dirty-faces game, a simple multi-stage game of incomplete information. The experiment consists of two treatments, each implementing one of two strategically equivalent versions of the game. The dynamic cognitive hierarchy solution provides precise predictions about the differences in behavior between treatments, and the experimental results align with that prediction.
" }, { "name": "Nkurumeh, Emeka", "degree": "Other", "year": "2024", "title": "Qital and Jihad: The Faces of Holy War in Islam", "advisor": "Brown, Warren C.", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechThesis:07162024-232120207", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Nkurumeh", "given": "Emeka" }, "id": "Nkurumeh-Emeka", "display_name": "Nkurumeh, Emeka" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Brown", "given": "Warren C." }, "id": "Brown-Warren-C", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "Brown, Warren C." } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "history" ], "doi": "10.7907/gt9c-vv57", "abstract": "[Introduction] When reviewing Muslim sources on the early Crusades, what seems to set apart the Third\r\nCrusade from the earlier ones is a focus on the concept of \u201choly war\u201d which seems to be absent\r\nfrom earlier Crusades. It is as if the idea of \u201choly war\u201d that would come to dominate the Muslim\r\nview of the Crusades developed as a response to the religious fervor of the crusaders. However,\r\nupon further study of the history of the Islamic world, two things become clear: the Islamic\r\nconcept of \u201choly war\u201d is different from that of Christendom, and its history is not so simple. The\r\nmajority of the accounts written on the first three Crusades were written by historians during the\r\ntime of Nur ad-Din and Saladin, who both used religion to legitimize their conquests and\r\nsubsequent rule. Their religious piety gave Muslim historians an avenue to explain their\r\nsuccesses where those before them had failed. However, it is undeniable that most early Muslim\r\nhistorians, and often those in power, saw all three Crusades as deeply religious conflicts. An\r\nIslamic concept of \u201choly war\u201d was present throughout all three Crusades, but the piety that Nur\r\nad-Din and Saladin displayed led to an increase in the use of the concept of a \u201choly war\u201d by\r\nMuslim historians trying to legitimize the rule and analyze the response of Muslim leaders to the\r\nCrusades." }, { "name": "Redmond, Heidi", "degree": "Other", "year": "2024", "title": "The Woman Who Waits No More", "advisor": "Jahner, Jennifer A.; Pigman, George W., III", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechThesis:07162024-223943867", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Redmond", "given": "Heidi" }, "id": "Redmond-Heidi", "display_name": "Redmond, Heidi" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Jahner", "given": "Jennifer A." }, "id": "Jahner-J-A", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "Jahner, Jennifer A." }, { "name": { "family": "Pigman", "given": "George W., III" }, "id": "Pigman-G-W-III", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "Pigman, George W., III" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "english" ], "doi": "10.7907/rct8-dd11", "abstract": "[Introduction] Homer\u2019s epic poems are stories written mostly about men and the intricacies of their roles\r\nin Ancient Greece, choosing to focus on grief and masculinity and exploring the consequences of\r\nhubris and plays for power. As a result, the stories about the inner lives of the women of ancient\r\nepic are often overshadowed by the roles they play in forwarding and motivating the narratives\r\nof men. One such story is the narrative of Penelope, the faithful, ever-waiting wife of Odysseus.\r\nThe accounts of her longing for her husband and the peril she and her household face at the\r\nhands of the suitors are largely responsible for creating the sense of urgency for Odysseus\u2019s\r\nreturn home which underpins his misadventures at sea. But the Odyssey lacks a fuller\r\nexploration of who Penelope became over the twenty long years of Odysseus\u2019s absence during\r\nwhich time she raised a son, ruled over a nation, and weathered the onslaught of the suitors.\r\nThough outside of the scope of the Odyssey, Carol Ann Duffy and A. E. Stallings in their poems\r\n\u201cPenelope\u201d and \u201cThe Wife of the Man of Many Wiles\u201d are able to explore Penelope\u2019s character\r\nin more depth, especially regarding her portrayal as a woman who is passively waiting for\r\nchange. Duffy\u2019s poem develops Penelope as a character who decides that she would rather take\r\ncontrol of her narrative than spend her days waiting upon a husband who may never return. The\r\nfocus of the poem centers on her development largely during the time before the arrival of the\r\nsuitors, and when they come, focuses on her ability to deceive them without masculine aid \u2013 a\r\nnarrative which is similar to the one which already exists within the Odyssey. On the other hand,\r\nin \u201cThe Wife of the Man of Many Wiles\u201d, Stallings focuses directly on Penelope\u2019s battle with the\r\nsuitors, criticizing her perception as a woman who waits by implying that there was no stalemate\r\nfor Odysseus to break between the desiring suitors and the \u201cfaithful\u201d Penelope after all, that by\r\nthe time he arrives he is too late to save her from being undone by the suitors, no matter what he\r\nchooses to believe." }, { "name": "Sharkey, Domani", "degree": "Other", "year": "2024", "title": "The Angel", "advisor": "Unknown, Unknown", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechThesis:07162024-230811335", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Sharkey", "given": "Domani" }, "id": "Sharkey-Domani", "display_name": "Sharkey, Domani" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "english" ], "doi": "10.7907/evwe-0395", "abstract": "[None]" }, { "name": "Abellard, Darleine", "degree": "Other", "year": "2023", "title": "Mich\u00e9line", "advisor": "Murphy, Dana", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:06162023-214628385", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Abellard", "given": "Darleine" }, "id": "Abellard-Darleine", "display_name": "Abellard, Darleine" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Murphy", "given": "Dana" }, "id": "Murphy-Dana", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "Murphy, Dana" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "english" ], "doi": "10.7907/adpy-ve20", "abstract": "Background: How do you tell the story of white supremacy, racial capitalism, settler colonialism, transatlantic chattel slavery, and tell a story that cares for BIPOC (Black, indigenous, and people of color) lives? A story that honors the lives of those who were not supposed to survive, no less thrive? Bernardine Evaristo\u2019s Girl, Woman, Other is a work that successfully embodies such a practice of care amid precarity. While the novel ends with an epilogue, we know, as scholars of Black studies, that the Black diaspora has not ended and that many of the stories of its diverse kin have yet to be told." }, { "name": "Kunnam, Shwetha S.", "degree": "Other", "year": "2023", "title": "The Influence of N\u00e9gritude and Black Postcolonial Thought on Derek Walcott\u2019s The Odyssey: A Play", "advisor": "Jahner, Jennifer A.; Pigman, George W., III", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechThesis:06162023-215901998", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Kunnam", "given": "Shwetha S." }, "id": "Kunnam-Shwetha-S", "display_name": "Kunnam, Shwetha S." } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Jahner", "given": "Jennifer A." }, "id": "Jahner-J-A", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "Jahner, Jennifer A." }, { "name": { "family": "Pigman", "given": "George W., III" }, "id": "Pigman-G-W-III", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "Pigman, George W., III" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "english" ], "doi": "10.7907/z2f9-g004", "abstract": "[Introduction] Derek Walcott\u2019s The Odyssey: A Play is an homage to both Homer\u2019s Odyssey and the anti-colonial N\u00e9gritude literary movement, which aimed to spread African cultural values and the centering of Black identity to the broader African diaspora. Walcott modifies the original Odyssey to include elements of his own St. Lucian heritage through the strategic addition of Afro-Caribbean language, characters, such as the narrator Billy Blue, spiritual traditions, and more modern anti-colonial ideas developed by the African diaspora. However, Walcott\u2019s attempt to weave together postcolonial modes of thought and Homer\u2019s Odyssey fails to capture the limited depth Homer imbues in his female characters. The shortcomings of the N\u00e9gritude movement with respect to women, particularly women of color, are seen in the way Walcott writes nonwhite female characters, such as the slave Eurycleia and the enchantress Circe, as either caretakers (\u201cmammies\u201d) or seductresses (\u201cjezebels\u201d), stripping them of their agency and reducing them to stereotypes." }, { "name": "Liu, Grace", "degree": "Other", "year": "2023", "title": "The Reproduction of Homosocial Domesticity Aboard the Pequod in Melville\u2019s Moby Dick", "advisor": "Weinstein, Cindy A.", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechThesis:06162023-221050696", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Liu", "given": "Grace" }, "id": "Liu-Grace", "display_name": "Liu, Grace" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Weinstein", "given": "Cindy A." }, "id": "Weinstein-C", "orcid": "0009-0006-0352-2981", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "Weinstein, Cindy A." } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "english" ], "doi": "10.7907/cjv8-8792", "abstract": "[Introduction] In the 19th century, American society expected men and women to occupy entirely different worlds. Gender norms dictated that women belonged at home, in the domestic realm, where they performed routine household tasks and provided comfort and emotional support to their family. On the other hand, these norms encouraged men to pursue adventure and passion, and ideals of masculinity revolved around power and individuality. On the surface, the setting of a whaling boat is the perfect realization of the masculine sphere, as a group of men leave the domestic shore to travel the world, while reaping economic benefit and asserting power over nature by killing the seemingly indomitable sperm whale. This is the picture that Herman Melville paints at first in his 1851 novel Moby Dick, in which the main character Ishmael embarks with the crew of the Pequod to escape domesticity and takes part in Captain Ahab\u2019s quest to kill the white whale. However, as Ishmael discusses his daily life, it becomes apparent that even in the absence of women, homosocial interactions on the ship recreate a new type of domesticity. Ishmael embraces the unexpected appearance of domesticity on the Pequod, which\r\nenables him to survive the disastrous encounter with Moby Dick. This contrasts the tragic fate of Captain Ahab, who rejects all opportunities to take part in domestic affairs in favor of pursuing his individual quest to kill Moby Dick. By recreating domesticity on the Pequod and contrasting Ishmael with Ahab, Melville arrives at an important conclusion: domesticity persists even in masculine spheres and repeated attempts to eradicate it only result in disaster." }, { "name": "Mendoza, Aramis Josephine", "degree": "Other", "year": "2023", "title": "Dismantling The Help: The Hollywoodization of The Civil Rights Movement in 1963", "advisor": "Thabet, Andrea", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechThesis:06162023-220426254", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Mendoza", "given": "Aramis Josephine" }, "id": "Mendoza-Aramis-Josephine", "display_name": "Mendoza, Aramis Josephine" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Thabet", "given": "Andrea" }, "id": "Thabet-Andrea", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "Thabet, Andrea" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "history" ], "doi": "10.7907/64ny-py51", "abstract": "[Introduction] The Help directed by Tate Taylor and based off Kathryn Stockett\u2019s novel portrays an incomplete narrative of Black women\u2019s domestic work in white households through a white feminist lens under the backdrop of the 1963 Civil Rights Movement. While the movie seeks to show the perspective of these Black women often ignored throughout history, the movie instead focuses largely on an upcoming white woman writer named Skeeter. To shape Skeeter\u2019s\r\nultimate writing success story, the movie utilizes the Civil Rights Movement and the Black domestic workers, mainly Aibileen and Minny, to jumpstart Skeeter\u2019s writing career, subsequently leaving the Black community to deal with the aftermath of the publication of Skeeter\u2019s novel. Based in Jackson, Mississippi, The Help details the racial turmoil of the time through the grossly comic portrayal of outdoor bathrooms for the domestic workers, the unrealistic arrest of Yule Mae Davis, and the turbulent assassination of Medgar Evers. While Medgar Evers killing was historically accurate, the oversimplification of white allyship, Black\r\nresistance, and the softening of segregation and discrimination allow the audience to feel a false sense of accomplishment at the end of the movie which would realistically end in bloodshed. Although The Help builds its story around various key aspects of the Civil Rights movement in 1963, the movie substantially underplays the intensity of discrimination against Black people by heavily filtering the movement to craft an agreeable Hollywood narrative." }, { "name": "Mendoza, Lark", "degree": "Other", "year": "2023", "title": "Good Expectations: The Paradox of Expecting Great Things", "advisor": "Unknown, Unknown", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechThesis:06162023-220819254", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Mendoza", "given": "Lark" }, "id": "Mendoza-Lark", "display_name": "Mendoza, Lark" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "philosophy" ], "doi": "10.7907/j3zc-ky05", "abstract": "Introduction: Whether or not we are aware of it, the average person is making thousands of split-second predictions. This is true in both the short term \u2014 whether or not their morning coffee will be good, or if they\u2019ll do well on their test \u2014 and the long term: whether or not they will be at their current job when they retire, or if they will find long-term happiness with their partner. What these predictions lead to are expectations. After making good coffee for several months, one will come to predict \u2013 and expect \u2013 that their morning coffee will be good. Similarly, after several years of a happy relationship, one will expect that the relationship will continue to bring them happiness, enough to commit to it for the rest of their life. When these expectations are met, we are content. But when we meet the unexpected, it really sucks! If a student expects to receive an A on a test and receives a surprise C, or if a worker is fired suddenly from their dream job, the results can be upsetting, impacting their short-term happiness on a range from disappointing to devastating. While it is true that over time, these perceived failures will stop affecting one's happiness so dramatically, they can be hard to cope with. So, how can we prevent it?" }, { "name": "Sui, Margaret Yanzhu", "degree": "Other", "year": "2023", "title": "Dance Before the Music Stops", "advisor": "Unknown, Unknown", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechThesis:06212023-183919121", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Sui", "given": "Margaret Yanzhu" }, "id": "Sui-Margaret-Yanzhu", "display_name": "Sui, Margaret Yanzhu" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "english" ], "doi": "10.7907/cjv8-8792", "abstract": "[None]" }, { "name": "Tibrewal, Vansh", "degree": "Other", "year": "2023", "title": "The Chinese Room Argument", "advisor": "Hitchcock, Christopher R.", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechThesis:08072023-195534107", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Tibrewal", "given": "Vansh" }, "id": "Tibrewal-Vansh", "display_name": "Tibrewal, Vansh" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Hitchcock", "given": "Christopher R." }, "id": "Hitchcock-C-R", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "Hitchcock, Christopher R." } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "philosophy" ], "doi": "10.7907/j3zc-ky05", "abstract": "Introduction: The question of what constitutes understanding is often discussed without considering the more fundamental question of what the human mind is. Searle\u2019s Chinese Room Argument attempts to challenge those who believe in strong AI and functionalism by proposing an example that meets their requirements for understanding yet intuitively seems to lack understanding. In the process, Searle makes claims about what AI functionalists believe about the nature of the human mind as well as how he differs from them. This essay will discuss the views of Searle and his detractors, and attempt to extend those views and dissect how they interact with each other." }, { "name": "DeBell, Lily", "degree": "Other", "year": "2022", "title": "Titanium Is My Favorite Metal Because It Is the Hardest Metal", "advisor": "Unknown, Unknown", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:06012022-163330140", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "DeBell", "given": "Lily" }, "id": "DeBell-Lily", "display_name": "DeBell, Lily" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "english" ], "doi": "10.7907/sgyn-gf89", "abstract": "[None]" }, { "name": "Gorokhovsky, Elia Peter", "degree": "Other", "year": "2022", "title": "The Development of the Research Journal and the Prehistory of Peer Review in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society", "advisor": "Feingold, Mordechai", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:06012022-160936425", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Gorokhovsky", "given": "Elia Peter" }, "id": "Gorokhovsky-Elia-Peter", "orcid": "0000-0001-5901-9783", "display_name": "Gorokhovsky, Elia Peter" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Feingold", "given": "Mordechai" }, "id": "Feingold-M", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "Feingold, Mordechai" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "history" ], "doi": "10.7907/jqdz-ca13", "abstract": "[Introduction] Modern science descends primarily from the ancient Greeks, when the body of scientific knowledge was small enough that they were able to favor the oral method of passing on knowledge. As the need for international scientific communication expanded, alternate methods of communicating science arose. The development of European public postal networks starting in the fifteenth century allowed communication by letter between scientists. Long-distance correspondence networks allowed researchers to share short-form information or solicit feedback. However, letters were generally problematic as means to disseminate the results of research. Although letters provided an effective way to transmit information, they did not allow channels for a scientist\u2019s work to be broadly and easily reviewed by his peers. Moreover, they were expensive to send and could not reach a wide audience.
" }, { "name": "Lee, Margaret Rachel", "degree": "Other", "year": "2022", "title": "Controlling the Female Body: Obsession and Loss of Autonomy in Lolita and \"Berenice\"", "advisor": "Weinstein, Cindy A.", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:06012022-154934652", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Lee", "given": "Margaret Rachel" }, "id": "Lee-Margaret-Rachel", "display_name": "Lee, Margaret Rachel" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Weinstein", "given": "Cindy A." }, "id": "Weinstein-C", "orcid": "0009-0006-0352-2981", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "Weinstein, Cindy A." } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "english" ], "doi": "10.7907/e5xr-st45", "abstract": "[Introduction] Why are we so obsessed with the female body? From high school dress codes to impossible beauty standards in the media, society polices and sexualizes young women's bodies. Nabokov's Lolita, which follows the charming Humbert Humbert and his horrifying relationship with adolescent Lolita, explores this hyperfixation of female bodies, particularly young female bodies. Edgar Allan Poe clearly inspires Nabokov, from the confusing foreward, reminiscent of Poe's novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket, to the character of Annabel Lee, the titular subject of one of Poe's most famous poems. Poe's short story \"Berenice\" introduces the idea of monomania and explores themes of bodily autonomy from a physical and a mental perspective. \"Berenice\" also explores how control and obsession over the female body can make a narrator unreliable. Nabokov extracts these ideas from Poe, expands on them, and explores how Humbert controls Lolita and strips her of her identity. This loss of bodily autonomy and agency is jarring to read, despite Nabokov's stylistic beauty, and encourages the reader to examine how media and society treat young women.
" }, { "name": "Palumbo, Elsa K.", "degree": "Other", "year": "2022", "title": "Happiness is Hedonic: In Defense of a Subjective Account of Well-Being", "advisor": "Quartz, Steven R.", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:06012022-161819602", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Palumbo", "given": "Elsa K." }, "id": "Palumbo-Elsa-K", "display_name": "Palumbo, Elsa K." } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Quartz", "given": "Steven R." }, "id": "Quartz-S-R", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "Quartz, Steven R." } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "philosophy" ], "doi": "10.7907/jkhm-em18", "abstract": "[Introduction] Everyone wants to live a good life. But how exactly should we define \"well-being,\" the concept of living a good life? Traditionally, philosophy offers us three competing accounts (e.g. Kagan, 1998; Daly, 2017). First, there\u2019s hedonism, which defines well-being in terms of an individual\u2019s experienced happiness. Second, there\u2019s desire satisfaction theory, which maintains that well-being is related to the extent to which your desires, actual or ideal, end up being fulfilled. And, finally, there is objective list theory, which contends that well-being depends on the extent to which your life possesses objectively good qualities, which might, for example, include things like friendship, achievement, autonomy, knowledge, and happiness.
" }, { "name": "Sui, Margaret Yanzhu", "degree": "Other", "year": "2022", "title": "The Claytons", "advisor": "Unknown, Unknown", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:06012022-162336138", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Sui", "given": "Margaret Yanzhu" }, "id": "Sui-Margaret-Yanzhu", "display_name": "Sui, Margaret Yanzhu" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "english" ], "doi": "10.7907/60cs-4519", "abstract": "[Prologue] To the North, tucked beside the Adirondack Mountains, lay the suburban town of Bethlehem, an average town filled with ordinary people. The nearest city, Albany, was a small city with few attractions, so that natives who saw the tourist stand at the airport would wonder why tourists would ever visit. Indeed, few did. Despite the mediocrity that existed in the place, the people of Bethlehem held for it a fierce pride \u2013 they bragged about its boredom rather than renounced it.
" }, { "name": "Sundaresan, Avirath", "degree": "Other", "year": "2022", "title": "Towards \u201cRace-Conscious\u201d Medical AI", "advisor": "LeBlanc, Hannah F.", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechThesis:09142022-182624532", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Sundaresan", "given": "Avirath" }, "id": "Sundaresan-Avirath", "orcid": "0000-0001-6328-8695", "display_name": "Sundaresan, Avirath" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "LeBlanc", "given": "Hannah F." }, "id": "LeBlanc-Hannah-F", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "LeBlanc, Hannah F." } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "humanities" ], "doi": "10.7907/4gf0-tq19", "abstract": "[NONE]" }, { "name": "Sundaresan, Avirath", "degree": "Other", "year": "2022", "title": "WALL-E Wisdom: Lessons for Public Policy in the Age of AI", "advisor": "Sebens, Charles T.", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechThesis:09142022-195921379", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Sundaresan", "given": "Avirath" }, "id": "Sundaresan-Avirath", "orcid": "0000-0001-6328-8695", "display_name": "Sundaresan, Avirath" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Sebens", "given": "Charles T." }, "id": "Sebens-Charles-T", "orcid": "0000-0001-7671-2141", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "Sebens, Charles T." } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "humanities" ], "doi": "10.7907/t9d2-7865", "abstract": "[NONE]" }, { "name": "Basava, Hrishika", "degree": "Other", "year": "2021", "title": "Unravel at the Seams", "advisor": "Unknown, Unknown", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:06092021-190307987", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Basava", "given": "Hrishika" }, "id": "Basava-Hrishika", "display_name": "Basava, Hrishika" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "english" ], "doi": "10.7907/psya-zv21", "abstract": "[Introduction] The white needle glinted hypnotically in the firelight. Up. Down. Up. Down. Her stitches were even, as they always were, and she looked down at the bodice with detached satisfaction. Across the room, the old woman sat at her rocking chair by the fire, long knitting needles furiously flashing, dripping with jet black wool. The sound of the sewing machine\u2019s constant whirring and the chair\u2019s steady rocking filled the room like a heartbeat." }, { "name": "Chan, Andrew M.", "degree": "Other", "year": "2021", "title": "Messy Definitions and Blurred Lines: Marriage, Autonomy, and Reconciliation in Shakespeare\u2019s Measure for Measure", "advisor": "Koch, Jonathan", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:06092021-174209263", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Chan", "given": "Andrew M." }, "id": "Chan-Andrew-M", "display_name": "Chan, Andrew M." } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Koch", "given": "Jonathan" }, "id": "Koch-Jonathan", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "Koch, Jonathan" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "english" ], "doi": "10.7907/c94a-wh36", "abstract": "[Introduction] \u201cThe tempter or the tempted, who sins the most?\u201d (2.2.200) \u2013 Angelo\u2019s question of sin represents the overall tension between violence and reconciliation in Measure for Measure. But why does Shakespeare create tensions between the Latin lex talionis, \u201ceye for an eye\u201d and the biblical consideration of \u201cmeasure for measure\u201d? What do the different forms of reconciliation mean for the different characters in the play? And are they effective forms of justice? An answer, perhaps, lies in Shakespeare\u2019s presentation of marriage. Measure for Measure depicts marriage specifically as a form of reparation for violence: the characters in the play do not repent for their various sins through jail time or death, only through potentially unhappy marriages. In doing so, Shakespeare constructs his own set of terms in which the reader must consider the concept of a late medieval marriage: marriage in the play does not always take the form of a conventual, consensual relationship, instead Shakespeare uses forced marriage to challenge the Catholic tradition of marriage as a sacrament and the growing Puritan ideal of marriage for companionship. Through the marriages of Claudio and Juliet, Mariana and Angelo, and the ambiguous silence of the Duke\u2019s proposal to Isabella, Shakespeare compares and contrasts different foundations for marriage, making an appeal to the audience to interpret their purpose. Shakespeare plays with the ideals of consent, companionship, and the law to create several competing implementations of a \u201cmeasure for measure.\u201d The audience must decide which, if any of these marriages are satisfying, and to what extent that, in light of the violence of the play, they can constitute their own form of justice, and their own \u201cmeasure for measure.\u201d" }, { "name": "Chun, Bradley (Kaulana)", "degree": "Other", "year": "2021", "title": "The Relevance of Jazz in Modern Historiography", "advisor": "Unknown, Unknown", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:09152021-183042788", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Chun", "given": "Bradley (Kaulana)" }, "id": "Chun-Bradley-Kaulana", "display_name": "Chun, Bradley (Kaulana)" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "humanities" ], "doi": "10.7907/sj9x-qs25", "abstract": "[Introduction] Power and information often go hand in hand. Those who have the power to shape the world around them exercise that power to affect how they are viewed, and their ability to control cultural narratives in this way cements their power. Disempowered minorities are not only oppressed but suppressed, either circumstantially (through limited access to education and academia) or directly (through propaganda and silencing). When studying African American history, it becomes especially important to include as many perspectives as possible because of the systemic silencing and misinformation that these people have faced for centuries. In their article \"Why Jazz Still Matters,\" historian Dr. Gerald Early and ethnomusicologist Dr. Ingrid Monson argue that jazz, both as a set of musical forms and a broader culture surrounding them, provides an insightful perspective on the oft-overlooked lives of society's oppressed peoples. While not traditionally viewed as a historical record, jazz has preserved generations of emotions and stories within its complex forms and expressions. Referencing the ideas of some of the most influential figures in jazz, the authors draw connections between the music stylings of jazz and the values that it encouraged." }, { "name": "Hwang, Saehui", "degree": "Other", "year": "2021", "title": "History of Hearing Aids", "advisor": "Zwisler, Laila", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:06092021-173756347", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Hwang", "given": "Saehui" }, "id": "Hwang-Saehui", "display_name": "Hwang, Saehui" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Zwisler", "given": "Laila" }, "id": "Zwisler-Laila", "orcid": "0000-0002-1970-0256", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "Zwisler, Laila" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "history" ], "doi": "10.7907/kbfz-af35", "abstract": "[Introduction] Trumpets made of horns and hands cupped around the ear served to amplify sound since the days of hunter gatherers \u2013 a precursor to hearing aids of sorts. These devices remained fairly unchanged in principle until the 19th century. Today, hearing aids are much more than devices that simply amplify sound. Today\u2019s hearing aids are complex instruments that combine amplification with cutting edge signal processing to enhance speech, reduce noise, cancel feedback, analyze acoustic environments, and link back to various IoT devices at home. Today, we enjoy miniaturization of electronics ranging from cell phones to pocket speakers. Miniaturization of electronics as we witness today can be attributed to several historical events such as the development of transistors (Mudry, 6) and World War II (Misa, 253). This paper will connect the history of electronics miniaturization and the development of hearing aid technology to argue that there was an inseparable bidirectional relationship between the two domains." }, { "name": "Liu, Victoria", "degree": "Other", "year": "2021", "title": "Ahab\u2019s Solipsism and the Illusion of Self-Reliance: The Career of Herman Melville", "advisor": "Weinstein, Cindy A.", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:06092021-171613155", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Liu", "given": "Victoria" }, "id": "Liu-Victoria", "display_name": "Liu, Victoria" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Weinstein", "given": "Cindy A." }, "id": "Weinstein-C", "orcid": "0009-0006-0352-2981", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "Weinstein, Cindy A." } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "english" ], "doi": "10.7907/5apa-8591", "abstract": "[Introduction] What\u2019s eating moody Ahab? In Herman Melville\u2019s Moby Dick, Ahab is obsessed with hunting the white whale and cannot rest until he gets his revenge. His monomania germinates before the start of the novel, when a misadventure with Moby Dick results in a cruel disfigurement. Ahab cannot fathom any explanation for his lost leg except that the whale must be composed of pure malice\u2014he places \u201cthe sum of all the general rage and hate felt by his whole race from Adam down\u201d (Melville 182) onto Moby Dick\u2019s white hump, personifying the whale as the supreme evil of the world. Ahab then believes that he must be the one to take down the wicked whale. He becomes a man of absolutes, of black and white, and his world closes in until the only certainties are himself and the wicked whale. As a reaction to transcendentalism, Melville has the vengeful Ahab follow much of Emerson\u2019s \u201cSelf-Reliance\u201d advice, often too literally. Rather than becoming truly self-reliant or competent, Ahab instead becomes more selfdeluded, more reliant on others, and loses touch with humanity. On the other hand, through Ishmael and Queequeg, Melville shows how transcendentalism can be used in non-problematic ways to lead meaningful lives, and these characters can be seen as foils to Ahab. Ahab often takes Emerson\u2019s transcendentalist advice to an extreme, creating an image of toxic self-reliance that morphs into solipsism; Ahab then dangerously perpetuates his narcissism through self-idolatry, and, by viewing the ship as his personal stage, eventually leads everyone\u2014except Ishmael\u2014to their demise." }, { "name": "Mudide, Shiva", "degree": "Other", "year": "2021", "title": "Poetry Pieces", "advisor": "Unknown, Unknown", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:06092021-174859549", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Mudide", "given": "Shiva" }, "id": "Mudide-Shiva", "display_name": "Mudide, Shiva" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "english" ], "doi": "10.7907/1q21-9p64", "abstract": "[Introduction]
\r\nSavor:
\r\nA metal wind chime rings hello
\r\nas Mom and I enter Dolce vita,
\r\nthe new bakery down the
\r\nblock.
We were playing
\r\nWhile it is tempting to conclude that memory distortions point to
\r\njust the three of us, under the slide, when Damara was
\r\nleaving out details and introducing mistakes
\r\na meanie to Franchesca, and I pulled her shirt to get her to apologize.
The night is dark. The clouds hide the moon. In a small, quiet town, every man has returned home and fallen into deep, dreamless sleep. Affairs lately have been uneventful, but the citizens are weary.
\r\n\r\nIt is the fifth year of the reign of the Emperor Domitian. Prosperity appears to settle over the lands, yet paranoia permeates beneath the peaceful surface. While the citizens sleep, a reign of terror\r\nsteadily marches on.
" }, { "name": "Hu, Laura D.", "degree": "Other", "year": "2018", "title": "Image of a Dragonfly", "advisor": "Unknown, Unknown", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:07102018-140944886", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Hu", "given": "Laura D." }, "id": "Hu-Laura-D", "display_name": "Hu, Laura D." } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "option_major": [ "humanities" ], "doi": "10.7907/pav9-fc29", "abstract": "[Poem]" }, { "name": "Liang, Crystal", "degree": "Other", "year": "2018", "title": "Why Was The Feminine Mystique Such a Phenomenon?: A Clarification", "advisor": "Unknown, Unknown", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:10162017-130817814", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Liang", "given": "Crystal" }, "id": "Liang-Crystal", "display_name": "Liang, Crystal" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "option_major": [ "humanities" ], "doi": "10.7907/DBRG-WB35", "abstract": "[Introduction] Since The Feminine Mystique was published in 1963, it has become so influential that it has gathered a mystique of its own. The controversial book has drawn both high praise for \"[pulling] the trigger on history\" and strong criticism from conservative groups for threatening family values, as well as from scholars for being riddled with methodological errors and for focusing only on white, middle-class women. Confusion abounds in the general public, too. In Stephanie Coontz\u2019s A Strange Stirring, which is about the impact of Friedan\u2019s book, Coontz reveals that many of the women that she interviewed in conducting research for her book believed that they had read it when in fact they had not, and, furthermore, that they often had completely erroneous ideas about its contents (Coontz xvi).
" }, { "name": "Liu, Timothy Samuel", "degree": "Other", "year": "2018", "title": "iLost: A Tale for our Time", "advisor": "", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:07102018-141748527", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Liu", "given": "Timothy Samuel" }, "id": "Liu-Timothy-Samuel", "display_name": "Liu, Timothy Samuel" } ], "advisors": [], "option_major": [ "humanities" ], "doi": "10.7907/86ed-5633", "abstract": "[Introduction] \"There are seven billion transistors on a single computer chip - as many transistors as there are people on earth. And unlike people, every one of them works.\" I laughed at my professor's remark. He was genuinely a great lecturer, and watching him perform and articulate about the little miracle in his hand as he waved his phone around didn't feel like a lecture. After class ended, I filed out with the rest of the class and marched up the stairs, from the basement lecture hall, and back to the realm where the sun shone. The sun, and cell signal. Pausing briefly, I milled around by the door and flipped through my texts. Around me, two other students did the same." }, { "name": "Nair, Maitreyi A.", "degree": "Other", "year": "2018", "title": "An Exploration of Letter-Writing in Jane Austen's Work", "advisor": "Gilmartin, Kevin M.", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:07102018-135245331", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Nair", "given": "Maitreyi A." }, "id": "Nair-Maitreyi-A", "display_name": "Nair, Maitreyi A." } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Gilmartin", "given": "Kevin M." }, "id": "Gilmartin-K-M", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "Gilmartin, Kevin M." } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "option_major": [ "english" ], "doi": "10.7907/r8m4-1a16", "abstract": "As a medium of communication, written letters stand apart not only in the intimacy of the connection they spark between writer and recipient but also in the very real, tangible nature of their existence. Jane Austen's use of written letters as key literary devices, especially in Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Persuasion, reflects her dexterity at exploring and developing the intricate web of social connection among her characters, particularly in the courtship plot. These letters seek to express what cannot be said aloud, overstepping whatever walls that have been put up by social convention or emotion in an attempt to reach directly to a person\u2019s mind or heart. Almost as illuminating as the contents of the letters themselves is their sheer materiality \u2013 as readers, we are allowed to observe the process of their writing, seeing as they are handled, passed from person to person, read and re-read. In painting such a detailed, viscerally relatable picture of the exchange of these letters, Austen elevates them from words inked on a paper to something sacred, adding dimension to the novel by binding together the\r\nthoughts and emotions of characters in ways that dialogue or gestures alone cannot." }, { "name": "Shankar, Tara Anjali", "degree": "Other", "year": "2018", "title": "Why Cervantes' History is His Story", "advisor": "Wey-G\u00f3mez, Nicolas", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:07102018-140148209", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Shankar", "given": "Tara Anjali" }, "id": "Shankar-Tara-Anjali", "display_name": "Shankar, Tara Anjali" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Wey-G\u00f3mez", "given": "Nicolas" }, "id": "Wey-G\u00f3mez-N", "orcid": "0000-0002-4265-3443", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "Wey-G\u00f3mez, Nicolas" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "None", "given": "None" }, "display_name": "None, None" } ], "option_major": [ "history" ], "doi": "10.7907/ry5p-0k37", "abstract": "[Introduction] \"Historians must and ought to be exact, truthful, and absolutely free of passions, for neither interest, fear, rancor, nor affection should make them deviate from the path of the truth\" (Grossman 68)" }, { "name": "von Ruden, Galilea Bascara", "degree": "Other", "year": "2018", "title": "Why the Turing Test Revised is Still the Turing Test", "advisor": "Unknown, Unknown", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:02052019-142127450", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "von Ruden", "given": "Galilea Bascara" }, "id": "von-Ruden-Galilea-Bascara", "display_name": "von Ruden, Galilea Bascara" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "option_major": [ "humanities" ], "doi": "10.7907/9KP0-TQ82", "abstract": "Can machines think? So Alan Turing begins his paper \"Computing Machinery and Intelligence\", discussing how one might assess whether an electronic computer can truly \"think\" (Turing, 1950, p. 29). It is here that Turing explains his famous Turing Test: can a computer win in an \"imitation game\" with a human? That is, can an electronic computer provide written answers to an interrogator which would fool the interrogator into believing that device is human? To answer yes, Turing argues, is to acknowledge the reality of a thinking machine (Turing, 1950, p. 30). Since 1950, technology has advanced impressively. There has been a computer that \u201cpassed\u201d the Turing Test, fooling testers with a clever ability to redirect conversation when questions became too challenging (Marcus, 2014). Yet this strategy feels more like a cheap trick than the mark of an authentic thinker, casting doubt on the test\u2019s validity. What could be a more reliable test for machine understanding? I argue for two simple additions to the Turing Test that would eliminate loopholes but leave the spirit of the test unchanged. That Turing's original imagination of the Turing Test involved a game of deception is distracting to its fundamental principle: we will say a machine \u201cthinks\u201d when its logical outputs are in no way noticeably inferior to that of a human." }, { "name": "Grover, Kshitij", "degree": "Other", "year": "2017", "title": "Living with Sisyphus", "advisor": "Unknown, Unknown", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:05242017-161624077", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Grover", "given": "Kshitij" }, "id": "Grover-Kshitij", "display_name": "Grover, Kshitij" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "option_major": [ "philosophy" ], "doi": "10.7907/AEES-Y231", "abstract": "My aim in this paper will be to get a grip on the absurdist reply to, \"What is the meaning of life? How should we live well?\". Absurdism, related to pessimism, holds that the world is generally meaningless or purposeless. Specifically, I will provide a detailed exposition of Albert Camus' absurdist philosophy as detailed in The Myth of Sisyphus. I will then aim to present three arguments against Camus' existentialist methodology by examining his principle assumptions, pointing out contradictions in his account, and finally rejecting his normative recommendations. Finally, I will briefly advocate for some accounts that allow us to create meaning in our lives following a combination of subjective well being and eudaimonia." }, { "name": "Kaczmarek, Zofii A.", "degree": "Other", "year": "2017", "title": "Gaudy Night Essay", "advisor": "", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:05242017-163350534", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Kaczmarek", "given": "Zofii A." }, "id": "Kaczmarek-Zofii-A", "display_name": "Kaczmarek, Zofii A." } ], "advisors": [], "option_major": [ "humanities" ], "doi": "10.7907/MSWB-9574", "abstract": "No abstract." }, { "name": "Lin, Christina Y.", "degree": "Other", "year": "2017", "title": "The Rhetoric of Change", "advisor": "Unknown, Unknown", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:05242017-164142935", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Lin", "given": "Christina Y." }, "id": "Lin-Christina-Y", "display_name": "Lin, Christina Y." } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "option_major": [ "humanities" ], "doi": "10.7907/1DSH-MQ66", "abstract": "The early 20th century saw a plethora of declarations, proclamations, and calls to arms for change in China. Some authors, such as Mao Zedong, represented prominent political movements, while others, like Lu Xun, expressed their ideas in passing through a preface to a collection of short stories. Among these writers, some take a practical approach, reflecting a belief that revolution begins with concrete, tangible changes that will improve the lives of the common man. Others favor ideological appeal based on the assumption that true change comes from a fundamental shift in political structure or mindset. Each writer arrives at a rhetorical strategy based on whether he prioritizes unifying the people or inspiring a strong, independent China." }, { "name": "McAndrew, Daniel E.", "degree": "Other", "year": "2017", "title": "Insect Sisyphus", "advisor": "Unknown, Unknown", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:05242017-160639518", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "McAndrew", "given": "Daniel E." }, "id": "McAndrew-Daniel-E", "display_name": "McAndrew, Daniel E." } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "option_major": [ "humanities" ], "doi": "10.7907/PRBF-FT33", "abstract": "We were driving along America\u2019s femoral artery, the Interstate 10. Our excited car bounded ahead at just above the escape velocity required to break away from the massive cluster of Los Angeles and its satellite cities. Tendrils of strip malls and suburbs emanating from these cities branch out toward the empty desert for miles and miles, and we were nearly out of their grasp." }, { "name": "Nety, Suchita Patil", "degree": "Other", "year": "2017", "title": "Objects of Interpretation in Othello", "advisor": "Unknown, Unknown", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:05242017-141541276", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Nety", "given": "Suchita Patil" }, "id": "Nety-Suchita-Patil", "display_name": "Nety, Suchita Patil" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "option_major": [ "humanities" ], "doi": "10.7907/CM2W-HD16", "abstract": "The disintegration of female power is central to the progression of Shakespeare\u2019s tragedy Othello . Iago\u2019s rapid ascent and control is facilitated by subjugation of the women in the play. The promise of female power is contained in a seemingly inconsequential wisp of linen, Desdemona\u2019s strawberry-patterned handkerchief. The handkerchief is a tangible symbol of female autonomy, both independently and in marriage. The loss of Desdemona\u2019s handkerchief coincides with a rapid upset of the power dynamic between men and women. This results in the silencing of all three women in the play: Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca. The most powerful\r\ninsults to women are in the form of men assigning interpretations to their bodies, particularly their blood, sweat and tears, ultimately stripping women of their bodily autonomy. A handkerchief\u2019s everyday use is to heal or otherwise contain these physiological substances; thus, the removal of the handkerchief from Desdemona\u2019s possession leaves her vulnerable to Othello\u2019s violence, through misogynistic rhetoric, physical abuse and arbitrary interpretation of her body." }, { "name": "Pham, Karen V.", "degree": "Other", "year": "2017", "title": "on loving a fallen star", "advisor": "Unknown, Unknown", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:05242017-164422204", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Pham", "given": "Karen V." }, "id": "Pham-Karen-V", "display_name": "Pham, Karen V." } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "option_major": [ "humanities" ], "doi": "10.7907/DQVX-TW53", "abstract": "No abstract." }, { "name": "Shastri, Gauri Ganesh", "degree": "Other", "year": "2017", "title": "The Women of Othello: Shakespeare's Reinterpretation of \"A Moorish Captain\"", "advisor": "Unknown, Unknown", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:05242017-164712824", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Shastri", "given": "Gauri Ganesh" }, "id": "Shastri-Gauri-Ganesh", "display_name": "Shastri, Gauri Ganesh" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "option_major": [ "humanities" ], "doi": "10.7907/6KYB-S819", "abstract": "William Shakespeare\u2019s source for his tragedy Othello is the Italian novella \u201cA Moorish Captain,\u201d written by Giraldi Cinthio in 1565 as part of his work Hecatommithi. Shakespeare\u2019s retelling of the story is particularly interesting because Shakespeare alters the roles of the important female characters of the play." }, { "name": "Balestri, Leonardo", "degree": "Other", "year": "2016", "title": "Fifty Years of Dividing Lines: From Selma and Montgomery, 1965 to Ferguson, 2015", "advisor": "Kousser, J. Morgan", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:10312016-134435919", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Balestri", "given": "Leonardo" }, "id": "Balestri-Leonardo", "display_name": "Balestri, Leonardo" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Kousser", "given": "J. Morgan" }, "id": "Kousser-J-M", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "Kousser, J. Morgan" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "option_major": [ "humanities" ], "doi": "10.7907/Z9BP00SH", "abstract": "\"Just as local politics was essential to the creation of southern segregation, so local politics was the crucial factor in creating the circumstances that ended it.\" Though segregation is no longer the battle du jour, this sentiment is just as true for today\u2019s conflict over police brutality. The same factors come into play: the idea, if less outspoken, of white supremacy; an establishment dedicated to preserving itself by suppressing dissent; the notion that change is possible; and a cocktail of continued oppression, retaliation, and escalation guaranteed to explode." }, { "name": "Han, Sirus Kujung", "degree": "Other", "year": "2016", "title": "Silent Goodbyes", "advisor": "Unknown, Unknown", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:10312016-143729856", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Han", "given": "Sirus Kujung" }, "id": "Han-Sirus-Kujung", "display_name": "Han, Sirus Kujung" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "option_major": [ "humanities" ], "doi": "10.7907/0JE9-4Q74", "abstract": "No abstract." }, { "name": "Hoza, William Michael", "degree": "Other", "year": "2016", "title": "A Can of Worms", "advisor": "", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:10312016-140806399", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Hoza", "given": "William Michael" }, "id": "Hoza-William-Michael", "display_name": "Hoza, William Michael" } ], "advisors": [], "option_major": [ "philosophy" ], "doi": "10.7907/Z3F4-DW30", "abstract": "In \"The Incompatibility of Free Will and Determinism\" [1], Peter van Inwagen argues that if the universe\r\nis deterministic, then free will does not exist. (He is silent about whether the universe is in fact deterministic\r\nand about whether free will in fact exists.) This is in contrast to the compatibilist position, which holds that\r\nfree will and determinism are not contradictory. Briefly, van Inwagen's argument is that when an agent with\r\nfree will performs some action, she (by definition of \"free will\") could have performed a different action. But\r\nin a deterministic universe, acting a different way requires either altering the past or violating the laws of\r\nphysics. So van Inwagen concludes that the free agent could have either altered the past or violated the laws\r\nof physics. Finally, van Inwagen says that it is obvious that nobody can alter the past, and by definition of\r\nthe phrase \"law of physics\", nobody can violate the laws of physics either. So our hypothetical free agent in\r\na deterministic universe cannot exist." }, { "name": "Leeper, Gideon Jack", "degree": "Other", "year": "2016", "title": "Empiricism and Mathematical Knowledge", "advisor": "Unknown, Unknown", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:11042016-141839141", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Leeper", "given": "Gideon Jack" }, "id": "Leeper-Gideon-Jack", "display_name": "Leeper, Gideon Jack" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "option_major": [ "humanities" ], "doi": "10.7907/7B38-2T90", "abstract": "Empiricism asserts that sensory perceptions and experiences are the basis of all\r\nknowledge, i.e. essentially everything we know has either been directly perceived or deduced\r\nfrom perceived knowledge. This would seem to conflict with the wealth of mathematical\r\nknowledge that we have accrued as a civilization. Mathematics consists primarily of facts\r\nconcerning ideal objects, such as topological spaces, groups, and categories, which we have never\r\nencountered in physical reality, and cannot reasonably expect to. Then from an empiricist\r\nperspective, it seems impossible for us to know so much about these objects, when there is no\r\nsensory experience on which we can base our knowledge. I first assert that mathematical\r\nknowledge is not knowledge in the sense used by empiricists, and thus its existence does not\r\nconflict with their views. However, I argue that first-hand mathematical knowledge, specifically\r\none's belief in the validity of a proof, in some sense has an empirical component." }, { "name": "Lim, Matthew J.", "degree": "Other", "year": "2016", "title": "Encounter", "advisor": "Unknown, Unknown", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:10312016-142907180", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Lim", "given": "Matthew J." }, "id": "Lim-Matthew-J", "display_name": "Lim, Matthew J." } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "option_major": [ "humanities" ], "doi": "10.7907/KHFP-FX87", "abstract": "No abstract." }, { "name": "Nety, Suchita Patil", "degree": "Other", "year": "2016", "title": "Feminine Intellectual Fertility in the Writing of Christine de Pizan", "advisor": "Jahner, Jennifer A.", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:10312016-132545448", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Nety", "given": "Suchita Patil" }, "id": "Nety-Suchita-Patil", "display_name": "Nety, Suchita Patil" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Jahner", "given": "Jennifer A." }, "id": "Jahner-J-A", "role": "advisor", "display_name": "Jahner, Jennifer A." } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "option_major": [ "english" ], "doi": "10.7907/XKQR-NY28", "abstract": "Feminine Intellectual Fertility in the Writing of Christine de Pizan As Europe\u2019s first professional woman writer, Christine de Pizan was faced with the daunting task of reconciling her femininity and serious literary intent as well as justifying her authority as a writer to a male scholarly audience." }, { "name": "Chen, Anthony Fu", "degree": "Other", "year": "2015", "title": "That Friday", "advisor": "Unknown, Unknown", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:04062016-110405714", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Chen", "given": "Anthony Fu" }, "id": "Chen-Anthony-Fu", "display_name": "Chen, Anthony Fu" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "option_major": [ "humanities" ], "doi": "10.7907/AW3C-VE88", "abstract": "No abstract." }, { "name": "Geller, Jaden Matthew", "degree": "Other", "year": "2014", "title": "An Examination of a Laboratory Variant of the BIV Scenario", "advisor": "Unknown, Unknown", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:04062016-141319569", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Geller", "given": "Jaden Matthew" }, "id": "Geller-Jaden-Matthew", "display_name": "Geller, Jaden Matthew" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "option_major": [ "humanities" ], "doi": "10.7907/Z9QC01HN", "abstract": "[Introduction] In Meditation One, Descartes considers a scenario in which an \"Evil Genius\" manipulates his perceptions, rendering his senses unreliable. In essence, he asserts that he cannot know whether or not he is being deceived, so he cannot know that he accurately perceives reality. An extension of this sensory manipulation scenario is the \"brains in a vat\" (BIV) hypothesis, which\r\nproposes a world in which an individual's reality is a delusion. In this world, the individual is actually just a bodiless brain inside a vat of nutrients, and the brain is fed neural impulses by a supercomputer. The individual does not realize this peculiar reality, as it lives solely inside the construction of the computer, which receives and interprets neural outputs from the motor cortex\r\nand uses them to simulate a world that is fed back into the brain as artificial sensory stimuli." }, { "name": "Liu, Anna", "degree": "Other", "year": "2014", "title": "Virtuosity", "advisor": "Unknown, Unknown", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:04062016-104941903", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Liu", "given": "Anna" }, "id": "Liu-Anna", "display_name": "Liu, Anna" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "option_major": [ "humanities" ], "doi": "10.7907/8JWA-KB88", "abstract": "[Introduction] The moments before beauty are often the most chaotic. Legions of chattering spectators pick their way through the rows of seats, flipping fervently through the program, exclaiming praise and criticism upon the conductor, the repertoire, the concertmaster, and the soloist." }, { "name": "Moore, Marlyn Joanna", "degree": "Other", "year": "2014", "title": "Huckleberry", "advisor": "Unknown, Unknown", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:04062016-140950120", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Moore", "given": "Marlyn Joanna" }, "id": "Moore-Marlyn-Joanna", "display_name": "Moore, Marlyn Joanna" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "option_major": [ "humanities" ], "doi": "10.7907/DADG-TT91", "abstract": "No abstract." }, { "name": "Nety, Suchita Patil", "degree": "Other", "year": "2014", "title": "Time and Fate in Shakespeare's Othello and Cinthio's \"The Moor of Venice\"", "advisor": "Unknown, Unknown", "url": "https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:04062016-144031092", "creators": [ { "name": { "family": "Nety", "given": "Suchita Patil" }, "id": "Nety-Suchita-Patil", "display_name": "Nety, Suchita Patil" } ], "advisors": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "committee": [ { "name": { "family": "Unknown", "given": "Unknown" }, "display_name": "Unknown, Unknown" } ], "option_major": [ "english" ], "doi": "10.7907/1PZN-KE91", "abstract": "[Introduction]Giraldi Cinthio's short story \"The Moor of Venice\" forms the basis for William\r\nShakespeare's tragedy Othello. In addition to altering a number of minor aspects of the original\r\ntale, Shakespeare also introduces several overarching changes to the narrative by shortening the\r\ntime frame of the story and excluding fate as a primary driving force of the plot. By diminishing\r\nthe consequences of time and fate, Shakespeare allows the characters and their inner motivations\r\nto be at the forefront of the action." } ]