Difference between revisions of "Template:This weeks featured article"

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==Stability models==
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==Science-Policy Interaction==
  
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[[image:stability1.jpg|thumb|370px|Fig.1: Left (<math>\alpha>0</math>), all the solutions starting in a neighborhood of the equilibrium A (<math>x=0</math>) tend to A for <math>t \to \infty</math> while there are solutions starting arbitrarily near B (<math>x=x_c</math>) that do not tend to B. Therefore, A is stable whereas B is unstable. Right (<math>\alpha<0</math>), now the contrary occurs, the A and B have exchanged their roles. ]]
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[[Image:Knowledgecycle.JPG|thumb|400px|right|Figure: The Knowledge Cycle: an idealistic conceptual model of Science-Policy Interaction.]]
  
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Coastal systems may self-organize at various length and time scales. Sand banks, sand waves both in the shelf and at the coastline, sand bars, tidal inlets, [[cusp]]s, cuspate forelands, spits (among others) are morphological features that are frequently dominated by self-organized processes. Stability models are the genuine tool to understand these processes and make predictions on the dynamics of those features.
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The Coastal Wiki contains much policy relevant information. Nevertheless, policy makers often complain about a lack of policy relevant research results and scientists often complain about the ignorance of policy makers of their policy relevant research results. Bridging the gap between policy and science is an issue which has triggered intensive debates over many years. No simple recipes have emerged. This article highlights some major causes of poor science-policy interaction and is intended as a help to avoid obvious pitfalls. It is more relevant for environmental and social sciences than for fundamental research.
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The concepts of equilibrium and stability come from Classical Mechanics (see, for example, Arrowsmith and Place, 1992<ref>D. K. Arrowsmith and C. M. Place, 1992. "Dynamical Systems". Chapman and Hall/CRC.</ref>). A state where a system is in balance with the external forcing so that it does not change in time is called an '''equilibrium position'''. However, any equilibrium position may be either stable or unstable. If released near a '''stable''' equilibrium position, the system will evolve towards such a position. On the contrary, if released near an '''unstable''' equilibrium position, it will go far away from this position.
 

Revision as of 13:06, 27 October 2008

Science-Policy Interaction

Figure: The Knowledge Cycle: an idealistic conceptual model of Science-Policy Interaction.

The Coastal Wiki contains much policy relevant information. Nevertheless, policy makers often complain about a lack of policy relevant research results and scientists often complain about the ignorance of policy makers of their policy relevant research results. Bridging the gap between policy and science is an issue which has triggered intensive debates over many years. No simple recipes have emerged. This article highlights some major causes of poor science-policy interaction and is intended as a help to avoid obvious pitfalls. It is more relevant for environmental and social sciences than for fundamental research.

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