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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 217 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1992

Involuntary attentional capture by abrupt onsets

Five experiments were carried out to examine the extent to which brief abrupt-onset visual stimuli involuntarily capture spatial attention. A fundumantal limitation on the conscious control of spatial attention is demonstrated. Data obtained reveal conditions under which the control of spatial attention is completely involuntary: attention is captured by an irrelevant event despite subjects' intentions to ignore the event. The paradigm used provided strong incentives to ignore the distracting abrupt onset, but these were insufficient to prevent capture. Results suggest that voluntary control of attention is limited to focusing attention in advance on locations, objects, or properties of interest. Under appropriate conditions, spatial attention can be involantarily drawn to abrupt-onset events despite the intention of subjects' to ignore them.

Remington, Roger W.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Colorimetric qualification of shear sensitive liquid crystal coatings

The work that has been done to date on the Shear Sensitive Liquid Crystal Project demonstrated that cholesteric liquid crystal coatings respond to both the direction and magnitude of a shearing force. The response of the coating is to selectively scatter incident white light into a spectrum of colors. Discernible color changes at a fixed angle of observation and illumination are the result of an applied shear stress. The intention was to be able to convert these observable color patterns from a flow visualization technique into a quantitative tool. One of the earlier intentions was to be able to use liquid crystals in dynamic flow fields. This was assumed possible because liquid crystals had made it possible to visualize transients in surface shear forces. Although the transients were visualized by color changes to an order one micro second, the time response of a coating to align to a shearing force is dependent on the magnitude of the change between its initial and final states. Unfortunately, the response is not instantaneous. It is for this reason any future attempt at quantifying the magnitude and directions of a shearing force are limited to surface shear stress vector fields in three dimensional steady state flows. This limitation does not significantly detract from the utility of liquid crystal coatings. The measurement of skin friction in the study of transition on wings, prediction of drag forces, performance assessment, and the investigation of boundary layer behavior is of great importance in aerodynamics. There exist numerous examples of techniques for the measurement of surface shear stress. Most techniques require arduous calibrations and necessitate extensive preparation of the receiving surfaces. However, the main draw back of instruments such as Preston tubes, hot films, buried wire gages, and floating element balances is that they only provide a point measurement. The advantages of capturing global shear data would be appreciable when compared with conventional point measurement sensors. It has yet to be determined if a repeatable correlation exists between the measured color of a liquid crystal coating and the magnitude/directional components of a shear vector imposed onto it.

Muratore, Joseph J., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Physical interpretation and development of ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation techniques applied to the quantitative characterization of textile composite materials

In this Progress Report, we describe our continuing research activities concerning the development and implementation of advanced ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation methods applied to the inspection and characterization of complex composite structures. We explore the feasibility of implementing medical linear array imaging technology as a viable ultrasonic-based nondestructive evaluation method to inspect and characterize complex materials. As an initial step toward the application of linear array imaging technology to the interrogation of a wide range of complex composite structures, we present images obtained using an unmodified medical ultrasonic imaging system of two epoxy-bonded aluminum plate specimens, each with intentionally disbonded regions. These images are compared with corresponding conventional ultrasonic contact transducer measurements in order to assess whether these images can detect disbonded regions and provide information regarding the nature of the disbonded region. We present a description of a standoff/delay fixture which has been designed, constructed, and implemented on a Hewlett-Packard SONOS 1500 medical imaging system. This standoff/delay fixture, when attached to a 7.5 MHz linear array probe, greatly enhances our ability to interrogate flat plate specimens. The final section of this Progress Report describes a woven composite plate specimen that has been specially machined to include intentional flaws. This woven composite specimen will allow us to assess the feasibility of applying linear array imaging technology to the inspection and characterization of complex textile composite materials. We anticipate the results of this on-going investigation may provide a step toward the development of a rapid, real-time, and portable method of ultrasonic inspection and characterization based on linear array technology.

Miller, James G.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Cognition and procedure representational requirements for predictive human performance models

Models and modeling environments for human performance are becoming significant contributors to early system design and analysis procedures. Issues of levels of automation, physical environment, informational environment, and manning requirements are being addressed by such man/machine analysis systems. The research reported here investigates the close interaction between models of human cognition and models that described procedural performance. We describe a methodology for the decomposition of aircrew procedures that supports interaction with models of cognition on the basis of procedures observed; that serves to identify cockpit/avionics information sources and crew information requirements; and that provides the structure to support methods for function allocation among crew and aiding systems. Our approach is to develop an object-oriented, modular, executable software representation of the aircrew, the aircraft, and the procedures necessary to satisfy flight-phase goals. We then encode in a time-based language, taxonomies of the conceptual, relational, and procedural constraints among the cockpit avionics and control system and the aircrew. We have designed and implemented a goals/procedures hierarchic representation sufficient to describe procedural flow in the cockpit. We then execute the procedural representation in simulation software and calculate the values of the flight instruments, aircraft state variables and crew resources using the constraints available from the relationship taxonomies. The system provides a flexible, extensible, manipulative and executable representation of aircrew and procedures that is generally applicable to crew/procedure task-analysis. The representation supports developed methods of intent inference, and is extensible to include issues of information requirements and functional allocation. We are attempting to link the procedural representation to models of cognitive functions to establish several intent inference methods including procedural backtracking with concurrent search, temporal reasoning, and constraint checking for partial ordering of procedures. Finally, the representation is being linked to models of human decision making processes that include heuristic, propositional and prescriptive judgement models that are sensitive to the procedural content in which the valuative functions are being performed.

Corker, K.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Effects of Applied Strain on Rates of Ageing: Project Overview

One of the stated intents of this project has been to make some assessment of effects of strain on rates of ageing of project thermoplastics exposed to project fluids. To this end, certain straining jigs which apply in various modes - tensile, four-point bending and crack growth using compact tension samples - were designed and made for holding samples during fluid exposures. During testing, features of the thermoplastics have been observed which have tended to confuse apparent strain effects on the polymers' aged performance, but recent assessments of the topic and its data have led to considerable progress being made in identifying test procedures necessary for strain and related effects on chemical deterioration to manifest themselves. It is the intent of this report to provide a summary of what has been determined on strain and related effects thus far, and provide recommendations for clarifying them in Phase 2 by means of further test procedures which will increase and focus the severity of the conditions applying. The choice of flexible pipe rather than umbilicals service for assessing service strain conditions reflects the major interest of project members. However, Tefzel data are still provided.

Campion, R. P.↗
NASA NTRS1998

X-33 Environmental Impact Statement: A Fast Track Approach

NASA is required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to prepare an appropriate level environmental analysis for its major projects. Development of the X-33 Technology Demonstrator and its associated flight test program required an environmental impact statement (EIS) under the NEPA. The EIS process is consists of four parts: the "Notice of Intent" to prepare an EIS and scoping; the draft EIS which is distributed for review and comment; the final ETS; and the "Record of Decision." Completion of this process normally takes from 2 - 3 years, depending on the complexity of the proposed action. Many of the agency's newest fast track, technology demonstration programs require NEPA documentation, but cannot sustain the lengthy time requirement between program concept development to implementation. Marshall Space Flight Center, in cooperation with Kennedy Space Center, accomplished the NEPA process for the X-33 Program in 13 months from Notice of Intent to Record of Decision. In addition, the environmental team implemented an extensive public involvement process, conducting a total of 23 public meetings for scoping and draft EIS comment along with numerous informal meetings with public officials, civic organizations, and Native American Indians. This paper will discuss the fast track approach used to successfully accomplish the NEPA process for X-33 on time.

McCaleb, Rebecca C.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Fatigue, Creep-Fatigue, and Thermomechanical Fatigue Life Testing of Alloys

The fatigue crack initiation resistance of an alloy is determined by conducting a series of tests over a range of values of stress amplitude or strain range. The observed number of cycles to failure is plotted against the stress amplitude or strain range to obtain a fatigue curve. The fatigue properties quoted for an alloy are typically the constants used in the equation(s) that describe the fatigue curve. Fatigue lives of interest may be as low as 10(exp 2) or higher than 10(exp 9) cycles. Because of the enormous scatter associated with fatigue, dozens of tests may be needed to confidently establish a fatigue curve, and the cost may run into several thousands of dollars. To further establish the effects on fatigue life of the test temperature, environment, alloy condition, mean stress effects, creep-fatigue effects, thermomechanical cycling, etc. requires an extraordinarily large and usually very costly test matrix. The total effort required to establish the fatigue resistance of an alloy should not be taken lightly. Fatigue crack initiation tests are conducted on relatively small and presumed to be initially crack-free, samples of an alloy that are intended to be representative of the alloy's metallurgical and physical condition. Generally, samples are smooth and have uniformly polished surfaces within the test section. Some may have intentionally machined notches of well-controlled geometry, but the surface at the root of the notch is usually not polished. The purpose of polishing is to attain a reproducible surface finish. This is to eliminate surface finish as an uncontrolled variable. Representative test specimen geometries will be discussed later. Test specimens are cyclically loaded until macroscopically observable cracks initiate and eventually grow to failure. Normally, the fatigue failure life of a specimen is defined as the number of cycles to separation of the specimen into two pieces. Alternative definitions are becoming more common, particularly for low-cycle fatigue testing, wherein some prescribed indication of impending failure due to cracking is adopted. Specific criteria will be described later. As a rule, cracks that develop during testing are not measured nor are the test parameters intentionally altered owing to the presence of cracking.

Halford, Gary R.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Use of Soft Computing Technologies for a Qualitative and Reliable Engine Control System for Propulsion Systems

The problem to be addressed in this paper is to explore how the use of Soft Computing Technologies (SCT) could be employed to improve overall vehicle system safety, reliability, and rocket engine performance by development of a qualitative and reliable engine control system (QRECS). Specifically, this will be addressed by enhancing rocket engine control using SCT, innovative data mining tools, and sound software engineering practices used in Marshall's Flight Software Group (FSG). The principle goals for addressing the issue of quality are to improve software management, software development time, software maintenance, processor execution, fault tolerance and mitigation, and nonlinear control in power level transitions. The intent is not to discuss any shortcomings of existing engine control methodologies, but to provide alternative design choices for control, implementation, performance, and sustaining engineering, all relative to addressing the issue of reliability. The approaches outlined in this paper will require knowledge in the fields of rocket engine propulsion (system level), software engineering for embedded flight software systems, and soft computing technologies (i.e., neural networks, fuzzy logic, data mining, and Bayesian belief networks); some of which are briefed in this paper. For this effort, the targeted demonstration rocket engine testbed is the MC-1 engine (formerly FASTRAC) which is simulated with hardware and software in the Marshall Avionics & Software Testbed (MAST) laboratory that currently resides at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, building 4476, and is managed by the Avionics Department. A brief plan of action for design, development, implementation, and testing a Phase One effort for QRECS is given, along with expected results. Phase One will focus on development of a Smart Start Engine Module and a Mainstage Engine Module for proper engine start and mainstage engine operations. The overall intent is to demonstrate that by employing soft computing technologies, the quality and reliability of the overall scheme to engine controller development is further improved and vehicle safety is further insured. The final product that this paper proposes is an approach to development of an alternative low cost engine controller that would be capable of performing in unique vision spacecraft vehicles requiring low cost advanced avionics architectures for autonomous operations from engine pre-start to engine shutdown.

Trevino, Luis↗
NASA NTRS2001

Entry Debris Field Estimation Methods and Application to Compton Gamma Ray Observatory Disposal

For public safety reasons, the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) was intentionally deorbited on June 4, 2000. This deorbit was NASA's first intentional controlled deorbit of a satellite, and more will come including the eventual deorbit of the International Space Station. To maximize public safety, satellite deorbit planning requires conservative estimates of the debris footprint size and location. These estimates are needed to properly design a deorbit sequence that places the debris footprint over unpopulated areas, including protection for deorbit contingencies. This paper details a method for estimating the length (range), width (crossrange), and location of entry and breakup debris footprints. This method utilizes a three degree-of-freedom Monte Carlo simulation incorporating uncertainties in all aspects of the problem, including vehicle and environment uncertainties. The method incorporates a range of debris characteristics based on historical data in addition to any vehicle-specific debris catalog information. This paper describes the method in detail, and presents results of its application as used in planning the deorbit of the CGRO.

Mrozinski, Richard B.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Cross-Cultural Perspectives of Service Quality and Risk in Air Transportation

This study compares US and Korean customers in terms of their perceptions of airline service quality based on SERVPERF and industry-based measures, as well as their perceptions of risks involved in the airline choice. SERVPERF is a set of multi-dimensional measures of customer evaluations of service quality. The results indicate that: (1) US passengers are generally more satisfied with their airline service than Korean customers on most of the SERVPERF dimensions; (2) Koreans are generally more satisfied with the bumping procedures whereas US participants feel more satisfied with the airline's baggage handling, operations/safety, and connections; and (3) US participants perceive higher levels of performance and financial risks whereas Koreans feel greater social risk in choosing an airline. This study also examines the SERVPERF, industry-based measure, and perceived risk in predicting customer satisfaction with, and intention to repatronize the airline. The results suggest that US customers consider service reliability, in-flight comfort, and connections as the key factors determining satisfaction with airline service whereas Korean passengers generally regard reliability, assurance, and risk factors as predictors of satisfaction. The determining factors of customer intention to repatronize the airline are reliability and empathy for US, and reliability and overall risk for Korean customers. The study demonstrates the applicability of SERVPERF as a cross-cultural tool and indicates the importance of perceived risk in cross-cultural studies.

Cunningham, Lawrence F.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Free Flight and Self-Separation from the Flight Deck Perspective

The concept of "free flight", while still being developed, is intended to emphasize more, flexibility for operators in the National Airspace System (NAS) by providing more separation responsibility to pilots, New technologies, procedures, and concepts have been suggested by the aviation community to enable this task; however, much work needs to be accomplished to help define and evaluate the concept feasibility. The purpose of this simulation was to begin examining some of the communication and procedural issues associated with self-separation in the enroute environment. A simulation demonstration was conducted in the Boeing 747-400 simulator at NASA Ames Research Center. Commercial pilots (from a U.S. domestic carrier) current on the B747-400 aircraft were the participants. Ten flight crews (10 captains, 10 first officers) flew in the Denver enroute airspace environment. A new alerting logic designed to allow for airborne self-separation was created for this demonstration. This logic assumes automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) capability and represented aircraft up to 120 nautical miles on the display. The new flight deck display features were designed and incorporated on the existing navigational display in the simulator to allow for increased traffic and maneuvering information to the flight crew. New tools were also provided to allow the crews to assess conflicts and potential maneuvers before implementing them. Each of the flight crews flew eight different scenarios in the Denver enroute airspace. The scenarios included eight to ten other aircraft, and each scenario was created with the intent of having one of the other aircraft become an operational conflict for our simulator aircraft. Different types of conflict geometries were represented across the eight scenarios. Also, some scenarios allowed for more time to detect a potential clearance, while others allowed for less time for'detection. Additionally, the crews were asked to a ply the Visual Flight Rules (VFR) right of way rules when determining who should maneuver in a conflict situation; therefore, the scenarios were designed to test different applications of those recommendations, Data analyses include an evaluation of crew procedures and communication. The application of the VFR right-of-way rules are being explored. Timing variables are being examined to determine potential efficiency differences between scenarios and conflict types. Proximity of aircraft will be assessed as one indication of the operational safety. The intent of these evaluations is to help provide definitions and guidelines of negotiation procedures in a self-separation environment assuming automated data link technology (ADS-B). Also, definitions of likely flight crew maneuvers and application to current VFR right-of-way rules may be obtained, along with guidelines for negotiation procedures between flight crews.

Lozito, Sandra↗
NASA NTRS2002

Panel Discussion on Multi-Disciplinary Analysis

The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is hosting the Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop (TFAWS) during the week of September 10, 2001. Included in this year's TFAWS is a panel session on Multidisciplinary Analysis techniques. The intent is to provide an opportunity for the users to gain information as to what product may be best suited for their applications environment and to provide feedback to you, the developers, on future desired developments. Potential users of multidisciplinary analysis (MDA) techniques are often overwhelmed by the number of choices available to them via commercial products and by the pace of new developments in this area. The purpose of this panel session is to provide a forum wherein MDA tools available and under development can be discussed, compared, and contrasted. The intent of this panel is to provide the end-user with the information necessary to make educated decisions on how to proceed with selecting their MDA tool. It is anticipated that the discussions this year will focus on MDA techniques that couple discipline codes or algorithms (as opposed to monolithic, unified MDA approaches). The MDA developers will be asked to prepare a product overview presentation addressing specific questions provided by the panel organizers. The purpose of these questions will be to establish the method employed by the particular MDA technique for communication between the discipline codes, to establish the similarities and differences amongst the various approaches, and to establish the range of experience and applications for each particular MDA approach.

Garcia, Robert↗
NASA NTRS1999

GT-CATS: Tracking Operator Activities in Complex Systems

Human operators of complex dynamic systems can experience difficulties supervising advanced control automation. One remedy is to develop intelligent aiding systems that can provide operators with context-sensitive advice and reminders. The research reported herein proposes, implements, and evaluates a methodology for activity tracking, a form of intent inferencing that can supply the knowledge required for an intelligent aid by constructing and maintaining a representation of operator activities in real time. The methodology was implemented in the Georgia Tech Crew Activity Tracking System (GT-CATS), which predicts and interprets the actions performed by Boeing 757/767 pilots navigating using autopilot flight modes. This report first describes research on intent inferencing and complex modes of automation. It then provides a detailed description of the GT-CATS methodology, knowledge structures, and processing scheme. The results of an experimental evaluation using airline pilots are given. The results show that GT-CATS was effective in predicting and interpreting pilot actions in real time.

Callantine, Todd J.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Test Planning Approach and Lessons

As NASA began technology risk reduction activities and planning for the next generation launch vehicle under the Space Launch Initiative (SLI), now the Next Generation Launch Technology (NGLT) Program, a review of past large liquid rocket engine development programs was performed. The intent of the review was to identify any significant lessons from the development testing programs that could be applied to current and future engine development programs. Because the primary prototype engine in design at the time of this study was the Boeing-Rocketdyne RS-84, the study was slightly biased towards LOX/RP-1 liquid propellant engines. However, the significant lessons identified are universal. It is anticipated that these lessons will serve as a reference for test planning in the Engine Systems Group at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Towards the end of F-1 and J-2 engine development testing, NASA/MSFC asked Rocketdyne to review those test programs. The result was a document titled, Study to Accelerate Development by Test of a Rocket Engine (R-8099). The "intent (of this study) is to apply this thinking and learning to more efficiently develop rocket engines to high reliability with improved cost effectivenes" Additionally, several other engine programs were reviewed - such as SSME, NSTS, STME, MC-1, and RS-83- to support or refute the R-8099. R-8099 revealed two primary lessons for test planning, which were supported by the other engine development programs. First, engine development programs can benefit from arranging the test program for engine system testing as early as feasible. The best test for determining environments is at the system level, the closest to the operational flight environment. Secondly, the component testing, which tends to be elaborate, should instead be geared towards reducing risk to enable system test. Technical risk can be reduced at the component level, but the design can only be truly verified and validated after engine system testing.

Parkinson, Douglas A.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Stimulus-response compatibility and psychological refractory period effects: implications for response selection

The purpose of this paper was to provide insight into the nature of response selection by reviewing the literature on stimulus-response compatibility (SRC) effects and the psychological refractory period (PRP) effect individually and jointly. The empirical findings and theoretical explanations of SRC effects that have been studied within a single-task context suggest that there are two response-selection routes-automatic activation and intentional translation. In contrast, all major PRP models reviewed in this paper have treated response selection as a single processing stage. In particular, the response-selection bottleneck (RSB) model assumes that the processing of Task 1 and Task 2 comprises two separate streams and that the PRP effect is due to a bottleneck located at response selection. Yet, considerable evidence from studies of SRC in the PRP paradigm shows that the processing of the two tasks is more interactive than is suggested by the RSB model and by most other models of the PRP effect. The major implication drawn from the studies of SRC effects in the PRP context is that response activation is a distinct process from final response selection. Response activation is based on both long-term and short-term task-defined S-R associations and occurs automatically and in parallel for the two tasks. The final response selection is an intentional act required even for highly compatible and practiced tasks and is restricted to processing one task at a time. Investigations of SRC effects and response-selection variables in dual-task contexts should be conducted more systematically because they provide significant insight into the nature of response-selection mechanisms.

Review Literature↗
NASA NTRS2004

Evaluation of Mobile Phone Interference With Aircraft GPS Navigation Systems

This report compiles and analyzes tests that were conducted to measure cell phone spurious emissions in the Global Positioning System (GPS) radio frequency band that could affect the navigation system of an aircraft. The cell phone in question had, as reported to the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), caused interference to several GPS receivers on-board a small single engine aircraft despite being compliant with data filed at the time with the FCC by the manufacturer. NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and industry tests show that while there is an emission in the 1575 MHz GPS band due to a specific combination of amplifier output impedance and load impedance that induces instability in the power amplifier, these spurious emissions (i.e., not the intentional transmit signal) are similar to those measured on non-intentionally transmitting devices such as, for example, laptop computers. Additional testing on a wide sample of different commercial cell phones did not result in any emission in the 1575 MHz GPS Band above the noise floor of the measurement receiver.

Pace, Scott↗
NASA NTRS2005

Return to Flight Task Group

It has been 29 months since Columbia was lost over East Texas in February 2003. Seven months after the accident, the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) released the first volume of its final report, citing a variety of technical, managerial, and cultural issues within NASA and the Space Shuttle Program. To their credit, NASA offered few excuses, embraced the report, and set about correcting the deficiencies noted by the accident board. Of the 29 recommendations issued by the CAIB, 15 were deemed critical enough that the accident board believed they should be implemented prior to returning the Space Shuttle to flight. Some of these recommendations were relatively easy, most were straightforward, a few bordered on the impossible, and others were largely overcome by events, particularly the decision by the President to retire the Space Shuttle by 2010. The Return to Flight Task Group (RTF TG, or simply, the Task Group) was chartered by the NASA Administrator in July 2003 to provide an independent assessment of the implementation of the 15 CAIB return-to-flight recommendations. An important observation must be stated up-front: neither the CAIB nor the RTF TG believes that all risk can be eliminated from Space Shuttle operations; nor do we believe that the Space Shuttle is inherently unsafe. What the CAIB and RTF TG do believe, however, is that NASA and the American public need to understand the risks associated with space travel, and that NASA must make every reasonable effort to minimize such risk. Since the release of the CAIB report, NASA and the Space Shuttle Program expended enormous effort and resources toward correcting the causes of the accident and preparing to fly again. Relative to the 15 specific recommendations that the CAIB indicated should be implemented prior to returning to flight, NASA has met or exceeded most of them the Task Group believes that NASA met the intent of the CAIB for 12 of these recommendations. The remaining three recommendations were so challenging that NASA could not comply completely with the intent of the CAIB.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2008

The Power of Story

A major knowledge-sharing issue that is the source of many project problems: how to communicate our intentions so that the information received is the same as the information given. One answer is conversation-the back-and-forth of statement, question, and response that gradually brings talkers and listeners to a shared understanding. Stories also offer a way to share knowledge effectively. While the story teller's intent and the listener's interpretation will not be identical, a good story reliably communicates essential knowledge so it is not only understood but absorbed and embraced. Narrative is one of the oldest knowledge-transfer systems in the world. Religion knows it. Politicians know it. Fairytales know it. Now, knowledge management practitioners are coming to know it, too. But why are stories such a powerful knowledge-transfer tool? And what kinds of knowledge do they transfer? Joseph Campbell, the mythologist, defined stories as serving four major functions: the mystical, the cosmological, the sociological, and the pedagogical. The mystical function of narrative lies in its ability to open up emotional realization that often connects with a transcendent idea such as love or forgiveness. He calls this realization "mystical" because it connects the self with the universal. What Campbell calls the cosmological function of stories relates the self to the outside world, focusing on action, on understanding cause and effect and our role in it. For the cosmological function of stories "to be up to date and really to work in the minds of people who are living in the modern scientific world," Campbell notes, "it must incorporate the modern scientific world." We must continually tell stories that demonstrate our current vision of the world. The sociological function of stories, Campbell explains, helps maintain and validate the social order of a society. Stories pass on information about power relationships, taboos, laws, and the inner workings of communities. Countries and religions have stories that serve this function and so do organizations and project teams, where stories about project work communicate information about behaviors and attitudes that are expected and rewarded or frowned upon and penalized. Functioning pedagogically, says Campbell, narratives guide individuals harmoniously through the stages of life in terms of their world today, with its current goods, values, and dangers. These are stories that deal with life transitions and guide us from one stage to another. Stories powerfully serve these functions partly because of two great strengths: their ability to engage listeners personally and emotionally and their use of metaphor. And it turns out that these two things are related.

Cohen, Don↗