Screen Violence from Settler Colonialism to Cognitive Capitalism: Westworld and the Player Piano

While the HBO show Westworld (2016–present, created by Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan) has gained much critical attention for its byzantine plotting and philosophical conundrums, the present discussion focuses instead on the basic premise on which the titular park operates, namely that the algorithms that govern human behavior can be disclosed by studying how human beings behave toward image beings. Under the guise of a tactile experience of a make-believe past, the park attractions clandestinely function as a large behavioral sensor, extracting actionable data from the guests who reveal their inner drives when interacting with the host environment. Taking its cue from the opening titles of the first season, the argument pivots on the master trope of the series: the machine-readable scroll of perforated paper that commands the automated performance of the player piano. This motif is examined through a double-pronged approach that aligns the anthropology of images developed by Hans Belting, which understands the relation between humans and images as the interactions between “hosts” and “guests,” with the archaeology of media and its dominant concern to uncover the prehistory of the automated control systems of the computer age. While Westworld proffers a timely allegory of biopolitical capture along the digital frontier, the show ultimately testifies to the failure to constructively engage with the precarious relation between hosts and guests that to an equal extent defines our contemporary moment. The initial problem raised by Westworld, the ethics of killing virtual beings, thus gives rise to a broader historical inquiry that concerns the inability of human societies to face the past and deal with the images they inherit

The Journal of ERW and Mine Action Issue 17.3 (2013)

Survivor Assistance | Middle East | Syria | Notes from Field | Research and Developmen

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction, Issue 25.3

A Note from the Interim Director UKRAINE: Coordinating the Response By Greg Crowther [ MAG (Mines Advisory Group) ] The Recovery of Human Remains in Weapon-Contaminated Settings: Towards Guidance for the Mine Action Community By Lou Maresca, Chris Poole, and Jane Taylor, PhD [ International Committee of the Red Cross ] I ntegrating Humanitarian Mine Action and Humanitarian Forensic Action By Lauren Cobham, Nicholas Márquez-Grant, and Mike Harris [ Cranfield Forensic Institute, Cranfield University ], Caroline Barker [ Independent Forensic Anthropologist and Archaeologist ], César Sanabria Medina, [ Biomedical Science Research Group, School of Medicine, University Antonio Nariño ], Javier Naranjo-Santana [ The European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo ], and Gareth Collett [ United Nations Development Programme ] Missed Opportunities: A Chance to Develop Synergy Between Humanitarian Mine Action and Humanitarian Forensic Action By Patrick Nowak [ American Military University ] Mine Action and the Reintegration of Former Combatants: Expanding the Debate By Laurie Druelle [ Independent ], Henrique Garbino [ Swedish Defence University ], and Eric Mellado Åhlin [ Independent ] Mine Action in Afghanistan and Tajikistan: Challenges and Opportunities By Markus Schindler [ Swiss Foundation for Mine Action ] TNMAC’s Victim Assistance Activities: The Mental Health Aspect of Survivors and HMA Personnel By Reykhan Muminova, MD, PhD, and Muhabbat Ibrohimzoda, PhD [ Tajikistan National Mine Action Center ] National Capacity Building for Humanitarian Mine Action Activities in Iraq By Mark Wilkinson, PhD [ United Nations Mine Action Service, Iraq ] New Conventional EOD and IEDD Competency Standards for Mine Action: Notes on T&EP 09.30, 09.31, and IMAS 09.30 By Roly Evans [ Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining ] and Dan Perkins Environmental Soil Sampling and Analysis: Application in Supporting Sustainable Land Use Practices in Areas Impacted by Explosive Ordnance By Bui Doan Bach, Kimberley McCosker [ Norwegian People’s Aid ], and Linsey Cottrell [ Conflict and Environment Observatory ] Proof: How TIR Imaging Can Locate Buried Cluster Munitions in the Iraqi Desert By John Fardoulis [ Mobility Robotics ], Xavier Depreytere [ Humanity & Inclusion ], and Jonathon Guthrie [ Norwegian People’s Aid ] Endnote

Environmental monitoring: landslide assessment and risk management (Test site: Vernazza, Cinque Terre Natural Park)

Natural disasters, whether of meteorological origin such as cyclones, floods, tornadoes and droughts or having geological nature such as earthquakes, volcanoes and landslide, are well known for their devastating impacts on human life, economy and environment. Over recent decades, the people and the societies are becoming more vulnerable; although the frequency of natural events may be constant, human activities contribute to their increased intensity. Indeed, every year millions of people are affected by natural disasters globally and, only in the last decade, more than 80% of all disaster-related deaths were caused by natural hazards. The PhD work is part of the activities for the support and development of methodologies useful to improve the management of environmental emergencies. In particular, it focused on the analysis of environmental monitoring and disaster risk management, a systematic approach to identify, to assess and to reduce the potential risks produced by a disaster. This method (Disaster Risk Management) aims to reduce socio-economic vulnerabilities and deals with natural and man-made events. In the PhD thesis, in particular, the slope movements have been evaluated. Slope failures are generally not so costly as earthquakes or major floods, but they are more widespread, and over the years may cause more property loss than any other geological hazard. In many developing regions slope failures constitute a continuing and serious impact on the social and economic structure. Specifically, the Italian territory has always been subject to instability phenomena, because of the geological and morphological characteristic and because of "extreme" weather events that are repeated more frequently than in the past, in relation to climate change. Currently these disasters lead to the largest number of victims and damages to settlements, infrastructure and historical and cultural environmental, after the earthquakes. The urban development, especially in recent decades, resulted in an increase of the assets at risk and unstable areas, often due to constant human intervention badly designed that led to instability also places previously considered "safe". Prevention is therefore essential to minimize the damages caused by landslides The objectives of the conducted research were to investigate the different techniques and to check their potentiality, in order to evaluate the most appropriate instrument for landslide hazard assessment in terms of better compromise between time to perform the analysis and expected results. The attempt is to evaluate which are the best methodologies to use according to the scenario, taking into consideration both reachable accuracies and time constraints. Careful considerations will be performed on strengths, weaknesses and limitations inherent to each methodology. The characteristics associated with geographic, or geospatial, information technologies facilitate the integration of scientific, social and economic data, opening up interesting possibilities for monitoring, assessment and change detection activities, thus enabling better informed interventions in human and natural systems. This is an important factor for the success of emergency operations and for developing valuable natural disaster preparedness, mitigation and prevention systems. The test site was the municipality of Vernazza, which in October 2011 was subject to a extreme rainfall which led to the occurrence of a series of landslides along the Vernazzola stream, which have emphasized the flood event that affected the water cours

Technology Trends and Opportunities for Construction Industry and Lifecycle Management

Master's thesis in for Offshore Technology: Industrial Asset ManagementThe purpose of the report is to highlight methods that can make it easier for the construction industry and industry in general to benefit from new technology. The report is intended as a reference to technological solutions that along with some techniques, can streamline workflow for multiple tasks in planning, design, and operation and maintenance management. The problems focused on is how to: • Simplify the procurement and tracing of documentation • Optimize building stages, design, and Life Cycle Management (LCM) • Provide interactions between disciplines and employees using different software Scientific Platform are based on literature within technology trends. Some history and trends in digital technology are presented. Definition of roles and general terms related to documentation is derived from Norsk Standard and is interpreted on this basis. The report charts the use of individual software and technical setup of digital tools within CAD-engineering (Computer Aided Design), HDS-technology (High Definition Surveying), and gaming technology. This technology combined with cloud-services to support planning, design and management of building stages. Later to support LCM of facilities and businesses' ERP-systems (Enterprise Resource Planning). Use of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), for document control tasks. The result of the report is that several suppliers provide services and products accessible through web. Setup and implementation will require some work and knowledge for business and organizations, but the gain largely seems to justify the use of resources for this purpose. Particularly through IOT-interactions (Internet of Things), cloud-services and free downloadable applications that may be considered as a paradigm shift related to the issues in the report. Also, presenting new platforms for engineering phases to support Building Information Modeling processes (BIM). With the use of Algorithmic Editors for encoding between computer programs without the need of data programmer expertise. To streamline workflows, reduce recreation of data, interactions between different software of various user level, and support of AI to optimize designing by adds-on for CAD-engineering (Computer Aided Design). Mobile devices like phones and tablets to support several of solutions and products presented is very accessible. It seems naturally to assume that the vast majority of people are familiar with technology related to smartphone applications for daily use. The use of resources for implementing the presented solutions have not been considered in this report. Some of the equipment presented can be interpreted as relatively expensive. Investment analysis would be sensible. The trend however, shows continues price drops and increased availability. At the same time as the user interface is being improved for both software and digital equipment. The conclusion, is that the construction industry, as well as Facility Management (FM). Within both, public, and private sector, can have much to gain using the technology and techniques presented in the report

Review of remote sensing for land administration: Origins, debates, and selected cases

Conventionally, land administration—incorporating cadastres and land registration—uses ground-based survey methods. This approach can be traced over millennia. The application of photogrammetry and remote sensing is understood to be far more contemporary, only commencing deeper into the 20th century. This paper seeks to counter this view, contending that these methods are far from recent additions to land administration: successful application dates back much earlier, often complementing ground-based methods. Using now more accessible historical works, made available through archive digitisation, this paper presents an enriched and more complete synthesis of the developments of photogrammetric methods and remote sensing applied to the domain of land administration. Developments from early phototopography and aerial surveys, through to analytical photogrammetric methods, the emergence of satellite remote sensing, digital cameras, and latterly lidar surveys, UAVs, and feature extraction are covered. The synthesis illustrates how debates over the benefits of the technique are hardly new. Neither are well-meaning, although oft-flawed, comparative analyses on criteria relating to time, cost, coverage, and quality. Apart from providing this more holistic view and a timely reminder of previous work, this paper brings contemporary practical value in further demonstrating to land administration practitioners that remote sensing for data capture, and subsequent map production, are an entirely legitimate, if not essential, part of the domain. Contemporary arguments that the tools and approaches do not bring adequate accuracy for land administration purposes are easily countered by the weight of evidence. Indeed, these arguments may be considered to undermine the pragmatism inherent to the surveying discipline, traditionally an essential characteristic of the profession. That said, it is left to land administration practitioners to determine the relevance of these methods for any specific country context. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Navigating Uncertainty in Automotive Technology Instruction: The Subjective Experiences of Automotive Instructors During Laboratory Activities

Educational researchers have conducted very few studies on the subjective experiences of both trained and self-taught auto mechanics (Barber, 2003, 2004; Nelsen, 1997, 2010). Further, no present studies explore the subjective experience of the automotive instructor as he or she experiences uncertainty in the automotive lab. This study addresses a gap in the current literature on career/technical instructor development. For this study, data were gathered by video recording automotive laboratory activities at three Midwestern automotive programs. Interpersonal Process Recall (IPR) interviews were conducted with automotive instructors as they observed themselves navigating the lab environment. Data from the IPR interviews were analyzed using emergent thematic analysis. The research revealed that most instructors in this study were aware, after reflection, of the reasoning behind many of the intuitive and improvisational behaviors, and had an awareness of the nuances of skill assessment the importance of modeling behavior. This study also identified transfer of artistry as a concept of advanced skill attainment in automotive subjects. Transfer of artistry is the result of an instructor’s ability to manage several paradigms of the laboratory experience at once, to create the appropriate conditions for a student to develop the cognitive, spatial, and tactile skills necessary for performing advanced automotive diagnostics and repair. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu/ and OhioLINK ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.ed

Human Machine Interaction

In this book, the reader will find a set of papers divided into two sections. The first section presents different proposals focused on the human-machine interaction development process. The second section is devoted to different aspects of interaction, with a special emphasis on the physical interaction

Environmental monitoring: landslide assessment and risk management (Test site: Vernazza, Cinque Terre Natural Park)

Natural disasters, whether of meteorological origin such as cyclones, floods, tornadoes and droughts or having geological nature such as earthquakes, volcanoes and landslide, are well known for their devastating impacts on human life, economy and environment. Over recent decades, the people and the societies are becoming more vulnerable; although the frequency of natural events may be constant, human activities contribute to their increased intensity. Indeed, every year millions of people are affected by natural disasters globally and, only in the last decade, more than 80% of all disaster-related deaths were caused by natural hazards. The PhD work is part of the activities for the support and development of methodologies useful to improve the management of environmental emergencies. In particular, it focused on the analysis of environmental monitoring and disaster risk management, a systematic approach to identify, to assess and to reduce the potential risks produced by a disaster. This method (Disaster Risk Management) aims to reduce socio-economic vulnerabilities and deals with natural and man-made events. In the PhD thesis, in particular, the slope movements have been evaluated. Slope failures are generally not so costly as earthquakes or major floods, but they are more widespread, and over the years may cause more property loss than any other geological hazard. In many developing regions slope failures constitute a continuing and serious impact on the social and economic structure. Specifically, the Italian territory has always been subject to instability phenomena, because of the geological and morphological characteristic and because of "extreme" weather events that are repeated more frequently than in the past, in relation to climate change. Currently these disasters lead to the largest number of victims and damages to settlements, infrastructure and historical and cultural environmental, after the earthquakes. The urban development, especially in recent decades, resulted in an increase of the assets at risk and unstable areas, often due to constant human intervention badly designed that led to instability also places previously considered "safe". Prevention is therefore essential to minimize the damages caused by landslides The objectives of the conducted research were to investigate the different techniques and to check their potentiality, in order to evaluate the most appropriate instrument for landslide hazard assessment in terms of better compromise between time to perform the analysis and expected results. The attempt is to evaluate which are the best methodologies to use according to the scenario, taking into consideration both reachable accuracies and time constraints. Careful considerations will be performed on strengths, weaknesses and limitations inherent to each methodology. The characteristics associated with geographic, or geospatial, information technologies facilitate the integration of scientific, social and economic data, opening up interesting possibilities for monitoring, assessment and change detection activities, thus enabling better informed interventions in human and natural systems. This is an important factor for the success of emergency operations and for developing valuable natural disaster preparedness, mitigation and prevention systems. The test site was the municipality of Vernazza, which in October 2011 was subject to a extreme rainfall which led to the occurrence of a series of landslides along the Vernazzola stream, which have emphasized the flood event that affected the water course

Human-Computer Interaction

In this book the reader will find a collection of 31 papers presenting different facets of Human Computer Interaction, the result of research projects and experiments as well as new approaches to design user interfaces. The book is organized according to the following main topics in a sequential order: new interaction paradigms, multimodality, usability studies on several interaction mechanisms, human factors, universal design and development methodologies and tools