iCeMS Learning Lounge #8: Ayami Joh + Alfonso Avila-Robinson, 2016

Seeing the Dynamics of Science Convergence Dr. Alfonso Avila-Robinson

Course Description
Why Our Science Matters
The “Learning Lounge” features young scientists who, in 20 minutes deliver a presentation that will persuade any curious listener, even those without a scientific background, why their research area — not just the personal research of the speaker — is important to the world.

 

Dr. Ayami Joh
“Every Little Bit Counts in Human Interaction”
Greeting, having meetings, playing with friends, spending good times with family…Everyday, we interact with many people, and such daily communication is made up of a variety of secret factors that influence our thinking and behavior. In our research, we observe people’s daily interactions, and carefully analyze the “factors”. Join our exploration to find what they actually are.

-Researcher’s comment
Human interactions are organized by various resources, such as selections of expression, subtle motor actions, and articulations, so much more complicatedly than we imagine. In this talk I am discussing a part of my findings and the ongoing project based on a research program called Conversation Analysis. It is great that without special training, human beings can use their great abilities to coordinate their conduct by the millisecond and produce actions relevant to the people and situations involved.

 

Dr. Alfonso Avila-Robinson
“Seeing the Dynamics of Science Convergence”
Knowledge is rapidly growing and simultaneously fragmenting into numerous disciplines, making it difficult for scientists to see the “bigger pictures” of their science. Here I will show how the three-dimensional networking of meta-knowledge – knowledge about knowledge – can help us to see the continuous breaking down of barriers between disciplines in modern science.

-Researcher’s comment
As the challenges facing researchers become more complex, the understanding of convergence―the merging of multiple and disparate disciplines― in science is more relevant. In this talk, I show that three-dimensional visualizations of knowledge structures can help us understand the complex interconnections of science. Future studies will explore the impact of convergence at a global level, as well as the types of research institutions that support convergent research.

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