Information domains and the analysis of distributed morality in "always onlife" information societies

We ask whether the three domains proposed in Information Domains (individual, social, and signification) can provide a useful framework for analyzing distributed morality (DM) and its potential consequences. DM is present when moral responsibility is distributed across human and artificial agents. The affordances of information and communications technologies (ICTs) have inten- sified interaction between human and artificial moral agents, which has in turn fundamentally altered our concepts of morality and its agency. 21st century moral responsibility is increasingly distributed across human and artificial agents. In our 'always onlife' world, all actions can be combined into good or evil results without human review or recourse. The inclusion of artificial moral agents problematizes the assumption of traditional ethics that agency (and therefore, accountability) is either individual or social. In artificial agents, we witness the re-ontologization of both the infosphere and the ecosphere. Artificial intelligence is a form of re-ontologized signification that may be said to influence or even pre-determine human moral decision-making. Artificial agents may perform actions that have moral consequences, but can we hold them accountable for these consequences? What does that even mean

'Turn right at the King's Head': drivers' requirements for route guidance information

This thesis addresses a fundamental Human Factors question associated with the design of the Human-Machine Interface (HMI) for in-vehicle electronic route guidance systems: what navigation information should such systems provide to drivers? To avoid the development of systems which demand excessive amounts of drivers' attention and processing resources or which are not satisfactory to the intended user population, it is critical that appropriate information is provided when and where needed. However, a review of the relevant literature revealed a paucity of research concerning this issue. [Continues.

An Investigation of the Advantages and Disadvantages of University Students as Avatars in Virtual Learning Spaces

Authors have noted the increasing importance of avatars in Higher Education, as more teaching is conducted virtually, drawing upon gaming conventions. However, it is also recognised that little is known about how students make use of avatars (especially over an extended period) and the subsequent impact on learning experiences. For the last three years, a university module has been conducted within a persistent virtual world – where students (49 in 2020; 95 in 2021; 122 in 2022) predominantly interact with each other and teaching staff in avatar form. Observation data constitutes 60 hours of video recordings of virtual world seminars. Students have also been surveyed (average 40% response rate) and interviewed. The experience of learning on this module while in avatar form has been extremely positive, with students expressing many advantages to being an avatar – including the ability to express oneself in original/engaging ways, the ability to move freely in the environment (less restricted by social norms), increased confidence to speak up in class, reduced concern over actual physical appearance, and being praised for their avatar. Nevertheless, disadvantages were also apparent, including the distracting nature of certain avatars, inappropriate behaviours, usability challenges in designing an avatar, and lack of sense of self. An initial design framework for the use of avatars in Higher Education is proposed

Sculpting a mobile musical soundtrack

We present an in-the-wild project to design and study a mobile musical soundtrack that enhances the experience of visiting a sculpture park. As with soundtracks for films and games, the goal was to enhance the emotional and narrative aspects of the experience while remaining in the background. We describe a compositional approach in which we first established a broad musical landscape before treating specific exhibits with detailed musical trajectories. Our study reveals how our soundtrack dramatically shaped visitors’ experiences while they remained largely unaware of its operation. We distil seven experiential factors to be addressed by mobile soundtracks alongside ten compositional guidelines

You’ll never walk alone: designing a location-based soundtrack

Musical soundtracks have great potential to enhance mobile walking experiences such as tours and guides, much as they already do for films and games. They also raise new challenges for composers as the music must fit a given landscape and respond to walkers’ trajectories. We present a design for an interactive mobile soundtrack to accompany a visit to a sculpture park. We describe the motivating factors used to structure soundtrack and drive the compositional process

You’ll never walk alone: designing a location-based soundtrack

Musical soundtracks have great potential to enhance mobile walking experiences such as tours and guides, much as they already do for films and games. They also raise new challenges for composers as the music must fit a given landscape and respond to walkers’ trajectories. We present a design for an interactive mobile soundtrack to accompany a visit to a sculpture park. We describe the motivating factors used to structure soundtrack and drive the compositional process

Evaluation of diffusive gradients in thin-films using a Diphonix® resin for monitoring dissolved uranium in natural waters

Commercially available Diphonix® resin (TrisKem International) was evaluated as a receiving phase for use with the diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) passive sampler for measuring uranium. This resin has a high partition coefficient for actinides and is used in the nuclear industry. Other resins used as receiving phases with DGT for measuring uranium have been prone to saturation and significant chemical interferences. The performance of the device was evaluated in the laboratory and in field trials. In laboratory experiments uptake of uranium (all 100% efficiency) by the resin was unaffected by varying pH (4–9), ionic strength (0.01–1.00 M, as NaNO3) and varying aqueous concentrations of Ca2+ (100–500 mg L−1) and HCO3− (100–500 mg L−1). Due to the high partition coefficient of Diphonex®, several elution techniques for uranium were evaluated. The optimal eluent mixture was 1 M NaOH/1 M H2O2, eluting 90% of the uranium from the resin. Uptake of uranium was linear (R2 = 0.99) over time (5 days) in laboratory experiments using artificial freshwater showing no saturation effects of the resin. In field deployments (River Lambourn, UK) the devices quantitatively accumulated uranium for up to 7 days. In both studies uptake of uranium matched that theoretically predicted for the DGT. Similar experiments in seawater did not follow the DGT theoretical uptake and the Diphonix® appeared to be capacity limited and also affected by matrix interferences. Isotopes of uranium (U235/U238) were measured in both environments with a precision and accuracy of 1.6–2.2% and 1.2–1.4%, respectively. This initial study shows the potential of using Diphonix®-DGT for monitoring of uranium in the aquatic environment