Vol 86, No 5 (2016)
- Year: 2016
- Articles: 7
- URL: https://journals.rcsi.science/1019-3316/issue/view/11109
Science and Society
What is to be done to implement Russia’s energy strategy
Abstract
The elaboration of Russia’s power development concepts that envisaged doubled and even tripled power production by 2030 in accordance with an order of the Russian Federation was already under way several years ago. Today these concepts are undergoing revision. In the context of the sharp decline in industrial production, the illusion has arisen that the situation with power supply is relatively satisfactory: production capacities exceed demand by more than 20%. However, this is achieved due to the exploitation of expired and outdated equipment. The wear and tear of fixed assets in power production exceeds the critical mark of 60%. The main negative trends in the development of the Russian energy industry are analyzed, and a number of measures to resolve the existing situation are proposed.
From the Researcher’s Notebook
Russian journals in global informational and analytical resources
Abstract
The Russian segment of scientific journals, which is largely associated with the Russian Academy of Sciences, is considered within the global informational and analytical resources Scopus and Web of Science and the respective bases of statistical data Scimago and Journal Citation Reports. Special attention is paid to analysis of the indicators of Russian journals in foreign informational resources, as well as to problems of the thematic attribution and clustering of journals proceeding from the subject categories of Scopus and Web of Science, the OECD rubricators, and the State Rubricator of Scientific and Technical Information (SRSTI). A question is posed concerning the assessment and ranking of journals using bibliometric indicators that constitute the basis for making administrative decisions on the development of Russian scientific periodicals.
A closed dynamic model to describe and calculate the Kondratiev long wave of economic development
Abstract
A full closed mathematical model to describe and calculate Kondratiev’s long wave (LW) of economic development is presented for the first time. The innovative process that generates a new long wave in the economy is described as a stochastic Poisson process. The key role in constructing production functions during both the upward and downward trends of the LW is played by the self-similarity property of the innovative process, which is determined by its fractal structure. The role of the switch from an upward wave to a downward one is played by entrepreneurial profit; this article places primary emphasis on calculation of it. The practical effect of the model developed is illustrated through predictive calculations of GDP movement paths and the number of employees in the economy and the dynamics of fixed physical capital formation and growth of labor productivity by the example of the development of the US economy during the coming sixth Kondratiev LW (2018–2050).
Review
Trends in the exportation of russian education between 2005 and 2015
Abstract
Departmental statistics on foreign students training as specialists at Russian higher educational institutions, which have been collected by the Center for Sociological Research at the Russian Ministry of Education and Science since 2002, as well as the results of mass sociological surveys of training and living costs in Russia among foreign students, are analyzed.
Environmental Problems
Availability of water in the Russian federation under global climate warming
Abstract
The main problems of the use of water resources in Russia against the backdrop of global climate warming are considered. An especially complex situation is developing in the southern part of European Russia and in western Siberia, which are experiencing a deficit of water resources. Possible trends in improving water availability in the regions are determined, as are ways of their implementation, taking into account recent achievements in science.
Point of View
Infectious symbiology: A new understanding of old problems
Abstract
The current century has seen the discovery of a new trend in science, infectious symbiology, which studies ambiguous interactions between microbes and humans (from peaceful contacts to direct antagonism). What underlies these interrelations? What do such different outcomes depend on? These are important questions for Homo sapiens because, only after having deciphered the mechanisms of these outcomes (from health to disease), will we become able to control them. Here one naturally recalls I.P. Pavlov, who held that “explanation is not the goal of science. The goal of science is power.” However, to rule this world, humans need knowledge. Although the problems of infectious pathology remain the same, we should take a fresh look at them and use this knowledge to preserve our own health. The material proposed here is a new look at old problems and at the opening prospects.
The psychological state of Russian society
Abstract
The psychological state of society has a complex effect on all spheres of life, particularly, as is shown by the experience of the disintegration of the Soviet Union, on the demographic and socioeconomic situation in the country. Today the Russian Federation is affected by external and internal threats caused by the instability of the geopolitical situation and protracted long-standing economic problems. In this connection, the task of improving the psychological state and mental health of society becomes a priority. It is one of the most important factors of national security for Russia. On the basis of official statistical data and the authors' sociological studies, this article argues that Russian society is gradually adapting to the post-Soviet living environment. However, social atomization in society remains high, which aggravates psychological problems at the latent level. The authors of this article consider the causes of these negative processes.