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IN 1906 , Francis Galton visited a country fair where attendees had the opportunity to guess the weight of a dead ox. Galton took the guesses of 787 fair-goers and found the average was only one pound off the correct weight—even when individual guesses were off base. This concept, known as “the wisdom of crowds,” has been tested for a century, but PSU’s Antonie J. Jetter, associate professor of engineering and technology management, wondered if it also applied to systems . Was it necessary to perform lengthy and expensive scientific studies to describe and manage something like an ecosystem or city—or was it possible to leverage crowds there, too? To find out, Jetter and a team analyzed data from about 250 anglers, water guards and board members of German fishing clubs who were asked to draw connections showing how ecological relationships influence the pike stock. The drawings were mathematically combined into a collective model representing the average understanding of the ecosystem. Astonishingly, it corresponded almost exactly to scientific knowledge of pike ecology. The study found that it was important to get opinions from a variety of groups with interest in the fish, so one group’s biases didn’t accumulate and throw off the solution. “I am excited about the possibilities for other complex systems,” Jetter said. “We now understand how we can investigate problems like improving schools or increasing ridership in public transportation—we ask people who frequently interact with these systems and merge their system descriptions. This has huge potential for making cities smarter.” WHEN THE 112-YEAR-OLD Oregon College of Art and Craft closed in May 2019, it donated its weaving equipment—15 looms in all—to Portland State’s new Textile Arts program. That included the Macomber 8-harness floor loom student Maddy Beer is pictured working on here, as well as a TC2 digital Jacquard loom worth $40,000 that will allow students to weave photographic images. “The donation has dramatically expanded our Textile Arts curriculum offerings,” said Alison Heryer, art faculty. OCAC LOOMS FIND NEW HOME WHAT SMART CITIES CAN LEARN FROM A DEAD OX AND LIVE FISH park blocks RIGHT: Finals week in the library. LEFT: Oregon’s seven public universities came together for University Day at the Capitol in February. Here are some of our favorite PSU Instagram photos from the past few months. Tag up with #portlandstate , #portlandstatealumni , or #proudviks . CENTER: Taylor ’14 and Gabe Flores ’15 shared their PSU love story for Valentine’s Day. INSTAWORTHY PSU SCHOLLE M c FARLAND 6 // PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE