Author Archives: Paul Rodriguez

When I enrolled in this course in the fall, I had heard a bit about open source, but I was excited about the opportunity to learn more. I understood open source as strictly a technological idea. I knew that it allowed different contributors to edit code and collaborate to improve a problem. Furthermore, I wonderedContinue reading “Blog 9: Final Reflection”

On February 7, 2018, the Partnership for Resilience and Preparedness launched their map-based platform, titled “PREPdata”, to provide easy access to the information that adaptation decision-makers need to assess vulnerability and build resilience to climate change. [1] This platform compiles data from a wide array of reliable sources and provides them to the public withContinue reading “Blog 8: Climate Change/Infrastructure”

Since December 31, 2019, when the first case of COVID-19 was reported in the Wuhan province in China, the pandemic has spread globally at a rapid rate. The novelty of this disease has caused people to constantly search for information about where it is, how it spreads, and how to prevent it. While there areContinue reading “Blog 7: Health”

Due to COVID-19 and its highly infectious nature, governments have asked schools and workplaces to operate remotely. These measures have contributed to a sharp rise in Zoom video conference usage. For example, in one day, the Zoom app was downloaded 343,000 times with about 18% of those downloads originating in the United States [2]. Further,Continue reading “Blog 6: Communication”

In 2015, Caleb Harper the MIT Media Lab Research Scientist came up with personal food computers. He initiated this as part of his Open Agriculture Initiative. Personal food computers are automated, indoor, hydroponic gardens that can download and replicate conditions for specific vegetables or other plants. The computers are typically made up of a climateContinue reading “Blog 5: Agriculture”

Blog 4: Education and the control of knowledge:  IP and OSD solutions compared Across the world and even the United States, there is a great education disparity between communities. All of us enrolled at the University of Virginia have unbelievable access to educational resources. With this great privilege comes great responsibility to promote other mediumsContinue reading “Blog 4: Education”

While fossil fuels and other non-renewable sources have dominated the energy sector in the past, renewable energy has become a much more viable option in recent years. According to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, renewable energy is the fastest-growing energy source globally where 24% of the energy generated in 2015 came from renewableContinue reading “Blog 3: Energy”

Open source solutions are relatively novel, and thus exposure to them is limited. However, if we are able to make this data and information more accessible, open source has the potential to serve as an extremely useful source of information to diminish inequalities and place people on a level playing field. Open data can helpContinue reading “Blog Post 2: Inequality”

Innovation and Product Development Blog Post Innovation and Product development: IP and OSD compared Our basic capitalist interests make us believe that in order to incentivize people to innovate, we must reward them with financial control over their inventions. However, major industrial and cultural innovations require many brilliant minds across the globe, not a fewContinue reading “Blog 1: Innovation and Product Development”