High-risk Technology Research Articles

Rays of Death and Visions of Life: Ultrasound Narratives, Risk Evaluations, and Prenatal Imaging.

Diagnostic ultrasound visualization was initially developed and introduced as a more benign alternative to X-rays and is today established as a harmless routine procedure and tool for risk management, but as this article shows, it took several decades to overcome the popular notion that ultrasound itself was a high-risk technology, a potentially deadly weapon. Swedish newspaper material provides a window into internationally circulated narratives portraying ultrasound as both a frightening and promising phenomenon. These ideas also constituted an important context for risk assessment during the early adoption and development of obstetrical ultrasound imaging, as shown by the case of Lund, Sweden, where the still-experimental technology was first imported from Scotland in the early 1960s. The article repositions ultrasound in the history of risk and risk management in modern societies and also sheds new light on the history of ultrasound visualization by situating it in a broader context of media culture.

Risk Assessment of Solid Propellant Rocket Motor using a Combination of HAZOP and FMEA Methods

The development of rockets in Indonesia has long been carried out by the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (LAPAN), which has now been integrated into the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). The Research Centre for Rocket Technology, which is one of the centres within BRIN, has been developing solid propellant-based rockets with a various sizes and types. Solid-propellant rocket technology is commonly used because of their reliability, cost-effectiveness, and simple design. However, this technology is one of the high-risk technologies, whose failure can harm humans, damage the environment and cause huge losses to assets. As a high-risk technology, risk assessment activities must be carried out, starting from the design, manufacturing, testing and up to the launching stage. In this paper, we studied a risk assessment for general Solid-propellant Rocket Motor (SRM). SRM is basically a device that processes chemical energy in solid propellant into thrust (kinetic energy) in a container that functions as a pressure vessel. The risk assessment methods commonly used in this technology are the HAZOP or FMEA methods. The HAZOP is excellent in identifying failure modes systematically through identifying the deviation of physical process parameters but has difficulties in prioritizing the risk. The FMEA has effectiveness in understanding failure mechanisms and establishing necessary countermeasures, but for a product with a lot of components, the worksheet is also complex. By combining these two methods, integrating the superiority of each method, this research can identify modes, causes and effects of failure that may occur in SRM effective and accurately. In addition, this research also proposes corrective or preventive actions for each failure mode. As the objective of the risk assessment, results of the research can be used as input for the designers to improve their design and as inspection and surveillance objects for QC officers.

Evaluating Academic Answers Generated Using ChatGPT

The integration of technology in education has become ever more prioritized since the COVID-19 pandemic. Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) is an artificial intelligence technology that generates conversational interactions to user prompts. The trained model can answer follow-up questions, admit its mistakes, challenge incorrect premises, and reject inappropriate requests. The functionality of ChatGPT in answering chemistry assessment questions requires investigation to ascertain its potential impact on learning and assessment. Two chemistry-focused modules in year 1 and year 2 of a pharmaceutical science program are used to study and evaluate ChatGPT-generated responses in relation to the end-of-year exam assessments. For questions that focused on knowledge and understanding with “describe” and “discuss” verbs, the ChatGPT generated responses. For questions that focused on application of knowledge and interpretation with nontext information, the ChatGPT technology reached a limitation. A further analysis of the quality of responses is reported in this study. ChatGPT is not considered a high-risk technology tool in relation to cheating. Similar to the COVID-19 disruption, ChatGPT is expected to provide a catalyst for educational discussions on academic integrity and assessment design.

Pandemic publishing: A bibliometric review of COVID‐19 research in the crisis and disaster literature

Iconic events have traditionally instigated progression in the fields of crisis and disaster science. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the pressing question is how this global health emergency impacted the research agendas of our field. We reviewed contributions in ten important crisis and disaster journals in the two and a half years following the COVID-19 outbreak from 1 January 2020 to 30 June 2022. Specifically, we conducted a bibliometric review using thematic mapping analysis to distill the major themes covered by the emerging COVID-19 literature within crisis and disaster science (N = 239 articles). Our results indicate that several well-known topics are applied to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as risk, crisis communication, governance, resilience and vulnerability. The pandemic also gave rise to new topics, such as citizen behavior, state power, and the business and mental health impact of crisis measures. Several studies are already looking ahead by identifying lessons for preparedness and mitigation of future pandemics. By taking stock of the surge of COVID-19 studies while this academic literature is still taking shape, this review sets the stage for future contributions to the crisis and disaster literatures. It provides valuable lessons for what topics are studied and what themes need more attention. The COVID-19 pandemic is destined to become an iconic event for our literature that not only strengthens and deepens existing debates, but also clearly offers the opportunity to draw in new perspectives and broaden the horizon of crisis and disaster science.

Panel Discussion Cognitive Engineering: Will They Know Our Name When We Are 40?

This panel discussion will examine the societal awareness of cognitive engineering today. Cognitive engineering celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2018 at the HFES annual meeting. Still, some would say that cognitive engineering is not as well-known as it should be, and that it is applied in an ad hoc manner in the many high-stakes, high-risk technology modernization efforts where it would be useful. As technology advances proliferate for sharp end of the spear decision makers, we are at risk of catastrophic results if CE remains in the shadows; these results are arguably emerging on a daily basis. Each panelist will describe, from their vantage point, CE’s state of the art today, thoughts on barriers to acceptance and application, and how they envision we act towards a future in 2028 in which cognitive engineers engage systematically in complex systems’ development.

New Training Trends in High-Risk Technology Fields

Abstract The more developed new and sophisticated technologies are, as in the energy sector, paradoxically, the more critical people are in terms of competences. A prophecy for 2020 was that machines and robots would replace people. It happened mainly for routine activities. Therefore, humans remain a crucial element in the technology world, especially in high-risk areas, such as nuclear. Companies developing, using high-risk technologies employ people with high-technical knowledge - not enough. Poor communication, failing leadership, improper management, decision reluctance, generation gap, lacking teamwork competencies were human errors that caused accidents. Besides technical competences, these people also need consistent training and workshops on soft skills, leadership, and strategy. Besides generic skills, requirements for training staff in long-life cycle technologies should consider: specific reaction patterns for various generations; the high-risk technologies are a combination of technologies with various durations, e.g., Silicon-based digital technology life cycle is about five years. However, the digital technology evolution to new ones, like quantum computing, may trigger unexpected interfaces with the underlying reactor technology, dominant in a nuclear plant, and requirements for training of staff. Extended use of the well-trained competencies can make the difference between life and death; Training? Because it is a combination of knowledge and practice; Coaching? Because it generates new behaviors in ordinary situations and improves the work-unit relationship; Leadership? Because there are moments when people need someone leading them to accomplish tasks efficiently. The methodology used to investigate such aspects was of team-group interviews for diverse generations involved in a nuclear project for risk analyses and master students, by using the same combination of training and coaching exercises. The paper presents the results of these investigations, considering the aspects mentioned and contributes to raising awareness of strategic development approaches for employees to aim at the emergence of new leaders.

FUNDING LIQUIDITY RISK, SYNDICATION BEHAVIOR AND THE RISK CULTURE OF THE AUSTRALIAN VENTURE CAPITAL INDUSTRY

Venture capital (VC) is usually invested in high risk technology companies at their early stages of development. In response to the industry risk environment, the VC fund managers have developed a set of risk management practices appropriate for the industry which include investment syndication. Furthermore, the VC funds are supplied by individual and institutional investors with different risk profiles and investment focus, usually in finite amounts and for a limited period of time. The funding agreement between the VC firms and the fund investors combined with the limited amount and time can lead to additional funding liquidity risks as the VC funds are invested in the portfolio companies. In this paper, we develop a simple two period model from a VC firm’s perspective with funding liquidity constraints to demonstrate how funding liquidity risk can influence syndication decisions. We subsequently analyze the implication of the model, derive a set of predictions and validate them with VC investment data from Australia. The analysis shows that syndication has both instrumental function in risk management and behavioral implications on risk culture essential for addressing the emerging frontiers of sustainability risks.

Agile innovation management in government: A research agenda

Governments are facing an information technology upgrade and legacy problem: outdated systems and acquisition processes are resulting in high-risk technology projects that are either over budget or behind schedule. Recent catastrophic technology failures, such as the failed launch of the politically contested online marketplace Healthcare.gov in the U.S. were attributed to an overreliance on external technology contractors and failures to manage large-scale technology contracts in government. As a response, agile software development and modular acquisition approaches, new independent organizational units equipped with fast reacting teams, in combination with a series of policy changes are developed to address the need to innovate digital service delivery in government. This article uses a process tracing approach, as well as initial qualitative interviews with a subset of executives and agency-level digital services members to provide an overview of the existing policies and implementation approaches toward an agile innovation management approach. The article then provides a research framework including research questions that provide guidance for future research on the managerial implementation considerations necessary to scale up the initial efforts and move toward a collaborative and agile innovation management approach in government.

Design of a novel installation device for a subsea production system

Subsea production systems (SPSs) have dominated the exploration of deep-sea oil and gas fields because of their economic superiority. SPS is a high-investment and high-risk technology. A floating installation device (FID) and an installation method for the SPS using this device were designed in this study. The device is made of buoyant materials, allowing both the SPS and the FID to be kept in a suspended state. Thus, the restriction caused by the great weight of the SPS can be avoided. The dynamic response of the chain system and FID was analysed according to environmental loads and material characteristics. The feasibility of the design was validated through numerical simulation and theoretical computation.

Liquidity Risk, Syndication Behaviour and the Risk Culture of Australian Venture Capital Industry

Venture capital (VC) is usually invested in high risk technology companies at their early stages of development. In response to the industry risk environment, the VC fund managers have developed a set of risk management practices appropriate for the industry which include Investment syndication. Furthermore, the VC funds are supplied by individual and institutional investors with different risk profiles and investment focus, usually in finite amounts and for a limited period of time. The funding agreement between the VC firms and the fund investors combined with the limited amount and time can lead to additional funding liquidity risks as the VC funds are invested in the portfolio companies. In this paper, we develop a simple two period model from a VC firms’ perspective with funding liquidity constraints to demonstrate how funding liquidity risk can influence syndication decisions. We subsequently analyse the implication of the model, derive a set of predictions and validate them with VC investment data from Australia. The analysis shows that syndication has both instrumental function in risk management and behavioural implications on risk culture essential for addressing the emerging frontiers of sustainability risks.

Uplift in Taxation of Petroleum and Natural Gas Sector in Indonesia

Oil and gas industry is an industry that is risky, expensive and complicated. Oil and gas industry which has the characteristics of high cost and high risk technology should be managed by experts in the field of oil and gas. In accordance with Law No. 44 Year 1960 regarding oil and gas mining and Law No. 8 year 1971 regarding Pertamina, exploitation of oil and gas can be cooperated with the contractor in the form of a Production Sharing Contract. The main problem in terms of the production sharing contracts viewed from national interest is how to optimize resource utilization contribution of oil and gas for the State's economy, employment opportunities, creating opportunities for national private companies to participate and ensuring the supply of fuel and gas for domestic needs. Meanwhile, the interest of foreign investors and national private entrepreneurs are to gain the profit as much as possible. With regard to the management of oil and gas in the Production Sharing Contract, there is problem of setting the tax on oil and gas sector particularly uplift policy relating to the taxation of income in the state revenue sources. This issue is related to the return of controversy of operational costs recognized by the contractor (cost recovery claim). Uplift tax culminated by this controversy is only levied at state-owned enterprises as partners in the oil and gas with contracting scheme of Joint Operation Body (JOB), especially the old fields with advanced technology (Enhanced Oil Recovery/EOR). The controversy that developed in line with the declining number of production and increased production costs are recognized by the contractor with respect to the reasonableness of operational expenses charged by contractors, both in terms of quantity and cost classification.

Efficient Clustering Simulator for Hierarchical Management of High-Risk with Wellness

In recent years, various research fields, such as Information Technology (IT), Nano Technology (NT), Bio Technology (BT), Culture Technology (CT), Space Technology (ST), and Environment Technology (ET), have fused to solve a large number of issues in the real world. In particular, service solutions have emerged by combining IT and BT in the area of wellness research. In addition, major studies have conducted on wellness. These include implanting medical technology into the human body, sensor recognition technology that detects various changes in the human body, sensor miniaturization technology that attaches sensors to the human body, and high-risk group monitoring technology that uses various pieces of sensor data from the human body. In particular, the high-risk group has many different types of diseases, such as depression, suicide, diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer, which be divided into mental and physical illnesses. It is highly important to manage patients in the high-risk group hierarchically because of the critical nature of their diseases. Therefore, although technological fusion has achieved a wireless body area network (WBAN), it has mainly concentrated on measurement via sensors, coverage, and communication range. Therefore, this paper proposes a High-risk Hierarchical Clustering Simulator (H2CS) for the hierarchical management of patients in high-risk groups. The H2CS provides hierarchical management functions by actively recording high-risk level, based on the grades and distances of high-risks.

Post-Fukushima energy paths: Japan and Germany compared

Japan’s March 2011 triple disaster of earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown shattered the country’s nuclear-dependent energy policy. Questions about the long-term consequences of Fukushima still linger, but a political and economic re-evaluation of the costs and benefits of this high-risk technology is long overdue. Concerns about the future role of nuclear power are part of the larger international debate about energy security and climate change. Germany is frequently seen as leading the way toward a clean-energy future with its nuclear exit and renewables expansion, but both Japan and Germany have managed to maintain a secure energy supply with dramatically reduced—or even zero—nuclear power since 2011. A comparison of similarities and differences between Japan and Germany helps to explain each country’s responses to Fukushima and to draw out key lessons for future energy systems. Energy policies that scrutinize vested interests of the industry and allow for more decentralized energy systems, relying on more renewable energy sources and more programs for emissions reductions, are key in shaping the inevitable big shift.

Quantifying the promise of lithium–air batteries for electric vehicles

Researchers worldwide view the high theoretical specific energy of the lithium–air or lithium–oxygen battery as a promising path to a transformational energy-storage system for electric vehicles. Here, we present a self-consistent material-to-system analysis of the best-case mass, volume, and cost values for the nonaqueous lithium–oxygen battery and compare them with current and advanced lithium-based batteries using metal-oxide positive electrodes. Surprisingly, despite their high theoretical specific energy, lithium–oxygen systems were projected to achieve parity with other candidate chemistries as a result of the requirement to deliver and purify or to enclose the gaseous oxygen reactant. The theoretical specific energy, which leads to predictions of an order of magnitude improvement over a traditional lithium-ion battery, is shown to be an inadequate predictor of systems-level cost, volume, and mass. This analysis reveals the importance of system-level considerations and identifies the reversible lithium-metal negative electrode as a common, critical high-risk technology needed for batteries to reach long-term automotive objectives. Additionally, advanced lithium-ion technology was found to be a moderate risk pathway to achieve the majority of volume and cost reductions.

Small business participation in the advanced technology program research alliances

This study uses a database of small businesses that participated in the US Department of Commerce's Advanced Technology Program (ATP) to observe the role of research alliances in undertaking high-risk technology research and development. The initial hypothesis is that small businesses benefit from membership in research alliances. This study examines two forms of research alliances: single applicants with subcontractor(s) and membership in a joint venture. The basis for the analysis includes data collected during the term of the project. Using data collected at project end provides a limited view of success as commercial achievements may come much later, and small businesses may derive advantages from participating in alliances not captured in the variables used. In light of this, the findings point to successful participation in ATP for small businesses as being dependent upon the type of organizational structure chosen as well as the role played by the small business in the research alliance. For example, assuming the role of the joint venture lead contributed to more successful technical and business outcomes.

Improving the Impact and Return of Investment of Game-Based Learning

Today’s economic situation demands that learning organizations become more diligent in their business dealings to reduce cost and increase bottom line for survival. While there are many champions and proponents claiming that game-based learning (GBL) is sure to improve learning, researchers have, thus far, been unable to (re)produce concrete, empirical evidence supporting this claim. Lacking appropriate assessment methodologies to showcase the effectiveness of the learning technology and to convince stakeholders that GBLs could really work, it is no wonder that many learning organizations regard GBL training as a potentially high-risk technology investment. This paper describes a GBL assessment methodology designed specifically to collect player-generated data in an in situ manner (i.e., within the game environment itself) through telemetry. This methodology further incorporate data visualization to translate the data collected into meaningful information and actionable intelligence for various stakeholders.

From Brokdorf to Fukushima: The long journey to nuclear phase-out

Shortly after the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Germany’s government started preparing legislation that would close the country’s last nuclear power plant by 2022. But this wasn’t an entirely new development: Germany had been planning to leave nuclear energy behind for decades, and to understand its nuclear phase-out requires a close look at the past. Several projects and events mark the beginnings of the German anti-nuclear power movement: Among them are the huge protests over the Brokdorf reactor, which began in 1976 and led to civil war-like confrontations with police, and the controversy over the Kalkar fast-neutron reactor in the mid-1970s. Because of these and subsequent developments—including the 1986 Chernobyl accident—by the 1990s, no one in German political life seriously entertained the idea of new reactor construction. This tacit policy consensus led to energy forecasts and scenarios that focused on energy efficiency, demand reduction, and renewable energy sources. By the time of the Fukushima accidents, many of these new energy priorities had already begun to be implemented and to show effect. Replacing nuclear power in Germany with other energy sources on an accelerated schedule is likely to come with a price tag, but, at the same time, Germany’s nuclear phase-out could provide a proof-of-concept, demonstrating the political and technical feasibility of abandoning a controversial high-risk technology. Germany’s nuclear phase-out, successful or not, may well become a game changer for nuclear energy worldwide.

MORE FUNDS FOR HIGH-RISK R&D

MORE THAN $100 MILLION was recently awarded to 37 educational, government, and private consortia by the Department of Energy in its second round of high-risk technology research grants through the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) program. These grants are intended to spur development and commercialization of new technologies that could fundamentally transform the way the U.S. uses and produces electricity, says DOE, which administers the program. “These projects,” Energy Secretary Steven Chu said when announcing the grants in late April, “show the U.S. can lead the next Industrial Revolution in clean-energy technologies, which will help create new jobs and spur innovation and economic growth while helping to cut carbon pollution dramatically.” However, despite Chu’s high hopes for the projects’ potential, these fledgling technologies need DOE support through ARPA-E; they carry risks so high that private investors are unwilling to support them, Chu says, particularly at the early stage of ...

Nuclear Revival in Post-Suharto Indonesia

Indonesia is planning to build a nuclear power plant to meet soaring demand for energy. Opposing this policy, an anti-nuclear alliance is emerging from grassroots groups driven by distrust of the government's ability to handle high-risk technology. This article explores the contemporary politics of Indonesia's nuclear power program.

Challenging Nuclear: Antinuclear Movements in Postauthoritarian Indonesia

In mid-2006, the Indonesian government announced a plan to build nuclear power plants geared towards meeting soaring demands for energy in the country. After prolonged procrastination, the government is determined that time is ripe for Indonesia to go nuclear. While discussions on adopting nuclear power are steadily gaining currency among high officials and political elites, it is simultaneously being contested by an antinuclear alliance consisting of multiple groups that form an organized resistance. The organized resistance is primarily driven by suspicions that the current government does not possess the capacity to handle high-risk technology. Using combined approaches of STS and social movement studies, the paper discusses the contestation of nuclear risk discourses and how lack of trust in the government has led to the ascendancy of antinuclear movements. In situating the paper within postauthoritarian Indonesia, this paper observes how shifts towards democratic change has allowed a network of civil society groups to organize resistance against nuclear power both at the national and local levels. The paper also highlights the way in which civic epistemology guides antinuclear groups to produce popular risk assessments that confront scientific calculations of nuclear risk. Lastly, it presents a vignette of how civil society groups mobilize local resources to explore alternative energy systems that ultimately undermine the government's nuclear ambitions.