Erich W. Schienke, Ph.D.

The primary advantage for users of cloud services is their non-localization, yet the materiality of the infrastructure requires an evaluation of the ecological costs of cloud computing. Some significant questions come to mind, such as, how much energy does it cost to maintain these services? what are the land-use requirements for server farms? how much rare earth metals do cloud servers consume on a general basis, thus driving global demand significantly? how does the mining of these materials effect local environments? what is the cycle of product replacement?

Think of this as a "writing with materials" exercise. You will provide a 250 word (1 page) write-up of this. Bring two copies of your write-up to class on Wednesday, Sept. 8th. We will have a look at them in class. You need two copies because we will exchange and comment on each others work twice. Two copies for two separate set of comments. Consider this part of your homework grade. I will check if you did it.

80 To repeat a point I made earlier, modern science adopts as otherworldly ideal of how we come to know nature: through mental constructions that are more intellectually tractable than material reality, and in particular amenable to mathematical representation.

II The Separation of Thinking from DoingThe production of scientific management. Frederick Winslow Taylor (1880-90s developed this theory)Efficiency in workflow processes. Waste reduction in movement and materials. Empirical methods of understanding what matters in a process. Workers as parts (replaceable).

Exercise: I will describe to you a
situation or thought. Once you have had a minute to think, I will tell
you to begin and you will start what is called free writing. Free
writing is where you write for the duration of the exercise, such as 5
minutes, and you do not stop writing. The pen never stops... even if you
have to continue writing "I have nothing to write" for 5 minutes, you
keep writing. Though, hopefully you will write on the topic at hand. It
is important that you do not stop. Simply write what comes to mind.

Blog a critical paragraph on "the common basis of religions". I would like one precise, accurate, well-written paragraph. 1. Who suggested a common basis?2. What is the common basis?
3. What (effects) does it produce (in/on society)? You will find it in your reading. Please be sure to pull your examples and definitions from the reading.

Set up your blog on http://blogs.psu.edu/Choose to develop a blog page (stand alone blog) or a profession site, which allows you to also develop a blog. Once your site is up and running, create the first blog entry (create new entry) on how science and/or technology is part of your career path. Your future job may be directly related to science/technology. But if not, try to explain what you have to learn in terms of a science and/or technology to do the job you want to do. 

Introduction:(page number)(content or question)3 What are you being educated for? What kind of job? 3 Virtualism. What does the author mean by this term? What does it mean to work in the virtual world?3 Much skilled labor requires localization. "skilled labor is becoming one of the few sure paths to a good living." WSJ.  So, why are you here? Why not become plumbers?4 What does the author mean by full human flourishing? 4 Does the use of tools answer to some permenant requirement of our nature?

Impacts of Urbanization:http://revver.com/video/1137471/the-impacts-of-urbanization-foreign-exch... McKinsey Global Institute report on China and Urbanization:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoOiPzg0Yzg http://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/publications/china_Urban_Billion/slideshow/m... Friedrich Engels writing on urban conditions in 1840s Manchester:http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1845/condition-working-class/...

Please identify an describe a design which you think exhibits principles of responsible design. Describe the design and how it is used. Tell us why you chose this design and to what ends the design has been developed. Also, you need to answer this following question, are there other means to achieve the same ends this design is intended to address? Further, does the design help the user address issues concerning responsible consumption? You will have 15 minutes.