The Jezebel stereotype, named after a biblical woman, has long been used to characterize Black women as hypersexual and immoral. Emerging during slavery, this trope justified the sexual exploitation of enslaved Black women by framing them as inherently promiscuous and complicit in their own oppression. Enslavers used the Jezebel stereotype to absolve themselves of guilt and to … [Read more...] about Unraveling the Jezebel Stereotype: The “Inherent” Factor of Black Womanhood
Archives for 2024
The Design of a Harp and how it influences and compares to the design of a Piano
The harp is indeed a marvel of musical engineering, with a design that beautifully marries form and function. Its elegant shape and ingenious construction have inspired musicians and instrument makers for millennia. The iconic triangular form of the harp isn't just visually striking - it's crucial to its function. This shape allows for strings of varying lengths, producing a … [Read more...] about The Design of a Harp and how it influences and compares to the design of a Piano
Neuroplasticity on the Dancefloor: a study of dance’s impact on the brain
Dance – a form of human expression in which people move rhythmically to music, typically in a quick and lively way. Most people have danced at some point, whether during a night out, alone in their bedroom, in ballet lessons as a child, or even on stage. Impressively, dancing can make the brain livelier! Neuroplasticity refers to the brain's ability to change and adapt in … [Read more...] about Neuroplasticity on the Dancefloor: a study of dance’s impact on the brain
Putting the “Art” in Artificial Intelligence: How Generative AI Challenges Artistic and Human Identity
If you’d told me two years ago that I’d soon be able to type a short caption and get back fully-formed images of whatever I wanted in seconds, I wouldn’t have believed you. After all, how could a computer possibly learn to assemble shapes, lines, and colors into a visually compelling image without step-by-step instructions from a human artist? Yet this is precisely what is … [Read more...] about Putting the “Art” in Artificial Intelligence: How Generative AI Challenges Artistic and Human Identity
Hydrodynamic Stability: General Form of the Linearized Disturbance Equations
Welcome back. In this post, we will continue our discussion of hydrodynamic stability by exploring the linearized Navier-Stokes equations in three dimensions. These equations are important because they describe how tiny disturbances grow in a fluid flow and ultimately lead to turbulence. They are also the basis for more specialized stability equations applied in aerospace … [Read more...] about Hydrodynamic Stability: General Form of the Linearized Disturbance Equations