Three sets of experiments were designed to test Marcel's (1983ab) claim that backward pattern masked word primes are processed automatically and without awareness to a level of representation where the meaning of the word is identified. In the first set of experiments, Marcel's critical SOA procedure for determining an awareness threshold was found to be unsatisfactory. There was no evidence for semantic priming effects when more trials were used to determine the critical SOA. In the second and third sets of experiments, awareness of backward pattern masked primes was determined by subject's report of the prime. Conconscious priming effects from prior presentation of the target word in a lexical decision task, and the solution in an anagram solving task, were substantial and robust. Nonconscious semantic priming effects were small but were significant in both tasks when presentation was dichoptic. Nonconscious semantic priming effects in the anagram solving task were obtained under some conditions of binocular presentation. Priming effects are discussed with reference to word perception, reading, and theories of consciousness. One conclusion is that nonconscious automatic priming effects are "selective" and are far from being ubiquitous. This view of heterogeneous nonconscious selective priming does not support Marcel's (1983b) claim that nonconscious processing produces homogeneous activation to the highest level in all representations connected with the stimulus event.

Diplominiame darbe analizuojama simuliacijos ir simuliakrai pagal Jean‘ą Baudrillard‘ą, kuris svarstymuose kėlė neatsekamos ribos tarp fikcijos ir tikrovės klausimo. Darbo eigoje nuosekliai aptariamos sąvokos simuliakrai, simuliacija, tikrovė, iliuzija ir hiperrealybė. aprašoma simuliacijos ir erdvėlaikio filosofinė problema. Apibrėžiami trys simuliacijos laipsniai. Remiantis T. Burtono, D. Lynčo, G. Verbinskio filmais aptariamos istorijos bei žmogaus situacija įžengus į simuliacijos ir simuliakrų erdvę. Taip pat apžvelgiamas istorijos „pabaigos“ bei „įvykio“ ir jo prasmės praradimas technologiuotame pasaulyje, pateikiami grindžiantys pavyzdžiai. Meniniu – kūrybiniu videofilmu „Tėkmė“ siekiama judančių simbolių (detalių) pagalba atskleisti, bei pavaizduoti tikrovės simuliaciją. Kadrų scenomis siekiama sukurti kuo įtaigesnį hipertikroviško pasaulio įspūdį. / The Final Work analyses simulations and simulacra under Jean Baudrillard who offered the issue of untraceable boundary between the fiction and reality. The Work thoroughly discusses issues of simulacra, simulation, reality, illusion and hyper reality. Simulation and the philosophical problem of the space time are described. Three levels of simulation are presented. Under films of T. Burton, D. Lynch, G. Verbinski histories are discussed as well as the situation of a human being when entering the space of simulations and simulacra. Also stories of „the end” and „the action” are reviewed as well as the loss of meaning in the technologies world; the supporting examples are presented. Artistic – creative video film „The Flow” seeks to reveal and to depict the simulation of reality by aids of moving symbols (details). Scenes of shots aim to create the suggestive image of the hyper – real world.

Real-time computer games and simulations often contain large virtual outdoor environments. Terrain forms an important part of these environments. This terrain may consist of various granular materials, such as sand, rubble and rocks. Previous approaches to rendering such terrains rely on simple textured geometry, with little to no support for dynamic interactions. Recently, particle-based granular terrain simulations have emerged as an alternative method for rendering granular terrain. These systems simulate granular materials by using particles to represent the individual granules, and exhibit realistic, physically correct interactions with dynamic objects. However, they are extremely computationally expensive, and thus may only feasibly be used to simulate small areas of terrain. In order to overcome this limitation, this thesis builds upon a previously created particle-based granular terrain simulation, by integrating it with a heightfield-based terrain system. In this way, we create a level of detail system for simulating large-scale granular terrain. The particle-based terrain system is used to represent areas of terrain around dynamic objects, whereas the heightfield-based terrain is used elsewhere. This allows large-scale granular terrain to be simulated in real-time, with physically correct dynamic interactions. This is made possible by a novel system, which allows for terrain to be converted from one representation to the other in real-time, while maintaining changes made to the particle-based system in the heightfield-based system. The system also allows for updates to particle-systems to be paused, creating the illusion that more particle systems are active than actually are. We show that the system is capable of simulating and rendering multiple particle-based simulations across a large-scale terrain, whilst maintaining real-time performance. However, the number of particles used, and thus the number of particle-based simulations which may be used, is limited by the computational resources of the GPU.

Thesis (B.A.)--Haverford College, Dept. of Philosophy, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, Los Angeles, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 379-411).

Thesis (Th. M.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [49]-54).

Thesis (Th. M.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [49]-54).

Thesis (M. Div.)--Regent College, 1996. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 157-161).

Univ., Diss.--Turku.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2002. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references. Available electronically via Internet.