Positive Technology Journal

2007 ASCA International Conference

Location: Amsterdam Dates: 28-30 June 2007

Organized by the Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis (ASCA), the Institute of Network Cultures (Amsterdam Polytechnic) and Media Studies at the University of Amsterdam, has issued its first call for papers. The conference, to be held on Thursday, 28 June to Saturday, 30 June, 2007, also includes a public program with renowned speakers.

Deadline for Submission of Paper Abstract (500 words) and Biography (100 words): 10 January 2007 :: Submit to: networktheory[at]networkcultures.org :: Acceptance Notification: 1 March 2007 :: Further inquiries to: Dr. Eloe Kingma, Managing Director, Amsterdam School of Cultural Analysis, Oude Turfmarkt 147, Oude Turfmarkt 147, 1012 GC, Amsterdam, tel: +31 20 525 3874, asca-fgw[at]uva.nl.

The object of study has shifted from the virtual community and the space of flows to the smart mob. When the object of study changes, so may the distinctions that dominate, particularly the schism between place-based space and place-less space, both organised and given life by networks. We would like to exploit the potential of writing contemporary network theory that suits and reflects the changes to the objects of study that come to define our understandings of network culture - a post-Castellsian network theory, if you will, that takes technical media seriously.

It is time to look for elements that can make up a network theory outside of post-modern cultural studies (which marvelled at the place-less place) and ethnographic social sciences (which reminded us of the ground). What network culture studies needs is a `language of new media,' perhaps even signage, to speak in terms of Lev Manovich; what it currently has is a science-centered `unified network theory,' to paraphrase the language of Albert-László Barabási.

Whilst it may come as no surprise to critical Internet scholars, the notion that networks are not random but have underlying structures remains the key insight for network scientists. Instead of posing new questions, the work that follows from that insight often seeks to confirm that structure and its accompanying patterns, across more and more network-like objects. The question remains which specific contribution critical Internet scholars and practitioners can make to opening up network thought. Such is the purpose of the network theory conference. How must we rethink network culture with a renewed emphasis on technical media and social software?

Suggested Topics:

Networking and Social Life
Social Software and Insider Networks
Network Policy
Network Governance / Organised Networks
Actor-Network Theory and the Assemblage
Network Knowledge Production
Networks and Disengagement
Media Networks
The Link
Locative Media and Networks

Electro-encephalogram based brain-computer interface: improved performance by mental practice and concentration skills.

Med Biol Eng Comput. 2006 Oct 7;

Authors: Mahmoudi B, Erfanian A

Mental imagination is the essential part of the most EEG-based communication systems. Thus, the quality of mental rehearsal, the degree of imagined effort, and mind controllability should have a major effect on the performance of electro-encephalogram (EEG) based brain-computer interface (BCI). It is now well established that mental practice using motor imagery improves motor skills. The effects of mental practice on motor skill learning are the result of practice on central motor programming. According to this view, it seems logical that mental practice should modify the neuronal activity in the primary sensorimotor areas and consequently change the performance of EEG-based BCI. For developing a practical BCI system, recognizing the resting state with eyes opened and the imagined voluntary movement is important. For this purpose, the mind should be able to focus on a single goal for a period of time, without deviation to another context. In this work, we are going to examine the role of mental practice and concentration skills on the EEG control during imaginative hand movements. The results show that the mental practice and concentration can generally improve the classification accuracy of the EEG patterns. It is found that mental training has a significant effect on the classification accuracy over the primary motor cortex and frontal area.

From Neurodudes 

The October 6th issue of Science is a special issue devoted to computational neuroscience. From the introduction to the special issue:

Computational neuroscience is now a mature field of research. In areas ranging from molecules to the highest brain functions, scientists use mathematical models and computer simulations to study and predict the behavior of the nervous system. Simulations are essential because the present experimental systems are too complex to allow collection of all the data. Modeling has become so powerful these days that there is no longer a one-way flow of scientific information. There is considerable intellectual exchange between modelers and experimentalists. The results produced in the simulation lab often lead to testable predictions and thus challenge other researchers to design new experiments or reanalyze their data as they try to confirm or falsify the hypotheses put forward. For this issue of Science, we invited leading computational neuroscientists, each of whom works at a different organizational level, to review the latest attempts of mathematical and computational modeling and to give us an outlook on what the future might hold in store.

From AADT 

In order to offer underserviced patients expanded access to medical and therapuetic options, an increasing number of doctors and institutions have begun to offer long-distance video therapy options. One might think that the very personal, revealing aspects of psychotherapy do not lend themselves to video or phone conferencing. In recent surveys, however, patients receiving long-distance therapy reported satisfaction levels nearly identical to those who met with therapists face-to-face.

Read the full article

Re-blogged from Robots.net

© 2006 Northwestern University 

Two Northwestern University engineers have developed an array of robotic whiskers that sense in two dimensions, mimicking the capabilities of mammalian whiskers. The bending moment, or torque, at the whisker base is then used to calculate the three-dimensional features of solid objects.

Read the full story here

Via KurzweilAI.net 

Can people and computers be connected so that - collectively - they act more intelligently than any individuals, groups, or computers have ever done before?

Researchers at MIT Center for Collective Intelligence will address this question in a research project that will involve a group of thousands of people collectively writing a business book "Wikipedia style".  

MIT researchers also expect to have projects on prediction markets, global climate change, and several other topics.

From the press release 

“CCI is trying to look over the horizon to see what will be common five, 10, or 20 years from now. Google, Wikipedia, Linux, and e-Bay are examples that show something interesting and important is already happening. Such examples are not the end of the story, but just the beginning.  And I hope that our work can help people understand and take advantage of these exciting possibilities"


MIT Center for Collective Intelligence:  http://cci.mit.edu
“We Are Smarter Than Me” book project:  http://www.wearesmarter.org