Objects of speculative design in the formation of publics

Design researchers from areas such as participatory design, interaction design, and service design have in recent years increasingly turned to the field of Science and Technology Studies as a source of analytical insights and methodological rigor. A great deal of inspiration has in particular been drawn from the work of Bruno Latour and his call for a shift from Realpolitik to Dingpolitik and a move from matters of fact to matters of concern, as the basis for new political ecologies (Latour 2004a, 2005). In this paper I will relate a specific encounter between STS and design research, by looking at the design research project Material Beliefs, and more specifically the use of what has recently been termed ‘speculative design’ (Kerridge, et al. 2010). While inspired by an STS approach to public engagement, the proponents of speculative design are interested in how, and to what extent, speculative design proposals can function as ‘co-constructors’ of new publics. Viewed from a design perspective, this project aims to bring conceptual and critical design proposals out of the galleries and design studios to engage in the formation of heterogeneous publics, and as such reads as a text book example of Latour’s proposed move from a focus on objects to a focus on ‘parliament of things’. The central argument of the paper is that an encounter between speculative design and the social sciences calls into question the political schema under which design objects are elevated to the status of things in the Latourian assembly of humans and non-humans. I argue that this discounts the possibility for objects to affect the formation of publics by other means. This claim hinges on the ontological assumption that objects are in ‘excess of their relations’ (Harman 2009) and that this ‘surplus’, in turn, enables objects to affect the formation of publics in ways that cannot be grasped by an actor-network approach. On this premise, the paper examines one of the design prototypes developed in the Material Beliefs project, and concludes by proposing three additional qualities in this object that affects the formation of publics, without partaking in the democratic construction of a parliament of things. &nbsp

Japan's Climate Change Discourse: Toward Climate Securitisation?

This article situates Japan in the international climate security debate by analysing competing climate change discourses. In 2020, for the first time, the Japanese Ministry of the Environment included the term “climate crisis” (kikō kiki) in its annual white paper, and the Japanese parliament adopted a “climate emergency declaration” (kikō hijō jitai sengen). Does this mean that Japan’s climate discourse is turning toward the securitisation of climate change? Drawing on securitisation theory, this article investigates whether we are seeing the emergence of a climate change securitisation discourse that treats climate change as a security issue rather than a conventional political issue. The analysis focuses on different stakeholders in Japan’s climate policy: the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the parliament, the Cabinet, and sub- and non-state actors. Through a discourse analysis of ministry white papers and publications by other stakeholders, the article identifies a burgeoning securitisation discourse that challenges, albeit moderately, the status quo of incrementalism and inaction in Japan’s climate policy. This article further highlights Japan’s position in the rapidly evolving global debate on the urgency of climate action and provides explanations for apparent changes and continuities in Japan’s climate change discourse

UNH Faculty Receive $1.3 Million In Prestigious NSF CAREER Grants

Korkolis, Ruml, Wosnik awarded prestigious grant for junior facult

Comparison of an ultra-low volume (ULV) sprayer against a conventional sprayer, for foliar fertiliser and fungicide applications in turfgrass

Two field studies (I and II) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln: John Seaton Anderson Turfgrass Research Facility near Mead, NE, USA, were conducted to determine if a new ultra-low volume (ULV) sprayer can apply foliar nutrient, growth regulator, and fungicide treatments, in a manner similar to that of a conventional sprayer. Treatments were applied over creeping bentgrass ‘L-93’ (Agrostis stolonifera L.) managed as a fairway at 561 l · ha−1 and 47 l · ha−1 with the conventional and ULV sprayer, respectfully. Data were collected for chlorophyll content with a chlorophyll meter, and for the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) with a turf colour meter. Each plot was harvested for biomass at 21 days after treatment. Study II compared the ULV sprayer and a conventional sprayer, for the control of brown patch (Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn) in creeping bentgrass. The treatments were propiconazole and azoxystrobin. Spray volume was 561 l · ha−1 for the conventional sprayer, and 19 l · ha−1 for the ULV sprayer. Statistical differences in turf quality or dry weight reductions between the conventional and ULV sprayer were not detected. Brown patch control was also similar between the two sprayers, but azoxystrobin provided better control than propiconazole. Even with a 30-fold decrease in application volume, the results indicated that the Kamterter ULV sprayer may be a useful and effective management option for foliar fertiliser and fungicide applications in turfgrass

On Graph Refutation for Relational Inclusions

We introduce a graphical refutation calculus for relational inclusions: it reduces establishing a relational inclusion to establishing that a graph constructed from it has empty extension. This sound and complete calculus is conceptually simpler and easier to use than the usual ones.Comment: In Proceedings LSFA 2011, arXiv:1203.542

ANALISIS EFEKTIVITAS DOSIS CYNOFF 25 ULV DENGAN APLIKASI FOGGING TERHADAP VEKTOR DEMAM BERDARAH (Aedes sp) EFFECTIVENESS ANALYSIS OF CYNOFF 25 ULV DOSAGE WITH FOGGING APPLICATION TO DENGUE HAEMORRHAGIC FEVER VECTOR (Aedes sp)

In Indonesia Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever or DBD still represent one of the unresolved public health problem. Recently, the only way to eradicate against DBD is by breaking transmission link, that is killing its transmitted vector, (Aedes sp) by using chemicals, for example Malathion. The way to controlling DBD vector in Pontianak City that is by fogging using Cynoff 25 ULV. But viewing increased of the amount of case and mortality effected by DBD Pontianak City at 2006 and great complain of community after fogging, hence effectiveness of fogging using cynoff 25 ULV hade to be questioned. The research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of cynoff 25 ULV by standard dose (800 ml cynoff 25 ULV : 19,2 litres of diesel oil) with fogging application in Pontianak City. The was a field experiment research by quasi experimental design that is by made research to five dosage variations (mixture of cynoff 25 ULV and diesel oil). The research divided to two groups that is treating group by 4 repetition times and control group without repetition. Result of research indicated that 1) all doses of cynoff 25 ULV was effective to kill (Aedes sp) mosquito where after fogged 24 hours, all (Aedes sp) mosquito was dead (100%). 2) Knock-Down Time 100% (KT 100) of (Aedes sp) mosquito after fogged with doses of 600 ml and 700 ml was 30 minutes, while with doses of 800 ml, 900 ml and 1000 ml Knock-Down Time 100% (KT 100) of (Aedes sp) mosquito was 15 minutes. The result concluded that Cynoff 25 ULV insecticide with fogging application was effective to be used to controlling of DBD vectors in Pontianak City although with lower dose of the standard dose specified by Health Department of Indonesia Republic