systems

11Oct

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

SCIENCE

A Complex Systems Scientist Explains: What Is Chaos?

Mitchell Newberry, University of Michigan Chaos evokes images of the dinosaurs running wild in Jurassic Park, or my friend’s toddler ravaging the living room. In a chaotic world, you never know what to expect. Stuff is happening all the time, driven by any kind of random impulse. But chaos has a deeper meaning in connection to physics and climate science, related to how certain systems – like the weather or the behavior of a toddler – are fundamentally unpredictable. Scientists define chaos as the amplified effects of tiny changes in the present moment that lead to long-term unpredictability. Picture two almost identical storylines. In one version, two people bump into each other in a train station; but in the other, the train arrives 10 seconds earlier and the meeting never happens. F...

In The Hands Of Law Enforcement ‘Early Warning’ Systems In Schools Can Be Dangerous

22Jan

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

EDUCATION, Journalism

In The Hands Of Law Enforcement ‘Early Warning’ Systems In Schools Can Be Dangerous

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many students are getting lower grades and inconsistently attending classes. For students in one Florida county, low grades and absenteeism may put them at risk of being labeled by law enforcement as potential criminals. The Tampa Bay Times reported in late 2020 that the Pasco Sheriff’s Office uses student data to identify young people who, in its words, are “destined to a life of crime.” Pasco is a county of around 500,000 people just north of Tampa on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The Pasco Sheriff’s Office uses grades, disciplinary histories, progress toward graduation and attendance records alongside justice system data to flag students as being at risk of committing crimes. All it takes to be labeled as “at risk” is getting a single D on a report card or a disc...

Systems For Managing E-Waste Aren’t Keeping Up – Consumer Electronics Have Changed A Lot In 20 Years

3Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

TECHNOLOGY

Systems For Managing E-Waste Aren’t Keeping Up – Consumer Electronics Have Changed A Lot In 20 Years

It’s hard to imagine navigating modern life without a mobile phone in hand. Computers, tablets and smartphones have transformed how we communicate, work, learn, share news and entertain ourselves. They became even more essential when the COVID-19 pandemic moved classes, meetings and social connections online. But few people realize that our reliance on electronics comes with steep environmental costs, from mining minerals to disposing of used devices. Consumers can’t resist faster products with more storage and better cameras, but constant upgrades have created a growing global waste challenge. In 2019 alone, people discarded 53 million metric tons of electronic waste. In our work as sustainability researchers, we study how consumer behavior and technological innovations influence the pr...

Several schools find harmful bacteria in water systems, reminding all reopening buildings to check the pipes

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Several schools find harmful bacteria in water systems, reminding all reopening buildings to check the pipes

As schools cautiously reopen for the fall semester, several have discovered potentially harmful bacteria in their water systems. Parents are likely concerned about what this means for their children, and other districts may be checking their own water’s safety. Schools in Ohio and Pennsylvania have already found Legionella, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease, in their water systems. Andrew Whelton/Purdue University, CC BY-ND As researchers who investigate water quality in buildings, we warned earlier this year that the pandemic stay-at-home orders could allow bacteria and harmful metals to accumulate in water as it sat unused in buildings’ pipes. Some building managers looked for those problems as they reopened and found them. More than 10 schools in Ohio and Pennsylvania hav...

Coronavirus lockdowns are pushing mass transit systems to the brink – and low-income riders will pay the price

2Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

COVID-19, VIDEO REELS

Coronavirus lockdowns are pushing mass transit systems to the brink – and low-income riders will pay the price

Low-income Americans have borne the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic. They may also get left behind in the recovery. CC BY-ND Steep declines in ridership during the crisis have pushed public transit systems across the U.S. into deep financial distress. Though Congress included allocations for transit in the CARES Act, cities said it won’t be nearly enough. Even major systems in large metro areas like New York City and Washington, D.C., have serious concerns about long-term survival without more sustained support. Failure of transit systems would be a disaster for the large proportion of low income households that depend on buses and trains to get to work and elsewhere – not only in urban areas, but in rural ones too. I’m currently in the middle of a two-year study of transport inequalit...