by Uriel Jospeh Wilensky., Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Program in Media Arts & Sciences, 1993., Includes bibliographical references (leaves 201-209).

If we are to understand the innately human ability to solve complex problems, we must first understand the cognitive processes that allow us to combine different kinds of knowledge, to learn new things and to communicate with other people. I…

Invention is largely information driven. Everyone in a community of inventors is an aggregator of information relevant to invention. Sharing some of this information across a community of inventors will result in greater invention effectiveness at the individual and community…

There is a great need among educators for a way to quickly assign teams in large or distance learning classrooms in a manner superior to random assignment or student self-selection. Forming teams based on knowledge of students' characteristics is too…

Building energy simulation (ES) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) can play important roles in building design by providing essential information to help design energy-efficient, thermally comfortable and healthy buildings. However, separate applications of ES and CFD usually cannot give an…

(cont.) To demonstrate its practical value in large-scale engineering systems, the research applied OPN to two space exploration programs and one aircraft design problem. In our experiments, OPN was able to significantly change the modeling and architectural reasoning process by…

(cont.) In this blurred area, a project/group-based curriculum can be developed to involve casual work areas that can fluctuate in size, based on the specifications of the project. Through the cultivation of this type of environment, the social energies of…

(cont.) characterization, and kink criterion implementation, form a synergistic analysis of the mechanistic debonding behavior affected by moisture. Results have shown that moisture affected debonding is a highly complex phenomenon that involves physical changes in the bond as well as…

The purpose of this research was to generate the knowledge required to design compliant mechanisms that (1) attenuate undesired small-motion angular vibrations in rotational power transmission systems and (2) preserve the desired transmission of large-motion torque/angle inputs. This thesis investigates…

Currently, Draper Laboratory is in the development stages of a gliding autogyro airdrop system. The goal of the project is to design a platform capable of placing small, high value items into urban terrain. Theoretically, autogyros can achieve descent rates…