- Members - lists.sigcis.org

EuroScience OpenForum, Manchester, July 2016
by James Sumner 25 May '15

25 May '15

Dear SIGCIS members With the usual apologies for floating a possibility far too close to the deadline: The EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF) is a two-yearly summit and showcase, aimed at the European science community and its "global partners", which leans particularly to the engagement of science and engineering with policymakers, business and public audiences and tends to be well covered by international science journalists. The next meeting will be happening in Manchester (UK) from Friday 22 to Wednesday 27 July 2016, and the University of Manchester is keen to use its international networks to develop contributions. Formally, the ESOF definition of "science" extends to arts and humanities research of all kinds, although the opportunities are unsurprisingly particularly strong in fields connected to science, engineering and innovation. Full details are at http://www.esof.eu/ One of the official themes is particularly close to SIGCIS community interests: === Turing’s legacy - data and the human brain In the city of Alan Turing we put forward a theme which combines his direct legacy in artificial intelligence and the interface of humans with machines, together with the wider issues posed by data, online information exchange and communication in our society. As major projects address the nature of the human brain and our ability to simulate it, we ask where this is taking us? In the world of big data, what is the significance of the new analytics for scientific and citizen activities? What ethical, social and legal challenges are raised? Communication and learning as a sub-theme opens up issues of human development. Suggested issues to explore: * Artificial intelligence * Mapping the brain * Human-computer interface * Mathematical logic and computer science * Visualisation * Big data and behavioural analytics * Privacy, security, ethics and integrity * The future internet * The Internet of Things * Communication and learning === -- while another theme, "Science in our cultures", has possibilities for the history and social studies of IT more broadly. ESOF seeks speaker panels for relatively brief speaker sessions (75 minutes, can be doubled) and favours non-traditional formats. The challenge, as so often the case with this kind of meeting, is that there's a strong requirement for international participation ("the proposed speakers/participants within sessions should come from multiple countries and overall geographical balance will be sought in the programme") but no funding for travel or accommodation, so contributors would need to be self-supporting. Is anyone interested in proposing or contributing to a session? If so, please send me details of a possible area of coverage, and I'll do my best to co-ordinate. Submissions do not (as far as I can see) require detailed paper information, but the deadline for outline session abstracts is *early on Monday morning* (1 June), so I'd need to hear from you by Friday at the latest. All best James

1 0

Seeking Logitech contact, expertise in peripherals
by Brent Strang 24 May '15

24 May '15

Dear All, I am doing research on the co-evolution of gamepads, remote controls and computer peripherals and opening a case study on Logitech, who make all three. If anyone has any contacts with the company, or knows someone who formally worked there, I’d be grateful for their contact info. That said, I would like to interview anyone here in the SIGCIS group who has has design and/or engineering expertise in working on gamepads/mice/remote controls. More specifically, I’m researching IR & RF frequency protocols, analogue sticks/trackballs, ergonomics and general look & feel. I understand basically how they work; I’m more interested in how design, engineering, and administrative departments coordinate in addition to their working within the parameters of third-party manufacturing contracts. Any feedback is most welcome! -- Brent Strang Ph.D. candidate, Cultural Studies Stony Brook University, New York 347.265.2933

1 0

Computer Programming at the BSHS Annual Conference
by david nofre 19 May '15

19 May '15

Dear all, During the first weekend of July we will be organizing a session on 'Codifying Knowledge in Early Computer Programming' at the BSHS Annual Conference, Swansea University. The session will count with the participation of Stephanie Dick who will talk about early use of computers in mathematics and logic, Mark Priestley on Von Neumann's attempts to codify knowledge on computer programming, and David Nofre and Edgar Daylight on the role of abstraction in the emergence of computer science. Abstracts and a detailed description of the session can be found at: http://www.bshs.org.uk/conferences/annual-conference/2015-swansea Regards, David Nofre

1 0

Raymond Dudley, unsung inventor of parallel processing and digital spreadsheet?
by Janet Abbate 18 May '15

18 May '15

I got an odd letter recently from someone named Raymond Dudley, who claims he invented a chess-playing computer in 1973. Apparently he thought that as a member of the SHOT Editorial Committee, I was in a position to "correct the historical record" by alerting the "scientific establishment" of this "important breakthrough." He has a website at http://www.chessilluminated.com/ The device is an electronic chessboard hooked up to a minicomputer. The "digital spreadsheet" he refers to is the illuminated chessboard and a corresponding program that keeps track of the state of each cell on the board. Supposedly the program is implemented in parallel, though I think the underlying processor is not. The chess pieces are electronically encocded so that when they are placed on the board, the machine recognizes each unique piece. The squares on the board will light up to indicate which moves a given piece can legally make; the pieces themselves light up to warn when they are in danger of being captured. It's not clear to me from my brief survey of the site whether the machine actually plays against the human player or simply provides the player with useful information to aid them in playing against another person. Dudley got a patent on the machine in 1983. Anybody heard of this? He seems to have kept a lower profile than some of our other cranks--er, unsung inventors. A google search for "Raymond Dudley chess computer" only turned up his patent information. Janet Dr. Janet Abbate Associate Professor, Science & Technology in Society Co-director, National Capital Region STS program Virginia Tech www.sts.vt.edu/ncr www.linkedin.com/groups/STS-Virginia-Tech-4565055 www.facebook.com/VirginiaTechSTS

7 6

New CBI Newsletter (Spring 2015, Vol. 37:1)
by Charles Babbage Institute 12 May '15

12 May '15

1 0

Gadgets to God Advice Sought
by David Wortley 06 May '15

06 May '15

Dear SIGCIS list members, I am new to this list but I am delighted to receive all the posts because it feels like a spiritual home. I am seeking advice on my book "Gadgets to God" which was published a couple of years ago as an autobiographical reflection on mankind's changed relationship with technology during my lifetime. My publisher indicated a possible problem with classifying the book because it falls between an autobiography and a historical narrative of computing history. I am wondering if I should strip out the autobiographical elements and republish as a more academic book - any advice would be welcome - the main point of my book and its title is that I believe that mankind's relationship with technology today is indistinguishable in its characteristics with our relationship with our deity. Regards David Wortley FRSA FOUNDER AND CEO GAETSS EMail: david(a)gaetss.com Mobile: +601123180284 (Malaysia) +447896659695 (UK) Gamification and Enabling Technologies Strategic Solutions Shaping the Future of Business and Society through Human Development and Motivation - www.gaetss.com Strategic Enabling Technologies Director at IORMA http://www.iorma.com/iorma-executive-board-and-advisory-board.html Author of Reflections on our changing relationship with technology - www.gadgetstogodbook.com This message was sent from my iPad

1 0

CBI --> dropping troublesome "H" 's
by Thomas J. Misa 06 May '15

06 May '15

Two misplaced "H's snuck into the first message . . . . no more, 'enry 'iggins . . . . TJM -------------------------------------------------- Hi all, We are posting short blurbs on https://www.facebook.com/babbageinstitute profiling some of our newer and/or interesting collections. Sometimes, the collection's formal title (visible at http://www.cbi.umn.edu/collections/archmss.html) does not adequately describe the collection's content. We hope these FB postings, continuing now through August (each Tuesday morning), might help get the word out. "American National Standards Institute. X3H2 records" is pretty cryptic . . . its 11 boxes come direct from the committee's secretary (1978--) documenting the NDL (network database language) and SQL (structured query language) standards. This is how relational databases percolated from IBM (which had donated SEQUEL) out into the wider world. "X3H3 records" hardly captures that. See <http://purl.umn.edu/40837> "Ada Programming Language Materials, 1981-1990" is not quite so cryptic. Three boxes contain product literature, project reports, technical reports, working papers, newsletters; and user group information. Ada Lovelace was born 200 years ago with the bicentennial coming up 10 December 2015. See <http://purl.umn.edu/41474> "SC34 committee records" is also somewhat cryptic . . . this collection documents SGML, the ur-standard from which HTML, XML, and much else derives. Ten boxes document development of SGML and current XML tools . . . early drafts of SGML administrative materials, documentation, working group papers, and standards for computer languages. See <http://purl.umn.edu/42431> Please contact CBI's archivist-curator Arvid Nelsen <nels0307(a)UMN.EDU> for more information about using these or other CBI collections. CBI's collections are open to the public, without charge. We have a modest travel grant program with a deadline each January. Five researchers are supported this year <http://www.cbi.umn.edu/research/ntravelfund.html>. All the best, Tom Misa ===========================

1 0

CBI --> "Archive collection Tuesdays"
by Thomas J. Misa 06 May '15

06 May '15

Hi all, We are posting short blurbs on www.facebook.com/babbageinstitute profiling some of our newer and/or interesting collections. Sometimes, the collection's formal title (visible at www.cbi.umn.edu/collections/archmss.html) does not adequately describe the collection's content. We hope these FB postings, continuing now through August (each Tuesday morning), might help get the word out. "American National Standards Institute. X3H2 records" is pretty cryptic . . . its 11 boxes come direct from the committee's secretary (1978--) documenting the NDL (network database language) and SQL (structured query language) standards. This is how relational databases percolated from IBM (which had donated SEQUEL) out into the wider world. "X3H3 records" hardly captures that. See <purl.umn.edu/40837> "Ada Programming Language Materials, 1981-1990" is not quite so cryptic. Three boxes contain product literature, project reports, technical reports, working papers, newsletters; and user group information. Ada Lovelace was born 200 years ago with the bicentennial coming up 10 December 2015. See <purl.umn.edu/41474> "SC34 committee records" is also somewhat cryptic . . . this collection documents SGML, the ur-standard from which HTML, XML, and much else derives. Ten boxes document development of SGML and current XML tools . . . early drafts of SGML administrative materials, documentation, working group papers, and standards for computer languages. See <purl.umn.edu/42431> Please contact CBI's archivist-curator Arvid Nelsen <nels0307(a)UMN.EDU> for more information about using these or other CBI collections. CBI's collections are open to the public, without charge. We have a modest travel grant program with a deadline each January. Five researchers are supported this year <http://www.cbi.umn.edu/research/ntravelfund.html>. All the best, Tom Misa ===========================

1 0

[Call for papers] The Third International Conference for the History and Philosophy of Computing (HaPoC 2015)
by Giuseppe Lettieri 05 May '15

05 May '15

********************************************************************** We apologize in advance if you receive multiple copies of this CFPs. We really appreciate your help if you forward this CFPs to your email lists. ********************************************************************** ****************** SUBMISSION DEADLINE: JUNE 19, 2015 **************** * Submission Website: * * https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=hapoc2015 * *********************************************************************** Call For Papers HaPoC 3: Third International Conference for the History and Philosophy of Computing October 8--11, 2015 Pisa, Italy URL: http://hapoc2015.sciencesconf.org/ The DHST commission for the history and philosophy of computing (www.hapoc.org) is happy to announce the third HAPOC conference. The seriesaims at creating an interdisciplinary focus on computing, stimulating a dialogue between the historical and philosophical viewpoints. To this end, the conference hopes to bring together researchers interested in the historical developments of computing, as well as those reflecting on the sociological and philosophical issues springing from the rise and ubiquity of computing machines in the contemporary landscape. In the past editions, the conference has successfully presented a variety of voices, contributing to the creation of a fruitful dialogue between researchers with different backgrounds and sensibilities. For HaPoC 2015 we welcome contributions from historians and philosophers of computing as well as from philosophically aware computer scientists and mathematicians. Topics include but are not limited to History and Philosophy of Computation (interpretation of the Church-Turing thesis; models of computation; logical/mathematical foundations of computer science; information theory...) History and Philosophy of Programming (classes of programming languages; philosophical status of programming...) History and Philosophy of the Computer (from calculating machines to the future of the computer; user interfaces; abstract architectures...) History and Epistemology of the use of Computing in the sciences (simulation vs. modelisation; computer-assisted proofs; linguistics...) Computing and the Arts: historical and conceptual issues (temporality in digital art; narration in interactive art work...) Social, ethical and pedagogical aspects of Computing (pedagogy of computer science; algorithms and copyright; internet, culture, society...) We cordially invite researchers working in a field relevant to the main topics of the conference to submit a short abstract of approximately 200 words and an extended abstract of at most a 1000 words (references included) to the EasyChair conference page. Abstracts must be written in English and anonymised. Please note that the format of uploaded files must be either .pdf or .doc. In order to access the submission page, an EasyChair account will be required. Please notice that what is called “abstract” in the EasyChair “Title, Abstract and Other Information” section corresponds to the short abstract of this call, and what is called “paper” in the EasyChair “Upload Paper” section corresponds to the extended abstract of this call. A post-proceedings volume is going to appear in the IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology series, published by Springer. -- Dr. Ing. Giuseppe Lettieri Dipartimento di Ingegneria della Informazione Universita' di Pisa Largo Lucio Lazzarino 1, 56122 Pisa - Italy Ph. : (+39) 050-2217.649 (direct) .599 (switch) Fax : (+39) 050-2217.600 e-mail: g.lettieri(a)iet.unipi.it -- Dr. Ing. Giuseppe Lettieri Dipartimento di Ingegneria della Informazione Universita' di Pisa Largo Lucio Lazzarino 1, 56122 Pisa - Italy Ph. : (+39) 050-2217.649 (direct) .599 (switch) Fax : (+39) 050-2217.600 e-mail: g.lettieri(a)iet.unipi.it

1 0

Videos up for Mistakes Were Made
by Laine Nooney 04 May '15

04 May '15

Hi all, You may remember an email I sent out on the list a little while back about an event <http://www.programseries.com/2014-2015/mistakes-were-made-computer-history-…> I ran at NYU called "Mistakes Were Made." For those of you interested who weren't able to attend, we've got our videos up of the talks and conversations! You can find them here on Vimeo: https://t.co/sxFe0f5O4w Enjoy! Laine Nooney www.lainenooney.com ISTC <http://socialcomputing.uci.edu/> @ MCC <http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/mcc/> @ NYU <http://www.nyu.edu> Postdoctoral Associate

1 0