In this thesis we will demonstrates how to construct a counting mechanical metamate- rial that is based on bi-stable buckling beams by creating a material that can count to ten. By coupling...Show moreIn this thesis we will demonstrates how to construct a counting mechanical metamate- rial that is based on bi-stable buckling beams by creating a material that can count to ten. By coupling bistable buckling beams in a suitable geometry we can design mate- rials that when cyclically compressed between two critical strains. We show that when two adjacent buckled beams touch, there is a characteristic length scale - the inversion length - that determines which of two beams snaps through when compressed to the snapping strain. We experimentally and analytically work out the characteristic inver- sion distance length scale that determines the outcome of the battle of the buckling beams and show how to modify beam geometries to design counting behaviour for many beam materials.Show less
Connecting Kaurismäki to irony is not surprising, but is surprisingly enough, not so much scholarly researched in the past. Irony appears in different disguises, largely depending on the function...Show moreConnecting Kaurismäki to irony is not surprising, but is surprisingly enough, not so much scholarly researched in the past. Irony appears in different disguises, largely depending on the function of it; what the ironist wants to achieve. Applying it can originate from an urge to complicate a matter of discussion but can also be applied to translate the oppositional stance the ironist wants to reveal. In the case of the enigmatic Kaurismäki his intentions or motivations in his choice of theme and subject are essential to the humour he adapts in telling his stories, but always remains somewhat vague. This thesis provides an image of how irony prevails and functions in his cinema on the base of a series of comparative case studies linked to three of his films: I Hired a Contract Killer (1990), The Man Without a Past (2002) and The Other Side of Hope (2017). It eventually sets out an idea of a filmmaker who, by applying irony, both distances though simultaneously engages himself with his audience in his own wayward fashion.Show less
This Thesis tests Meyer’s and Strickmann’s (2011) International Relations (IR) theoretical framework on the material-ideational nexus in European defence against a case with extraordinary evidence...Show moreThis Thesis tests Meyer’s and Strickmann’s (2011) International Relations (IR) theoretical framework on the material-ideational nexus in European defence against a case with extraordinary evidence of material change: the European defence sector after the Cold War (1989–1999). The aim is to investigate how the interplay of material and ideational factors shaped European armament cooperation in this period. Furthermore, the author seeks to derive policy recommendations for the ongoing European Union (EU) defence integration process, also said to be driven by material change. The Thesis finds that the stark post-Cold War material challenges did lead to an ideational shift towards closer European armament cooperation. This shift, however, was not as pronounced as it could have been, considering the magnitude of material change and scope for collaboration. Additionally, material pressures exacerbated existing tensions between different actors and interests in the defence domain. For the current EU defence integration process, this implies that the cohesive effects of material change should not be taken for granted. Instead, a more unitary and comprehensive institutional structure is needed, which still accommodates the different capacities and preferences of member states regarding European armament cooperation.Show less
