We commend you on the 2009 G-8 declaration’s commitment to “support the
development of positive incentives in particular for developing countries to promote
emission reductions through actions to reduce deforestation and forest degradation,” and
to “consider the inclusion of financial mechanisms within the future global agreement on
climate change.” REDD has a significant role to play in making this commitment a
reality. It requires no new technology, but rather policies that acknowledge the value of
forests and by incentivizing their preservation.

The ecologists writing the letter to Obama claim that the tropical deforestation has contributed 15-20% global greenhouse gas emissions annually over the past decade. If a global social consciousness and technological innovation aligns with the power of global policy related to deforestation, we are sure to enhance the progress towards global sustainability we can achieve by the end of the next decade.

Inspired by http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/010644.html

The trick is making sure that projects like Out of Water transcend the potentially hermetic worlds of academia and design. This initiative features the kind of interdisciplinary approach of design and science that not only points the way out of our current crisis, but also enables young practitioners to think creatively about how to respond to our most pressing environmental challenges. Nonetheless, it will take the combined will and action of individuals to ground such prescriptions in daily life.

via Worldchanging: Bright Green: Out of Water Project Aims to Highlight Solutions to Water Issues.

Given that we are likely to collaborate with Ithaca’s Science Center, we will be using Megan’s project as an educational tool for building global sustainability awareness among young visitors of the museum, about ages 8-12. Working with such an agree adds another challenge to our project goals. I hope to continue writing about challenge of effectively merging arts, science, and the attention spans of middle-school aged kids into the design of an educational paradigm for sustainability.

Educating and Situating the Reflective Designer Locally and Globally

with Astrid Larssen (Ashesi University College) and Penny Hagen (University of Technology, Sydney)

In this research program, we are exploring the factors that are important to consider when educating interaction designers situated within both local and global frames of reference. We wish to raise questions regarding how cross-geographical collaboration takes place within a design context, and how the resulting interaction design manifests the constraints and resources of multiple local contexts while maintaining and empowering global connections.

via SEED Lab.

In 2002, the Wexner Center awarded William Forsythe its Wexner Prize, recognizing the world-renowned choreographer for “innovation in the arts.” Forsythe, former director of Ballett Frankfurt, originally trained as classical ballet dancer and now directs The Forsythe Company, based in Germany.

Now, he’s showing off two important collaborations with Ohio State:

1. Synchronous Objects, a web project seeking to make dance accessible through visual communication techniques.
2. Transfigurations, a Wexner Center exhibition that includes the first major U.S. showing of his installation works. (See exhibition-related events at the Wexner Center.)

The web project, which has been in the works for more than two years, will allow people around the world to see the notes Forsythe and Ohio State have added to his dance “One Flat Thing, reproduced.”

Throughout the project, Forsythe traveled from Germany to campus to work with faculty and students. The project relied not only on ACCAD and the Department of Dance, which are long term collaborators, but also on experts in architecture, geography, visual communications, computer science and engineering, and statistics.

“OSU is a no brainer because the Dance Department and ACCAD are connected. I don’t know where else that exists. It turned out OSU had everything in place that I needed. ”

—William Forsythe

“As a scientist, I’ve always believed that science can be artistic,” says Noel Cressie, a statistics professor and the director of the spatial and environmental statistics program at Ohio State. “This is an exciting project, because I’m working with artists who believe that art can be scientific.”

via “Teamwork” – Do Something Great – The Ohio State University .

As flimsy as online education might seem to you, I’ll claim the following arguments for seeking more information about these type of programs.

1. Online education holds a future for both myself and a larger community of business and creatively minded people who can only offer limited time to completing a degree. Perhaps due to location or other life commitments (e.g. full time work, relationships, etc.etc.)
2. Given the increasing number of people seeking formal academic credentials for today’s business world, and and almost ubiquitous access to online devices (i.e. laptops, smart mobile phones, etc.), online degree programs are likely to thrive. My own expertise in the social and technical implications of online experience, and an engaged interest in education are likely to open avenues into a personally significant venture involving entrepreneurial aspects of providing online degrees.

Below, find an excerpt on Debunked Myths about Online Degree Programs from Full Sail itself.

ONLINE SCHOOLS DON’T HELP YOU FIND A JOB OR DEVELOP YOUR CAREER.

All Full Sail University students and graduates are able to use our ongoing career development services. While you’re in school, you’ll have a dedicated career development advisor who will work with you to understand your situation and career goals, assist you as you develop your résumé, and help you find the opportunity that’s right for you. After you graduate, you can always get back in touch if you need help taking the next step in your career.

via Full Sail University Online Degree Programs.

Presenter: Vladimir Barash

Title: Rate Your News Feed: Impression Management in Facebook

Abstract: Users of Social Network Sites (SNSs) create and manage impressions of themselves through various SNS affordances such as the profile page, chat functions, and status updates. While recent research has focused impressions projected through profiles, we study impressions projected through instantaneous status updates, via the Facebook “News Feed” feature. This talk will describe the methods used to collect data about impression management in Facebook status updates, which are encapsulated in a Facebook application called “Rate Your News Feed.” I will conclude by taking a first look at the data collected, which indicate that while users generally succeed at presenting a positive image of themselves, they are only partially aware of how they are coming across and tend to underestimate the strength of the impressions they foster.

via Information Science Breakfast Series Schedule.

During the talk, Vlad communicated intrigue with the finding that self-pitying status updates where likely to elicit  more comments (…or something along those lines). If you Tryt to take the perspective that social network  . Professor Dan Cosley

The presentation and discussion was a great start to the end of a great first week of work with the Human Computer Interaction Lab at Cornell! I look forward to seeing where Vlad’s work is going, particularly in regard to the differing degrees of effect that particular Facebook updates (e.g. wall posts, shared links, videos, status updates, etc.)