Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Special-purpose bar codes are also being introduced in a variety of settings. For example,
to manage office space efficiently, a company gives each employee and office a bar code.
Instead of having permanent offices, the employees are assigned offices and supplies as
needed, and the bar codes help to make sure that an employee's work, mail, and other
materials are routed to the right place. Companies can save millions of dollars by reducing
office space and supplies. Another technology is being used to create “smart containers” for
ships, railroads, and trucks. NaviTag (
http://navitag.com/
)
and other companies are develop-
ing communications systems that allow containers to broadcast the contents, location, and
condition of shipments to shipping and cargo managers. A railroad company can use standard
radio messages to generate shipment and tracking data for customers and managers.
Navitag, an electronic security
device, is attached to a cargo
container door and monitors
whether the door opens and
whether light, radiation, or carbon
monoxide enters the container.
(Source: AP Images.)
One special application of computer technology is derived from a branch of mathematics
called game theory.
Game theory
involves the use of information systems to develop com-
petitive strategies for people, organizations, or even countries. Two competing businesses in
the same market can use game theory to determine the best strategy to achieve their goals.
The military could also use game theory to determine the best military strategy to win a
conflict against another country, and individual investors could use game theory to determine
the best strategies when competing against other investors in a government auction of
bonds. Groundbreaking work on game theory was pioneered by John Nash, the mathemati-
cian whose life was profiled in the topic and film
A Beautiful Mind
. Game theory has
also been used to develop approaches to deal with terrorism. The Los Angeles airport is
experimenting with the use of game theory to help security guards do a better job patrolling
sensitive areas.
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Informatics
, another specialized system, combines traditional disciplines, such as science
and medicine, with information systems and technology.
Bioinformatics
, for example, com-
bines biology and computer science. Also called
computational biology
, bioinformatics has
been used to help map the human genome and conduct research on biological organisms.
Using sophisticated databases and artificial intelligence, bioinformatics helps unlock the se-
crets of the human genome, which could eventually prevent diseases and save lives. Stanford
University has a course on bioinformatics and offers a bioinformatics certification. Medical
informatics combines traditional medical research with computer science. Journals, such as
game theory
The use of information systems to
develop competitive strategies for
people, organizations, or even
countries.
informatics
A specialized system that combines
traditional disciplines, such as
science and medicine, with
computer systems and technology.
Healthcare Informatics
, report current research on applying computer systems and technol-
ogy to reduce medical errors and improve healthcare. The University of Edinburgh even
has a School of Informatics (
www.ed.ac.uk/about/structure/informatics.html
).
The school has
courses on the structure, behavior, and interactions of natural and artificial computational
systems. The program combines artificial intelligence, computer science, engineering, and
science.
