Ubiquitous computing and natural interfaces for environmental information

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia do Ambiente, perfil Gestão e Sistemas AmbientaisThe next computing revolution‘s objective is to embed every street, building, room and object with computational power. Ubiquitous computing (ubicomp) will allow every object to receive and transmit information, sense its surroundings and act accordingly, be located from anywhere in the world, connect every person. Everyone will have the possibility to access information, despite their age, computer knowledge, literacy or physical impairment. It will impact the world in a profound way, empowering mankind, improving the environment, but will also create new challenges that our society, economy, health and global environment will have to overcome. Negative impacts have to be identified and dealt with in advance. Despite these concerns, environmental studies have been mostly absent from discussions on the new paradigm. This thesis seeks to examine ubiquitous computing, its technological emergence, raise awareness towards future impacts and explore the design of new interfaces and rich interaction modes. Environmental information is approached as an area which may greatly benefit from ubicomp as a way to gather, treat and disseminate it, simultaneously complying with the Aarhus convention. In an educational context, new media are poised to revolutionize the way we perceive, learn and interact with environmental information. cUbiq is presented as a natural interface to access that information

Under the Skin: Assessing the Ideological Underpinnings and Material Reality of Cultured Meat

The relationship between industrial animal agriculture, resource depletion, and environmental instability has become increasingly clear in recent years. In keeping with the longstanding focus on consumers, and consumption’s role in mitigating climate issues, a number of potential “resolutions” for this subject area have been promoted, including “local” food and plant-based diets. Cultured meat – the act of growing meat in a laboratory setting – has seen increased attention as a theoretical silver bullet, able to appease both consumer demands and environmental concerns. Recent developments have also presented the general public with the possibility that cultured meat may be a reality in the near future. This dissertation investigates the promises, imagination, and narratives surrounding cultured meat. This work demonstrates that there is a need for caution; multiple aspects of cultured meat require further investigation, debate, and reconciliation before the promises of this sector can be seen as viable. The current state of the cultured meat industry is fraught with conflicting claims, inconsistent and incoherent information, and projections which do not align with ongoing revelations. Academic literature and media discussion also needs to be treated with critical attention; overarching themes in the literature point to an early normalization of cultured meat without a strong evidential basis, and there is a need to acknowledge the under-developed nature of much of the discourse writ large. Furthermore, cultured meat is not often discussed in reference to a systemic context – this dissertation addresses this issue by placing the subject matter in the context of anthroparchy and carnism, two theories related to the natural and animal condition. These theories are utilized to test claims that cultured meat is disruptive, as well as investigate whether cultured meat reinforces ongoing systemic practices, or even expands them in unexpected directions. Such an approach is important in ensuring that cultured meat is contextualized, understood in reference to larger frameworks of material and immaterial matters. This investigation finds that there is considerable reason to be wary of claims that cultured meat is truly “revolutionary.” The dissertation contrasts the current “state of the industry,” as well as the themes seen in ongoing discourse, with long-standing and emerging discourses which have been important in legitimizing cultured meat as a theoretical – and investment-worthy – innovation. Long-standing narratives of cultured meat as a “disruptive” entity are called into question, both in terms of cultured meat’s current developmental status, and in terms of various imagined futures stemming from these narratives. Such narratives are contrasted with claims that cultured meat is simultaneously familiar, a mere continuation of ongoing practices but in newer, more environmentally friendly form. Finally, the dissertation also identifies recent narratives and imagery which, though a small part of the overall discourse, hold massive implications for cultured meat, and larger societal concerns, in both material and immaterial manners. These narratives require critical investigation in tandem with the systemic theories of anthroparchy and carnism. Despite the wide-ranging, theoretical impacts of cultured meat on animal(s), nature, and other elements, the narratives of these impacts often refer to animal and nature in a broad, general sense, if such reference is even made. This dissertation emphatically demonstrates the limitations of current approaches, and makes a clear case that cultured meat should not be treated as an interesting novelty, nor a force of inherent good or liberation, but an entity which necessitates wide-ranging inquiry, regardless of how cultured meat comes to fruition. This dissertation ultimately calls for a more robust discourse and research agenda surrounding cultured meat; a greater sense of caution regarding its prospects; and a stronger reference to the material and immaterial conditions of the animals who will be the subject of cultured meat production

Intelligent multimedia flow transmission through heterogeneous networks using cognitive software defined networks

[ES] La presente tesis aborda el problema del encaminamiento en las redes definidas por software (SDN). Específicamente, aborda el problema del diseño de un protocolo de encaminamiento basado en inteligencia artificial (AI) para garantizar la calidad de servicio (QoS) en transmisiones multimedia. En la primera parte del trabajo, el concepto de SDN es introducido. Su arquitectura, protocolos y ventajas son comentados. A continuación, el estado del arte es presentado, donde diversos trabajos acerca de QoS, encaminamiento, SDN y AI son detallados. En el siguiente capítulo, el controlador SDN, el cual juega un papel central en la arquitectura propuesta, es presentado. Se detalla el diseño del controlador y se compara su rendimiento con otro controlador comúnmente utilizado. Más tarde, se describe las propuestas de encaminamiento. Primero, se aborda la modificación de un protocolo de encaminamiento tradicional. Esta modificación tiene como objetivo adaptar el protocolo de encaminamiento tradicional a las redes SDN, centrado en las transmisiones multimedia. A continuación, la propuesta final es descrita. Sus mensajes, arquitectura y algoritmos son mostrados. Referente a la AI, el capítulo 5 detalla el módulo de la arquitectura que la implementa, junto con los métodos inteligentes usados en la propuesta de encaminamiento. Además, el algoritmo inteligente de decisión de rutas es descrito y la propuesta es comparada con el protocolo de encaminamiento tradicional y con su adaptación a las redes SDN, mostrando un incremento de la calidad final de la transmisión. Finalmente, se muestra y se describe algunas aplicaciones basadas en la propuesta. Las aplicaciones son presentadas para demostrar que la solución presentada en la tesis está diseñada para trabajar en redes heterogéneas.[CA] La present tesi tracta el problema de l'encaminament en les xarxes definides per programari (SDN). Específicament, tracta el problema del disseny d'un protocol d'encaminament basat en intel·ligència artificial (AI) per a garantir la qualitat de servici (QoS) en les transmissions multimèdia. En la primera part del treball, s'introdueix les xarxes SDN. Es comenten la seva arquitectura, els protocols i els avantatges. A continuació, l'estat de l'art és presentat, on es detellen els diversos treballs al voltant de QoS, encaminament, SDN i AI. Al següent capítol, el controlador SDN, el qual juga un paper central a l'arquitectura proposta, és presentat. Es detalla el disseny del controlador i es compara el seu rendiment amb altre controlador utilitzat comunament. Més endavant, es descriuen les propostes d'encaminament. Primer, s'aborda la modificació d'un protocol d'encaminament tradicional. Aquesta modificació té com a objectiu adaptar el protocol d'encaminament tradicional a les xarxes SDN, centrat a les transmissions multimèdia. A continuació, la proposta final és descrita. Els seus missatges, arquitectura i algoritmes són mostrats. Pel que fa a l'AI, el capítol 5 detalla el mòdul de l'arquitectura que la implementa, junt amb els mètodes intel·ligents usats en la proposta d'encaminament. A més a més, l'algoritme intel·ligent de decisió de rutes és descrit i la proposta és comparada amb el protocol d'encaminament tradicional i amb la seva adaptació a les xarxes SDN, mostrant un increment de la qualitat final de la transmissió. Finalment, es mostra i es descriuen algunes aplicacions basades en la proposta. Les aplicacions són presentades per a demostrar que la solució presentada en la tesi és dissenyada per a treballar en xarxes heterogènies.[EN] This thesis addresses the problem of routing in Software Defined Networks (SDN). Specifically, the problem of designing a routing protocol based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for ensuring Quality of Service (QoS) in multimedia transmissions. In the first part of the work, SDN is introduced. Its architecture, protocols and advantages are discussed. Then, the state of the art is presented, where several works regarding QoS, routing, SDN and AI are detailed. In the next chapter, the SDN controller, which plays the central role in the proposed architecture, is presented. The design of the controller is detailed and its performance compared to another common controller. Later, the routing proposals are described. First, a modification of a traditional routing protocol is discussed. This modification intends to adapt a traditional routing protocol to SDN, focused on multimedia transmissions. Then, the final proposal is described. Its messages, architecture and algorithms are depicted. As regards AI, chapter 5 details the module of the architecture that implements it, along with all the intelligent methods used in the routing proposal. Furthermore, the intelligent route decision algorithm is described and the final proposal is compared to the traditional routing protocol and its adaptation to SDN, showing an increment of the end quality of the transmission. Finally, some applications based on the routing proposal are described. The applications are presented to demonstrate that the proposed solution can work with heterogeneous networks.Rego Máñez, A. (2020). Intelligent multimedia flow transmission through heterogeneous networks using cognitive software defined networks [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/160483TESI

Modern meat: the next generation of meat from cells

Modern Meat is the first textbook on cultivated meat, with contributions from over 100 experts within the cultivated meat community. The Sections of Modern Meat comprise 5 broad categories of cultivated meat: Context, Impact, Science, Society, and World. The 19 chapters of Modern Meat, spread across these 5 sections, provide detailed entries on cultivated meat. They extensively tour a range of topics including the impact of cultivated meat on humans and animals, the bioprocess of cultivated meat production, how cultivated meat may become a food option in Space and on Mars, and how cultivated meat may impact the economy, culture, and tradition of Asia