International Conference Held at Washington - Fixing a Prime Meridian and a Universal Day


Book Description

In 'International Conference Held at Washington - Fixing a Prime Meridian and a Universal Day' by the International Meridian Conference (1884: Washington, D.C.), the reader is introduced to a comprehensive documentation of the discussions and decisions made at the conference that established the Greenwich Meridian as the Prime Meridian of the world. This book delves into the technical aspects of determining longitude, the history of meridian systems, and the implications of having a universal standard for timekeeping. Written in a highly formal and factual style, this text serves as a pivotal piece of historical documentation in the field of international cooperation and standardization. The International Meridian Conference (1884: Washington, D.C.) was a gathering of prominent scientists, geographers, and diplomats who aimed to address the global need for a standardized prime meridian. Their meticulous research and discussions culminated in the establishment of the Greenwich Meridian as the reference point for longitude and time. This authoritative text reflects the dedication and expertise of the conference participants in resolving a crucial issue of global significance. I highly recommend 'International Conference Held at Washington - Fixing a Prime Meridian and a Universal Day' to readers interested in the history of scientific international cooperation, the development of standard time, and the impact of geographical conventions on global communication and navigation. This book offers valuable insights into the meticulous process of establishing a universal prime meridian and its enduring implications for modern society.













International Law's Objects


Book Description

International law's rich existence in the world can be illuminated by its objects. International law is often developed, conveyed and authorized through its objects and/or their representation. From the symbolic (the regalia of the head of state and the symbols of sovereignty), to the mundane (a can of dolphin-safe tuna certified as complying with international trade standards), international legal authority can be found in the objects around us. Similarly, the practice of international law often relies on material objects or their image, both as evidence (satellite images, bones of the victims of mass atrocities) and to found authority (for instance, maps and charts). This volume considers these questions; firstly what might the study of international law through objects reveal? What might objects, rather than texts, tell us about sources, recognition of states, construction of territory, law of the sea, or international human rights law? Secondly, what might this scholarly undertaking reveal about the objects - as aims or projects - of international law? How do objects reveal, or perhaps mask, these aims, and what does this tell us about the reasons some (physical or material) objects are foregrounded, and others hidden or ignored. Thirdly what objects, icons and symbols preoccupy the profession and academy? The personal selection of these objects by leading and emerging scholars worldwide, will illuminate the contemporary and historical fascinations of international lawyers. As a result, the volume will be an important artefact (itself an object) in its own right, capturing the mood of international law in a given moment and providing opportunity for reflection on these preoccupations. By considering international law in the context of its material culture the authors offer a new theoretical perspective on the subject.













Modernism and the Post-Colonial


Book Description

This book considers the shifts in aesthetic representation over the period 1885-1930 that coincide both with the rise of literary Modernism and imperialism's high point. Peter Childs argues that modernist literary writing should be read in terms of its response and relationship to events overseas and that it should be seen as moving towards an emergent post-colonialism instead of struggling with a residual colonial past. Each of the core chapters focuses on one key writer and discuss a range of others, including: Conrad, Lawrence, Kipling, Eliot, Woolf, Joyce, Conan Doyle and Haggard.




Time: From Earth Rotation to Atomic Physics


Book Description

In the twenty-first century, we take the means to measure time for granted, without contemplating the sophisticated concepts on which our time scales are based. This volume presents the evolution of concepts of time and methods of time keeping up to the present day. It outlines the progression of time based on sundials, water clocks, and the Earth's rotation, to time measurement using pendulum clocks, quartz crystal clocks, and atomic frequency standards. Time scales created as a result of these improvements in technology and the development of general and special relativity are explained. This second edition has been updated throughout to describe twentieth- and twenty-first-century advances and discusses the redefinition of SI units and the future of UTC. A new chapter on time and cosmology has been added. This broad-ranging reference benefits a diverse readership, including historians, scientists, engineers, educators, and it is accessible to general readers.