Laminar-turbulent boundary-layer transition over a rough rotating disk

Boundary-layer transition over a disk spinning under water is investigated. Transitional Reynolds numbers, Re-c, and associated boundary-layer velocity profiles are determined from flow-visualizations and hot-film measurements, respectively. The value of Re-c and the velocity profiles are studied as a function of the disk's surface roughness. It is found that transition over rough disks occurs in a similar fashion to that over smooth disks, i.e., abruptly and axisymmetrically at well-defined radii. Wall roughness has little effect on Re-c until a threshold relative roughness is reached. Above the threshold Re-c decreases sharply. The decrease is consistent with the drop one expects for our flow for the absolute instability discovered by Lingwood [J. Fluid Mech. 299, 17 (1995); 314, 373 (1996); 331, 405 (1997)]. This indicates that the Lingwood absolute instability may continue to play a major role in the transition process even for large relative roughness. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics

Britain’s Public War Stories:Punching Above its Weight or Vanishing Force?

Communications practitioners continue to see strategic narrative as vital to securing domestic support or opposition to war. Yet despite an extensive literature on the narratives states construct, the stories domestic citizens tell about war are rarely examined. Consequently, the formation of strategic narratives is only informed by the stories governments think citizens tell, rather than those they actually tell. This paper presents a qualitative analysis of the stories the British public tell about their country’s role in war. Focusing on genre—the general pattern of a given story—it reveals five narratives citizens use to interpret Britain’s military role. These portray Britain as Punching Above its Weight; a Vanishing Force; Learning from its Mistakes; being Led Astray, or a Selfish Imperialist. At a time of uncertainty about Britain’s international role following the ‘Brexit’ vote, it provides an in-depth perspective on a state where military intervention is commonplace but understanding of publicinterpretations of war remains limited

News as geopolitics: China, CGTN and the 2020 US presidential election

Recently, authoritarian states have invested heavily in state-sponsored international news. Some states have instrumentalised this news geopolitically, with Russian electoral interference especially prominent. In comparison, we know less about how China’s international news outlets cover – and try to influence – other countries’ politics. This article asks whether China used its state-sponsored media to influence the 2020 US election. It examines CGTN’s coverage of the election and the 2021 Capitol riots, across its website, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Tellingly, it finds no concerted effort to influence the outcome. CGTN’s coverage was mostly cautious and neutral. Contrastingly, its geopolitical coverage of the US and China was entirely one-sided, persistently excoriating the US while praising China. We identify three news values differentiating CGTN’s coverage: deference, relevance (to China), and national sovereignty. These news values reveal CGTN’s geopolitical function: to convey Chinese media’s apparent impartiality, while promoting China at its competitors’ expense

Two International Propaganda Models:Comparing RT and CGTN’s 2020 US Election Coverage

Recent transformations in the media and communications environment have prompted states to invest heavily in external communications to pursue inter-state competition. Among authoritarian countries, Russia and China have invested particularly heavily in international news, through outlets like RT and CGTN. However, few comparative studies have examined the differences between authoritarian states’ use of international news for geopolitical purposes. This article conducts a comparative, mixed-method, multi-platform content analysis of RT and CGTN’s 2020 US election coverage. Based on multiple differences between the outlets’ content, it argues that they adopt two distinct international propaganda models. RT operates a “partisan parasite” model, imitating a partisan outlet in the US’ media ecology, while CGTN employs a “surface neutrality” model, which cloaks pro-China propaganda with a superficial impression of impartiality. Explicating these models using original empirical evidence, the paper advances theory on the evolving use of international news media as a geopolitical tool.</p

Reclaiming professional identity through postgraduate professional development: Career practitioners reclaiming their professional selves

Careers advisers in the UK have experienced significant change and upheaval within their professional practice. This research explores the role of postgraduate level professional development in contributing to professional identity. The research utilises a case study approach and adopts multiple tools to provide an in-depth examination of practitioners’ perceptions of themselves as professionals within their lived world experience. It presents a group of practitioners struggling to define themselves as professionals due to changing occupational nomenclature resulting from shifting government policy. Postgraduate professional development generated a perceived enhancement in professional identity through exposure to theory, policy and opportunities for reflection, thus contributing to more confident and empowered practitioners. Engagement with study facilitated development of confident, empowered practitioners with a strengthened sense of professional self

The field of Strategic Communications Professionals:a new research agenda for International Security

Communication has long been accepted as integral to the conduct of international affairs. The role that discourses, ideas, norms and narratives play at the systemic level of world politics has been examined extensively. Scholarly interest has now turned to how international actors use political communication tools to create and counter threats, such as propaganda, hybrid warfare, fake news and election tampering, and it is often taken for granted that states are inferior to their challengers in these domains. To address this, ‘Strategic Communications’ has emerged as a mode of thought and practice promising to enhance state communication; encompassing long-established activities including public diplomacy, public relations, nation branding and information operations. In this developing field, private sector professionals are increasingly being called on to support and advise governments. Particular attention has been paid to the ‘Big Data’ private companies may have access to, but there has been little IR research examining the experts seeking changes in how strategic communications is practised. Informed by elite interviews with communication professionals across the public-private space, this article sets out a research agenda to fill this gap, enhancing understanding of the expert relationships that shape international strategic communications. <br/

In search of the authentic nation: landscape and national identity in Canada and Switzerland

While the study of nationalism and national identity has flourished in the last decade, little attention has been devoted to the conditions under which natural environments acquire significance in definitions of nationhood. This article examines the identity-forming role of landscape depictions in two polyethnic nation-states: Canada and Switzerland. Two types of geographical national identity are identified. The first – what we call the ‘nationalisation of nature’– portrays zarticular landscapes as expressions of national authenticity. The second pattern – what we refer to as the ‘naturalisation of the nation’– rests upon a notion of geographical determinism that depicts specific landscapes as forces capable of determining national identity. The authors offer two reasons why the second pattern came to prevail in the cases under consideration: (1) the affinity between wild landscape and the Romantic ideal of pure, rugged nature, and (2) a divergence between the nationalist ideal of ethnic homogeneity and the polyethnic composition of the two societies under consideration

Strategic narratives in climate change: Towards a unifying narrative to address the action gap on climate change

There is a significant ‘action gap’ between what scientists argue is necessary to prevent potentially dangerous climate change and what the government, industry and public are doing. This paper argues that a coherent strategic narrative is key to making meaningful progress. It does this by first analysing a number of narratives which have been used to try and create audience buy-in on the need for action on climate change, and those that argue that no action needs to be taken. A framework is then proposed for how compelling and unifying strategic narratives on climate change might be constructed. It is suggested that the unifying strategic narrative could address the complex range of actors who need to be engaged, provide a coherent explanation for government strategy, and harness the drivers of behavioural change needed to meet the challenge. Research into climate change strategic narratives is nascent, but the authors believe that there is much to be gained from pursuing and intensifying this research

International lulz: Exploring the strategic logic of trolling in diplomacy

This article examines trolling in international diplomacy. It explores a developing trend in diplomatic communications: encounters which have historically been characterised by formality and politeness have increasingly been used by political leaders to troll their targets. While the second Trump administration embodies this ‘trolling turn’ in diplomacy, it extends beyond MAGA. Many leaders, particularly authoritarians and those with authoritarian tendencies, employ trolling within their communications strategies. Despite growing commentary on this phenomenon, its strategic logic remains underexplored in international relations scholarship.This article outlines a new theoretical framework explaining the strategic logic of trolling in international diplomacy and details a research agenda to investigate it further. The framework argues that there are five functions of diplomatic trolling: coercion, agenda setting, identification, delegitimisation and (dis)ordering. Using examples from across the world, it highlights that trolling – characterised by aggression, humour, and deception – enables leaders to pursue maximalist objectives while avoiding political costs by denying the seriousness of their comments when challenged. It is an especially attractive strategy for actors who wish to disrupt the existing international order. However, it is a strategy laden with risk. By illuminating diplomatic trolling’s strategic logic, this article enhances understanding of a pressing issue in contemporary statecraft