A January 29, 2026 notice from Ingenium, Canada’s museums of science and innovation (comprising the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, and the Canada Science and Technology Museum) announcement (received via email and available for a limited time here), profiles their upcoming February 2026 events. I will be focusing mostly on the upcoming space-themed events,
Artemis II: Celebrate Canada’s Moon mission
Canada is going to the Moon—come celebrate with us!
From February 2 to 16, 2026*, join the Canada Aviation and Space Museum as we mark Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen’s historic journey to the Moon on the Artemis II mission, the first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years. Countdown to the launch with hands-on demonstrations that explore orbits, craters, and the mechanics behind this incredible mission. Take on the Canadarm challenge, explore lunar photos and 3D models in the Moon gallery, and hunt for key elements of Hansen’s mission patch throughout the museum. This interactive program gives visitors of all ages a chance to celebrate Canada’s role in space exploration and witness history in the making.
*Please note: Mission launch dates may change, and the program will adjust accordingly if the launch is postponed. **See update at the end of this post for the latest.**
Three museums. One unforgettable Family Day weekend!
Make Family Day weekend–February 14-16–a winter highlight with a visit to the Ingenium museums, each offering hands-on fun and inspiring discoveries for all ages. At the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, families can meet farm animals, get creative with barn quilt crafts, and cozy up with a family-friendly movie and hot chocolate. The Canada Aviation and Space Museum invites visitors to soar from the Silver Dart to the Canadarm with special demonstrations and Rocket adventures, while the Canada Science and Technology Museum brings the excitement with Cool Science Saturday (February 14 only), daily demonstrations, and LEGO® builds. Get your tickets and make Family Day weekend one to remember!
Lift off with your littlest learners at Science for tots “in flight” at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum. Designed for caregivers and children aged 0–24 months, this gentle, hands-on program uses songs, stories, and sensory play to introduce early science concepts. The program launches on February 4 [2026], with a session inspired by space exploration and a second session on March 11 centred on flight, and costs $16.75 + tax per session. Families can also enjoy a parallel Science for tots program at the Canada Science and Technology Museum, offering even more playful science fun for tiny explorers starting on February 7 [2026].
Celebrate National Aviation Day at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, with a special early celebration on February 22 [2026] featuring Heroes on the Air, a live performance presented by the RCAF [Royal Canadian Air Force[ Foundation and included with museum admission. Step into a 1940s radio studio as RCAF heroes are brought to life through powerful storytelling, live sound effects, and music. Be sure to explore the museum’s iconic aircraft and exhibitions before or after the show for a full day of aviation-inspired discovery. [Note: February 23, 2026 is the official National Aviation Day]
February 4, 2026 – February 18, 2026 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
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What’s happening at the museum:
Countdown clock – Follow the countdown to the mission’s launch date.
Hands-on demonstrations – Learn how orbits and craters are a crucial part of the mission.
Canadarm challenge – Get a closer look at how to operate the Canadarm.
Moon gallery – Explore lunar photos and 3D models.
Scavenger hunt – Search the museum for key elements of astronaut Jeremy Hansen’s mission patch.
Don’t miss this chance to celebrate Canada’s role in space exploration—the Moon has never felt closer!
To watch the launch live, join the Canadian launch event livestreamed on the Canadian Space Agency’s Facebook account and YouTube channel (available in both official languages, with simultaneous interpretation).
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The January 29, 2026 Ingenium notice is available for a limited time here.
What about Vancouver, you ask?
Vancouver’s Science World has been hosting an “Artemis Space Adventure with LEGO® Bricks,” which opened on June 26, 2025 and will continue to April 6, 2026. Here’s more from Science World’s ‘space adventure’ page,
Blast Off to the Moon—One LEGO® Brick at a Time!
Prepare… for… liftoff! Artemis Space Adventure with LEGO® Bricks, presented by White Spot Restaurants, turns the science of space travel—from Moon missions to future journeys to Mars—into hands-on challenges powered by LEGO® bricks.
This interactive exhibition is inspired by none other than NASA’s groundbreaking Artemis Missions, a series of ambitious programs designed to return humans to the Moon for the first time since 1972. Visitors will take on the roles of Artemis space explorers (engineers, scientists, and astronauts) using LEGO® bricks to imagine, design, and build their way through the challenges of deep space.
At the heart of the exhibition are larger-than-life LEGO® sculptures, hands-on engineering challenges, and collaborative workshop stations designed to ignite creativity.
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Feature LEGO® Sculptures:
Apollo 11 Lunar Module “Eagle”: The history-making spacecraft that landed the first human on the moon.
International Space Station: Where nations unite to expand the frontiers of space science.
Space Launch System: Check out NASA’s most powerful rocket, designed to reach Mars.
Axiom Spacesuit: Strike your best astronaut pose in a next-gen space suit photo op!
Neil Armstrong Landing on the Moon: See a LEGO® brick version of Neil Armstrong as he takes his legendary first steps on the lunar surface.
Visitors can build lunar rovers, construct space habitats, and tackle real-world challenges faced by space explorers. Developed for a wide range of ages and abilities, Artemis Space Adventure with LEGO® Bricks is a space to experiment, play, and discover what it takes to reach the Moon.
Blast off with LEGO® bricks — and land with a love for STEAM [science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics] learning.
Artemis Space Adventure with LEGO® Bricks is a travelling exhibition produced and toured internationally by Flying Fish and supported by Science World British Columbia. [and presented by White Spot]
By the way, Flying Fish is based in Minnesota and the company’s focus is on museum exhibitions. As for the folks in Minnesota and given current circumstances, I hope the best for you.
**Update**
The Artemis II launch has been postponed. The earliest date for the next launch is February 8, 2026. Read this January 30, 2026 Associated Press article on the CTV (Canadian Television network) news site for more detail.
The flexibility of living tissue inspires efforts to build robots that are soft, adaptive, and capable of complex movements. Creating such machines is technically demanding, especially when they must operate without physical tethers. Soft robots need materials that deform easily, actuators that respond quickly, and control methods that are both precise and lightweight. Most existing approaches fail to deliver on all three. Magnetic systems require bulky hardware. Light and heat actuation offer wireless control, but struggle with speed and complexity. Electric fields offer a promising alternative—but only if the materials can translate field stimuli into fast, large-scale movement without relying on wires or embedded circuitry.
Traditional electrically responsive gels deform slowly, limited by the movement of ions. Other systems, such as dielectric elastomer actuators, produce stronger and faster responses but rely on internal electrodes or onboard electronics that compromise their softness and range of motion. To make electric-field actuation practical for untethered soft robots, materials must respond quickly, deform extensively, and be controlled entirely from the outside. Advances in soft polymers and conductive nanomaterials have opened the door to this possibility.
A study published in Advanced Materials (“Electric Field Driven Soft Morphing Matter”) reports a material system that meets these criteria. Developed by researchers at the University of Bristol and Imperial College London, the material—called electro-morphing gel, or e-MG—combines a soft elastomer, a dielectric liquid, and paracrystalline carbon nanoparticles. When exposed to externally applied electric fields, e-MG exhibits fast, large, and reversible shape changes. These include stretching, twisting, bending, and locomotion. All movements are controlled wirelessly through low-cost external electrodes.
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Demonstration of the deformability of e-MG robots. a) Illustration of the e-MG material structure and its principle of actuation under an electric field. b) Conceptual diagram showcasing the potential of e-MG robots in space applications. c) An e-MG gymnast swinging along a ceiling. d) An e-MG snail jumping over a gap. e) An e-MG robot delivering cargo through a channel. Demonstrations in (c–e) were performed in a dielectric liquid environment. Scale bars are 5 mm. Courtesy: Authors and Advanced Materials [downloaded from https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202419077]
Berger describes the new material, electro-morphing gel (e-MG), in more detail,
At the heart of e-MG’s performance is its material composition. The elastomer provides structural flexibility, while the dielectric liquid softens the matrix and adjusts its electrical properties. The carbon particles, just tens of nanometers wide, introduce mobile charges. When the concentration of carbon exceeds a critical level—between 0.1 and 0.5 percent by weight—these particles form continuous paths for charge transport. The result is a percolated, electrically responsive gel that deforms rapidly in response to non-uniform electric fields.
The material responds to two physical mechanisms: electrostatic and dielectrophoretic forces. Electrostatic force acts on charges within the gel, pushing it in the direction of the field. Dielectrophoretic force acts on polarized material in a gradient field, pulling it toward stronger regions. When both forces align, the effect is amplified. By varying the carbon content, the researchers could tune which mechanism dominated. Low-carbon samples relied mainly on dielectrophoresis and showed slower actuation. Higher-carbon samples displayed rapid deformation driven by both forces. A carbon loading of 0.5 percent offered the best balance of speed, strength, and fabrication reliability.
The researchers demonstrated a range of complex behaviors enabled by this material. Robots built from e-MG could stretch by nearly three times their length, rotate in place, bend around corners, and spread out across surfaces. In one test, a snail-like robot jumped over a gap using a rapid sequence of stretch and release. In another, a humanoid-shaped robot swung along a ceiling by gripping and releasing electrodes. Because e-MG is soft, the robots can deform to anchor themselves against walls or climb vertical surfaces using only field stimuli.
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To ensure practical utility, the researchers tested the material’s durability and environmental stability. After 10,000 actuation cycles, e-MG continued to perform reliably. Tests in both air and dielectric liquid confirmed consistent behavior across media. The system also remained functional in low-pressure environments designed to mimic space conditions. The use of mineral oil in some tests mimicked reduced gravity and surface friction, showing potential for extraterrestrial applications. The individual components of the material—silicone elastomer, silicone oil, and carbon nanoparticles—are all compatible with known aerospace standards.
The researchers also explored scalability. Miniature versions of the robot, over 4,000 times smaller in volume than their largest counterparts, still displayed the same range of actuation behaviors. This suggests that the material and actuation principles can be applied across different size scales. Potential uses could include navigating narrow spaces, manipulating fragile components, or performing soft contact tasks in confined environments.
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By combining a soft, responsive material with remote electrical control, the e-MG system overcomes key limitations of previous wireless soft robotics. It removes the need for internal circuitry, expands the range of deformation patterns, and enables precise actuation using lightweight external components. Its demonstrated ability to morph, grip, and move through contactless stimulation provides a flexible foundation for new robotic platforms. These could be used in biomedical procedures, industrial inspection, or space exploration—where low weight, high adaptability, and remote control are essential.
Berger’s June 19, 2025 Nanowerk spotlight article has more detail and an embedded video of the soft morphing robots, “This video showcases the versatility of electro-morphing gel (e-MG) robots without internal wiring and controlled by external electric fields. A jelly-like humanoid swings across a ceiling using agile limb movements. A snail-inspired robot jumps across a gap by stretching and contracting its soft body. Another robot navigates a narrow channel, anchoring itself to walls to push a cargo ball forward. These demonstrations highlight the adaptability and wireless control of e-MG systems in diverse tasks.“
Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,
Electric Field Driven Soft Morphing Matter by Ciqun Xu, Charl F. J. Faul, Majid Taghavi, Jonathan Rossiter. Advanced Materials DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202419077 First published: 12 June 2025
I find this venture fascinating. Bubbles! Whales! Communication with extra terrestrial intelligence! Also, this reminds me of Star Trek (more about that later).
A June 7, 2025 news item on ScienceDaily announces a joint venture from the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute and the University of California at Davis (UC Davis)
A team of scientists from the SETI Institute and the University of California at Davis documented, for the first time, humpback whales producing large bubble rings, like a human smoker blowing smoke rings, during friendly interactions with humans. This previously little studied behavior may represent play or communication. Humpback whales are already known for using bubbles to corral prey and creating bubble trails and bursts when competing to escort a female whale. These new observations show humpback whales producing bubble rings during friendly encounters with humans. This finding contributes to the WhaleSETI team’s broader goal of studying non-human intelligence to aid in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
“Because of current limitations on technology, an important assumption of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence is that extraterrestrial intelligence and life will be interested in making contact and so target human receivers,” said Dr. Laurance Doyle, SETI Institute scientist and co-author on the paper. “This important assumption is certainly supported by the independent evolution of curious behavior in humpback whales.”
“Humpback whales live in complex societies, are acoustically diverse, use bubble tools and assist other species being harassed by predators,” said co-lead author Dr. Fred Sharpe, UC Davis Affiliate. “Now, akin to a candidate signal, we show they are blowing bubble rings in our direction in an apparent attempt to playfully interact, observe our response, and/or engage in some form of communication.”
“Humpback whales often exhibit inquisitive, friendly behavior towards boats and human swimmers,” said co-lead author Jodi Frediani, marine wildlife photographer and U.C. Davis Affiliate. “We’ve now located a dozen whales from populations around the world, the majority of which have voluntarily approached boats and swimmers blowing bubble rings during these episodes of curious behavior.”
The team’s findings were recently published in Marine Mammal Science in a paper titled “Humpback Whales Blow Poloidal Vortex Bubble Rings.” The study analyzes 12 bubble ring–production episodes involving 39 rings made by 11 individual whales.
Similar to studying Antarctica or other terrestrial analogs as a proxy for Mars, the Whale-SETI team is studying intelligent, non-terrestrial (aquatic), nonhuman communication systems to develop filters that aid in parsing cosmic signals for signs of extraterrestrial life. As noted by Karen Pryor, “patterns of bubble production in cetaceans constitute a mode of communication not available to terrestrial mammals” (Pryor 1990).
Other team members and coauthors of the paper are Dr. Josephine Hubbard (Postdoc, U.C. Davis), Doug Perrine (Doug Perrine Photography), Simon Hilbourne (Marine Research Facility, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia), Dr. Joy Reidenberg (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY) and Dr. Brenda McCowan, ( U.C. Davis, Veterinary Medicine), with specialties in animal intelligences, photography and behavior of humpback whales, whale anatomy, and the use of AI in parsing animal communication, respectively. An earlier paper by the team was published in the journal, PeerJ, entitled, “Interactive Bioacoustic Playback as a Tool for Detecting and Exploring Nonhuman Intelligence: “Conversing” with an Alaskan Humpback Whale.” The authors would like to acknowledge the Templeton Foundation Diverse Intelligences Program for financial support of this work.
Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,
Humpback Whales Blow Poloidal Vortex Bubble Rings by Fred Sharpe, Jodi Frediani, Josephine Hubbard, Doug Perrine, Simon Hilbourne, Joy S. Reidenberg, Laurance R. Doyle, Brenda McCowan. Marine Mammal Voices Online Version of Record before inclusion in an issue e70026 First published: 15 May 2025 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.70026
In 1986 there was Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, a movie that has something in common with this project as you can see in the story summary from IMDB.com,
To save Earth from an alien probe, Admiral James T. Kirk and his fugitive crew go back in time to San Francisco in 1986 to retrieve the only beings who can communicate with it: humpback whales
While the Whale-SETI project is focused on whale communication as a proxy for communication with extraterrestrials, it is not claiming that humpback whales are communicating with extraterrestrials as they do in the movie. Still, I find an amusing relationship between the project and a movie from almost 40 years ago. Hats off to Leonard Nimoy and Harve Bennett for the story and to Steve Meerson, Peter Krikes, Harve Bennett (again), and Nicholas Meyer for the screenplay. You were (kind of) forty years ahead of your time.
This June 17, 2025 news item on ScienceDaily announces research into developing robot skin that more closely mimics skin (human and otherwise),
Scientists have developed a low-cost, durable, highly-sensitive robotic ‘skin’ that can be added to robotic hands like a glove, enabling robots to detect information about their surroundings in a way that’s similar to humans.
The researchers, from the University of Cambridge and University College London (UCL), developed the flexible, conductive skin, which is easy to fabricate and can be melted down and formed into a wide range of complex shapes. The technology senses and processes a range of physical inputs, allowing robots to interact with the physical world in a more meaningful way.
Unlike other solutions for robotic touch, which typically work via sensors embedded in small areas and require different sensors to detect different types of touch, the entirety of the electronic skin developed by the Cambridge and UCL researchers is a sensor, bringing it closer to our own sensor system: our skin.
Although the robotic skin is not as sensitive as human skin, it can detect signals from over 860,000 tiny pathways in the material, enabling it to recognise different types of touch and pressure – like the tap of a finger, a hot or cold surface, damage caused by cutting or stabbing, or multiple points being touched at once – in a single material.
The researchers used a combination of physical tests and machine learning techniques to help the robotic skin ‘learn’ which of these pathways matter most, so it can sense different types of contact more efficiently.
In addition to potential future applications for humanoid robots or human prosthetics where a sense of touch is vital, the researchers say the robotic skin could be useful in industries as varied as the automotive sector or disaster relief. The results are reported in the journal Science Robotics.
Electronic skins work by converting physical information – like pressure or temperature – into electronic signals. In most cases, different types of sensors are needed for different types of touch – one type of sensor to detect pressure, another for temperature, and so on – which are then embedded into soft, flexible materials. However, the signals from these different sensors can interfere with each other, and the materials are easily damaged.
“Having different sensors for different types of touch leads to materials that are complex to make,” said lead author Dr David Hardman from Cambridge’s Department of Engineering. “We wanted to develop a solution that can detect multiple types of touch at once, but in a single material.”
“At the same time, we need something that’s cheap and durable, so that it’s suitable for widespread use,” said co-author Dr Thomas George Thuruthel from UCL.
Their solution uses one type of sensor that reacts differently to different types of touch, known as multi-modal sensing. While it’s challenging to separate out the cause of each signal, multi-modal sensing materials are easier to make and more robust.
The researchers melted down a soft, stretchy and electrically conductive gelatine-based hydrogel, and cast it into the shape of a human hand. They tested a range of different electrode configurations to determine which gave them the most useful information about different types of touch. From just 32 electrodes placed at the wrist, they were able to collect over 1.7 million pieces of information over the whole hand, thanks to the tiny pathways in the conductive material.
The skin was then tested on different types of touch: the researchers blasted it with a heat gun, pressed it with their fingers and a robotic arm, gently touched it with their fingers, and even cut it open with a scalpel. The team then used the data gathered during these tests to train a machine learning model so the hand would recognise what the different types of touch meant.
“We’re able to squeeze a lot of information from these materials – they can take thousands of measurements very quickly,” said Hardman, who is a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of co-author Professor Fumiya Iida. “They’re measuring lots of different things at once, over a large surface area.”
“We’re not quite at the level where the robotic skin is as good as human skin, but we think it’s better than anything else out there at the moment,” said Thuruthel. “Our method is flexible and easier to build than traditional sensors, and we’re able to calibrate it using human touch for a range of tasks.”
In future, the researchers are hoping to improve the durability of the electronic skin, and to carry out further tests on real-world robotic tasks.
The research was supported by Samsung Global Research Outreach Program, the Royal Society, and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Fumiya Iida is a Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.
The International Symposium on Electronic/Emerging Art is an annual (these days) symposium which is put on by ISEA International (formerly Inter-Society for the Electronic Arts) and is hosted in various parts of the world. Here’s more about the ISEA International from its About (Mission) webpage,
Mission ISEA International is an international non-profit organisation fostering interdisciplinary discussion and knowledge exchange among culturally diverse organisations and individuals working at the intersection of art, science, and technology.
Main Activity The organisation’s main activity is the International Symposium on Electronic/Emerging Art (ISEA), an annual symposium that contributes to knowledge in the fields of art, science, and technology; supports emerging approaches to research and practice on complex and relevant topics; generates knowledge and understanding from interdisciplinary and/or cross-sector perspectives by bringing together diverse communities of art practitioners and scholars. The international symposium provides an academic and artistic forum, including a conference and a wide array of exhibitions, presentations, performances, and public events. Each year, the symposium is held in a different country with the aim of encouraging and including diverse perspectives, and to serve as a cultural bridge between local and international communities of artists and researchers. The ISEA Board of Directors advises and guides the Host Organisations producing each ISEA edition.
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The location for ISEA 2025: some thoughts
The May 23 – 29, 2025 ISEA Symposium is being held in Korea (or South Korea), a location that has been experiencing some political upheaval as have many, many parts of the world. For example, there is a great deal of disquiet here in Canada regarding travel to the US (see April 10, 2025 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s [CBC] news online article by Sophia Harris “Canadian travel to the U.S. has plummeted. One reason why: fear“).
While there have been concerning events in Korea, the situation overall seems to have calmed down.
For anyone who’s familiar with the type of protests held in the US and to a lesser extent in Canada, this description of wandering into a recent protest in South Korea is revelatory, from a March 18, 2025 posting by Canadian gossip columnist, Elaine Lui (Lainey of laineygossip.com), Note: A link has been removed,
… Now that I’m actually in Korea, my feeds are dominated by K-entertainment news. And political news…that does not involve the person dominating the news in the west!
On Saturday [March 15, 2025] we came out of the subway and accidently [sic] joined a protest. The Constitutional Court of Korea is currently deliberating the case of President Yoon Suk Yeol. On Saturday protestors against the president took over city streets calling for his removal. There was also a rally held by his supporters and between the two events, the roads were jammed, the trains were packed, and the police were out in full force. But at no time in the three hours that we spent in that area did we feel a threat to our personal safety. It was a surreal thing to witness as a foreigner after all these years of American-dominated news coverage. According to The Korea Herald, the Court is is expected to deliver its ruling some time this week.
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The ruling from the Constitutional Court of Korea took a little longer than expected but it has now been made, from an April 3, 2025 CBC news online article by Murray Brewster,
South Korea’s Constitutional Court has formally upheld the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol following an aborted attempt to declare martial law late last year [2024].
It is a move that will trigger a new round of elections and deepen the political divide in one the region’s more vibrant democracies. South Korea must hold an election within two months.
After deliberating since January, the court issued its unanimous ruling Friday in a nationally broadcast event that saw many ordinary Koreans pause to hear the judgment on Yoon’s political fate.
The justices said Yoon violated the basic rights of the people by declaring martial law.
“You’re witnessing the miracle of democracy in Korea with the ruling of the constitutional court,” Siheung Mayor Lim Byung-taek told a gathering of journalists visiting the west coast city as part of the World Journalists Conference.
Yoon, a staunch conservative, was impeached in December [2024] by the country’s National Assembly, which is controlled by the liberal opposition.
He ordered the deployment of hundreds of troops and police officers to the assembly after declaring martial law on Dec. 3 [2024]
Yoon said the decision was intended to maintain order, but subsequently some military and civilian officials testified the president had ordered them to drag out lawmakers to frustrate a floor vote on his decree and detain his political opponents.
In his defence, Yoon claimed that he didn’t intend to keep the country under martial law for very long, and he only wanted to highlight what he called the “wickedness” of the Democratic Party, which obstructed his agenda.
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On Friday, police mobilized an overwhelming presence to prevent clashes and possible acts of vandalism, arson and assault.
There were both pro- and anti-impeachment demonstrations on the streets of Seoul following the ruling, but no violence was reported.
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ISEA theme, ‘동동 (憧憧, Dong-Dong): Creators’ Universe’, May 23 – 29, 2025 in Seoul
I was hoping to find a video with examples of some of what visitors to ISEA 2025 might experience but the organizers had decided on a more minimalist approach. Happily, I found this, from the About/Theme webpage,
The ISEA2025 theme, ‘동동 (憧憧, Dong-Dong): Creators’ Universe’, aspires to transcend the harsh realities of conflict and antagonism, initiating a global wave of unity sparked by a newfound allure. Through the words of the legendary priestess Diotima, Socrates described love as the act of keeping something good within oneself forever, the giving birth to beauty. This “giving birth” or “creation” elevates humanity from a mundane existence to an eternal state. For this God-Man, boundaries become meaningless, replaced by the limitless possibilities of consciousness manifesting in various forms within the quantum realm.
The overarching theme of ISEA2025, ‘Dong-Dong’ is drawn from the phrase “Dong-Dong-Wang-Rae, Bung-Jong-E-Sa (憧憧往來 朋從爾思)” in the ancient Eastern philosophical text, I Ching (Book of Changes, 易經). This theme resonates with this universal life force of love. The imagery of individuals moving toward one another with longing underscores our increasingly fragmented existence, while the ongoing conflicts and devastations around the globe remind us of the ancient wisdom that says it is good to be together. The juxtaposition of global crises with our dazzling technological advancements compels us to reflect on the values that underpin our society today.
ISEA2025 endeavors to explore a new worldview that transcends the recurring theme of posthumanism in contemporary art, as well as the divisions between East and West, art and science, materiality and spirituality, and technology and humanity. Embodying the future envisioned by transnational artist Nam June Paik, our generation is privileged to bridge the disconnected and to embrace the spontaneity and serendipity that emerge from the pursuit of relationship and solidarity. Seoul, a city that epitomises the fusion of tradition and modernity, serves as the ideal platform for such creative exchanges. Its geopolitical significance as the capital of a divided nation further amplifies the meaning of ‘Dong-Dong.’
Art has historically illuminated human experience through its creation of timeless beauty. With the consciousness and the universe of its exalted creators blossoming through technology, we can transcend material and social barriers to aspire higher. May the childlike ‘Dong-Dong’ within our minds generate beautiful waves in our tumultuous reality, awakening the creator spirit in all of us.
The creators’ universe belongs to all who ‘Dong-Dong.’
We propose four Creators’ Imperatives for all participants of ISEA2025. Each creator is encouraged to embrace the symposium’s main theme, Dong-Dong, by adhering to these guidelines.
Entice (홀려라) | Captivate the Heart
Create experiences and narratives that deeply resonate on an emotional level, fostering genuine interest and engagement.
Entangle (엮어라) | Foster Mutual Resemblance
Encourage collaboration and cross-disciplinary interactions, allowing different perspectives to merge and evolve into innovative concepts and solutions.
Expand (펼쳐라) | Broaden Horizons
Open platforms for diverse participation, encouraging contributions from various entities, including humans and the universe, to foster a rich tapestry of creative output.
Establish (세워라) | Affirm Inter-connectedness
Develop systems and structures that highlight and support the connectivity of different components, ensuring a cohesive and sustainable growth path. Recognise Dong-Dong as a potential gateway to achieving holistic inter-connectedness.
To guide academic and artistic submissions for ISEA2025, the following sub-themes have been developed to explore ideas pertaining to Dong-Dong and the Creators’ Imperatives of ISEA2025, and to connect with the ongoing conversations, research, and intellectual inquiry within the ISEA community.
We invite varied approaches and methodologies that resonate with the notion of Dong-Dong and the Creators’ Imperatives of ISEA2025, and urge participants to explore the intersections of art, technology, and culture while embracing the interconnected actions of enticing, entangling, expanding, and establishing.
Digital Heritage
We recall themes of mutual attraction and inclusivity, anticipating creative reinterpretations of tradition. Imagination transcending boundaries will connect traditional culture with modern technology, suggesting new directions for a sustainable future. We aim for a space open to endless combinations and innovations, blending mythical imagination with contemporary advancements.
※ Special Track 1 : 5th Summit on New Media Art Archiving
As part of Digital Heritage, the 5th Summit on New Media Art Archiving will take place, inviting scholars, practitioners, and archivists to engage in discussions that advance the preservation and dissemination of media art. This event will explore innovative reinterpretations of tradition and promote sustainable practices in both physical and digital archiving.
Related Research Areas
History and Philosophy, Intangible Cultural Heritage, Speculative Design, Tangible Legacy, Technological Singularity, DB Collect, Digital Archive, Methodology of Collecting and Archiving Media Art, New Media Art Preservation, Online and Physical Archiving, History of Digital Culture
Techno-Human
As technology advances beyond human cognition, it is crucial to reflect on the beliefs and values driving this progress. We welcome works exploring new life phenomena, evolving human identity through technology, the future of techno-humanity, and the changing Earth environment, fostering imagination, contemplation, and critique.
※ Special Track 2 : Barriers and Alienation in Art X Tech Education
Special session for Techno-Human, we will hold the Barriers and Alienation in Art X Tech Education. Amidst the hype cycle of countless technologies, we are curious about the realities faced by educators, artists, scientists, and practitioners involved in art education mediated by technology. We encourage participants to share their experiences from educational settings that utilize a range of technologies, from high-tech to low-tech, and explore ways to move forward together.
Nam June Paik asserted that “the role of an artist is to contemplate the future.” By blending social imagination with artistic inspiration, creators can envision new future cities, particularly Seoul at ISEA2025. Inspired by the vision of a future city at the 1939-1940 New York World’s Fair we have adopted the theme ‘Neo Futurama’ for our exploration, seeking to reveal the possible developments of Seoul’s future. Our focus centres on Seoul in the year 2050, a time anticipated to be characterised by artificial intelligence and hyper-convergence. This year is also marked by the technological ‘Singularity,’ as postulated by Ray Kurzweil. We invite creators, especially future generations, to actively envision and propose the cities they aspire to see in the future.
Related Research Areas
Blockchain, Urban Media, Eastern Philosophies, Alternative Cities, Artificial Intelligence, Social Issues, Ecological Future, Collective Action, New Matter & Material, Future Transportation, Future Lifestyle, Singularity
Space Creative & The Stars
Space and celestial bodies have symbolised humanity’s yearning and dreams (동동, 憧憧, Dong-Dong) throughout history and across cultures; The jade rabbit Oktokki that lives on the moon in Korean mythology and Saint-Exupéry’s Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince) are just two of the beloved imagined figures embodying our cosmic sense of wonder. Space, the domain of celestial bodies and the stars, means both the physical expanse that encloses all tangible things and the ‘theatre of mind’ on which ideas and concepts are born and fostered. Space is therefore the enabler of the existence and the transformations of all creations– realisations of human desire and imagination– natural or manmade. Through the Space Creative & The Stars initiative, ISEA2025 aims to explore the varied senses of ‘space’ in creation–outer, literary, symbolic, urban, social, mental, physical, to name a few possibilities. We invite the global thinkers to build together the universe of Dong-Dong, a new home to ‘planetary thinking’ for the fate of humanity.
※ Special Track 3 : Nam June Paik – Live Science Fiction Movie
As part of Space Creative & The Stars, “Nam June Paik – Live Science Fiction Movie” will also take place, inviting scholars, researchers, and artists to engage in discussions that extend Nam June Paik’s philosophy and art. This event proposed by Nam June Paik Art Center will explore innovative ‘Live Science Fiction Movies’ inspired by Paik’s visionary ideas, continuing to challenge our perceptions of space and expand our imagination on this planet.
Related Research Areas
Space Science, Astronomy, Cosmic Web, Architecture and Spatialization, Spatial Music and Graphics, Science Fiction, Augmented/Virtual Reality and Metaverse, Social Constructs, Cognitive Science, Complex Systems, Planetary Thinking and Futurology
It looks pretty exciting to me. Should you be interested in going and haven’t already registered, they’ve extended Early Bird Registration to April 25, 2025 (KST). For those of us in Canada, I believe that Korea is across the International Dateline, which means you have until April 24, 2025. You can register early here; the registration fees are listed in Korean currency only.
Researchers — as well as a toy Cy the Cyclone — test their nanoink and printer technologies during a NASA microgravity flight. Pictured, left to right, are: Fei Liu, Yanhua Huang, Matthew Marander, Xuepeng Jiang and Pavithra Premaratne. Photo courtesy of Shan Jiang.
They’re not making any promises but there are possibilities according to a November 21, 2024 news item on phys.org,
An Iowa State University engineer floats in the air while other researchers hang tight to a metal frame surrounding and supporting their special printer. [A Cy the Cyclone toy mascot all dressed up as an astronaut also floats above the busy researchers hunched over their experiment.] It’s not the usual photo you see in a research paper. Tests aboard microgravity flights aren’t your typical materials experiments, either.
The flight path to these experiments began when a research team led by Iowa State’s Shan Jiang, an associate professor of materials science and engineering, and Hantang Qin, formerly of Iowa State who’s now an assistant professor of industrial and systems engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, wondered if their ink and printer technologies would work in the zero gravity of space.
The ink features silver nanoparticles synthesized with biobased polymers. After a heat treatment, the ink can conduct electricity and can therefore print electric circuits. The printer uses electrohydrodynamic printing, or 3D printing that jets ink under an electric field at resolutions of millionths of a meter. The electric field could eliminate the need for gravity to help deposit ink.
If the technologies work together in zero gravity, astronauts could use them to make electric circuits for spacecraft or equipment repairs. And astronauts might manufacture high-value electronic components in the special, zero-gravity environment of space.
NASA [(US) National Space and Aeronautics Agency] wondered if it would work, too.
Diving into microgravity
Researchers bolted the printer to the floor of a jet and prepared for a “roller coaster, basically,” Jiang said.
The NASA plane would continuously climb and dive, going in cycles from about 24,000 feet over Florida to 32,000 feet then back to 24,000. The dive phase produced about 10 seconds of pure zero gravity.
“It was exciting and new,” Jiang said.
Motion sickness was a problem for some. Others enjoyed the thrill of it. Jiang felt “frozen” the first time he experienced microgravity. “I was blank.”
But that didn’t last: “There was so much time and investment in this project. We wanted to achieve good results.”
But printing for a few seconds at a time on a microgravity flight “is a very challenging experiment,” Jiang said. “It’s so easy on the ground where everything is stable. But if anything gets loose during the flight, you lose your printing.”
The first microgravity flight was a good example. The printer wasn’t adequately secured against the plane’s shakes and vibrations.
“These are very intense experiments that require a lot of teamwork and preparation,” Jiang said.
So, the team went back to work, made some changes, made more test flights and produced better results.
“This proof-of-concept microgravity experiment proves the unique capability of (electrohydrodynamic) printing under zero-gravity conditions and opens a new venue for future on-demand manufacturing in space,” the researchers wrote in a paper published by the journal American Chemical Society Applied Materials & Interfaces. (…)
Making a new nanoink
The key innovation by Jiang’s research group was developing a new laboratory method to synthesize the ink with its silver nanoparticles.
“This is a new combination of materials and so we needed a new recipe to make the ink,” Jiang said.
Grants from the NASA Iowa Space Grant Consortium and the NASA Iowa Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research supported the project.
Both programs “strive to support innovative and leading research in Iowa,” said Sara Nelson, director of the programs and an Iowa State adjunct assistant professor of aerospace engineering. “We are thrilled to have supported Dr. Jiang’s research. His work has helped to build Iowa’s research infrastructure and is an important part of NASA’s strategic mission.”
The project also makes use of an abundant Iowa resource, plant biomass.
The ink includes a biobased polymer called 2-hydroxyethyl cellulose, which is typically used as a thickening agent. But it is also a cost-effective, biocompatible, versatile and stable material for the inks necessary for high-resolution ink jet printing under an electric field.
“There is a lot of biomass in Iowa,” Jiang said. “So, we’re always trying to use these biobased molecules. They make a wonderful polymer that does all the tricks for us.”
Jiang called that “the biggest surprise of this research. We didn’t know that before. Now we know what we can do with these biobased polymers.”
The Iowa State University Research Foundation has filed a patent on the new nanoink and the technology is currently available for licensing.
“This success is really just the beginning,” Jiang said. “As humanity ventures deeper into space, the need for on-demand manufacturing of electronics in orbit is no longer science fiction; it is a necessity.”
Next up for the researchers could be development of 3D space printing for other electronic components such as semiconductors.
After all, Jiang said, “You can’t just make one component and assemble an electronic device.”
Thank goodness for Julian Dossett’s March 3, 2025 posting on space.com for helping me find the science (more or less) oriented events at the upcoming 2025 South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festivals in Austin, Texas, US.
Space
Dossett’s March 3, 2025 posting describes the best (always a subjective category) space-themed panels,
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Meet the astronauts flying on NASA’s Artemis 2 moon mission
March 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CST, Austin Convention Center, Ballroom EF
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Learn about Europe’s Euclid ‘dark universe’ space telescope
March 10 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. CST; Austin Marriott Downtown, Waterloo Ballroom 1-2
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The era of the private moon lander
March 10 at 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST; Austin Marriott Downtown, Waterloo Ballroom 1-2
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Telescopes of the future
March 9 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CST; Austin Marriott Downtown, Waterloo Ballroom 3
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The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)has a complete list of their events on its NASA Events at South by Southwest 2025 webpage, Note: The first event listed here is pre-SXSW 2025’s March 7 – 15, 2025 conference/festival,
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Perspectives on Working at Scale in K-12 STEAM [science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics] Education
March 6 at 10 a.m. CST
A growing focus of workforce development efforts are linkages to K-12 in and out-of-school time programs that spark curiosity in STEAM. A cross-section of organizations from the non-profit, commercial and government sector who have used high interest content to build and scale programs in the US and beyond will share lessons learned and perspectives. Topics include building community and youth voice in design, engaging the entire STEM ecosystem, supporting educators and stakeholders in implementation, along with lessons on evaluation and metrics. More Details about Perspectives on Working at Scale in K-12 STEAM Education
Featured Session: Meet the Astronauts Going to the Moon with NASA’s Artemis II
March 7 at 11:30 a.m. CST
Fly me to the Moon! Learn firsthand from the Moon-bound astronauts of NASA’s Artemis II mission, the first crewed mission to deep space in over half a century. Following the successful Artemis I flight test in 2022, Artemis II will test the deep exploration systems needed to establish long-term infrastructure for human lunar exploration. Take a walk in their spacesuits as they share their stories before their much-anticipated flight. More Details
NASA’s Science and Art of Imaging Extra-Terrestrial Samples
March 7 at 2:30 p.m. CST
Meet NASA’s artists and scientists who use specialized imaging techniques to bring extra-terrestrial samples to the public and important data to scientists. From ultra high-resolution photographs to X-ray computed tomography (XCT) that allows you to virtually slice through Moon rocks, meteorites, and the OSIRIS-REx asteroid Bennu samples, their work opens access to other-worldly geologic treasures and could help answer questions about the early days of our solar system. More Details
NASA House: CreateSpace
March 8 at 10 a.m. CST
NASA’s CreateSpace transforms Austin’s Central Library into an immersive experience where visitors don’t just learn about space – they help shape it. Spanning multiple floors of this state-of-the-art library in the heart of downtown Austin, CreateSpace blends hands-on creation, interactive exhibits, and sensory experiences that showcase NASA’s full spectrum of exploration and discovery. Local families will discover through self-guided adventures, while innovation leaders can engage with NASA data and expertise. CreateSpace invites everyone to explore space science through their own lens – whether that’s art, music, technology, or pure imagination. More Details
Performing Space: Weaving Art and Science on the Stage
March 8 at 4 p.m. CST
The intersection of art and science is a consistent hot topic in communication theory, the art realm, academic research, and related industries. Join professionals from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) to discuss projects, research, and communication strategies focused on the relationship between science and the arts that can be brought to the stage to inspire audiences from various backgrounds. A special performance viewing will follow this panel. More Details
NASA’s Love Letter: Stunning Webb Images and More
March 9 at 10 a.m. CDT
Join us for an extraordinary journey through the cosmos, guided by stunning images from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and other cutting-edge observatories. This session offers a rare opportunity to explore the most distant galaxy ever observed, delve into the atmosphere of an extraterrestrial planet, and marvel at stunningly beautiful star nurseries. Featuring insights from NASA’s Astrophysicists Amber Straughn, Stefanie Milam, and Knicole Colón, our panel will discuss how these groundbreaking observatories are transforming our understanding of the universe. Moderated by Laura Betz. More Details
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NASA Uses Space Tech to Tackle Earth’s Food and Water Issues
March 9 at 2:30 p.m. CDT
In this era of satellite technology, Earth-observing data plays a crucial role in managing food production, farming, and water resources. NASA uses satellite data and advanced technology to gain profound insights into Earth’s systems and the vital environments that sustain us with food and water. By utilizing space-based observations, cutting-edge computer modeling, and AI/ML, NASA collaborates with partner agencies, organizations, farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and global decision-makers to address the challenges related to food and water on Earth. More Details
Through Astronaut Eyes: VR Propels Deep Space Exploration
March 10 at 10 a.m. CDT
Discover how cutting-edge virtual reality technology is revolutionizing deep space exploration. This panel will delve into the ways VR is being used at NASA to simulate and plan next-gen Artemis missions, design spacecraft, help ensure astronaut’s safety, and more. Explore how VR is not just a tool but a transformative technology that is unlocking new frontiers, making the impossible achievable, and preparing humanity for its next giant leap. More Details
Using ESA’s Euclid Telescope To Probe The Dark Universe
March 10 at 2:30 p.m. CDT
95% of the universe is dark: dark matter and dark energy. While we cannot observe them directly, an incredible amount of information about the dark universe is encoded in the shapes, positions, and motions of galaxies. The European Space Agency’s Euclid telescope (with contributions from NASA), launched in July 2023, is the first telescope purpose built to understand the dark universe. Euclid will survey 2 billion galaxies, generating a huge data set that will transform astrophysics using innovative AI/machine learning tools. Euclid’s first release of survey data will be in March 2025. More Details about Using ESA’s Euclid Telescope To Probe The Dark Universe
NASA’s Quesst To Change The Supersonic Speed Limit
March 11 at 10 a.m. CDT
NASA’s Quesst mission may open the future to a new market of commercial supersonic air travel by cutting flight times in half. Learn more about the 50+ year old ban on commercial supersonic travel over land and what NASA is doing to change the speed limit in the sky to a sound limit. The Quesst mission’s goals are to design and build NASA’s X-59 research aircraft with technology that reduces the loudness of a sonic boom and fly the X-59 over several U.S. communities to gather data on public responses to the sound generated during supersonic flight and deliver that data set to regulators. More Details
NASA and the Next Frontier in the Battle Against Cancer
March 11 at 11:30 a.m. CDT
Research on the International Space Station has already led to drug and therapy breakthroughs for cancer patients on Earth, with more advancements ahead. NASA is working with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and researchers across the federal government to help cut the nation’s cancer death rate by at least 50% in the next 25 years, a goal of the administration’s Cancer Moonshot. Join NASA and industry leaders to discuss the transformative potential of space for cancer research and its promising future, and learn how you can get involved.. More Details
Live, From Space! Visualizing the Future With NASA
March 11 at 11:30 a.m. CDT
For over six decades, NASA has led the way in exploring the cosmos, from historic Moon landings and planetary missions to deploying space telescopes, deflecting asteroids, and returning samples to Earth. By sending both humans and robots equipped with advanced instruments and cameras, NASA offers an immersive journey into the universe, unraveling mysteries about our cosmic existence. Join a panel of communications and imagery experts as they provide a look into NASA’s visual triumphs and preview the innovations that will bring viewers along for the ride as we head back to the Moon and beyond. More Details
Messaging the Moon: Collaborative Storytelling in Space Exploration
March 11 at 2:30 p.m. CDT
NASA is working with the commercial space industry in support of establishing a lunar economy. These Moon missions require advanced coordination and planning to support communication campaign goals across multiple stakeholders and audiences. With so many stakeholders involved, synchronization is the key for success. Join NASA and the first American commercial companies co-piloting this mission to discuss how they’ve refined their approach to collaborative messaging while working toward an actual moonshot. More Details
The South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festivals — a renowned convergence of pioneers, storytellers, and global visionaries — will take place this year from March 7-15 in Austin, Texas, bringing together a vibrant mix of ideas and innovations. Once again, UC San Diego will take center stage, showcasing cutting-edge research, transformative discussions on critical global challenges and a film premiere.
“UC San Diego’s participation in the 2025 South by Southwest Conference and Festivals reinforces our institution’s passion for interdisciplinary innovation and our commitment to leveraging the intersection of technology, art and science to drive positive change,” said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “At SXSW, our researchers, innovators and creatives will come together with global visionaries to showcase cutting-edge solutions, spark meaningful conversations, and ignite new ideas that can help address the world’s most pressing challenges.”
From tackling climate change to exploring human longevity and studying cancer in space, UC San Diego’s brightest minds will be featured prominently in a series of thought-provoking presentations, panels and the world premiere of a documentary feature.
Details for each UC San Diego-affiliated event are below, and events are accessible to SXSW attendees unless noted otherwise.
At the panel, “The Quest to Capture Carbon and Bend the Curve”, Ralph Keeling, Ph.D., a climate scientist and director of the Scripps CO2 Program at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, will delve into how rising greenhouse gas emissions are impacting our planet and the new technologies emerging to capture carbon. The panel will discuss what it will take to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide and the collaborative efforts required to achieve a more sustainable future.
The “Guardians of Youth: Stem Cells & Human Longevity” presenter Rob Signer, Ph.D., associate professor of medicine and deputy director of the Stem Cell Discovery Center at the UC San Diego Sanford Stem Cell Institute (SSCI), is presenting a pioneering shift in biomedical science by tackling aging as the fundamental driver of diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s. By positioning stem cells as the blueprint for longevity, this transformative approach is paving the way for a new era in treating age-related diseases at its very core.
“Reconstructing the Human Brain in the Lab” presenter Alysson Muotri, Ph.D., professor of medicine and director of the UC San Diego SSCI Integrated Space Stem Cell Orbital Research Center, will showcase how brain organoids — tiny, lab-grown brain-like structures — are unlocking the secrets of brain evolution, consciousness, and aging. Muotri will also discuss how studying these organoids aboard the International Space Station advances interplanetary exploration and medical research.
The “NASA and the Next Frontier in the Battle Against Cancer” panel will feature Catriona Jamieson, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine and director of the UC San Diego Sanford Stem Cell Institute, alongside NASA scientists. This groundbreaking discussion will explore how research conducted in microgravity is driving new breakthroughs in cancer treatments, delivering hope to patients on Earth.
The panel, “Want to Achieve Health Equity? Democratize Health Data”, will bring together Jamieson and Muotri to advocate for democratizing access to health data. By empowering patients to take charge of their health care, the panel will propose actionable steps to bridge health equity gaps.
Finally, the documentary feature “Forever We Are Young” will make its world premiere at SXSW 2025. The documentary – co-directed by Patty Ahn, Ph.D., UC San Diego associate teaching professor of communication, with esteemed documentary filmmaker Grace Lee – dives into the passionate fandom that catapulted the K-pop band BTS into a global household name and captures the powerful spirit of activism and collectivity that make BTS fans a symbol of hope and unity in our ever-fractured world.
SXSW 2025 and its 2050 track (the sciencish sessions)
I found an October 22, 2024 SXSW news release by Jordan Roberts with a preliminary announcement of the various programme tracks for the 2025 SXSW conference, which includes some information about the 2050 track,
Each year, we call upon our incredible creative community to help select the bold ideas for the next SXSW conference through PanelPicker®, our official session proposal and voting platform. From those community votes, insights from our dedicated staff, and guidance from our PanelPicker Evaluators, we’re thrilled to announce over 450 sessions for the2025 SXSW Conference.
“The SXSW Conference always delivers fresh, forward-thinking and fun content. The sessions announced today once again embody this spirit of innovation and discovery. Come to Austin in March to be informed and inspired by so many thought-leaders from so many different industries who lend their creativity to the life-changing experience that is SXSW.” – Hugh Forrest, Co-President and Chief Programming Officer
Human belonging and connection is a powerful theme across the 2025 Conference programming. Whether it’s examining the line between how tech and AI can bring us closer together or push us apart, or diving into new markets and opportunities, these sessions will inspire new perspectives and help us shape a future we’re excited to step into.
Below is a snapshot of the hundreds of speakers, across 23 curated tracks, who will spark conversations, creativity, and ideas for positive change that will last well beyond March. These industry experts hail from a range of cutting-edge and innovative institutions, including Adidas, Atlantic Records, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Epic Games, Forbes, Frontline, Google, IBM, IDEO, Major League Soccer, McKinsey, Microsoft, NASA, National Basketball Association, Netflix, Scale AI, The Atlantic, VMWare, and Zillow.
And this is just the first announcement! We’re still adding programming, including music demo listening sessions, opportunities for continuing legal education and much more to the March conference lineup. Stay tuned for more information by subscribing to event updates or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X for more announcements all season long.
March 7-10 | The 2050 track focuses on long-term, big-picture thinking with an emphasis on scientific discovery. The programming features topics ranging from quantum computing and space exploration to robotics and foresight best practices — and beyond.
Here are a couple of events that caught my eye, from the 2050 track of the 2025 SXSW conference (sorry, forgot to link to the 2050 page and can’t find it again), Note: For the following, I have kept only the link to the session.
Mar 10, 2025 11:30am – 12:30pm CT Museum of the Future
Presented by: Dubai Future Foundation
Type: Session
Format: Panel
Track: 2050
Tag: MENA Voices
Tag: Futurism
Tag: Community
Final note: for anyone unfamiliar with Octavia E. Butler, from her Wikipedia entry, Note: Links have been removed,
Octavia Estelle Butler (June 22, 1947 – February 24, 2006) was an American science fiction writer who won several awards for her works, including Hugo, Locus, and Nebula awards. In 1995, Butler became the first science-fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship.[2][3]
Good luck with finding your way around the website and around SXSW 2025 in Austin, Texas.
First, thank you to anyone who’s dropped by to read any of my posts. Second, I didn’t quite catch up on my backlog in what was then the new year (2024) despite my promises. (sigh) I will try to publish my drafts in a more timely fashion but I start this coming year as I did 2024 with a backlog of two to three months. This may be my new normal.
As for now, here’s an overview of FrogHeart’s 2024. The posts that follow are loosely organized under a heading but many of them could fit under other headings as well. After my informal review, there’s some material on foretelling the future as depicted in an exhibition, “Oracles, Omens and Answers,” at the Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford.
Human enhancement: prosthetics, robotics, and more
Within a year or two of starting this blog I created a tag ‘machine/flesh’ to organize information about a number of converging technologies such as robotics, brain implants, and prosthetics that could alter our concepts of what it means to be human. The larger category of human enhancement functions in much the same way also allowing a greater range of topics to be covered.
Here are some of the 2024 human enhancement and/or machine/flesh stories on this blog,
As for anyone who’s curious about hydrogels, there’s this from an October 20, 2016 article by D.C.Demetre for ScienceBeta, Note: A link has been removed,
Hydrogels, materials that can absorb and retain large quantities of water, could revolutionise medicine. Our bodies contain up to 60% water, but hydrogels can hold up to 90%.
It is this similarity to human tissue that has led researchers to examine if these materials could be used to improve the treatment of a range of medical conditions including heart disease and cancer.
These days hydrogels can be found in many everyday products, from disposable nappies and soft contact lenses to plant-water crystals. But the history of hydrogels for medical applications started in the 1960s.
Scientists developed artificial materials with the ambitious goal of using them in permanent contact applications , ones that are implanted in the body permanently.
For anyone who wants a more technical explanation, there’s the Hydrogel entry on Wikipedia.
Science education and citizen science
Where science education is concerned I’m seeing some innovative approaches to teaching science, which can include citizen science. As for citizen science (also known as, participatory science) I’ve been noticing heightened interest at all age levels.
It’s been another year where artificial intelligence (AI) has absorbed a lot of energy from nearly everyone. I’m highlighting the more unusual AI stories I’ve stumbled across,
As you can see, I’ve tucked in two tangentially related stories, one which references a neuromorphic computing story ((see my Neuromorphic engineering category or search for ‘memristors’ in the blog search engine for more on brain-like computing topics) and the other is intellectual property. There are many, many more stories on these topics
Art/science (or art/sci or sciart)
It’s a bit of a surprise to see how many art/sci stories were published here this year, although some might be better described as art/tech stories.
There may be more 2024 art/sci stories but the list was getting long. In addition to searching for art/sci on the blog search engine, you may want to try data sonification too.
Moving off planet to outer space
This is not a big interest of mine but there were a few stories,
I expect to be delighted, horrified, thrilled, and left shaking my head by science stories in 2025. Year after year the world of science reveals a world of wonder.
More mundanely, I can state with some confidence that my commentary (mentioned in the future-oriented subsection of my 2023 review and 2024 look forward) on Quantum Potential, a 2023 report from the Council of Canadian Academies, will be published early in this new year as I’ve almost finished writing it.
Some questions are hard to answer and always have been. Does my beloved love me back? Should my country go to war? Who stole my goats?
Questions like these have been asked of diviners around the world throughout history – and still are today. From astrology and tarot to reading entrails, divination comes in a wide variety of forms.
Yet they all address the same human needs. They promise to tame uncertainty, help us make decisions or simply satisfy our desire to understand.
Anthropologists and historians like us study divination because it sheds light on the fears and anxieties of particular cultures, many of which are universal. Our new exhibition at Oxford’s Bodleian Library, Oracles, Omens & Answers, explores these issues by showcasing divination techniques from around the world.
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1. Spider divination
In Cameroon, Mambila spider divination (ŋgam dù) addresses difficult questions to spiders or land crabs that live in holes in the ground.
Asking the spiders a question involves covering their hole with a broken pot and placing a stick, a stone and cards made from leaves around it. The diviner then asks a question in a yes or no format while tapping the enclosure to encourage the spider or crab to emerge. The stick and stone represent yes or no, while the leaf cards, which are specially incised with certain meanings, offer further clarification.
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2. Palmistry
Reading people’s palms (palmistry) is well known as a fairground amusement, but serious forms of this divination technique exist in many cultures. The practice of reading the hands to gather insights into a person’s character and future was used in many ancient cultures across Asia and Europe.
In some traditions, the shape and depth of the lines on the palm are richest in meaning. In others, the size of the hands and fingers are also considered. In some Indian traditions, special marks and symbols appearing on the palm also provide insights.
Palmistry experienced a huge resurgence in 19th-century England and America, just as the science of fingerprints was being developed. If you could identify someone from their fingerprints, it seemed plausible to read their personality from their hands.
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3. Bibliomancy
If you want a quick answer to a difficult question, you could try bibliomancy. Historically, this DIY [do-it-yourself] divining technique was performed with whatever important books were on hand.
Throughout Europe, the works of Homer or Virgil were used. In Iran, it was often the Divan of Hafiz, a collection of Persian poetry. In Christian, Muslim and Jewish traditions, holy texts have often been used, though not without controversy.
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4. Astrology
Astrology exists in almost every culture around the world. As far back as ancient Babylon, astrologers have interpreted the heavens to discover hidden truths and predict the future.
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5. Calendrical divination
Calendars have long been used to divine the future and establish the best times to perform certain activities. In many countries, almanacs still advise auspicious and inauspicious days for tasks ranging from getting a haircut to starting a new business deal.
In Indonesia, Hindu almanacs called pawukon [calendar] explain how different weeks are ruled by different local deities. The characteristics of the deities mean that some weeks are better than others for activities like marriage ceremonies.
6 December 2024 – 27 April 2025 ST Lee Gallery, Weston Library
The Bodleian Libraries’ new exhibition, Oracles, Omens and Answers, will explore the many ways in which people have sought answers in the face of the unknown across time and cultures. From astrology and palm reading to weather and public health forecasting, the exhibition demonstrates the ubiquity of divination practices, and humanity’s universal desire to tame uncertainty, diagnose present problems, and predict future outcomes.
Through plagues, wars and political turmoil, divination, or the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown, has remained an integral part of society. Historically, royals and politicians would consult with diviners to guide decision-making and incite action. People have continued to seek comfort and guidance through divination in uncertain times — the COVID-19 pandemic saw a rise in apps enabling users to generate astrological charts or read the Yijing [I Ching], alongside a growth in horoscope and tarot communities on social media such as ‘WitchTok’. Many aspects of our lives are now dictated by algorithmic predictions, from e-health platforms to digital advertising. Scientific forecasters as well as doctors, detectives, and therapists have taken over many of the societal roles once held by diviners. Yet the predictions of today’s experts are not immune to criticism, nor can they answer all our questions.
Curated by Dr Michelle Aroney, whose research focuses on early modern science and religion, and Professor David Zeitlyn, an expert in the anthropology of divination, the exhibition will take a historical-anthropological approach to methods of prophecy, prediction and forecasting, covering a broad range of divination methods, including astrology, tarot, necromancy, and spider divination.
Dating back as far as ancient Mesopotamia, the exhibition will show us that the same kinds of questions have been asked of specialist practitioners from around the world throughout history. What is the best treatment for this illness? Does my loved one love me back? When will this pandemic end? Through materials from the archives of the Bodleian Libraries alongside other collections in Oxford, the exhibition demonstrates just how universally human it is to seek answers to difficult questions.
Highlights of the exhibition include: oracle bones from Shang Dynasty China (ca. 1250-1050 BCE); an Egyptian celestial globe dating to around 1318; a 16th-century armillary sphere from Flanders, once used by astrologers to place the planets in the sky in relation to the Zodiac; a nineteenth-century illuminated Javanese almanac; and the autobiography of astrologer Joan Quigley, who worked with Nancy and Ronald Reagan in the White House for seven years. The casebooks of astrologer-physicians in 16th- and 17th-century England also offer rare insights into the questions asked by clients across the social spectrum, about their health, personal lives, and business ventures, and in some cases the actions taken by them in response.
The exhibition also explores divination which involves the interpretation of patterns or clues in natural things, with the idea that natural bodies contain hidden clues that can be decrypted. Some diviners inspect the entrails of sacrificed animals (known as ‘extispicy’), as evidenced by an ancient Mesopotamian cuneiform tablet describing the observation of patterns in the guts of birds. Others use human bodies, with palm readers interpreting characters and fortunes etched in their clients’ hands. A sketch of Oscar Wilde’s palms – which his palm reader believed indicated “a great love of detail…extraordinary brain power and profound scholarship” – shows the revival of palmistry’s popularity in 19th century Britain.
The exhibition will also feature a case study of spider divination practised by the Mambila people of Cameroon and Nigeria, which is the research specialism of curator Professor David Zeitlyn, himself a Ŋgam dù diviner. This process uses burrowing spiders or land crabs to arrange marked leaf cards into a pattern, which is read by the diviner. The display will demonstrate the methods involved in this process and the way in which its results are interpreted by the card readers. African basket divination has also been observed through anthropological research, where diviners receive answers to their questions in the form of the configurations of thirty plus items after they have been tossed in the basket.
Dr Michelle Aroney and Professor David Zeitlyn, co-curators of the exhibition, say:
Every day we confront the limits of our own knowledge when it comes to the enigmas of the past and present and the uncertainties of the future. Across history and around the world, humans have used various techniques that promise to unveil the concealed, disclosing insights that offer answers to private or shared dilemmas and help to make decisions. Whether a diviner uses spiders or tarot cards, what matters is whether the answers they offer are meaningful and helpful to their clients. What is fun or entertainment for one person is deadly serious for another.
Richard Ovenden, Bodley’s [a nickname? Bodleian Libraries were founded by Sir Thomas Bodley] Librarian, said:
People have tried to find ways of predicting the future for as long as we have had recorded history. This exhibition examines and illustrates how across time and culture, people manage the uncertainty of everyday life in their own way. We hope that through the extraordinary exhibits, and the scholarship that brings them together, visitors to the show will appreciate the long history of people seeking answers to life’s biggest questions, and how people have approached it in their own unique way.
The exhibition will be accompanied by the book Divinations, Oracles & Omens, edited by Michelle Aroney and David Zeitlyn, which will be published by Bodleian Library Publishing on 5 December 2024.
Courtesy: Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford
I’m not sure why the preceding image is used to illustrate the exhibition webpage but I find it quite interesting. Should you be in Oxford, UK and lucky enough to visit the exhibition, there are a few more details on the Oracles, Omens and Answers event webpage, Note: There are 26 Bodleian Libraries at Oxford and the exhibition is being held in the Weston Library,
EXHIBITION
Oracles, Omens and Answers
6 December 2024 – 27 April 2025
ST Lee Gallery, Weston Library
Free admission, no ticket required
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Note: This exhibition includes a large continuous projection of spider divination practice, including images of the spiders in action.
Exhibition tours
Oracles, Omens and Answers exhibition tours are available on selected Wednesdays and Saturdays from 1–1.45pm and are open to all.
For the first time ever, researchers have witnessed — in real time and at the molecular-scale — hydrogen and oxygen atoms merge to form tiny, nano-sized bubbles of water.
The event occurred as part of a new Northwestern University study, during which scientists sought to understand how palladium, a rare metallic element, catalyzes the gaseous reaction to generate water. By witnessing the reaction at the nanoscale, the Northwestern team unraveled how the process occurs and even uncovered new strategies to accelerate it.
Because the reaction does not require extreme conditions, the researchers say it could be harnessed as a practical solution for rapidly generating water in arid environments, including on other planets.
The research will be published on Friday (Sept. 27 [2024]) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences [PNAS].
“By directly visualizing nanoscale water generation, we were able to identify the optimal conditions for rapid water generation under ambient conditions,” said Northwestern’s Vinayak Dravid, senior author of the study. “These findings have significant implications for practical applications, such as enabling rapid water generation in deep space environments using gases and metal catalysts, without requiring extreme reaction conditions.
“Think of Matt Damon’s character, Mark Watney, in the movie ‘The Martian.’ He burned rocket fuel to extract hydrogen and then added oxygen from his oxygenator. Our process is analogous, except we bypass the need for fire and other extreme conditions. We simply mixed palladium and gases together.”
Dravid is the Abraham Harris Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering and founding director of the Northwestern University Atomic and Nanoscale Characterization Experimental (NUANCE) Center, where the study was conducted. He also is director of global initiatives at the International Institute for Nanotechnology.
New technology enabled discovery
Since the early 1900s, researchers have known that palladium can act as a catalyst to rapidly generate water. But how, exactly, this reaction occurs has remained a mystery.
“It’s a known phenomenon, but it was never fully understood,” said Yukun Liu, the study’s first author and a Ph.D. candidate in Dravid’s laboratory. “Because you really need to be able to combine the direct visualization of water generation and the structure analysis at the atomic scale in order to figure out what’s happening with the reaction and how to optimize it.”
But viewing the process with atomic precision was simply impossible — until nine months ago. In January 2024, Dravid’s team unveiled a novel method to analyze gas molecules in real time. Dravid and his team developed an ultra-thin glassy membrane that holds gas molecules within honeycomb-shaped nanoreactors, so they can be viewed within high-vacuum transmission electron microscopes.
With the new technique, previously published in Science Advances, researchers can examine samples in atmospheric pressure gas at a resolution of just 0.102 nanometers, compared to a 0.236-nanometer resolution using other state-of-the-art tools. The technique also enabled, for the first time, concurrent spectral and reciprocal information analysis.
“Using the ultrathin membrane, we are getting more information from the sample itself,” said Kunmo Koo, first author of the Science Advances paper and a research associate at the NUANCE Center, where he is mentored by research associate professor Xiaobing Hu. “Otherwise, information from the thick container interferes with the analysis.”
Smallest bubble ever seen
Using the new technology, Dravid, Liu and Koo examined the palladium reaction. First, they saw the hydrogen atoms enter the palladium, expanding its square lattice. But when they saw tiny water bubbles form at the palladium surface, the researchers couldn’t believe their eyes.
“We think it might be the smallest bubble ever formed that has been viewed directly,” Liu said. “It’s not what we were expecting. Luckily, we were recording it, so we could prove to other people that we weren’t crazy.”
“We were skeptical,” Koo added. “We needed to investigate it further to prove that it was actually water that formed.”
The team implemented a technique, called electron energy loss spectroscopy, to analyze the bubbles. By examining the energy loss of scattered electrons, researchers identified oxygen-bonding characteristics unique to water, confirming the bubbles were, indeed, water. The researchers then cross-checked this result by heating the bubble to evaluate the boiling point.
“It’s a nanoscale analog of the Chandrayaan-1 moon rover experiment, which searched for evidence of water in lunar soil,” Koo said. “While surveying the moon, it used spectroscopy to analyze and identify molecules within the atmosphere and on the surface. We took a similar spectroscopic approach to determine if the generated product was, indeed, water.”
Recipe for optimization
After confirming the palladium reaction generated water, the researchers next sought to optimize the process. They added hydrogen and oxygen separately at different times or mixed together to determine which sequence of events generated water at the fastest rate.
Dravid, Liu and Koo discovered that adding hydrogen first, followed by oxygen, led to the fastest reaction rate. Because hydrogen atoms are so small, they can squeeze between palladium’s atoms — causing the metal to expand. After filling the palladium with hydrogen, the researchers added oxygen gas.
“Oxygen atoms are energetically favorable to adsorb onto palladium surfaces, but they are too large to enter the lattice,” Liu said. “When we flowed in oxygen first, its dissociated atoms covered the entire surface of the palladium, so hydrogen could not adsorb onto surface to trigger the reaction. But when we stored hydrogen in the palladium first, and then added oxygen, the reaction started. Hydrogen comes out of the palladium to react with the oxygen, and the palladium shrinks and returns to its initial state.”
Sustainable system for deep space
The Northwestern team imagines that others, in the future, potentially could prepare hydrogen-filled palladium before traveling into space. Then, to generate water for drinking or for watering plants, travelers will only need to add oxygen. Although the study focused on studying bubble generation at nanoscale, larger sheets of palladium would generate much larger quantities of water.
“Palladium might seem expensive, but it’s recyclable,” Liu said. “Our process doesn’t consume it. The only thing consumed is gas, and hydrogen is the most abundant gas in the universe. After the reaction, we can reuse the palladium platform over and over.”
The study, “Unraveling the adsorption-limited hydrogen oxidation reaction at palladium surface via in situ electron microscopy,” was supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (grant number AFOSR FA9550-22-1-0300) and hydrogen-related work by the Center for Hydrogen in Energy and Information Sciences, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science(grant number DE-SC0023450).
Here’s a link to and a citation for the latest paper,
Not exactly an art/science (or sciart) story. let’s call it an art/technology (or techno art) story. The SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute issued an October 22, 2024 news release (also on EurekAlert but published October 23, 2024) announcing the six nominees for SETI’s new artist in residency (AIR) program ‘Algorithmic Imaginings’,
The SETI Artist in Residency (AIR) program announced Algorithmic Imaginings, a new residency that explores how AI technologies affect science and society. The residency focuses on creative research topics such as imaginary life, human-AI collaboration, AI futures, posthumanism, AI and consciousness, and the ethics of AI data. It also connects with current SETI Institute research, including exoplanet studies, astrobiology, signal detection, and advanced computing. The two-year program offers $30,000 in funding and an exhibition at the ZKM | Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe, Germany.
“AI is on everyone’s mind right now, be it ChatGPT4, text-to-video generators such as Sora, and discussions surrounding fake news and copyright,” said Bettina Forget, Director of the AIR program. “AI is a phenomenal tool, but it also comes with opportunities and concerns that should be addressed. This residency allows artists working at the intersection of art and technology to explore new avenues of thinking and connect them to SETI Institute research.”
Internationally recognized media art curator Zhang Ga, SETI AIR program Director Bettina Forget, and SETI AIR program Founder and Senior Advisor Charles Lindsay lead the SETI AIR Algorithmic Imaginings residency. Andrew Siemion, the SETI Institute’s Bernard M. Oliver Chair for SETI Research, and AI researcher Robert Alvarez, who collaborates with the SETI Institute as a mentor for its Frontier Development Lab program, bring their science and technology expertise to this residency.
The residency’s team of advisors selected six outstanding media artists and invited them to submit a project proposal for the SETI AIR Algorithmic Imaginings residency.
“These artists are notable voices with a solid track record of critically and inventively confronting the pressing issues raised by a pervasively technological world,” said Zhang Ga.
“SETI AIR is uniquely poised to participate in the AI zeitgeist that is exploding in San Francisco and Silicon Valley,” said Charles Lindsay. “We will support the most innovative artists of our time. It is time. Now.”
The SETI Institute will announce the winning artist later this fall.
The six nominees of the Art and AI residency are:
Tega Brain Tega Brain’s work examines ecology, data, automation, and infrastructure. She has created projects such as digital networks controlled by environmental phenomena, schemes for obfuscating personal data, and a wildly popular online smell-based dating service.
Dominique Gonzalez Foerster An experimental artist based in Paris, Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster explores the different modalities of sensory and cognitive relationships between bodies and spaces, real or fictitious, up to the point of questioning the distance between organic and inorganic life.
Laurent Grasso French-born artist Laurent Grasso has developed a fascination with the visual possibilities related to the science of electromagnetic energy, radio waves, and naturally occurring phenomena.
HeHe (Helen Evans, Heiko Hansen) HeHe is an artist duo consisting of Helen Evans (French, British) and Heiko Hansen (German), based in Le Havre, France. Their works are about the social, industrial, and ecological paradoxes found in today’s technological landscapes. Their practice explores the relationship between art, media, and the environment.
Terike Haapoja Terike Haapoja is an interdisciplinary visual artist, writer, and researcher. Haapoja’s work investigates our world’s existential and political boundaries, specifically focusing on issues arising from the anthropocentric worldview of Western traditions. Animality, multispecies politics, cohabitation, time, loss, and repairing connections are recurring themes in Haapoja’s work.
Wang Yuyang Wang Yuyang is a renowned contemporary Chinese artist teaching at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Focused on techno-art, his work explores the relationships between technology and art, nature and artificiality, and material and immaterial through an interdisciplinary and multimedia approach.
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About the SETI Institute
Founded in 1984, the SETI Institute is a non-profit, multi-disciplinary research and education organization whose mission is to lead humanity’s quest to understand the origins and prevalence of life and intelligence in the Universe and to share that knowledge with the world. Our research encompasses the physical and biological sciences and leverages expertise in data analytics, machine learning and advanced signal detection technologies. The SETI Institute is a distinguished research partner for industry, academia and government agencies, including NASA and NSF.
Caption: The six nominees for the SETI Institute’s Algorithmic Imaginings residency. Credit: SETI Institute [top row, left to right: Dominique Gonzalez Foerster; HeHe (Helen Evans, Heiko Hansen); Laurent Grasso; bottom row, left to the right: Tega Brain; Terike Haapoja; and Wang Yuyang]
