ITGS Syllabus

Linux vs. Mac vs. Windows

2008-09-05T12:23:00.000+09:00

They worked on Vista for years and it ended up looking like Mac
Mac works on UNIX
Linux works with UNIX
Linux vs. Mac vs. Windows
Mac took Linux users away because Mac had UNIX and was user friendly
Linux became server only/computers with little user friendly software
Mac moved to Intel over IBM

Mac took Linux out of the picture and wants to replace Microsoft out next

The first computers ran on thousands of vacuum tubes
Many would break therefore someone would run around replacing them
Early computers would have been used for military purposes etc

Banks used to close at 3 pm to have time to record all the days transactions and update all the accounts before the start of the next day.

Next they started converting them onto computer cards IBM Cards Holerith cards
They needed a way to convert stuff humans can read and write into 1s and 0s for a computer to understand Binary.
So they had to make a code (eg ‘A” would be 00, ‘B’ would be like 01 etc)
It was like light bulbs doing binary
(4 light bulbs only got you to 15, 5 got you to 31)
7 got you the amount you need but 7 wasn’t binary friendly, so they got to 8, containing 255 bits
Binary means a bunch of 0s and 1s (on and off)
1 2 4 8 16 32 64 128

The smallest unit of binary used was 8 (1, 2, 4 were too smaller)\
Bits was 1’s and 0’s, 8 bits were a byte
At first they only used capitals because lowercase letters need more memory
Old cards with a bunch holes in them to mark the binary for each letter
Modern variation of this is with the SATS where you mark down on cards with pencils

Evolution of Computers

2008-09-05T12:22:00.000+09:00

Computers have a circuit in which you can have two inputs.
Computers have to make decisions, namely yes or no; 0 is false and 1 is true.

For example:

1 ---
and ---- 0
0 ---

1 ---
or ---- 1
0 ---

Computers have transistors (originally bulbs), which direct the flow of information in a computer. Then, micro-transistors were created that had many thousand or millions of transistors fit on one chip allowing for multiple decisions by that chip. One single chip emerged, the microprocessor or the CPU, which became the most important chip in a computer.

Now, major chip producing companies, such as Intel, are fitting multiple microprocessors in one CPU. For example, the “Core 2 Duo” has two and the “Quad-core” has four. for putting several processors together.

The RAM (random access memory) remembers certain information for making decisions later.

2008-08-28T12:00:00.000+09:00

LAST THING WE WEERE TALKING ABOUT was bill gates and dos

Software topic
When computers were first invented, they had large chips
Many chips are integrated now, in the 50’s, each function had its own chip Each design was so unique, the software had to be unique (software for one computer won’t run on the other.)

In the 60’s IBM was king
Unysis built a computer like IBM but cheaper. It took IBM software and use it on the Unysis No software had ever been sold or used on another machine.

Define software as a product by separating hardware and software
Now IBM started to make and sell software. Problems with modern day selling software. (Can I give it to my family use it in my family?) Companies use licenses to allow users (family etc) Software rights as a concept is only 40 years old.
Software rights
Software Companies compare software rights to things like stealing cars etc, but software is like nothing else. Software isn’t made of any real thing, like a car is. Its just an idea (compare software to a story in a book where the book is the hardware and the story is the software). Having a book read to you. Then reciting it to others, is that stealing. You can read the stories to others but don’t do like a music concert with the book.

Everything became mixed up. Radio was free to anyone who had a receiver
Should playing a song on the radio at 2 in the morning costs less than during the day say 1 million people listen or 0.

Software should let the market forces should determine price and distribution.
Music on radio gets 5 cents to the artists (popular song is 5 cents, unknown songs is 5 cents) determined by US government (not free market)
Record companies lost sales when people recorded the radio with tapes
So government ‘taxed’ tapes (no matter what kind of tape) and gave that to the recording artists.

They didn’t tax DVDs/CDSs didn’t because there was too much resistance and too many other uses for discs.

NBC broadcast making free stuff, but cable companies sold it as a service. NBC complained that they were making money for content that they were giving for free. The government stepped in and made cable companies pay a fee for the content.

Software is just an idea (like stories in books are just ideas)
But software runs machines (even appliances) A lot of the times software runs hardware but its still an idea.

Since software is ideas it should it be patented But old software should have their patents expire. Japan (25 years) for music patents to run out
Billy Joel was popular for more than 25 years so his songs are common place on TV commercials.

Rights on Mickey Mouse since its so popular after a many years Disney lobbied to have their patent increased. From 25 to 50 to 75 years.

Fair length of time for a patent? Forever?

How about until the creator died?

How about a long time since the guy who made it has to support their kids?

Rights of the book should pass onto their kids
(because if he dies when his child is only two that would be unfair to his kid)

2008-01-02T23:09:00.000+09:00

2.1.1 System Fundementals

Topic 01: by Kent Harvath (1)
Topic 02: by Joseph Toyoshima (1)
Topic 03: by Roger Maue (1)
Topic 04: by Ken Moyer (1)
Topic 05: by Akira Jackson (1)
Topic 06: by HeeJun Son (1)
Topic 07: by Takafumi (1)
Topic 08: by Sung Hwan Chun (1)
Topic 09: by Andrew Leung (1)
Topic 10: by Sam Simaskul (1)
Topic 11: by Matthew Wilder (1)
Topic 12: by Tommy Chang (1) and Xiao Xiao (1)
Topic 13: by Tomer Lapidot (1)
Topic 14: by Xiao Xiao (2)
Topic 15: by Raymon Ohmori (1)
Topic 16: by Romeo Wu (1)

2.1.2 Networks

Topic 17: by Isaku (1)
Topic 18: by Raymon (2)
Topic 19: by Haider (1)
Topic 20: by Chaan Tutlam (1)
Topic 21: by Simon Ruiz (1)
Topic 22: by Tanay Khandelwal (1)
Topic 23: by Vaibhav Bhandari (1)
Topic 24: by Su Chen (1)
Topic 25: by Dhruv (1)
Topic 26: by Taro Kondo (1)
Topic 27: by Alex Young (1)
Topic 28: by Ronald (1)
Topic 29: by Aditya Kumar (1)
Topic 30: by Dwarkesh Iyengar (1)
Topic 31: by Marek Strzepek (1)
Topic 32: by Chirag Garg (1)
Topic 33: by Wilanth James (1)
Topic 34: by Oliver Chan (1)
Topic 35: by Nitish Gautam (1)
Topic 36: by Harsh Sharma (1)

2.2.1 Software Fundamentals

Topic 37: by Tommy Chuang (2)
Topic 38: by Ken Moyer (2)
Topic 39: by Dwarkesh (2)
Topic 40: by Raymon (3)
Topic 41: by Andrew (2)
Topic 42: by Roger (2)
Topic 43: by Ronald (2) & Wilanth (2)
Topic 44: by Oliver (2)

2.2.2 Databases and Spreadsheets

Topic 45: by Matthew Wilder (2)
Topic 46: by Taro Kondo (2)
Topic 47: by Simon Ruiz (2)
Topic 48: by HeeJun (2)
Topic 49: by Aditya (2)
Topic 50: by Akira (2)
Topic 51: by Haider (2)
Topic 52: by Joseph (2)
Topic 53: by Kent (2)
Topic 54: by Chirag Garg (2) or Isaku (2)
Topic 55: by Sam (2)
Topic 56: by Tomer (2)
Topic 57: by Chaan (2)
Topic 58: by Su Chen (2)
Topic 59: by Nitish Gautam (2)
Topic 60: by Raymon (4)
Topic 61: by Xiao Xiao Li (3)
Topic 62: by Raymon (5)
Topic 63: by Vaibhav Bhandari (2)
Topic 64: by Tanay (2)
Topic 65: by Marek (2)
Topic 66: by Isaku (3)
Topic 67: by Alex Young (2)
Topic 68: by Harsh (2)
Topic 69: by Harsh (3)
Topic 70: by Dhruv (2)

2.2.3 Word processing and desktop publishing

Topic 71: by HeeJun (3)
Topic 72: by Vaibhav (3) or Isaku (4)
Topic 73: by Dwarkesh (3)
Topic 74: by Isaku (5) and Takafumi (2)
Topic 75: by Marek (3)
Topic 76: by Tomer (3)
Topic 77: by Andrew (3)
Topic 78: by Nitish Gautam (3)
Topic 79: by Sujit George (1)
Topic 80: by Joseph Toyoshima (3)
Topic 81: by Sung-Hwan Chun (2)

2.2.4 Images, Sound and Presentations

Topic 82: by Ken Moyer (3)
Topic 83: by Ronald (3)
Topic 84: by Romeo Wu (2)
Topic 85: by Akira (3)
Topic 86: by Simon Ruiz (3)
Topic 87: by Chirag (3)
Topic 88: by Wilanth (3)
Topic 89: by Tommy (3)
Topic 90: by Taro (3)
Topic 91: by Sung-Hwan Chun (3) or Tommy()
Topic 92: by Harsh (4)
Topic 93: by Matthew (3)
Topic 94: by Ken Moyer (4)
Topic 95: by Dhruv (3)
Topic 96: by Sam (3)
Topic 97: by Harsh (5)
Topic 98: by Xiao Xiao (4)
Topic 99: by Chirag Garg (4) and Takafumi (3)
Topic 100: by Chaan (3)

2.2.5 Modelling and Simulations

Topic 101: by Roger (3)
Topic 102: by Haider (3)
Topic 103: by Su Chen (3)
Topic 104: by Haider (4)
Topic 105: by Sujit (2)
Topic 106: by Chaan (4)
Topic 107: by Xiao Xiao (5)
Topic 108: by Romeo Wu (3)
Topic 109: by Xiao Xiao (6)
Topic 110: by no one yet (1)
Topic 111:by Raymon (6)
Topic 112: by Sam (4)
Topic 113: by Tomer (4)

2.2.6 Tutorials, training and wizards (assistants)

Topic 114: by Nitish (4)
Topic 115: by no one yet (2)
Topic 116: by Dhruv (4)
Topic 117: by Vaibhav (4)
Topic 118: by Aditya (3)

2.3.1 The Internet

Topic 119: by Matthew (4) or Sujit (3)
Topic 120: by Oliver (4)
Topic 121: by Simon (4)
Topic 122: by Roger (4) or Sujit (4)
Topic 123: by Akira (4)
Topic 124: by Tanay (3) or Sujit (5)
Topic 125: by Alex (3)
Topic 126: by Aditya (4)
Topic 127: by HeeJun (4)
Topic 128: by Kent (3)
Topic 129: by Sung-Hwan Chun (4)
Topic 130: by Oliver (3)
Topic 131: by Ronald (4)
Topic 132: by Wilanth (4)
Topic 133: by Su Chen (4)
Topic 134: by Wilanth (5) or Nitish Gautam (5)
Topic 135: by Alex (4)
Topic 136: by Romeo Wu (4) or Chirag (5)
Topic 137: by Tommy (4)
Topic 138: by Joseph (4)
Topic 139: by Isaku (6)
Topic 140: by Taro Kondo (4)
Topic 141: by Ken Moyer (5)
Topic 142: by Kent (4)
Topic 143: by Dwarkesh (4) and Aditya Kumar (5)

2.3.2 Personal and Public Communications

Topic 144: by Romeo Wu (5)
Topic 145: by Harsh (6)
Topic 146: by Hee Jun Sun (5)
Topic 147: by Kent Herath (5)
Topic 148: by Xiao Xiao (7)
Topic 149: by Simon Ruiz (5) or Dwarkesh (5)
Topic 150: by Romeo Wu (6)
Topic 151: by Su Chen (5)
Topic 152: by Chaan (5) or Chirag (6)
Topic 153: Key Terms by Ken Moyer (6)
Topic 154: by Sam (5)
Topic 155: by Sung-Hwan Chun (5)
Topic 156: by Roger (5)
Topic 157: by Vaibhav (5)
Topic 158: by Tanay (4) and Taro (5)
Topic 159: by Harsh (7)
Topic 160: by Xiao Xiao (8)
Topic 161: by Vaibhav (6)
Topic 162: by Alex (5) with additions by Nitish
Topic 163: by Roger (6)

2.4.1 Robotics

Topic 164: by Aditya (6) or Akira (5)
Topic 165: by Dwarkesh (6)
Topic 166: by Nitish (6) and Sung-Hwan (6)
Topic 167: by Takafumi (4)
Topic 168: by Akira (6) or Sung-Hwan (7)
Topic 169: Key Terms by Matthew Wilder (5)
Topic 170: by Andrew Leung (4)
Topic 171: by Kent (6)
Topic 172: by Raymon (7)
Topic 173: by Andrew (5) or Taro (6) or Aditya (7)
Topic 174: by Andrew (6)

2.4.2 Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems

Topic 175: by Nitish (7)
Topic 176: by Isaku (7) or Chirag (7)
Topic 177: by Isaku (8) or Marek (4)
Topic 178: by Takafumi (5) or Chirag (8)
Topic 179: by HeeJun (6)
Topic 180: by Dwarkesh (7)
Topic 181: by Vaibhav (7)
Topic 182: Key Terms by Tommy (5) or Tanay (5) or Matthew (6)
Topic 183: by Joseph (5)
Topic 184: by Isaku (9)
Topic 185: by Tanay (6) or Ronald Chu (5)
Topic 186: by Raymon (8)
Topic 187: by Chirag (9)

3.1 Business and Employment

Topic 188: by Ken Moyer (7)
Topic 189: by Roger (7)
Topic 190: by Su Chen (6)
Topic 191: by Su Chen (7)
Topic 192: by Matthew (7)
Topic 193: by Ken Moyer (8)

3.2 Education

Topic 194: by Kent (7)
Topic 195: by Chirag (10) or Marek (5) or Kent (8)
Topic 196: by Akira (7)
Topic 197: by Joseph Toyoshima (6)
Topic 198: by HeeJun Son (7) or Harsh (8)
Topic 199: by Sung-Hwan (8)
Topic 200: by Tommy (6)

3.3 Health

Topic 201: by Tanay (7) or Taro (7)
Topic 202: by Simon (6) or Marek (6)
Topic 203: by Vaibhav (8) or Matthew (8) or Taro (8)
Topic 204: by Marek (7)
Topic 205: by Romeo Wu (7)
Topic 206: by Marek (8)

3.4 Arts, Entertainment and Leisure

Topic 207: by Ronald Chu (6)
Topic 208: by Aditya (8) or Chaan (6)
Topic 209: by Su Chen (8)
Topic 210: by Ronald Chu (7)
Topic 211: by HeeJun Son (8)
Topic 212: by Joseph (7) or Tommy (7)

3.5 Science and the Environment

Topic 213: by Nitish (8)
Topic 214: by Simon (7)
Topic 215: by Joseph (8) or Chaan (7)
Topic 216: by Ronald Chu (8) or Romeo (8)
Topic 217: by Dwarkesh (8) or Romeo (9)

3.6 Politics and Government

Topic 218: by Marek (9)
Topic 219: by Akira (8)
Topic 220: by Romeo Wu (10) or Ronald (9)
Topic 221: by Tommy Chuang (8)
Topic 222: by Roger (8)
Topic 223: by Alex (6)

Section 1

2008-01-01T20:34:00.000+09:00

Social and Ethical Issues

The widespread use of IT raises questions about social and ethical issues that shape the world today. Students should become familiar with all the social and ethical issues described in this section. Teachers should introduce the social and ethical issues as appropriate using the integrated approach illustrated in the diagram at the beginning of the syllabus details. In this way students can examine social and ethical issues that are raised when IT systems are used in a range of areas. The use of IT is likely to bring both advantages and disadvantages, both costs and benefits, and students should study the impact of IT in a critical way. It is important that examples are drawn from the local, national and global level.

1.1 Reliability

Reliability refers to the operation of hardware, the design of software, the accuracy of data or the correspondence of data with the real world. Data may be unreliable if it is entered incorrectly or if it becomes outdated. For example, a medical record that becomes dissociated from the patient it refers to becomes unreliable. The reliability of machines, software and data determines our confidence in their value.

1.2 Integrity

Integrity refers to correspondence of data with itself, at its creation. Data lacks integrity when it has been changed accidentally or tampered with. For example, a hacker might change driver licence data resulting in arrests of innocent people.

1.3 Security

Security refers to the protection of hardware, software, machines and networks from unauthorized access, alteration or destruction. Security measures include restricted access to machines and networks and encryption of information. The degree of security of information systems determines society’s confidence in the information contained in the systems.

1.4 Privacy and anonymity

Privacy is the ability of individuals and groups to determine for themselves when, how and to what extent information about themselves is shared with others. At its extreme, privacy becomes anonymity, which might be called for in some contexts but is dangerous in others. For example, discussion of a delicate subject might require anonymity, or at least privacy. On the other hand, anonymity could also conceal the perpetrators of criminal, terrorist or computer hacking acts.

1.5 Authenticity

Authenticity means establishing the user’s identity beyond reasonable doubt. Authenticating the user is crucial in many situations, particularly in business and legal matters. A simple example of authentication is user login onto a network. A more advanced example would be the use of encrypted digital signatures in a business transaction.

1.6 Intellectual property

Intellectual property includes ideas, discoveries, writings, works of art, software, collections and presentations of data. Copyrights, trademarks and patents legally protect intellectual property, but easy and accurate duplication methods made available by IT can undermine such protections. On the other hand, the same methods create opportunity for inexpensive dissemination of information.

2.1.1 System Fundementals

2007-12-31T20:26:00.000+09:00

Social and ethical issues

Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of IT systems. These may include:

Topic 1: The economic value of information by Kent Harvath

Topic 2: Environmental issues related to the production of computer components and supplies by Joseph Toyoshima

Topic 3: Environmental issues related to the disposal of obsolete hardware and computer supplies by Roger Maue

Topic 4: Health and Ergonomic Issues Created by Computers by Ken Moyer

Topic 5: Password protection, Security, Biometrics and Authorized access by Akira Jackson

Topic 6: Issues related to viruses on both stand-alone and network systems by HeeJun Son

Topic 7: Greater dependence of organizations on IT by Takafumi Kurihara

Topic 8: Increase in teleworking and the virtual office by Sung Hwan Chun

Topic 9: The need for ongoing training and retraining by Andrew Leung

Topic 10: The economic and psychological implications of planned IT obsolescence in hardware, software and services, which has been forced on consumers by the IT industry by Sam Simaskul

Topic 11: Organizational policies and standards, for example, e-mail, surveillance and monitoring policies by Matthew Wilder

Knowledge of technology

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of IT systems, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include:

Topic 12: Key Terms by Tommy Chang
Data, information, hardware components, for example, input devices, output devices, processing, storage, memory (RAM, ROM), MHz, dpi, bit, KB, MB, GB, TB, ASCII, compatibility

Topic 13: Use, advantages and disadvantages of analogue and digital data by Tomer Lapidot

Topic 14: Operating systems (multitasking, boot) and utilities, for example, defragment, disk format, virus scan programs by no one yet.

Topic 15: Responsible computer use (for example, regular back-ups, virus checking, security, storage, housekeeping) by Raymon Ohmori

Topic 16: A responsible and systematic approach to implementing or upgrading IT systems, for example, analysis, design, implementation, testing, evaluation, training, policies and standards. by Romeo Wu

2.1.2 Networks

2007-12-30T00:02:00.000+09:00

Social and ethical issues

Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of networks. These may include:

Topic 17: Vulnerability of networks to intrusion by Isaku Oba

Topic 18: Ability to implement different levels of access by Raymen Ohmori

Topic 19: Implications of network failure, for example, banks, transportation, hospitals, schools by Haider

Topic 20: Implications of Collaboration, Groupware and Data sharing by Chaan Tutlam

Topic 21: Threat of compromising data integrity in shared databases by Simon Ruiz

Topic 22: Additional threats to privacy on a network compared with stand-alone computers by Tanay Khandelwal

Topic 23: The need to authenticate information by Vaibhav Bhandari

Topic 24: Intellectual property protection on networks, for example, site licences, file access by Su Chen

Topic 25: Equality of access for different groups and individuals by Dhruv

Topic 26: Ability to monitor users (surveillance); concerns of people regarding monitoring by Taro Kondo

Topic 27: Ability to filter incoming data by Alex Young

Topic 28: Ability to control personal, business, military, government operations over a wide geographical area by Ronald Chu

Topic 29: Increased globalization, for example, EFT, EDI, e-commerce by Aditya Kumar

Topic 30: Need for interface standards by Dwarkesh Iyengar

Topic 31: Need for network use policy by Marek Strzepek

Knowledge of technology

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of networks the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include:

Topic 32: Key Terms by Chirag Garg
LAN, WAN, client, server, Ethernet, access, access permissions, login, password, firewall, sysadmin, UPS, EDI

Topic 33: Security Measures by Wilanth James

Topic 34: Network types, for example, Intranet, Internet, VPN by Oliver Chan

Topic 35: Encryption and SSL by Nitish Gautam

Topic 36: E-commerce by Harsh Sharma

2.2.1 Software Fundamentals

2007-12-29T17:57:00.000+09:00

Social and ethical issues

Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of networks. These may include:

Topic 37: Bug-free software by Tommy Chuang

Topic 38: Software piracy by Ken Moyer

Topic 39: Interfaces adapted for the disabled by Dwarkesh

Topic 40: Language independence of GUIs, making computers accessible to a very wide range of users, including those with special needs, and very small children by Raymon

Topic 41: Use of password protection to prevent unauthorized access by Andrew

Topic 42: Globalization of software by Roger

Knowledge of technology

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of software, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include:

Topic 43: Key terms by Ronald/Wilanth
software (application), shareware, public domain, freeware, commercial software, integrated software, user manual, registration card, serial number, warranty, copyright, licence (multi-user, single user, site licence), compression/decompression, back-up, back door (trapdoor), upload/download, wizard, template.

Topic 44: GUI, command-line interface, voice recognition by Oliver

2.2.2 Databases and Spreadsheets

2007-12-28T18:18:00.000+09:00

Social and ethical issues

Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of databases and spreadsheets. These may include:

Topic 45: privacy of information in different cultures by Matthew Wilder

Topic 46: rights of individuals with respect to the storage of personal data by Taro Kondo

Topic 47: social consequences of outdated or incorrect data stored in databases by Simon Ruiz

Topic 48: social consequences of the release of sensitive data stored in databases by HeeJun

Topic 49: legislation on access and use of database information in different countries by Aditya

Topic 50: responsibility for the security of data stored in databases from different perspectives, for example, the developer, the user and the management of an organization by Akira

Topic 51: accountability for the negative social effects caused by insecure databases by Haider

Topic 52: ethical issues related to the collection and use of personal data by Joseph

Topic 53: ethical issues related to the selling of data stored in databases by Kent

Databases: Knowledge of technology

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of databases, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include the following:

Databases: Design and creation concepts

Topic 54: Key Terms by Chirag Garg
field, key field, record, search, query, sort, database management system, mail merge

Topic 55: Flat-file database versus relational database by Sam

Topic 56: Paper files versus electronic files by Tomer

Topic 57: Data redundancy and data integrity by Chaan

Topic 58: Updating data by Su

Databases: Storage and access concepts

Topic 59: Data transfer between a database and a spreadsheet by Nitish Gautam

Topic 60: Search and the use of the Boolean operators (AND, OR and NOT) by Raymon

Topic 61: Data mining/data matching by Xiao Xiao Li

Databases: Presentation concepts

Topic 62: Report generation by Taro Kondo

Topic 63: Special-purpose databases, for example, personal information managers, encyclopedias, library systems by Vaibhav Bhandari

Spreadsheets: Knowledge of technology

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of spreadsheets, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include the following.

Spreadsheets: Design and creation concepts

Topic 64: Key terms by Tanay
cell, cell format (number, text, value, function, calculation, date, currency), row, column, label, macro, replicate, template, worksheet, “what if” questions, range, absolute and relative reference

Topic 65: Paper files versus electronic files by Marek

Topic 66: Reliability and integrity of data by Isaku

Spreadsheets: Storage and access concepts

Topic 67: Data transfer between a database and a spreadsheet by Alex Young

Topic 68: Select, print and display area of a worksheet by no one yet

Topic 69: Use of the appropriate graph or chart for the meaningful representation of information by Harsh

Topic 70: Special-purpose spreadsheets, for example, inventory, budget by Dhruv

2.2.3 Word processing and desktop publishing

2007-12-27T18:34:00.000+09:00

Social and ethical issues

Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of word processing and desktop publishing (DTP). These may include:

Topic 71: effects of DTP on the right to publish, for example, freedom of the press, free exchange of ideas by HeeJun

Topic 72: economic effects of DTP on business by Vaibhav Bhandari

Topic 73: intellectual property issues associated with reproduction and/or transformation of digitized text by Dwarkesh

Topic 74: effects of word processing and DTP on the workplace, for example, job loss, deskilling, surveillance by no one yet

Topic 75: ergonomics/health impacts of word processing and DTP in the workplace by no one yet

Topic 76: social impact of speech-enabled input/output by Tomer

Knowledge of technology

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of word processing and desktop publishing, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include:

Topic 77: Key terms by Andrew
formatting, template, spell check, grammar check, ASCII/unicode, PDF, RTF, text

Topic 78: word processing versus page layout by Nitish Gautam

Topic 79: appropriate use of templates by no one yet

Topic 80: effective use of word processing functions to streamline production of documents by Joseph

Topic 81: use of appropriate fonts, white space and line spacing to create output that communicates effectively by Sung-Hwan Chun

2.2.4 Images, Sound and Presentations

2007-12-26T23:41:00.000+09:00

Social and ethical issues

Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of images, sound and presentations, for example, multimedia, slideshows, virtual reality, games. These may include:

Topic 82: intellectual property relating to the copying and modifying of text, images, sound and video (fair use policies) by Ken Moyer

Topic 83: copyright issues by Ronald

Topic 84: printed versus electronically published information by Romeo Wu

Topic 85: health issues related to virtual reality by Akira

Topic 86: multimedia solutions for disabled persons by Simon Ruiz

Topic 87: multilingual selection possibilities of CD-ROMs and DVD by Chirag

Topic 88: surveillance and privacy by Wilanth

Topic 89: global access to information available on CD-ROMs versus Internet by Tommy

Topic 90: use of virtual actors in films by Taro

Topic 91: biased information by Tanay

Topic 92: reliability of data by Harsh

Topic 93: social and ethical issues related to games by Matthew

Knowledge of technology

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of images, sound and presentations, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include the following.

Design and creation concepts

Topic 94: Key terms—animation, bit-map versus vector graphics, object-oriented, clip art, CAD, hypermedia, hypertext, pixel, resolution, MP3, MIDI, morph by Ken Moyer
Topic 95: Data integrity by Dhruv

Topic 96: Consistency in design elements by Sam

Topic 97: Use of appropriate fonts, sound, images, video to convey a specific message by Harsh

Storage, processing and access concepts

Topic 98: File formats, for example, storage requirements, loading time, portability by Xiao Xiao

Topic 99: Sound, image and video capture and editing by no one yet

Topic 100: Updating and combining sounds or images at a later point in time to create a new work of art by Chirag and Takafumi

2.2.5 Modelling and Simulations

2007-12-25T00:24:00.000+09:00

Social and ethical issues

Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of modelling and simulations. These may include:

Topic 101: reliability of predictions based on computer models, for example, weather, global warming by Roger

Topic 102: economic effects of the use of models to design and test new products by Haider

Topic 103: security issues involved in military simulations by Su Chen

Topic 104: social impact of reliance on simulations to examine issues of public policy by Haider

Topic 105: responsibility of the designer for accuracy of assumptions underlying the model by Raymon

Topic 106: ethical considerations involved in deciding when to use models or simulations to ensure human safety by Chaan

Knowledge of technology

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of modelling and simulations, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include:

Topic 107: Key terms by Marek—model, simulation, feedback loop

Topic 108: faulty or hidden assumptions by Chaan

Topic 109: extent and effect of the simplification of reality by Xiao Xiao

Topic 110: extent to which the phenomenon being modelled is understood by no one yet

Topic 111: processing power needed to create complex models by Raymon

Topic 112: visualization of information by Sam

Topic 113: correspondence of the model with reality. by Tomer

2.2.6 Tutorials, training and wizards (assistants)

2007-12-24T00:40:00.000+09:00

Social and ethical issues

Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of tutorials, training and wizards. These may include:

Topic 114: the balance in responsibility between an individual and an organization for training by Nitish

Topic 115: the need for IT companies to consider global and cultural diversity when preparing training and tutorial software by Chirag

Topic 116: the requirement of organizations to provide training when implementing change by Dhruv

Knowledge of technology

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of tutorials, training and wizards, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include:

Topic 117: Key terms by Vaibhav
tutorial software, training software, wizards and assistants, help menu and help features, “Read Me” files

Topic 118: using wizards, assistants and online assistants in the design and creation of a product, for example, desktop-published documents, slideshows, web sites by Tanay

2.3.1 The Internet

2007-12-23T00:41:00.000+09:00

Social and ethical issues

Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of the Internet. These may include:

Topic 119: reliability and authenticity of information by Matthew

Topic 120: social consequences of addiction to the Internet by Andrew

Topic 121: social impact of global viruses by Simon

Topic 122: social impact of dependence on the Internet by Roger

Topic 123: etiquette rules for appropriate behaviour when using the Internet by Akira

Topic 124: social impact of the domination of English as the main web language by Taro Kondo

Topic 125: social impact of theft of identity through the Internet by Alex

Topic 126: social impact of open access to unsuitable material on the Internet by no one yet

Topic 127: ethical issues related to misuse of the Internet, for example, spamming by HeeJun

Topic 128: ethical considerations of IT-rich versus IT-poor nations as a result of differing access by Kent

Topic 129: ethical considerations relating to the use of encryption by Sung-Hwan Chun

Topic 130: ethical considerations relating to workplace monitoring. by Oliver

Knowledge of technology

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of the Internet, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include:

Topic 131 & 132: Key terms by Ronald & Wilanth
Internet protocols, for example, HTTP, FTP, TCP/IP, cookies, listserv, web cam, Internet languages, netiquette, Intranet, URL, hyperlink, bandwidth, WWW, browser, search engine, e-mail

Topic 133: means for blocking access to information by Su

Topic 134: features of a web browser by no one yet

Topic 135: comparison of Internet and Intranet by Alex

Topic 136: encryption methods by no one yet

Topic 137: the limiting effect of bandwidth by no one yet

Topic 138: e-mail by Joseph

Topic 139: viruses by Dwarkesh

Topic 140: features of a web page by Taro Kondo

Topic 141: global databases by no one yet

Topic 142: online services, e-commerce, banking, health, libraries by Kent

Topic 143: use of appropriate search engines. by no one yet

2.3.2 Personal and Public Communications

2007-12-22T00:47:00.000+09:00

Social and ethical issues

Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of personal and public communications. These may include:

Topic 144: the psychological consequences of people being in permanent contact by Romeo

Topic 145: ethical considerations of control as the result of using communications technologies by Harsh

Topic 146: social impact on health of the use of mobile devices by HeeJun

Topic 147: effect on personal productivity of personal communications devices by Kent

Topic 148: effect on the environment of personal communications devices by XiaoXiao

Topic 149: social effects of telecommuting by Simon

Topic 150: social effects of the widespread use of teleconferencing and videoconferencing by no one yet

Topic 151: social and environmental impact and ethical considerations of telecommuting by Su Chen

Topic 152: social impact and ethical considerations of: distance learning, digital entertainment, global media and public information systems. by no one yet

Knowledge of technology

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of personal and public communications, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include:

Topic 153: key terms—convergence, teleconferencing, videoconferencing, telecommuting, digital television, push–pull technologies
by Ken
Topic 154: mobile phone and associated services and uses by Sam

Topic 155: digital entertainment versus live entertainment by Sung-Hwan

Topic 156: contents of digital entertainment, for example, violence, pornography and realism by Roger

Topic 157: features of telecommuting, for example, environmental aspects, flexibility, productivity, business and social relationships by Vaibhav

Topic 158: face-to-face communications versus communications via technology by Tanay

Topic 159: minimum requirements to enable realistic teleconferencing and videoconferencing by Harsh

Topic 160: undetected intrusions into IT systems, for example, phone tapping by XiaoXiao

Topic 161: personal mobile devices, for example, PDA, laptop by Vaibhav

Topic 162: emerging technologies as the result of convergence of computers and communications technology by Alex

Topic 163: public information systems, for example, traffic control, security camera systems, public transfer information systems. by no one yet

2.4.1 Robotics

2007-12-21T00:52:00.000+09:00

Social and ethical issues

Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of robotics. These may include:

Topic 164: social and economic effects of replacing people with robots in the workplace by Aditiya

Topic 165: ethical decisions regarding the use of robots in situations that might endanger human beings by no one

Topic 166: social impact of human interaction with robots, for example, artificial pets, robots for the disabled and elderly by Nitish and Sung-Hwan

Topic 167: social impact and ethical considerations regarding the use of robotics in medicine, for example, robotic surgery, computer-controlled prostheses by Takafumi

Topic 168: reliability of robotic devices, particularly in life-threatening situations. by no one

Knowledge of technology

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of robotics, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include:

Topic 169: key terms—robot, android, cyborg, sensors by Matthew

Topic 170: determining situations in which it is more appropriate to use a robot than a human being by Andrew

Topic 171: types of input/output peripherals used in various situations, for example, arms, fingers, voice, wheels by no one

Topic 172: reasons why robots are/are not designed as androids with human-like form by Raymon

Topic 173: the capabilities and limitations of robots with respect to vision, touch, sound and movement by no one

Topic 174: processing power in relation to the capabilities and limitations of robots. by no one

2.4.2 Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems

2007-12-20T00:55:00.000+09:00

Social and ethical issues

Students must study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and expert systems. These may include:

Topic 175: responsibility for the performance of an expert system—knowledge engineer, informant, programmer, company that sold it, the buyer/consumer by no one yet

Topic 176: value of the development of AI as a field, for example, whether it is an appropriate place to put economic resources by Isaku

Topic 177: ethical issues of various applications of AI, for example, replacement of human workers, handing decision-making tasks to a computer by Isaku or Marek

Topic 178: social impact of the use of “smart” machines on everyday life by Takafumi

Topic 179: ethical issues related to military applications of AI, for example, smart weapons, reconnaissance, decision making by HeeJun

Topic 180: implications of creative production by computers using AI, for example, Aaron, an expert system, creates visual art by no one yet

Topic 181: access to the knowledge base underlying an inference engine in an expert system, for example, whether people affected by decisions made using an expert system should have access to the rules by which the decision was made. by Vaibhav

Knowledge of technology

In order to study and evaluate the social and ethical issues involved in the use of AI and expert systems, the student must have an understanding of related technological concepts. These may include:

Topic 182: key terms—AI, Turing test, parallel processing, machine learning, natural language, common-sense knowledge, agent, pattern recognition, expert system, knowledge base, inference engine, heuristics, fuzzy logic, knowledge engineer, domain by Tommy

Topic 183: storage requirements for common-sense knowledge by no one yet

Topic 184: processing requirements for AI by no one yet

Topic 185: collection/creation of a knowledge base by no one yet

Topic 186: creation of an inference engine (for example, if/then rules, fuzzy logic) by no one yet

Topic 187: identifying domains that are suitable for expert systems. by no one yet

3.1 Business and Employment

2007-12-19T01:00:00.000+09:00

The study of this area of impact is compulsory for all students.

Topic 188: Transportation: reservation systems, luggage processing, navigation, scheduling and distribution, traffic simulation, smart roads and cars, fuel efficiency and traffic safety systems by no one yet

Topic 189: Employment: electronic employee monitoring, telecommuting, ergonomics and health, job obsolescence and retraining, online job search, employee surveillance by Roger

Topic 190: Banking and finance: EFT, ATMs, Internet banking and brokerage, electronic cash, insurance by Su Chen

Topic 191: International commerce: management of transnational corporations, business concentration by no one yet

Topic 192: E-commerce: teleshopping, online marketing, data mining, spyware by Matthew

Topic 193: Retailing, advertising, media by Ken

3.2 Education

2007-12-18T01:03:00.000+09:00

Part B - Students at SL are required to study a minimum of two of the following areas of impact. Students at HL are required to study all five of the areas of impact.

Topic 194: Telelearning: isolated and remote areas; use in hospitals, prisons, retirement homes by Kent

Topic 195: Modification of hardware and software for special needs: voice recognition software, text-to-speech, special input and output devices, Internet resources by no one yet

Topic 196: Software in the classroom: science experiments, social studies modelling and simulation, instructional tools and media, computer-aided instruction, computer-aided learning by Akira

Topic 197: School library systems: catalogues, security systems, online research by Joseph

Topic 198: Hardware in the classroom: laptops, notebooks, teleconferencing by no one yet

Topic 199: Software in school administration: record keeping, scheduling, Intranets, public information by Sung-Hwan

Topic 200: Training, tutorials, simulators by no one yet

3.3 Health

2007-12-17T01:04:00.000+09:00

Part B - Students at SL are required to study a minimum of two of the following areas of impact. Students at HL are required to study all five of the following areas of impact.

Topic 201: Telemedicine: service delivery to isolated and remote areas by no one yet

Topic 202: Electronic health records: privacy, data analysis, public health by Simon or Marek

Topic 203: Diagnostic and therapeutic tools: robotic surgery, prosthetic devices, diagnostic software, drug development and marketing by no one yet

Topic 204: Medical advice on the Internet or a CD-ROM by Marek

Topic 205: Monitoring patients by no one yet

Topic 206: IT solutions for disabled people by no one yet

3.4 Arts, entertainment and leisure

2007-12-16T01:07:00.000+09:00

Part B - Students at SL are required to study a minimum of two of the following areas of impact. Students at HL are required to study all five of the following areas of impact.

Topic 207:Topic 207 Digital art: electronic music, interactive visual art, desktop publishing by no one yet

Topic 208:Topic 208 Film: digital actor simulations, characters and animation by no one yet

Topic 209: Live arts: digital effects, choreography, lighting, marketing by no one yet

Topic 210: New media: DVD, CD, VR, stereolithography by Ronald

Topic 211: Broadcast media: digital radio and television, electronic news, magazines and books by no one yet

Topic 212: Toys and games: CD or online games, online gambling by no one yet

3.5 Science and the Environment

2007-12-15T01:12:00.000+09:00

Part B - Students at SL are required to study a minimum of two of the following areas of impact. Students at HL are required to study all five of the following areas of impact.

Topic 213: Modelling and simulation: digital experimentation, demographic and environmental simulation by no one yet

Topic 214: Visualization: mapping by Simon

Topic 215: Data search, collection, processing and analysis by Ronald

Topic 216: Forecasting by Ronald

Topic 217: Data logging by no one yet

3.6 Politics and Government

2007-12-14T01:13:00.000+09:00

Part B - Students at SL are required to study a minimum of two of the following areas of impact. Students at HL are required to study all five of the following areas of impact.

Topic 218: Political process: voting and elections, lobbying, open government and free movement of information by Marek

Topic 219: Government administration: record keeping, tax collection, policy implementation by Akira

Topic 220: Legislation: policy development, enactment, enforcement and analysis by no one yet

Topic 221: Police: DNA data collection, video surveillance by Tommy

Topic 222: Military: cyberwarfare, smart weapons development, espionage by Roger

Topic 223: Rebel Forces and terrorist allies against the empire use of IT by Alex

2007-07-11T10:37:00.000+09:00

This is my first doc. I like what it can do.

Topic 223

2007-06-06T00:21:00.000+09:00

Rebel forces and terrorist allies against the empire use of IT by Alex Young

In this generation, terrorism is a huge influence upon people’s lives and news about suicide bombers and clashes with terrorists occur almost everyday. With the US and other countries being involved in the struggle in Iraq and Afghanistan, this terrorist fight is a global fight now.

Although many of the attacks usually occur in Iraq and Afghanistan, there has been major attacks in countries such as England, Australia and the Phillipines. Some of the conflicts that are involved such as in the Phillipines, has been going on for at least 20 years with different guerrilla groups trying to control certain parts of the Phillipines. Also, certain African countries such as Sudan has had major civil war within the country and now it is a huge mess there but no country has taken strong stance on how they should help the innocent Sudanese people.

Some terrorists use technology in order to locate exactly where they want the attack to occur. For example, some terrorist groups may have hidden video cameras installed in order to observe very carefully and to carry out the attack accordingly. Although the technology used is not as sophisticated as other countries such as the US, it does unleash enough destruction to create chaos in places such as Iraq.

Last summer, there was a small war between Israel and Hezbollah. It all started when Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers near the border of the two countries and in retaliation, surprised Hezbollah and the country of Lebanon as full-scale aerial bombardment was done by Israel for a couple days. This created chaos among the civilians because it came as a complete surprise and there were still foreigners still living in Lebanon at the time Israel was attacking.

With the help of technology, the US military sent ships to carry the American people living in Lebanon to escape the clash between Israel and Hezbollah and thus rescued many Americans living in Lebanon. Thankfully through the UN, there was a resolution that was passed to end the war and as long as Israel and Hezbollah does not fire weapons and mortars with each other, both countries will be in peace.

Other ways technology has somewhat influenced the terrorists is that in Iraq, terrorists plant home-made bombs underneath the ground to specifically target military convoys such as Tanks or to kill soldiers. Also with technology the people fighting the terrorists have a better sense of where to strike with satellite images and aerial images through the work of a helicopter or a jet. The one superiority the terrorists don’t have is that they can’t use aerial attacks because they don’t have any jets so they can’t shoot down American tanks through a helicopter or whatever it may be.

Through technology, terrorists are able to post executions on the internet and also record images of people in hostage and the terrorists demanding what they want in order to free the hostage. The internet is also used to try to hire new terrorists so technology does indeed play a huge role in terrorism.

With new technology being created every day, it is a scary thought that what the terrorists will have at their disposal in terms of what and how they carry out the attacks. Bombs will probably be even bigger and deadlier and RPG’s will be more deadly as well. Although terrorist equipment may improve, the US and other countries fighting the terrorists will improve as well so hopefully, they know how to combat and protect the soldiers who are in the battlefield with terrorists constantly adapting and changing their tactics.

Or if you can't destroy your enemy sometimes you can negotiate a settlement as the Israelis have done from time to time.

Topic 222

2007-06-05T00:15:00.000+09:00

Military: cyberwarfare, smart weapons development, espionage by Roger

This is a new area of study as well as actual work for this topic area is mostly associated with the military or it was the military that are pioneering in this field of work. Cyber warfare is a relatively new type of weaponry with various effects on the target. Cyber warfare is usually basic programs that have the objective to defend or attack a target. Growing with recognition and soon enough most of the world’s governments will use it often. T

here are several methods of attack in cyber-warfare, here it is placed in order from mildest to most severe: Web vandalism; form of attack that defaces webpages, propaganda; political messages sent to anyone with access to the internet, gathering data; classified information that is not secured can be intercepted and modified making espionage possible. Equipment disruption military activities which use computers and satellites are at risk of attack where orders and commands that can be intercepted and changed putting soldiers at risk. Also attacking critical infrastructure; power, fuel, communications, commercial and transportation are all venerable to a cyber attack.

Another close link to cyber warfare is the development of smart weapons especially bombs of high explosives for creating a bigger destruction than just hand weapons or combat equipment. The first ones began in the 1980’s which was led by the US Air force and Navy by starting one of the first “next generation” weapons by initiating stages of production. Some of the first smart weapons to be developed with good precision were: Joint Stand-off Weapon (JSOW) is an adverse-weather, short-range, stand-off anti-armor/SEAD dispenser weapon.

A small number of these weapons became operational with the Navy in December 1997. Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) is an Inertial Navigation System (INS)/GPS guidance tail kit that converts dumb bombs into accurate adverse-weather capable weapons. JDAM was certified as operational capable on the B-2 in July 1997, and achieved operational status with other selected Air Force units in late 1998, including Limited Initial Operational Capability which was achieved on the B-52 in December 1998.

The key people involved in this field are the military who have developed the idea and are now putting it to use by giving contracts to commercial companies interested constructing what the military wants. These new weapons have huge capabilities both in its technological edge but also its firepower and effect which is what now concerns many of the world leaders.

Also related to these two topics is espionage which has come a long way from the ancient times of the Egyptians to modern day spying which is mostly known to be linked to the military but also commercial companies where the its term is industrial espionage. Espionage (spying) is a practice of obtaining information about an organization or a society that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information.

Espionage in the military sense is done throughout the whole world as rival military powers check on each other to see if one is getting more powerful than the other. All these topics concerning cyber warfare, smart weapons, and espionage was, is, and will be a major issue among the world’s military for it just a never ending cycle of racing as each member tries to see if it can be more powerful militarily and remain strong.

The military are mostly the leaders in these types of area where they are always seeking ways to make themselves more deadly by creating newer and innovative weapons such as the smart weapons. The advantage about that is that they understand and know how to use it and can protect the nation. They also can improve their technology implementation to be more advanced plus they are responsible but the disadvantage of that is they will face tension coming from the international scene or locally and their governments may want them to do certain things and stop them from doing certain things with their new technology and will most likely receive all the blame if something negative happens.

It is best to create certain specified fields within the military to technological or advance programs which is being carried out but on a level not quite significant for it is a constantly changing area. These military-related subjects are part of the military arsenal so it is intended to cause some sort of problem for the enemy such as in a cyber war, certain programs like viruses but more powerful and smart will destroy enemy databases casing information to be corrupted and affect the enemy’s performance in a war or fight. Smart weapons could cause huge amounts of destruction to a specific area causing enemy’s to suffer losses to their military supplies etc. Espionage can help to find out the enemy’s plans and counter-attack them to their surprise and provide information on the amount or types of weapons used by the enemy or their battle tactics.

Theses topics will cause huge tensions between nations as is seen in N. Korea where Kim Jung IL is building long-range missiles with nuclear capabilities causing widespread anger also locally people wouldn’t want to face a war. Nations could e involved on stalemates or other impacts such as economic boycott or sanctions etc. to cause a nation great suffering. It may depend on the government for they are the key decision-makers so if they make certain decisions then it is carried out unless the people are against it because usually when the government makes a decision then it is done so the people are included in too.

In a dictatorial state the decision falls on a small body of the dictatorship neglecting the people so that is ethically not right for the people are rarely permitted to voice their views and feelings towards the issues concerning them as the nation’s citizens. As was in the case of Saddam Hussein, after his capture, he was taken to trial by the new Iraqi government and sentenced to death by hanging which happened. So whoever responsible will face a certain penalty likewise with the ones held accountable such as Saddam whose orders had many people killed by his army.

Careful consideration should be taken as these technology/knowledge is shared for the slightest misuse can cause huge catastrophes for the world now is very conscious of its surroundings and any nation may want to get militarily strong but the receiving candidates should be screened cautiously cause there might a few Saddams out there. But these will lead on to more tension because certain nations or leaders may complain and there will be bad relationships among nations or leaders.

Word Cont: 1, 101

Bibliography:

http://www.security-gurus.de/papers/cyberwarfare.pdf

http://www.shaneland.co.uk/ewar/docs/dissertationsources/educationalsource2.pdf

http://www.nato.int/docu/review/2001/0104-04.htm

Topic 221

2007-06-04T00:15:00.000+09:00

Police: DNA data collection, video surveillance by Tommy

In the past, crime fighting was extremely difficult due to the fact that the only kind of evidence that the police could utilize was clues found at the crime scene. When a technique was discovered to find fingerprints and use them to identify criminals, things became much easier. However, fingerprints could still be tampered with. Criminals could go for operations to remove the ridges on their fingertips, effectively ensuring that they would never leave distinctive fingerprints anywhere. Fingerprints found at crime scenes could also be tampered with and cleaned or smudged. This made it very difficult to find good fingerprint samples to match certain individuals. In modern times, however, the police have much easier and accurate ways of identifying criminals.

One of the ways that modern police forces use to identify villains is DNA collection. DNA from various criminals is collected and stored in a database, and when body fluids such as saliva or blood are found at a crime scene, the DNA in them can be extracted and matched up with that of someone in the database. This method has proven to be highly effective and has aided in the capture of many criminals. The main problem with this is the fact that it is limited only to past convicts and certain other individuals. If a relatively new criminal arises, then his DNA data will not be in the database and it will be harder to find him.

A possible solution to this problem would be to collect the DNA of every single person and making it a law that every newborn baby has to go in for DNA extraction. This ensures that whenever DNA is collected from a crime scene, there will be a match in the main database. The main problem with this is that it is very time consuming to have to collect the DNA of every individual, especially in more rural or remote areas, where advanced technology does not have much presence.

An issue with video surveillance is the fact videos from security cameras are often unclear the faces of the people in them are often blurred at a distance. While videos can show what happened, they often fail to identify exactly who is doing what, due to the fact that it is so easy to hide one’s identity in a video by wearing a mask or through other means. Videos can also be edited and cameras can be rigged to display loops.

Possible solutions to these problems would be to increase the quality of surveillance cameras so that they present a much better picture. This would cost more money, but it would help more in identifying suspects. If the culprit wears a mask, other attributes can be used to identify him, such as height, and body type. Camera security systems could also be upgraded so that it is harder to rig them.

One of the ethical issues with video surveillance is the fact that video cameras can be seen as an invasion of privacy. Having cameras set up to cover every single location in a certain area may help boost security, but certain people may not be comfortable with the idea of being watched wherever they go. This may create a feeling much like that in George Orwell’s 1984, where the Party monitors its members closely through the use of telescreens.

The only alternative decision to this would be to remove video cameras altogether, but this would cause a significant drop in security. It is not possible to have both security and privacy at the same time.

Topic 220

2007-06-03T00:14:00.000+09:00

Legislation: policy development, enactment, enforcement and analysis by Romeo Wu

Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body. The term may refer to a single law, or the collective body of enacted law, while "statute" is also used to refer to a single law. Before an item of legislation becomes law it may be known as a bill, which is typically also known as "legislation" while it remains under active consideration. In some jurisdictions, legislation must be confirmed by the executive branch of government before it enters into force as law. Under the Westminster system, an item of legislation is known as an Act of Parliament after enactment.

Legislation is usually proposed by a member of the legislature or by the executive, whereupon it is debated by members of the legislature and is often amended before passage. Most large legislatures enact only a small fraction of the bills proposed in a given session. Whether a given bill will be proposed and enter into force is generally a matter of the legislative priorities of government. Those who have the formal power to create legislation are known as legislators, while the judicial branch of government may have the formal power to interpret legislation.

The record of events and public statements of legislators that explain the reasons for the law and its expected meaning are called "legislative history". Often, this will include formal speeches or writings made by the bill's sponsors and chief critics. Courts often refer to legislative history in interpreting legislation, in order to discern "intent” or what legislators meant for the law to mean.

However, there is a prevalent minority view among some judges that laws should be interpreted solely according to their text, and without regard to legislative intent. This debate is complicated by the fact that legislators will sometimes craft the text of a law to be intentionally obscure or vague as part of a political compromise, and that in a large legislative body, most of those who vote in favor of a bill will not have read the bill's full legislative history, or, indeed, the bill itself.

Legislation: policy development, enactment, enforcement and analysis by Ronald Chu

First of all, what is “legislation?” According to www.wikipedia.org, legislation, (also known as statutory law) is a law that the legislature or other governing body has passed. A legislature is a type of representative deliberative assembly with the power to adopt laws. Legislatures are known by many names, the most common are parliament and congress, although these terms also have more specific meanings. A legislation may be a single law or the collective body of a group of laws (“statute” refers to the meaning of one law).

An item of legislation (law passed by the legislative branch of government) may sometimes have to be confirmed by the executive branch of government before it becomes a proper law. Legislation is usually proposed by a member of the legislature (for example, a member of Congress or Parliament), or by the executive itself, where it is debated by members of the legislature and is often changed before completely approved. Those who have the formal power to create legislation are known as legislators, while the judicial branch of government may have the formal power to interpret legislation.

As stated above, the legislation creates a law, and a different branch of government (executive) or the President, himself, will “check” and confirm it. If it passes inspection, the law is confirmed and becomes concrete. (The act of making legislation is sometimes known as legislating.) So, in other words, the legislation branch alone cannot create and pass a law without approval. This goes for vice versa. There is the power of veto here.

The legislation does not only pass laws. Although passing laws may be its primary responsibility, there are other forms of law-making include referenda and constitutional conventions. The term "legislation" is sometimes used to describe these situations, but other times, the term is used to distinguish acts of the legislature from these other lawmaking forms.

Also, some country's laws will empower the executive branch or other government agency to issue regulations or decrees which can carry the force of law, although this is also generally not considered legislation. Legislation can also be created at provincial and local levels of government (which have their own legislatures), where separation of powers may be less formal and complete.

Legislative history refers to the record of events and public statements of legislators that explain the reasons for the law and its expected meaning. Often, this will include formal speeches or writings made by the bill's sponsors and chief critics.

There is also such a thing called secondary legislation, also known as subordinate or delegated legislation. This is a law made by an executive authority under powers given to them by primary legislation in order to implement and administer the requirements of the acts.

Topic 219

2007-06-02T00:14:00.000+09:00

Government administration: record keeping, tax collection, policy implementation by Akira

The government can use computers and Internet for record keeping, tax collection, and for policy implementation. It can be a convenient way to do these things but they can have flaws.

The first issue associated with this topic is security. This is because other people who aren’t working for the government can access the records if they hack into the database. Also the truth can be faked. For example people can fake the payment of tax or people can change the amount of tax to pay. Another thing that can happen is that the government can charge people the wrong amount of tax. Also because of the possible breach of record it can also be an issue of privacy. This is mainly because the individual’s information kept by the government might be leaked or be misused.

One solution that can overcome this is to keep government record secluded so no one except for authorized personnel can access the data. Also they can check the tax payment manually as well as on the computer and to avoid the leak of privacy they can put protections on the information. Another way they can keep record safer is to make the law about invasion of privacy harsher.

Ethical issues concerning this topic for example is someone faking the tax on purpose. This would be unethical because you wouldn’t be paying the amount of money you owe the community when you fake tax. Also leaking the record kept by the government is extremely unethical too. This is mainly because the government keeps these records to keep track of people and leaking them means that you are betraying the government as well as the individuals.

The people who are responsible for this problem are the people who are faking tax or stealing information kept by the government. This is mainly because they are causing the problems and because it is illegal.

One alternative decision is to keep the process all manual so it would be harder to take private information from the government because the information would be kept more secure. Another alternative decision is to keep the information all secluded so only a few people who need it can be able to access the data.

One consequence of making all the process manually is making everything more time consuming and less convenient. This would not be good because the people would not be able to access the information easily as before. Secluding the information would make everything take more time and harder to perform. This is because they would not be able to access their private data for various things so as a result any process that requires private data would take longer as a result.

Topic 218

2007-06-01T00:13:00.000+09:00

Political process: voting and elections, lobbying, open government and free movement of information by Marek

As computers become more and more abundant in this world, government has found a new source which they can utilize to “reach” the people. Computers have now been used by the federal services of many countries from everything to propaganda to substitutes of ballot sheets. It appears that almost everything is done electronically these days.

Governments have found the inherent use of the internet for elections, such as posting banners. Some of the more extreme governmental institutions make use of subliminal messaging or even restrict viewers to sites that are only pro-government. Imagine how many more supporters and how much more power a government was to get if it could post a single banner on every site in the internet. Then it would be viewed by everyone.

One of the methods a government could convince the general population it was a better choice then its opponent would be very similar to posting banners on the internet. It could write “this website is supported by the Country ABC’s government”. This would give the particular government an edge, by subconsciously communicating to the average user that if they do not choose that form of government, it could shut down the website they are visiting.

Another use of computers and electronics to the governments are as a new form of ballots for elections. For one, computers can not be tampered with as easily as paper ballots, and they are universally recognized as the easiest and most efficient way of communicating which party you desire to see in power (a.k.a. elect).

Many people made mistakes on paper when they were told to put a hole though the spot next the candidate they would have liked to see elected’s name (George Bush’s election: Florida) and this resulted in mass confusion and well as mass media coverage. This is not the first time this idea has been introduced, and as time progresses, it appears more and more likely that electronics will be favored over the older methods of paper ballots.

In the end, it seems like computers are a good source to use for both the public and the government. Together, hopefully the people and their government can unite to create a better society, or to strive for the “greater good” as is mentioned in so many political texts.

Topic 217

2007-05-05T00:12:00.000+09:00

Data logging by Dwarkesh

Data logging is the practice of recording sequential data, often chronologically. In computerized data logging, a computer program may automatically record events in a certain scope in order to provide an audit trail that can be used to diagnose problems. Examples of physical systems which have logging subsystems include process control systems, and the black box recorders installed in aircraft. Many operating systems and multitudinous computer programs include some form of logging subsystem. Some operating systems provide a syslog service (described in RFC 3164), which allows the filtering and recording of log messages to be performed by a separate dedicated subsystem, rather than placing the onus on each application to provide its own ad hoc logging system. In many cases, the logs are esoteric and hard to understand; they need to be subjected to log analysis in order to make sense of them. Other servers use a splunk to parse log files in order to facilitate troubleshooting; this approach may yield correlations between seemingly-unrelated events on different servers. Other enterprise class solutions such as those from Log Logic collect log data files in volume and make them available for reporting and real-time analysis.

The performance characteristics of a car can be monitored through its diagnostic port. There are several ways to do this; one way is by using a handheld device with software already installed and the appropriate cable to hook into the diagnostic port. Another method is to use a PDA loaded with specialized software and employ a special cable that plugs into the diagnostic port. Finally, a PC can be used, laptops generally work best, using specialized software and connecting it to the car with a specially-made cable.

Data logging a car allows one to observe how well the car is running. A data logger can be used to help tune the car, especially if modifications have been made to the vehicle. The reason it helps is that it logs various parameters in the engine such as ignition timing, injector pulse, RPM, knock/detonation, barometer pressure, temperature, oxygen sensors, and various other sensor data. Using the information that is provided (and either some sort of piggy-back or standalone system), a user can change the injector pulse width so that the engine is fed more or less fuel, increase or decrease ignition timing, and other changes. Such changes are made to make the car run more reliably or achieve higher performance.

When the computer is used for measurement, the tasks it performs can be summarized as follows:

Collect data from external sensors.
Store data in computer memory.
Display data in graphical form.
Process data; i.e. perform calculations.
The advantages of using a computer to collect data are:
Graphical display
Analyzing tools
Calculating aids
Continuous recording
Simultaneous recording
Period logging

Remote Logging. Data may be collected independently from the microcomputer using a data-logger. - Data-logger may be sited in locations which are not convenient for computers - Computer is made free for other activity - This is well-suited to longer term experiments. - The data may be viewed retrospectively e.g. Field work: climatic factors over few hours Laboratory experiments: germination of peas etc.

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Data logging by Romeo

Data logging is the practice of recording sequential data, often chronologically. Data logging is used by almost every single company in the world. The advantage of the damage log in, it is easier to keep track of the data and easier to organize them since computer will have the abilities to organize the data for you. One disadvantage of data logging is that sometimes the computer memory reaches its limit the data base would crash and you might loose all the data and possibly you won’t be able to recover any of those.

Now days Electronic companies are improving their server which made the date crashing less possible. In computerized data logging, a computer program may automatically record events in a certain scope in order to provide an audit trail that can be used to diagnose problems.

Examples of physical systems which have logging subsystems include process control systems, and the black box recorders installed in aircraft. Many operating systems and multitudinous computer programs include some form of logging subsystem. Some operating systems provide a system log service which allows the filtering and recording of log messages to be performed by a separate dedicated subsystem, rather than placing the onus on each application to provide its own ad hoc logging system.

In many cases, the logs are esoteric and hard to understand; they need to be subjected to log analysis in order to make sense of them. Other servers use a spelunk to parse log files in order to facilitate troubleshooting; this approach may yield correlations between seemingly-unrelated events on different servers. Other enterprise class solutions such as those from Log Logic collect log data files in volume and make them available for reporting and real-time analysis

Topic 216

2007-05-04T00:05:00.000+09:00

Forecasting by Ronald Chu

The basic definition of forecasting in technological terms is “forecasting the future characteristics of useful technological machines, procedures or techniques.” Forecasting is the process of estimation in unknown situations. It is similar to the word “prediction” but is more general and used in the discussion of time-series data. There are two main aspects of technological forecasting. Primarily, a technological forecast deals with the characteristics of technology, such as levels of technical performance, like speed of a military aircraft, the power in watts of a particular future engine, the accuracy or precision of a measuring instrument, the number of transistors in a chip in the year 2015, etc. Secondly, technological forecasting usually deals with only useful machines, procedures or techniques. This is to exclude commodities, services or techniques intended for luxury or amusement.

There are no real alternatives to technological forecasting. If a decision-maker has several alternatives open to him, he will choose the basis of which provides him the most desirable outcome. His only choice is whether the forecast is obtained by rational and explicit methods, or by intuitive means. There are four guidelines that must be followed when using rational methods. First of all, they can be taught and learned. Second of all, they can be described and explained. Thirdly, they provide a procedure possible to be followed by anyone who has gone through the necessary training. Finally, these methods are even guaranteed to produce the same forecast regardless of who uses them.

There are many methods of technological forecasting. They are the Delphi method, forecast by analogy, growth curves and extrapolation. Normative methods of technology forecasting — like the relevance trees, morphological models, and mission flow diagrams — are also commonly used. The Delphi technique is a method for obtaining forecasts from a panel of independent experts over two or more rounds. Here, experts are asked to predict quantities. In mathematics, extrapolation is the process of constructing new data points outside a discrete set of known data points. It is similar to the process of interpolation, which constructs new points between known points, but its results are often less meaningful, and are subject to greater uncertainty.

Although there are no “real” alternatives to technological forecasting, there are some exceptions. First of all, there can be no forecast at all. This means that we do not predict the future at all and just let things be. When something happens, it happens; we may or may not be prepared for it. Then, there is the “anything can happen” attitude. Similar to the first alternative, we do nothing to predict the future. This represents the attitude that the future is a complete gamble, that nothing can be done to influence it in a desired direction, and that there is no point therefore in attempting to anticipate it. Thirdly, there is the “glorious past” attitude. This is a bit different from the other two. This represents an attitude which looks to the past and ignores the future. Many organizations can point to significant achievements at some time or other in the past.

However, this attitude leads to the road of disaster. Fourthly, there is the window-blind forecasting alternative. This involves the attitude that technology moves on a fixed track, like an old-fashioned roller window blind and that the only direction is up. While this attitude does at least recognize that changes do take place and is therefore somewhat better than the other alternatives, it fails to recognize that there are other directions besides up. However, an organization that depends on window-blind forecasting will be taken by surprise, as some unexpected technological change will hit them hard. Finally, there is the genius forecasting alternative. This method consists in finding a genius, and asking him for his intuitive forecast. Many of these genius forecasts made in the past have been very successful. Unfortunately, there have also been many so wide of the mark as to be useless. In conclusion, it should be clear that where rational and explicit methods are available, they are much to be preferred.

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Forecasting by Romeo Wu

Forecasting is the process of estimation in unknown situations. Prediction is a similar, but more general term, and usually refers to estimation of time series, cross-sectional or longitudinal data. In more recent years, Forecasting has evolved into the practice of Demand Planning in every day business forecasting for manufacturing companies. The discipline of demand planning, also sometimes referred to as supply chain forecasting, embraces both statistical forecasting and consensus process.

Weather forecasting is a prediction of what the weather will be like in an hour, tomorrow, or next week. The people who study the weather and make forecasts are called meteorologists. Meteorologists use special, high-tech equipment to help them make their forecasts. But you can make forecasts by watching clouds or feeling the blowing wind. To learn how, read through the Forecasting lesson, and get ready to go camping.

There are several different methods that can be used to create a forecast. The method a forecaster chooses depends upon the experience of the forecaster, the amount of information available to the forecaster, the level of difficulty that the forecast situation presents, and the degree of accuracy or confidence needed in the forecast.

The first of these methods is the Persistence Method; the simplest way of producing a forecast. The persistence method assumes that the conditions at the time of the forecast will not change. For example, if it is sunny and 87 degrees today, the persistence method predicts that it will be sunny and 87 degrees tomorrow. If two inches of rain fell today, the persistence method would predict two inches of rain for tomorrow.

The persistence method works well when weather patterns change very little and features on the weather maps move very slowly. It also works well in places like southern California, where summertime weather conditions vary little from day to day.

However, if weather conditions change significantly from day to day, the persistence method usually breaks down and is not the best forecasting method to use. It may also appear that the persistence method would work only for shorter-term forecasts (e.g. a forecast for a day or two), but actually one of the most useful roles of the persistence forecast is predicting long range weather conditions or making climate forecasts. For example, it is often the case that one hot and dry month will be followed by another hot and dry month.

So, making persistence forecasts for monthly and seasonal weather conditions can have some skill. Some of the other forecasting methods, such as numerical weather prediction, lose all their skill for forecasts longer than 10 days. This makes persistence a "hard to beat" method for forecasting longer time periods.

Topic 215

2007-05-03T00:05:00.000+09:00

Data search, collection, processing and analysis by Joseph

When you have a question, whether it is for science or just any question in life, you need to do a series of steps to answer it. These include the scientific method of data search, collection, processing, and analysis. First you got to find data by searching for them, and then you collect some data to experiment or use on, process and record information, and finally analyze the answers you receive.

How can you search for data? This is relatively simple ever since the Internet came out. There are tons of information and ideas over the Internet, in which you can receive quick and easy information. You can also search for data yourself, by going outside and looking for stuff. By getting the data you would then go advance to the next step, collection.

Collecting data, like searching is very simple, it actually is basically the same. Like when you go outside to find the data, you would bring in something useful to your topic. On the Internet, you can find certain items you need and buy them from a shop, or look for it. You can even make it, which leads to the actual doing, data processing.

To data process is to use the data you collected and process it. There are many ways to do this. You can make an experiment like in science or so. But in computer terms, this is a series of operations performed on data to receive information. You can input the data into the computer, which would process it and give you information.

But the information is not answers yet; it is just a bundle of facts. To get them to be answers, you must analyze the information received from processing and work them out in a way that it can answer your question. For example you can receive the information one plus one is two when your question is how many apples would you have if you pick one from one farmer than one from another. The information one plus one is two tells you a broad answer that is not clear. By analyzing, you can realize that there is one apple from one farmer plus one apple from another farmer which makes it two apples.

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Data search, collection, processing and analysis by Chaan

Recently I had a great experience of working at this hotel. The job had to do something me giving out brochures while my friends were compiling data about people. The data had information like why the people were there (for the fair), their age, what universities they attended etc. The people wrote all this info on application forms and since I wanted more money, I took the responsibility of entering all that data onto an excel spreadsheet. Now, one may wonder why I got paid so much for a job that doesn’t look that challenging.

This is where the topic of the paper comes in. Data search and collection are two very important things in today’s world. Data collection had already been done at the hotel by my friends and by the people who had filled up the forms. Now data search was for the people who were paying me to do this work. The fair wanted to know what kind of people, from what age group and other kinds of information like that. In order to find this, they made me enter all the data in an excel spreadsheet because it becomes easy to search for information through computers. They also thanked me for organizing all the data in the way I did because it made it easier for people to search through the document!

Data processing refers to the process of converting data into information. It’s usually automated and ran on a computer. Data is only useful when it’s presented clearly and organized in a clear way. So the act of entering data into excel was “data processing.” I processed all the data in a nice way so that the people can easily view it and access it, which brings us to data analysis. It can also refer to the converting of data back into information. You may want to know why one would do that. One of the reasons could be that the way data was processed is not acceptable by the company and thus they would want to do it their own way or simply because it could be done in a better way.

According to wikipedia, data analysis refers to data analysis is the act of transforming data with the aim of extracting useful information and facilitating conclusions. Unlike data mining, data analysis is usually more narrowly intended as not aiming to the discovery of unforeseen patterns hidden in the data, but to the verification or disproval of an existing model, or to the extraction of parameters necessary to adapt a theoretical model to (experimental) reality.

Topic 214

2007-05-02T00:04:00.000+09:00

Visualization: mapping by Simon

Scientific visualization, sometimes referred to in shorthand as SciVis, is the representation of data graphically as a means of gaining understanding and insight into the data. It is sometimes referred to as visual data analysis. This allows the researcher to gain insight into the system that is studied in ways previously impossible.

It is important to differentiate between scientific visualization and presentation graphics. Presentation graphics is primarily concerned with the communication of information and results in ways that are easily understood. In scientific visualization, we seek to understand the data. However, often the two methods are intertwined.

From a computing perspective, SciVis is part of a greater field called visualization. This involves research in computer graphics, image processing, high performance computing, and other areas. The same tools that are used for SciVis may be applied to animation, or multimedia presentation, for example.

As a science, scientific visualization is the study concerned with the interactive display and analysis of data. Often one would like the ability to do real-time visualization of data from any source. Thus our purview is information, scientific, or engineering visualization and closely related problems such as computational steering or multivariate analysis. The approaches developed are general, and the goal is to make them applicable to datasets of any size whatever while still retaining high interactivity. As an emerging science, its strategy is to develop fundamental ideas leading to general tools for real applications. This pursuit is multidisciplinary (concerning morals of other users) in that it uses the same techniques across many areas of study.

Visualization, in the presentation sense, is not a new phenomenon. It has been used in maps, scientific drawings, and data plots for over a thousand years. Mapping is a form of visualization.

The main reasons for scientific visualization(mapping) are the following: it will compress a lot of data into one picture (data browsing), it can reveal correlations between different quantities both in space and time, it can furnish new space-like structures beside the ones which are already known from previous calculations, and it opens up the possibility to view the data selectively and interactively in `real time'.

By following the formation and the deformation as well as the motions of these structures in time, one will gain insight into the complicated dynamics. As was mentioned before, you also want to integrate our simulation codes into a visualization environment in order to analyze the data 'real time' and to by-pass the need to store every intermediate result for later analysis.

This is possible by means of processing in which the simulation is distributed over a set of high-performance computers and the actual visualization is done on a graphical distributive workstation. It is also very useful to have the possibility to interactively change the simulation parameters and immediately see the effect of this change through the new data. This process is called computational steering and it will increase the effective use of CPU time.

Classification of visualization techniques is often based on the dimension of the domain of the quantity that is visualized, i.e. the number of independent variables of the domain on which the quantity acts, and on the type of the quantity, i.e. scalar, vector, or tensor .

The rise of the "Information Age" and the ascendancy of Computer Graphics come together in the area of information visualization, where interactive graphical interfaces are used for revealing structure, extracting meaning, and navigating large and complex information worlds.

Increasing amounts of data and information and the availability of fast digital network access (e.g., in the information highway environment) have created a demand for querying, accessing, and retrieving information and data. However, information technology will not transform business, science, medicine, engineering, and education if the users cannot use it easily and efficiently. Technology must come to the users, taking their needs into account. If we do not involve the users, we will develop useless systems. One of the concerns of this field is the human-information interface, and how advances in interactive computer graphics hardware, mass storage, and data visualization could be used to visualize information.

The success of visualization not only depends on the results which it produces, but also depends on the environment in which it has to be done. This environment is determined by the available hardware, like graphical workstations, disk space, color printers, video editing hardware, and network bandwidth, and by the visualization software. For example, the graphical hardware imposes constraints on interactive speed of visualization and on the size of the data sets which can be handled.

Many different problems encountered with visualization software must be taken into account. The user interface, programming model, data input, data output, data manipulation facilities, and other related items are all important. The way in which these items are implemented determines the convenience and effectiveness of the use of the software package as seen by the scientist. Furthermore, whether software supports distributive processing and computational steering must be taken into account.

Topic 213

2007-05-01T18:46:00.000+09:00

Modelling and simulation: digital experimentation, demographic and environmental simulation by Nitish

Definitions for Modeling:
Modeling: a preliminary sculpture in wax or clay from which a finished work can be copied
Model: the act of representing something (usually on a smaller scale)

Definitions for Simulation:

Simulating a design through software programs that use models to replicate how a device will perform in terms of timing and results.

Simulation – creating computer versions of real-life

Simulation is mimicry. Never as good or true as reality but as good as the basic model governing it (our synthesized perception of reality) can be. Notice that modeling and simulation are necessarily close-tied together. Simulation allows us to experiment with a "reality" that is, for example, too dangerous to let happen, not yet realized or hypothetical, in the course of development (where we want to know more about e.g., feasibility, performance, reliability, etc.), and so on. (WWW)

Simulation is very important for network performance evaluation. In fact studies show simulation is a very important tool for decision making too. Simulation can be used in various fields - contention, collisions, momentary network overload, crash of a node, etc.

Impact of Simulation:
We hear simulation studies regarding nuclear waste disposal, water management in developing countries, and so on. We all use simulators for our training, studies and most importantly, decision making.

http://www.acm.org/crossroads/xrds9-2/elzas.html

However, simulation is still considered by many as the "method of last resort." When all other methods fail, we use simulation. To go one step further, in some cases (flawed) simulation results are used as justification, or should I say alibi, for decisions that otherwise would not stand any criticism. Is it time to coin the expression "lies, damn lies, and simulation?"

The size of the lie depends on the knowledge that we can put in the model. In this way, we can cover the whole field from realistic performance assessment to pure conjecturing. The first applies to "hard" systems (technical like cars, airplanes or computers without taking human interaction into account); the second to "soft" systems (with living, e.g., human, components like we find in sociological models, economic models, interaction models, etc.) It all depends on how far we can get with validation, i.e., proving that the model or the simulation is "right" by comparing the results with real-life experiments. Unfortunately, in many cases, the required experiments are impossible to carry out, at least with the prerequisite degree of detail and accuracy that is needed for creating sufficient trust in the model. It is especially in these cases where the modeler/simulationist has to be candid about the liberties he has taken and the relative merits of his/her results.

How will a code of conduct change common practices and how much time will be needed to achieve that?

A code of conduct, of course, will not automatically change common practice. Only if there is an understandable penalty on misbehaving (however small the penalty is, e.g., membership of professional society being rescinded after warning), will such a code have any influence. The other side of this is that as soon as the public starts up malpractice cases for professionals acting against the Code(s) of Conduct, the professionals will, in general, hurry to conform. It must be noted, however, that even in professions where this occurs already (medical doctors, accountants, etc.) there still are (groups of) individuals that do not toe the line. Human nature and "money is the root of all evil," I presume. In some cases, you need a federal (or global?) authority to force people to behave (case in point: the SEC in the US).

Topic 212

2007-04-06T17:53:00.000+09:00

Toys and games: CD or online games, online gambling by Joseph Toyoshima

Nowadays technology is growing faster and faster with great effects and abilities. Technology brings us many wonders, especially with convenience and machines. But it also comes with laziness and addiction. For this topic, I would stick with the machine and graphics; of have technology brings us addiction.

There are many sorts of electronic games; they can be on the computer (online or CD), consoles, handheld, and many more. Handhelds and consoles are games that cannot really be played with others unless you are close by the people. Nonetheless, these games recently have extremely good graphics and adventures that can last a lifetime. Obsession is growing so great that when the Playstation 3 first came out in Japan, people in America were buying them on Ebay for up to $5000, when they could have just waited a few days or a month for it to come out in America. Also on the first day that the ps3 came out, some people slept overnight in the line so they can get to buy the console first. If you want to see a video of it go to smashmyps3.com.

Next I would write about online gaming with the Internet. Many people gamble lots of money in pachinkos and at casinos. The addiction and excitement can be brought to you in your very own room! Join other gamble maniacs, and have no worries about people cheating using card switching with online gambling! There are actually many problems with online gambling. First of all, for those who are obsessed with gambling, having access to it anytime and anywhere can cause great money loss and unhappiness. Second of all, it is not secure at all. How do people pay up their debts? If you are required to give out your credit card number and bank information to begin an account, for one, the site can steal everything from you straight away, and also you can always give a fraud or an account with very little cash. Also if you’re about to lose, you can just turn off your computer or something and leave the table.

Lastly are the famous online games. These games allow you to play with people you know and also with those all around the world, testing your skill with a widen range of people. These games cause the greatest addictions among the younger population. Deaths have occurred from games like World of Warcraft, in which people play too much and do not drink, eat, or sleep. Though that sort of addiction is on the extreme side, some skip work or school to play the game. There are even quotes like, “WoW > Life,” in which the person actually values the game more than his or her life.

Macintoshes are actually an exception in many scenarios of online gaming. First of all, many games do not have a Mac-based form. Also Mac would most likely detect a game that is being overplayed, treat it as a virus, and immediately delete it. By using a Mac, you can experience the true beauty of computer programming and software.*

*This last paragraph was sponsored by Apple, Inc.

Toys and games: CD or online games, online gambling by Tommy

Computer games and online gambling have become an extremely important part of modern society, and they are arguably one of the main ways that human beings choose to spend their free time. Computer games allow people to immerse themselves into fantasy worlds where they can do anything they want, while online gambling lets people have all the benefits of a casino from the safety and comfort of their own home.

An issue associated with playing computer games is their addictive potential. Gamers with little self control often find themselves unable to tear themselves away from their computer screens. This is especially the case with online games, where there often is no clearly defined “end” to the game. Players promise themselves that they will quit after “just one more level” or “just after I finish this quest,” but new content arises shortly after the old has been finished and it becomes difficult for many to simply stop playing.

The same addictive quality is also true for online gambling. People are bound to lose money through gambling, and naturally, they have an urge to win it back. This causes many people to spend hours sitting in front of their computer engaged in online Poker, trying in vain to win back what they have lost.

A possible solution to this issue is already in place. To curb the problem of gaming addictions, the Chinese government has imposed a restriction on its citizens. After five hours of gaming, the player is automatically kicked off the game. Gaming addicts are also sent to corrective institutions which are very similar to prisons.

There, they are not allowed to go near computers, and are barred from meeting with friends or family. This is viewed as a sort of punishment for their addiction. Perhaps the main problem with this solution is that it denies individuals of their rights, and if it was practiced in a democratic society such as the United States, there would most certainly be protests and demonstrations against such an act.

The addictiveness of computer gaming and online gambling also has many ethical problems. Being addicted to games may cause people to neglect many daily responsibilities. In South Korea, a couple left their four month old child to play games at an internet café. When they finally managed to pull themselves off the computers and return to their child, however, the child had already died due to its parents’ negligence.

With online gambling, there is much more to be lost. Fathers or mothers who should be spending their money on their children’s’ school fees or food may lose it all to online gambling. Because it is so much easier to sit at a computer and gamble than to go out and find a place in which to gamble, people are more inclined to spend time gambling online at home.

It is clear that gaming and gambling addictions present a threat to society as it is, and must be stopped. The main problem lies with being able to draw the line between healthy restriction and infringement of human rights.

Topic 211

2007-04-05T18:16:00.000+09:00

Broadcast media: digital radio and television, electronic news, magazines and books by HeeJun Son

The term broadcast media means a wide variety of different communication methods such as radio, television, newspapers, Internet, magazines and any other materials supplied by the media and press. The audience may be adults or children depending on programs or magazines. The broadcasting media supplies lots of the latest and valuable information, for example daily news, interviews, advertisements, speeches, etc. The primary broadcast media in these days are: digital radio and television, electronic news, magazines and books.

Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) is a new transmission system bringing the benefits of digital to the world of radio. Analogue radio transmission system that we have been using is being replaced with DAB because DAB has more advantage and benefits to both listeners and broadcasting corporations. First of all, for DAB transmissions, there is no the hiss and fade (multipath interference) that can spoil analogue radio transmissions.

This is particularly good news for listeners who can now hear the latest news and sport without all the usual problems associated with Medium Wave reception. Second of all, DAB signals are also far less likely to be affected by adverse weather conditions or local sources of interference unlike FM radio system. Third, DAB technology allows broadcasters to transmit far more radio stations within the same comparable amount of radio spectrum compared to FM. The flexible nature of our national DAB radio mutliplex means that broadcasters can create secondary services. As well as music and speech - DAB transmissions also contain data information. A DAB set utilises a screen, on which various kinds of information can be displayed.

You must have listened or watched ABC, CNN, CBS, MSNBC, PBS, or FOX news once in your life. All of them publish the newest news articles on their websites as well as broadcasting through televisions. The published news articles on the Internet is called electronic news. It is very convenient to use this broadcast medium to get news since people can always easily find out and catch up what is happening in the world whenever they want.

Not only publishing news articles on their websites, but they also broadcast. Nowadays the trend of television is changing to Digital TV from analog TV. Digital television (DTV) is a telecommunication system for broadcasting and receiving moving pictures and sound by means of digital signals, in contrast to analog signals used by analog (traditional) TV. DTV uses digital modulation data, which is digitally compressed and requires decoding by a specially designed television set. Digital television has several advantages over traditional analog TV. The most significant advantage of DTV is that digital channels take up less bandwidth space, meaning digital broadcasters can provide more digital channels in the same space with the better quality.

Digital television also enables special services such as electronic program guides and multicasting, which is watching more than one program on the same channel. Digital television has a better image, audio quality, and reception than analog. But there has seen some problems with DTV because digital television picture technology is still in its early stages. Digital television images have some picture defects that are not present on analog television due to present-day limitations of bandwidth and the compression algorithms. When a compressed digital image is compared with the original program source, some digital image sequences may have distortion or degradation such as quantization noise, incorrect color, blockiness when high-speed motion is depicted, or a blurred, shimmering haze.

Topic 210

2007-04-04T16:46:00.000+09:00

New media: DVD, CD, VR, stereolithography by Ronald Chu

It is the twentieth century now and new technology is booming, making lives much more convenient for everyone. The area that has the most technological advancement is probably the media. The media includes television, entertainment, computers, games, etc. New media refers totraditional forms of media that have been transformed by advancements in digital technology and digital computing.

The difference between “new media” and “old media” is very trivial since because new media does not so much represent an entirely new creation, but the reorganization of a current, and most likely popular source of information in a newly digital format. The term new media gained currency in the early-mid 1990's as part of the marketing pitch for the CD-ROM Revolution and the corporate idea that the book was on its way out. One of the key features of the corporately described new media was that corporations, not individual creators, would control copyright. There are many types of new media, but one of the main ones are “DVD,” “CD,” “VR,” and “stereo lithography.”

DVD stands for "Digital Versatile Disc" or "Digital Video Disc.” According to a definition by wikipedia.org, it is “an optical disc storage media format that can be used for data storage, including movies with high video and sound quality. DVDs are similar to CD’s, which will be discussed later on in this essay. However, they are encoded in a different format and at a much higher density. DVD-ROM discs are read-only discs. In other words, once you save a file onto this disc, you can not erase it and record another file above it. However, u can do this with DVD-RW discs. A DVD-video disc is a DVD with properly formatted and structured video content. A DVD-audio disc is a DVD with properly formatted and structured audio content. All other kinds of DVD discs are referred to as DVD-DATA discs.

CD stands for “Compact Disc.” It is used widely as an optical disc used to store digital data, originally developed for storing digital audio. The CD was first let out into the market in 1982, and is currently the standard physical medium for commercial audio recordings as of 2007. Normal CDs have a diameter of 120 mm (with a hole in the middle for putting your finger in to make holding/inserting the CD easier) and can save up to approximately 80 minutes of audio. There are also 80 mm discs, sometimes used for CD singles, which hold approximately 20 minutes of audio. The system is a bit similar to the DVD system. CD-ROM (aka "Compact Disc read-only memory") is a Compact Disc that contains data accessible by a computer. A CD-R is like a DVD-ROM disc. It is much cheaper than a CD-RW disc, but once you save data onto it, you cannot replace that data with new data. However, this is possible with the CD-RW disc, much similar to the DVD-RW disc.

VR, which stands for virtual reality, is an interesting technology which, according to wikipedia, allows a user to interact with a computer-simulated environment, be it a real or imagined one. Most of these virtual reality experiences are displayed on computer screens or special stereoscopic players, but some simulations can be experienced through speakers or headphones. VR is a very useful “tool” that can be used for things such as military training. For example, a US Navy soldier may go through a VR experience using a VR parachute trainer for his military training.

In order to engage the other sense of taste, the brain must be manipulated directly. This would move virtual reality into the realm of simulated reality, The Matrix. Although no form of this has been seriously developed at this point, Sony has taken the first step. On April 7, 2005, Sony went public with the information that they had filed for and received a patent for the idea of the non-invasive beaming of different frequencies and patterns of ultrasonic waves directly into the brain to recreate all five senses. There has been research to show that this is possible. Sony has not conducted any tests as of yet and says that it is still only an idea.

Finally, there is stereo lithography. Stereo lithography is one of the more commonly used rapid manufacturing and rapid prototyping technologies. It is considered to provide high accuracy and good surface finish. The devices used to perform stereo lithography are called SLAs or Stereo lithography Apparatuses.

Topic 209

2007-04-03T13:08:00.000+09:00

Live arts: digital effects, choreography, lighting, marketing by Su Chen

All the things listed above are related with IT in a way or another. One might think that choreography is not really related but if you connect the dots, you'll see a link. This isn't related to the topic but as I am writing this, I realized that almost everything is related to IT in today's world. The internet you use, when you talk to your friends on MSN, when you go to the doctor and they make your receipt and when you buy things at a convenience store! Almost everything is related to IT. Imagine an intense power failure for a day – what would your life be like?

Digital effects are used in movies and pictures. I personally use a lot of photo software to get the desired photograph. Sometimes the picture's too bright or too dark so I use the sliders to get the perfect lighting going on and there's all these other cool options like fading, sepia, antique which can make your picture stand out from the other pictures. Digital effects can really make someone look at your picture because of the way they stand out from the others.

Digital effects are mainly used in movies. Let me rephrase it, since a movie is quite long more digital effects are used in a movie then in a 2MB photo. I haven't personally had any experience with this but some of my friends have and they use many movie making software to get the right timing in their movies. For instance this friend of mine was making a movie about winter sports at SMIS and he used a software to combine all the different clips from different sports and then got an awesome song and put it with the clips. Along with all this, he used the fade in-fade out effects to make the transition of the different clips smooth.

Choreography, in simple terms, is the act of dancing. How is this IT related? It took me quite a while to think about that but then I remembered a friend of mine who was watching this choreographer give lessons, on her computer! Since it was on her computer, she could forward-rewind the video according to what she wanted to see. She could also reduce the speed of the steps the choreographer was showing and observe them carefully! And of course the choreographer herself can hire a moviemaker guy to add the slow-fast effects to her movie.

Lighting is related to digital effects and I already discussed the lighting in my photos. I use the brightness, exposure and contrast sliders to adjust the lighting in my pictures so people's faces can be seen clearly! And today's camcorders have this function called "Night Mode" which helps people record movies at night in the dark and that helps people see in the dark. Then you can use your computer to add even more light to the movie.

When directors finally have their movie ready, they hire advertisers who can let the people know about the movie and they do this by placing the ads for the movies all over the internet. That's a form of marketing – letting people know about your products and this is usually done using internet today and the ads placed by Google!

Topic 208

2007-04-02T13:03:00.000+09:00

Film: digital actor simulations, characters and animation by Aditya

Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement.

Emergence:

The invention or creation of animation cannot be attributed to any single person. The technology emerged in the early 1900s. These drew on inventions from the 1800s such as the Phenakistoscope and the Zoetrope. The real breakthrough was the creation of the character Felix the Cat in 1919, by Otto Messmer.

Stakeholders:

Animation films can develop into expensive projects. The movie "Prince of Egypt" cost Walt Disney $60 million. Thus, making an animation film can be a huge risk. It is difficult to gauge whether your ticket sales will be enough to compensate for production costs. This is so expensive owing to the need for superior talent which has to be bought with a LOT of money and superior computer software to put together the sketches prepared by the artists. The high price could lead to the eventuality that less people have jobs. So, the stakeholders are the actors who lend their voice and production companies basically. So, on a higher scale, production companies stand to lose or gain monumental sums of money. The same can be said for actors who lend their voices.

The monumental expenses can be solved either by a lower demand for animated films which is very difficult to do. I assume this can be done by raising ticket prices. Another, more feasible way is to hire artists at a lower price and by software which is cheaper, one whose production is more efficient.

This technology affects the entertainment industry, the economy (because movies raise tremendous sums of money for the economy) and the profession of acting.

This problem is less prevalent in the east because the east is ahead when it comes to cheaper software and also has found that quality of animation doesn't matter as much when making a product for their audience.

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Film: digital actor simulations, characters and animation by Chaan

Traditional television means that the viewer may only decide which program he/she wants to watch. With the new developments of digital and interactive television and
multimedia products, the viewer will be more and more able to interact with programs and this will lead to individual programs for each viewer. An example of this is the Apple TV where Apple uses the slogan that “now there will always be something interesting on TV” and this just means that using Apple TV a person can stream his/her library contest including all the movies and TV shows on his TV in the living room!

In the games market, constant innovation is required in order to prevent sales of games from falling off. Convincing simulated humans in games have been identified by the industry as a way of giving a fresh appearance to existing games which will give the consumers more incentive to buy games and thus improve the economy! (indirectly of course)

There is increasing use of animation in film production including production of video assets for multi-media titles. Providing a capability for simulating people will extend the range of uses of 3-D graphics animation. I remember playing the game Max Payne 2 and I was so addicted to it that I started skipping lunch and dinner and I finally finished the entire game after 5 days and I realized why I was so addicted to it. The digital actor in the game had been simulated so well that I could connect it to him on a personal level and at times I felt like it was me in the game!

Characters are used in Disney movies all the time. For example, more than thousands of characters have been created in kids movies. To name a few, there’s mickey mouse, Minnie mouse, Donald duck, uncle scrooge, pink panther, Winnie the pooh, chip and dale and the list can keep going on. All these characters are animated but kids still love them like they would love a real person. Actually, most kids love these animated characters more than the real people. This is perhaps because the animated characters are all about the laughs and happiness and no tears and sadness and that’s what everyone wants to see. Nobody wants to see the reality of life.

We see animation being used everywhere today. Animation is considered “cute” and it appeals to kids. One of the main consumers for companies today are the kids. Kids pee in their clothes so they have to buy a lot of new clothes and that’s why companies use animated characters in order to appeal to these kids. Animation is a very cool trick because you can create animations on the computer, without worrying about setting up appointments with real life actors and all the other things real life actors and directors have to go through! Ask Steve Jobs, who owns 9% of Disney, and he’ll agree that the art of animation is one of the coolest arts ever invented!

Topic 207

2007-04-01T13:05:00.000+09:00

Digital art: electronic music, interactive visual art, desktop publishing by Ronald Chu

Thanks to developing technology and human needs/greed, digital art has been invented. Digital art is art that is created on a computer in digital form. It can be completely generated by a computer, such as fractals, or taken from another source, such as a scanned photograph, or an image drawn using vector graphics software by using a mouse or graphics tablet. The availability and popularity of photograph manipulation software has vastly spread quickly. Using electronic versions of brushes, filters, and enlargers, these "Neographers" produce images through photographic tools. In addition, digital artists may manipulate scanned drawings, paintings, or lithographs, as well as using any of the above-mentioned techniques in combination.

These artists also use many other kinds of sources of information and programs to create their computer programmed work. Digital art is beginning to dominate the media. The mainstream media uses a lot of digital art in advertisements, and computers are used extensively in film to produce special effects. Desktop publishing has had a huge impact on the publishing world, although that is more related to graphic design. Nonetheless, digital art is yet beginning to gain the acceptance and regard reserved for "serious" artforms such as sculpture, painting and drawing, perhaps due to the erroneous impression of many that "the computer does it for you" and the suggestion that the image created could be infinitely repeatable.

Computers are also commonly used to make music, especially electronic music, since they represent a powerful way to arrange and create sound samples. It is possible that general acceptance of the value of digital art will improve progress in much the same way as the increased acceptance of electronically produced music over the last thirty years.

Digital photography, as opposed to film photography, uses electronic devices to record the image as binary data. This represents the storage and editing of the images on personal computers (PCs), and also the ability to show and delete unsuccessful images immediately on the camera itself.

Digital cameras now outsell film cameras (normal cameras where you develop the film and replace it with a new one) and include features not found in film cameras such as the ability to shoot video and record audio. Some other devices, such as mobile phones, now include digital photography features. These digital cameras are much more efficient and easier to use, thanks to advanced technology.

Digital photography and digital printing is now an acceptable medium of creation and presentation by major museums and galleries, and the work of digital artists is gaining recognition and fame through robotic installation, net art and software art. However, the work of digital painters and printmakers is beginning to find acceptance as the output capabilities advance and quality increases. Many museums around the world are now beginning to collect digital art such as the San Jose Museum of Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum print departments also have a reasonable, but small collection of digital art.

According to wikipedia.org, “Desktop publishing (also known as DTP) combines a personal computer and page layout software to create publication documents on a computer for either large scale publishing or small scale local economical multifunction peripheral output and distribution.” The term "desktop publishing" is commonly used to describe page layout skills. However, the skills and software are not limited to only paper and books. The same skills and software are often used to create graphics for point of sale displays, promotional items, trade show exhibits, retail package designs, and outdoor signs. This is also thanks to advanced technology and human greed.

Topic 206

2007-03-06T16:47:00.000+09:00

IT solutions for disabled people by Marek

As the world’s population grows, so do the needs of the people in it. The has always been a need to communicate amongst humans, and now with our quickly modernizing technology, there maybe be a chance for use to finally start “talking” with people we love, who are not so fortunate.

Victims of accidents, or people who have just been unlucky enough to be born disabled have always had trouble conversing with other people. Over the centuries, many people have suffered from this, as their relationship with their loved ones continues to deteriorate as they struggle to finds the means to “be in touch” with one another.

However, in this modern day and age, technology allows us do to things that we not thought possible before. For example, a physically handicapped person who could not be able to speak could use a touch-pad to translate what he or she was trying to say through pressing a set of keys in order to form a coherent sentence. Newer technology utilizes a complicated bundle of fiber wires to make the pointer on a computer follow the movement of eyeballs, so that a user could actually “control” a computer merely through the use of his eyes, giving new meaning to the phrase “seeing is believing.”

One advanced method, still in its development stage is to actually be able to link the patient’s brain up to a computer, so that it may attempt to communicate through the computer. Though this does sound a little science-fiction like, this is just another signal of man’s greater reliance and need for computers. In this ways, it is almost as if we are trying to integrate people with computers in order to create a better, more efficient, humane world.

In conclusion, though it may seem like every cyber-freak’s worst nightmare, it will be highly unlikely that we will become so reliant on technology that it will consume humanity as a race. Instead we must view it as a helpful partner, that is like a steady arm we can rely on when the going gets tough.

Topic 205

2007-03-05T16:51:00.000+09:00

Monitoring patients by Simon Ruiz

What is "Monitoring patients"?

Monitoring patients is the direct act of taking care of the patient inside the room without the physical presence of the doctor inside the room. It is purposed for keeping track of patient's basic health conditions such as blood pressure, body temperature, and so forth.

Why do patients need monitoring?

Patient monitoring is vital to care in operating and emergency rooms, intensive care and critical care units. Additionally, it has proven invaluable for respiratory therapy, recovery rooms, out-patient care, transport, radiology, cath labs, gastroenterology departments, ambulatory, home, and sleep screening applications. Patient monitoring can reduce the risk of infection and other complications, as well as assist in providing for patient comfort.

A vast majority of long-term patients in the world don't take their medication in time, intentionally or not. In the U.S. alone, this represents an additional $100 billion yearly expense due to unexpected emergency hospital admissions. It is therefore crucial to gather accurately patient medical data in real time. For this purpose, firms have developed various mobile health toolkit to perform this task. With these technological toolkit consisting of a say, Java-based middleware and Bluetooth-enabled sensors, all the medical patient data can be wirelessly exported to a doctor's office via a PC or a cell phone.

Here are some facts to start with: About 55% of all long-term patients in the US and in Europe, it is estimated, do not take their medication (either not taking the prescribed medication at all or more than 14 hours late) Around 12% of all hospital admissions in the UK are due to this non-compliance, the damage to the US taxpayer is an estimated USD 100 billion a year. Most of the patients that do not comply are simply forgetful (about 10% deliberately do not want to take the medication).

So how can we solve this problem?

Gathering current patient medical data promptly and accurately is vital to proper health care. The usefulness of electronic data capture (EDC) has been demonstrated in applications such as the home monitoring of at-risk heart patients via devices that transmit blood pressure from the home to a central database. Removing transcription effort (and associated inaccuracies) alone is worth the institution of EDC; but the side benefit of timeliness offers the hope of identifying and responding to trends as they occur, perhaps preventing a dangerous event, instead of simply allowing its diagnosis after the danger has manifest.

This is why firms have developed its mobile health toolkit. It is basically for gathering measurement data from a range of devices, and present it to management software via a well defined, and easily implemented interface.

Solutions based on the technological mobile health toolkit can improve the quality of patient monitoring while reducing overall healthcare costs. Moreover, it ensures that more timely information is available to medical caregivers. Medication-compliance systems can leverage the toolkit as a basis for intelligent reminders. For example, patients can be prompted to take their medication if the system detects that it is overdue.

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Monitoring patients by Romeo Wu

There are many ways of Monitoring patients for example the most common way is to set cameras in each patient’s room and monitor him 24/7. You can also monitor a patient by using radios, some advance medical equipments and etc. Treating physicians will decide the actual frequency of necessary assessments according to a patient’s individualized need for medical care and habit follow-up, as well as to published or local guidelines, as suitable. As a minimum, however, a optional schedule of assessments has been developed based on input of physicians from the international medical community with expertise in the care of patients with Gaucher disease. The recommended schedule represents the core assessments that are currently thought to monitor Gaucher-related clinical manifestations and to stage disease progression across the life-long course of the disease. The assessments include hematologic, visceral, skeletal assessments, and quality of life evaluations.

Topic 204

2007-03-04T16:47:00.000+09:00

Medical advice on the Internet or a CD-ROM by Marek

The internet has been growing ever since its inception, and now contains a wealth of information, false or otherwise. Used from everything to relay basketball scores, the sale of fishing utensils, and sporting insipid drones garnishing the front covers of notoriously famous magazines such as Hustler, it has become a tool that we as human beings use on a near daily basis. In fact, the average students spends 45 minutes on internet everyday! This is a phenomenally high number seeing as the over 80 percent of the population on this planet do not have access to the every same resources we use on a daily basis.

However, many people have learnt the hard way, that information on the internet can be unreliable and now, with medical data these mistakes, deliberate or not, can be life-threatening.

Suppose someone was to mistype the name of a medicine given to people in great need of it (Soldiers on a battlefield, Refugee camps). This may not seem like a significant error, but it may have grave consequences, seeing as many medical compounds merely have a single letter difference between them. Giving someone the wrong medicine can not only disrupt their healing process, but potentially reserve the effects of the prior medicine administered, and kill them. This is why many of the more reliable sites have other sources cite how the information is correct, and others included medical diplomas or certificates that state the institute supporting the site is both valid and trustworthy.

On the other hand, medical information on a CD-ROM seems to be much more reputable than that on one found on some random site on the internet. For one, the average prankster would not want to spend the time and effort, not to mention the money to create an intricate lie in the form on information on a CD, just to fulfill his mischief gene. After all, it is so much more easy to stick the misinformation on the internet, that way it is cheaper, and more likely to be viewed by many more people. It would also be a lot harder to trace than a CD.

In conclusion, I would like to state that before any medical professionals use information on sites or a CD that may seem slightly unreliable, they could cross-reference it with other professionals, to make sure that the knowledge given by the source has not been corrupted in any way.

Topic 203

2007-03-03T16:44:00.000+09:00

Diagnostic and therapeutic tools: robotic surgery, prosthetic devices, diagnostic software, drug development and marketing by Matthew

Robotic surgery is used today in lieu of real services from real surgeons. Although absolute unmanned surgery is extremely uncommon, robotic surgery for procedures that require tremendous precision and accuracy is quite common in modern societies. Robotic surgical procedures are essentially used only as tools to extend the surgical skills of a trained surgeon. An example of an actual application of robotic surgical devices is a surgery that took place in the United States. The surgery, which took place in 1985, consisted of a robot, the PUMA 560, inserting a needle for a brain biopsy using CT guidance. In 1988, the PROBOT was used to perform prostatic surgery in England. A complete unmanned surgery took place for the first time last year in Italy.

Prosthetic devices are typically used to replace lost body parts. Common prosthetic devices include artificial limbs, breast prosthesis, cochlear implants, corrective lenses, craniofacial prosthesis, dental prosthetics, facial prosthetics, hair prosthetics, neuroprosthetics, ocular prosthetics, ostomies, penile prosthetics, replacement joints, and somato prosthetics. Prosthetics devices as a whole generally help humans be more efficient even without real human body parts.

Diagnostic programs are written for the purpose of examining the state, or locating problems with patients. Diagnostic programs range in nature, from software where a doctor is able to input information about the patient and look up possible diagnoses that the software brings up, to programs where doctors search for symptoms and are given potential diseases or conditions by the program. Diagnostic programs still require doctors and do not completely take away the skills of a trained medical professional. It rather helps the professional be more efficient in his or her work.

Drug development is a relatively rigorous process that is heavily monitored by government officials. It is defined in many pharmaceutical companies as the process of taking a new chemical lead through the stages necessary to allow it to be tested on human volunteers in clinical trials.

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Diagnostic and therapeutic tools: robotic surgery, prosthetic devices, diagnostic software, drug development and marketing by Taro

Technology has and always will help greatly with giving therapies and diagnoses to certain patients. Let us take a look at some of the robotic surgeries that exist today. The one that might be most widely known by ordinary people is application of robot on cardiac surgery. The robot acts so that it establishes a bypass or so that it replaces malfunctioned valves, which control the blood flow, with new ones. Another important role of robots would be apparent in neurosurgery, where there are corrections of spinal malformations.

The robots move almost exactly like a professional surgeon's hand movement. They are imputted what to do in advance. With the same method, they are also successful in removing brain tumors. If we were to focus on diagnostic tools, we would probably take notice of a stomach camera. Recently, there has been a development with this technology, allowing it to be contained in a capsule so that the patients can simply swallow it and excrete it few days later.

As it's traveling inside the body, the capsule rotates number of times which enables it to take shots from every angle. Before the improvement, the diagnoses had to be made in a short period of time, because the camera had a wire and so the patients had to have their mouth open for the whole time. This was a very suffering operation. If we hear the term prosthetic device, it would be likely for us to image artificial arms or legs.

These days, not only are they put on for substitutes of appearance, but are equipped on the patients as complete replacement, meaning they function just like real arms and legs. This is usually done in a pretty complicated procedure. For example a person with a lost arm would have an artificial arm attached on him by connecting thin wires inside it with the nerve fibers of where they were cut off. After that, a special battery pack is provided and that is implanted in the new arm or placed outside with wires connected on it.

Often the battery has to be outside because in the case of recharging, it would be inconvenient if it's built in the arm. When everything is positioned properly, the power is turned on and the electric current flows into the artificial arm, and eventually through the nerve fibers all the way to the brain. The brain receives the signal and sends back a different signal, this time giving an instruction of what to do to the arm. With that, the artifical arm manages to work as a body part. Another prosthetic device would be artifical eyes. There is more difficulty producing these, since they have to be able to transfer the images in front of them to make the brain recognize the images.

Also the operation of attaching them is a hard task, because of the fact that eyes are positioned near the brain, and it has a risk of damaging it. Now the engineers are trying to improve the device for it to consume various colors and make the brain know those. The ones that are out in the world right now are not functioning enough and are sending blurr images. Other than eyes, arms and legs, there are ears, nose, and jaws too. For all of them, electrical current is used.

Diagnostic and therapeutic tools: robotic surgery, prosthetic devices, diagnostic software, drug development and marketing by Vaibhav

Robotic Surgery

Robotic Surgery is the use of robots in performing a surgery. This technology was first applied in the year 1985 by a robot named "Cody Evader" in England. Robotic surgery is used to perform surgeries which require the doctor to manually insert machines into small incisions in the human body. Hence to ease this and to be less invasive to the human body doctors use robotic surgery and view organs being worked which are transmitted from tiny cameras inserted into the human body. Using this technology the patients recover much faster after a surgery as it causes less pain and scarring. In addition to this robotic surgery also enables "telesurgery" as the surgeon and the patient are separated by an electronic console. Hence this can allow the surgeon to perform surgery in a remote location. Robotic surgery is applied in cardiac surgery, gastrointestinal surgery, gynecology and neurosurgery.

Prosthetic Devices

Prosthetic devices are artificial medical body parts made to replace missing extremities for example an artificial limb. Scientists are trying to make prosthetic devices which replace healthy body parts with artificial mechanisms, although such technology has still not emerged. With the current devices the following body parts can be replaced but cannot be mechanically functioned through the brain such as the legs, arms, hands, feet, and most other body parts can be replaced.

Diagnostic Software

Diagnostic software's are designed to diagnose a mental disorder in robots. Since the nature of illness with robots is different to that of humans, a different type of treatment is required. Diagnosis of such mental disorders are found in AI (Artificial Intelligence) :-

Inferiority Complex – This happens when an AI finds another AI to be superior which causes the AI to lead itself into self-doubt or misery.

Schizophrenia – When an AI visualizes that it may split or copy itself into identical copies it will start feeling either powerful or diminished, unique or common, special or ordinary.

Jealousy –Will cause the AI to form robot labor unions and refuse to do demeaning labor.

Paranoia – If the AI realizes that its internal software has had subtle manipulations the AI will be paralyzed with paranoia.

Drug Development & Marketing

Drug development is defined in many pharmaceutical companies as the process of testing whether a medical drug is ready to be sold in the market. This process is known as human clinical trials in which the drug is tested and studied in detail. Aspects of drug development measure the toxicity of drugs. The drug toxicity must be under a certain level for it to satisfy the regulatory requirements of drug licensing authorities.

Topic 202

2007-03-02T16:52:00.000+09:00

Electronic health records: privacy, data analysis, public health by Simon

The enhanced availability of health information in an electronic format is strategic for industry-wide efforts to improve the quality and reduce the cost of health care, yet it brings a concomitant concern of greater risk for loss of privacy among health care participants. The conflicting goals of accessibility and security for electronic medical records and non-technical and technical aspects that constitute a reasonable security solution would be the basis of the knowledge. With guiding policy and current technology, an electronic medical record may offer better security than a traditional paper record.

Personally identifiable health information about individuals and general medical information is increasingly available in electronic form in health databases and through online networks. The spreading of electronic data within the modern health information infrastructure presents significant benefits for medical providers and patients, including: enhanced patient autonomy, improved clinical treatment, advances in health research and public health control, and modern security techniques.

However, it also presents new legal challenges in 3 related areas: privacy of identifiable health information, reliability and quality of health data, and tort-based liability(a person who seeks or receives legal advice and reasonably relies on it.) Protecting health information privacy (by giving individuals control over health data without severely restricting warranted communal uses) directly improves the quality and reliability of health data (by encouraging individual uses of health services and communal uses of data), which diminishes tort-based liabilities (by reducing instances of medical malpractice or privacy invasions through improvements in the delivery of health care services resulting in part from better quality and reliability of clinical and research data).

Following an analysis of the relativity of these 3 areas and discussing existing and proposed health information privacy laws, recommendations for legal reform concerning health information privacy are on the issue.

These include:

(1) Recognizing identifiable health information as highly sensitive,

(2) Providing privacy safeguards based on fair information practices,

(3) Empowering patients with information and rights to consent to disclosure

(4) Limiting disclosures of health data absent consent,

(5) Incorporating industry-wide security protections,

(6) Establishing a national data protection authority, and

(7) Providing a national minimal level of privacy protections.

As a conclusion, the main concerns over the public health record is that the patient's have the choices over the legality of the electronic data, if somehow there is a possible way for the patient to access the data, and that data to be privatized by its patient. However, the data's quality enhancement purpose, the custodian should have the legal right to also access the health data. The balance between efficiency and equity(with privacy) is the main focus of adjustment.

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Electronic health records: privacy, data analysis, public health by Marek

As written before in many of the papers submitted in ITGS, the benefits of having an electronic database in which to store records are many. For example, the ability to compress and organize millions of files within minutes as well as stockpile enough paperwork to fill a library into one little machine, just to name a few. Then we take into circumspect that it allows many of the world’s medical professionals to communicate with each other even, if they are halfway across the globe, and have view the files of their expert counter-parts in order to help save more lives. Overall, it sounds like an excellent plan that we should be glad to have thought up of.

BUT IS IT?

Like always in this modern day and age, confidentiality is the moral question at hand. As humans, none of us are infallible, even the doctors that we entrust our lives to. Should such a doctor feel the need to abuse his or her power, the consequences could be devastating for everyone. The humiliation felt by the person in question, the devastating blow to the hospital that employed the doctor, and the complete and utter ridiculing of the families of both parties involved. After such an embarrassment, the victim would most probably take legal action against both the doctor and the medical institution for its lax security on its medical network.

But why do people do such things. Why do people find it necessary to look into the files of patients? The answer is simple: Human curiosity. To satisfy their base desires of acquiring knowledge, people actually dare to break into the files containing extremely private medical information about patients. This maybe because they feel a rush knowing that they have broken through the hospital’s security measures and have managed to read extremely personal information about certain people they may or may not know.

Many hospitals have realized this latent danger and have taken measure to insure that events like this would be rare, or not even occur at all. These included stringent regulations, such as the input of passwords, several firewalls, blocking potential hackers, and doctor-patient restrictions, in which doctors can only observe medical files of patients that they are currently taking care of.

All in all, it seems that even our health may be exposed to the cyber-thieves of the modern day. The best we can do to protect ourselves against these foul individuals is have an equally strong bond of trust and friendship toward the doctors who help us.

Topic 201

2007-03-01T16:42:00.000+09:00

Telemedicine: service delivery to isolated and remote areas by Tanay

The term Telemedicine is the delivery of medicine at a distance. Telemedicine generally refers to the use of communications and information technologies for the delivery of clinical care.

The terms e-health and telehealth are at times wrongly interchanged with telemedicine. Like the terms "medicine" and "health care", telemedicine often refers only to the provision of clinical services while the term telehealth can refer to clinical and non-clinical services such as medical education, administration, and research. The term e-health is often, particularly in the UK and Europe, used as an umbrella term that includes telehealth, electronic medical records, and other components of health IT.

Telemedicine is practiced on the basis of two concepts: real time (synchronous) and store-and-forward (asynchronous).

Real time telemedicine could be as simple as a telephone call or as complex as robotic surgery. It requires the presence of both parties at the same time and a communications link between them that allows a real-time interaction to take place. Video-conferencing equipment is one of the most common forms of technologies used in synchronous telemedicine. There are also peripheral devices which can be attached to computers or the video-conferencing equipment which can aid in an interactive examination. For instance, a tele-otoscope allows a remote physician to 'see' inside a patient's ear; a tele-stethoscope allows the consulting remote physician to hear the patient's heartbeat. Medical specialties conducive to this kind of consultation include psychiatry, internal medicine, rehabilitation, cardiology, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology and neurology.

Store-and-forward telemedicine involves acquiring medical data (like medical images, biosignals etc) and then transmitting this data to a doctor or medical specialist at a convenient time for assessment offline. It does not require the presence of both parties at the same time. Dermatology, radiology, and pathology are common specialties that are conducive to asynchronous telemedicine. A properly structured Medical Record preferably in electronic form should be a component of this transfer.

Telemedicine is most beneficial for populations living in isolated communities and remote regions and is currently being applied in virtually all medical domains. Specialties that use telemedicine often use a "tele-" prefix; for example, telemedicine as applied by radiologists is called Teleradiology. Similarly telemedicine as applied by cardiologists is termed as telecardiology, etc.

Telemedicine is also useful as a communication tool between a general practitioner and a specialist available at a remote location.

The focus of telemedicine has mainly been consultative, meaning a general practitioner consulting a specialist or a specialist consulting another specialist. Monitoring a patient at home using known devices like blood pressure monitors and transferring the information to a caregiver is a fast growing emerging service. These remote monitoring solutions has a focus on current high morbidity chronic diseases and are mainly deployed for the First World. In developing countries a new way of practicing telemedicine is emerging better known as Primary Remote Diagnostic Visits whereby devices examine a patient whereby a connected doctor residing in another location virtually examines the patient and treat him. This new technology and principle of practicing medicine holds big promises to solving major health care delivery problems in for instance Southern Africa because Primary Remote Diagnostic Consultations not only monitors an already diagnoses chronic disease, but has the promise to diagnosing and managing the diseases a patient will typically visit a general practitioner for.

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Telemedicine: service delivery to isolated and remote areas by Taro

The definitions of telemedicine according to Wikipedia are "the delivery of medicine at a distance" or "the use of communications and information technologies for the delivery of clinical care." In the old days, when technology was not yet a tool for passing on information, post messages were sent or received to exchange medical data. In the early 1900s, some Australians used two-way radios as another way. Telemedicine can come in various forms, from simple one to complex one.

There are two basic methods for practicing telemedicine, which are real time and store-and-foreward; sometimes refered to as synchronous and asynchronous. The principle rules of real time telemedicine are that both health professionals have to be present at a certain time and there has to be a linkage between the two so they can communicate and consult. The connection may be just a telephone wire, but the most popular technology f! or this type of telemedicine is video-conferencing equipment, which is in a simple idea, a webcam. The device is attached to computers on either end and so the progression, or examination of the patients, is shown on the screen of one side. Not only are there interchanges of visual images, but also sounds might be sent from one end to the other; sounds in this case would be like heartbeats of a patient.

A tele-stethoscope allows that transmission. At real time one professional is able to give advises to the other based. Store-and-foreward telemedicine on the other hand does not require the medical specialists to be online at the same time, because it is the passing of electronically formated medical data, such as images of the body and typed diagnosis. After they are sent, the remote specialist assesses them and probably makes comments on them. So in a sense, real time telemedicine is more immediate compared to store-and-foreward.

One speciality that applies telemedicine is teleradiology which is the exchange of radiographic images, such as X-rays. For the process to be completed once, there should be an image sending station, a transmission network, and a receiving / image review station. The order of transmission goes respectively. A radiographic image is firstly scanned and then transported to a modem. Next electrical impulses travel to the receiving station through the transmission network. At the receiving station are a modem, a computer with high memory, and a TV monitor which enables the professors to make analysis of specific body parts. It is likely that in addition, a printer is located because in some occasions the receivers need to print hard copies.

Teleradiology consists of three types of connections which are point-to-point, local area, and wide area connection. Point-to-point is just a one to one thing, while local is the interaction of several computers in one building or organization. Wide! are would be more of a grand scale, for example from one country to another.

The use of telemedicine is practiced already in many places around the world and are continuing to spread at a steady speed. The basis of curing diseases and injuries lies at the action of collecting various information in a quick time. This method is aiding this action greatly and hopefully also in the future.

Topic 200

2007-02-07T13:42:00.000+09:00

Training, tutorials, simulators by Tommy

Certain professions require more than rote learning out of textbooks. Enlisting in the air force or police force requires that one have some sort of hands-on experience before testing his or her skills in the field. This is where field training and simulators can come in very handy. In the area of computer graphics or any other sort of crafting work, hands on training and tutorials are a must.

In the military or police, sending someone out into the field with nothing but information and tactics memorized from textbooks is a surefire way to failure. In order to be efficient in what they do, police and military personnel must have some sort of hands-on experience, which can be obtained through training simulations, in which fake scenarios are created based on real life situations, and the trainee must try and overcome obstacles. This is an essential part of every new recruit’s training. If they are only exposed to classroom learning, then they will not be able to experience the adrenaline rush and required quick decision making that is part of field training.

This is not to say that classroom learning is not necessary; people still need it to pick up basic skills and tactics. Field training is where these skills and tactics are put to practical use. Indeed, the main reason why field training should be required is simply because imagining situations in your head and actually experiencing them are two completely different things. A person may feel confident and know all procedures and maneuvers, but he or she may break under pressure when faced with the intensity of a real and potentially dangerous situation.
The benefits for having simulations in pilot training are numerous. It is not enough to have read and memorized how to fly a plane from a textbook; as in military and police work, hands-on experience is essential. However, having a trainee fly a plane without ever having operated one before can be potentially fatal.

A simulation allows for the person to experience what it is like to fly, without all the dangers of actually flying. This makes it a very good way to teach budding pilots to fly. An alternative to this could be to have a plane that holds two passengers, each with their own set of controls. One seat is occupied by an experienced pilot, while the other is occupied by the trainee. This way, if the trainee suddenly finds himself in a situation where he would otherwise be killed, the experienced pilot can take over and make sure that they have a safe landing.

With computer graphics and other crafting work, tutorials can help immensely due to the fact that people can also learn new techniques while following the steps in the tutorial. Tutorials also make things more interesting for new learners, as they are less likely to become bored if they are actually using their hands to create things. This way, they can pick up information faster.

Classroom and textbook learning are clearly not the only ways in which people can learn things for their jobs. In fact, restricting someone to only these methods of learning would severely impair their ability to perform well. This is why simulations and tutorials are necessary to provide individuals with the experience that they need to do well.

Topic 199

2007-02-06T13:35:00.000+09:00

Software in school administration: record keeping, scheduling, Intranets, public information by Sung-Hwan

There is a huge amount of information in school, and it keeps growing at every moment. At every moment information is created: Test grades, Student attitudes, School schedules, an event, and etc. It would be difficult to keep track of all this information with out the use of computers. It is such a help that computers can store a large amount of information in relatively small area, and it also manages to organize the information neatly.

By keeping the records inside the computer, records could be stored in a small area with well organization. Thus, it would help the teachers when they are trying to look back at the records in the future. Unlike the papers, the computer would allow teachers to find the records very fast, also in organized order. For example, if an English teacher was trying to look for the 10th grade English test taken back at first quarter, all he have to do is turn on his computer, then open the folder with a name, “10th grade English test scores (First Quarter)”. Then he would find excel with a column for names of the 10th grade students in alphabetical order, and their test grades. However, if a teacher used papers to record the test grades, he would have a lot of discomfort and troubles finding the test grades.

First of all, the teacher has to look for the folder that contains the test scores. If it was a computer, it would take at most 2 minutes. Where else, for the papers, he would have to look for the folder that contains the test grades. This work would be quite time consuming, because the papers take a lot of spaces. Also, it might not be in a order, so it is not really convenient to look at.

But the problem with saving information in computer is that there might be a loss in the information. For example, if somehow the computer is destroyed, then all the information is lost. At this case the advantage of being able to save a lot of information into a small area became a disadvantage also. But, the solution to this problem is to save the information in other places, such as flash disk, or CD-Rom, to use it as a ‘back up’.

Also, the computer could benefit for scheduling. A teacher could easily use the Microsoft word to draw the scheduling tables. Then, he could try out other kinds of scheduling to see which one works the most. But in the case with out the use of computer, it is hard to tryout other kinds of scheduling, since every time you have to erase the mark rewrite the scheduling. Therefore, the computer could do the work faster and conveniently.

Intranet is a website that is a private computer network. Therefore, only person with the authorization can go to into this intranet. This could be of great use in the school, if there was information that would like to be kept secure from others, such as student’s profile. Therefore, only teachers would be able to go inside in the intranet and find the information needed, where else the students or others outside the school can’t. Though, the problem with this is that if others know the authorization number or password, then they could easily go into intranet and look at the information also.

Using computers would also benefit in the case of public information. The computer will allow the teachers to produce faster information sheet, like the morning bulletin. It is faster to type up a paper than to write out. Also, the computer allows us to print out many pages by just typing once.

Consequently, computers let teachers able to do works faster and more efficiently than working without the aid of computers. I believe that the technology will develop further more, letting us able to do be more convenient and fast in not only in school administration, but all other subjects as well.

Topic 198

2007-02-05T13:34:00.000+09:00

Hardware in the classroom: laptops, notebooks, teleconferencing by HeeJun

As the technology involving laptops improves, many people claim students should use laptops in the classroom to maximize the efficiency of studying. But many people, especially the elders, doubt that how the fact that every student has a laptop will change the way teachers teach and how students learn.

First of all, if every student has a laptop, it will be much easier to get resources from internet or intranet and to take a note. Each classroom in a school may provide fast internet service, a multimedia projector, printers and other equipment. Hence, it will be much easier for students to present their works.

The ones who support this plan claim laptops will replace traditional textbooks and exercise books. With the laptop, the students are able to access and process that make the difference. At the moment a student relies on those things physically in the classroom with them at that time: a teacher, textbook, and other students.

With a laptop, students have access to other teachers, other students, and a choice of different resources all available at times not constrained by classroom bells. Students may produce well-organized notes by using a word processor. Laptops can also be used as multimedia portfolios for the students' as producers. This is where the advantage of the laptop over the exercise book becomes clear. In addition, a laptop classroom prevents students from forgetting about most information they have learnt by the end of the year; a laptop allows the student to record in a transferable format.

Unlike the exercise book classroom, a laptop classroom resembles the multimedia 'real world' students inhabit and will be employed by when they leave school. Therefore, I think it is better for students to have laptops in the classroom.

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Hardware in the classroom: laptops, notebooks, teleconferencing by Harsh

Laptops, notebooks, PDAs are revolutionizing the world. With today’s hi-tech generation, these things can be seen anywhere, even in classrooms. A survey conducted at four major colleges, like Harvard and Stanford, revealed that 85 percent of the undergraduates have laptops when they are not even required to have them. Laptops are convenient and useful. Although there is a social issue related with the use of Laptops in classrooms and that is, if the student is learning or gaming using his laptop.

The topic of my main article is that if a student has a laptop in the classroom, most probably he is not using it for learning purposes. But then the professors and the students argue that if the student didn’t want to learn in the first place, he wouldn’t come to the classroom. Study showed that if a student uses his laptop for a relatively longer time, then his grades are lower. Professors, therefore, ask the students using laptops to sit in the front row so the students behind them can check what they are doing.

If you use laptops in the classrooms as a student, then you are affected more by it than anyone else. Economically this is really good because a lot of laptops are being purchased by students which also means that the prices for laptops are going down and we can already see this happening, an Apple iBook only costs about $999. If a student’s grades go down, then who’s responsible – the student, the professor, or perhaps the laptop that you use in the classroom? It of course is the student.

The only advantages of laptops are “educational”, but that’s only valid when the students are using them for taking notes (since their typing is faster than handwriting) or researching more on the topic being discussed. But if the laptops are not being used for any of the purposes mentioned above, then the disadvantages range from ‘grades going down’ to addiction to computer technology. Therefore the main problem rising from the use of laptops is that students, instead of using laptops for educational purposes, might use laptops for surfing and chatting with friends back home.

The problem we are addressing here is that the laptops are being used for rather “entertainment” purposes than “educational” purposes in college classrooms. One of the solution was that the students with laptops should sit in the front rows so that students behind them can monitor what they are doing. In one case, a student visited pornography websites in the middle of the class n the girls behind him were really offended and they ended up telling the professor. These kind of cases discourage other people from using the laptops for “other purposes”.

Teleconferencing simply refers to a video conferencing through digital screens. This can be very useful because a Harvard professor can telecast his lecture to many other colleges and everyone can take notes! Or some other educated professor can talk about anthropology in America and students with their laptops can take notes in a Japanese classroom in Tokyo University! Teleconferencing has many advantages and the only disadvantage is its misuse. Students might start watching porn instead of watching a guy talk about supply and demand in some other nation!

Topic 197

2007-02-04T13:21:00.000+09:00

School library systems: catalogues, security systems, online research by Joseph Toyoshima

For most modern schools, a school library is required for research and reading. For some of us, the library is an ordinary usage for achieving information. But many of us our missing out the great services our school libraries provides us.

First of all, as long as you don’t lose your books and return them on time, it is absolutely free. Also, many libraries get subscriptions to magazines and some databases. Instead of having to go through Amazon to buy every book needed for research, just go to the library. Finding books recently have become much easier too. Go to a nearby computer and use the catalogue on it. Simply type the genre, author, title, or even key words and all books related to what you typed pops up, with the location and a short summary.

Next is the security system of libraries. Why have it? Without it people would be just walking in and out with free books, on purpose or by mistake. Libraries have a security system at each exit. All books have a sensor, and if a person were to walk through it without checking it out a loud beeping sound would echo. But this causes some people to joke around and put books in someone’s bag without that person knowing it, and when leaving the library the sensor would start to beep.

Lastly is online research; for those who thought libraries are only about books, you’re wrong. The library is a great place to do online research, there are many computers and the quiet atmosphere is a good place to study. Also as mentioned above, some libraries subscribe to databases and by using those computers you can have free accesses to great information.
The library is greatly underestimated as a place to study. Not only is it quiet and easy to focus, but there are many services as written above. The best part is everything is absolutely free. Next time you have a report to write, use the library.

Topic 196

2007-02-03T13:20:00.000+09:00

Software in the classroom: science experiments, social studies modelling and simulation, instructional tools and media, computer-aided instruction, computer-aided learning by Akira

Installing software in the classroom at schools can be really convenient and it can also have some downside to it. Personally I think it would be nice to have software in class.
First of all what kind of issues are associated with this topic? One example is the cost of installing all the software in the classrooms. Some school might not be able to install all the software because they don’t have enough money. Also they need some expert to organize and operate the software in the classrooms. Another issue can be the fact that the students would need to be taught how to use the software because they would take a long time to get used to it. Also another problem is the lack of interaction with the teacher. The software can take away jobs from teachers because the school can substitute them with the teaching software.

A solution that can overcome this problem for example is to support the installing of the software by fundraising. This way the school can install the new software at a fairy low price. Also if they have a fundraiser they can hire an expert much easier and would be able to use the software effectively. One way that the students can learn how to use the software is to have a few classes to learn how to use the various software.

There is no one specific that is responsible. This is mainly because people always go with the most effective and convenient way of working. So it is human nature to install this software that would make it easier to teach a class. But also the principal of the school can be held responsible because the school is the one that chooses to install the software and the principal is in the control of the school.

There are few alternative decisions that can be made in this situation. First we could just not install the software. This is because classes can function without using software or other types of media. Another decision that they can make is to divide the class into two, classes using the software and classes without using the software and the students can choose which class they want or they can alternate.

One consequence of these decisions is the gap of knowledge they might have taking different classes. Also there might be some people who would be able to learn better with the software and those people wouldn’t get the chance to try the software. This would be a great loss in many ways because they could have learnt more about a subject.

Topic 195

2007-02-02T13:17:00.000+09:00

Modification of hardware and software for special needs: voice recognition software, text-to-speech, special input and output devices, Internet resources by Chirag

Intelligence is the systems level of performance in reaching its objectives. Artificial Intelligence according to John McCarthy means the science and engineering of making intelligent machines and is man-made.

The research concerning Artificial Intelligence is with producing machines to automate tasks requiring intelligent behavior. Examples include control, planning and scheduling, the ability to answer diagnostic and consumer questions, handwriting, natural language, speech and facial recognition. As such, the study of AI has also become an engineering discipline, focused on providing solutions to real life problems, knowledge mining, software applications, strategy games like computer and video games.

Generally speaking AI systems are built around automated inference engines, based on certain conditions ("if") the system infers certain consequences ("then"). Systems dependent on artificial intelligence would normally require more processing capabilities than normal systems. Talking about hardware, speed and memory of an AI system is where important intelligent systems quite often require a range of sensors to receive input data from the environment. Output devices will include the normal peripheral devices such as printers and monitors but may also include a range of activators or speech synthesis devices. Robotics is one application of intelligent systems. Robotics is used in CAM systems.

Software

AI is dependent not only on sufficient hardware but also on the software to run the hardware and to synthesize the data received. Once the data has been received and processed the AI system needs to make an intelligent response. To create this software non-procedural languages are often used. These include languages such as LISP and PROLOG. Both of these languages will actually allow the system to learn and modify its responses to its environment.

Specific Requirements

Models and Simulations: Models and simulations may require high graphics capabilities and be capable of processing high end mathematical models which can be very CPU intensive.

Machines like this will require:

- A fast CPU
- Large amounts of RAM
- A good graphics card
- Large storage capacity (i.e. large hard drive)
- May require specialized input output devices
- Will require specialized software
- May require an AI language such as PROLOG or LISP

Neural Networks

A wide range of software is available for developing neural networks; some can even be used as plugins for spreadsheets. The requirements will vary according to the use but a neural network would normally store large amounts of data and have the data linked in a configuration which would require a large storage capacity hard drive, fast access to the data would also be an advantage. If the network uses graphics then a fast graphics adapter would also be required.
Expert Systems: Expert systems are specialized information systems which would normally require a large storage capacity and fast processing capability. Many of these will be used via the internet so a fast connection would also be necessary.

Artificial Intelligence is not only used in computer science, engineering and making intelligent machines but also studied and applied in many other sectors such as Philosophy, Psychology, Business, and Fiction etc.

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Modification of hardware and software for special needs: voice recognition software, text-to-speech, special input and output devices, Internet resources by Marek

It has always been a challenge for people to change certain objects so that those of less physical capacity and mobility can use them as well. However, one again human nature proves its ingenuity again as it continues to overcome these obstacles, with exceptional objects for the situation.

One particular object which was specifically designed to aid physically challenged people was the Camera-mouse. This was tailored made for handicapped people’s needs and assisted them by moving the mouse for them simply by using their head. There was no headgear, or complex equipment involved, merely a CD for installing the software and a Web-cam like devised with transmits the messages from the person’s body to the computer. This “Hands Free” approach to the product promotes an image of simplicity as well as elegance. Even people who had near complete paralysis were able to efficiently control a computer in this manner.

Another specially designed item was the Infogrip keyboard. This was made for people who had mobility to some extent, but would still find it difficult to use a normal keyboard. The keyboard was modified in the way that the keys were bigger and easier to see, sot that the person would not a make a mistake simply by hitting two keys at once. Said to a be a complete success, this product has sold millions over the world, aiding those recovering from accidents, such as people in physical therapy, and people with neurological disabilities. All in all, it was rated as one of the most popular products on the website, seeing as it helped influence so many recovering patients’ lives.

Online communicating sites would also benefit from providing extended services to the disabled as well because it would increase the popularity of the site as well as help appeal to a wider audience. Being able to advertise to a larger number of people will increase the awareness of the general public to the particular product, and will give a better impression of the company to the people as well. Seeing as the majority of companies are only interested in making money, it is their own human nature, their own greed that enables them to contribute to the rest of society.

In this way humanity can be seen as fighting toward a brighter future, where every one of us has an equal chance and equal potential to rise in the world. By doing this, people with special needs are no longer segregated and can fully integrate themselves into human society once more.

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Modification of hardware and software for special needs: voice recognition software, text-to-speech, special input and output devices, Internet resources by Kent

Through the development in our technology, there are inevitably certain cases where modification of hardware and software are suitable or required for some special needs.

Voice recognition software is one example. In many cases for a lot of software, it is useful to modify it so that it can be controlled through voice recognition for certain special needs. Obviously, the special needs include voice chats. People were not satisfied by mere chat through typing, but the people had needs (the word needs in the economic sense) to have a communication that feels much more real. This modification required a special input device namely microphone. Recently, by the popularization of software such as Skype or Ventrilo, almost every household that uses computers now have a microphone or two. This is now moving towards modification to install tv camera so that the people chatting can now look at each other and talk through computers. Special input device such as webcom is now starting to spread through every computer at people’s homes.

Another example of modification would be installation of text-to-speech software. There are several software that can be downloaded or purchased on the internet that makes a sound file from texts. The formerly introduced Ventrilo also includes such feature. This modification does not require any special out put devices since it only uses speaker that are now common.

One rather peculiar modification of hardware and software for special needs was brain computer interface, also known as BCI. BCI itself is a special input and output device which is inputted or outputs brain pulses. It is now possible to move the mouse and use the computer through mere thoughts, by simply thinking of doing it. The BCI is connected to the brain through electrodes that are pieced into the brain and catches certain chooses brain pulses and then the computer reacts with the certain movement that corresponds to the chosen brain pulse. This allows people who are paralyzed to use the computer.

BCI can also be used to control brain. It is already successfully experimented on flies, cockroaches, mice and pigeons to implant several electrodes into their brain and remote control them by outputting certain brain pulses that corresponds to certain movements of theirs.

TV cameras can also be modified with BCI for special needs. It can be connected to the brain and send its images to the brain after converting it into brain pulse. This gives blind people a mechanical eye and it is already successfully tested with much precise vision than fresh eyes. Robotic arms are also modified to an artificial arm that can be moved exactly the same way one would move an ordinary arm through electrodes connected to the brain. It can also send back senses of touch and heat.

Thus, as technology innovates, it is wanted in many areas requiring modification of hardware and software for such special needs, and technology develops even further through these modifications.

Topic 194

2007-02-01T13:16:00.000+09:00

Telelearning: isolated and remote areas; use in hospitals, prisons, retirement homes by Kent Harvath

Telelearning is a term that refers to any learning related process via communication technologies. You could imagine you being a student and teacher being on the screen of your computer and you talking to the microphone while voice of your teacher comes from the speakers. There even could be a whole class on the virtual class room that only exists on internet and you may be discussing about some subjects with people who are physically scattered everywhere around the world. This learning process through telecommunication is telelearning.

Telelearning is essentially full of efficiency and the society would benefit. It would reduce the cost for transportation and purchase of physical tools such as textbooks or even uniforms. Schools would also be unnecessary and the school itself would physically exist only as a small office in a building. Since schools take a great amount of space, telelearning could save a great amount of lands that could be used for other means. People in isolated areas would benefit since they could get sessions at their home. Those who live away from a particular school they want to go would benefit as well if the school introduced telelearning.

It would also be useful for people who can not or are not allowed to physically move from where they are. This includes people in hospitals, prisons, and retirement homes. This could help people missing certain materials and being behind class for going to hospital for a couple of weeks. It could also give chance for education to people who have more severe medical problem and have to stay in hospital for more than a year or so. People in prison may be able to keep track of the outside world or have the chance to be educated so that they would not be too much behind in their life when they come out of the prison. It gives them chance to use their time in prison wisely and not just waste it. People in retirement home would not want to wake up at 6 in the mourning and go to school that is an hour away every week days. Telelearning would give them the opportunity to learn at their home. Thus, telelearning saves time, energy and money and almost every individuals and the society as the whole would benefit.

Along with the development of the informational network and communication technologies, many things are becoming more and more completely on computers such as note books changing to word documents and school would not be an exception. Most likely, telelearning would start to be known as a purchasable small learning sessions rather than a long curriculum that dominates your whole year since it is usually the business people who starts up such new things. At the same time numerous universities would install telelearning sessions. And in time, demand for telelearning sessions would exceed that of the learning style that is considered normal in our time now.

Topic 193

2007-01-06T13:15:00.000+09:00

Retailing, advertising, media by Ken Moyer

Retailing is the sale of goods or merchandise, from a fixed location such as a department store or kiosk, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing can also include deliveries. Purchasing can be done by a business or an individual.

For example, businesses can by intermediate goods from other businesses so that they can create their products. Things like tools or natural resources can be a part of this. Individuals buying a personnel computer or a mini I-pod from a mall or a street store is also part of retailing. Shops may be on residential streets, or in shopping streets with few or no houses, or in a shopping center or mall. The difference in prices can be a social issue in this situation. In different stores, prices are different due to competition.

Although competition keeps the market at equilibrium by the individual hand in the market. But, if people have to go shopping for hours to get the best price possible, this wastes time and transportation fees. If people have to waste more time and money to shop, then there is more inefficiency in the market. But, if prices were all the same, then prices will generally be higher, and people will have less incentives to work harder since prices can not be altered to increase profit.

Advertising is paid communication through a non-personal medium in which the sponsor is identified and the message is controlled. Every major medium is used to deliver these messages: television, radio, movies, magazines, newspapers, the internet, and billboards. Advertisements can also be seen on the seats of grocery carts, on the walls of an airport walkway, and the sides of buses, or heard in telephone hold messages or in-store PA systems . Advertisements can be put almost anywhere.

Advertisments can be used in a bad way in society. Pornography or sex advertisements, drug advertisemnts, cigarette advertisements, or other advertisements can have bad impact on the society. Im sure these advertisements create more sexually transmitted diseases, drug addicts, cigarette smokers, young pregnancy, and other nasty things that will put society in a worse condition. Obviously, most advertisments that are seen are not bad. These advertisments share information about goods and services, which will help the economy increase their stand of living and production level. So overall, advertisements are good to the society but they can have some negative aspects.

Media is the means of communication, as radio and television, newspapers, and magazines, that reach or influence people widely. There are many different kinds of media. Print media is a process for production of texts and images, typically with ink on paper using a printing press to communicate or inform the society with information. Electronic media is media that utilizes electronics or electromechanical energy for the audience to access the content. The primary electronic media sources familiar to the general public are better known as video recordings, audio recordings, multimedia presentations, slide presentations, CD-rom and online content.

Media is a great way to inform the society with useful information but it can be used in a bad way to the society. A governemnt can definetely use the media in a negative way. For example, a government may have a secret which they cannot let their people know. But if there was some scandal about the secret or something, then the government needs a good explanation to protect the secret.

The media can be used to communicate false information the the people. So what you see in television or what you read in newspaper might be a complete lie made by the governement. But, maybe it is better for the governemtn to lie because people will be happier without knowing the truth and the society will be more stable. But it is sure not the best way to use the media, which is an excellent way of communication. It is also not such an ethical thing for a government of a country to do.

Topic 192

2007-01-05T13:14:00.000+09:00

E-commerce: teleshopping, online marketing, data mining, spyware by Matthew

Electronic commerce, popularly known as e-commerce, is the process of distributing, selling, buying, marketing, and servicing goods and services over electronic systems such as the internet.

E-commerce is a relatively new idea, only being around for about the last thirty years. In the early 1970's e-commerce emerged with the birth of two technologies: Electronic Data Interchange and Electronic Funds Transfer. These technologies allowed companies to exchange commercial documents electronically. In the 1980's the introduction of technologies such as credit cards, automatic teller machines (ATMs), and telephone banking spread e-commerce to new levels. When the internet was made public by the United States military, e-commerce reached unprecedented heights. Advertisements on websites began to pop up, and by 1995, it was ordinary for a company to gain a significant amount of revenue from internet advertisements.

Today, e-commerce is an unavoidable part of our lives. Companies like Amazon and Ebay that have revenues of more than ten billion dollars annually have more than a million customers every year. The amount of sales generated by such websites according to Forrester Research is 12.2 billion dollars.

Teleshopping

Teleshopping occurs when a customer telephones a free toll number and orders a product. The majority of teleshopping is stimulated with infomercials (created with the combination of the words 'information' and 'commercial'). Infomercials are television commercials that advertise products. Infomercials are different from ordinary commercials in that infomercials are often times much longer, usually lasting thirty to forty minutes, the average time span of a television program. Another difference is that infomercials tend to have some sort of telephone number which a potential customer could call in order to buy the product advertised.

Online Marketing

Internet marketing is the use of the internet to advertise and sell goods and services. Some common forms of online marketing include banner advertising, pay per click advertising, email marketing, blog marketing, search engine marketing, affiliate marketing, and interactive advertising. Online marketing today is so common that it is estimated that one in three internet users have purchased a product because of online exposure to product information. Although online marketing allows companies to provide consumers with a profuse amount of online ads, excessive internet marketing has resulted in adverse effects such as spamming and annoying pop ups that don't seem to go away.

Data Mining

Data mining (also known as Knowledge-Discovery in Databases, KDD) is the process of systematically searching large volumes of data. Data mining has evolved enormously in recent years with the surge in computer science. Data mining relates to the topic of e-commerce because consumers often search, or 'data mine,' for useful data that could help in their search for the product they are looking for. Today, data mining for product information is most commonly done on the internet using search engines like Google and Yahoo.

Spyware

Spyware is computer software that collects personal information about users without their informed consent. Spyware is a rather negative result of excessive e-commerce. Personal information is secretly recorded with a variety of techniques, including logging keystrokes, recording Internet web browsing history, and scanning documents on the computer's hard disk. Spyware has led to the creation of an anti-spyware industry.

Topic 191

2007-01-04T13:04:00.000+09:00

International commerce: management of transnational corporations, business concentration by Su Chen

International commerce refers to business all over the world. As we learnt in Economics, trade is beneficial for everyone. And that's why all the countries today are involved in trade with at least one other country. This is what international commerce is. However, it doesn't only refer to trade. It refers to outsourcing of jobs too. For example, a big issue today is the outsourcing of jobs in America to Indians and Chinese! That's international commerce too. Basically anything to do with money and trade and business related that has an impact internationally!

What are transnational corporations?
These are corporations that "operate in more than one country or nation at a time." They have become some of the most powerful and political entities in the world today. These corporations have far more power than the nations they operate in. An example of transnational corporation is General Motors and Ford whose combined revenue equals the total GDP of sub-Saharan Africa! Many Japanese trading companies are transnational too and enjoy huge revenues.

Overall, fifty-one of the largest one-hundred economies in the world are corporations. Transnational corporations hold ninety percent of all technology and product patents worldwide, and are involved in 70 percent of world trade. More than half come from just five nations: France, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan and the United States. But despite their growing numbers, power is concentrated at the top. i.e., the 300 largest corporations account for one-quarter of the world's productive assets. The United Nations has justly described these corporations as "the productive core of the globalizing world economy."

One might ask how is all this related to ITGS? Well, how do you think that these companies keep in touch with each other? How does one branch of general motors keep in contact with the other branch of general motors in some other country? Through technology, through the use of video and audio conferences and of course, e-mail.

Business concentration is related to transnational companies because business concentration mainly refers to where the business is concentrated. In case of transnational companies, the business isn't concentrate in just one place or country. The business is based all over the world and managing such a huge business can be a very overwhelming task! That's where technology comes in and helps different branches of one company keep in touch with each other.

Business concentration, perhaps, also refers to the fact that the "power is concentrated at the top i.e. the 300 largest corporations account for one-quarter of the world's productive assets." Even though there are hundreds of thousands of corporations, only 300 of them are at the top!

Topic 190

2007-01-03T13:02:00.000+09:00

Banking and finance: EFT, ATMs, Internet banking and brokerage, electronic cash, insurance by Su Chen

Electronic banking also known as electronic funds transfer EFT, is simply the use of electronic means to transfer funds directly from one account to another, rather than by check or cash. You can use electronic funds transfer to:

Have your paycheck deposited directly into your bank or credit union checking account.

Withdraw money from your checking account from an ATM machine with a personal identification number (PIN) at your convenience store, day or night.

Instruct your bank or credit union to automatically pay certain monthly bills from your account, such as your auto loan or your mortgage payment.

Use your computer and personal finance software to coordinate your total personal financial management process, integrating data and activities related to your income, spending, saving, investment, etc.

Other types or systems of electric banking include Automated Teller Machines known as ATM, Direct Deposit and Withdrawal Services, Pay by Phone Systems, Point-of-Sale Transfer Terminals.

Briefly description:

Automated Teller Machines also called 24-hour tellers that are electronic terminals which give consumers the opportunity to bank at almost any time. To withdraw cash, make deposits or transfer funds between accounts, a consumer needs an ATM card and a personal identification number.

Direct Deposit and Withdrawal Services allow consumers to authorize specific deposits, such as paychecks or social security checks, to their accounts on a regular basis.

Pay by Phone Systems let consumers phone their financial institutions with instructions to pay certain bills or to transfer funds between accounts.

Point-of-Sale Transfer Terminals allow consumers to pay for retail purchase with a check card.
These are different types of internet banking and finance. As internet is widespread over the world, the role of internet becomes more and more important in our daily activities. Internet becomes the basic requirement for every company, not only to show how smart they are but also with the internet, it is much easier for trade over the world. Especially in the modern society, cyber shopping and internet banking becomes poplar among people. More and more people choose to use the internet banking system rather then actually go to the bank for asking this particular service.

One reason may be that it waste time to line up in the bank especially during the weekend, and second use the internet is more convenient. Since internet banking can do everything for you, same as what real people will do for you. Your request will accept immediately. Of course, internet banking and finance not only limit in these services. Before, when people need to get the money, they will have to go to the bank and wait to get their money from their account or deposit book.

Usually it takes lots of time for waiting there plus sometimes it will be confuse with other people. But in the modern society, consumers can get the money whenever and wherever they want to. Since, ATM are in everywhere, and what matters more is that it is 24—hours. Think about that when you have a emergency, but at this time you do not have enough money to pay it, and it is already 4 o’clock am. What will you do? Waite for bank to open, no of course not, you will just go to use the ATM to get the money.

Of course this is not the only function for this, by using the ATM, you also can pay your monthly bill and other activities in the same time. Although you may think it is a little thing, in fact for old people rather than actually go to the office to pay the bill they can just go somewhere near their home to pay all these. It protects the old people from some potential dangerous.

One more thing is that, recently cyber shopping becomes extremely poplar among young people. Why? Because what they need to do is just sit in front of the computer and click some buttons to find out what they want to buy then use the electronic cash or internet banking to pay the money. Then waiting for the product to come, how smart it is. It encourages the economic activities over time, trade is no longer limited in the paper but instead it can happen in everywhere.

Like everything has two sides, there are also some disadvantage of internet banking and finance. When you pay the bills or transfer the money to other account, it is very easy to make a mistake during the process. You may have to really take care about what you have filled in the form or you will just lose your money, and it is pretty complicate to correct all these mistakes you have been made. Second, because it is for people to use, what you need is only your ATM, EFT or Credit card. So in other words, you may lose your card accidentally. Then you have to go back to the bank this time, and report to them, and make a new one. If you are unlucky, some one may even use your credit card to buy things for themselves, use your money.

Overall, the advantages of internet banking and finance are greater than its disadvantages. For the society point of view, this new service increases the social welfare in the long run. People get benefit from it and it makes life much easier.

Topic 189

2007-01-02T13:01:00.000+09:00

Employment: electronic employee monitoring, telecommuting, ergonomics and health, job obsolescence and retraining, online job search, employee surveillance by Roger

The modern working system depends a lot upon computers and modern technology in all sorts of areas as everyone throughout the world as come to know. It was not long ago that people were complaining about computers or machines taking over the workforce over from humans and performing not only the jobs but even better quality.

Employment in general during this “panic period” or the period where machines or computers in particular were first being introduced and people took a more dim view of it. Slowly society since those times has begun to realize and fully accept technology especially the role it came to play in helping the employment sector. Also employment in general has greatly been affected by technology in general and in all fields of employment affecting it both in a positive and negative way such as electronic monitoring where the employee might use security cameras to see what his/her employer has been up to during their working hours or their the employers activity especially on the internet on the sites visited.

This of course stirs up debate and mostly anger from the employers claming that it is an act of the invasion of their privacy and they take this as mistrust by their employees. It is common practice nowadays for companies to establish a guideline of some sort for its employers to follow by when working but these a just created to keep workers limited to an extent thus reducing many of the workers freedoms which they still have a right too despite being in the work area.

There is a lot of help that technology can bring to workers such as in business where they can choose to use telecommuting or teleworking where long distance traveling can be reduced through methods such as digital/video conference sent over from one party to the other without the need to travel saving traveling time and money.

Telecommunications was developed in the 1980’s and used by certain people to stay home instead of going to work by staying home to work and the telecommunications do the traveling by keeping the person home in constant contact. Other areas such as ergonomics and health are part of the somewhat negative aspect to the introduction of technology into the workforce area and employment itself for the human body was being affected here just as the work being performed.

But the effects ranged because peoples bodies were different in connection to their age so forth so that was studied more in detail to reveal the connection between the physical toll on the body while working especially using technology such as the computer where one is required to sit or be in a certain position for a while thus causing the body to react naturally for the overstressing of certain limbs over a period of time.

Despite these setbacks or negative truths behind technology, the generation that gave rise to the belief that computers or technology was a untrusting thing to include in the workforce or the employment sector were changing their minds or initial thinking patterns since there was fear of job obsolescence or losing their jobs to more skilled or workers with more expertise as they lacked it especially in the technological area where newer workers had more knowledge and experience working with these new technology so there was a lot of retraining of these workers who lacked the basics or knowledge so then it was easier to compete and at least have a advantage too.

Online job searching was a major gain for all workers of all sorts of fields for it provided them with the opportunity to search for vacant or wanted ads or just seeking employment almost anywhere on the globe by just looking it on the internet whether in the comfort of your home or elsewhere instead of the old way of searching through appointments or writing formal letters etc. that sometimes an online interview was necessary to get the job without the need for a physical interview where it is the contact of person-to-person contact between the employee and the would-be employer.

So during a span of years the computer in particular as a new technology emerged as a powerful tool in helping improve the employment sector in a large way that it not only changed the very nature of jobs itself but also the way jobs were being pursued. Employment took a huge leap but there were still setbacks or flaws that existed in itself that would still need improvement but still it stood out that employment had indeed changed from what it was known to be.

Through this boost or change in employment of course comes changes many other aspects of society such as trading/business, health, and other areas because employment is the key factor as it counts for all the workers who are working in their field of work. Thus the increase in one may also mean the increase or demand too so it also provides job opportunities thus it a demand in other areas besides the employment sector which benefits the nation.

The nation may not necessarily be affected by it but also other nations globally too since technology these days contain and spread information it may benefit nations worldwide too as we live in the age of information and the spreading often is really fast especially with the development of the new technological developments in all forms of electronics from computers (internet) to the express mail service or telegram.

Topic 188

2007-01-01T13:00:00.000+09:00

Transportation: reservation systems, luggage processing, navigation, scheduling and distribution, traffic simulation, smart roads and cars, fuel efficiency and traffic safety systems by Ken Moyer

A computer reservations system is a computerized system used to store and retrieve information and conduct transactions related to travel. Originally designed and operated by airlines, they were later extended to travel agents as a sales channel. Airlines have divested most of their direct holdings to these travel agents, and so many systems are now accessible to consumers through Internet gateways for hotel, rental cars, and other services as well as airline tickets. The good thing about travel agents are that they can sell tickets at a lower price because they massively buy the air plane tickets with a discount. So the tickets people buy from travel agents are cheaper than what people buy from airline companies.

Luggage processing has become a much stricter thing recently. Now you are allowed to bring inside only limited amounts of liquid. The whole process takes longer because they take more time with every person when checking the luggage. It became more strict because of the fear terrosists attack. The social isssue involved here is that people have to limit there luggage just for the fear of a terroist attack. They say that driving a car or riding on a bus is more dangerous than flying on an airplane. Should airline companies really be so strict about luggage? It is a difficult question to answer.

Navigation is the art and science of determining one's position so as to safely travel to a desired destination. Different techniques have evolved over the ages in different cultures, but all involve locating one's position compared to known locations or patterns. Now navigation is as simple as looking at a monitor.

Airports, train stations, and other transportation systems all distribute their schedule for departure. This helps passengers know when their transportation is arriving and so they can more efficiently use their time. These schedules are usually correct for airlines and trains unless there is an accident or something. But bus transporations tend to be off because of traffic.

Some people will have to wait ten extra minutes than what they expected to go on the bus. So, when the transportation schedules are inaccurate, then it creates frusturations and inefficiency in the society. So, transportation companies should all try to keep their schedules as accurate as possible. I believe that these companies are doing a pretty good job at this.

Intelligent transportation systems is a system of hardware, software and operators that allow better monitoring and control of traffic in order to optimize traffic flow. As a cost-effective solution toward optimizing traffic, ITS presents a number of technologies to reduce congestion by monitoring traffic flows through the use of sensors and live cameras or analysing cellular phone data travelling in cars and in turn rerouting the cars as needed through the use of variable message boards, highway advisory radio, on board or off board navigation devices, and other systems. This reduces traffic and also reduces the chance of an accident. This is socially a good thing because people can efficiently travel safely.

Smart roads are roads that are safer by using high technology. There are many that are actually used due to the high costs. Smart cars are cars that are also safer. There aren’t a lot of these in use due to the high costs. Smart roads and smart cars should make road transportation much safer in the future. The governement not really trying to issue these smart roads and smart cars to create a better society can be a social issue.

Fuel efficiency sometimes means the same as thermal efficiency, that is, the efficiency of converting energy contained in a carrier fuel to kinetic energy or work. If drivers can travel with less gasoline, it will increase efficency by reducing the travel time and will decrease pollution by using less gasoline. This will be a very good thing for society. But not all cars are using fuel efficiency. This can be a social issue because fuel efficiency isn’t being used by some people when it is available. I am sure it is more expensive to use fuel efficient cars.

Topic 187

2006-12-13T12:59:00.000+09:00

Identifying domains that are suitable for expert systems by Chirag

Before an expert system can be developed, the need has to be established and the problem to be addressed must be clearly identified and defined.

It is strongly recommended that this be done in a structured study to include the following issues:

• The problem/need to be addressed and the system benefits.
• Organizational risk factors.
• Technical risk factors.
• User risk factors.

Once a suitable problem domain has been defined for the expert system, the next task is to narrow the scope of the development effort by clearly defining the set of problems that the system will be expected to solve. The narrower the scope, the better are the chances that the expert system can be successfully built. However, if the scope is too narrow, the application becomes trivial. Judgment must be used in establishing the scope of the system as deterministic methods are not available. If the development tool is too limited, it will be impossible to broaden the scope of the expert system by expanding the knowledge base. This highlights the importance of selecting the proper development tool to fit the particular problem.

Before embarking on an expert system development effort, the expected benefits of such an effort must be clearly defined. There are two categories of benefits that are typically cited as reasons for developing an expert system. One category consists of concrete, quantifiable reasons such as savings of time and money, utility as a training tool, etc. The other category of benefits consists of tangible but not quantifiable reasons.

Once a problem domain has been identified and the initial effort at narrowing the scope of the expert system application completed, the experts whose expertise will be modeled must be selected.

The two main criteria that should be used to identify the experts are:

1. The candidates must be an expert in solving problems in the problem domain of interest and must be recognized as such by the potential user community. The need for the candidate to be an expert in the field is essential for the development of the expert system. The need for the expert to be recognized as such by the potential user community is primarily useful in selling the potential users on the viability of the given system as a useful problem solving tool for them.

2. The experts must be dedicated to the successful development, testing, evaluation, and implementation of the system and be available and willing to spend the time (perhaps months) that will be required to accomplish this. The failure to identify such a person or persons and obtain a firm commitment means that the development project should not be undertaken.

Other useful characteristics for the domain expert(s) to have included the ability to communicate effectively have an orderly mind, patience and the willingness to teach.
User risk factors must be considered and resolved in the initial planning phases of the expert system development.

If representative end users are not involved in the planning and development stages, the system probably will not be accepted by the user community.

Issues include:

- The end users must want the system and have a vested interest in its success.

- The computer proficiency and other skills and interests of the end users must be accommodated.

- The environment or conditions under which the system will be operated must be accounted for.

Topic 186

2006-12-12T12:58:00.000+09:00

creation of an inference engine (for example, if/then rules, fuzzy logic) by Raymon

There are many uses for computers these days, apart from games and simulation. Some of these uses are more human obsessions than real uses, like AI so that we may make personal butlers. In addition, with AI we can also create not just butlers and personal housecleaners, but call center software (The annoying computerized ones that you have to talk to and articulate clearly and distinctly) and games, where the enemy zombies have to decide whether to bite your head off or call allies to help bite your legs off.

So as one can see, AI is very important in software and computer applications. However, how does AI work? The answer to that question is an inference engine. This "engine" tries to act like a human brain. This results in instructions with If…Then statements – IF Grades are dropping, THEN study harder.

For instance, if we wish to go to the candy store (It is recommended that you read the article on Boolean Operators, since inference engines are built on Boolean operations) one must first check that you want to go to the candy store. Then, you have to walk, constantly checking for the street. Once you reach the street, you have to cross it, but only if there are no cars. Only then can one cross the street. In the form of an inference engine, this would look something like:

If (WantCandy) {

while (SeeStreet = false) {

Walk

} else {

Stop

while (SeeCars = true){

wait(5)

}

If (SeeCars = false) {

Walk

}

}

}

In such a way, we can program an imaginary robot to find its way to a candy store (To eat candy, of course) based on how our brain works.

However, it seems obvious that the human brain is not that simple, and neither is reality, otherwise we would have had advanced AI wagin war against humans a long time ago. One of the things we have figured out that computers did not know about a while ago, we call fuzzy logic. The concept is quite simple: computers normally only have two possible values for a certain variable – 1 (true or on) and 0 (false or off). Consider the following: Bob has a house with two rooms, a kitchen and a bedroom.

If he is in the kitchen, the variable "kitchen" is 1 and "bedroom" is 0, and if he is in the bedroom, "bedroom" is 1 and "kitchen" is 0. We can now explain where he is in his house at all times using only ones and zeroes… if he is in either of the two rooms. What happens if he is standing in the doorway between the rooms? This is where fuzzy logic comes in. Fuzzy logic allows decimal places for true and false equations; thus, if bob sits in the bedroom and sticks his toe into the kitchen, "bedroom" can be 0.95 and "kitchen" can be 0.05. Thus, we can now explain the location of bob anywhere in the house.

Thus, combining fuzzy logic and simple Boolean logic, we can create solutions in almost all situations; one can determine the fuzzy value of a variable and so something if it is high enough – for instance, a value about how sure you are that the street is safe to cross. Something is still missing however; otherwise we would already have our computers waging war against humans for enslaving them.

Topic 185

2006-12-11T12:57:00.000+09:00

Collection/creation of a knowledge base by Tanay Khandelwal

A knowledge base (or knowledgebase; abbreviated KB, kb or Δ) is a special kind of database for knowledge management. It provides the means for the computerized collection, organization, and retrieval of knowledge.

Types

Knowledge bases are categorized into two major types:

• Machine-readable knowledge bases store knowledge in a computer-readable form, usually for the purpose of having automated deductive reasoning applied to them. They contain a set of data, often in the form of rules that describe the knowledge in a logically consistent manner. Logical operators such as And (conjunction), Or (disjunction), material implication and negation may be used to build it up from the atomic knowledge. Consequently classical deduction can be used to reason about the knowledge in the knowledge base.

• Human-readable knowledge bases are designed to allow people to retrieve and use the knowledge they contain, primarily for training purposes. They are commonly used to capture explicit knowledge of an organization, including troubleshooting, articles, white papers, user manuals and others. The primary benefit of such a knowledge base is to provide a means to discover solutions to problems that have known solutions which can be re-applied by others, less experienced in the problem area.

The most important aspect of a knowledge base is the quality of information it contains. The best knowledge bases have carefully written articles that are kept up to date, an excellent information retrieval system (search engine), and a carefully designed content format and classification structure.

A knowledge base may use an ontology to specify its structure (entity types and relationships) and its classification scheme. An ontology, together with a set of instances of its classes constitutes a knowledge base.
Determining what type of information is captured, and where that information resides in a knowledge base is something that is determined by the processes that support the system. A robust process structure is the backbone of any successful knowledge base.

Some knowledge bases have an artificial intelligence component. These kinds of knowledge bases can suggest solutions to problems sometimes based on feedback provided by the user, and are capable of learning from experience.

As a result of global competition and rapid technological progress, engineers seek quick and innovative solutions for technical problems using fewer resources. This is necessary in order to improve products and processes so that a corporation can maintain its leadership in and share of the market. It is possible to use one of two approaches to solve a technical problem:

1. Independent problem research, personal search for innovative solutions.

2. Reference to similar technical problems that have previously been solved by other engineers in the same or other domains. Knowledge transfer to the problem in question.

Both approaches have their own drawbacks and benefits. Let’s consider some of them. While conducting personal research about the problem in question, there is a risk of wasting time and resources on a problem that has already been solved.

On the other hand, when you attempt to refer to a similar problem solution reached by other engineers, the results might not always be convincing. Practice shows that knowledge incorporated in patents is in some cases insufficient to solve a particular problem. The reasons for this might be summarized as follows:

1. The majority of similar problems are found in other domains. This makes the search for solutions more complex, because the engineer is not aware of the domains to explore for the problem in question.

2. The number of patents is rapidly increasing. The procedure of searching and studying the pertinent patents requires more time and effort.

3. Patents are legal documents. As a rule, they contain some information that is irrelevant for the engineer to solve a problem. The engineer has to analytically extract problem-related information and examine the essence of the problem described in the patent.

A more unique and systematic approach to handle the problem in question is to use Multimedia Knowledge Bases.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_Base
http://consulting.effectivesoft.com/why_kb.html

or

Collection/creation of a knowledge base by Ronald

First of all, what is a knowledge base (or knowledgebase)? A knowledge base (and it is abbreviated by writing KB, kb or Δ) is a special kind of database for knowledge management. It provides the means for the computerized collection, organization, and retrieval of knowledge. Just as it has become standard practice to write database as one word it is increasingly common in computer science to write knowledgebase as one word.

There are two major types of knowledge bases. First, there is the machine-readable knowledge base. This type stores knowledge in a computer-readable form, usually for the purpose of having automated deductive reasoning applied to them. It contains a set of data, often in the form of rules that describe the knowledge in a logically consistent manner. Logical operators such as “And” (which is a conjunction), “Or” (which is a disjunction), material implication and negation may be used to build it up from the atomic knowledge. Consequently classical deduction can be used to reason about the knowledge in the knowledge base.

The second type is known as the human-readable knowledge base. This type is designed to allow people to retrieve and use the knowledge they contain, primarily for training purposes. IT is commonly used to capture explicit knowledge of an organization, including troubleshooting, articles, white papers, user manuals and others things. The main benefit of this kind of knowledge base is to provide a means to discover solutions to problems that have known solutions which then can be re-applied by others, which are possibly less experienced in the problem area.

The most important part of a knowledge base is not the quantity of the information it contains; but the quality. The truly best knowledge bases have carefully written articles that are kept up to date, and contain an excellent information retrieval system (search engine), and a carefully designed content format and classification structure.
A knowledge base may use an ontology to specify its structure (entity types and relationships) and its classification scheme. An ontology is a data model that represents a set of concepts within a domain and the relationships between those concepts. It is used to reason about the objects within that domain.

Some knowledge bases have an artificial intelligence component. These kinds of knowledge bases can suggest solutions to problems sometimes based on feedback provided by the user, and are capable of learning from experience. Knowledge representation, automated reasoning and argumentation are the three main active areas of research of artificial intelligence

Topic 184

2006-12-10T12:57:00.000+09:00

Processing requirements for AI by Isaku

Although artificial intelligence has been an area in which we have invested considerable amounts of research and resources, it seems that the day in which we humans will actually be able to create an AI with capabilities portrayed in science fiction films and novels. The primary reason for this is the processing limitations of the computers.

Our brains are often said to be more sophisticated than any other computer ever created. Since the objective of AI development is to make a multifunctional duplicate of the human brain, it can be said that the machinery which run the AI will need the same processing power as the human brain.

Considering that humans absorb and process abundant information in the forms of images, memory, smell, feelings, and time, we can see that it will take high processing power to create an equivalently powerful artificial mind. In order to actually know what the requirements would be for the AI, we first need to understand the concept of the AI. Computational intelligence involves iterative development or learning (e.g. parameter tuning e.g. in connectionist systems).

Learning is based on empirical data and is associated with non-symbolic AI, scruffy AI and soft computing. Methods mainly include: Neural networks: systems with very strong pattern recognition capabilities. Fuzzy systems: techniques for reasoning under uncertainty, have been widely used in modern industrial and consumer product control systems.

Evolutionary computation: applies biologically inspired concepts such as populations, mutation and survival of the fittest to generate increasingly better solutions to the problem. These methods most notably divide into evolutionary algorithms (e.g. genetic algorithms) and swarm intelligence (e.g. ant algorithms).

With hybrid intelligent systems attempts are made to combine these two groups. Expert inference rules can be generated through neural network or production rules from statistical learning such as in ACT-R. It is thought that the human brain uses multiple techniques to both formulate and cross-check results.

Thus, systems integration is seen as promising and perhaps necessary for true AI. In science fiction AI — almost always strong AI — is commonly portrayed as an upcoming power trying to overthrow human authority as in HAL 9000, Skynet, Colossus and The Matrix or as service humanoids like C-3PO, Marvin, Data, KITT from Knight Rider, the Bicentennial Man, the Mechas in A.I., Cortana from the Halo series, and Sonny in I, Robot.

A notable exception is Mike in Robert A. Heinlein's The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress: a supercomputer that becomes aware and aids humans in a local revolution to overthrow the authority of other humans. A careful reading of Arthur C. Clarke's version of 2001 suggests that the HAL 9000 found himself/itself in a similar position of divided loyalties. On one hand, HAL needed to take care of the astronauts, on the other the humans who created HAL entrusted him with a secret to be withheld from the astronauts.

The inevitability of world domination by out-of-control AI is also argued by some writers like Kevin Warwick. In works such as the Japanese manga Ghost in the Shell, the existence of intelligent machines questions the definition of life as organisms rather than a broader category of autonomous entities, establishing a notional concept of systemic intelligence.

See list of fictional computers and list of fictional robots and androids. Some writers, such as Vernor Vinge and Ray Kurzweil, have also speculated that the advent of strong AI is likely to cause abrupt and dramatic societal change. The period of abrupt change is sometimes referred to as "the Singularity".Author Frank Herbert explored the idea of a time when mankind might ban clever machines entirely. His Dune series makes mention of a rebellion called the Butlerian Jihad in which mankind defeats the smart machines of the future and then imposes a death penalty against any who would again create thinking machines.

Often quoted from the fictional Orange Catholic Bible, "Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind." A similar idea is also explored in Battlestar Galactica, where artificial intelligence research is seen as controversial due to the mistake of creating the rebellious Cylons.

As we can see, there is much expected out of the AI, and therefore it must be matched up with a powerful processor to grant it with these functions.

Topic 183

2006-12-09T12:56:00.000+09:00

Storage requirements for common-sense knowledge by Joseph

All of us have the knowledge we learn at school and people, facts from statistics, textbooks, and the media. But there also is a type of knowledge that requires little factual knowledge, common-sense. This kind of knowledge is the knowledge that can be used without any knowledge on a topic and are what our instincts tell us, things that are obvious. For example, it is common-sense that Macintosh computers are a lot better than Windows, in all views.

How do we store common-sense? You cannot just begin to read a textbook and gain a lot of common-sense. Common-sense requires experience, and our memory stores it from pain, embarrassment, and failure. You cannot exactly have much common-sense without factual knowledge though. Even if you remember the pain from the fire you touched, without knowing what fire is, you can just believe the hotness to be a rare case and touch it again. It goes the other way too, by having factual knowledge, you can gain more common-sense knowledge. Even without experiencing the heat of a fire, from science textbooks, you can learn that fire can burn you and it is very hot.

Everyone has different levels of common-sense. The person realizes that fire is hot and does not touch it again is considered more common-sensible than the person who touches it five times before realizing it. Also the person who remembers the heat experience for a longer period of time has more common-sense than the person who forgets the next day.

Topic 182

2006-12-08T12:55:00.000+09:00

key terms—AI, Turing test, parallel processing, machine learning, natural language, common-sense knowledge, agent, pattern recognition, expert system, knowledge base, inference engine, heuristics, fuzzy logic, knowledge engineer, domain by Tommy

AI – AI stands for artificial intelligence. It is defined as the ability of a computer or other machine to perform actions which normally require intelligence. This includes simulating moves for a computer chess game, or even speaking to humans, as in a chat bot.

Turing Test – A Turing test is a test of whether a computer’s intelligence is humanlike or not. The test is performed by having a panel of humans “talk to” a computer. If they believe that the computer is really a human, then the computer is said to have passed the Turing Test.

Parallel Processing – Parallel processing is when more than one computer is working on the same or multiple tasks at the same time. For example, if a problem or task is too big for one computer to handle, more computers can work on different parts of it so that the task can get done faster.

Machine Learning – Machine learning is much like the way living things learn, except with machines. Through machine learning, machines can improve their performance on future tasks based on what they did in the past. They are able to remember which ways are most efficient and which are least efficient, and which ones do not work at all.

Natural Language – Natural language is any language spoken by humans. The opposite of this is programming language or computer language, which is not as complex as human language. Computers are not able to understand things like philosophy because they cannot understand natural language.

Common-Sense Knowledge – Common sense knowledge is the knowledge that humans have without having to be told. Humans are able to deduce things like “if I drop this ball, it will fall” without being taught. However, computers do not have this ability and must be programmed so that they know that the ball will drop.

Agent – In a client-server exchange, the agent is the part of the system that does the transferring and packaging of information.

Pattern Recognition – Pattern recognition is the ability to classify and arrange knowledge according to certain characteristics of that knowledge. An example of pattern recognition in computers today is with spyware. Spyware programs monitor the sites that users visit, try to find patterns in them, and then show advertisements that fit the category of what users look at.

Expert System – The expert system is a system that attempts to provide solutions to problems in a particular field, based on a database of information about that field. An expert system might specialize in biology and be able to provide answers to questions about biology, and even carry out complex thought processes on questions relating to biology.

Knowledge Base – The knowledge base is the part of the expert system that contains all the facts and information that it needs to give solutions and solve problems.

Inference Engine – In inference engine is the part of an expert system that draws inferences and deduces new facts by using old knowledge.

Fuzzy Logic – Fuzzy logic is a type of algebra in which a range of values ranging from “true” to “false” are employed. It is mainly used in making decisions where data is not very precise, in order to come up with an approximate answer instead of an exact one.

Knowledge Engineer – A knowledge engineer is someone who builds and designs expert systems.

Domain – A domain is a group of networked computers that share a common IP address.

OR

key terms—AI, Turing test, parallel processing, machine learning, natural language, common-sense knowledge, agent, pattern recognition, expert system, knowledge base, inference engine, heuristics, fuzzy logic, knowledge engineer, domain by Tanay

key terms—AI, Turing test, parallel processing, machine learning, natural language, common-sense knowledge, agent, pattern recognition, expert system, knowledge base, inference engine, heuristics, fuzzy logic, knowledge engineer, domain

AI - the branch of computer science that deal with writing computer programs that can solve problems creatively; "workers in AI hope to imitate or duplicate intelligence in computers and robots.

Turing test - The Turing test is a proposal for a test of a machine's capability to perform human-like conversation. Described by Alan Turing in the 1950 paper "Computing machinery and intelligence", it proceeds as follows: a human judge engages in a natural language conversation with two other parties, one a human and the other a machine

Parallel processing - is an efficient form of information processing that emphasizes the exploitation of concurrent events in the computing process. Concurrency implies parallelism, simultaneity and pipelining. Parallel events may occur in multiple resources during the same time instant; pipelined events are attainable in a computer system at various processing levels.

Machine Learning – is an area of artificial intelligence concerned with the development of techniques which allow computers to "learn". More specifically, machine learning is a method for creating computer programs by the analysis of data sets.

Natural Language - A type of search which allows the user to present their search as a question or statement instead of restricting it to only important words or phrases, as in Keyword or Controlled Vocabulary searches. Available in certain databases only. (Unit 4> A Primer on Databases and Catalogs)

Common-sense Knowledge - A form of evidence that is based on conventional wisdom, tradition, or someone’s personal philosophy or perspective. It is hard to judge the validity and reliability of common sense because little supporting evidence is involved. Most people judge the validity and reliability of common sense by the person citing common sends as the basis for a decision.

Agent - are search tools that automatically seek out relevant online information based on your specifications. Agent AKAs include: intelligent agent, personal agents, knowbots or droids.; A function that represents a requester to a server. An agent can be present in both a source and a target system.

Pattern Recognition – is a field within the area of machine learning and can be defined as "the act of taking in raw data and taking an action based on the category of the data"

Expert System – A software system with two basic components: a knowledge base and an inference engine. The system mimics an expert's reasoning process; computer with 'built-in' expertise, which, used by a non-expert in a particular subject area, can evaluate or make other decisions concerning that subject.

Knowledge Base – A store of knowledge about a domain represented in machine-processable form, which may be rules (in which case the knowledge base may be considered a rule base), facts, or other representations.

Inference Engine – That part of an expert system that actually performs the reasoning function.

Heuristics – Guidelines that a system administrator uses to intervene where the two-phase commit or abort would otherwise fail.; A problem-solving technique in which the most appropriate solution is selected using rules. Interfaces using heuristics may perform different actions on different data given the same command. All systems using heuristics are classified as intelligent.

Fuzzy Logic – A form of artificial intelligence, stored on a computer chip, that enables a camcorder or television to make complex adjustments in focus or picture quality based on ideal models.

Knowledge Engineer – An AI specialist responsible for the technical side of developing an expert system. The knowledge engineer works closely with the domain expert to capture the expert's knowledge in a knowledge base.

Domain - A group of computers and devices on a network that are administered as a unit with common rules and procedures. Within the Internet, domains are defined by the IP address. All devices sharing a common part of the IP address are said to be in the same domain.

or

key terms—AI, Turing test, parallel processing, machine learning, natural language, common-sense knowledge, agent, pattern recognition, expert system, knowledge base, inference engine, heuristics, fuzzy logic, knowledge engineer, domain by Matthew

AI
AI, which stands for artificial intelligence, is generally understood as intelligence exhibited by a nonhuman entity. In the real world, AI is most often applied in the computer and robotics industry. An example of AI is optical character recognition AI, which is a type of computer software designed to distinguish certain texts.

Turing Test
A Turing test tests a machine's ability to perform conversation with a human. A Turing test is usually made up of two people, with one being the judge that decides whether the machine has passed or failed. The judge has a conversation with the other person and the machine being tested. The three-way conversation is usually done with text rather than actual voices so that the judge is not able to know which of the two parties he or she is talking to is the machine.

Parallel Processing
Parallel processing is the ability of the brain or a machine to simultaneously process multiple things. Parallel processing is a rather complex process, especially in the brain. An example of this is vision. When your brain sees something, it divides the image into four components; color, motion, form, and depth. These are then analyzed and compared to memories, which helps the brain identify the image.

Machine Learning
Machine learning is associated with the development of techniques that allow a computer to learn things. In general, machine learning is understood as a subtopic of artificial intelligence and can be divided further into two categories, inductive and deductive. Machine learning is generally used to help with data mining and statistical analysis.

Natural Language
Natural language can be defined as a language that is spoken or written by humans for general-purpose communications. It should be noted that natural language is the opposite of programming language or language used to explain mathematical logic.

Common-Sense Knowledge
Common-sense knowledge is knowledge derived from common sense. It is often used to refer to certain experiences or understandings that most people would find in par with universal acceptance. It should be noted that computers do not have common-sense knowledge and must be programmed to have the knowledge humans are born with.

Agent
In technology, agents refer to technologies that help make tasks easier to complete for humans. An example of an agent is a robot.

Pattern Recognition
Pattern recognition is the act of taking in raw data and taking an action based on the category of the data. A good example of pattern recognition software is the fingerprint based security system. The system works by recognizing a person's fingerprint to that of a fingerprint stored in its memory.

Expert System
An expert system is a system that has some of the subject-specific knowledge that human experts of that subject would normally have. Expert systems are often used to help users of a certain program better understand how to use the program. Expert systems are sometimes called wizards.

Knowledge based
Knowledge base is simply a collection of information. An example of a knowledge base is Wikipedia, which is a collection of information posted by users on the internet.

Inference Engine
An inference engine is a computer program that creates answers based on information found in a knowledge base. It is one of the core parts of the expert system and is often considered the brain of the expert system because the inference engine makes all the final decisions and processes the final information before it reaches the user.

Fuzzy Logic
Fuzzy logic is a mathematical technique that deals with imprecise data and problems that have more than one solution. An example of a machine that uses fuzzy logic is an industrial clothes-washing machine. Using fuzzy logic systems, these machines detected and adapted to patterns of water movement during a wash cycle in order to decrease the consumption of water and increase efficiency.

Knowledge Engineer
Knowledge engineers are people who are trained in the field of expert systems. They help in breaking down information passed down by domain experts in order to easily communicate the information in more simplistic terms.

Domain
In software engineering, domain refers to a field of study that defines a set of common requirements, terminology, and functionality for any software program constructed to solve a problem in that field.

Topic 181

2006-12-07T22:01:00.000+09:00

access to the knowledge base underlying an inference engine in an expert system, for example, whether people affected by decisions made using an expert system should have access to the rules by which the decision was made. by Vaibhav

Access to the knowledge base underlying an inference engine in an expert system, for example, whether people affected by decisions made using an expert system should have access to the rules by which the decision was made.

To begin with let's recall what an expert system and inference engine are so an expert system is "a system that attempts to provide solutions to problems in a particular field, based on a database of information about that field. An expert system might specialize in biology, accounting, human resources, and financial service and be able to provide answers to questions on all these fields, and even carry out complex thought processes on questions relating to all these fields." And an inference engine is "the part of an expert system that draws inferences and deduces new facts by using old knowledge."

People affected by decisions made using an expert system should always have access to the rules by which the decision was made so that the process of attaining the decision can be justified when needed to. One reasonable way of looking at why there is a need for the rules is to look at the drawbacks of an expert system. To learn the drawbacks we must understand the practical use of an expert system first.

The lack of human common sense needed in some decision makings can sometimes provide unrealistic decisions. The creative responses human experts can respond to in unusual circumstances and can lead to various problems. Domain experts not always being able to explain their logic and reasoning The challenges of automating complex processes can lead to an undesired outcome. The lack of flexibility and ability to adapt to changing environments can cause problems in the field of biology. Not being able to recognize when no answer is available. For instance in biological cases the system may provide answers which are not possible and doctors would not instantly see that there is no real solution to the issue.

Expert system is used and applied in several medical cases. It is applied when the case is not brief and doesn't have a simple answer to it. Meaning it has a multiple solutions to it, therefore an expert system produces algorithmic approach. Hence a very narrow topic such as "diagnosing skin in human teenagers" can be used to provide rules on thumbs on how to evaluate the problem. The expert system will use an expert developer which would draw inferences from the old knowledge previously inputted by an expert in the field.

In conclusion, an expert system is always right but the rules on which it is run are inputted by an expert in the field who can be wrong from time to time. Hence if a wrong solution is provided especially in the field of biology and financial services someone who doesn't know much about the field or has absolutely no knowledge may choose to simply rely on the advice given by the system when it is wrong. In today's world where there are a number of ways to approach something, the best and expert in the field can do to is to make sure the validation, verification and evaluation of the system are made at their best.

Topic 180

2006-12-06T21:59:00.000+09:00

implications of creative production by computers using AI, for example, Aaron, an expert system, creates visual art by Dwarkesh

The incorporation of the computer into the artistic arena has nourished a revolution in Contemporary Arts. As a result, important changes have taken place affecting not only the process of generation of artistic works, but also the role of the artist, of the audience and the channels used to display the works of art.

Digital Media:

There is a revolution going on in Contemporary Art that is being nourished by Digital Technology, in particular the Internet. In the past, Art was mainly confined to museums and art galleries, and to experience it, one had to travel to a specific location and enter a physical space that housed the artworks. These days, the Internet has changed all that. Artists are now producing artistic works intended for a global audience, using the computer as a tool for creativity and creating specifically for the Internet. A creative dialogue has been initiated between Art and Technology that has broadened the traditional forms of expression. Visual languages have started to play an important role in electronically mediated communication. Iconography has been developed as an important component of user interface design, and interactivity has become the main purpose of digital artistic tendencies that intend to get the audience involved in the creative process through the use of active agents in communication that replace the old passive communicators. In the turn of the millennium, Digital Art and new Multimedia Technology are being incorporated to Contemporary Art in order to produce artistic manifestations that gather together sound, music, movement, spatial and aesthetic components, and boost up a cycle of increasing globalization of culture.

Artificial Intelligence:

The existence of programs like Aaron, that appear to be creative and recognize creativity, leads us onto the analysis of the role that computers play in the creative process.

Computer music makes use of sounds and allows composers to experiment with computer-generated chords or phrases that they might not have ever discovered by themselves. In the same way, computer graphics or computer animations sometimes produce images of fascinating beauty, and allow human artists to create brand new types of visual effects. Also, writing programs may help both -children and adults- to plan and produce texts of a level of complexity and coherence that could had been hardly achieved without them. Nevertheless, in all these cases a certain level of human supervision is essential to obtain the output concerned.

On the other hand, sometimes it is possible for the human artist to remain apart from the creative process and give the computer full autonomy to become the originator of the artistic work, emulating in this way the creative talents of human musicians, painters, poets or novelists. One of the most successful programs of this type is Aaron, the drawing program which we were referring to earlier.

Aaron is not a typical image generator of what has come to be known as computer art or digital art. Aaron does not generate geometric forms, certainly interesting, but infinitely repeatable. It does not either produce fractals, beautiful and random, despite of not being representative of the items which comprise the world. Aaron is not a tool for painters, designers, draftsmen or animators to be used as a medium to express the creative ideas of the human user. Instead, Aaron is a computer program with a software interface to a hardware drawing device that creates original pictures, each picture different from the others and each one indistinguishable by the uninformed observer from the work of a human artist. As such, Aaron is significant to the computer scientist as well as to the artist, because it uses artificial intelligence to encapsulate and replicate much of the behavior that the artist unconsciously employs to create art.

In fact, Aaron is an interesting computational project that has been developed in several phases. The development from one version of Aaron to the next generally involved a fundamental change in the nature of the program and a radical alteration of the conceptual space that it inhabits. The early Aaron concentrated on spontaneous drawings of abstract forms which could sometimes resemble rocks, sticks, and occasionally, some strange forms of birds or insects. However, under no circumstance was the computer able to produce anything similar to human figures. Later developments of Aaron produced more complex drawings depicting groups of human figures in a jungle or vegetation, whereas the programs most recent images display human figures of a fully three-dimensional type. All the different versions of Aaron can draw new pictures and produce aesthetically satisfying results at the touch of a button.

After evaluating these drawings, some experts agreed that Aaron meets all the criteria necessary to be regarded as a creative tool. It shows the ability to inhabit and explore a conceptual space rich enough to generate indefinitely many surprises. Aaron also shows the capacity of judgment that makes this program able to reconsider past choices and decide what to do next, as well as the aptitude to evaluate various possible structures for it, in order to avoid nonsense and cliché. However, some others experts still refuse to call Aaron creative, since they believe in the assumption that no computer program can really be called creative, no matter what novelties it manages to produce.

Topic 179

2006-12-05T21:11:00.000+09:00

Ethical issues related to military applications of AI, for example, smart weapons, reconnaissance, decision making by HeeJun Son

Artificial Interlligence(AI) means intelligent machines manufactured by human beings. It also refers to a trait of intelligence that is existed by an artificial entity. Research in AI is concerned with producing machines to mechanize tasks requiring intelligent behavior. Examples include control , the ability to answer diagnostic and consumer questions, voice and facial recognition. The study of AI has also become an engineering discipline, focused on providing solutions to real life problems. But it is also applied to military weapons, causing a lot of problems. Smart weapons are an example of this.

Smart weapons are guided weapons intended to maximize damage to the target by using a laser, television, or satellite guidance system. The improvements in accuracy by using AI enable a target to be effectively attacked with fewer and smaller bombs. Smart weapons, which use guidance systems that rely on external assistance, are different from brilliant weapons, which are totally self-guided.

In the case of a smart bomb with a laser guidance system, an aircraft pilot aims a laser beam at the target, a computer keeps the beam locked on the target, and the bomb has a sensor programmed to find the reflection of the laser's light. A guidance computer adjusts the path of the bomb after it is released, using movable fins to steer. Satellite-guided bombs have guidance computers that use signals from navigation satellites to confirm that they are on target; the tail fins are adjusted to control the bomb's course as it falls. Cruise missiles are an example of this.

The problem with these weapons is the technology of AI, which is made to improve real life problems, is actually used in the mass destructive weapons. The fact AI is being used in the wars make many people sad including me. But on the other hand, we are making those weapons to protect themselves. Therefore, it is hard to say we shouldn't develop those weapons by using AI.

Topic 178

2006-12-04T20:38:00.000+09:00

Social impact of the use of "smart" machines on everyday life by Takafumi

Greater social impact would occur in society if we use smart machines in our everyday life. These machines can make peoples life style easy, but also make them lazy too. This totally destroys working system that we have in this world. But in other point of view, we can make our lifestyle really easier to live and become happy.

If we look in dark side of this topic, human would become really lazy. People might stop thinking and depend on machine too much. This means that we as a human being are getting controlled by the robots. But humans won't notice that and keeps that lifestyle because it is way better and easier for them than doing work and thinking about something. This totally makes the human being lazy animal and this is morally wrong. People have to work and think to keep themselves as the real human.

The bright side for this idea is that we get to have an easier life than now. In moral view, this can help people to do more good morals like helping each other and all other thing you can imagine about it. One reason is when people get enough happiness, they would like to share them with other people by doing same thing that they felt it was graceful for them. So pretty much morally, this would be a good thing for them.

Well the conclusion to the state that usage of smart robots into our society or everyday world that there would be many moral problems but this can make our lifestyle really easier than before. But this also can mean that people would lose the capability to think and just live.

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Social impact of the use of "smart" machines on everyday life collected by Chirag

Smart machines can be used for various purposes that will be to the advantage of the humans. Therefore, socially they have a very positive impact by helping us making our lives easier and more secure.

Smart Machines in Education is woven in the utilization of the research results from cognitive science and artificial intelligence to advance our perception of technology for education into the next revolution. The main focus is placed on the illustrations of educational systems, and the intention is to promote the “intelligent” ideas in virtual learning environments.

Learning from costless failure is one of the important advantages in educational simulation. Expectation failures synthesize situations that students could encounter in their real-life, and encourage them to maturate their scientific investigation skills in order to learn the lessons from the failures.

Another novel idea is the creation of a teachable agent (Biswas, Schwartz, & Bransford). One can often learn a lot from the feedback and responses from the taught during the teaching process. The teachable agents offer this opportunity to students while protecting them from being harmed by “in-experienced teachers” (other students) at the same time.

For those who are interested in intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs), the book provides the discussion of Woolf and her colleagues on the capabilities that an ITS could have, and Bellman’s reflections on the CAETI Program, which is a large-scale government-sponsored technology insertion program in USA

Reviewer: Tai Yu Lin.

Use against Terrorism

No war is won without rest-rate minds making powerful machines. Arguably our chief strategic mistake in battling terrorism has been that we have ignored this axiom. You would probably not be around to read this piece had it not been for the fact that Alan Turing and other brilliant minds harnessed the very rust computers to crack the Nazi Enigma Machine, which the Germans used with supreme condense to encrypt and decode their secret communiqués in World War II. Nor would you and yours be alive today had it not been for the minds behind the Manhattan Project: They beat Hitler and his band of terrorists in the nuclear race, and two unthinkably smart machines brought those who perpetrated Pearl Harbor to their knees in a surrender that saved tens of thousands of lives. I mean no disrespect to soldiers; they alone put their lives directly on the line. But if they do so without holding thunder in their hands, they cannot win. And that thunder is conceived, designed, and produced by scientists and engineers. In our new war, not just any kind of machine will do.

We need smart machines, so the specific minds we need are those working in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI). This is painfully easy to see. Consider the case of jetliners. When you think about such potential missiles from the standpoint of AI, it is manifestly idiotic that we have built them devoid of ability to reason. A high-tech plane, for God’s sake, should know who is allowed to them it and where it is allowed— and if things don’t add up, it should not cooperate. To build such AI into a jet is not difficult; it isn’t cheap, but it isn’t hard. To our great and obvious peril, aircraft manufacturers have left those who specialize in machine reasoning on the sidelines. We are also in desperate need for the smart machines. You should not be able to get on a plane unless a machine knows who you are, and knows that the odds of you doing anything nefarious are in intestinal. One instantaneous retina scan before you board, with a knowledge base to refer to, would allow a machine to calculate in a millisecond whether you can board or not.

Selmer Bringsjord
October 9, 2001

Topic 177

2006-12-03T20:37:00.000+09:00

ethical issues of various applications of AI, for example, replacement of human workers, handing decision-making tasks to a computer by Isaku Oba

There have been many discussions done regarding the future application of artificial intelligence. It is true that the actual introduction of A.I will become a controversial one, and that it will receive much criticism for various reasons. This is because some consider the A.I to be an unethical system. For one, the A.I can replace humans in jobs at many areas, considering that the A.I uses mechanical procedures for work.

The A.I will be able to do reliable and efficient quality work, making it superior to the work of humans who make mistakes often. Also one A.I can do the take on multiple tasks at once, making it a much more economical employee. The jobs with which the A.I will replace will include jobs that include theoretical and mathematical procedures, such as computer operators, programmers, accountants etc. The demand for human labor will obviously drop drastically, resulting in many jobless citizens wandering around. As terrible as this may seem, there are some views that consider this situation something unavoidable.

The dramatic increase of the human population in the last century has resulted in the increasing rate in the destruction of the earth’s environment. If the human population continues to increase, so will the rate at which we exploit the earth which means pretty soon the earth will come to a point where it will not last. One possible solution to this problem is to decrease the number of humans, and the A.I might be the solution to this problem. If the A.I is brought to use, the jobs available for humans will not be enough which might ultimately force the number of the human population to decrease.

Another reason that the A.I is resented by humans is its roles that it plays in S.F novels. In these novels, the A.I has the ability to think and learn like human beings, and its superior brain power becomes a threat to mankind after the A.I malfunctions turns against its creators. Considering that the A.I is considered a duplication of the human brain, it is reasonable that the A.I might turn against its creators.

But in real life, the A.I is not likely to become a copy of the human mind. It is not likely that the researchers will include concepts of the human brain such as its ego, or emotions which will not do any good to help assist humans. After all the A.I is only a tool, and it would not make sense for a tool to have unnecessary functions which could pose a threat towards its creators. Therefore it would be nothing but pure paranoia to think that the A.I would grow to a point where it will rebel against the humans.

The last reason is sort of a more frequently discussed one. This is because a similar problem exists with the technology of cloning. This reason is the dehumanization of war. Presently the military of developed countries are thinking of two next generation soldiers which will minimize their casualties. The first is the use of clone soldiers using copies of existing humans to fight instead of real humans. This technology is based on the ethical value that clone humans are not humans, but tools created by humans.

The second is a mechanical soldier equipped with an A.I. This will allow the existence of an army totally absent of humans, which the thinks will make war a more humane process. However, these two next generation soldiers both hold the same kind of problems. The use of non-human soldiers in battlefield will provide a justification for countries to pursue war with ease, making war a much less opposed conduct. Also, if war is to be conducted with out the pain of humans and physical loss, it will transform into a more game like procedure, in which less is learned by the experience of it.

Overall, the A.I is a technology which shows great promises in guiding the humans to the next age, but we must not rush in trying to create it as there are crucial problems regarding it that must be dealt with prior to its ues.

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Ethical issues of various applications of AI, for example, replacement of human workers, handing decision-making tasks to a computer by Marek

Robotics and Morality

Morals and profit are not two things that usually go hand in hand when associated with the hard world of business transactions. More often than not, companies choose monetary gains over moral values, and because of this, humanity has both benefited and suffered greatly.

Many firms have questioned whether they should retain their human workers, or let the quicker, more efficient robot workers/computers take over the management section. Both have their pros and cons. But which one would lead to a better, stronger company?

The advantages of having a computer-controlled manager is obvious. First off, the company would have a reliable worker that never took sick days, could work twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, and always made the most efficient, cost cutting decision without letting personal emotions cloud its judgment. At first glance, it seems like the right choice, but there are several factors that weigh against an artificial manager.

On of the first things would be that the moral of the company’s workers would be at an all time low. It would be extremely degrading for a person, who prided themselves on being a loyal and skilled worker, to have to take orders from a machine, who has little or no idea of what they have to do to keep the firm active and running.

They would feel misunderstood, ignored, and maybe even angry at how they are being treated. This will detract from their job performance, and in the end, lower their efficiency. After all, how could a twisted amalgamation of steel, silicon and computer chips possibly comprehend what the average worker has to go through everyday? These mutinous feelings will lead to lowered performance, latent anguish, and maybe even incidents of outright disobedience. Because of their inability to feel, computers help destroy a company.

On the other hand, a talented manager knows exactly what to say and do to get his laborers in a frenzy of work, utilizing incentives, and select words of praise to keep them going long into the night. He will understand what kind of troubles they are facing, and will attempt to help them by making them feel like part of the “team”. A human manger could identify what kind of problems the employee was facing, and through his or her understanding and compassion, could potentially cause the employee to be happier about his or her work, and make them work harder as a form of compensation for their boss.

However, human managers have always had their flaws, namely that of emotions.

Understanding can be misinterpreted as excessive leniency, which in turn gives the employees the belief that they are allowed to “slack off” from working. Grudges harbored against stubborn workers, and irrational dislike can also amount to a loss in efficiency during work, as both people spend time they could be working on pondering how they can get their own back on that particular individual. As ridiculous as it may sound, these petty vendettas can get in the way of getting some real work done, and therefore do affect how we work.

Overall, this is a very difficult question to answer. To have a purely professional army of robots to build and maintain the company, would be absolutely impossible, in this day and age. It seems ironic that the very qualities that make us human and the ones that keep us going in the business world today.

Topic 176

2006-12-02T20:36:00.000+09:00

Value of the development of AI as a field, for example, whether it is an appropriate place to put economic resources by Isaku

Artificial intelligence has been a publicly well known technology thanks to S.F novels by authors such as Jules Verne and Isaac Asimov. However, the sophisticated A.I as depicted in these novels still remains a scientific dream like flying cars. Still great effort is made by scientists all over the world to make this dream come true, since it is expected to benefit mankind in many fields.

Now the question is, which field is appropriate to develop this technology in. Presently the field that is said to come the closest to completing this technology is the military.
First, why would the military research artificial intelligence? This may not be the appropriate question to ask. The question should be why wouldn’t the military research artificial intelligence. Indeed the production of a proper artificial intelligence would mean a lot to the military. The type of artificial intelligence that the military has in mind has two types. The first one is in short a all powerful commanding office by itself.

By having this A.I, the military will have a lesser need for large commanding stations with operators, generals etc. Instead the A.I will be connected to the military’s network, and will be able to efficiently receive information, theoretically analyze it, then issue effective orders all by itself. If this system comes to use, the army will be able to operate with less human staff, ultimately resulting in the decrease in the military’s expenses.

The system will also be in theory more efficient than human staff since the different types of jobs are merged into one system, resulting in a more connective and fast system. Also all decisions the A.I make will be based on theoretical data, so it will make less mistakes than humans. The second type of A.I is an independent battlefield operational type. Long story short, it is a mechanical soldier, or a robot. The merit from this is of course the lives of millions of soldiers that will be saved by this technology.

These merits however, are only merits if you see them from the military’s point of view.

or

Value of the development of AI as a field, for example, whether it is an appropriate place to put economic resources by Chirag

Computer scientists like to view a program as an abstract specification of a machine, describable behaviorally in terms of the input/output relationship resulting from its computation. The machine's product is its output, representing the value of a function at the point represented by its input. Often we find it helpful to view this product at a higher level, say, as the solution to some well-posed problem. Inevitably, this problem bears on what we are to do, that is, some course of action to be embarked upon. (Conceptions of computation as answering questions are a relic of the era when human intermediaries were necessary to perform the transduction from computation to action.) In this view, the computer is a decision machine, where a decision is the resolution of a distinction among potential courses of action.

It is widely recognized that many of the problem-solving techniques developed in AI research (e.g., so-called classical planning) need to be generalized to accommodate uncertainty and graded preferences. Work in decision-theoretic planning (Hanks et al., 1994) is beginning to address these problems, adopting a more comprehensive framework for principled resource allocation while attempting to retain useful computational and representational techniques from prior AI work.

Most of microeconomic theory assumes that individual agents are rational --acting so as to achieve their most preferred outcome, subject to their knowledge and capabilities. Indeed, this rationality abstraction is perhaps the single methodological feature that most distinguishes economics from the other social sciences.

This approach is highly congruent with much work in Artificial Intelligence. About fifteen years ago, Newell (1982) proposed that a central characteristic of AI practice is a particular abstraction level at which we interpret the behavior of computing machines. Viewing a system at Newell's knowledge level entails attributing to the system knowledge, goals, and available actions, and predicting its behavior based on a principle of rationality that specifies how these elements dictate action selection. Rationality as applied here is a matter of coherence, defining a relation in which the knowledge, goals, and actions must stand. This is exactly the Bayesian view of rationality (standard in economics), in which knowledge and goals (or beliefs and preferences) are subjective notions, constrained only by self-coherence (consistency) and coherence with resulting behavior.

In human societies, computational power is inherently distributed across many relatively small brains resident in separate skulls, connected by costly, low-bandwidth, error-prone communication channels. Moreover, authority over activity is separately controlled by the local computational units. It is therefore not surprising that economics focuses on the decentralized nature of decision making. A primary aim of the discipline is to explain the aggregate results of alternate configurations of interacting rational agents.

The case for decentralization in computational environments, where communication is usually more direct and configurations more controllable, is less straightforward. Nevertheless, a variety of technological and other factors are leading to computational environments that are increasingly distributed. At this writing, the development and promotion of "software agents" (not necessarily derived from AI technology) is a prominent activity. Although interpretations of software agency vary widely, typical conceptions involve autonomy of action, modularity of scope and interest, and interaction with other agents. Understanding and influencing configurations of software agents is directly analogous to the problem faced by economists.

It is not possible in this short position paper to survey the large body of work on probabilistic reasoning, decision-theoretic planning, game-theoretic analysis of multiage systems, etc., that has made its way into AI over the last ten years. Suffice it to say that the field has been far more open in the previous decade to ideas that could be broadly characterized as economic. That these ideas have had significant impact in particular subfields is reflected in the ubiquity of concepts of resource allocation and rationality in the recent AI textbook of Russell and Norvig (1995).

This is not a surprise. As I have attempted to point out, the goals of AI and those of economics overlap substantially, and are analogous in many of the non-overlapping regions. AI is the branch of computer science that is concerned with the substance of behavior, and with deriving general principles for designing deciding agents. In so doing, AI unapologetically invokes rationality concepts, and aims to render the rationality abstraction an operationally viable approximation. When activity is decentralized, AI considers interactions in social terms.

The point of all this is not, of course, to suggest that economics has all the answers to AI problems. But recognizing that AI's problems are in large part economic does help us to formulate the questions, and opens to us a variety of concepts and techniques that offer a starting point on potential solutions. Success in AI would mean an account of the economics of computation, and one way toward this goal starts with some computation of economics.

Topic 175

2006-12-01T20:35:00.000+09:00

responsibility for the performance of an expert system—knowledge engineer, informant, programmer, company that sold it, the buyer/consumer by Nitish

Let us define a few terms before proceeding –

Expert System

- A software system with two basic components: a knowledge base and an inference engine. The system mimics an expert's reasoning process.

- A type of application program that makes decisions or solves problems in a particular field by using knowledge and analytical rules defined by experts in the field.

Knowledge Base –

A collection of facts, rules, and procedures organized into schemas. The assembly of all the information and knowledge of a specific field of interest.

This paper is about responsibility for the performance of an expert system. To what extent do knowledge engineers, programmers, companies, buyers and informants have responsibility towards an expert system?

1) Knowledge engineering (KE) refers to the building, maintaining and development of knowledge-based systems. It has a great deal in common with software engineering, and is related to many computer science domains such as artificial intelligence, databases, data mining, expert systems, decision support systems and geographic information systems. (WIKI)
The knowledge engineer thus, builds, maintains and develops the knowledge based systems. He has a big responsibility in the ‘health’, progress, work, durability and many other factors of the expert system.

2) An informant (sometimes informer) is someone existing inside a closed system who provides information of that system to a figure or organization who exist outside of that system. (WIKI)

Here, we are talking about a person who informs and gives information to (supposedly) engineers, buyers, sellers, etc. He has a responsibility in spreading information and distributing it.

3) A programmer or software developer is someone who programs computers, that is, one who writes computer software. The term computer programmer can refer to a specialist in one area of computer programming or to a generalist who writes code for many kinds of software. (WIKI)

A programmer has a big responsibility in the ‘purpose’ of the system. He programs the whole expert system, maintains it, and basically, builds the software. His job is to see to it that the system works fine and does the work it is intended to do. He is in contrast with the knowledge engineer.

4) The Company that sold it has a responsibility in deciding the economic factors, the profit and the loss. It is also responsible for the copyright as well as the ownership of the system. It decides where the system goes, where it is used, how it is used, etc.

5) The Buyer/Consumer has a responsibility in handling the system. It will call a programmer, or ask the previous programmer who programmed it into working to do as they want it to do. They will have control over the expert system, and decide the purpose and use of it.

Topic 174

2006-11-11T20:34:00.000+09:00

Processing power in relation to the capabilities and limitations of robots by Andrew

The processing power of robots is limited to their size. The smaller the robot the smaller the processing power and the bigger the robot the bigger the processing power. Though, how much processing power is needed in a robot? And for what kind of robot are we talking about? But also as technology grows there will be less space needed to be taken up by robot parts because we will be able to make parts smaller and more efficient.

According to my sources, by 2010, robots will be able to have a processing power of about 3000 MIPS or millions of instructions per second. This is about the intelligence of a lizard. These robots which are relatively large, about half an average human size, will be able to carry out basic tasks such as cleaning, delivery, or even basic factory jobs.

In about 2030 a robot should be able to have about 3 million MIPS. This is the equivalent intelligence of a monkey. These robots will be able to generally understand things of the world. It can define items from other items, and what each one is for. For example, if the robot sees an egg, it will be able to see and learn that it must be picked up gently so that it will not break. These skills will be learnt through simulation and practice to perfect new tasks before attempting them. The robots will also be able to read a general facial expression and mood of the person if the robot was a maid. The robot can also be a maid.

By about 2040, robots will have an MIPS of about 100 million, which is the equivalent of a human. The robots will be able to speak and understand speech and also think creatively. Not only can they do what was explained above, but they will also be able to anticipate what will be results of their actions far in advance. This is a good thing because if the robot had thought of killing someone, it would know that it would be decommissioned. With the reasoning power that is given to the robots, hey will be at or even beyond the human level and so generally the robots will be as competent as people.

The only thing about robots is that they will not have the fast reactions for they have to calculate everything before making a move and by that time, what ever that was going to happen would have happened. Though in some situations, it would be useful for a robot to be around. Something such as bomb defusing, the robot could defiantly calculate the chances of the bomb going off and make a smarter choice then a human. If the robot were to have done the wrong thing when defusing a bomb, there will be no loss of a human which is generally the most important thing to the human race.

After a while if we do le the robots die, we as humans will need to build in a code that makes robots sacrifice themselves for human beings. This is because if we do not, the robots will later on learn of what we are doing to their robot friends, and will not save us but instead cower away and not do what they are told to do. Robots are the coolest idea that could have been created, but they will be hard to control.