Mario Coccia
Research Director at National Research Council of Italy. My main passion is evolution of technology and technometrics. I am Research Director at National Research Council of Italy. The goal of my scientific research is to make statistical analyses, models, do experiments, and conduct observational studies that illuminate the evolutionary properties of technology in society and processes of coevolution between technologies, and the measurement of technological advances over time and space.
Address: Italy
Address: Italy
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Papers by Mario Coccia
(https://www.mdpi.com/topics/Emerging_Pollutants) closed to new submissions, the
Editors would like to share some comments on it.
The journals involved in the Topic were Materials (with 23 papers finally published),
Processes (with 21 papers published), Sustainability (with 13 papers published), Applied
Sciences (with 7 papers published), and Toxics (with 2 papers finally published).
To date, with the Topic just closed for submissions, the most cited papers have received
22 citations [1], 21 citations [2], 15 citations [3], 10 citations [4], 9 citations [5,6], 8 citations [7],
7 citations [8,9], and 6 citations [10–12], while the other papers included in the Special Issue
received between 5 and 0 citations at the time of writing of this editorial piece.
Overall, the Editors think that the Topical Issue has provided very interesting and
high-quality contributions to the broad field of research on emerging pollutants. The
removal of emerging pollutants is a challenging topic that is receiving increasing attention
at the level of investigation and risk concern perceived by the society. In fact, improving
the means for both quantification and removal of toxic substances is clearly relevant
in the current situation of environmental stress affecting the different environmental
compartments [13–17].
In addition, the Editors consider useful the experience of combining the five journals
involved in the Topic which promotes a wider diffusion of this Special Issue, covering a
broader spectrum of researchers and potential readers.
This field of research needs continuous and higher efforts, so it is expected that
additional issues and Topics focused on it will be developed in the coming future.
Pollutants”, some reflections came to my mind, which I include in the piece below.
According to what is generally accepted as a paradigm in current science, all the matter
in the known universe derived from the big bang [1], which we will agree to consider as a
natural event, without external intervention; therefore, we could say that everything that
derived, derives, and will derive from that initial event, is natural.
This is the case with the formation and evolution of galaxies, including the Milky Way,
and within it the Solar System, and in it the Earth.
The multiple impacts of meteorites and all sorts of other material entities received by
our planet during its formation and past evolution undoubtedly qualify as natural events.
At one point, the events associated with atoms that interacted with others to form
certain molecules that culminated in nucleic acids and some proteins, could be linked to
the “miracle” of the emergence of life [2]. All this emerged from the original elements of the
puzzle (the particles and/or forces derived from the big bang); therefore, it would continue
to remain natural.
Later, specific living beings were able to drastically modify the planet’s atmosphere by
releasing oxygen as a result of their metabolic processes [3]. Perhaps that moment can be
seen as the first time that living beings caused a major change in the Earth’s atmosphere. It
was itself natural, since its origin lay in beings made up of atoms derived from the particles
generated/released at the time of the big bang.
Previous mass extinctions were related to past events, such as meteorite impacts,
which can certainly be considered natural.
In the present, we see that different animals have the ability to build, be it nests (like
those of various birds) [4] or termite mounds [5], while some others can use tools [6], grow
mushrooms on fragments of vegetables [7], etc. Indeed, we can classify it as a natural process.
Of course, the lead in terms of construction is taken by human beings. However, the
truth is that everything derived from the human mind, whether material objects or abstract
constructions, such as ethics, morality, the concepts of good and evil, would be natural,
since the human nervous system is made up of associations of molecules in turn made up
of atoms, all of them derived from particles that began their evolution in the big bang.
On the other hand, both due to processes of struggle for survival and mutual aid (which
can be observed from the level of microorganisms to others of greater complexity) [8,9], the
current human adaptation to the environment, its future persistence and all its eventualities
reach beyond evolution through mutations. As I comment in a book that is being prepared,
certain behavioral, social and cultural changes, what we could call “social mutations”, in
the case of humans, give rise to much shorter term (and therefore accelerated) effects than
mutations of a biological nature.
It is equally evident that what is achieved through science and technology (such as
space travel) goes far beyond what exclusively biological evolution provides. Additionally, the effects of technical and industrial processes sometimes mean new drastic changes at
the environmental level, such as accelerated global warming in the troposphere. As noted
above, other living beings gave rise to substantial modifications in the terrestrial gaseous
sphere in the past, caused by the large-scale release of oxygen into our atmosphere.
Given that everything related to science, techniques and industry derives from our
mind, with a nervous system made up of molecules and atoms derived from the big bang,
everything is natural.
Therefore, weapons of mass destruction, all synthetic poisons, and any substance
or anthropic process that can lead to extinction to humans and other species can also be
considered as natural.
Whatever we do will derive from our thoughts; therefore, it will be natural. Whatever
we do, it will be part of the future of our species, of our evolutionary course on this planet.
However, I believe that we still have some decision-making capacity over part of our
future as living beings, as humans living in the environment of planet Earth.
Despite the awareness that we, as humans (more than 8 billion today), do not decide
on something as crucial as our own survival as a species, and on the sustainability of life in
general on the planet, but rather that a limited number of humans are the ones who make
the decisions that affect the whole group, I think we can mention some related reflections
on these ideas.
In some previous publications, I raised certain political and financial aspects that affect
the management of waste and pollutants [10–12], as well as the need for politicians to
intervene effectively to control risks and unsustainable processes for the planet [13]. The
term “politicians” refers to actors who have the power to affect change. If, in practice, an
elite (economic or of any other nature) has the power and capacity to act effectively, the
restricted group should be the object of the interpellation.
Although ancient philosophers (such as Plato) characterized the government of
philosophers as the panacea, I will not recommend a government of scientists as a solution
to current problems. However, it should be mandatory that political decisions, at
the level of states and supranational entities (of the UN style), consider the survival of
the human species, of other species, of fundamental biodiversity, and of the planet, based
on a mandatory (imperative for any state) and broad scientific consensus. On the other
hand, if scientific consensus exists but no action is taken by individuals with power and
the ability to bring about effective changes, such knowledge would remain decorative and
non-functional.
Various authors have written interesting articles on the relationship between scientists
and political power, such as de-Kerckhove et al. [14].
Beyond the above considerations, and as I comment in the book being prepared, I
think it is clear that, at this point, the survival of humans as a species does not essentially
and exclusively depend on the reproductive capacity of individuals. In fact, multiple social
movements focus on or dedicate themselves to the care of people affected by physical and
mental illnesses. In addition, some people opt for ways of life that do not involve their own
reproduction. Additionally, these social movements and individuals contribute to making
the planet’s environment (and therefore also the humans who inhabit it and will inhabit
it) more sustainable. Darwinian selective pressure and the positive effects of intra- and
inter-species mutual aid may be complex, and perhaps inextricable today, as we intend to
evaluate or predict the global effect in the medium and long term.
To conclude, I must say that on a personal level, as a person and as a scientist, I am
hopeful about the viability and continuity of human beings and the planet as a whole.
Specifically, as a scientist, I believe that I should continue contributing “betting tickets”
to what at one point could be a winning number of the “lottery” of positive results for the
planet’s environment, for biodiversity, and for the persistence of the human species within
a sustainable framework.
Birth is often seen as a 'lottery'. However, in humans (and other species), individuals
each contribute to society differently, with some contributions promoting the continued survival of our species and the planet. In particular, I will continue working on investigating
environmental issues, mainly continuing along the lines of research in which I
have participated in recent years, including emerging pollutants and global risks due to
pollutants of abiotic and biotic origin, through research projects and publications or by
editing papers in scientific journals [15–23], including those in the Topical Issue “New Research
on Detection and Removal of Emerging Pollutants” [24], as well as writing/editing
books [25–27]. Sometimes, some of these tasks can be difficult, but I believe we should
contribute as long as our work can be considered to be of value.
In view of the discussed factors, I continue to consider what I should work towards
in the future. Specifically, despite the constraints we find, I will continue to expend as
much energy as possible in researching, writing, reviewing, and editing in the fields of soil
science and environmental science. Taking a hopeful and optimistic stance, I wish all of us
luck in our scientific work and in its repercussions at the political level or in any instance
where there exists effective power, as well as in the various individual and joint “lotteries”
that affect life on our planet.
(https://www.mdpi.com/topics/Emerging_Pollutants) closed to new submissions, the
Editors would like to share some comments on it.
The journals involved in the Topic were Materials (with 23 papers finally published),
Processes (with 21 papers published), Sustainability (with 13 papers published), Applied
Sciences (with 7 papers published), and Toxics (with 2 papers finally published).
To date, with the Topic just closed for submissions, the most cited papers have received
22 citations [1], 21 citations [2], 15 citations [3], 10 citations [4], 9 citations [5,6], 8 citations [7],
7 citations [8,9], and 6 citations [10–12], while the other papers included in the Special Issue
received between 5 and 0 citations at the time of writing of this editorial piece.
Overall, the Editors think that the Topical Issue has provided very interesting and
high-quality contributions to the broad field of research on emerging pollutants. The
removal of emerging pollutants is a challenging topic that is receiving increasing attention
at the level of investigation and risk concern perceived by the society. In fact, improving
the means for both quantification and removal of toxic substances is clearly relevant
in the current situation of environmental stress affecting the different environmental
compartments [13–17].
In addition, the Editors consider useful the experience of combining the five journals
involved in the Topic which promotes a wider diffusion of this Special Issue, covering a
broader spectrum of researchers and potential readers.
This field of research needs continuous and higher efforts, so it is expected that
additional issues and Topics focused on it will be developed in the coming future.
This book is designed for policymakers and general readers that wish to clarify critical aspects of COVID-19 and that wish to expand their knowledge on these areas. Studies that I include here are integrated with cases study and empirical analyses underpinned in real contexts of nations. In particular, this book concentrates on selected topics of particular relevance to problems of COVID-19 pandemic crisis, and which meet the needs of the intended audience.
The book is divided in four interrelated parts.
--The first part of this book focuses on likely origin of the viral agent the SARS-CoV-2 causing the COVID-19 (Chapter 1).
--The second part focuses on environmental, demographic, and geographical factors that influence the spread of COVID-19 in society (Chapters 2-3).
--The third part describes the effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions of governments to cope with COVID-19 pandemic, when appropriate drugs and treatments lack (Chapter 4) and clarifies the manifold aspects and effects of vaccination campaign in economy and society (Chapters 5-6-7-8).
--The final part of the book explains some general approaches and concepts that can improve the preparedness of countries to prevent and/or to cope with pandemic impacts (Chapter 9).
However, no single book could hope to cover adequately all aspects of this multi-disciplinary field of inquiry, such as infectious diseases and their effects in economies and society, and here it is not the intention to attempt to cover all aspects of COVID-19 pandemic crisis. It is regrettable but inevitable therefore that some topics are excluded or given only limited coverage. I hope that readers, such as clinicians, policymakers, etc., dealing with infectious diseases like COVID-19 and other similar viral agents are able to see this text as a general overview to understand the complex and different factors associated with COVID-19 global pandemic crisis.
Contents
Preface
Introduction
1. Determinants in the emergence of viral agents: the SARS-CoV-2
2. Environmental, demographic, and geographical factors affecting the diffusion of COVID-19: A case study
3. Relation between health expenditures, air pollution and fatality rate of COVID-19
4. Effects of restriction policies on economic growth and mortality rate in COVID-19 pandemic crisis
5. Relation between COVID-19 vaccination and economic development of countries
6. Optimal level of COVID-19 vaccinations to minimize infections
7. Weaknesses of COVID-19 vaccinations in the total environment
8. COVID-19 in society between 2020 (without vaccinations) and 2021 (with vaccinations): A case study
9. Prevention of pandemic impact similar to COVID-19
Conclusions
This study is part of a large body of research on the evolution of technology started in 2016 at Arizona State University (Center for Social Dynamics and Complexity, Tempe AZ, USA), continued at Yale University in 2019 (School of medicine, New Haven CT, USA) and now is ongoing at National Research Council of Italy (Torino, Italy). This book is designed for students, undergraduates, graduates, managers in business and public administration, policymakers that wish to understand: critical characteristics of the evolution of technology, relationships between technologies in complex systems that clarify the driving forces of technical change, properties that explain which technologies are likely to evolve rapidly and, as well as also wish to expand their knowledge on these research fields that could aid management of firms and innovation strategy of nations to implement best practices of product/process design and development for supporting R&D investments, sustaining and safeguarding competitive advantage in markets.
In order to attain a reasonable depth, this book concentrates on critical topics of particular relevance in economics of innovation and technology that meet the needs of the intended audience. The book is divided in four inter-related chapters.
First of all, the chapter 1 of the book explains the main theories concerning the evolution of technologies, given by a) theories based on processes of competitive substitution of a new technology for the old one in markets; b) theories based on a multi-mode interaction between technologies.
The chapter 2 of this book proposes a new taxonomy of interactive technologies within a theoretical framework of Generalized Darwinism. This chapter supports the theory of technological parasitism that will be explained in next chapters.
The chapter 3 explains the evolution of technology with a new theory, called technological parasitism, which is based on the idea that parasite-host relationships between technologies and systems of technology with a high number of technological parasites have an accelerated evolution driven by long-run relationships of mutualistic symbioses. This theory may be useful for bringing a new perspective to explain and generalize, as far as possible, the evolution of technology directed to sustain competitive advantage of firms and nations in markets.
The final chapter 4 of the book focuses on a model of technometrics based on theory of technological parasitism to measure the speed of technological evolution for supporting implications of innovations strategy and management of technology, as well as to monitor technological pathways during the transition from starting state of parasitic technology to final state of symbiosis that accelerates the technological evolution with a pervasive effect on economic and social change. This suggested model of technometrics, within the technological parasitism, also detects which technologies are likely to evolve rapidly for sustaining best practices of innovation management to safeguard competitive advantage of firms and nations.
Overall, then, no single book could hope to cover adequately all aspects of what is wide and essentially multi-disciplinary field of inquiry, and it is not the intention here to attempt to cover all aspects and topics of the evolution of technology and technological change in society. It is regrettable but inevitable therefore that some topics are excluded or given only limited coverage and it is not possible to meet fully the preferences of all readers. I hope that readers dealing with economics of innovation and technology, and in particular with topics of technological evolution, such as students, managers, policymakers, etc. are able to see this text as a starting point to understand the complex processes, characteristics, properties and relationships of the evolution of technology and technological change in society. Finally, this book’s strengths and weaknesses are the responsibility of author.
III
political factors, and “technical requirements”, imposed by material properties. Arthur & Polak (2006, p.23) claim that: “Technology … evolves by constructing new devices and methods from ones that previously exist, and in turn offering these as possible components—building blocks—for the construction of further new devices and elements”. In particular, Arthur (2009, pp.18-19) argues that the evolution of technology is due to combinatorial evolution: “Technologies somehow must come into being as fresh combinations of what already exists.” This combination of components and assemblies is organized into systems or modules to some human purpose and has a hierarchical and recursive structure. Other scholars suggest that technological evolution is driven by solving consequential problems during the engineering process (Coccia, 2017; cf., Dosi, 1988) and by supporting leadership of distinct purposeful organizations —for instance firms— to achieve the prospect of a (temporary) profit monopoly and/or competitive advantage (Coccia, 2017a). In this context, the main goal of this book is to explain some characteristics of the evolution of technology in society. In particular, this book focuses on new studies that can clarify how new technology evolve, how to measure new directions of technological trajectories, how to classify the evolution of technology, which are the main sources of the evolution of innovation in socioeconomic systems to suggest general properties that can explain technical change in industrial completion. This book is designed for students, undergraduate, graduate or managers in business and public administration that wish to understand critical aspects of the evolution of technology and that wish to expand their knowledge on these research fields.
I have attempted to apply simple theories and approaches for explaining theoretical and empirical patterns of technological evolution in socioeconomic systems. Moreover, the studies here are integrated with examples and actual applications in economic and social settings that can help policymakers and manager to design best practices for achieving and sustaining competitive advantage. In order to attain a reasonable depth, this book concentrates on selected topics of particular relevance to the
evolution of technology, and which meet the needs of the intended audience. The book is divided in six interrelated chapters.
First of all, the chapter 1 of the book explains the concept and characteristics of revolution and evolution to underpin the theoretical frameworks, techniques and sources of the evolution of technologies explained later.
The chapter 2 of this book proposes a general theorem that explains how technology evolve over time and space, suggesting main theoretical predictions.
The chapter 3 contains a technometrics to measure and assess technological evolution, as well as to classify technological pathways considering the interaction between technologies.
Chapter 4 of the book concentrates on development of product innovation, suggesting a hedonic price method to analyze critical technical characteristics and technological trajectories that support the evolution of smartphone technology, a critical radical innovation in society.
Chapter 5 of the book focuses on sources of technological evolution, explain the vital role of disruptive firms that introduce radical innovation and perform technical that generate, industrial, economic and social change.
The final chapter 6 of the book explains how superpowers (nations with a high economic-war potential) achieve/sustain global leadership to take advantage of important opportunities, generating at the same time new technology for a technological change that supports in the long run economic growth and social change worldwide.
However, no single book could hope to cover adequately all aspects of what is wide and essentially multi-disciplinary field of inquiry, and it is not the intention to attempt to cover all aspects and topics of the evolution of technology and technological change. It is regrettable but inevitable therefore that some topics are excluded or given only limited coverage and it is not possible to meet fully the preferences of all readers. I hope that readers
dealing with technological evolution, such as students and managers, policymakers, etc. are able to see this text as a starting point to understand the complex processes and characteristics of the evolution of technology and technological change in society. This book’s strengths and weaknesses are the responsibility of author.
“something that sets the tune”) indicates a tangible
and/or intangible reward that motivates people
and creates favorable environmental conditions to
maximize performance and/or to achieve specific
goals in organization or competition or society.
Firstly, the term innovation and science advances are used so widely to indicate something new and different. However, this definition doesn’t tell us how we would recognize an innovation and science advances, how we could categorize them, how to explain their origin and evolution, as well as how to measure them in markets and society.
The goal of this book is to explain some characteristics of technological innovation and science in society. In particular, this book focuses on new researches that can clarify the origins of studies concerning science and innovation, the categorization of innovation, the sources and aspects of the evolution of innovation and some techniques to measure technological advances and predict which technologies are likely to evolve rapidly in society.
This book is designed for students, undergraduate, graduate or managers in business and public administration that wish to clarify critical concepts in the field of science and technological innovation and that wish to expand their knowledge on these subjects areas.
I have attempted to minimize the use of extremely complex theories and studies. Those that I include are integrated with examples and actual applications in economic, social and organizational settings. In order to attain a reasonable depth, this book concentrates on selected topics of particular relevance to problems of science and technology, and which meet the needs of the intended audience.
The book is divided in four interrelated parts.
– First of all, the chapter 1 of the book is an introduction to the methods of inquiry in social science.
– The first part of this book focuses on the origin of studies concerning economics of innovation and science.
– The second part contains a new approach to classify technological innovation considering the interaction between technologies. A vital theorem is stated to explain and generalize how technologies evolve over time and space.
– Part three of the book concentrates on sources of innovation and science in society, the role of disruptive firms in generating radical innovation and how types of government can affect innovative outputs of countries.
– The final part of the book explains some approaches to measure the evolution of innovation to support technology analysis and management of technology directed to foster technologies that are likeliest to evolve rapidly in society.
However, no single book could hope to cover adequately all aspects of what is wide and essentially multi-disciplinary field of inquiry, and it is not the intention to attempt to cover all aspects of science evolution and technological change. It is regrettable but inevitable therefore that some topics are excluded or given only limited coverage and it is not possible to meet fully the preferences of all readers. I hope that readers dealing with technological innovation and sociology of science, such as students and managers, policymakers, etc. are able to see this text as a starting point to understand the complex processes of science evolution and technological change in society.
This book’s strengths and weaknesses are the responsibility of author.
Firstly, the term innovation and science advances are used so widely to indicate something new and different. However, this definition doesn’t tell us how we would recognize an innovation and science advances, how we could categorize them, how to explain their origin and evolution, as well as how to measure them in markets and society.
The goal of this book is to explain some characteristics of technological innovation and science in society. In particular, this book focuses on new researches that can clarify the origins of studies concerning science and innovation, the categorization of innovation, the sources and aspects of the evolution of innovation and some techniques to measure technological advances and predict which technologies are likely to evolve rapidly in society.
This book is designed for students, undergraduate, graduate or managers in business and public administration that wish to clarify critical concepts in the field of science and technological innovation and that wish to expand their knowledge on these subjects areas.
I have attempted to minimize the use of extremely complex theories and studies. Those that I include are integrated with examples and actual applications in economic, social and organizational settings. In order to attain a reasonable depth, this book concentrates on selected topics of particular relevance to problems of science and technology, and which meet the needs of the intended audience.
The book is divided in four interrelated parts.
– First of all, the chapter 1 of the book is an introduction to the methods of inquiry in social science.
– The first part of this book focuses on the origin of studies concerning economics of innovation and science.
– The second part contains a new approach to classify technological innovation considering the interaction between technologies. A vital theorem is stated to explain and generalize how technologies evolve over time and space.
– Part three of the book concentrates on sources of innovation and science in society, the role of disruptive firms in generating radical innovation and how types of government can affect innovative outputs of countries.
– The final part of the book explains some approaches to measure the evolution of innovation to support technology analysis and management of technology directed to foster technologies that are likeliest to evolve rapidly in society.
However, no single book could hope to cover adequately all aspects of what is wide and essentially multi-disciplinary field of inquiry, and it is not the intention to attempt to cover all aspects of science evolution and technological change. It is regrettable but inevitable therefore that some topics are excluded or given only limited coverage and it is not possible to meet fully the preferences of all readers. I hope that readers dealing with technological innovation and sociology of science, such as students and managers, policymakers, etc. are able to see this text as a starting point to understand the complex processes of science evolution and technological change in society.
This book’s strengths and weaknesses are the responsibility of author.