“Whom the gods love, die young.” Menander (341-290 BCE)
“My mother was a Protestant, of a traditional American, vague kind: she belonged to the church that the nice people in the neighbourhood went to. My wife is a Catholic, the kids are Catholic, so I’m a Catholic fellow-traveller.”
“When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators.”
“If government were a product, selling it would be illegal.”
“The Democrats are the party that says government will make you smarter, taller, richer, and remove the crabgrass on your lawn. The Republicans are the party that says government doesn’t work and then they get elected and prove it.”
“Not much was really invented during the Renaissance, if you don’t count modern civilization.”
“No humorist is under any obligation to provide answers and probably if you were to delve into the literary history of humour it’s probably all about not providing answers because the humorist essentially says: this is the way things are.”
“Panoramic View of the Greek Amphitheatre at Syracuse” 18th Century Abraham Louis Rodolphe Ducros
From from time to time — particularly in the months of fairer weather, when many events are hosted outdoors — we break form from the grind of responding to c0nsultations to simply enjoy these spaces See our CALENDAR for our periodic Lively c0lloquia when we drill down into technical specifics.
서울대학교
Outdoor amphitheaters rely upon a broad ecosystem of consensus standards that quietly support every performance. Among them:
NFPA — National Electrical Code, including Articles 518, 520, 525 and related provisions
SMPTE — media production and broadcast systems
Audio Engineering Society (AES) — professional sound systems
Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) — site and performance lighting
ASTM International — seating, concrete, accessibility and materials
ASCE — structural loading for stages, roofs and canopies
“Panoramic View of the Greek Amphitheatre at Syracuse” / Abraham Louis Rodolphe Ducros (18th Century)
Today at 15:00 UTC explore best practice literature for outdoor events in cross-cutting fashion; refreshing our understanding about how we make such events in academic settings safe, sustainable and successful. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
Hosting open-air celebrations such as graduations and cultural requires sensitivity to audio standards that ensure high-quality sound and audience safety. Today at the usual hour we examine the standards covering sound system design, noise control, loudness levels, equipment specifications, weather and local environmental considerations.
Surprisingly, there are many even without approaching the not insignificant cabling system standards. We pick three representatives titles which cross reference one another:
World Health Organization recommendations for limiting exposure to leisure noise (e.g., concerts) to a level exceeding 80 dBA for 24 hours or 140 dB peak sound pressure to prevent hearing loss. Recommendations for speech heavy events will defer from musical events.
Height and Angle: Line array speakers are often elevated (e.g., on trusses or poles) and angled to cover the audience while reducing sound spill to non-audience areas.
Distance: Main speakers should be placed to avoid excessive sound pressure near the front (e.g., 95–100 dBA max for audience safety) and ensure clarity at the back.
Acoustical Society of America ASA-2010 Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements, and Guidelines for Schools. While primarily for schools, this standard’s principles can apply to open-air educational or community events, emphasizing background noise control and speech intelligibility. For open-air audiences at events like outdoor lectures or festivals, speaker placement should minimize interference from environmental noise (e.g., traffic, wind). The standard suggests maintaining a signal-to-noise ratio where speech is at least 15 dB above background noise for clarity.
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The standards for delaying outdoor sports due to lightning are typically set by governing bodies such as sports leagues, associations, or organizations, as well as local weather authorities. These standards may vary depending on the specific sport, location, and level of play. However, some common guidelines for delaying outdoor sports due to lightning include:
Lightning Detection Systems: Many sports facilities are equipped with lightning detection systems that can track lightning activity in the area. These systems use sensors to detect lightning strikes and provide real-time information on the proximity and severity of the lightning threat. When lightning is detected within a certain radius of the sports facility, it can trigger a delay or suspension of outdoor sports activities.
Lightning Distance and Time Rules: A common rule of thumb used in outdoor sports is the “30-30” rule, which states that if the time between seeing lightning and hearing thunder is less than 30 seconds, outdoor activities should be suspended, and participants should seek shelter. The idea is that lightning can strike even when it is not raining, and thunder can indicate the proximity of lightning. Once the thunder is heard within 30 seconds of seeing lightning, the delay or suspension should be implemented.
Local Weather Authority Guidelines: Local weather authorities, such as the National Weather Service in the United States, may issue severe weather warnings that include lightning information. Sports organizations may follow these guidelines and suspend outdoor sports activities when severe weather warnings, including lightning, are issued for the area.
Sports-Specific Guidelines: Some sports may have specific guidelines for lightning delays or suspensions. For example, golf often follows a “Play Suspended” policy, where play is halted immediately when a siren or horn is sounded, and players are required to leave the course and seek shelter. Other sports may have specific rules regarding how long a delay should last, how players should be informed, and when play can resume.
It’s important to note that safety should always be the top priority when it comes to lightning and outdoor sports. Following established guidelines and seeking shelter when lightning is detected or severe weather warnings are issued can help protect participants from the dangers of lightning strikes.
Noteworthy: NFPA titles such as NFPA 780 and NFPA 70 Article 242 deal largely with wiring safety, informed by assuring a low-resistance path to earth (ground)
There are various lightning detection and monitoring devices available on the market that can help you stay safe during thunderstorms. Some of these devices can track the distance of lightning strikes and alert you when lightning is detected within a certain radius of your location. Some devices can also provide real-time updates on lightning strikes in your area, allowing you to make informed decisions about when to seek shelter.
Examples of such devices include personal lightning detectors, lightning alert systems, and weather stations that have lightning detection capabilities. It is important to note that these devices should not be solely relied upon for lightning safety and should be used in conjunction with other safety measures, such as seeking shelter indoors and avoiding open areas during thunderstorms.
Slowly (perhaps) but surely, universities have morphed into media companies. The standards ecosystem spans electrical engineering, networking, acoustics, lighting, interoperability, and cybersecurity. Today at the usual hour we sort through the technical standards that make these enterprises safe and sustainable. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
University of Notre Dame | St. Joseph County Indiana
The standards ecosystem spans electrical engineering, networking, acoustics, lighting, interoperability and cybersecurity. Today, at the usual hour, we sort through the technical standards that make these enterprises safe and sustainable. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
The most relevant standards organizations are:
Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE)
Audio Engineering Society (AES)
Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA)
Video Services Forum (VSF)
IEEE Standards Association
National Electrical Code (NFPA 70)
For campus engineers, the dominant broadcast transport standard is SMPTE 2110 which replaces traditional SDI wiring with Ethernet/IP networks while maintaining frame-accurate synchronization.
The standard encompasses:
Uncompressed video transport
PCM audio transport
Timing through IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol (PTP)
Metadata
Subtitles and captions
Traffic shaping
Synchronization across production networks
SMPTE ST 2110 has become the foundation for modern broadcast facilities. Instead of simply televising football games, many institutions now produce:
Linear television
ESPN+ productions
Conference network programming
Documentaries
Recruiting content
Podcasts
Social media
NIL athlete content
Instructional programming
The engineering challenge is therefore much broader than installing cameras.
“ I think that the theater is the initial glamorizer of thought; where it can be told – without too much disguise but without too much directness either – the secrets, and thereby its antipathies and sympathies – the secrets and the knowledge of the human heart…
…I think that makes the art of the theater as important as the doctor or the psychologist or the Minister…
…I think it’s vitally important that the world knows itself and I think the theater is one of the most immediate means of expression towards that end…”
Set design model by Marcel Jambon for an 1895 Paris production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Otello
Demand for live events in college towns — what is now called “entertainment content” — is gathering pace; owed somewhat to an older demographic that prefers expanded social interaction to the online entertainment offerings that the younger demographic prefers*. We see an expansion of the market in the construction of architecturally astonishing buildings; though the circumstances of pandemic has changed everything.
Today our interest lies in the complex safety and sustainability characteristics of the physical infrastructure — with particular interest in the fire protection, environmental air and electrotechnologies required to make them safe and sustainable. This facility class is far more complicated technologically and operates at significantly higher risk than, say, classrooms or office space.
The Entertainment Services and Technology Association is one of the first names in trade associations that support the ‘business of show business’ through networking, safe practices, education, and representation. We follow the standards making activity of its technical committees and monitor public commenting opportunities. ESTA releases markups of its consensus products for public comment at a fairly brisk pace on its standards development landing page:
You may obtain an electronic copy at the link above, along with a comment form. Send your comments to Karl Ruling, (212) 244-1505, standards@esta.org with an optional copy to psa@ansi.org). We encourage our colleagues in school districts and in colleges and universities large and small; with responsibilities for the safety and sustainability of cultural resource properties, media centers, performance venues to participate in the ESTA technical standards development program.
Glorya Kaufman School of Dance / University of Southern California
We keep the ESTA suite on the standing agenda of our Lively Arts colloquia; open to everyone. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting.
Since the electrotechnologies for the lively arts have evolved into complex, interoperable systems we also collaborate with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee on technical specifics. That committee meets online four times per month in European and American time zones.
“We’re all actors: We all play different roles in different situations.”
Marlon Brando
Issue: [Various]
Category: Electrical, Infotech, Lively Arts,
Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Christine Fischer, Mike Hiler, Nehad El-Sherif
Education communities in every nation provide a locus for community cultural art production, enjoyment and instruction. It is both a consumer and producer; with the expansion of massive open online curricula drawing from the best practices conveyed from the visual arts.
One of the first names in this domain is the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers that support the technical framework and global professional community that makes motion picture, television and professional media available for all humanity to enjoy for artistic, educational and social purposes. The landing pages for its standards development enterprise are linked below:
We maintain SMPTE titles on the standing agenda of our Lively Arts, Power, Fine Art and Infotech colloquia. We also collaborate with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee which meets 4 times monthly in European and American time zones. See our CALENDAR for the next online meetings; open to everyone.
Issue: [Various]
Category: Academics, Seven Lively Arts Facilities, Electrical, Telecommunication
Contact: Mike Anthony, Sanne Clare Anthony, Jim Harvey, Richard Robben
New update alert! The 2022 update to the Trademark Assignment Dataset is now available online. Find 1.29 million trademark assignments, involving 2.28 million unique trademark properties issued by the USPTO between March 1952 and January 2023: https://t.co/njrDAbSpwBpic.twitter.com/GkAXrHoQ9T
