Troubling Classifications: Categorizing Chimeras and Enacting Species Preservation (2009, Jun 11, London)

Troubling Classifications: Categorizing Chimeras and Enacting Species Preservation
Dr Carrie Friese
Lecturer in the Sociology of the Life Sciences and Biomedicine
LSE
11th June 2009 5pm – 7pm
H102 (First Floor, Connaught House)

This paper asks how chimeras, particularly puzzling biological organisms that have garnered significant attention as of late, are being officially classified in the specific situation of endangered species preservation.  Based on a qualitative study of endeavours to clone endangered animals in the United States, I contend that biology alone cannot determine the classification of these interspecies organisms.  Rather, categorizing chimeras requires metaphoric, schematic references to more familiar entities.  Here culture and biology are tools for classification.  Building on Adele Clarke’s method of positional mapping, I show that positions on classification represent an intermediary space between thought and action in elaborating a discourse of cloning endangered wildlife, which shapes the meaning of wildlife animals, the practices of preservation and zoos, and the materiality of endangered species.

All welcome, no ticket required. Seats allocated on a first-come, first served basis.
Map of LSE and surrounding area: http://www.lse.ac.uk/resources/mapsAndDirections/

This seminar will be followed by a drinks reception in the BIOS Centre, V1100 (11th floor, Tower 2).

Engaging with synthetic biology (2009 18 Jun, London)

Engaging with synthetic biology

18th June 2009, 9.45am – 12.15pm
The Royal Academy of Engineering
London

Chair:                           Professor Robert Winston HonFREng FMedSci, Imperial College, London

Speakers:         Professor Richard Kitney OBE FREng, Imperial College London
Dr Jane Calvert, University of Edinburgh
Dr Suzanne King, People Science & Policy

Panellists:          Professor Robin Gill, University of Kent
Professor Paul Freemont, Imperial College London
Fiona Fox, Science Media Centre

If you would like to attend, please complete and return the booking form which is available from: http://www.raeng.org.uk/events

Please do forward this invitation to colleagues, who may also be interested in attending

MedeaElectronique – residencies 2009

MedeaElectronique media lab residencies
Koumaria2009 ? international open call

http://www.medeaelectronique.com/residencies

Between the 23rd and 31st of October, 2009
MedeaElectronique organizes Koumaria fall residency offering a week?s
retreat for media artists in rural Sparta, Greece.

At the foot of Mount Taigetos, a huge private olive grove will be
transformed into a laboratory for contemporary art. Offering a 400
square meter residency made into a mixed media art studio, we aim to
bring together artists of different disciplines in order to develop a
collective mixed media art project.

We are interested in the process itself, as a hypothesis and as an
experiment in the search for an emerging work ethic, an intense and
refreshing experience that will serve as a model for future creative
gatherings.

The outcomes we are aiming at:
? A public performance on the 31st of October in Athens, Greece
? Material and ideas for further research and processing
? Recorded improvisations and other emergent pieces of work to be
shared and distributed in appropriate forms between the participants
? Documentation of the whole process to be analysed and elaborated on
? Further inspiring and productive collaborations to be initiated

The specificity of the place hints towards thematic directions
relating to the ideas of creation and growth, serenity, light and the
processes of natural flow, universals, as well as the journey outward
and within. Anything else that might resonate with the participants
during the residency will be greatly appreciated.

There will be a fare amount of relaxed personal space, friendly
communal life, conversations, common experiments and improvisation, as
well as daily key group sessions for reviewing, processing and
structuring of ideas and materials.

We are looking for practitioners active in such diverse fields as:
Electroacoustics, sonic art, live electronics, field recording,
instrumental improvisation, performance art, VJing, video art,
creative computer programming, creative hardware modification, plastic
arts, conceptual art, drama, philosophy and semiotics. The list is non
exhaustive and we will be happy to consider any interesting proposal.

The ideal participants would have interdisciplinary interests and a
strong creative drive. They would be happy to share and embrace ideas,
techniques, material, time and energy. They would need good social and
communication skills, as well as the ability to function in a wide
range of situations. A respect to the craft and the powers of
improvisation will be also greatly appreciated.

We are expecting participants to enjoy a degree of self-sufficiency
concerning creative tools: e.g. laptop, soundcard, recorder,
microphone(s), headphones, camera(s), instruments and so on. We will
be providing basic technical support including: a Mac G5 with Logic
and Final Cut, assorted plugins, a 32-channel digital mixing desk,
high-end monitoring, a range of studio microphones, preamps and sound
processors, digital recorders, projector, materials, internet, etc.

Organic food from the farm and transport to nearby villages will be
also provided. There will be access to a telescope dome observatory on
the roof of the building. MedeaElectronique offers a limited number of
bursaries meant to cover travel and other expenses (depending on each
case). Particular technical and other arrangements will be made with
each individual after initial selection.

Please download the application form from http://www.medeaelectronique.com/residencies

Submit not later than the 15th of June 2009, by email to stgiann@yahoo.com
Selection will be completed by 15 July 2009.

For more information contact the project curator Stelios Giannoulakis
at stgiann@yahoo.com

Inspiring Learners through Inspirational Teaching (2009, Jun 24, Scotland)

“Inspiring Learners through Inspirational Teaching”

Learning & Teaching Conference 2009

Draft Programme

MORNING CONFERENCE
09.00    09.25    Registration in D145.
Tea/Coffee available and Poster Exhibition
09.25    09.35    P118, Welcome from Professor Seamus McDaid, Principal, UWS
09.35    10.10    P118, KEYNOTE
Ms Gill Troup, Depute Principal and Vice Principal, Strategy, UWS
and Dr Judith Vincent, Vice Principal (Learning and Teaching) UWS
10.10    12.00    Parallel workshops: (Tea/coffee available at 11am)

Workshop 1: Graduate Attributes for the 21st Century

1.    ‘Using transdisciplinary research to drive graduate-attribute-focused curriculum’.
Associate Professor Les Kirkup, Department of Applied Physics, University of Technology, Sydney.

2.     ‘Team Writing for Television: Evaluating the Student Experience in Higher Education Peer Screenwriting Groups’.
Mr Stuart Hepburn, Lecturer in Script Writing and Performance, UWS and Mr John Quinn, PhD Researcher, MLM, UWS.

Workshop 2: Blended Learning

1.    ‘Inspiring Learning through Blended Learning Approaches using an Integrated VLE in Teaching’. title tbc
Dr Tim Linsey, Head of e-learning, Academic Development, Kingston University.

2.    e-Learning tools including: Tablet PCs and Clickers. title tbc
Mr Neil McPherson, Lecturer in Sociology, UWS and student tbc.

Workshop 3: Interactive Teaching and Learning

1.    Using SMARTBOARD Technology to Inspire Learning.
SLESJEL Ltd

2.    SMARTBOARDs.
Ms Sandra McKechan, Lecturer in Education, UWS and student tbc.
12.00    12.50    D145 and D147 Lunch and Poster Exhibition

AFTERNOON CONFERENCE
12.00        Registration in D145
12.00    12.50    D145 and D147 Lunch and Poster Exhibition
12.50    1.40    P118, KEYNOTE “Inspiring People – A UK-wide Perspective”
Professor Rob Cuthbert, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Chief Executive at the University of the West of England, Bristol.
1.40    3.30    Parallel workshops: (Tea/coffee available at 2.15)

Workshop 1: Graduate Attributes for the 21st Century

1.    ‘Using transdisciplinary research to drive graduate-attribute-focused curriculum’.
Associate Professor Les Kirkup, Department of Applied Physics, University of Technology, Sydney.

2.     A Staff Member’s Experience of PDP. title tbc
Ms Liz Howie, Midwifery Lecturer, HNM, UWS and student tbc

Workshop 2: Blended Learning

1.    ‘Inspiring Learning through Blended Learning Approaches using an Integrated VLE in Teaching’.
Dr Tim Linsey, Head of e-learning, Academic Development, Kingston     University

2.    “Improving Understanding Through Use Of Interactive Audience  Response Tools”
Mr Alan Simpson, Lecturer in Engineering and Science, UWS and  student tbc

Workshop 3: Interactive Teaching and Learning

1.    Using SMARTBOARD Technology to Inspire Learning.
SLESJEL Ltd

2.   Interact – an Interdisciplinary Interactive Design Exercise.
Mr Callum Tooth, Lecturer in Engineering and Science, UWS and    student tbc.
3.30    4.15    P118, Feedback from Workshops, Panel Q&A and Presentation of Poster Prize
4.15        CLOSE

Nanotechnology and Postmodern Culture (2009, Jun 9)

Giving talk at Sheffield Uni on 9 June – Nanotechnology and Postmodern Culture
What kind of future is nanotechnology creating for us? What will it mean to be human in the twenty-first century?Professor Richard Jones (Physics and Astronomy), Dr Alex Houen (English), and Professor Andy Miah (Media, Language and Music, University of the West of Scotland)

http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/english/arts-science/events.html#June+2009

Humanities and Technology Annual Conference (2009, Sept 24-26, Virginia)

CALL FOR PAPERS

Humanities and Technology Annual Conference

September 24-26, 2009

University of Virginia

Special Topic:

Technology, Democracy, and Citizenship

Democracy and democratic citizenship shape and are shaped by technology.
Taking the broad approach, this conference invites papers and session
proposals bringing insight to the important albeit complicated and intricate
relationships among technology, democracy, and citizenship.

Besides scholars in Science and Technology Studies and the Humanities and
Social Sciences, we hope to attract practitioners and researchers in
engineering, science, public policy, architecture, government, and
international development to engage in a series of wide-ranging
conversations focused on three broad intersections of technology and democracy:

IDEALS—For example, how can technology be managed so that it promotes
democratic ideals? How can technology undermine democratic ideals? Exactly
what do we mean by “democracy” and “democratic citizenship”?

PROCESSES—This category includes socio-technical systems directly involved
in democratic processes, such as voting machines and blogs, as well as
broader questions of education, public discourse, deliberation, and
decision-making.

DECISIONS—Perhaps the broadest category of all, this includes the full range
of specific areas in which democracies must establish policy and make
decisions—energy, the environment, national defense, transportation,
homeland security, health care, regulation of business and entrepreneurship,
genetic engineering, funding of research, and more.

To propose a paper, send an abstract of no more than 250 words. To propose a
session, include a session title and rationale as well as an abstract for
each paper. Include the affiliation and relevant contact details for all
authors. Please direct electronic submissions and questions to
Andreas.Michel@rose-hulman.edu, or write to Andreas Michel, HTA 2009 Program
Chair, Humanities and Social Sciences, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology,
5500 Wabash Ave, Terre Haute, IN, 47803. We will begin reviewing proposals
as soon as they are received.

Proposals are due no later than June 15, 2009

Messages to the list are archived at http://listserv.liv.ac.uk/archives/philos-l.html.
Prolonged discussions should be moved to chora: enrol via
http://listserv.liv.ac.uk/archives/chora.html.
Other philosophical resources on the Web can be found at http://www.liv.ac.uk/pal.

The IVth Annual Postgraduate Conference in Bioethics.

I’m giving one of the keynotes at this conference next month on BioArt and BioEthics. More details to follow. It’s in Belfast, 22-23 June.

Make me a superhero: The pleasures and pitfalls of body enhancement

April article for the Guardian..

We should welcome with open arms the rich possibilities of technologically enhancing our bodies. Just so long as we don’t all end up looking, and thinking, and acting the same.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/may/01/body-enhancement-cosmetic-surgery-genetics