Book review: the acceleration of cultural change: from ancestors to algorithms by R. Alexander Bentley and Michael J. O'Brien

In The Acceleration of Cultural Change: From Ancestors to Algorithms, R. Alexander Bentley and Michael J. O'Brien examine the fast pace of technological and cultural change today, contrasting our modes of knowledge exchange with those of early humans. Exploring rapidly changing traditions from ancient fairy tales to viral memes, this playful book gives great insight into the ways in which cultures are transformed and sustained over time, writes Jochem Kootstra

The Global Positioning System

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is quickly becoming part of the fabric of everyday life. Beyond recreational activities such as boating and backpacking, GPS receivers are becoming a very important tool to such industries as agriculture, transportation, and surveying. Very soon, every cell phone will incorporate GPS technology to aid first responders in answering emergency calls

Suitability of a GPS Collar for Grazing Studies

The traditional means of tracking animal location in a field is by visual observation. Not only is this method labor intensive, it is also prone to error as the observer can alter cattle movement, observation periods are often too short to obtain confidence in general daily behavior patterns, and observer fatigue becomes an issue. In the 1990s, the University of Kentucky began using GPS collars on cattle to track their position with the goal of incorporating this information into cattle management practices. One of the key unanswered questions regarding the GPS collars is the accuracy of the position data recorded by the collar. The objective of this work was to assess the capabilities and limitations of using GPS collars to track animal movement in grazed watersheds. Static tests were conducted in an open field, under trees, and near fence lines to ascertain the impacts of various field features on collar performance. Dynamic tests were carried out to examine the errors associated with the collars while operated under real-world conditions. Results from these tests indicate that the collars generally provide data with horizontal accuracies of 4 to 5 m. This information will assist researchers in the development of experiments based on collar capabilities and limitations

Streambank Erosion Associated with Grazing Practices in the Humid Region

The effects of cattle grazing on stream stability have been well documented for the western portion of the U.S., but are lacking for the east. Stream and riparian damage resulting from grazing can include alterations in watershed hydrology, changes to stream morphology, soil compaction and erosion, destruction of vegetation, and water quality impairments. However, few studies have examined the successes of best management practices (BMPs) for mitigating these effects. The objective of this project was to assess the ability of two common BMPs to reduce streambank erosion along a central Kentucky stream. The project site consisted of two replications of three treatments: (1) an alternate water source and a fenced riparian area to exclude cattle from the stream except at a 3.7 m wide stream ford, (2) an alternate water source with free stream access, and (3) free stream access without an alternate water source (i.e., control). Fifty permanent cross-sections were established throughout the project site. Each cross-section was surveyed monthly from April 2002 until November 2003. Results from the project indicated that the incorporation of an alternate water source and/or fenced riparian area did not significantly alter stream cross-sectional area over the treatment reaches. Rather than exhibiting a global effect, cattle activity resulted in streambank erosion in localized areas. As for the riparian exclosures, changes in cross-sectional area varied by location, indicating that localized site differences influenced the processes of aggradation and/or erosion. Hence, riparian recovery within the exclosures from pretreatment grazing practices may require decades, or even intervention (i.e., stream restoration), before a substantial reduction in streambank erosion is noted

An intimate approach to the management and integration of design knowledge for small firms

In August 2012 the author presented a paper entitled ‘’The Fuzzy Front End of Product Design Projects: How Universities Can Manage Knowledge Transfer and Creation’’ at the International Design Management Research Conference that year. Via a series of design projects and design support schemes, the paper investigated how a higher education institution with a particular approach to the management and integrating of knowledge on behalf of small firms, could bring together manufacturers, sub-contractors, design consultancies, market researchers, intellectual property specialists, funding bodies and other higher education institutions to make for an extremely effective design support network. In particular the paper dealt with the dynamics of knowledge acquisition during the ‘‘fuzzy front end’’ of product design projects. It was suggested that, through this novel approach, the management and integration of the different players involved in new product development (NPD), higher education institutions could help small firms, in particular, achieve effective knowledge transfer, develop new knowledge and generally reduce and manage uncertainty in the process and therefore utilise design more effectively in generating new products and increasing profitability. This paper investigates the work that has taken place in the ensuing years including material that led to ‘outstanding impact’ in the 2014 UK Research Excellence Framework (REF) evidencing significant economic growth as a result of this approach to the management of the NPD process for small firms. The paper proposes that the management and integration of those factors leading to successful NPD for small firms requires an ‘intimate’ style of engagement to be effective; demanding a broad knowledge of, and or an ability to manage, those factors pertinent to the needs of small firm. This can be seen as being similar in approach to the ‘heavyweight manager’ proposed by Clarke and Fujimoto (1991) for larger organisations with ‘in-house’ NPD teams. Based on four case studies, this paper attempts to identify the nature of this ‘intimate’ approach and therefore its potential significance