Showing papers on "Ingenuity published in 2005"

Tinkering: Consumers Reinvent the Early Automobile

Abstract: Introduction: Automobiles in the Machine Age 1. What Consumers Wanted 2. Women's Ingenuity 3. Consumers Become Inventors 4. A Tinkerer's Story 5. The Automotive Industry Takes the Stage Epilogue: Tinkering from Customizing to Car Talk

Is science a case of wasteful competition

Abstract: Science is a winner-take-all profession in which only a few contributions get excessive attention and the large majority of papers receive scant or no attention. This so-called 'waste', together with all the competitive strategies of scientists seeking attention, is part and parcel of every creative profession and not a worrisome fact, as the price society pays for human ingenuity is extremely small: 0.0006 percent of world income goes into the publication of scientific research. The more worrisome features of competition in academic economics do not reveal themselves through ordinary citation or publication statistics or competitive attention seeking strategies, like starting fads and networking. Badly designed uses of market principles, in which citations and publications have become the sole measuring rod of scientific 'productivity', deserve more attention instead of the excessive focus on being uncited. To detect the real story of scientific progress, or to judge academic work, 'reality economics' or 'learning by asking and watching' should complement citation and publication statistics.

Nanotechnology: The future of dentistry

Abstract: The human characteristics of curiosity, wonder and ingenuity are as old as mankind. For many years people around the world have been harnessing their curiosity into inquiry and the process of scientific methodology. Science is the fuel for the engine of technology! And hence the fuel for progress, this article intends to highlight the success of the science and technology of miniaturization, i.e. nanotechnology in dental care applications such as composites, bonding agents, and impression materials.

Giving Australia:Research on Philanthropy in Australia. Summary of Findings

Abstract: The ‘Giving Australia’ project is an initiative of the Prime Minister’s Community Business Partnership, coordinated by the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) in collaboration with the Centre for Australian Community Organisations and Management (CACOM) at the University of Technology, Sydney, the Australian Centre of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies (ACPNS)at the Queensland University of Technology, Roy Morgan Research (RMR),McNair Ingenuity Research and the Fundraising Institute - Australia (FIA).

Influence of occupation and home environment on the wellbeing of European elders

Abstract: ENABLE-AGE was a EU-funded project involving research teams in Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Sweden and the UK. A main aim was to study the relationship between home and healthy ageing for very old people living alone at home. In all, 1918 older people from the five EU countries were surveyed. This article addresses results from a sub-set of in-depth interviews, conducted with 80 octogenarians in Sweden and the UK. The impact of the home environments and patterns of occupational engagement on individual wellbeing is presented. Findings indicate that occupational pursuits are diverse, and not dictated by chronological age. Social activities outside the immediate home environment are particularly valued, as is easy access to favourite local venues. Additionally, being able to leave the home to pursue chosen activities is enjoyed and nurtured. House-bound elders find their occupational satisfaction increasingly dependent upon both their own ingenuity and the accessibility of the interior home.

The Construction of Home in the Informal City

Abstract: The cities of Latin America are expanding rapidly largely through the energy and efforts of ordinary people who are creating their own dwelling environments in informal settlements with varying degrees of support or condemnation from municipal authorities. Although there is considerable diversity between settlements, most share three key characteristics. Firstly, these environments are conceived and constructed by the occupants themselves independently of external controls or professional advice; secondly, occupation and construction frequently take place simultaneously; and thirdly, such places are usually in a process of dynamic change and demonstrate considerable ingenuity and creativity within limited resource constraints. To explore these process of informal place-making and the resulting environments this chapter draws on data from a study of squatter settlements in northern Colombia. Through analysis of the processes of making, both collectively and at household level, we will gain insights into the multiple influences on the decision-making processes involved. Far from the common image of inadequate, chaotically organised places it will be argued that these environments respond to clear, culturally embedded ideas about how cities and dwellings should be configured.

Science and Regulation: Current Impasse and Future Solutions

Abstract: We reflect on four articles that examine the Supreme Court's Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. decision and efforts by private interests to derail public health and environmental regulations. The articles' authors make the case that the impact of Daubert and related decisions in court settings pale by comparison to the threat that Daubert-like thinking poses in the regulatory arena. A growing number of companies, however, have made substantial changes in practice and in culture by embracing a philosophy where health and environment are priorities. Mechanisms could be established to encourage firms to pledge to use science to meet public health and environment goals, as well as channel the ingenuity of the private sector towards ecological, economical, and equitable systems of production.

Environmental Ethics and Sustainable Development: Ethical and Human Rights Issues in Implementing Indigenous Rights

Abstract: Environmental ethics are important, as the growth of scientific knowledge, followed shortly by a parallel growth in technical ingenuity, has created an explosive growth in moral problems in human history. The Earth Charter has a number of principles and sub-principles that directly bear upon human rights, sustainable development and, specifically, the rights and ethical treatment of Indigenous peoples.

Science and regulation: current impasse and future solutions.

Abstract: We reflect on four articles that examine the Supreme Court's Daubert v Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc decision and efforts by private interests to derail public health and environmental regulations. The articles' authors make the case that the impact of Daubert and related decisions in court settings pale by comparison to the threat that Daubert-like thinking poses in the regulatory arena. A growing number of companies, however, have made substantial changes in practice and in culture by embracing a philosophy where health and environment are priorities. Mechanisms could be established to encourage firms to pledge to use science to meet public health and environmental goals, as well as channel the ingenuity of the private sector towards ecological, economical, and equitable systems of production.

Is Science a Case of Wasteful Competition

Abstract: Science is a winner-take-all profession in which only a few contributions get excessive attention and the large majority of papers receive scant or no attention. This so-called 'waste', together with all the competitive strategies of scientists seeking attention, is part and parcel of every creative profession and not a worrisome fact, as the price society pays for human ingenuity is extremely small: 0.0006 percent of world income goes into the publication of scientific research. The more worrisome features of competition in academic economics do not reveal themselves through ordinary citation or publication statistics or competitive attention seeking strategies, like starting fads and networking. Badly designed uses of market principles, in which citations and publications have become the sole measuring rod of scientific 'productivity', deserve more attention instead of the excessive focus on being uncited. To detect the real story of scientific progress, or to judge academic work, 'reality economics' or 'learning by asking and watching' should complement citation and publication statistics.

Condensed-matter physics. The quirks and culture of helium.

Abstract: While helium has helped theorists develop key concepts, experimenters working with ultracold helium have developed a reputation for old-fashioned ingenuity.

Firm-Level Innovation Models: Perspectives on Research in Developed and Developing Countries

Abstract: The advantage of firm-level innovation modelsused in industrially-advanced countries (IACs) is that they havedelvedsubstantially into the management of innovation and decision-makingprocesses within a firm.This analysis categorizes five generations ofsuch firm-level innovation models, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses.It then explores the relevance of applying IAC innovation models to 'latecomer'firms from developing countries, which have radically different innovativeprocesses. Because firms from developing nations have anincreasinglycompetitive presence in international business, this issue is especiallyrelevant. Many of the models investigated imply that there is one 'best practice'innovation model to follow, though evidence shows that innovation not onlydepends on firm culture and context, but on leadership, ingenuity, and vision.Hence, models must be tailored by managers to particular contexts to develop adistinctive innovative strategy. As latecomer firms gain eminence, futureinnovation research should fill a gap by focusing on developing catch up and"forge ahead" models. Suggestions are provided regarding strategiesforcarrying out such research in advanced industrializing countries, suchas Korea. (LKB)

John Biggins (1936-2004): his ingenuity, tenacity and humor; no-nonsense science with a big heart.

Abstract: John Biggins, Emeritus Professor of Biology at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA, passed away following a heart attack on September 14, 2004. He is survived by his wife Cathy, daughters Susan and Ann, grandchildren Haley, Sarah and Alex and brother Dave. John was born in Sheffield, UK, on March 30 in 1936. After finishing school, John served in the British Army for 2 years before beginning his undergraduate studies at University College in London. John was already interested in photosynthesis while an undergraduate and, after talking with Vivian Moses at University College, he made the decision to cross the pond and go to the USA for his PhD. Vivian Moses recalls:

Creativity in consulting engineering: how civil engineers talk about design

Abstract: An appropriate civil infrastructure is vital to the wealth and wellbeing of cultures. Appropriateness is increasingly defined in terms of sustainability, aesthetics, innovation and cultural suitability. These expectations pose challenges for engineers to use their creativity, aesthetic appreciation, knowledge and character to predict and respond creatively with their designs. However, a treadmill of cost innovation in construction projects makes improved design challenging. This tends to reinforce the misconception that engineers are dull and uncreative, even though historically they have displayed considerable imagination and ingenuity. This thesis is based on an in-depth study conducted at the Brisbane office of Kellogg Brown & Root P/L (a large consulting engineering firm). A contemporary qualitative approach is used to explore how creativity is manifested in an engineering design context, and how it relates to phenomena such as knowledge, innovation, project culture and organizational environment. In-depth interviews reveal the authentic meaning of design and creativity for engineers and other company staff. The study highlights an important distinction between design-based and cost-driven innovation and unveils multiple influences that can stifle or nurture personal and group creativity.

Empty-Handed Demonstr ations for Engineer s: Think Inside the Box

Abstract: Recently there has been much emphasis on the inclusion of technology to improve student learning in engineering and this has proven to be very effective in a variety of engineering courses. The objective of this paper is to supplement technology-based education by teaching fundamental concepts using "emptyhanded" demonstrations. This instructive technique is defined as one that is accomplished by using whatever is typically available in or near traditional classrooms and by simulating concepts with students and/or faculty as system components. The defining feature of this strategy is that it does not require special equipment or software to clarify fundamental engineering concepts. Empty-handed demonstrations are dynamic, illustrative and interactive, and increase course effectiveness. Forms of active learning that engage the students beyond lecture have been shown to have lasting value in the students' memory (Bransford et al., 2000; Felder & Brent, 2003). Our ambition is to generate a conference session to demonstrate, share, compile, and catalog some of these no-tech teaching tools. Our secondary objective is to stimulate engineering educators to think “inside the box” of the classroom and realize that, with some ingenuity, the world around us is replete with modeling and teaching opportunities. This paper provides several examples of empty-handed demos from a variety of engineering disciplines describing the goals, materials and set up, implementation strategies, and the inspiration and lessons for each demonstration.

Mobilising the Community Radio Audience

Abstract: In 2004 the first, national, statistically robust, quantitative assessment of the Australian community broadcasting sector's audience reach was undertaken. Conducted by McNair Ingenuity, this research provided a major breakthrough in the wider shift to a more audience-centred approach to managing the sector. The findings, significance and implications of this research are considered here. Following recent developments in critical cultural policy studies, this paper locates this renewed concern for community broadcasting audiences within a 'larger cycle of decision-making' (O'Regan, Balnaves and Sternberg 2002: 2). The particular influence of developments such as the emerging spectrum market and the imminent transition to digital transmission systems is discussed. These developments are important to understanding why community broadcasting resistance to market-based conceptions of audience is being overcome, and how audience-centredness might be used to facilitate the continuing development of this 'third' sector of Australian broadcasting.

Opponent Modeling in Adversarial Environments through Learning Ingenuity

Abstract: In Multiagent systems there are several agents with cooperative or competitive goals. Here, we are especially interested in zero-sum games which contain exactly two players with fully opposite goals. We describe a method based on Maximum-Expected-Utility [7] principle that learns the ingenuity of the opponent based on the moves of the opponent through a game and exploits this knowledge to play better against that opponent. Then we demonstrate an application of proposed method in the popular board game of Connect-4. The results show that the proposed method is superior compared to previous methods for adversarial environments especially when there is not adequate training for appropriate adaptation against an opponent.

Implementation of capability maturity model® integration (cmmi®) in ingenuity microsystems sdn bhd for measurement and analysis, risk management, integrated project management and integrated supplier management

Abstract: Customer satisfaction has become the motto of many organizations attempting to survive and thrive in today’s increasing competitive world. At the same that organizations are focusing on customer satisfaction, there is a growing perception that software quality is the weak link in developing high-quality products or in providing high quality services. Thus, in order to improve the software development process, Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI®) Model is the best solutions that can be choose by the organization. Besides it has been introduce by Software Engineering Institute (SEI), this model is a one of Software Process Improvement that can be used as a guidance to use when developing processes, manage the development, acquisition, and maintenance of products or services. According to that, Ingenuity Microsystems Sdn Bhd has decided endorsed the CMMI® model for improving the organization processes to satisfy the organization’s business needs. Ingenuity has planned to achieve CMMI®/SW Maturity Level 3 using Staged Representation, road map for CMMI® implementation called ‘Ingenuity’s CMMI® Implementation Roadmap’ which is derived from the IDEALSM life cycle and ‘Process Area Work Flow’. This technical report provides experienced-based discussions on state-of-the-art and state-of-the-practice of CMMI® in the SPI Project implementation in Ingenuity especially on the Measurement and Analysis, Risk Management, Integrated Project Management and Integrated Supplier Management.

Empty Handed Demonstrations for Engineers: Think Inside the Box

Abstract: Recently there has been much emphasis on the inclusion of technology to improve student learning in engineering and this has proven to be very effective in a variety of engineering courses. The objective of this paper is to supplement technology-based education by teaching fundamental concepts using "emptyhanded" demonstrations. This instructive technique is defined as one that is accomplished by using whatever is typically available in or near traditional classrooms and by simulating concepts with students and/or faculty as system components. The defining feature of this strategy is that it does not require special equipment or software to clarify fundamental engineering concepts. Empty-handed demonstrations are dynamic, illustrative and interactive, and increase course effectiveness. Forms of active learning that engage the students beyond lecture have been shown to have lasting value in the students' memory (Bransford et al., 2000; Felder & Brent, 2003). Our ambition is to generate a conference session to demonstrate, share, compile, and catalog some of these no-tech teaching tools. Our secondary objective is to stimulate engineering educators to think “inside the box” of the classroom and realize that, with some ingenuity, the world around us is replete with modeling and teaching opportunities. This paper provides several examples of empty-handed demos from a variety of engineering disciplines describing the goals, materials and set up, implementation strategies, and the inspiration and lessons for each demonstration. Introduction Much of the classic learning model is about the acquisition of knowledge and its subsequent application. Effective education provides a means for students to absorb and comprehend relevant information so that they can retain and apply that knowledge. The undisputed fundamental components of engineering education are those that are described in textbooks and those that we, as professors, introduce in our lectures and labs. Sometimes having the students read books and listen to lectures is not enough and thus greater depth and challenge must be provided in their education. Depth of understanding has often been provided by encouraging the students to become personally involved in activities that simulate or mirror the circumstances under discussion. This teaching strategy is similar to techniques of interactive engagement (IE) referred to by Hake (1998). Hake maintains that "the use of IE strategies can increase course effectiveness beyond that obtained with traditional methods." Strategies of active engagement and active learning, while beneficial in their instructive qualities, can be prohibitive unless they efficiently and effectively carried out, with minimal cost to the engineering program. It is preferable to keep them simple in content to avoid the educational messages being lost in the complexity of the set up. An ideal example of this is the human histogram created in an engineering statistics course at the University of Oklahoma to illustrate birthday distributions and related probability measures (Rhoads, 2004). The students physically line up in categories to form and observe the birthday frequency distribution. They use their own birth date data to calculate the relevant probability measures and confirm established equations related to these statistics. In this paper, we consider situations -like the statistics example abovethat have been found to be problematic for student comprehension and provide examples of activities that have been successfully applied to illustrate course topics. We shown how everyday examples in life and ordinary materials in our immediate surroundings can be used to illustrate broad engineering principles and inspire engineering ingenuity. They are described as “empty-handed demos” because each exercise described requires no or minimal materials to conduct and none requires technology. Furthermore, the professor remains virtually empty-handed throughout the presentations, primarily driving and supervising the activity and allowing the students’ participation, observations, and experiences to catalyze the learning process.