Over Coffee® | Stories and Resources from the Intersection of Art and Science | Exploring How to Mak

Over Coffee® | Stories and Resources from the Intersection of Art and Science | Exploring How to Mak

By Dot Cannon: Public Speaker & New-Media ReporterSociety & CultureEducationArts
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Over Coffee® | Stories and Resources from the Intersection of Art and Science | Exploring How to Mak episodes

  • Our XR World to Come


    "Does the pandemic mean the death of the office?  No, of course not," says futurist, author and XR consultant Charlie Fink. 

    But he does foresee a world where we work, learn and play remotely, much more extensively than we did before the pandemic.

    In his new book, Remote Collaboration, Virtual Conferences and the Future of Work, Charlie offers a comprehensive look at current VR and AR applications we can use today. A number of them are free or low-cost.  Some are XR--or extended reality--combining virtual reality with augmented reality.

    But Charlie, who writes a regular consumer-technology column for Forbes, says we're barely getting started.

    "I like to say we started at the beginning, and we're still at the beginning," he explains.  Staying current in XR, he's said in the past, is a challenge.  That's because the field is evolving, even as we speak.

    But Remote Collaboration, Virtual Conferences and the Future of Work still gives an intriguing look at XR applications.  Team creative projects, virtual-conference platforms are spotlighted.  So are ways of virtually creating art, performing music and even connecting remotely with experts, such as repair people, if the dishwasher suddenly decides not to work.
    Implementation beyond imagination
    You'll recall, in a previous conversation, Charlie explored the ways the pandemic had accelerated the use of extended reality (XR).



    We first met Charlie at VRLA 2018.   He had-just-published first book, Charlie Fink's Metaverse: An AR-Enabled Guide to VR and AR.

    Since that 2018 interview, the world has changed in ways no one could have predicted.  Today, Charlie has published three books.  (His second, Convergence: How the World Will Be Painted with Data, came out in 2019.)

    And now, more than ever, we're just on the threshold, as we discover what XR can mean in "everyday" applications.

    Charlie talked about his new book, explored the ways XR can be effective in various work/education situations and projected what implementation might mean for our future world.
    On this edition of Over Coffee®, we cover:

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    The story behind Charlie's new book, developed as he taught classes at Chapman University;

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    Some of the applications for remote collaboration;

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    A look at the "big 'oh wow'" one application creates, with avatars;

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    How real-time AR works;

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    Some of the ways current remote-conferencing VR applications work;

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    The directions in which Charlie foresees the conference industry growing, in the future;

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    A look at his new podcast, "This Week in XR", with Paramount Pictures Futurist Ted Schilowitz;

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    Some of the XR applications for socializing/leisure time;

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    The ways in which Charlie foresees the world changing as a result of increased use of XR.


    33 min
  • Virtually Remarkable


    You have to plan a virtual event.  You want it to be fun, memorable and relatable.  AND, you have to compete with what's going on with everyone's lives as we all connect remotely.

    Sean Specie, Chief Strategy Officer of Alpharetta, Georgia-based Elevate Experiences, can tell you exactly how to make it remarkable.

    That's because Sean is both an event planner and an emcee.  He loves what he's doing.  And like many other events professionals, he's had to pivot, with the past year's pandemic.

    The result?  Today, he's an expert in producing excellent virtual events of all types.  He and the Elevate Experiences team have also produced some amazing free resources, that can serve as guides for anyone planning a virtual experience.

    Sean talked about what works, and what doesn't, in creating virtual events, as he shared his story.
    On this edition of Over Coffee®, you will hear:

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    How Sean's background led to his passion for creating special events;

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    What the transition was like, for Sean and the Elevate Experiences staff, going from onsite events to virtual;

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    A troubleshooting lesson from the first paid virtual event they did ("it's funny thinking back," Sean says);

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    A walk-through of planning a virtual event, using Sean's five-step process;

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    How to engage audience members;

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    A preview of Sean's upcoming book!;

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    Three types of backgrounds that work well for virtual events;

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    Two common mistakes people make, when conducting virtual events (and what to do instead);

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    Some great free resources, for planning your next virtual event!;

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    How to troubleshoot, if something goes wrong while you're hosting a virtual event;

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    One statement that can help ensure a smooth virtual event, if shared with the audience upfront.


    Look for Sean's new book, "Shattering the Fourth Wall" (working title), which will be coming out very shortly!  Follow him on LinkedIn for updates.

     
    30 min
  • Looking Back, Looking Forward
    An Over Coffee® special-edition podcast


    In March, 2020, futurist, author, XR consultant, educator and speaker Charlie Fink was researching his third book.

    The coronavirus pandemic had taken hold.   Beyond the devastation of the virus itself, unpredictable changes were taking place, worldwide, in almost every aspect of life, work and education.

    At the time, we talked about some of these changes and where Charlie saw them going.   Charlie cautioned that no one could predict what would happen with virtual technology amid 2020's unprecedented circumstances.  Still, many of his March, 2020 projections proved almost uncannily accurate.

    Charlie, who teaches XR at Chapman College, writes a regular column for Forbes.   In July, he published his new book, entitled Remote Collaboration & Virtual Conferences: The Future of Work.  An exploration of current virtual resources for a changing workplace, the book covers topics including live streaming, virtual worlds and remote experts.

    During our 2020 conversation, we discussed the ways Charlie saw extended-reality technology and uses evolving, some of the resources he'd found most effective for work and education, and the trends he was seeing as the world navigated COVID-19.
    On this edition of Over Coffee®, we cover:

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    What exactly is “XR”, anyway?

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    Some of the trends Charlie saw, in the process of researching his third book;

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    His 2020 projections for the ways he thought society, business and culture could change, due to the pandemic;

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    How Charlie might advise anyone needing to learn new job skills;


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    One parallel between the unprecedented circumstances of the pandemic and a "sea change" in the 1990s;

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    One area in which the XR field has changed in the past year;

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    A preview of Charlie’s new book!;

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    Some of the platforms, in 3D and 2D, that he saw working well for education, work and collaboration;

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    A look at the arts, and how the pandemic may affect artists’ use of the XR medium.


    25 min
  • Space (Classroom) Exploration


    Have you ever done a science experiment?

    "Sure," is the most likely response, from anyone, to that question.

    But if we were to define "experiment" as Steve Jones, "The Space Teacher" does, the answer would be "no".  

    Steve, who teaches STEAM at Hopewell Middle School in Milton, Georgia, is a lifelong space-science enthusiast.  He is both a NASA Solar System Ambassador and freelance Principal Investigator for experiential STEM learning organization Magnitude.io.

    What that translates to, in his science-enrichment classes, is a lot of discovery.  As students research, no one is sure what they'll find.  Even Steve can't tell them what the final result will be.  Because, as he says, in real science, "We don't know what's going to happen at the end.  And that's the exciting thing."

    In February, Steve and his class saw an experiment culminate in a space launch.  Through Magnitude.io, their class was among the ones researching new crops that might grow well in microgravity.   Magnitude.io sent the selected crop to the International Space Station, in its ExoLab-8 experiment.

    And today, that crop is the first-ever red clover to be cultivated aboard the ISS.

    But what's even more exciting?  Steve's students can monitor its progress in real time, as they grow their own red-clover crop in the classroom, under conditions that simulate the ISS environment.
    On this edition of Over Coffee®, we cover:

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    How the space program first sparked Steve's imagination;

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    Why Steve (who originally didn't care much for math!) came to incorporate it into his passion for science;

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    The best creative challenge that faced Steve, in interesting non-science-oriented students in science;

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    How Steve's unusual perspective on failure in his classes encourages students in engineering;

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    One of Steve's favorite STEAM lessons from the NASA JPL Solar System Ambassador program;

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    A new experiment which the students are doing in cooperation with NASA and Miami's Fairchild Botanical Garden;

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    How Steve gave the students ownership of their own creativity on this particular project;

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    What first started Steve off as a STEAM teacher, when beginning his career in education;

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    The work of Magnitude.io and how Steve first became involved in the program;

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    How Steve's seventh-grade class began research with Magnitude.io's ExoLab 6 experiment;

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    How to get involved in the Magnitude.io program, if you are an educator;

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    One "failure" that led to better research in Steve's science class;

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    Some additional educational resources, including Zooniverse, which relates science to various arts and humanities topics among its citizen science exploration.


     
    43 min
  • Empowering With XR


    "XR...is for everyone," says Unity Technologies XR Technical Specialist Antonia Forster.

    And she can show you how to use it to create something amazing.  You don't have to spend a lot of money. And, you don't have to know how to code!

    That's because Unity, the leading platform for creating immersive content, is highly accessible.  They offer free downloads to individuals, and have a number of free tutorials and educational events.s

    Now, just in case you're unfamiliar with it--what is XR, anyway?  Extended reality--which encompasses virtual reality, augmented reality and a blend of the two.

    In other words, it's technology that enables you to create amazing things in 3D.   You can layer your creation on top of something existing, with AR--or create a whole other world, with VR.  Or put the two together.

    And, the best news?  Absolute beginners can design something amazing.

    Antonia gives digital presentations, on a regular basis, on creating with Unity.   And while we can't say much about it here, Unity Technologies are about to premiere something exciting, in a digital training, in March, that you won't want to miss!

    We talked about Antonia's professional journey, some of the creative lessons from her experience, and how to get involved in creating XR with Unity Technologies if you're an artist, educator or maker.
    On this edition of Over Coffee®, we cover:

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    The science background which led Antonia to her current career (surprisingly, it's not computer science!);

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    Free and inexpensive resources available for anyone who'd like to learn to build games and applications in VR and AR;

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    A new development that's making XR more accessible;

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    A very cool app project that can get you started, creating augmented reality;

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    A newly open-source VR application in which artists will enjoy creating;

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    How one artist developed an AR application to make a social statement;

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    A preview of two exciting upcoming Unity "Digital Developer Days" coming up in March;

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    An exciting LIDAR-related capability which can enable you to put your surroundings into a virtual world!;

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    Learning insights that apply to working with any technology!;

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    A preview of a cool new Unity asset, set to premiere in March;

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    And, a virtual project on which Antonia is currently working, which tends to wow everyone--and has some exciting potential for performers.


    UPDATE: As promised in our podcast episode, here are the links for Unity Technologies' two upcoming "Digital Developer Day" events!
    Friday. March 19th, Industrial Digital Developer Day: https://industrialddd.splashthat.com/
    (Mainly for architects, engineers, etc.)
    Friday, March 26th, Media & Entertainment Digital Developer Day: https://mediaandentertainmentddd.splashthat.com/
    (For filmmakers, reporters, artists and other creatives who would like to learn more!)

     

     

     
    32 min
  • STEAM for Valentine’s Day
    An Over Coffee® Valentine special
    Flowers and candy are great, for Valentine's Day.  But how about something more creative--and more long-lasting?

    Here is a rebroadcast of our 2018 special panel, recorded with three maker/educators.  We went live onsite from Pipe & Thimble Bookstore, in Lomita, and talked about STEAM and creating Valentine gifts and projects for the kids (and big kids) in our lives.

    Panelists were Masterful Creations STEAM Academy founder Mitchell Malpartida (far right), Play-Well TEKnologies  Los Angeles Manager Michael Luong (left) and top Play-Well TEKnologies instructorJames Castellanos (center).

    In the course of the discussion, robots came up--as did light-up flowers, Valentine candy sorters, "love conveyor belts"...

    In other words, the panel was a lot of fun.  And the three panelists came up with amazing ideas.  While we focused on Valentine's Day, many of the ideas they offered would work well anytime.  That's especially true as we stay social-distanced and come up with projects and creative ideas for at-home students.

    Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours!  Please check out these links for Masterful Creations STEAM Academy and Play-Well TEKnologies.    Masterful Creations STEAM Academy has online classes forthcoming, according to their website.  They're also involved in putting their maker skills to use, and would like your help if you can sew or have a 3D printer at home.  They're crafting PPE against the pandemic.

    Meanwhile, Play-Well TEKnologies teaches LEGO®-inspired engineering classes to students, from kindergarten through eighth grade.  They have virtual courses listed among their offerings..  They also offer an online birthday party experience, AND have "Play-Well at Home" free activity videos available!
    On this edition of Over Coffee®, you'll hear:

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    A definition of STEAM, as it relates to creativity, education and maker projects;

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    How each of our guests first became involved with STEAM;

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    Ideas for STEAM-oriented Valentine's Day creative-project ideas which Mitch, James and Michael use, in their classes;

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    Some great STEAM projects to create Valentine gifts for "big kids";

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    Some favorite maker resources which Mitchell, Michael and James recommend;

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    Ways to remove the "intimidation factor" when getting girls involved in STEAM classes;

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    A technique to interest kids in learning STEAM-related skills--and other basic skills, as well;

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    Some last-minute STEAM-oriented Valentine project ideas.


    (Note: LEGO®, Duplo®, Mindstorms®, the LEGO logo, and the brick and knob configuration are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2021 The LEGO Group. These programs, our podcast and our related discussion panel are not authorized, sponsored or endorsed by the LEGO Group.)
     
    41 min
  • Desktop AR For Your Life


    "I just want to share the coolness of desktop AR," says Perception Founder/CEO Rabbit--a/k/a Dr. Sirisilp Kongsilp.

    And that's exactly what he and his team at Bangkok-based startup are doing.

    They've come up with a desktop augmented reality plugin, Holo SDK, which works without a special headset.  They also provide a developer kit with free tutorials on how to create desktop AR.

    And much more is coming.  Currently in beta, the Holo-SDK plugin is part of a much larger vision.

    Rabbit, who is a full-time faculty member in the Engineering department at Thailand's Thammasat University, plans on his desktop-based holographic system facilitating the ways we work, shop, and travel.  His desktop AR system has been ten years in the making.
    In this episode of Over Coffee®, we cover:

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    How Rabbit first became interested in immersive technology;

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    What "fishtank VR" is (believe it or not, this is not new!  Rabbit says it's been known to the VR/AR community for years. But it is mind-blowing!)

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    The creation process for Perception, and how a "failure" led to Perception's ultimate success;

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    How the Holo SDK plugin works;

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    What Perception has available, free and low-cost, for new developers;

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    A look at the projects users can make with Perception's developer kit;

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    Some of Perception's future plans for additional areas of use for their desktop AR;

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    An exciting competition that should be happening just as this podcast episode drops!;

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    What a user will need, to create desktop AR (we discuss anaglyph glasses, for which you'll find numerous "how-to" videos on YouTube);

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    What's next, for the future of Perception's desktop AR within the next two to three years;

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    How "glassless" AR would work;

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    When the next version of Holo SDK might be available in Mac version;

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    What Rabbit considers his main challenge, in his entrepreneurial journey, and what has been the best part;

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    Some of the other applications in which desktop AR will appear in the future.

    26 min
  • A Sense of Wonder


     

    "Everyone is an artist.  Everyone is a scientist," says Saddleback College Dance Department chair Deidre Cavazzi.

    Her work reflects that interconnectivity.

    Deidre is a choreographer, dancer and Founder/Artistic Director of Orange County-based modern dance company Architexture Dance.

    And she is also a marine scientist, multimedia creator, photographer and general creative researcher.  Her passion for exploring the connections between science and art have led to some highly intriguing creative work.  (Want a great read?  Take a look at her blog about "Exploring Landscape and Storytelling in Iceland".  But be sure you have a hot cup of tea and a blanket nearby--you will feel the freezing rain and cold temperature as Deidre takes you with her!)

    Neuroscience, physics and mathematical concepts have all inspired some of Deidre's recent dance projects.  And as she mentioned during her December presentation at the virtual California STEAM Symposium, she recruits numerous Saddleback College departments as on-campus collaborators.

    In addition, participating students aren't necessarily dance majors.  They can come from any discipline--and can learn more about their subjects through dance.

    Deidre talked about the background that led to her sense of wonder and discovery, offered a look at the creative process behind Saddleback College's all-virtual multimedia project "Signals and Circuits", and gave a preview of what's coming next!
    On this edition of Over Coffee® we cover:

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    The multidisciplinary background that first interested Deidre in both art and science;

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    How Deidre first decided to reach out to other departments at Saddleback College for interdisciplinary projects;

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    A look at separate performances Deidre created, based on physics and mathematics concepts;

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    Some inspiration sources Deidre recommends for other creatives;

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    One of Deidre's favorite creative lessons during a trip to the Arctic with other artists and scientists;

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    An environmental "find" that shocked Deidre and her fellow artists--and led to a powerful new performance;

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    What works for Deidre, in translating her experiences to multimedia for her audiences;

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    How Deidre, her students and her colleagues collaborated remotely to create their all-virtual piece, "Signals and Circuits"

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    A look at Saddleback College's upcoming dance program, created remotely with Zoom and green screen;

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    Some of the isolation-related innovations which Deidre expects to carry forward, post-pandemic;

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    A look at what Deidre is currently exploring for a future collaboration!;

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    Where to find Saddleback College's spring dance collaborations when posted;

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    A preview of an exciting upcoming collaboration, scheduled to originate in Galway, Ireland


     
    33 min
  • Taking AI-m At Mosquitoes
    Ben Resnick displays Bzigo at Eureka Park during CES® 2020, Las Vegas.

    We remember summers on the East Coast.

    Sun-soaked days, blooming roses, fireflies.  Plus itchy, fiery mosquito bites that lasted for weeks.   But we had the "easy" part.

    According to the World Health Organization, malaria led to more than 400,000 deaths, globally, in 2019.   Many of the victims were children under the age of five.

    Israel-based startup Bzigo is preparing to attack the mosquito problem with artificial intelligence.

    During CES® 2020, in Las Vegas prior to the pandemic, Bzigo Marcom Manager Ben Resnick was onsite in the Eureka Park startup area.  We chatted briefly about the prototype he was exhibiting: an artificial-intelligence based system that pinpoints mosquitoes' exact location.  A

    Now that 2021 is here, Bzigo is getting ready to ship their first devices!

    Ben talked about the process of creating Bzigo, offered a preview of the way it works and shared some surprising facts about putting an end to mosquitoes.
    On this edition of Over Coffee® we cover:

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    The story behind Bzigo;

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    How a talented teacher first inspired Ben to become an innovator;

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    Ben's path to getting involved with the Bzigo project;

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    How the device works;

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    What the technology is doing, based on mosquitoes' behavior;

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    A preview of the device scheduled for rollout later this year, and its planned generation-two upgrade;

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    When to expect the first generation of the device, this year;

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    The personal experience behind Ben's commitment to eradicating biting insects;

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    Ben's vision for the future, and the additional areas in which this AI technology can work against biting insects.


     
    22 min
  • Time, Space and Learning
    (Royalty-free image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay.)

    Remember some of your toughest subjects in school?

    What if you'd had a personal AI tutor, to help you learn them?  And what if that tutor had been able to spot your weakest areas, and tell you when you were forgetting concepts?

    That's exactly what Magma Learning Founder/CEO Maxime Gabella has now made possible.  

    Maxime. who is both a theoretical physicist and an artist (he has a Ph.D. in string theory and a fine-arts/philosophy background) has developed ARI 9000, a personal artificial-intelligence tutor application.   And ARI is one component of Magma Learning's mission: to radically enhance human learning through artificial intelligence.

    Since its start in 2019, Magma Learning has garnered several honors, including the Digital Seed Award from the Foundation for Technological Innovation, and Karger Publishers' first Vesalius Innovation Award.

    Currently, Maxime says, ARI 9000 is primarily available to organizations, for employee training, and to institutions of higher learning, as a student-education tool.  But a consumer version is forthcoming, and may be available sometime this summer!

    We talked about the story of ARI, how Maxime came to create it, and what's next!
    On this edition of Over Coffee®, we cover:

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    Why Maxime considers learning "as exhilarating as playing";

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    How he first came to realize the potential of AI to enhance human learning;

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    The story of Magma Learning;

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    How Maxime's physics research uncovered a surprising finding about space and time;

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    How ARI 9000 works!;

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    What most of us don't realize, in the process of learnings, that ARI can catch;

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    How someone using ARI 9000 can actually "see" what they know--and don't know;

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    One commonly-held misconception about learning;


     

     

     
    26 min

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