Sean Ashton Libri

Sampler presents a selection of entries from an encyclopaedia written entirely by poets. The material, assembled by Sean Ashton into categories such as Fruit & Vegetables, Birdsong and Musical Instruments, offers insights into a range of themes: the precise timbre of a lapwing's call, the heroic modesty of the double bass, the correct way to eat a peach. There are also answers to pertinent questions. What is it that makes hairdressers so special? Why is neon the noblest of gases? Could rugby be improved with the addition of a harpsichord? In his capacity as chief editor, Ashton deploys poetry as an applied art, abandoning the lyric voice for a collective register. Somewhere between the private fancy of the individual and the strictures of the social is a forest of stranger truths. Few are stranger or more truthful than Sampler.

Sean Ashton's doctoral thesis, which he finished at the Technical University in Munich, describes the challenge of constructing a Differential Electrochemical Mass Spectrometer instrument (DEMS). DEMS combines an electrochemical cell with mass spectrometry via a membrane interface, allowing gaseous and volatile electrochemical reaction species to be monitored online. The thesis carefully introduces the fuel cell electrocatalyst development concerns before reviewing the pertinent literature on DEMS. This is followed by the presentation and discussion of the new extended design, including a thorough characterization of the instrument. The capabilities of the new setup are demonstrated in two research studies: The methanol oxidation reaction on Pt and PtRu catalysts, and the electrochemical corrosion of fuel cell catalyst supports. Despite both topics having long since been studied, new insights can be obtained through careful investigations with the new DEMS instrument that are of great, general interest. The thesis and the instrument thus show the way for future investigations in the field.

"Have you ever boarded your morning commute and wished you'd never arrive at your destination? Having boarded what he assumes to be his usual 8:08 service, he soon discovers that all is not as it first seemed. Does this train stop at any station? Do the carriages ever come to an end? And where is the colleague he thought he saw, as he took his place in the quiet coach? Our narrator reflects on his job as salesman for a cat litter manufacturer as he wanders down-train in search of answers - yet the sliding doors that close behind him appear to be malfunctioning, and every person he meets seems to remember very little of their past. Seduction, destiny and salvation all come into play as this relentless novel unfolds, and we discover precisely where the 8:08 is heading and just who is in charge."--Provided by publisher