Insurance Policies: The Grandparents of Contractual Black Holes

In their recent article, The Black Hole Problem in Commercial Boilerplate, Professors Stephen Choi, Mitu Gulati, and Robert Scott identify a phenomenon found in standardized contracts they describe as “contractual black holes.” The concept of black holes comes from theoretical physics. Under the original hypothesis, the gravitational pull of a black hole is so strong that once light or information is pulled past an event horizon into a black hole, it cannot escape. In recent years, the theory has been reformulated and now the hypothesis is that some information can escape, but it is so degraded that it is virtually useless. In their article, Choi, Gulati, and Scott apply the black hole concept to certain standardized contractual boilerplate provisions. Although the focus of their article is on the contractual black hole nature of pari passu clauses that are used in sovereign debt contracts, Choi, Gulati, and Scott note that “[s]tandard insurance contracts appear to be another area with the potential for terms that have lost meaning.” They are correct that insurance policies are an area in which contractual black holes would appear quite likely to develop. In this essay, to test the hypothesis that insurance policies potentially are, or contain, contractual black holes, four policy provisions found in commercial insurance policies are considered: 1) “Sue and Labor” Clauses, 2) “Ensuing Loss” Clauses, 3) “Non-Cumulation” Clauses, and 4) the “Sudden and Accidental” Pollution Exclusion. An examination of these provisions demonstrates that some policy provisions have become contractual black holes, some provisions are only apparent contractual black holes, and other provisions on their way to becoming contractual black holes were saved before the original meaning of such provisions crossed the event horizon

A study of the durability of beryllium rocket engines

An experimental test program was performed to demonstrate the durability of a beryllium INTEREGEN rocket engine when operating under conditions simulating the space shuttle reaction control system. A vibration simulator was exposed to the equivalent of 100 missions of X, Y, and Z axes random vibration to demonstrate the integrity of the recently developed injector-to-chamber braze joint. An off-limits engine was hot fired under extreme conditions of mixture ratio, chamber pressure, and orifice plugging. A durability engine was exposed to six environmental cycles interspersed with hot-fire tests without intermediate cleaning, service, or maintenance. Results from this program indicate the ability of the beryllium INTEREGEN engine concept to meet the operational requirements of the space shuttle reaction control system

The life project

This conference paper is available to download from the publisher’s website at the link below.The Life Project explores issues of psychological projection into technology by diving into the convoluted relationship between practical purpose and emotional attachment, through both the creative act of designing and making robot entities with artificial emotions, and the social act of engaging with them. This process explores the concept of body representation through a multiidentity in virtual and physical blended space. In a lesser sense, it also suggests a future world of collaboration between physical and virtual forms, enabled by new forms of representation in blended worlds

FARM PRICE ESTIMATION WHEN THERE IS BARGAINING: THE CASE OF PROCESSED FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

Raw product prices for many processed fruits and vegetables are determined in part as an outcome of negotiations between processors and farmer bargaining associations. In such cases, unique market equilibrium solutions may not exist. This study develops a framework for price prediction under bargaining and applies it to the California cling peach industry. The price prediction equation turns out to involve the same variables as would a model specified for perfect competition. Hence a mistaken assumption about the structure of competition may still provide a model that predicts well, provided the structure remains constant.Demand and Price Analysis, Marketing,

Exploring Research through Design in Animal-Computer Interaction

This paper explores Research through Design (RtD) as a potential methodology for developing new interactive experiences for animals. We present an example study from an on-going project and examine whether RtD offers an appropriate framework for developing knowledge in the context of Animal-Computer Interaction, as well as considering how best to document such work. We discuss the design journey we undertook to develop interactive systems for captive elephants and the extent to which RtD has enabled us to explore concept development and documentation of research. As a result of our explorations, we propose that particular aspects of RtD can help ACI researchers gain fresh perspectives on the design of technology-enabled devices for non-human animals. We argue that these methods of working can support the investigation of particular and complex situations where no idiomatic interactions yet exist, where collaborative practice is desirable and where the designed objects themselves offer a conceptual window for future research and development

Role of Insects and Diseases in a Jack Pine Provenance Study

Two jack pine plantations were established at the Cloquet Forestry Center, Cloquet, Minnesota, in 1942 and 1943, using trees originating from 22 sites in the United States and 10 in Canada. From 1945 to 1953 the incidence of attack by insects and diseases was recorded individually for all trees, and in 1980-1981 the diameter and form of both living and dead trees were recorded. There were differences in the incidence of attack by the pests and in tree response to early injury among the various seed sources. In 1980 and in 1981 there were differences in tree form resulting from insect and both living and dead pest-free trees had the best form. The diameter increases from 1955 to 1980-1981 were almost identical for all categories with the exception of the dead pest-free trees which had the smallest diameters

ESTIMATES OF DEMAND RELATIONSHIPS FOR APRICOTS AND APRICOT PRODUCTS

Apricots are a unique commodity in that they are used in four ways: for fresh markets and for canning, freezing, and drying. This article formulates a model of the demand system for this commodity and presents FIML and 2SLS estimates of the simultaneous components of the system. The empirical findings include estimates of price flexibilities and elasticities and equations that predict prices and allocations among product forms, given the annual production.Demand and Price Analysis,