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Near-source passive sampling for monitoring viral outbreaks within a university residential setting
- Kata Farkas, Jessica L. Kevill, Latifah Adwan, Alvaro Garcia-Delgado, Rande Dzay, Jasmine M. S. Grimsley, Kathryn Lambert-Slosarska, Matthew J. Wade, Rachel C. Williams, Javier Martin, Mark Drakesmith, Jiao Song, Victoria McClure, Davey L. Jones
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- Journal:
- Epidemiology & Infection / Volume 152 / 2024
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 08 February 2024, e31
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Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has proven to be a powerful tool for the population-level monitoring of pathogens, particularly severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). For assessment, several wastewater sampling regimes and methods of viral concentration have been investigated, mainly targeting SARS-CoV-2. However, the use of passive samplers in near-source environments for a range of viruses in wastewater is still under-investigated. To address this, near-source passive samples were taken at four locations targeting student hall of residence. These were chosen as an exemplar due to their high population density and perceived risk of disease transmission. Viruses investigated were SARS-CoV-2 and its variants of concern (VOCs), influenza viruses, and enteroviruses. Sampling was conducted either in the morning, where passive samplers were in place overnight (17 h) and during the day, with exposure of 7 h. We demonstrated the usefulness of near-source passive sampling for the detection of VOCs using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and next-generation sequencing (NGS). Furthermore, several outbreaks of influenza A and sporadic outbreaks of enteroviruses (some associated with enterovirus D68 and coxsackieviruses) were identified among the resident student population, providing evidence of the usefulness of near-source, in-sewer sampling for monitoring the health of high population density communities.
Einstein in Bohemia. By Michael D. Gordin. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2020. Pp. 360. Cloth $29.95. ISBN 978-0691177373.
- William deJong-Lambert
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- Journal:
- Central European History / Volume 54 / Issue 1 / March 2021
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 08 April 2021, pp. 214-215
- Print publication:
- March 2021
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Doveweed (Murdannia nudiflora) Response to Environmental Resource Availability and Cultural Practices
- Jeffrey L. Atkinson, Lambert B. McCarty, Fred Yelverton, Scott McElroy, William C. Bridges
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- Weed Science / Volume 67 / Issue 2 / March 2019
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 25 March 2019, pp. 214-220
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Susceptibility of a system to colonization by a weed is in part a function of environmental resource availability. Doveweed [Murdannia nudiflora (L.) Brenan] can establish in a variety of environments; however, it is found mostly in wet or low-lying areas with reduced interspecies competition. Four studies evaluated the effect of mowing height, interspecies competition, and nitrogen, light, and soil moisture availability on M. nudiflora establishment and growth. A field study evaluated the effect of mowing height on M. nudiflora establishment. In comparison with unmowed plots, mowing at 2 and 4 cm reduced spread 46% and 30%, respectively, at 9 wk after planting. Effect of mowing height and nitrogen fertilization on ‘Tifway’ bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon Burtt-Davy×C. transvaalensis L. Pers.) and M. nudiflora interspecies competition was evaluated in a greenhouse trial. Murdannia nudiflora coverage was 62% greater in flats maintained at 2.6 cm than flats maintained at 1.3 cm. Supplemental application of 49 kg N ha−1 mo−1 increased M. nudiflora coverage 75% in comparison with 24.5 kg N ha−1 mo−1. A difference in M. nudiflora coverage could not be detected between flats receiving 0 and 24.5 kg N ha−1 mo−1, suggesting moderate nitrogen fertilization does not encourage M. nudiflora colonization. Effect of light availability on M. nudiflora growth and development was evaluated in a greenhouse study. Growth in a 30%, 50%, or 70% reduced light environment (RLE) did not affect shoot growth on a dry weight basis in comparison with plants grown under full irradiance; however, internode length was 28% longer in a 30% RLE and 39% longer in a 50% and 70% RLE. Effect of soil moisture on M. nudiflora growth and development was evaluated in a greenhouse study. Plants maintained at 50%, 75%, and 100% field capacity (FC) increased biomass>200% compared with plants maintained at 12.5% or 25% FC.
Key Morphological Events following Late-Season Goosegrass (Eleusine indica) Germination
- Robert Andrew Kerr, Lambert B. McCarty, William C. Bridges, Matthew Cutulle
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- Journal:
- Weed Technology / Volume 33 / Issue 1 / February 2019
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 November 2018, pp. 196-201
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Goosegrass is a weedy C4 species throughout the world and a major pest in turfgrass systems. Further research is needed to characterize morphological events of goosegrass germinating in late summer to enhance long-term management programs. The objective of this study was to determine whether goosegrass germinating on August 15 will complete a life cycle before the first killing frost, typically November 15 in Clemson, SC. A biotype from Clemson, SC, was collected and a growth-chamber experiment was conducted to simulate autumn maximum and minimum temperatures. Culm, leaf, root, and raceme biomass measurements were recorded weekly, and growth curves were modeled. The inflection point (i.e., point of maximum growth) occurred for the following growth parameters: culm dry weight at 26.5 d after emergence (DAE), leaf dry weight at 26.6 DAE, number of racemes per plant at 50.7 DAE, raceme dry weight (including germinable seed) at 56.0 DAE, and root dry weight at 42.1 DAE. The completion of the life cycle occurred on October 22 (68 DAE), approximately 3 wk before the typical first killing frost in Clemson, SC. In summary, turf managers need to address goosegrass that germinates through approximately the first week of September at this location to avoid production of viable seed.
Utilisation of early intervention services in young children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome
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- Kathleen A. Mussatto, Danielle Hollenbeck-Pringle, Felicia Trachtenberg, Erica Sood, Renee Sananes, Nancy A. Pike, Linda M. Lambert, William T. Mahle, David J. Goldberg, Caren S. Goldberg, Carolyn Dunbar-Masterson, Michelle Otto, Bradley S. Marino, Bronwyn H. Bartle, Ismee A. Williams, Jeffrey P. Jacobs, Sinai C. Zyblewski, Victoria L. Pemberton
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- Journal:
- Cardiology in the Young / Volume 28 / Issue 1 / January 2018
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 29 August 2017, pp. 126-133
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Objective
Children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome are at a risk for neurodevelopmental delays. Current guidelines recommend systematic evaluation and management of neurodevelopmental outcomes with referral for early intervention services. The Single Ventricle Reconstruction Trial represents the largest cohort of children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome ever assembled. Data on life events and resource utilisation have been collected annually. We sought to determine the type and prevalence of early intervention services used from age 1 to 4 years and factors associated with utilisation of services.
MethodsData from 14-month neurodevelopmental assessment and annual medical history forms were used. We assessed the impact of social risk and geographic differences. Fisher exact tests and logistic regression were used to evaluate associations.
ResultsAnnual medical history forms were available for 302 of 314 children. Greater than half of the children (52–69%) were not receiving services at any age assessed, whereas 20–32% were receiving two or more therapies each year. Utilisation was significantly lower in year 4 (31%) compared with years 1–3 (with a range from 40 to 48%) (p<0.001). Social risk factors were not associated with the use of services at any age but there were significant geographic differences. Significant delay was reported by parents in 18–43% of children at ages 3 and 4.
ConclusionDespite significant neurodevelopmental delays, early intervention service utilisation was low in this cohort. As survival has improved for children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, attention must shift to strategies to optimise developmental outcomes, including enrolment in early intervention when merited.
Kyllinga brevifolia, K. squamulata, and K. pumila seed germination as influenced by temperature, light, and nitrate
- David B. Lowe, Ted Whitwell, Lambert B. McCarty, William C. Bridges
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- Weed Science / Volume 47 / Issue 6 / December 1999
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 12 June 2017, pp. 657-661
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Kyllinga species are becoming more prevalent in turfgrass sites throughout North America. The effects of nitrate (50, 200, and 400 mg L−1), temperature (33/24, 25/17, 19/11 C day/night, respectively), and light on seed germination of three Kyllinga species were investigated in growth chambers. Nitrate concentrations did not stimulate Kyllinga species seed germination compared with untreated seeds. All Kyllinga species seeds failed to germinate in darkness but resumed germination once they were placed in light. This is an important pest management strategy because a dense, uniform turfgrass stand with its minimum light penetration to the soil would minimize Kyllinga species seed germination. Higher temperatures increased seed germination rate and percentage of each species after 8 wk. Maximal (> 90%) K. brevifolia germination occurred 2 to 4 wk after initiation in every seed study, whereas K. squamulata seeds germinated continuously. Minimal (< 10%) K. pumila seeds germinated until alternating diurnal temperatures were imposed.
Temperature influences Kyllinga brevifolia and K. squamulata growth
- David B. Lowe, Lambert B. McCarty, Ted Whitwell, William C. Bridges
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- Weed Science / Volume 47 / Issue 6 / December 1999
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 12 June 2017, pp. 662-666
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Kyllinga species are becoming more common throughout the southeastern United States. Two species, Kyllinga brevifolia and Kyllinga squamulata, in particular are prevalent weeds in turfgrass. To better understand these weeds, growth chamber studies determined the growth of K. brevifolia, K. squamulata, and Cynodon dactylon × Cynodon transvaalensis as influenced by three temperature regimes (33/24, 25/17, 19/11 C day/night, respectively). Temperature influenced almost all aspects of Kyllinga species growth. Plant height of both Kyllinga species increased nearly twofold after 8 wk at high temperatures. Plants were mowed each week to 2.5 cm; both species produced more than twice as many clippings by 8 wk at high (33/24 C) temperatures than at low (19/11 C) temperatures. Destructive analysis at 8 wk revealed that K. brevifolia shoot and root weight increased with decreasing temperature, whereas K. squamulata shoot and root weights were not affected by temperature. Shoot weight percentage for both Kyllinga species increased from 59% in medium temperatures to 69% in high temperatures. K. brevifolia shoot weight percentage decreased to 53% in low temperatures, whereas K. squamulata shoot weight percentage increased to 72%. K. brevifolia inflorescences formed at 2, 3, and 5 wk in high, medium, and low temperatures, respectively, whereas K. squamulata flowered immediately in all temperatures. C. dactylon × C. transvaalensis and Kyllinga species growth were similar within each temperature regime throughout the 8-wk study.
Translating clinical trials into clinical practice: a survey assessing the potential impact of the Pediatric Heart Network Infant Single Ventricle Trial
- Victor Zak, Daphne T. Hsu, Victoria L. Pemberton, Jami C. Levine, Andrew M. Atz, James F. Cnota, Chitra Ravishankar, Piers Barker, Linda M. Lambert, Brian W. McCrindle, Michele A. Frommelt, Karen Altmann, Shan Chen, Richard V. Williams, for the Pediatric Heart Network Investigators
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- Cardiology in the Young / Volume 27 / Issue 7 / September 2017
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 10 February 2017, pp. 1265-1270
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Background
A few studies have evaluated the impact of clinical trial results on practice in paediatric cardiology. The Infant Single Ventricle (ISV) Trial results published in 2010 did not support routine use of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor enalapril in infants with single-ventricle physiology. We sought to assess the influence of these findings on clinical practice.
MethodsA web-based survey was distributed via e-mail to over 2000 paediatric cardiologists, intensivists, cardiothoracic surgeons, and cardiac advance practice nurses during three distribution periods. The results were analysed using McNemar’s test for paired data and Fisher’s exact test.
ResultsThe response rate was 31.5% (69% cardiologists and 65% with >10 years of experience). Among respondents familiar with trial results, 74% reported current practice consistent with trial findings versus 48% before trial publication (p<0.001); 19% used angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor in this population “almost always” versus 36% in the past (p<0.001), and 72% reported a change in management or improved confidence in treatment decisions involving this therapy based on the trial results. Respondents familiar with trial results (78%) were marginally more likely to practise consistent with the trial results than those unfamiliar (74 versus 67%, p=0.16). Among all respondents, 28% reported less frequent use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor over the last 3 years.
ConclusionsWithin 5 years of publication, the majority of respondents was familiar with the Infant Single Ventricle Trial results and reported less frequent use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor in single-ventricle infants; however, 28% reported not adjusting their clinical decisions based on the trial’s findings.
Comparison of Enzyme and Growth Characteristics in ALS-Inhibitor Susceptible and Resistant Annual Bluegrass (Poa annua) Biotypes
- Robert B. Cross, Lambert B. McCarty, J. Scott McElroy, Nishanth Tharayil, William C. Bridges, Jr.
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- Weed Science / Volume 63 / Issue 1 / March 2015
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 20 January 2017, pp. 220-228
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Acetolactate synthase–- (ALS-) inhibiting herbicides are frequently used to control annual bluegrass in managed turfgrass systems. Recently, the number of annual bluegrass populations resistant to these herbicides has increased on golf courses. Previous research involving annual bluegrass resistance to ALS inhibitors has included elucidating the mechanism of resistance and in vivo response of ALS to ALS-inhibiting herbicides. The purpose of this research was to generate baseline information on enzymatic parameters of resistant (R) and susceptible (S) annual bluegrass biotypes and further distinguish these biotypes by comparing vegetative growth and reproductive characteristics. The R biotype contained a mutation in the ALS gene resulting in a Trp574 to Leu amino acid substitution. Compared to the S biotype, the R biotype exhibited a 27- and 10-fold resistance to trifloxysulfuron at the whole-plant level and under in vitro conditions, respectively. No significant differences were observed in substrate concentration at one-half maximum rate of enzyme activity (pyruvate) or extractable ALS activity between biotypes, but the maximum rate of enzyme activity was higher for the R biotype. The feedback inhibition of ALS activity by the branched-chain amino acids was higher for the R biotype than the S biotype, with leucine, valine, and isoleucine inhibiting ALS activity 20, 6, and 4% more in the R biotype, respectively. The R biotype produced more inflorescences and seeds per plant in comparison with the S biotype, but relative growth rates between biotypes were similar at all harvest intervals. Our research provides baseline information regarding ALS enzyme response, vegetative growth, and reproductive characteristics of annual bluegrass biotypes resistant and susceptible to ALS-inhibiting herbicides.
A Pro106 to Ala Substitution is Associated with Resistance to Glyphosate in Annual Bluegrass (Poa annua)
- Robert B. Cross, Lambert B. McCarty, Nishanth Tharayil, J. Scott McElroy, Shu Chen, Patrick E. McCullough, Brian A. Powell, William C. Bridges, Jr.
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- Journal:
- Weed Science / Volume 63 / Issue 3 / September 2015
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 20 January 2017, pp. 613-622
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Glyphosate is used in the transition zone to control annual bluegrass in fully dormant warm-season grasses. A suspected resistant (R) biotype of annual bluegrass was identified on a golf course in South Carolina after at least 10 consecutive years of glyphosate application. Greenhouse bioassays revealed the R biotype was 4.4-fold resistant to glyphosate compared with a standard susceptible (S) biotype. Further studies were conducted to investigate the mechanism conferring glyphosate resistance in the R biotype. Leaf discs of both biotypes accumulated shikimate in response to increasing glyphosate concentration, but the glyphosate concentration resulting in 50% EPSP synthase inhibition as a result of shikimate accumulation (I50) was 4.2-fold higher in the R biotype compared with the S biotype. At the whole plant level, similar levels of shikimate accumulation were observed between biotypes at 6 and 24 h after treatment (HAT) with glyphosate, but greater shikimate accumulation occurred in the S biotype at 72, 120, and 168 HAT. Shikimate levels decreased in the R biotype after 72 HAT. There were no differences in 14C-glyphosate absorption between biotypes. However, more 14C-glyphosate translocated out of the treated leaf in the R biotype and into root tissues over time compared with the S biotype. Partial sequencing of the EPSP synthase gene revealed a point mutation that resulted in an Ala substitution at Pro106. Although other mechanisms may contribute to glyphosate resistance, these results confirm a Pro106 to Ala substitution is associated with resistance to glyphosate in the R annual bluegrass biotype.
Detecting Annual Bluegrass (Poa annua) Resistance to ALS-Inhibiting Herbicides Using a Rapid Diagnostic Assay
- Robert B. Cross, Lambert B. McCarty, Nishanth Tharayil, Ted Whitwell, William C. Bridges, Jr.
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- Journal:
- Weed Science / Volume 61 / Issue 3 / September 2013
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 20 January 2017, pp. 384-389
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Annual bluegrass is the most problematic winter annual weed in managed turfgrass. Acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides are effective for annual bluegrass control, but reliance on this mode of action can select for herbicide-resistant biotypes. Two annual bluegrass biotypes not controlled with ALS-inhibiting herbicides were reported at golf courses in South Carolina and Georgia. Research was initiated at Clemson University to verify the level of resistance of these biotypes to ALS inhibitors. Two ALS-susceptible (S) and suspected resistant (SCr, GAr) annual bluegrass biotypes were established in a greenhouse. Dose-response experiments were conducted on mature annual bluegrass plants using trifloxysulfuron, foramsulfuron, and bispyribac-sodium, all ALS-inhibiting herbicides. Additionally, a rapid diagnostic ALS activity assay was optimized and conducted using the same herbicides. For dose-response experiments, the rate of herbicide that reduced shoot biomass 50% (I50) values for the S biotypes were 13.6 g ai ha−1 for trifloxysulfuron, 7.0 g ai ha−1 for foramsulfuron, and 38.3 g ai ha−1 for bispyribac-sodium. Fifty percent shoot biomass reduction was not observed in either the SCr or GAr biotypes at eight times the labeled field rate of all ALS-inhibiting herbicides tested. For in vivo tests of ALS activity, the SCr biotype yielded I50 (concentration of herbicide that reduced ALS activity 50%) values 3,650, 3,290, and 13 times the S biotypes following treatment with trifloxysulfuron, foramsulfuron, and bispyribac-sodium, respectively. Similarly, I50 values for the GAr biotype were 316, 140, and 64 times greater than the S biotypes following the same herbicide treatments. This research indicates high levels of annual bluegrass resistance to multiple ALS-inhibiting herbicides in South Carolina and Georgia. Future research should focus on the mechanisms of ALS resistance in these annual bluegrass biotypes as well as alternative options for control not targeting the ALS enzyme.
Evaluating Annual Bluegrass Herbicide Resistance Evolution in Golf Course Fairways
- Robert B. Cross, William C. Bridges, Jr., Lambert B. McCarty, J. Scott McElroy
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- Journal:
- Weed Technology / Volume 29 / Issue 3 / September 2015
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 20 January 2017, pp. 488-500
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Annual bluegrass is one of the most diverse plant species in the world and is the most problematic winter annual weed in commercial turfgrass. Continuous application of the same herbicide mechanism of action for annual bluegrass control on golf courses has increased herbicide-resistant populations. The purpose of this research was to simulate six herbicide-use strategies to evaluate the risk of annual bluegrass resistance evolution to glyphosate. In a worst-case scenario of yearly glyphosate applications at dormancy, resistance evolved within 10 yr and was predicted to evolve in > 90% of populations by yr 20. When glyphosate was rotated on alternate years with a unique mechanism of action, resistance was delayed for 12 to 15 yr. Season-long control of annual bluegrass often requires multiple herbicide applications. Therefore, additional strategies were simulated in which glyphosate was applied at dormancy with combinations of PRE and/or POST herbicides at various timings. Resistance was most effectively delayed with a PRE application in late summer, a POST application in fall, and alternating glyphosate with a different POST option at dormancy. This delayed resistance by 25 yr and a 35% risk was predicted after 50 yr. Strategies utilizing three annual herbicide applications with unique mechanisms of action were more effective for controlling population growth compared to other strategies. Resistance was predicted to evolve within 35 yr for each of the strategies simulated. However, these results indicate annual bluegrass herbicide resistance can be managed by using an integrated herbicide program, rotating unique mechanisms of action as frequently as possible.
Mowing and Nitrogen Influence Green Kyllinga (Kyllinga brevifolia) Infestation in Tifway Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon × C. transvaalensis) Turf1
- David B. Lowe, Ted Whitwell, Lambert B. McCarty, William C. Bridges
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- Weed Technology / Volume 14 / Issue 3 / September 2000
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 20 January 2017, pp. 471-475
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A field study evaluated the effects of green kyllinga establishment method (seed vs. stolon), two mowing heights (2.5 and 5.0 cm), and three nitrogen (N) rates (0, 24, and 49 kg/ha/mo) on green kyllinga infestation in ‘Tifway’ bermudagrass turf. The study was initiated in vigorous and newly established or “weak” bermudagrass turf in May 1997 and continued until December 1998. The green kyllinga area was measured periodically each year and plant dry weight (g/500 cm2) was calculated in December 1997 and 1998. In 1997, stolon established green kyllinga plots were twice as large as seeded plots in vigorous turf and four times larger in weak turf. Method of establishment, however, was less important in 1998 as seedling populations became more established. In weak turf, increasing N rate to 49 kg/ha/mo decreased green kyllinga spread by 50% in 1997 and by 40% in 1998 compared to no N. In vigorous turf, mowing height influenced green kyllinga infestation more than N. Low mowing height (2.5 cm) increased green kyllinga infestations nearly twofold in vigorous turf in 1997 and more than fivefold in 1998. Golf course fairways are often maintained at clipping heights shorter than 2.5 cm, and green kyllinga is a prevalent weed at these sites. Green kyllinga may gain a competitive advantage in bermudagrass turf at lower mowing heights.
Loren Graham, Lysenko’s Ghost: Epigenetics and Russia (Cambridge, MA and London: Harvard University Press, 2016), pp. 209, $24.95, hardback, ISBN: 9780674089051.
- William deJong-Lambert
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- Journal:
- Medical History / Volume 61 / Issue 1 / January 2017
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2016, pp. 143-144
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Contributors
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- By Hamid M. Abdolmaleky, Cory Adamson, Paola Allavena, Dimitrios Anastasiou, Johanna Apfel, Surinder K. Batra, Mark E. Burkard, Amancio Carnero, Michael J. Clemens, Jeanette Gowen Cook, Isabel Dominguez, Jeremy S. Edwards, Wafik S. El-Deiry, Androulla Elia, Mohammad R. Eskandari, Aurora Esquela-Kerscher, Manel Esteller, Rob M. Ewing, Douglas V. Faller, Kristopher Frese, Xijin Ge, Giovanni Germano, Daniel A. Haber, William C. Hahn, Antoine Ho, Christine Iacobuzio-Donahue, Sergii Ivakhno, Prasad V. Jallepalli, Rosanne Jones, Sharyn Katz, Arnaud Krebs, Karl Krueger, Arthur W. Lambert, Adam Lerner, Holly Lewis, Jason W. Locasale, Giselle Y. López, Shyamala Maheswaran, Alberto Mantovani, José Ignacio Martín-Subero, Simon J. Morley, Oliver Müller, Kathleen R. Nevis, Sait Ozturk, Panagiotis Papageorgis, Jignesh R. Parikh, Steven M. Powell, Kimberly L. Raiford, Andrew M. Rankin, Patricia Reischmann, Simon Rosenfeld, Marc Samsky, Anthony Scott, Shantibhusan Senapati, Yashaswi Shrestha, Anurag Singh, Rakesh K. Singh, Gromoslaw A. Smolen, Sudhir Srivastava, Simon Tavaré, Sam Thiagalingam, László Tora, David Tuveson, Asad Umar, Matthew G. Vander Heiden, Cyrus Vaziri, Zhenghe John Wang, Kevin Webster, Chen Khuan Wong, Yu Xia, Hai Yan, Jian Yu, Lihua Yu, Min Yu, Lin Zhang, Jin-Rong Zhou
- Edited by Sam Thiagalingam
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- Systems Biology of Cancer
- Published online:
- 05 April 2015
- Print publication:
- 09 April 2015, pp ix-xiv
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3D ChemiSTEM™ Tomography of Nano-scale Precipitates in High Entropy Alloys
- J.M. Sosa, D.E. Huber, B. Welk, J.K. Jensen, R.E.A. Williams, S. Lambert, H.L. Fraser
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- Journal:
- Microscopy and Microanalysis / Volume 20 / Issue S3 / August 2014
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 27 August 2014, pp. 764-765
- Print publication:
- August 2014
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Chapter 2 - Biological Utopias East and West: —Trofim D. Lysenko and His Critics
- Edited by Giles Scott-Smith, Peter Romijn, Joes Segal
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- Divided Dreamworlds?
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- Amsterdam University Press
- Published online:
- 02 February 2021
- Print publication:
- 17 July 2012, pp 33-52
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Summary
The vaskhnil Session
On 7 August 1948, at the end of a week-long session of the Lenin All-Union Academy of Agricultural Sciences (VASKHNIL) at the Academy of Sciences in Moscow, Trofim D. Lysenko delivered what has been described as ‘the most chilling passage in all the literature of Twentieth Century science’: ‘The Central Committee of the Party has examined my report and approved it.’ Lysenko was a self-styled biologist who had come to prominence in the Soviet Union as the foremost proponent of Lamarckism as a scientific explanation for evolution. His successful campaign against genetics was initially regarded in the West as the most disastrous example of the deleterious impact of Marxism upon natural sciences in the Soviet Union, and subsequently the rest of the Communist Bloc as well. However, as I will show, the Lysenko affair is better understood as the product of hopes for the achievement of biological utopias in both the East and the West during the Cold War.
The proceedings of the VASKHNIL conference were translated into English and published in the West by the Foreign Language Publishing House in Moscow. The text of the ‘discussion’ on the ‘situation in biological science’ displayed the central concepts of Lysenko's theories, as well as the style of rhetoric and argumentation favoured by Lysenko and his followers. The variety of methods Lysenko formulated to transform nature and increase agricultural production in the Soviet Union were dubbed ‘Michurinism’. Ivan Michurin was a plant breeder who had been celebrated by the Bolsheviks as a model peasant scientist, tirelessly devoted to the production of improved varieties of agricultural products. Though during his lifetime Michurin had rejected Lysenko's attempts to meet with him, Lysenko claimed to be Michurin's heir and enlisted the term ‘Michurin science’ against geneticists to set up a dichotomy between the achievement of practical results, versus the pursuit of answers to theoretical questions. For example, the fact that the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, had been the focus of genetic research inspired the accusation that geneticists were ‘fly lovers and people haters’ – bourgeois elitists who refused to acknowledge that science must serve the state.
Contributors
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- By Rose Teteki Abbey, K. C. Abraham, David Tuesday Adamo, LeRoy H. Aden, Efrain Agosto, Victor Aguilan, Gillian T. W. Ahlgren, Charanjit Kaur AjitSingh, Dorothy B E A Akoto, Giuseppe Alberigo, Daniel E. Albrecht, Ruth Albrecht, Daniel O. Aleshire, Urs Altermatt, Anand Amaladass, Michael Amaladoss, James N. Amanze, Lesley G. Anderson, Thomas C. Anderson, Victor Anderson, Hope S. Antone, María Pilar Aquino, Paula Arai, Victorio Araya Guillén, S. Wesley Ariarajah, Ellen T. Armour, Brett Gregory Armstrong, Atsuhiro Asano, Naim Stifan Ateek, Mahmoud Ayoub, John Alembillah Azumah, Mercedes L. García Bachmann, Irena Backus, J. Wayne Baker, Mieke Bal, Lewis V. Baldwin, William Barbieri, António Barbosa da Silva, David Basinger, Bolaji Olukemi Bateye, Oswald Bayer, Daniel H. Bays, Rosalie Beck, Nancy Elizabeth Bedford, Guy-Thomas Bedouelle, Chorbishop Seely Beggiani, Wolfgang Behringer, Christopher M. Bellitto, Byard Bennett, Harold V. Bennett, Teresa Berger, Miguel A. Bernad, Henley Bernard, Alan E. Bernstein, Jon L. Berquist, Johannes Beutler, Ana María Bidegain, Matthew P. Binkewicz, Jennifer Bird, Joseph Blenkinsopp, Dmytro Bondarenko, Paulo Bonfatti, Riet en Pim Bons-Storm, Jessica A. Boon, Marcus J. Borg, Mark Bosco, Peter C. Bouteneff, François Bovon, William D. Bowman, Paul S. Boyer, David Brakke, Richard E. Brantley, Marcus Braybrooke, Ian Breward, Ênio José da Costa Brito, Jewel Spears Brooker, Johannes Brosseder, Nicholas Canfield Read Brown, Robert F. Brown, Pamela K. Brubaker, Walter Brueggemann, Bishop Colin O. Buchanan, Stanley M. Burgess, Amy Nelson Burnett, J. Patout Burns, David B. Burrell, David Buttrick, James P. Byrd, Lavinia Byrne, Gerado Caetano, Marcos Caldas, Alkiviadis Calivas, William J. Callahan, Salvatore Calomino, Euan K. Cameron, William S. Campbell, Marcelo Ayres Camurça, Daniel F. Caner, Paul E. Capetz, Carlos F. Cardoza-Orlandi, Patrick W. Carey, Barbara Carvill, Hal Cauthron, Subhadra Mitra Channa, Mark D. Chapman, James H. Charlesworth, Kenneth R. Chase, Chen Zemin, Luciano Chianeque, Philip Chia Phin Yin, Francisca H. Chimhanda, Daniel Chiquete, John T. Chirban, Soobin Choi, Robert Choquette, Mita Choudhury, Gerald Christianson, John Chryssavgis, Sejong Chun, Esther Chung-Kim, Charles M. A. Clark, Elizabeth A. Clark, Sathianathan Clarke, Fred Cloud, John B. Cobb, W. Owen Cole, John A Coleman, John J. Collins, Sylvia Collins-Mayo, Paul K. Conkin, Beth A. Conklin, Sean Connolly, Demetrios J. Constantelos, Michael A. Conway, Paula M. Cooey, Austin Cooper, Michael L. Cooper-White, Pamela Cooper-White, L. William Countryman, Sérgio Coutinho, Pamela Couture, Shannon Craigo-Snell, James L. Crenshaw, David Crowner, Humberto Horacio Cucchetti, Lawrence S. Cunningham, Elizabeth Mason Currier, Emmanuel Cutrone, Mary L. Daniel, David D. Daniels, Robert Darden, Rolf Darge, Isaiah Dau, Jeffry C. Davis, Jane Dawson, Valentin Dedji, John W. de Gruchy, Paul DeHart, Wendy J. Deichmann Edwards, Miguel A. De La Torre, George E. Demacopoulos, Thomas de Mayo, Leah DeVun, Beatriz de Vasconcellos Dias, Dennis C. Dickerson, John M. Dillon, Luis Miguel Donatello, Igor Dorfmann-Lazarev, Susanna Drake, Jonathan A. Draper, N. Dreher Martin, Otto Dreydoppel, Angelyn Dries, A. J. Droge, Francis X. D'Sa, Marilyn Dunn, Nicole Wilkinson Duran, Rifaat Ebied, Mark J. Edwards, William H. Edwards, Leonard H. Ehrlich, Nancy L. Eiesland, Martin Elbel, J. Harold Ellens, Stephen Ellingson, Marvin M. Ellison, Robert Ellsberg, Jean Bethke Elshtain, Eldon Jay Epp, Peter C. Erb, Tassilo Erhardt, Maria Erling, Noel Leo Erskine, Gillian R. Evans, Virginia Fabella, Michael A. Fahey, Edward Farley, Margaret A. Farley, Wendy Farley, Robert Fastiggi, Seena Fazel, Duncan S. Ferguson, Helwar Figueroa, Paul Corby Finney, Kyriaki Karidoyanes FitzGerald, Thomas E. FitzGerald, John R. Fitzmier, Marie Therese Flanagan, Sabina Flanagan, Claude Flipo, Ronald B. Flowers, Carole Fontaine, David Ford, Mary Ford, Stephanie A. Ford, Jim Forest, William Franke, Robert M. Franklin, Ruth Franzén, Edward H. Friedman, Samuel Frouisou, Lorelei F. Fuchs, Jojo M. Fung, Inger Furseth, Richard R. Gaillardetz, Brandon Gallaher, China Galland, Mark Galli, Ismael García, Tharscisse Gatwa, Jean-Marie Gaudeul, Luis María Gavilanes del Castillo, Pavel L. Gavrilyuk, Volney P. Gay, Metropolitan Athanasios Geevargis, Kondothra M. George, Mary Gerhart, Simon Gikandi, Maurice Gilbert, Michael J. Gillgannon, Verónica Giménez Beliveau, Terryl Givens, Beth Glazier-McDonald, Philip Gleason, Menghun Goh, Brian Golding, Bishop Hilario M. Gomez, Michelle A. Gonzalez, Donald K. Gorrell, Roy Gottfried, Tamara Grdzelidze, Joel B. Green, Niels Henrik Gregersen, Cristina Grenholm, Herbert Griffiths, Eric W. Gritsch, Erich S. Gruen, Christoffer H. Grundmann, Paul H. Gundani, Jon P. Gunnemann, Petre Guran, Vidar L. Haanes, Jeremiah M. Hackett, Getatchew Haile, Douglas John Hall, Nicholas Hammond, Daphne Hampson, Jehu J. Hanciles, Barry Hankins, Jennifer Haraguchi, Stanley S. Harakas, Anthony John Harding, Conrad L. Harkins, J. William Harmless, Marjory Harper, Amir Harrak, Joel F. Harrington, Mark W. Harris, Susan Ashbrook Harvey, Van A. Harvey, R. Chris Hassel, Jione Havea, Daniel Hawk, Diana L. Hayes, Leslie Hayes, Priscilla Hayner, S. Mark Heim, Simo Heininen, Richard P. Heitzenrater, Eila Helander, David Hempton, Scott H. Hendrix, Jan-Olav Henriksen, Gina Hens-Piazza, Carter Heyward, Nicholas J. Higham, David Hilliard, Norman A. Hjelm, Peter C. Hodgson, Arthur Holder, M. Jan Holton, Dwight N. Hopkins, Ronnie Po-chia Hsia, Po-Ho Huang, James Hudnut-Beumler, Jennifer S. Hughes, Leonard M. Hummel, Mary E. Hunt, Laennec Hurbon, Mark Hutchinson, Susan E. Hylen, Mary Beth Ingham, H. Larry Ingle, Dale T. Irvin, Jon Isaak, Paul John Isaak, Ada María Isasi-Díaz, Hans Raun Iversen, Margaret C. Jacob, Arthur James, Maria Jansdotter-Samuelsson, David Jasper, Werner G. Jeanrond, Renée Jeffery, David Lyle Jeffrey, Theodore W. Jennings, David H. Jensen, Robin Margaret Jensen, David Jobling, Dale A. Johnson, Elizabeth A. Johnson, Maxwell E. Johnson, Sarah Johnson, Mark D. Johnston, F. Stanley Jones, James William Jones, John R. Jones, Alissa Jones Nelson, Inge Jonsson, Jan Joosten, Elizabeth Judd, Mulambya Peggy Kabonde, Robert Kaggwa, Sylvester Kahakwa, Isaac Kalimi, Ogbu U. Kalu, Eunice Kamaara, Wayne C. Kannaday, Musimbi Kanyoro, Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, Frank Kaufmann, Léon Nguapitshi Kayongo, Richard Kearney, Alice A. Keefe, Ralph Keen, Catherine Keller, Anthony J. Kelly, Karen Kennelly, Kathi Lynn Kern, Fergus Kerr, Edward Kessler, George Kilcourse, Heup Young Kim, Kim Sung-Hae, Kim Yong-Bock, Kim Yung Suk, Richard King, Thomas M. King, Robert M. Kingdon, Ross Kinsler, Hans G. Kippenberg, Cheryl A. 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Yee, Viktor Yelensky, Yeo Khiok-Khng, Gustav K. K. Yeung, Angela Yiu, Amos Yong, Yong Ting Jin, You Bin, Youhanna Nessim Youssef, Eliana Yunes, Robert Michael Zaller, Valarie H. Ziegler, Barbara Brown Zikmund, Joyce Ann Zimmerman, Aurora Zlotnik, Zhuo Xinping
- Edited by Daniel Patte, Vanderbilt University, Tennessee
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- Book:
- The Cambridge Dictionary of Christianity
- Published online:
- 05 August 2012
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- 20 September 2010, pp xi-xliv
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The Epistemologies of Non-Forecasting Simulations, Part II: Climate, Chaos, Computing Style, and the Contextual Plasticity of Error
- Lambert Williams, William Thomas
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- Journal:
- Science in Context / Volume 22 / Issue 2 / June 2009
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 01 June 2009, pp. 271-310
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- June 2009
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We continue our analysis of modeling practices that focus more on qualitative understanding of system behavior than the attempt to provide sharp forecasts. The argument here is built around three episodes: the ambitious work of the Princeton Meteorological Project; the seemingly simple models of convection in weather systems by Edward Lorenz at MIT; and then finally analysis of the dripping faucet by Robert Shaw and the Dynamical Systems Collective at UC Santa Cruz. Using the Princeton Meteorological Project as an argumentative foil for the later chaos work of Lorenz and Shaw, we first show how the epistemological interest of modeling came to shift from issuing predictions to probing the very meaning and limits of prediction. The second step of our argument shows that what may be seen in one context of use as a modeling technology that is error ridden, imprecise, or inadequate, may be parsed completely differently in another context. This argument about technology and practice, we argue, feeds through to epistemological conceptions of error. Far from being something that can be defined in the absolute, the notion of error is shown to be contextually plastic.
The Epistemologies of Non-Forecasting Simulations, Part I: Industrial Dynamics and Management Pedagogy at MIT
- William Thomas, Lambert Williams
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- Journal:
- Science in Context / Volume 22 / Issue 2 / June 2009
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- 01 June 2009, pp. 245-270
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- June 2009
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This paper is the first part of a two-part examination of computer modeling practice and philosophy. It discusses electrical engineer Jay Forrester's work on Industrial Dynamics, later called System Dynamics. Forrester developed Industrial Dynamics after being recruited to the newly-established School of Industrial Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which had been seeking a novel pedagogical program for management for five years before Forrester's arrival. We argue that Industrial Dynamics should be regarded in light of this institutional context. Unlike economics, as well as operations research and management science (twin fields which were also gaining traction at that time), Industrial Dynamics was not meant to be applied by mathematicians and technical specialists in consultation with managers, but by managers themselves. This concern shifted the emphasis in modeling from the specialist act of analysis of a crucial problem to the managerial act of choosing which problems were crucial and developing effective policies around them.