Smart Cities
The Smart Cities vernacular has become a prolific phrase in our community over the last year. Join us to consider the various issues raised by the development of wired and integrated cities. We offer a general education course, CPS 103 - Introduction to Smart Cities, which includes and encourages community participation at weekly brown bag lunches. Check out the schedule below for dates, times and information about the brown bag events.
SMART CITIES Brown Bag Lunch Discussions
Wednesdays | 12-1 pm | Molinaro D101
SEPTEMBER 11, 2019
What’s So Smart About a City?
Dr. Christopher Hudspeth
The term “Smart City” is fairly ubiquitous in the media. But what does it really mean? This presentation cuts through the glitz to reveal the not so secret heart of a Smart City.
SEPTEMBER 18, 2019
Sex, Drugs, and Candy Crush
Dr. Ignacio Rivero Covelo
This talk explores how sex, drugs, and video games target the brain’s reward system and shows the potential that these new rewards have for encouraging maladaptive behaviors.
SEPTEMBER 25, 2019
The Emerald City: Capital, Climate, and the "Smart" City
Dr. Ross Astoria
This workshop explores the emergence of the ideal of the green, resilient cosmopolity as a governance object for smart cities in the age of rapid and dangerous global warming.
OCTOBER 2, 2019
Smart Armies: Technology’s Impact On Forward Base Design
Major Daniel Bartlett
U.S. military bases face the same technological and resource requirements as any city but often with very little organic support and in some of the most extreme and hostile environments in the world. This talk investigates the similarities and differences between forward deployed bases and modern cities.
OCTOBER 9, 2019
Interacting with Humans and Nonhumans in a Smart City
Dr. Theresa Castor
In a Smart City, technology is no longer just a tool used to facilitate interaction--technology itself is an interaction participant. This presentation explores the different forms of human and nonhuman interactions in a Smart City and the implications of these for relationships
OCTOBER 16, 2019
The Role of Social Media in Shaping Our Perceptions of Safety
Dr. Aubri McDonald
Social media increases our awareness of what's going on in the world but it can also generate unwarranted fears about victimization. From crime alert texts to tweets about the latest mass shooting, social media engagement can threaten our sense of security and alter the way we interact with others.
OCTOBER 23, 2019
Brain Computer Interfaces: Taking Thoughts Out of the Human Body to Interact Within Smart Cities
Dr. Melissa Gregg
Recent Brain Computer Interfaces (BCI) developments have been able to utilize human thoughts to control machines and translate human thoughts to communication signals to other humans. This talk will describe the basic technology underlying BCI and the future of using human thoughts to control devices and navigate within a smart city environment.
OCTOBER 30, 2019
Blockchain is at the Downtown of Smart Cities
Dr. Zaid Altahat
Public and private sectors are using blockchain technology to implement smart cities. Blockchain is the technology behind cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin. But it's much more than just that. Dubai & Moscow have used it to provide more secure solutions for their smart cities.
NOVEMBER 6, 2019
E-Sports: The World’s New Favorite Pastime?
Dr. Dirk Baldwin
Data analytics, e-tickets, and fantasy sports are examples of how digitalization has already changed sports and the fan experience. What is next? 232 million online viewers and 174,000 arena viewers recently watched competitors play electronic sports (Esports). Are Esports the next step in sports evolution?
NOVEMBER 13, 2019
Big Data: What Is It and What Might It Mean for Our Future?
Dr. John Ward
"Big data" refers to the large and increasing volume of data available in today's connected/networked world through the Internet of Things (IoT). Big data has tremendous potential to inform decision-making and change the world as we know it, but does this future come with a cost in terms of individual freedom, privacy, and security?
NOVEMBER 20, 2019
Smart Cities as Platforms for Cooperation
Dr. Peggy James
Individuals Compete, Connectives Cooperate, Collectives Collaborate. These political, social, and economic relations have important impacts on identity, equity, and development, and technology offers the opportunity to move from one level to the next.