52,780 research outputs found
On the Impact of Information Technologies on Society: an Historical Perspective through the Game of Chess
The game of chess as always been viewed as an iconic representation of
intellectual prowess. Since the very beginning of computer science, the
challenge of being able to program a computer capable of playing chess and
beating humans has been alive and used both as a mark to measure
hardware/software progresses and as an ongoing programming challenge leading to
numerous discoveries. In the early days of computer science it was a topic for
specialists. But as computers were democratized, and the strength of chess
engines began to increase, chess players started to appropriate to themselves
these new tools. We show how these interactions between the world of chess and
information technologies have been herald of broader social impacts of
information technologies. The game of chess, and more broadly the world of
chess (chess players, literature, computer softwares and websites dedicated to
chess, etc.), turns out to be a surprisingly and particularly sharp indicator
of the changes induced in our everyday life by the information technologies.
Moreover, in the same way that chess is a modelization of war that captures the
raw features of strategic thinking, chess world can be seen as small society
making the study of the information technologies impact easier to analyze and
to grasp
For Want of a Better Estimate, Letâs Call It the Year 2000: The Twilight Zone and the Aural Conception of a Dystopian Future
This paper examines the aural conceptions of futuristic dystopias in episodes of The Twilight Zone, focusing on one specific episode, season fiveâs âNumber Twelve Looks Just Like You.â I examine how the music director of CBS conceived of the future, aurally representing these episodes as having an affinity with the premise of Brave New World by reusing its radio score by Bernard Herrmann. As a result, I will explore the use of the radio score in the episode and the ways in which dystopian futures were aurally represented in the series
Precision Targets: GPS and the Militarization of U.S. Consumer Identity
For most people in the United States, war is almost always elsewhere. Since the Civil War, declared wars have been engaged on terrains at a distance from the continental space of the nation. Until the attacks on the World Trade towers and the Pentagon in September 2001, many people in the United States perceived war to be conflicts between the standing armies of nation-states conducted at least a borderâif not oceans and continentsâaway. Even the attacks of September 11 were localized in such a way as to feel as remote as they were immediateâwatching cable news from elsewhere in the country, most U.S. residents were brought close to scenes of destruction and death by the media rather than by direct experience. Thus, in the United States, we could be said to be "consumers" of war, since our gaze is almost always fixed on representations of war that come from places perceived to be remote from the heartland
Power Explorer â a casual game style for encouraging long term behavior change among teenagers
When it comes to motivating teenagers towards energy awareness, new approaches need to be considered. One such is the use of pervasive games connected to the players own energy consumption. Earlier work has confirmed this to be a highly effective approach. The question however remains if post game effects on behavior can be achieved. In this paper we try to answer this by trying out a slightly different design compared to previous work. The hypothesis is that a more casual game play and a richer learning interaction enabled by building the game on a real time sensor system could stimulate more lasting effects. Electric consumption data after the 7 days evaluation on a test group of 15 players shows tentative indications for a persistent post game effect compared to the control group of 20 households. Findings also show a statistically significant positive change in the playersâ attitude towards saving energy compared to the same group. Findings, at the same time, also indicate a negative effect on the playerâs attitude toward environmental questions in general
Wearable Computing for Health and Fitness: Exploring the Relationship between Data and Human Behaviour
Health and fitness wearable technology has recently advanced, making it
easier for an individual to monitor their behaviours. Previously self generated
data interacts with the user to motivate positive behaviour change, but issues
arise when relating this to long term mention of wearable devices. Previous
studies within this area are discussed. We also consider a new approach where
data is used to support instead of motivate, through monitoring and logging to
encourage reflection. Based on issues highlighted, we then make recommendations
on the direction in which future work could be most beneficial
Fundraising Bright Spots: Strategies and Inspiration from Social Change Organizations Raising Money from Individual Donors
"Let's find an outside expert who can help." It's a natural impulse in the search for answers to the chronic fundraising challenges facing so many nonprofit organizations. But what if the real answers were already all around us? And what can we learn from those nonprofits that are uniquely successful in their fundraising? These are the questions behind a new report by Klein & Roth Consulting and CompassPoint. Commissioned by the Haas, Jr. Fund, the report explores common strategies, practices and mindsets across a group of social change organizations that are beating the odds to achieve breakthrough success in individual giving. Among the key insights from the report: Fundraising is core to the identity of these organizations. It's an integral and connected part of their overall work, and it's something everyone has a role in -- including all staff, board and volunteers. When we first started this research, we suspected we would begin to identify some common skills and innovative techniques that lead to success in fundraising. But what the research shows instead is that there are deeper issues involved. It's less about tools and techniques and the skills of an organization's leaders, and more about developing the culture and the systems that are the foundation of long-term fundraising success
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