HIS seminar #11 - Sensors & Monitoring: sensor networks, in 東京 (Tokyo, Japan)

Source: Horizons <http://horizons.free.fr/his/eng/seminars/2008-05-28_his-seminar_11.htm>

The 11^th seminar dealt with sensors & monitoring. Dr Platon (JSPS fellow, NII) presented his research on data retrieval and his research on sensor networks at 国立情報学研究所 (National Institute of Informatics).

Slides of the presentations:

• Dr PLATON Eric: Working on Security in Wireless Sensor Networks (PDF)
  

Date: 28 May 2008 (10:00-11:15)
Location: 国立情報学研究所 (National Institute of Informatics), Tokyo, Japan
Language: English
Registration fees: None
Attendees: 5 persons
Organization: Dr DUVAL Sébastien, 国立情報学研究所 (National Institute of Informatics)

HIS seminar #10 - Data Processing: data retrieval and multilingual opinion analysis, in 東京 (Tokyo, Japan)

Source: Horizons <http://horizons.free.fr/his/eng/seminars/2008-02-26_his-seminar_10.htm>

The 10^th seminar dealt with data processing. Dr Evans (NII) presented his group's activities on data retrieval and his research on multilingual opinion analysis at the 国立情報学研究所 (National Institute of Informatics).

Slides of the presentations:

• Dr EVANS David: Overview of the NTCIR Information Access Evaluation Workshop (PDF)
• Dr EVANS David: Multilingual Opinion Analysis at the NTCIR Evaluation (PDF)
  

Date: 26 February 2008 (15:30-17:00)
Location: 国立情報学研究所 (National Institute of Informatics), Tokyo, Japan
Language: English
Registration fees: None
Attendees: 8 persons
Organization: Dr DUVAL Sébastien, 国立情報学研究所 (National Institute of Informatics)

Funds to visit Japan for research from 情報科学国際交流財団 (International Information Science Foundation)

Source: 情報科学国際交流財団 (International Information Science Foundation) <http://www.iisf.or.jp/subsidize-en.html>

Researchers may request funds from 情報科学国際交流財団 (International Information Science Foundation) before 30 June 2008 to visit Japan between 01 September 2008 and 31 March 2009. The age limit is 40 year old, and the research field must fall under the general heading of information or computer science.

The following selection will be in 2009.

Consumerism and the Rise of Balloons in Europe at the End of the Eighteenth Century

Source: Horizons <http://horizons.free.fr/his/eng/themes/scientific-dissemination.htm#rise-ballons-18-century>

In Consumerism and the Rise of Balloons in Europe at the End of the Eighteenth Century published in the journal Science in Context (2008), Michael R. LYNN highlights how scientists marketed their work to the general public and how it consequently influenced aeronautics in France and Britain during the last twenty years of the 18th century.

Initially, novelty attracted people but later various tactics appeared necessary:

• proving the scientific utility of balloons,
• adding attendees' names to experimental reports,
• providing details (e.g. shape) about the machines,
• selling tickets for separate phases of operation (construction, inflation, launch),
• creating exotic shapes (e.g. pyramid, Chinese temple),
• enlarging the event with dance, food, teaching about physics, dropping animals then humans in parachutes,
• launching fireworks from balloons,
• and selling treatises.

Attracting the general public was important because (1) building and inflating balloons was expensive and (2) usual scientific patrons barely supported ballooning. Unfortunately, the public's lack of interest in experiments led to entertainment superseding science.