Those familiar with the artistic lexicon of Samuel Bak will recognize many of the symbols present in the series Figuring Out, but they will also meet and explore a new cast of characters. Human figures in many guises navigate a search for identity in the postwar world and invite the audience into a dialogue about the future of mankind. The human face appears in various states—from flesh to stone, in wooden profile, or as a gigantic monument slowly sinking into the earth—but always in some way eroded, defaced, masked, blindfolded, bandaged, or distorted. Human figures inhabit a ravaged landscape but collaboratively and resolutely drag each other out of their wounded past in their determined journey toward an uncertain future. New to Bak’s drama of identity is the figure of the magician, a master of manipulation who drifts between the whimsical and the grim. With this latest body of work, Bak steadfastly proves the important role of the artist in understanding the human experience and confronting difficult episodes in the history of our time. As author Lawrence L. Langer writes: "We are beholding a mute autopsy of the human journey, invited to become artists of the imagination ourselves as the only way of joining this arduous excursion into the meaning of our current existence." In his essay, Langer demonstrates his mastery of Holocaust history and his clear understanding of Bak’s visual language, deftly guiding us through the complex ambiguities of the work. He offers ways of seeing beyond mere looking, noticing and expanding upon both broad themes and seemingly inconsequential details. In his essay, art historian Andrew Meyers places Bak’s figures in context with historical approaches to the genre, then thematically classifies Bak’s multivalent approaches to the subject in a nuanced continuum. Together, the artist and authors of Figuring Out turn the question of "Who am I?" into a question of "Who are we?"—preparing the viewer and reader to pick up the mantle of this inquiry.

Do you know what information about you is on the Internet? How much information do you freely give away on the Internet? On your phone? On your car? In your garbage? In your wallet? With your body language? Written from an offensive point of view, Stalk Yourself will show you what methods can be used to gather information about you and your family.

The absorption of vacuum ultraviolet light by atomic oxygen has been measured in the Electric Arc-driven Shock Tube (EAST) Facility at NASA-Ames Research Center. This investigation demonstrates the instrumentation required to determine atomic oxygen concentrations from absorption measurements in impulse facilities. A shock wave dissociates molecular oxygen, producing a high temperature sample of atomic oxygen in the shock tube. A probe beam is generated with a Raman-shifted ArF excimer laser. By suitable tuning of the laser, absorption is measured over a range of wavelengths in the region of the atomic line at 130.49 nm. The line shape function is determined from measurements at atomic oxygen densities of 3 x 10(exp 17) and 9 x 10(exp 17) cm(exp -3). The broadening coefficient for resonance interactions is deduced from this data, and this value is in accord with available theoretical models.

The absorption of vacuum ultraviolet light by atomic oxygen has been measured in the Electric Arc-driven Shock Tube (EAST) Facility at NASA-Ames Research Center. This investigation demonstrates the instrumentation required to determine atomic oxygen concentrations from absorption measurements in impulse facilities. A shock wave dissociates molecular oxygen, producing a high temperature sample of atomic oxygen in the shock tube. A probe beam is generated with a Raman-shifted ArF excimer laser. By suitable tuning of the laser, absorption is measured over a range of wavelengths in the region of the atomic line at 130.49 nm. The line shape function is determined from measurements at atomic oxygen densities of 3x10(exp 17) and 9x10(exp 17) cm(exp -3). The broadening coefficient for resonance interactions is deduced from this data, and this value is in accord with available theoretical models.

The Human Tradition in Premodern China is a collection of biographical essays revealing the variety and complexity of human experience in China from the earliest historical times to the dawn of the modern age. China is a vast country with a long history, and one which is by itself as complex as the history of Europe. This broad expanse of time and space in Chinese history has largely been approached in terms of narrative political and cultural history in most books. The reigns of emperors and the thoughts of the great masters such as Confucius or Laozi have been the principal focus. Yet the history of the Chinese, as with any great people, is built up from the lives of individuals, families, groups, and movements. By presenting life stories of individuals ranging from ancient court diviners to late imperial merchants to women in various periods, this engaging anthology highlights aspects of Chinese social, political and intellectual history not usually addressed. Additionally, The Human Tradition in Premodern China broadens the common image and understanding of society based on the dominant elite male discourse. Rich in new perspective and new scholarship, The Human Tradition in Premodern China is an ideal introduction to Chinese history, East Asian history, and world history.