The Counter-testimony of the Maker

The chapter begins with the question of critique, mainly how and why does one critique but more importantly why does no one critique effectively anymore. Such is a sentiment echoed by Bruno Latour in the paper Why has Critique Run out of Steam? He states: “It does not seem to me that we have been as quick, in academia, to prepare ourselves for new threats, new dangers, new tasks, new targets. Are we not like those mechanical toys that endlessly make the same gesture when everything else has changed around them?”(Latour, 2004:225). According to Latour, the absence of principles is to blame. As he puts it, critique has battered through all claims to a ground and the lack of a sure ground argument has backfired. The result is that there isn’t even a sure ground for criticism. Without a ground, it’s hard to differentiate a rigorous critical claim from a conspiracy theory. That’s why conspiracy theory books are best sellers. Latour mourns the death of critique. In its remnants lies a whole industry denying the Apollo program. My claim is that the absence of principles transforms critique into an issue around the strength of evidence and the credibility of the testimony. Effective critique is synonymous with a counter-testimony of a reliable witness. A witness is someone who is present at the time of an event, often a crime, and is able to testify before the law. They are able to give direct evidence in relation to the events. However, they often rely on foggy memories and blurred vision. It is not too difficult for the defence or prosecution to put the reliability or credibility of the witness in doubt. Here is where the role of making comes into play. More often than not, in the post-critical age, a testimony, or counter-testimony, is not simply uttered but is rather constructed. Latour is the first to admit that a critique has to be made. As such the eyewitness is no longer a person but a photograph, a video or other forms of surveillance. Juries are more decisive when they are presented with the facts, the evidence, more often submitted as objects as opposed to a fuzzy testimony of a witness. Critique, or counter-testimony, is a material process enabled by infrastructure. Is a practice-based question of physics, chemistry and the material forms of agency. Given all this this chapter explores further the role of critical making as counter-testimony. From aesthetic practices of forensics, counter-forensics to the role of labs in media archaeology and investigative practices, I will tell the story of makers that present their objects as a counter-narrative to pressing socio-political issues. More importantly, however, I will address the issue of how critical making practices can establish credibility in a world of fakes and loss of belief

Social Wealth Funds And An Avant-Garde Blockchain Accounting System

The social wealth fund opens up important questions of common ownership and democratic control. It can also serve to start a conversation around the ways in which we value socially useful goods. The production of socially beneficial economic activity through the social wealth fund could, and should, not consider ‘profits’ as an economic metric. Instead, every time a socially beneficial task is completed, such as tasks implied in social care services, the provision of universal basic services, or production of additional housing, the social wealth fund accounting system could record the ‘cost’ of the task rather than the ‘profit’ made from delivering the service. Here are the reasons why this is a good idea

Queering Geographic Information Systems

Abstract: What’s the relationship between GIS and the political subject? In an effort to address this question, this paper traces the movement from the map to GIS. The map is shown to be the performative utterance of the state, one that supports its national discourse and narrative. GIS, on the other hand, is shown to be a device of neoliberal governmentality, its non-representational economic practices, divided discourse and subjectivities. Despite the seemingly hopeless situation surrounding GIS, however, certain simulation and modelling practices are attempting to construct subjectivities out of economic neoliberalism’s fractured narratives. They do this by reading meaning into otherwise mathematical datasets and models. These practices could form a basis for queering GIS. This article is developed through research carried out as part of the Machine Feeling project funded by both Cambridge University’s Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (hereafter CRASSH) and Aarhus University. The paper began as a presentation at a workshop based at CRASSH which resulted in a shorted publication entitled Digital Modelling. It was then developed into a larger piece and delivered at Transmediale Festival 2019. Proceedings from both events were then compiled into a special issue of the Transmediale journal ARPJA. The festival, which is due to celebrate its 30th anniversary next year, and journal have wide appeal in digital media circles, especially through social and online media. The special issue includes articles by artists, designers and other academics based in the social sciences and the humanities from Europe, the US and the UK

The Other City Map

An article on the design of city maps and city experience

Habitual physical activity reduces risk of ovarian cancer: a case–control Study in Southern China

Objective: To ascertain the relationship between habitual physical activity and the risk of ovarian cancer among southern Chinese women.Method: A case–control study was conducted in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, during 2006–2008. Information on physical activity exposure and lifestyle characteristics was obtained from 500 incident ovarian cancer patients and 500 hospital-based controls (mean age 59 years) using a validated and reliable questionnaire. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association between physical activity levels and the ovarian cancer risk.Results: The control subjects reported significantly longer duration of strenuous sports and moderate activity in daily life than the ovarian cancer patients. Increased engagements in such leisure time activities were associated with reduced cancer risks after adjustment for confounding factors. A significant inverse dose–response relationship was also found for total physical activity exposure, with adjusted odds ratio 0.49 (95% confidence interval 0.35–0.68) for women engaged in 23 or more metabolic equivalent tasks (MET)-hours per week relative to those less than 12 MET-hours per week.Conclusion: The study provided evidence of an inverse association between habitual physical activity and the risk of ovarian cancer, which is important for the promotion and encouragement of leisure time exercise activities to prevent the disease

Private sector's response to emerging challenges in the supply of high value agricultural products: Implications for the involvement of Oxfam GB

Given the impacts that changes in the private sector could have on millions of livelihoods, the purpose of this research is to explore how supply chains for high value agricultural products (HVAP) are being impacted by climate change, food prices and energy costs. The research aims to assess changes in supply chain operations in terms of the impact they could have development. The results are intended to assist Oxfam GB in better understanding the context and informing recommendations on how to influence the private sector to maximise their contributions to poverty alleviation. The findings suggest that climate change, food prices and energy costs have not had a major impact on the availability of supplies for the companies interviewed. However, high oil prices seem to have a direct and immediate effect on companies' operations, which together with food price increases appear to be affecting companies' bottom line. On the side of climate change, results indicate that this is not perceived by companies as a short term threat for the supply of HVAP. To protect from emerging challenges, participating companies are implementing different changes. Seven categories of initiatives were identified: (1) distribution of higher costs, (2) cost cutting activities, (3) diversification of supply base, (4) local sourcing initiatives, (5) relations with suppliers, (6) climate change adaptation, and (7) investment in technology and innovation. The third and last group of findings shows the motivations that drive companies to make changes in their operations are dominated by cost reduction and competitiveness concerns, with some companies claiming to be moved by consumer's demands and less incidence of ethical considerations. The analysis illustrates the private sector's potential to create very distinct outcomes for smallholders, SMEs and development. The combination of responsible businesses, ethical consumers, proactive smallholders and SMEs, and supportive governments and civil society, may create synergies that benefit all of the parts involved by encouraging sustainable business models in the private sector

Assessing the recovery of Y chromosome microsatellites with population genomic data using Papio and Theropithecus genomes

Y chromosome markers can shed light on male-specific population dynamics but for many species no such markers have been discovered and are available yet, despite the potential for recovering Y-linked loci from available genome sequences. Here, we investigated how effective available bioinformatic tools are in recovering informative Y chromosome microsatellites from whole genome sequence data. In order to do so, we initially explored a large dataset of whole genome sequences comprising individuals at various coverages belonging to different species of baboons (genus: Papio) using Y chromosome references belonging to the same genus and more distantly related species (Macaca mulatta). We then further tested this approach by recovering Y-STRs from available Theropithecus gelada genomes using Papio and Macaca Y chromosome as reference sequences. Identified loci were validated in silico by a) comparing within-species relationships of Y chromosome lineages and b) genotyping male individuals in available pedigrees. Each STR was selected not to extend in its variable region beyond 100 base pairs, so that loci can be developed for PCR-based genotyping of non-invasive DNA samples. In addition to assembling a first set of Papio and Theropithecus Y-specific microsatellite markers, we released TYpeSTeR, an easy-to-use script to identify and genotype Y chromosome STRs using population genomic data which can be modulated according to available male reference genomes and genomic data, making it widely applicable across taxa

Voices of children with intellectual disabilities on participation in daily activities

BACKGROUND : Participation in daily activities is expressed as a human right. Full participation of children with disabilities in daily activities creates optimal opportunities for learning and development. Previous studies have focused primarily on proxy ratings of participation of children with intellectual disabilities in daily activities. However, little is known about how the children rate barriers and facilitators to their participation in everyday activities. OBJECTIVES : To identify barriers to and facilitators for everyday activities as experienced by children with intellectual disabilities from low- and middle-income countries and high-income countries. The research questions were as follows: ‘what barriers to participation do children with disabilities experience in everyday activities?’ and ‘what facilitators to participation do children with disabilities experience in everyday activities?’ METHOD : A qualitative content analyses was used in this study, and individual interviews were conducted with 49 children with intellectual disabilities. The interviews were performed using pictures. The children also selected the most important activities and described in their own words the facilitators and barriers relevant to being able to perform the activities. RESULTS : The most important activities were organised leisure activities, formal learning at school, taking care of other family members and family mealtimes. Self-reported barriers identified were personal functioning, social exclusion and lack of resources. The identified facilitators included satisfaction, personal capability, being included and having access to resources. CONCLUSION : These findings provide important knowledge about the factors to consider in the development of interventions, aimed at improving the participation of children with intellectual disabilities.The National Research Foundation (NRF) and Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education (STINT).http://www.ajod.orgpm2021Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC

Mushroom Intake and Risk of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer in Southern Chinese Women

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the association between mushroom consumption and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer in southern Chinese women.METHODS: A hospital-based case-control study was undertaken in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, from 2006 to 2008. Participants were 500 incident patients with epithelial ovarian cancer and 500 controls, with a mean (SD) age of 59 (6) years. Information on habitual mushroom consumption was obtained by face-to-face interview using a validated and reliable food frequency questionnaire. Unconditional logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association between mushroom intake and the ovarian cancer risk.RESULTS: The patients with ovarian cancer consumed less mushrooms (mean [SD], 28.48 [37.45] g/d) than did controls (mean [SD], 30.75 [41.85] g/d). Apparent reductions in cancer risk were found at high levels of intake, especially for the common white button mushroom with adjusted odds ratios 0.68 (95% confidence interval, 0.52-0.89) for women consuming more than 2 g per day relative to those who consume less than that (P = 0.005). Decreases in risk at high levels of intake were also observed for serous and mucinous subtypes of epithelial ovarian tumors.CONCLUSIONS: Intake of mushrooms, particularly white button mushroom, seemed to be inversely associated with the incidence of epithelial ovarian cancer in southern Chinese women