This chapter examines the locations – performance venues, physical spaces, virtual outlets – in which stand-up comedy in the USA takes place. It opens with a discussion of the different types of venues in which stand-up has existed historically -theatres, nightclubs, bars, clubs, music venues, arenas, etc. – before moving on to explore contemporary comedy clubs in New York City. Throughout the chapter, particular emphasis is given to the organisation of the venues and shows, the performance conventions they incorporate, and how their spatial and aesthetic properties as venues shape the work of the comics who play them. The chapter is based on the author’s extensive ethnographic research carried out on the New York comedy scene among up-and-coming local comics at both the comedy club and in the so-called alternative comedy scene.

Chapter 9 examines the three factors that affect radar range measurement: spatial and temporal variations of the dry and wet components of the troposphere, phase advance of radar waves through the ionosphere, and the solid Earth tides. It also discusses practical corrections and mitigation approaches.

For many today, Patna exists as two moments in time: ancient Pataliputra, the capital of magnificent empires, and modern Patna, the dingy and dangerous capital of a state synonymous with violent chaos and contagious, criminalized, political dysfunction. “Perhaps unique among my country's most iconic cities,” the Patna-raised writer Amitava Kumar has remarked, “Patna has had glories only in the distant past.” Similarly, a children's book about Indian cities introduces young readers to the seeming contradiction between Patna's storied past and its unromantic present by saying, “This is one city you may have actually read about in great detail in school without necessarily associating it with its present-day avatar as capital of Bihar.”

Some, though, also imagine a future Patna that will shed the burdens of the past and present. The children's book authors optimistically predict Patna's resurgence: “Patna may have lost most of its ancient shine but its dynamism still peeps through occasionally—in the intelligence and resourcefulness of its people. You never know when it may regain its lost glory to become a major commercial and political centre of the region, all over again.” This deferral of hope is echoed in the responses garnered on Facebook by the celebrity architect Hafeez Contractor's renderings of a futuristic “New Patna World City,” full of gleaming skyscrapers emerging from newly reclaimed land in the Ganges.

In the beginning, relations between Mahler and Schoenberg seem to have been somewhatstormy. In fact, there were not only frictions of character between Schoenberg and Mahler, but also substantial differences in their conception of composition. In contrast to the prevalent opinion expressed in the copious literature on the topic, the relationship between Schoenberg and Mahler resembled that of two composers who were fundamentally alien to each other musically, but who, through human solidarity, a common ethical view of uncompromising artistic coherence and a closeness that grew over the years, decided to approach each other compositionally as well. Several examples from Schoenberg’s works will be shown in the chapter to substantiate this thesis.

The Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) and the V20 group of finance ministers address climate change impacts on vulnerable countries. This chapter introduces the interconnectedness of climate justice, economic resilience, and sustainable development. It highlights personal stories, such as Victor Yalanda from Colombia and Jevanic Henry from Saint Lucia, who share their experiences of climate change’s impacts on their communities — covering both the economic loss and the emotional devastation caused to communities. We introduce the CVF’s Climate Vulnerability Monitor — a unique study of the impacts of climate change, including fresh modelling, covering biophysical, economics and health projections up to 2100. The global community via COP27 and COP28 have agreed on the urgency of both adaptation and mitigation strategies. Yet the speed of change is not sufficient. The fate of today’s most vulnerable will soon be the fate of the world.

This chapter examines the long-held belief that Arnold Schoenberg endured dire financial hardship for most of his life, due in large part to his unwavering and highly principled commitment to modern music. Schoenberg can be compared to Mozart with regard to his money woes: both composers apparently struggled to support themselves and their families and were tragically under-appreciated and under-compensated during their lifetimes, despite the enormity of their artistic significance. In each case, however, the situation is more nuanced: for both composers, money came and went, for a variety of reasons. In the chapter, the popular mythos of Schoenberg’s ‘perpetual insolvency’ is contextualized and challenged by considering his constantly changing personal and professional circumstances, and the different ways in which he earned money.

Chapter 4 provides a comprehensive presentation of the commonly used range-Doppler algorithm for focusing complex backscatter data into a single-look complex (SLC) image.

This chapter explores urban nature-based solutions (NBSs) as an essential strategy for creating circular and liveable cities. NBSs leverage natural processes and ecosystems to address various urban challenges, including climate change adaptation, biodiversity loss, water management, and urban resilience. The chapter highlights how NBS can transform cities into more sustainable, resource-efficient environments while offering social, economic, and environmental benefits. Key urban NBSs discussed include green roofs, green walls, community gardens, permeable pavements, bioswales, urban forests, and constructed wetlands. These solutions not only contribute to mitigating the effects of urbanisation but also improve air and water quality, reduce the urban heat island effect, and enhance biodiversity. By integrating nature into urban planning, cities can become more resilient to extreme weather events and better equipped to manage natural resources sustainably. The chapter further emphasises the importance of policy frameworks and financial incentives to encourage the widespread adoption of NBS. Case studies from global cities illustrate the successful implementation of NBS and their positive impact on urban liveability. Ultimately, NBSs are a powerful tool in the circular economy framework, fostering healthier, greener, and more liveable cities that support both people and the planet.

Historians of South Asia have their own global pilgrimage circuit. The stations vary by research topic, but itineraries often focus on collections built by the colonial state and maintained by its successors, among them the National Archives of India in Delhi, the National Library in Kolkata, and the British Library in London. Many have noted the perverse fact that the last of these—easily the world's richest collection of South Asian texts from both the colonial and precolonial eras—is located thousands of miles (and tens of thousands of rupees) away from the subcontinent, out of reach for most scholars from the region. Meanwhile, Germany, which had no colonial presence in South Asia, possesses major collections of Indian manuscripts, and American institutions hold immense troves of printed materials.

Anyone looking for the Mughal libraries or those of states like Avadh and Mysore will be disappointed. The great collections of precolonial South Asia were looted and scattered during the nineteenth century and, in some cases, carted off wholesale to Europe.3 Apart from some belonging to religious establishments, most of the region's libraries date to the late colonial and postcolonial periods. Many boast excellent collections of printed books, often maintained on a shoestring by hard-working staffs. Two libraries stand out, however, for their rich collections of Arabic and Persian manuscripts. These are the Raza Library in Rampur, the former capital of a small princely state, and the Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library in Patna.

We show that accounts of NDEs, including the experiences of blind people, and NDE research methods used by popular researchers in the USA lack scientific credibility, at least with regard to their explanations of the possible origin of the extraordinary experiences. In order to be scientifically valuable, NDE research has to follow verification and validation of the data. While the verification of the content of NDE reports – the personal truth of the NDE themes – has been established, validation via objective scientific methods is largely missing.