C’elle: Stem Cells in Menstrual Blood

A company called Cryo-cell International Inc. has launched its proprietary cryopreservation service, C’elle, which offers women the opportunity to bank stem cells from their menstrual blood. Using a menstrual cup to collect their blood is at the same time offering some vague belief that in the future you might be able to be [...]

Film series: CRASH

CRASH by David Cronenberg
On 26th November, Bruce Bennett from Lancaster University introduced the screening of Crash (Cronenberg, 1996) at Dukes Cinema as part of the NSOP:DSL film series.

Crash is the 1996 film adaptation of a 1973 novel by British writer JG Ballard. It was directed and adapted for the screen by Canadian director [...]

From the ultimate abstraction to new intellectual producers

‘The Team Around the Children: Codes, rules and imaginary epistemic objects in interagency working for integrated childrens’ services. - Steve Brown, Leicester University

 
Notes written by students of Theo Vurdubakis -Department of Organisation, Work and Technology, Lancaster University:
Steve’s presentation focused on the frameworks and technologies used in the protection of children who are seen to [...]

‘Securing conduct through codes: some reflections on sociomaterial agency’

Lucas Introna - LUMS, Lancaster University
Value-sensitive design seeks to shape code to conform to values. But looking at search engines or facial recognition that are hard to understand, who can do what? The paper focuses on how agency works here.
The inter-actional human-centred account is often invoked. The original agency is assumed to be human. [...]

Problematic code-conduct relations

‘Compromising standards and the Politics of Development. Health, Safety and New Ways of Living on the Interoceanic Highway, Peru’ - Penny Harvey and Hannah Knox - University of Manchester

Penny discusses the implications on the notion of safety, code and conduct between different belief cultures whilst the construction of the Interoceanic Highway is built across [...]

‘Airport Emergency: Scrambling the Codes of Conduct’

Damian O’Doherty - University of Manchester Business School

 
The airport is a site where the sciences of protection are being advanced almost hegemonically. They are deployed in the name of safe living. The airport is concerned with national citizenship, with transition, and is a non-place. The airport space is highly coded. For instance, objects are coded [...]

‘Seeking Safety: Code, Conduct and Spirituality’

Chris Westrup - University of Manchester Business School
The issue of spirituality does concern safe living, as well as reassurance about death. Issues of code and conduct arise around spirituality. They are difficult to research because of the ‘other minds’ problem. Can spirituality be a ’science of protection’? How should it be addressed? Can it be [...]

Extending the notion of code

Yuwei Lin - Manchester University: ‘Embodying Hacker Culture in Women-friendly Free Software Groups’
Yuwei Lin discusses the rise of women friendly hacking networks in a male dominated free software culture. Download Yuwei Lin’s presentation slides

Notes written by students of Theo Vurdubakis -Department of Organisation, Work and Technology, Lancaster University:
Yuwei’s presentation focused on the contextualisation and embodiment [...]

‘Countryside Code’

Martin Dodge - University of Manchester

The original country code was published in the 1950’s and illustrated by Norman Thelwell. Download more cartoons [...]

Discussion

Is there a fundamental dilemma in coding about the thing itself? Is this a particularly masculinist dilemma? And the farm space, does it not already harbour something monstrous about it?
What about the potentially ‘feminine’ aspects of free software development? What about resistance to the coding of farming?
There is a fundamental dilemma in both these [...]

Robots/careworkers?

Telecare session

‘Mediating care: reading, interpreting and diagnosing code, the ‘new’ skills of ‘caring’?’ Norman Crump - LUMS, Lancaster University
Download Norman Crumps Telecare presentation here>

Notes written [...]

‘Monitoring vital signs or mediating loving care and connection: the social codes of new care technologies’

Ingunn Moser and Jeanette Pols - University of Oslo/University of Amsterdam:
Download power point presentation> Telecare_IMJP

The Icat by Philips
Notes written by students of Theo Vurdubakis -Department of Organisation, Work and Technology, Lancaster University:
Ingunn’s presentation focused upon the growing recognition of the need for a deeper understanding of care technologies and the complexities of material, social, [...]

Discussion

Why did Aibo go out of production? We don’t know.
Do carers really care? The Eros-Thanatos relation is more complicated. Hate is also mediated through these technologies. There are times in care when this happens.
To what extent does the telecare offer surveillance of care-work? What kinds of pre-emptive effects arise? Do they displace protection or [...]

Workshop 2 : CODES & CONDUCT starts tomorrow

I will be back in Lancaster on Monday to hear all about workshop 2: Codes and Conduct. Check out the tab to read more about the various subjects that will be discussed including the remote management of aged care, demonic media, hospitality management, airport passenger management, highways, hacker cultures and agriculture.

From [...]

Obese man fails BMI & gets rejected by New Zealand Immigration

Check it out>
Read more here>

Stab proof school uniforms + hoodies

slash resistant tshirt

Vexed Generation: protective fashion

PARKA:From the 1997 Autumn Winter collection made from Black ballistic Nylon[the same material used in bullet proof vests]
Vexed Generation are a fashion label that were founded in 1994 by Adam Thorpe and Joe Hunter. Their garment designs each address issues of air pollution, urban CCTV surveillance and civil liberties whilst catering for a performance lifestyle. [...]

Protection

Images from top left to right: surgical face mask, DXL Protective Helmet, mosquito protective safari suit, bomb disposal vest, germ warfare camo suit, baby buggy mosquito net, isolation chamber accordion sleeves, Israeli Civilian gasmask, potomac emergency escape BioChemical mask

Detection

Images from top left to right:
Radiation dosimeter wrist badge , geiger counter, handheld metal detecting mail scanner, dosimeter ring badge, blood pressure monitoring device, alcohol breath tester,dosimeter ring, fat calipers, pulse monitor, personal radiation Monitors, CT-80 explosive detection system.