In the simulation of human behavior on a digital computer, one first attempts to discover the manner in which subjects (Ss) internally represent the environment and the rules that they employ for acting upon this representation. The interaction between the rules and the environmental representation over a period of time constitutes a set of processes. Processes can be expressed as flow charts which, in turn, are stated formally in terms of a computer program. The program serves as a theory which is tested by executing the program on a computer and comparing the machine's performance with S's behavior.

The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development sets a framework of universal Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to address challenges to society and the planet. Island invasive species eradications have well-documented benefits that clearly align with biodiversity conservation-related SDGs, yet the value of this conservation action for socioeconomic benefits is less clear. We examine the potential for island invasive vertebrate eradications to have ecological and socioeconomic benefits. Specifically, we examine: (1) how SDGs may have been achieved through past eradications; and (2) how planned future eradications align with SDGs and associated targets. We found invasive vertebrate eradication to align with 13 SDGs and 42 associated targets encompassing marine and terrestrial biodiversity conservation, promotion of local and global partnerships, economic development, climate change mitigation, human health and sanitation and sustainable production and consumption. Past eradications on 794 islands aligned with a median of 17 targets (range 13–38) by island. Potential future eradications on 292 highly biodiverse islands could align with a median of 25 SDG targets (range 15–39) by island. This analysis enables the global community to explicitly describe the contributions that invasive vertebrate management on islands can make towards implementing the global sustainable development agenda.

Some would argue there is a global movement afoot to study “biopolitics.” More and more scholarly reports that help shape our understanding of the political domain from this perspective are filling the pages of research journals. This is an important era of increasing scholarly interest in the intersection of the political and biological worlds and the rapidly evolving analytical innovations available to explore this still under-explored domain. With the arrival of these new opportunities comes a new editorial team at Politics and the Life Sciences (PLS). It is a team that extends its appreciation to the Council of the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences for the trust they put in it to steer the journal forward at this interesting and critical time. As well, it is a team that expresses its heartfelt gratitude to its immediate predecessors, Tony Wohlers, Maggie Kosal, and their editorial colleagues, for their determined leadership of the journal over the last three years and the easy transition they facilitated for the new team. They clearly laid a firm foundation for the next stage of the development of the journal.

Zirconolite glass-ceramics are being developed as potential wasteforms for the disposition of Pu wastes in the UK. Previous studies utilised a variety of surrogates whilst this work uses both cold-press and sinter and hot isostatic press methods to validate the wasteform with PuO2. A cold press and sinter sample was fabricated as part of a validation study for plutonium incorporation in hot isostatically pressed (HIPed) wasteforms. The results confirmed the cold-press and sinter, achieved successful waste incorporation and a microstructure and phase assemblage that was in agreement with those expected of a HIPed equivalent. A HIP sample was fabricated of the same composition and characterised by SEM and XRD. Results were in agreement with the sintered sample and achieved complete waste incorporation into the glass-ceramic wasteform. These samples have demonstrated successful incorporation of PuO2 into glass-ceramic HIPed wasteforms proposed for processing Pu-based waste-streams in the UK.

Since the year 2000, Synroc has evolved from the titanate full-ceramic waste forms developed in the late 1970s to a hot isostatic pressing (HIP) technology platform that can be applied to produce glass, glass–ceramic, and ceramic waste forms and where there are distinct advantages over vitrification in terms of, for example, waste loading and suppressing volatile losses. This paper describes recent progress on waste form development for intermediate-level wastes from 99Mo production at ANSTO, spent nuclear fuel, fluoride pyroprocessing wastes and 129I. The microstructures and aqueous dissolution results are presented where applicable. This paper provides perspective on Synroc waste forms and recent process technology development in the nuclear waste management industry.

There is growing interest in reducing the use of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) owing to its high energy consumption and CO2 emissions. An environmentally-friendly alternative is the use of geopolymers, which can potentially reduce direct CO2 emissions through the appropriate choice of raw materials, mix design, and curing regimes. In this regard geopolymer mortars are also realistic candidates for the replacement of OPC mortars in nuclear waste immobilisation applications as they provide a more durable incorporation matrix as well as suppressing the formation of radiolytic hydrogen. The advantages of geopolymers over OPC for nuclear waste immobilisation include i) lower water content as alkaline activator is the main component that drives geopolymerisation, ii) higher thermal stability (<600°-800°C) compared to OPC concrete (<300°C), iii) higher compressive strength (50-80 MPa), and iv) lower leachability of radioactive ions when the mix design and curing temperature are appropriately balanced. UNSW and ANSTO have embarked on a long-term research program to investigate the possibility of using geopolymers for the immobilisation of Intermediate Level Liquid Waste (ILLW), the focus of which will be around the influence of gamma-irradiation on the durability.

Partisan identification is a fundamental force in individual and mass political behavior around the world. Informed by scholarship on human sociality, coalitional psychology, and group behavior, this research argues that partisan identification, like many other group-based behaviors, is influenced by forces of evolution. If correct, then party identifiers should exhibit adaptive behaviors when making group-related political decisions. The authors test this assertion with citizen assessments of the relative physical formidability of competing leaders, an important adaptive factor in leader evaluations. Using original and novel data collected during the contextually different 2008 and 2012 U.S. presidential elections, as well as two distinct measures obtained during both elections, this article presents evidence that partisans overestimate the physical stature of the presidential candidate of their own party compared with the stature of the candidate of the opposition party. These findings suggest that the power of party identification on political behavior may be attributable to the fact that modern political parties address problems similar to the problems groups faced in human ancestral times.