Science and Technology Studies Commons^™

Brave New World - Mobility, Rhonda S. Binda

Open Educational Resources

The trifecta of globalization, urbanization and digitization have created new opportunities and challenges across our nation, cities, boroughs and urban centers. Cities are in a unique position at the center of commerce and technology becoming hubs for innovation and practical application of emerging technology. In this rapidly changing 24/7 digitized world, city governments worldwide are leveraging innovation and technology to become more effective, efficient, transparent and to be able to better plan for and anticipate the needs of its citizens, businesses and community organizations. This class will provide the framework for how cities and communities can become smarter and more …

Human Supremacy As Posthuman Risk, Daniel Estrada

The Journal of Sociotechnical Critique

Human supremacy is the widely held view that human interests ought to be privileged over other interests as a matter of ethics and public policy. Posthumanism is the historical situation characterized by a critical reevaluation of anthropocentrist theory and practice. This paper draws on animal studies, critical posthumanism, and the critique of ideal theory in Charles Mills and Serene Khader to address the appeal to human supremacist rhetoric in AI ethics and policy discussions, particularly in the work of Joanna Bryson. This analysis identifies a specific risk posed by human supremacist policy in a posthuman context, namely the classification of …

Curriculum Development For Robotics Technology Program, Sanjeevi Chitikeshi, Shirshak K. Dhali, Betsey Odell, Vukica Jovanovic, Cheng Y. Lin

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

With a growing need for a more skilled workforce, providing industry-driven and employment centric training services is an important national priority. Over 3.4 million manufacturing jobs will need to be filled across the United Sates over the next decade. The skills gap is becoming greater based on the statistics provided by the Global Robotics Technology Market: Forecast, 2014-2020 published by Research and Markets, reporting that the worldwide robotics market is forecast to grow from the 2015 level of $26.98B to $82.78B in 2020. This 11 % compounded average growth in the next five years is unprecedented. Given the anticipated growth …

Backing Up Into Advocacy: The Case Of Smartphone Driver Distraction, Robert Rosenberger

The Journal of Sociotechnical Critique

For the last decade, I’ve been studying the topic of the driving impairment of smartphones. While this began as an exclusively academic project, it has increasingly compelled public engagement. One example of this came in an opinion piece I wrote in 2018 in response to a new traffic law. I take the opportunity here to fill out the academic backstory of this particular op-ed, reflect on how this larger project has evolved to include an unanticipated public-facing edge, and abstract some lessons about public writing.

From Protecting To Performing Privacy, Garfield Benjamin

The Journal of Sociotechnical Critique

Privacy is increasingly important in an age of facial recognition technologies, mass data collection, and algorithmic decision-making. Yet it persists as a contested term, a behavioural paradox, and often fails users in practice. This article critiques current methods of thinking privacy in protectionist terms, building on Deleuze's conception of the society of control, through its problematic relation to freedom, property and power. Instead, a new mode of understanding privacy in terms of performativity is provided, drawing on Butler and Sedgwick as well as Cohen and Nissenbaum. This new form of privacy is based on identity, consent and collective action, a …

Congressional Committee Resources On Space Policy During The 115th Congress (2017-2018): Providing Context And Insight Into Us Government Space Policy, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

Article 1 of the US Constitution assigns the US Congress numerous responsibilities. These include creating new laws, revising existing laws, funding government programs, and conducting oversight of these programs' performance. Oversight of US Government agency space policy programs is executed by various congressional space policy committees including the House and Senate Science Committees, Armed Services, and Appropriations Committees. These committees conduct many public hearings on space policy, which invite expert witnesses to testify on US space policy programs and feature debate on the strengths and weaknesses of these programs. Documentation produced by these committees is widely available to the public, …

The Artificial Leaf: An Investigation Into The Sociotechnical Integration Of New Solar Energy Innovations, Alexandra K. Treml, Jamie M. Mears

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Increasing global demand, combined with the volatility of fossil fuels, has called for a large-scale increase in renewable energy production. Photovoltaics hold significant potential, but by nature, solar energy is intermittent and lacks dispatchability. Researchers around the world are working to create innovative solutions that utilize semiconductors found in solar cell technologies in new ways. This project harnesses photoelectrochemical water-splitting, which uses light energy to dissociate water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. When the water-splitting device is submerged in saltwater and illuminated by sunlight, oxygen and hydrogen gas are produced on opposite surfaces, and can be either released or stored …

Space And Defense – Volume Eleven – Number One – Spring 2019, Space And Defense Journal

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Space And Defense – Volume Nine – Number One – Spring 2016, Space And Defense Journal

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Space And Defense – Volume Eight – Number One – Spring 2015, Space And Defense Journal

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Space And Defense – Volume Seven – Number One – Winter 2014, Space And Defense Journal

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Space And Defense – Volume Six – Number One – Fall 2012, Space And Defense Journal

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Space And Defense – Volume Five – Number One – Summer 2011, Space And Defense Journal

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Space And Defense – Volume Four – Number Two – Summer 2010, Space And Defense Journal

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Space And Defense – Volume Four – Number One – Winter 2010, Space And Defense Journal

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Space And Defense – Volume Three – Number Two – Fall 2009, Space And Defense Journal

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Space And Defense – Volume Three – Number One – Summer 2009, Space And Defense Journal

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Space And Defense – Volume Two – Number Three – Winter 2009, Space And Defense Journal

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Space And Defense – Volume Two – Number Two – Winter 2008, Space And Defense Journal

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Space And Defense – Volume Two – Number One – Winter 2008, Space And Defense Journal

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Space And Defense – Volume One – Number One – Fall 2006, Space And Defense Journal

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Ontological Boundaries Between Humans And Computers And The Implications For Human-Machine Communication, Andrea L. Guzman

Human-Machine Communication

In human-machine communication, people interact with a communication partner that is of a different ontological nature from themselves. This study examines how people conceptualize ontological differences between humans and computers and the implications of these differences for human-machine communication. Findings based on data from qualitative interviews with 73 U.S. adults regarding disembodied artificial intelligence (AI) technologies (voice-based AI assistants, automated-writing software) show that people differentiate between humans and computers based on origin of being, degree of autonomy, status as tool/tool-user, level of intelligence, emotional capabilities, and inherent flaws. In addition, these ontological boundaries are becoming increasingly blurred as technologies emulate …

Toward An Agent-Agnostic Transmission Model: Synthesizing Anthropocentric And Technocentric Paradigms In Communication, Jaime Banks, Maartje M. A. De Graaf

Human-Machine Communication

Technological and social evolutions have prompted operational, phenomenological, and ontological shifts in communication processes. These shifts, we argue, trigger the need to regard human and machine roles in communication processes in a more egalitarian fashion. Integrating anthropocentric and technocentric perspectives on communication, we propose an agent-agnostic framework for human-machine communication. This framework rejects exclusive assignment of communicative roles (sender, message, channel, receiver) to traditionally held agents and instead focuses on evaluating agents according to their functions as a means for considering what roles are held in communication processes. As a first step in advancing this agent-agnostic perspective, this theoretical paper …

Algorithms Of Oppression [Uno Pa Theory Proseminar Presentation], Sue Ann Gardner

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Presentations

Slides of two classes taught in the Theory Proseminar in the School of Public Administration at the University of Nebraska at Omaha by Sue Ann Gardner on February 11 and 18, 2020.

Connects information theory to applicable knowledge frameworks in public administration. Includes an in-depth discussion of the concepts addressed in Samiya Umoja Noble's book Algorithms of Oppression (published by New York University Press, New York, New York, United States, 2018) in the context of public administration and public academic libraries.

Congressional Committee Resources On Space Policy During The 115th Congress (2017-2018): Providing Context And Insight Into U.S. Government Space Policy, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Article 1 of the US Constitution assigns the US Congress numerous responsibilities. These include creating new laws, revising existing laws, funding government programs, and conducting oversight of these programs' performance. Oversight of US Government agency space policy programs is executed by various congressional space policy committees, including the House and Senate Science Committees, Armed Services, and Appropriations Committees. These committees conduct many public hearings on space policy which invite witnesses to testify on US space policy programs and feature debate on the strengths and weaknesses of these programs. Documentation produced by these committees is widely available to the public, except …

Dual-Axis Solar Tracker, Bryan Kennedy

All Undergraduate Projects

Renewable energies, and fuels that are not fossil fuel-based, are one of the prolific topics of debate in modern society. With climate change now becoming a primary focus for scientists and innovators of today, one of the areas for the largest amount of potential and growth is that of the capturing and utilization of Solar Energy. This method involves using a mechanical system to track the progression of the sun as it traverses the sky throughout the day. A dual-axis solar tracker such as the one designed and built for this project, can follow the sun both azimuthally and in …

Tolerance Intervals For Time Series Models And Specifying Trimming/Winsorizing Cutoffs, Kedai Cheng

Theses and Dissertations--Statistics

Confidence intervals are used to capture a parameter of interest, usually a mean or a quantile, at a specified confidence level. Prediction intervals are another practical interval that aim at making sound predictions of future values with some confidence. Although these are useful inference tools, neither of them gives people a plausible range of the sampled population. Tolerance intervals are such an inference tool that captures a specified proportion of the sampled population at a predetermined confidence level. In this dissertation, tolerance intervals for an autoregressive process with order p are constructed. In addition, a method of utilizing tolerance interval …

Determinants Of Startup Funding: The Interaction Between Web Attention And Culture, Jie Ren, Viju Raghupathi, Wullianallur Raghupathi

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Technology empowers entrepreneurs to pursue alternative funding through platforms like crowdfunding. This research explores significant startup funding factors using Crunchbase. Controlling for common factors (acquisition/funding-rounds/IPO), the research uniquely focuses on web attention - the visibility on social media - and its impact on funding. It also examines the moderating influence of startup’s home country culture (individualism/collectivism). Findings show stronger positive impact of web attention on startup funding for collectivist countries. While individualistic investors value personal goals, collectivists value collaborative goals - inclinations that align with crowdfunding behavior. Therefore while increasing web attention, crowdfunding efforts can be targeted towards collectivist countries.

Food Printing: Evolving Technologies, Challenges, Opportunities, And Best Adoption Strategies, Sharmin Attarin, Mohsen Attaran

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

3D printing is a process of making three-dimensional objects using additive processes where layers are laid down in succession to create a complete object. Companies across the globe are actively piloting and leveraging the inherent benefits of 3D printing technology. Today, 3D printing can revolutionize food innovation and production through better creativity, customizability, and sustainability. This article highlights 3D printing evolving technologies and trends and identifies its applications and implementation challenges. In this paper, we conducted a literature review to explore 3D printing's current technologies and applications in the food industry, including its advantages, its potential implications, and its obstacles …

Evaluating Students Information System Success Using Delone And Mclean’S Model: Student’S Perspective, Majaliwa Mkinga, Herman Mandari

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

System success is considered to be an important element in accomplishing the goals of the organization; therefore evaluation of system success needs to be done in order to ensure that investment in Information System is successful. Most of Higher Learning Institutions (HLIs) in Tanzania have adopted the use of IS in providing service to their customers. Nevertheless, there is less evidence that system success evaluation has been done in order to identify the desired characteristics which could make IS more effective. Due to that, this study evaluates the effectiveness of Student Information System (SIS) used at the Institute of Finance …