Category — Science and Technology Policy

roanoke.com – New River Valley Current -First companies prepare to occupy new incubator

Jim Flowers, director of VT KnowledgeWorks, the incubator now under construction, said he is working with 11 companies that could eventually become tenants. He said he expects four of them will be ready to take possession of space in the 45,000-square-foot building once it is ready. Flowers said some of the companies he is courting are from as far away as Ohio, Wisconsin and Toronto, Canada.

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the shock…..

ICT Policy: A Beginner’s Guide:
The handbook aims to build the capacity of interested persons to understand the issues around policy on ICT development and regulation, to grasp the policy process,and to become involved in this process.
http://www.apc.org/books/policy_handbook_EN.zip

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this could be handy…..

Significant Developents in Global Internet Law in 2004:
This assessment attempts to edit a complex universe of dazzlingly diverse issues down to a manageable analysis — the past really is prologue, and thinking about the most crucial issues from 2004 can help to bring 2005 into clearer focus. As Covington & Burling approach their tenth year of reporting on global Internet legal issues, Covington & Burling have decided to distill our analysis even more: this year, Covington & Burling are publishing an assessment of the Top Ten Issues in Global Internet Law.
http://www.cov.com/download/content/brochures/internet_2004.pdf

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it is worth a review.

Animal-Human Hybrids Spark Controversy

Scientists have begun blurring the line between human and animal by producing chimeras—a hybrid creature that’s part human, part animal.

Chinese scientists at the Shanghai Second Medical University in 2003 successfully fused human cells with rabbit eggs. The embryos were reportedly the first human-animal chimeras successfully created. They were allowed to develop for several days in a laboratory dish before the scientists destroyed the embryos to harvest their stem cells.

European Union IT research is failing:
Viviane Reding, European Commission information society and media commissioner, said, “Fast-changing IST research is, and must remain, a key driver for the rapid economy-wide technological innovation on which Europe’s skilled jobs ultimately depend.”

She said, “I intend to respond very quickly to the panel’s concerns about red tape, which is a general problem of EU research programmes, but felt most directly in IST research where we operate in a particularly dynamic and fast evolving environment.”

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this will be good, but there still needs to be some solid oversight.

European Union IT research is failing:
Viviane Reding, European Commission information society and media commissioner, said, “Fast-changing IST research is, and must remain, a key driver for the rapid economy-wide technological innovation on which Europe’s skilled jobs ultimately depend.”

She said, “I intend to respond very quickly to the panel’s concerns about red tape, which is a general problem of EU research programmes, but felt most directly in IST research where we operate in a particularly dynamic and fast evolving environment.”

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this will be good, but there still needs to be some solid oversight.

Ethics for the Robot Age:
Jordan Pollack argues that the ethical questions surrounding robotics ŠŠ should robots carry weapons, how closely should humans and robots be integrated, etc. ŠŠ should receive much more attention now before the robot revolution hits.

interesting…. some of the questions are central to our consideration of what constitutes an ethical subject, combined with our notions of control.

Ethics for the Robot Age:
Jordan Pollack argues that the ethical questions surrounding robotics ŠŠ should robots carry weapons, how closely should humans and robots be integrated, etc. ŠŠ should receive much more attention now before the robot revolution hits.

interesting…. some of the questions are central to our consideration of what constitutes an ethical subject, combined with our notions of control.

Engineers on TLDs: “

Engineers on TLDs: Do You Want Me With Fries? on CircleID by Vittorio Bertola:

This is why engineering solutions are not carved in stone, and young engineers have always been eating up old engineers since gave engineering to the world. That’s not because the old solutions were better than the new ones, or the opposite, but because new needs and new expectations arose among the users of the technology.

One word: Lovely!

I was one of the 30-something engineers who ‘ask’ for (IDN) TLD.

While I can sense some consensus on stage and off-stage of the need of IDN TLDs, the response I get from 60-something engineers (whose status is close to been ‘God’ right now) revolves around trying to get things 100% right before proceeding.

Don’t get me wrong: I have great respects for elderly engineers who has contributed so much to make Internet what is today – and I always value their wisdoms and advises. But seeking perfect solution is no difference then say ‘no’ – at least to the one making the request.

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(Via James Seng’s Blog.)

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it might also be that 60 year old engineers are embedded in institutions and with that they take a representational role of their understanding of those institution’s interests…. if you make money off of fewer tld’s and your friends make money off fewer…. you might, subconsciously, make more stringent ‘engineering decisions’ than you would otherwise. this is a form of sub-political governance.

State: Chiropractic school angers FSU professors: “A growing number of professors in the Florida State University College of Medicine are saying they will resign if FSU administrators continue to pursue a proposed chiropractic school.

‘I would no longer wish to volunteer my teaching energies to FSU medical school, should it encompass a school of chiropractic,’ wrote Dr. Ian Rogers, an assistant professor at FSU’s Pensacola campus, in a Dec. 15 e-mail. ‘This is plainly ludicrous!!!!’

The threatened resignations – at least seven to date, all from assistant professors who work part time – reflect a belief among many in the medical establishment that chiropractic is a ‘pseudo-science’ that leads to unnecessary and sometimes harmful treatments. Professors are even circulating a parody map of campus that places a fictional Bigfoot Institute, School of Astrology and Crop Circle Simulation Laboratory near a future chiropractic school.”

(Via .)

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it just makes me want to read ’society must be defended’ all over again…

7 assistant professors who work part time…… determine what a pseudo-science is… all i know is that i have friends that swear by chiropracty, and they seem happy enough.