Open Sourcing Social Change: Inside the Constellation Model

The constellation model was developed by and for the Canadian Partnership for Children's Health and the Environment. The model offers an innovative approach to organizing collaborative efforts in the social mission sector and shares various elements of the open source model. It emphasizes self-organizing and concrete action within a network of partner organizations working on a common issue. Constellations are self-organizing action teams that operate within the broader strategic vision of a partnership. These constellations are outwardly focused, placing their attention on creating value for those in the external environment rather than on the partnership itself. While serious effort is invested into core partnership governance and management, most of the energy is devoted to the decision making, resources and collaborative effort required to create social value. The constellations drive and define the partnership. The constellation model emerged from a deep understanding of the power of networks and peer production. Leadership rotates fluidly amongst partners, with each partner having the freedom to head up a constellation and to participate in constellations that carry out activities that are of more peripheral interest. The Internet provided the platform, the partner network enabled the expertise to align itself, and the goal of reducing chemical exposure in children kept the energy flowing. Building on seven years of experience, this article provides an overview of the constellation model, discusses the results from the CPCHE, and identifies similarities and differences between the constellation and open source models

The Real World of AI

The ‘real world of AI’ is not a fictional place or concept. There is a real world of AI that we should aspire towards, and that is within our reach. A world where the design of technology includes the practice of justice and on the enforcement of limits to power. Franklin’s work offers us a powerful lens for thinking about where we are today—and how we might create a more just and equitable world of technology tomorrow. This paper explores her framing of technology as a system, and her breakdown of the differences between holistic and prescriptive technologies, which give us useful tools for understanding our world, where technology is shaped by a small handful of global companies (e.g. AliBaba and Amazon) and imperial nations (e.g. China and the United States). Franklin’s thinking may also help us find our way towards a world where AI balances the interests of the people who develop tools (often tech companies), the people who wield them (each of us) and society (all of us)

The Vehicle, Fall 1994

Table of Contents Poetry Noah\u27s WifeJennifer Moropage 8-9 The Intensity of a BreathHeather Anne Winterspage 10-11 When I Was RainNicole Moonpage 11 Wreckage at Low Tide, After a Storm On Cape FearMatt Parkspage 12-14 two belowKeith Spearpage 16 HeatScott Langrenpage 17 Plastic Shard WordsMatthew J. Nelsonpage 18 Mr. Snowplow ManMartin Paul Brittpage 19 Carpe DiemMichael Lairpage 19 untitledWalt Howardpage 20 The GameKellie J. Olsenpage 21 AT PEACEJennifer Surmanpage 22 SawdustSue Songerpage 23 Photography Unbound RealitiesKris Quiriconipage 26 untitled Mark Porter page 27 untitled Mark Porter page 28 untitled Mark Porter page 29 Prose I am Here...RememberingJ. Dylan McNeillpage 32-34 RecognitionSue Songerpage 35-36 SACCADICSteve Beinpage 37-40 The BurnBryan Levekpage 41-45 Biographiespage 46-48https://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1063/thumbnail.jp

The Vehicle, Fall 1994

Table of Contents Poetry Noah\u27s WifeJennifer Moropage 8-9 The Intensity of a BreathHeather Anne Winterspage 10-11 When I Was RainNicole Moonpage 11 Wreckage at Low Tide, After a Storm On Cape FearMatt Parkspage 12-14 two belowKeith Spearpage 16 HeatScott Langrenpage 17 Plastic Shard WordsMatthew J. Nelsonpage 18 Mr. Snowplow ManMartin Paul Brittpage 19 Carpe DiemMichael Lairpage 19 untitledWalt Howardpage 20 The GameKellie J. Olsenpage 21 AT PEACEJennifer Surmanpage 22 SawdustSue Songerpage 23 Photography Unbound RealitiesKris Quiriconipage 26 untitled Mark Porter page 27 untitled Mark Porter page 28 untitled Mark Porter page 29 Prose I am Here...RememberingJ. Dylan McNeillpage 32-34 RecognitionSue Songerpage 35-36 SACCADICSteve Beinpage 37-40 The BurnBryan Levekpage 41-45 Biographiespage 46-48https://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1063/thumbnail.jp

Catching Element Formation In The Act

Gamma-ray astronomy explores the most energetic photons in nature to address some of the most pressing puzzles in contemporary astrophysics. It encompasses a wide range of objects and phenomena: stars, supernovae, novae, neutron stars, stellar-mass black holes, nucleosynthesis, the interstellar medium, cosmic rays and relativistic-particle acceleration, and the evolution of galaxies. MeV gamma-rays provide a unique probe of nuclear processes in astronomy, directly measuring radioactive decay, nuclear de-excitation, and positron annihilation. The substantial information carried by gamma-ray photons allows us to see deeper into these objects, the bulk of the power is often emitted at gamma-ray energies, and radioactivity provides a natural physical clock that adds unique information. New science will be driven by time-domain population studies at gamma-ray energies. This science is enabled by next-generation gamma-ray instruments with one to two orders of magnitude better sensitivity, larger sky coverage, and faster cadence than all previous gamma-ray instruments. This transformative capability permits: (a) the accurate identification of the gamma-ray emitting objects and correlations with observations taken at other wavelengths and with other messengers; (b) construction of new gamma-ray maps of the Milky Way and other nearby galaxies where extended regions are distinguished from point sources; and (c) considerable serendipitous science of scarce events -- nearby neutron star mergers, for example. Advances in technology push the performance of new gamma-ray instruments to address a wide set of astrophysical questions.Comment: 14 pages including 3 figure

Global assessment of marine plastic exposure risk for oceanic birds

Plastic pollution is distributed patchily around the world’s oceans. Likewise, marine organisms that are vulnerable to plastic ingestion or entanglement have uneven distributions. Understanding where wildlife encounters plastic is crucial for targeting research and mitigation. Oceanic seabirds, particularly petrels, frequently ingest plastic, are highly threatened, and cover vast distances during foraging and migration. However, the spatial overlap between petrels and plastics is poorly understood. Here we combine marine plastic density estimates with individual movement data for 7137 birds of 77 petrel species to estimate relative exposure risk. We identify high exposure risk areas in the Mediterranean and Black seas, and the northeast Pacific, northwest Pacific, South Atlantic and southwest Indian oceans. Plastic exposure risk varies greatly among species and populations, and between breeding and non-breeding seasons. Exposure risk is disproportionately high for Threatened species. Outside the Mediterranean and Black seas, exposure risk is highest in the high seas and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of the USA, Japan, and the UK. Birds generally had higher plastic exposure risk outside the EEZ of the country where they breed. We identify conservation and research priorities, and highlight that international collaboration is key to addressing the impacts of marine plastic on wide-ranging species