The Computing Community Consortium (CCC) is proud to be a part of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2016 Annual Meeting this weekend, February 11-15, 2016 in Washington, DC.

The AAAS Annual Meeting is interdisciplinary and inclusive. Each year, thousands of leading scientists, engineers, educators, policymakers, and journalists gather together to discuss recent developments in science and technology. The 2016 theme will focus on how the scientific enterprise can meet global challenges in need of innovation and international collaboration.

CCC Chair Gregory Hager, from Johns Hopkins University, and CCC Director Ann Drobnis are co-organizing a symposium on Friday, February 12, 2016 from 3:00-4:30 p.m. on The Confluence of Computing and Society: Emerging Themes in Socio-Technical Systems. The speakers include CCC Vice Chair Elizabeth Mynatt, from Georgia Institute of Technology, presenting on Health and Healthcare in an Increasingly Connected World, Kentaro Toyama, from University of Michigan, presenting on Technological Amplification in International Development, and Greg Hager presenting on Computational Actors in a Physical World.

See the full symposium description below:

The growing global pervasiveness of computing technology in everyday life is forging new types of interactions between people, technology, and the physical world. With nearly half the world’s population now online, the opportunities to support and expand human activity by incorporating increasing computational capabilities are present at scales unimaginable just 10 years ago. This symposium examines new trends that illustrate the growing importance of socio-technical systems across the globe. Specifically, the panel examines ways that computers interacting with people will reshape healthcare, technology-for-development, and the physical tasks of everyday life. Healthcare increasingly relies on theories of social engagement and technology to connect patients and caregivers. In discussing technology-for-development projects, the panel uses technology’s Law of Amplification to illustrate the idea that technology amplifies underlying human intent and capacity, and is remarkably consistent in predicting outcomes. Smart physical infrastructure systems also increasingly rely on models of trust and theories of human-computer interaction, at ever-increasing scales, from in-home assistance to collaboration on the manufacturing floor to transportation at city-wide scales. Speakers highlight new research questions that are emerging as computing technologies spread into the hands of nearly every individual around the globe, offering perspectives on future ideas and challenges for technology innovations at global societal scales.