ONRAMP 8 compiles the final theses and capstone projects of undergraduate, master's, and postgraduate students from SCI-Arc programs for the 2024–25 academic year.
This collection, edited by Marceline Gou under the direction of Director and CEO Vinky Dubbeldam, showcases a wide range of works addressing topics such as climate resilience, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, and novel materials science systems.
These projects, created within the experimental culture workshop of SCI-Arc, reflect the institution's commitment to critical research, technological progress, and speculative design. With rich illustration and meticulous organization, ONRAMP 8 serves as both an academic archive and a forward-looking overview of emerging architectural thought.
A history professor at Alcorn State University, located in Mississippi, United States, developed an innovative methodology to verify whether students were using artificial intelligence tools during an assessment. This technique allowed the identification that 32 out of 35 students from two classes had submitted answers generated by AI without adequate checking.
The incident occurred during a digital exam on the topic of the Industrial Revolution. The instructor, Jason Gibson, implemented a secret instruction within the exam file. This instruction was invisible to students during normal reading but was detectable by artificial intelligence systems analyzing the document.
To test for AI use, Gibson inserted a hidden command into the exam material requesting the inclusion of the word 'Madagascar' somewhere in the answer, regardless of its relevance to the assessed subject. Thus, when the chatbot processed the document submitted by the students, it interpreted this disguised command and included the word requested by the professor in the answers, even if it made no sense in the context of the exam.
Jason Gibson, the history professor responsible for the assessment, suspected that students might be using resources such as ChatGPT. To confirm this hypothesis, he prepared the digital file containing a message written in white font, making it almost imperceptible to the human eye. However, when processed by artificial intelligence, the hidden instruction was interpreted by the system.
As a result, some answers began to contain the word 'Madagascar' in disconnected phrases or unrelated to the Industrial Revolution. An example cited by the professor showed a mention of changes caused by technologies such as smartphones and automation in the job market, accompanied by the phrase 'Madagascar floats sideways during the afternoon,' which did not belong to the topic.
Gibson stated in a video posted on TikTok that this occurrence evidenced both the use of the tool and the lack of review by the students. He stated: 'Firstly, Madagascar has nothing to do with the Industrial Revolution. Secondly, it was more than obvious that they didn't even reread those answers.'
After analyzing all the assessments, Gibson informed the students how he identified the use of artificial intelligence and offered them the opportunity to appeal the assigned grades. Only two students filed an appeal against the decision. The professor reported that 32 students, spread across two classes, were failed for using AI in generating the answers and apparently for not checking the content before submission.
Gibson emphasized that the objective of this initiative was not to expose or embarrass the students, but rather to evaluate how they were integrating artificial intelligence tools into their academic activities.
The claim that working from home harms mental health, which circulated widely on the internet, is based on a study that contains a fundamental error.
The disseminated news stated that individuals who work remotely tend to exhibit higher levels of sadness, anxiety, and depression. This supposed correlation was attributed to the lack of social interactions that occur in an office environment, according to research conducted by economists from Harvard and Virginia universities in the United States. The analysis considered data collected from 568 thousand people.
However, the reality presented by the study is different. The researchers categorized occupations into two classes: those classified as 'remote-able,' suitable for execution remotely, and those 'non-remote-able,' which require physical presence at the workplace. The problem lies in the fact that the study did not confirm whether individuals were actually working from home or not, which ends up distorting the findings, given that a function classified as 'remote-able' may require in-person work, a situation that is increasingly frequent.
Additionally, the disparity in well-being observed in the research was minimal and manifested only in people living alone. For those who lived with family or partners, the impact of remote work on well-being was nonexistent.
Tuskegee University has implemented a controversial dress code that prohibits students from wearing hats, house shoes, and silly attire on campus. Furthermore, strict rules regarding the use of mobile phones have been introduced.
The university, located in Alabama and part of the number of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), has stipulated that this dress code rule also applies to students in dining halls. Students are also prohibited from wearing revealing clothing, and they are strongly advised to put away their phones during classes.
In a letter to parents of freshmen, Tuskegee University President Dr. Mark A. Brown stated that students must keep their phones turned off during classes unless the professor permits otherwise. He warned that the university is also strengthening attendance requirements as part of efforts to increase accountability.
According to an HBCU Gameday report, Dr. Brown indicated that students should dress in business suits and appropriate footwear, similar to how they dress for meetings and other professional events. Brown emphasized that the goal of these rules is not to restrict students but to prepare them for the workplace.
Founded in 1881, Tuskegee University is a private, historically black university that received a land grant, and it is located in Tuskegee, Alabama, United States. These new rules have drawn criticism from students themselves, who consider them outdated.
