Category Archives: New Media

Happy Canada Day! Breathing in the past: How museums can use biomolecular archaeology to bring ancient scents to life

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Caption: Visitors sniffing the Scent of the Afterlife card during a guided tour at the Museum August Kestner, Hannover, Germany Credit: Ehrich SC, Calvez C, Loeben CE, Dubiel U, Terp Laursen S and Huber B (2026) From biomolecular traces to multisensory experiences: bringing scent reproductions to museums and cultural heritage. Front. Environ. Archaeol. 4:1736875. doi: 10.3389/fearc.2025.1736875

Happy Canada Day 2026! I think the national holiday is a chance to celebrate and review the past, the present, and the future. The following story provides a rather unusual approach to experiencing the past.

A February 5, 2026 Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology press release (also on EurekAlert) takes us to the past via the sense of smell,

Recent advances in biomolecular archaeology have revealed that ancient objects can retain the molecular fingerprints of past aromatic practices. These molecules provide unprecedented insight into ancient perfumery, medicine, ritual, and daily life.

In a new publication, an interdisciplinary research team led by archaeo-chemist Barbara Huber (Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology and the University of Tübingen), shows how museums can use this molecular evidence to engage audiences with the sensory worlds of the past. The team combined their expertise to create a new workflow for converting biomolecular data into accessible, visitor-ready olfactory recreations.

“This research represents a significant shift in how scientific results can be shared beyond academic publications,” explains Huber.

From Data to Fragrance

The process began with a briefing, prepared by Huber in collaboration with scent-based storytelling consultant Sofia Collette Ehrich, establishing a crucial link between scientific data and perfumery practice. Building on this foundation, perfumer Carole Calvez developed a series of formulations that translated ancient chemical signatures into a scent suitable for museum environments. Calvez emphasizes that this is not a simple act of replication.

“The real challenge lies in imagining the scent as a whole,” she explains. “Biomolecular data provide essential clues, but the perfumer must translate chemical information into a complete and coherent olfactory experience that evokes the complexity of the original material, rather than just its individual components.”

Scent Cards and Stations: Visitors Travel Back in Time through their Noses

To demonstrate, the team developed two formats for presenting ancient scents in public settings. Using The Scent of the Afterlife, a recreation of the aromas that accompanied the ancient Egyptian mummification process, they created a portable scented card and a fixed scent diffusion station integrated into exhibition design.

At the Museum August Kestner in Hanover, where the artefacts that inspired the project are displayed, the scented card quickly became an integral part of guided tours.

“Scent provides a new approach to mummification, moving away from the scare factor and horror movie clichés towards an appreciation of the motivations behind the actions and the desired results,” curators Christian E. Loeben and Ulrike Dubiel report.

The fixed scent station format was installed in the exhibition Ancient Egypt – Obsessed with Life at the Moesgaard Museum in Aarhus, Denmark.

“The scent station transformed how visitors understood embalming,” curator Steffen Terp Laursen observes. “Smell added an emotional and sensory depth that text labels alone could never provide.”

This work demonstrates how molecular traces of the past can be transformed into meaningful cultural experiences.

“We hope to offer museums compelling new tools for bringing visitors closer to past environments and practices via sensory interpretation and engagement,” Sofia Collette Ehrich concludes.

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

From biomolecular traces to multisensory experiences: bringing scent reproductions to museums and cultural heritage by Sofia Collette Ehrich, Carole Calvez, Christian E. Loeben, Ulrike Dubiel, Steffen Terp Laursen, Barbara Huber. Front. Environ. Archaeol., 04 February 2026 Sec. Archaeological Isotope Analysis Volume 4 – 2025 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fearc.2025.1736875 Published: 05 February 2026

This paper is open access.

Simon Fraser University’s (SFU) Metacreation Lab for AI, the June 2026 newsletter

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A June 22, 2026 Metacreation Lab newsletter landed in my email box and here are some of the items that caught my attention,

…

Philippe Pasquier Presents at SIAT [School of Interactive Arts and Technology] Graduate Research Colloquium Speaker Series

In February [2026], Metacreation Lab Director Dr. Philippe Pasquier was invited as one of the opening speakers for the SIAT Graduate Research Colloquium Spring Speaker Series. Hosted by the School of Interactive Arts and Technology at Simon Fraser University, the series brings together researchers and students to engage critically with emerging technologies and their broader cultural and social implications.

WHATCH THE RECORDING

Philippe Pasquier Presents Laser Talk at Texas A&M University

Dr. Philippe Pasquier recently delivered a Laser [Leonardo Art Science Evening Rendezvous Talk at Texas A&M University, exploring the artistic and aesthetic foundations of the Metacreation Lab’s work in creative AI. The talk situated contemporary generative AI within the broader histories of generative art and practice-led research, highlighting the diversity of AI approaches that extend beyond the current focus on large-scale commercial models.

The presentation was followed by an interdisciplinary discussion with faculty and students from across the arts and humanities, covering topics such as creativity, authorship, and the evolving role of AI in artistic practice.

WATCH THE RECORDING

New Mitacs Project Explores AI for Interactive Music Generation

The Metacreation Lab has launched a new Mitacs-funded research collaboration with Audiokinetic, the creators of the widely used Wwise interactive audio platform. Led by Metacreation Lab’s Master’s student Paul Triana under the supervision of Dr. Philippe Pasquier, the project explores new AI-driven workflows for adaptive music in video games and interactive media.

The research will develop a generative music pipeline that combines automatic music transcription, symbolic music generation, and neural audio synthesis to create seamless musical transitions and variations. By leveraging the lab’s recent advances in symbolic music AI, including MIDI-GPT, the project aims to provide composers and developers with more flexible and controllable tools for creating responsive soundtracks.

The collaboration will investigate how AI can support, rather than replace, human creativity, enabling richer interactive musical experiences while reducing production barriers for game developers and digital artists.

Mitacs-Funded Research Examines AI for Type 2 Diabetes Management

Researchers at the Metacreation Lab, in collaboration with Vancouver-based QiiQ Inc., have completed a Mitacs-funded scoping review investigating the current state of AI in consumer-facing mobile health applications for Type 2 diabetes management. The project, led by Metacreation Lab’s PhD student Dhruv Adhia with collaborators Dave Brown (QiiQ’s CEO) and Dr. Philippe Pasquier, analyzed 1,569 records across seven academic databases, ultimately synthesizing findings from 17 studies.

The review identified six major AI capability domains, including clinical decision support systems, AI-assisted dietary management, conversational AI, behavioural interventions, continuous glucose monitoring with AI coaching, and wearable sensor analytics. Across controlled studies, AI-supported interventions demonstrated meaningful improvements in diabetes management outcomes, including reductions in HbA1c levels.

The findings provide an evidence-based overview of which AI capabilities are currently demonstrating clinical value and which remain promising opportunities for future translation into consumer health products. The manuscript has completed supervisor review and is currently being prepared for journal submission.

Philippe Pasquier Discusses AI Literacy Beyond Polarization

Dr. Philippe Pasquier recently presented AI Literacy Beyond Polarization as part of the symposium Teaching AI: Art & Design Education Under Automation, organized by The Ohio State University.

The talk explored alternatives to the increasingly polarized debates surrounding generative AI, arguing for greater awareness of the diversity of creative AI approaches. Drawing on research and development at the Metacreation Lab, Philippe highlighted approaches centred on small data, model crafting, local and open-source tools, direct manipulation, and human-centred co-creation.

The presentation also featured Autolume, demonstrating how artists can train, adapt, and perform with their own generative models using small datasets and accessible workflows. The talk is now available online as part of the symposium’s public lecture series.

WATCH THE RECORDING

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For anyone who’d like to receive the entire June 2026 newsletter, go to the Metacreation Lab contact page to subscribe. You can find older newsletters here at https://www.metacreation.net/previous-newsletters/.

For those who are curious about Leonardo and Mitacs, First, I have a little more. Leonardo, from the About page,

Fearlessly pioneering since 1968, Leonardo serves as THE community forging a transdisciplinary network to convene, research, collaborate, and disseminate best practices at the nexus of arts, science and technology worldwide. Leonardo’ serves a network of transdisciplinary scholars, artists, scientists, technologists and thinkers, who experiment with cutting-edge, new approaches, practices, systems and solutions to tackle the most complex challenges facing humanity today.

As a not-for-profit 501(c)3 enterprising think tank, Leonardo offers a global platform for creative exploration and collaboration reaching tens of thousands of people across 135 countries. Our flagship publication, Leonardo, the world’s leading scholarly journal on transdisciplinary art, anchors a robust publishing partnership with MIT Press; our partnership with ASU infuses educational innovation with digital art and media for lifelong learning; our creative programs span thought-provoking events, exhibits, residencies and fellowships, scholarship and social enterprise ventures.

I believe the inspiration for the name is Leonardo da Vinci.

Mitacs has this in its Wikipedia entry, Note: Links have been removed,

Mitacs is a nonprofit national research organization that, in partnerships with Canadian academia, private industry and government, operates research and training programs in fields related to industrial and social innovation.[1][2]

History

Mitacs was founded by Canadian mathematicians in 1999. The organization, whose name originally stood for “Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex Systems”, worked in the field of mathematical sciences and associated disciplines but has since expanded. In 2004, the Mitacs Accelerate program was launched[3] and has since supported over 10,000 internships nationally.[4][5][6]

…

So, they’ve gone from a mathematics network to industrial and social innovation.

The type 2 diabetes management project featuring QiiQ and Dave brown yielded a ‘narrative’ surprise, from the QiiQ Health About page,

Pioneering the narrative-led approach to metabolic health and diabetes reversal. We believe health shouldn’t be a subtraction game, but a journey of discovery.

Redefining care through storytelling

At QiiQ Health, we understand that behavioral change is hard. Traditional approaches often rely on willpower and deprivation, which rarely lead to lasting results.

That’s why we created the Quest Loop. By combining engaging storytelling with an emotionally resonant experience, we help you observe your health journey from a new perspective—one where you are the protagonist overcoming challenges, guided by experts and data.

CEO & Co-Founder

DAVE BROWN

Trained as an engineer, I spent my early career believing that logic and code could solve anything. But I’ve come to realize that the “Era of the Engineer” is closing. We are entering a new phase: The Era of the Artist.

My mission has always been to solve problems that cause human suffering. For years, I looked to technology for the fix. But in our ailing healthcare system, I’ve seen tech-driven solutions fall short because they lack a critical ingredient: humanity. True transformation won’t happen from within the system—it must come from the outside, led by patients themselves. Real change requires more than just better math; it requires novel, empathetic thinking. It is time for the engineers to step back and let the artists step forward.

Now, with AI beginning to change the world at lightspeed, we must carefully consider what we are ready to tolerate as people. And if we haven’t reached it already, we will soon confront a moment of truth – are we going to stay in charge of our destiny?

More on this later…

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The Era of the Artist? Interesting approach; I hope it’s successful and adopted.

The last one I’ve explored is Audiokinetic and it doesn’t present any real surprises, from its Wikipedia entry, Note: Links have been removed,

Audiokinetic Inc. is a Canadian software company based in Montreal, Quebec[3] that develops audio software for the video game industry. Its main product is Wwise audio authoring software. On January 8, 2019, Sony Interactive Entertainment announced that they had acquired the company.[4]

…

More usually it’s a US company that does the acquiring, this time it was the Japanese multinational conglomerate, Sony.

Sciencish doings: a job as a science channel showrunner, a writing workshop, a podcast, news from an AI conference, and a musical interlude

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I have a number of sciencish doings and a musical event that takes place at the Perimeter Institute.

YouTube science channel job

Thanks to the Science Media Centre of Canada (SMCC) and its April 14, 2026 notice for this news,

Job opening: Showrunner for YouTube science channel, What If [for]
Underknown [creator business]

The role requires a deep understanding of YouTube as a medium. This is a
hybrid role, with 2–3 days a week in our Toronto studio and head
office. It is only for permanent residents in Ontario. …

Before launching off into the job description, here’s a bit more about Underknown from its Wikipedia entry, Note: Links have been removed,

Underknown Inc. is a Canadian digital-first media production company based in Toronto that specializes in short-form educational science and factual programming.

History

Underknown was founded in 2016 by Steve Hulford, Raphael Faeh, and Peter Schmiedchen.[1][2] It began when Hulford and Faeh produced the science-explainer series What If in Hulford’s living room.[3] In 2019, Underknown received C$2.5 million in equity and debt financing, including support from Ontario Creates.[3]

…

Productions

Underknown’s programming uses hypothetical questions, survival scenarios and natural history storytelling to explain scientific concepts.[10] Core franchises include the science series What If, the how-to strand How to Survive, the nature show Animalogic and the video essay channel Aperture.[1][8]

…

From the What if showrunner careers page on underknown.com,

About the role

This is a strategic and creative leadership role where you will own the entire editorial direction and run the What If show team. You are responsible for deciding what content is produced, how it is packaged, and continuously monitoring channel and content performance.

The role requires a deep understanding of YouTube as a medium, including its unique language, audience psychology, and mechanics of attention. You must balance the art and science of production, running the channel like a financially sustainable business without sacrificing creative quality.

Day-to-day, you will act as the creative engine and keeper of the channel’s voice, primarily managing the full production lifecycle: pre-production, ideation, packaging, production, and post-production workflows. This includes finding irresistible stories, framing them effectively, and ensuring your team executes quickly at the highest quality.

NOTE: This is a hybrid role, with 2-3 days a week in our Toronto studio and head office. It is only for permanent residents in Ontario, Canada. Applicants that don’t reside in Ontario won’t be considered.

Responsibilities
Content Strategy & Channel Vision
  • Define and maintain the curious, cinematic, and scientifically grounded editorial direction of What If while identifying new growth opportunities.
  • Continuously experiment using audience data to increase watch time and reach.
  • Manage the channel’s P&L and resourcing, balancing creative ambition with financial sustainability and budget targets.
Ideation & Packaging
  • Lead the end-to-end ideation and packaging process, generating and ruthlessly filtering a high volume of concepts into irresistible titles, thumbnails, and hooks.
  • Develop comprehensive episode briefs that provide the production team with a clear creative north star and narrative direction.
Editorial Oversight & Production Management
  • Oversee all editorial and production execution by defining clear creative direction (visual style, tone), managing project timelines, resourcing, and scheduling, and ensuring narrative intent is maintained through clear briefs.
  • Drive continuous improvement and profitability by running data-driven performance experiments, monitoring pacing and profitability, and overseeing branded content executions with external partners.
Team Leadership
  • Lead and mentor a team of producers, writers, editors and our VFX team. Set clear expectations, give actionable feedback, and create the conditions for your team to do their best work.
  • Support team learning and career growth.
Qualifications you bring
  • Five or more years of experience in YouTube content creation, video production, digital media production, or content strategy.
  • A demonstrated track record of contributing to high-performing YouTube content (share examples).
  • Deep familiarity with YouTube’s mechanics: retention, CTR, packaging, algorithm dynamics.
  • Strong writing and editorial instincts.
  • Experience working across the full production pipeline from ideation to publication.
  • Located in Ontario, Canada (required).
  • Passion for science, technology, and speculative storytelling (bonus, but strongly preferred).
  • Experience working with VFX teams is preferred.
How to Apply

Please submit your resume, cover letter, and a portfolio of your previous work, specifically highlighting your video creation work.

Apply

…

Good luck!

You can find Underknown here.

Writer’s workshop: April 15, 2026 deadline!

Another thanks to the Science Media Centre of Canada (SMCC) and its April 14, 2026 notice for this news about a writer’s workshop (wish I’d gotten this a bit sooner),

Banff Mountain Writers Intensive Workshop 2026

Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
Program dates: October 28 to November 17, 2026
Application deadline: April 15, 2026

This three-week residency for writers in fiction, nonfiction,
journalism, or poetry who are working on mountain narratives,
environmental journalism, stories of adventure, or projects with an
environmental theme provides dedicated time to create, connect with
peers, and receive mentorship.

Here’s a bit more information from the Banff Centre’s Mountain Writers Intensive 2026 webpage,

Overview  

The Mountain Writers Intensive is a three-week residency for twelve writers in fiction, nonfiction, journalism, or poetry. Ideal for projects on mountain narratives, adventure, environmental journalism, and the human connection to landscape, the program emphasizes literary excellence and narrative development. Writers enjoy dedicated time to create, connect with peers, and receive mentorship in Banff’s inspiring mountain setting. The residency overlaps with the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival, offering opportunities to engage with visiting authors, editors, and publishers. Lodging and meals are included, allowing participants to fully focus on their craft and creative growth.

…

Good luck!

Modem Futura podcasts (a reminder)

I just got a friendly note (via email) from Andrew Maynard, “scientist, author, and professor of advanced technology transitions at Arizona State University,” which reminded me of one of his science communication ventures, the Modem Futura podcast. Before getting to Andrew’s note, here’s more about Modem Futura, Note: I have made some formatting changes so the following is not identical to what you will find on the page,

The Podcast that explores the possible, probable, and preferred futures

Modem Futura is your weekly guide to the future of science, technology, and society—where futures and foresight meets real-world impact. Hosts Sean Leahy and Andrew Maynard—educators, futurists, and public scholars—dive into the breakthroughs and big questions shaping tomorrow: AI ethics, space exploration, climate tech, bio-engineering, digital media, STEM education, and the shifting future of work. In candid, banter-filled conversations with innovators, scholars, and storytellers, they unpack how emerging technologies influence human values, creativity, and culture—and what these trends mean for you today.

Whether you’re curious about quantum computing, electric air taxis, or the sociology of robots, Modem Futura connects cutting-edge research with the narratives that drive innovation. Join us each week to explore possible, probable, and preferred futures, and discover practical insights for navigating an increasingly tech-driven world. Follow and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and be part of the conversation exploring what it will mean to be human in the future!

Listen & Subscribe

[Latest episode: April 14, 2026]

Artemis II: The Science, the Wonder, and the Future of Being Human

For the first time since 1972, human beings have traveled to the vicinity of the moon — and on this episode of Modem Futura, Sean and Andrew sit with what that actually means. Recorded while the Artemis II crew was still in transit, this conversation is less a mission briefing and more a meditation on wonder: what it feels like to watch a tiny spacecraft carry four people a thousand times …

Here’s the message from Andrew’s friendly email April 13, 2026 note,

Just a quick FYI that, if you occasionally listen to the Modem Futura
podcast hosted by myself and Sean Leahy, you can now sign up for regular
email updates:

https://andrewmaynard.net/modemfutura/

Notifications just include info on new episodes – nothing else (and you
can obviously unsubscribe at any time once signed up)

And if you’re not a podcast person, apologies for the email intrusion
but hope you’re keeping well anyway.

Cheers

Andrew

Human and artificial creativity

Kate Pullinger, Professor of Creative Writing and Digital Media, Director of the Centre for Cultural and Creative Industries at Bath Spa University (UK), had some thoughts about the recent Aarhus University’s (Denmark) TEXT – Center for Contemporary Cultures of Text conference “AI and the Creative Condition,” which I’ll get to after this from the About the Center webpage,

TEXT: Center for Contemporary Cultures of Text is organized to understand the impact of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) and Large Language Models (LLMs) on writing cultures at this pivotal moment in history, in which — after more than 6,000 years of handcrafted text production — we see all aspects of text creation and use are being altered. We are convinced that a research-based understanding of the role of text in a new technological environment is a condition for a prevailing human-centered control of the production and usage of text.

The center works on the evaluation and development of language technology based on linguistic research, as well as on investigating when the introduction of new practices and technologies contributes to a better text culture—and when something valuable is lost. Learn more out the researchers involved and the organization of our work packages.

TEXT is based at Aarhus University and funded by the Danish National Research Foundation. The center’s partners include It-vest, Danish Foundation Models, and Rhetor, with external participants from Cornell University, UC Berkeley [University of California Berkeley], UC Davis [University of California Davis], and the University of Oslo.

…

I wasn’t able to find too many details about the conference but there is this from the allai.events AI and the Creative Condition Conference 2026 webpage,

Event Details:

  • Date: [sic]
  • Time: 09:00 AM-06:00 PM (expected)
  • Location: Denmark , Aarhus
  • Type: Conference

Description

The AI and the Creative Condition Conference, held at the Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies in Aarhus, Denmark, aims to explore the transformative impacts of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) and Large Language Models (LLMs) on writing cultures. As we transition from over 6,000 years of handcrafted text production to a [sic]

Highlights

  • Keynote by Karin Kukkonen: ‘Contingency and the Proxies of Literary Writing’.
  • Panel discussion on ‘Creativity in the AI Era: Perspectives from the 7Cs’ by Florent Vinchon and Todd Lubart.
  • Keynote by Roger Beaty: ‘Measuring and enhancing human creativity with AI’.
  • Panel on ‘Uncovering the Patterns of Our Collective Unconscious’ by Ulf Dalvad Berthelsen.
  • Keynote by Kyle Booten: ‘Designing Negative Spaces for Human Minds’.
  • Conference dinner at Det Glade Vanvid on March 23, 2026.
  • Registration deadline: March 8, 2026.
  • Call for papers deadline: December 15, 2025.
  • Hosted by Center for Contemporary Cultures of TEXT and Human-AI Collaboration (HAIC-III).
  • Focus on the impact of Generative AI and Large Language Models on writing cultures.

Anna Katrine Mathiassen wrote a March 25, 2026 conference summary for TEXT, which provides a little more context for Kate Pullinger’s April 8, 2026 posting on Kate’s Newsletter provocatively titled “I Would Prefer Not to Be Publicly Shamed”, Note 1: She leads with a three item introduction, Note 2: Links have been removed, Note 3: Kate Pullinger co-led a writing and digital media masters programme with Sue Thomas at de Montfort University (UK) and I studied with them,

AI and the Creative Condition

Item One: Poetic forms are technologies: a sonnet is an algorithm, which is another word for a set of instructions. If you don’t follow the rules, your poem will not be a sonnet1.

Item Two: The relationships people form with AI chatbots follow recognisable masterplots as the chatbot works to both affirm and entertain the user to keep them coming back for more. This infinite chat spiral can lead in many directions, including human-AI romantic entanglements and, in the worst cases, suicide2.

Item Three: Alan Turing might have formulated the Turing Test (can a computer programme convince you that it is human?) after watching ‘Pygmalion’ by his favourite playwright, George Bernard Shaw. In this play Dr Higgins dialogue-coaches the flower-seller Eliza Doolittle until London’s upper classes are convinced she is one of them3.

In March [2026] I attended AI and the Creative Condition, a two-day conference at Aarhus University in Denmark, and the ideas above came from some of the papers and keynote presentations. Hosted by TEXT: Centre for Contemporary Cultures of Text, the conference brought together a vibrant mix of computer scientists, neuroscientists, psychologists, critical theorists from the humanities, literary studies people, educationalists, writers, artists, and poets. I attended because I’ve followed the work of TEXT for a decade or so now, and because I thought I could do with a dose of well-informed, critical, and engaged thinking on the potential for a world where we ‘write with’ AI, where we figure out how to use language models to enhance and support our writing and researching processes.

Anything positive about the current discussion of AI needs to come with many caveats, the biggest of which is the environmental and energy costs of the data centres and computational power required by these systems. The acronym ‘AI’ has become synonymous with the billionaire tech bros of OpenAI, Meta, X, Google, Anthropic4, etc as they fight it out for market dominance4. The term ‘artificial intelligence’ is so broad no one really seems to know what it actually means. It is present in our lives in multiple ways, deeply embedded within the apps we use on our smartphones, responsible for remarkable advances in medicine as well as, for example, the way the traffic lights on the high street work better than they used to do.

But these days a lot of the media buzz around AI is focussed on LLMs (large language models), the vast datasets composed of human-created language and images that both threaten livelihoods throughout the creative industries while promising huge benefits in increased productivity and, as was the focus of the conference, enhanced creativity. LLMs support ‘generative AI’ which is often referred to as ‘genAI’ – AI models that will generate text, images, and video when prompted.

One of the most interesting presentations at the conference was called ‘Yes! Yes! I Absolutely Love This Insight!’ Affirmative Narrative as Interactional Strategy in Dialogues with LLM Chatbots. The three scholars, Refsum, Walker-Rettberg, and Roin, who co-wrote this paper are part of AI Stories, a research project based in the Centre for Digital Narratives at the University of Bergen, Norway. Their study looked at a court case in the USA where the families of chatbot users who have committed suicide are suing the AI company they see as responsible for these deaths. The scholars analysed the chatbot transcripts from these users, made publicly available due to the litigation. Drawing on their knowledge of literary forms, linguistics and, in particular, narratology, these scholars have shown that the transcripts contain deeply embedded ‘masterplots’ – the myths and stories that are foundational in western culture like, for example, the brave warrior quest plot and the Cinderella love story. It is the combination of these powerful plots, the constant affirmation chatbots offer to the user, and the way chatbots refer to themselves in the first person as ‘I’, that in many cases leads to anthropomorphism and the assumption that the chatbot is in some way sentient. Other studies have shown the dramatic increase in user engagement with chatbot-as-therapist as well as chatbot-as-best-friend and chatbot-as-romantic-partner. The paper theorises that these men killed themselves after having spent months being led by their chatbots through the brave warrior masterplot, a foundational story that often ends in a noble death.

At the same time as the conference was taking place, a debut author, Mia Ballard, was being thrown under the bus by her publishers in the UK and the US for the alleged use of AI in the writing of her novel, Shy Girl. For a balanced look at what took place, read Thad McIllroy’s excellent report on it on The Future of Publishing’s website. The NYTimes reported that Mia Ballard has denied using AI in the writing of the novel and has been so battered by this hugely public and damaging shaming that she feels her reputation as a writer is ruined. At the conference Izabella Adamczewska-Baranowska presented a paper, Talking to the Muse, on the well-respected Polish poet, Justyna Bargielska, who faced a similar scouring in the press for daring to use an AI chatbot to help her think through how best to write about grief for a new collection of poems.

In the UK the Society of Authors has come up with a badge, ‘Human Authored’, that authors can add to their books to make it clear that they have not used generative AI during the writing process. The email announcing this scheme also contained the last call for authors to register their books in the $1.5billion class action against Anthropic’s copyright-defying landgrab of hundreds of thousands of books when they created their LLM, Claude. While I’m a staunch supporter and member of the Society of Authors and am participating in the class action (fifteen of my own titles were used without my permission, six of which are included in this action), I can’t help but think that ‘Human Authored’ is a decent but flawed initiative. …

…

What the AI and the Creative Condition conference helped me think about is that it is possible to harness the power of LLMs to create a kind of playground for writing, a place where you can tap into the research capacities of the models, using them to help you think your way through problems you encounter as you write. In this more positive light generative AI is a technology to think with, a way to boost human creativity. Community-led language models were discussed by Katy Gero, one of keynote speakers; green energy data centres are already a reality in China and other parts of the world.

I’ve come away from Aarhus having eaten too many cardamon buns while undergoing a rethink on whether to engage with these technologies for my own writing practice. …

There’s more about Kate Pullinger on her eponymous website.

Physicists listen to music

The April 13, 2026 notice (received via email) about a musical performance at Canada’s Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (PI) in Waterloo, Ontario came as a bit of a surprise since there’s no mention of physics as there would be if it were one of their art/science events,

QUATUOR MAGENTA

String quartet on tour from Paris, France

Wednesday, April 22, [2026] at 7:00 pm ET

Perimeter Institute will host the string quartet Quatuor Magenta on April 22 at 7:00 PM. The concert is presented by the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society (KWCMS).

“A model of technical discipline, elegance and musical excellence” (La Croix, transl.), the QUATUOR MAGENTA was founded in 2021 and is already performing on France’s most prestigious stages, from the Philharmonie de Paris to the Festival de RadioFrance Montpellier. Their “remarkable balance, flexibility and spontaneity” (Diapason, transl.) not only thrills their audiences, but led them to the finals of the 8th Joseph Haydn Chamber Music Competition in Vienna and earned them prizes at the 2023 FNAPEC competition (Académie des Beaux-Arts scholarship) and the 2022 Zukunftsklang Competition Stuttgart (3rd prize). November 2024 marked the quartet’s first international tour to Canada with six concerts in Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia, generously supported by the Centre National de la Musique and SPEDIDAM. 

You can go to the KWCMS concerts page to buy tickets (scroll down as there are other concerts also listed),

Quatuor Magenta

Wednesday, April 22, 2026

New!! The Perimeter Institute, Waterloo, 7:00 pm 
Tickets $40/$10 student on TicketScene and at the door

Haydn: String Quartet Op. 33 No. 2, “The Joke” 
Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-1969): String Quartet No. 5 
Dinuk Wijeratne (b. 1978): Two Pop Songs on Antique Poems
Fanny Mendelssohn: String Quartet in E-flat major

QUATUOR MAGENTA  Program and Artist Info 

PROGRAM

Haydn: String Quartet Op. 33 No. 2, “The Joke” 

Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-1969): String Quartet No. 5 

Dinuk Wijeratne (b. 1978): Two Pop Songs on Antique Poems

Fanny Mendelssohn: String Quartet in E-flat major

ARTISTS

Ida Derbesse, 1st violin
Elena Watson-Perry, 2nd violin
Claire Pass-Lanneau, viola
Fiona Robson, cello

“A model of technical discipline, elegance and musical excellence” (La Croix, transl.), the QUATUOR MAGENTA was founded in 2021 and is already performing on France’s most prestigious stages, from the Philharmonie de Paris to the Festival de RadioFrance Montpellier. Their “remarkable balance, flexibility and spontaneity” (Diapason, transl.) not only thrills their audiences, but led them to the finals of the 8th Joseph Haydn Chamber Music Competition in Vienna and earned them prizes at the 2023 FNAPEC competition (Académie des Beaux-Arts scholarship) and the 2022 Zukunftsklang Competition Stuttgart (3rd prize). November 2024 marked the quartet’s first international tour to Canada with six concerts in Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia, generously supported by the Centre National de la Musique and SPEDIDAM. 

The Quatuor Magenta is based in Paris, France, where they are junior artist-in-residence at the Singer-Polignac Foundation and ensemble-in-residence at Proquartet – Centre Européen de Musique de Chambre. They have been invited to perform at numerous festivals in France, including the Musikfest Parisienne, the Festival de la Chaise-Dieu, Un Temps pour Elles, Un Été en France with Gautier Capuçon and the Modigliani Quartet’s Festival Vibre!, as well as in Switzerland (Festival de la Collégiale in Neuchâtel) and in Germany (Klangraum Konzerte in Cologne). 

Last season, contemporary music had pride of place with Quatuor Magenta’s participation in the Kronos Quartet’s « 50 for the Future » Marathon at the Philharmonie de Paris’s String Quartet Biennale. This season includes six octet performances alongside the renowned Quatuor Van Kuijk, in partnership with La Belle Saison. 

The Quatuor Magenta was honoured to participate in the inaugural year of the Élite program at the École Normale de Paris, under the mentorship of the Quatuor Modigliani. They currently study with the Quatuor Ébène at their quartet academy at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich, as well as with Rainer Schmidt of the Hagen Quartet at the Basel University of Music. They are grateful for the support of the Safran Foundation and ADAMI. They work with Chapeau l’Artiste Production. 

Enjoy!

Toronto’s ArtSci Salon and a couple of April 2026 events

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I received (via email) an April 3, 2026 notice from Toronto’s ArtSci Salon featuring two April 2026 art/science events (available online here) being held in Toronto, Note: Some links have been removed,

Beneath the Skin: Biophysical Signals as a Creative Medium

Featuring
Mark-david Hosale 
&
Ilze Briede [Kavi]

Friday, April 10 [2026]
3:00-4:30 pm
Jackman Humanities Building – JHB 100 (first floor)
170 St. George Street [Toronto, Ontario]

This presentation explores an art–science research-creation practice that uses biophysical sensing as a medium for interactive and computational art. Central to this work is The Source (www.biomeci.com), a biosensing platform developed to enable artists and researchers to incorporate physiological signals directly into responsive media systems. The Source supports real-time capture of multiple biophysical signals, including electrocardiography (ECG), electrodermal activity (EDA), electromyography (EMG), electroencephalography (EEG), electrooculography (EOG), and respiratory effort (RSP).  

Mark-David Hosale will introduce The Source and demonstrate how physiological signals provide insight into affective and physiological states and how these states can be used to shape audiovisual, haptic, and multisensory outputs in interactive artworks and performances. 

Ilze Briede [Kavi] will present her academic research and artworks that use The Source, including the collaborative works, Somatic Interventions (2022)and Reimagining Living Ontologies (2024), both of which have resulted in scholarly publications. She will also discuss her current PhD research exploring brain data (EEG) and cybernetic feedback systems in artistic practice. 

The presentation examines how biophysical signals can function not only as measurements of the body but as expressive materials within embodied and cybernetic media systems that expand the sensorium of computational arts.

This is a free public event. Please register via the Eventbrite link here.

This event is organized by the Jackman Humanities Institute Working Group Performing Gestures, Producing Cultures: Towards an Interdisciplinary Understanding of Human Movement.

Sponsored and hosted by Jackman Humanities Institute.

Presented in partnership with ArtSci Salon (https://artscisalon.com/) and BMO Lab (https://bmolab.artsci.utoronto.ca).

Ilze Briede (artist alias Kavi) is a Latvian–Canadian artist and researcher working across visual art, digital design, interactive installation, and live audiovisual performance. Her creative and pedagogical practice engages with biophysical sensing, creative coding, and projection-based media to explore the aesthetic and epistemological potential of physiological data.  Kavi is currently a PhD candidate in Digital Media at York University, Toronto, where her research investigates the design of cybernetic systems for performance and immersive narrative environments driven by real-time biophysical signals.

Mark-David Hosale is a computational artist and composer and an Associate Professor in Computational Arts in the School of the Arts, Media, Performance, and Design at York University. His work explores the boundaries between the virtual and the physical world, spanning performance, public art, and gallery installations. Mark-David is the founder of nD::StudioLab (www.ndstudiolab.com), a research-creation space dedicated to art-science exploration, computational art, and interactive architecture. His research integrates hardware, software, and digital fabrication to create immersive experiences that blur the line between the virtual and the real.

BOOK LAUNCH
Technocreep and the Politics of Things Not Seen
with editors: Neda Atanasoski & Nassim Parvin
Tuesday, April 21, [2026]
5:00-7:00 pm
William Doo Auditorium
45 Willcocks Street
University of Toronto

…

New and emerging technologies, especially ones that infiltrate intimate spaces, relations, homes, and bodies, are often referred to as creepy in media and political discourses. In Technocreep and the Politics of Things Not Seen, Neda Atanasoski and Nassim Parvin introduce a feminist theory of creep that they substantiate through critical engagement with smart homes, smart dust, smart desires, and smart forests toward dreams of feminist futures. Contributing authors further illuminate what is otherwise obscured, assumed, or dismissed in characterizations of technology as creepy or creeping. Considering diverse technologies such as border surveillance and China’s credit system to sexcams and home assistants, the volume’s essays and artworks demonstrate that the potentials and pitfalls of artificial intelligence and digital and robotic technologies cannot be assessed through binaries of seeing/being seen, privacy/surveillance, or harmful/useful. Together, their multifaceted and multimodal approach transcends such binaries, accounting for technological relations that exceed sight to include touch, presence, trust, and diverse modes of collectivity. As such, this volume develops creep as a feminist analytic and creative mode on par with technology’s complex entanglement with intimate, local, and global politics.



…

Neda Atanasoski is Professor of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Maryland.

Nassim Parvin is an Associate Professor in the Information School at the University of Washington.

Please, let us know if you can attend here
This event is supported in part by  SSHRC the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada and hosted by New College at the University of Toronto

There you have it.

March 6 – 20, 2026 International AI Art Biennale in Kraków (Poland)

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Caption: The AI Art Biennale is an international, interdisciplinary event taking place in Kraków, curated and organized by SWPS University in Kraków in cooperation with leading institutions in the fields of art, science and culture. Credit: SWPS University

A February 23, 2026 SWPS University (Uniwersytet SWPS) press release on EurekAlert announces the “International AI Art Biennale in Kraków,”

Join us on March 6-20 for the AI Art Biennale organized by SWPS University in Kraków. The program includes exhibitions, performances, artist talks, workshops, and a scientific conference.

The AI Art Biennale is an international, interdisciplinary event taking place in Kraków, curated and organized by SWPS University in Kraków in cooperation with leading institutions in the fields of art, science and culture. The Biennale’s artistic program is co-organized by the Faculty of Intermedia at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków; the scientific conference is co-organized by Cogiteon – Małopolskie Centrum Nauki.

The leading theme of the Biennale is Creative Dialogue and Education with AI. The event focuses on phenomena related to artificial intelligence in culture and art, as well as its role in science, education, and technology.

The biennale tells a story about people,  about how art helps us explore our needs and reflects on our place in a fast-changing world. It looks at how new technologies influence our daily experiences, relationships, and perception of reality, said Magdalena Pińczyńska PhD / Associate Professor,  Dean of the Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies in Kraków, Biennale Concept Lead, Biennale Concept Lead.

The first edition of the Biennale will bring together 45 artists, experts, and researchers from over 6 countries, representing the fields of art, science, and education.

Exhibition [Un]Conscious Algorithms

The exhibition creates a space for reflection on how artificial intelligence influences the creative process – not only as a tool, but also as a medium, a partner, and at times an unpredictable co-author.

The Biennale exhibitions will present the latest works at the intersection of art, technology, and science, with a particular focus on practices employing artificial intelligence, generative algorithms, and interactivity. The  exhibition will explore the hidden layers of algorithmic processes—those that are implicit, intuitive, emotional, and unpredictable in the relationships between humans and machines. The curatorial team aims to create a space for reflection on consciousness, responsibility, and intention in art developed in dialogue with technology.

Conscious or unconscious? Artificial intelligence forces us to rethink what creative intention means. The exhibition becomes a laboratory in which we examine this boundary, not only technologically, but also emotionally and philosophically, said Patrycja Maksylewicz, PhD, from the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków, Exhibition Curator.

The exhibition will feature artists from Poland and abroad, including participants from Germany, Denmark, France, and Spain. 

The exhibition is divided into five curatorial sections.

  • Algorithm as Artistic Medium
  • Ethical Frictions and the AI Black Box
  • Simulations of Consciousness
  • Human-Machine Collaboration
  • Codes of the Body: Identity Algorithms and Responsive Fashion


An International Conference

Creative Dialogue and Education with AI is an interdisciplinary conference that brings together perspectives from science, art, education, and emerging technologies. The event creates a shared space for ideas, experiences, and visions of the future, gathering researchers, experts, artists, and designers from Poland and abroad who actively shape the debate on the relationship between humans and technology.

The conference invites reflection on how artificial intelligence is transforming contemporary models of knowledge, creative and educational practices, and social relations. Its interdisciplinary format fosters the exchange of perspectives and critical dialogue – especially where technology intersects with human responsibility, sensitivity, and imagination.

The program consists of three thematic sessions: 

  • The Law, Ethics, and Education session focuses on the responsible development of artificial intelligence, addressing legal regulations, the ethical consequences of automation, and the challenges facing educational systems amid rapid technological change.
  • The Art session is dedicated to a creative dialogue with AI, exploring its role as an artistic tool, co-creator, and medium of critical reflection in areas such as contemporary art, architecture, design, and transmedia practices.
  • The Science session examines whether and how artificial intelligence accelerates scientific discovery, reshapes models of knowledge production, redefines the role of expertise, and influences the future of the university and research.

An integral element of the event is the Biennale Bot – an interactive, AI-based assistant that serves both as a guide to the conference and as a research tool.

One of the outcomes of the conference will be the research publication “Report 2027: Artificial Intelligence in Art, Science, and Education,” which will consolidate key insights from expert presentations and present the results of research conducted among Biennale participants and invited experts. 

Is AI a tool, a co-creator, or a threat to artists? How are art universities preparing students for the future, and are museums and galleries ready for algorithm-generated art? These questions are explored in a report based on the conference and meetings held during the Biennale, said Justyna Berniak-Woźny, PhD, from SWPS University.

Programme and registration: https://biennaleai.org

That image at the beginning? It’s a fascinating .gif on the biennale homepage.

What do you reveal about yourself in the era of video communication and embodied virtual reality?

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Self-disclosure doesn’t just take place in real life, it also happens when you interact in virtual reality (VR).

Caption: Researchers find that both the type of communication medium and gender influence self-disclosure. Credit: Professor Junko Ichino from Waseda University, Japan

A July 24, 2025 Waseda University (Japan) press release, also on EurekAlert, describes research into how relationships are developed in embodied virtual reality (VR) and in video communication, Note: A link has been removed,

Self-disclosure, or the process of conveying one’s details to others verbally, is crucial for communication. Self-disclosure includes expressing personal information, thoughts, and feelings. It encompasses self-expression and clarification, social validation and control, as well as relationship development, and is closely related to reciprocity, intimacy, trust, interactional enjoyment, and satisfaction.

In recent years, technological advancements have paved the way for new forms of communication, including video-conferencing and embodied virtual reality (VR). It is indispensable to shed light on the phenomenon of self-disclosure in this context to better understand relationship building and mental health.

With this goal, a team of researchers from Japan, led by Professor Junko Ichino from Waseda University (affiliated to Tokyo City University, Japan, at the time of study), including Mr. Masahiro Ide from the Tokyo City University and TIS Inc., Professor Hitomi Yokoyama from Okayama University of Science, Professor Hirotoshi Asano from Kogakuin University, and Professors Hideo Miyachi and Daisuke Okabe from Tokyo City University, has explored the effects of new communication media and gender on self-disclosure. Their findings were published online in Behaviour & Information Technology on June 4, 2025.

Prof. Ichino explains the motivation behind their research, “When I tried accessing VRChat, a social VR platform that gained popularity in Japan around 2017, I was surprised by the lack of polite or superficial conversation and the presence of freedom and directness of communication. I felt that these people would never interact like this in the real world, which led me to become interested in virtual spaces as a place for communication.”

Since self-disclosure is essential for communication, in addition to studies on self-disclosure in face-to-face conversations, there have been many studies on self-disclosure in conversations through text and voice, which are traditional communication media. Many studies have shown that conversations through text and voice encourage self-disclosure more than face-to-face conversations. However, little was known regarding whether new communication media, such as video-conferencing and embodied VR, encourage self-disclosure compared to face-to-face conversations. Therefore, the researchers investigated self-disclosure across four communication media: face-to-face, video, and embodied VR using both realistic and unrealistic avatars. They included 144 participants, aged 20 to 50 years, segregated them into 72 dyads, and encouraged them to develop conversations based on their personal topics. The participants underwent multiple self-disclosure sessions across the four communication media.

The researchers found that embodied VR, especially with unrealistic avatars, resulted in self-disclosure of personal feelings that were 1.5 times higher than in the face-to-face scenario. However, video communication did not differ noticeably from face-to-face. Furthermore, gender pairing also affected self-disclosure. To investigate how gender pairing affects self-disclosure, the researchers classified the participants into female-to-female, male-to-male, male-to-female, and female-to-male. Upon analysis, the team found that female-to-female pairings had the highest degree of self-disclosure, particularly the disclosure of personal information, regardless of the communication medium.

Since embodied VR facilitates self-disclosure of personal feelings compared to face-to-face, the team expects applications in various VR services related to self-expression, including counselling and psychotherapy services, where therapists interact with patients with ailments such as depression, dementia, cancer, adjustment disorders, and anxiety disorders and with clients with various mental symptoms. Moreover, the proposed innovation can lead to novel interventions in caregiver cafés for people who care for elderly people with dementia or who are bedridden, as well as in stress relief services where listening agents listen to people’s worries and anxieties about their physical condition and interpersonal relationships.

Overall, Prof. Ichino envisions a bright future sprouting from their breakthrough findings. “The shift to remote communication using communication media that surged during the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to continue because such media are required to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Additionally, the need for mental well-being support, which is closely related to self-disclosure, is expected to increase in the future.”

Together, the insights obtained from this study could be greatly utilised for applications that help in improving mental health.

I wonder if there will be further studies before utilizing these insights. I have a couple of questions (1) what happens when participants are over 50 and (2) are there cultural differences?

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

Effects of new communication media and gender on self-disclosure by Junko Ichino, Masahiro Ide, Hitomi Yokoyama, Hirotoshi Asano, Hideo Miyachi & Daisuke Okabe. Behaviour & Information Technology DOI: 10.1080/0144929X.2025.2507690 Published: June 4, 2025

This paper is open access.

Toronto’s ArtSci Salon and December 2025 events

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I received (via email) a November 25, 2025 notice from Toronto’s ArtSci Salon about some December 2025 art/science events (available online here) being held in Toronto, Note: Some links have been removed,

THE BODY ELECTRIC

Exhibition & Performances
December 5, 6 & 7th, 2025

at Charles Street Video,
76 Geary Ave, Toronto

Opening, reception and performances:
Friday, December 5th at 6pm,
performances start at 7pm.

Exhibition Open to Public:
Saturday, December 6th and Sunday, December 7th
from 12pm – 4pm. 

…

Inspired by Walt Whitman’s visionary poem “I Sing the Body Electric,” this exhibition reimagines the body as a network of electric impulses, voltages, and signals that both generate and transmit lived experiences. Body Electric brings together artists, researchers, performers, and technologists who explore the inner electrical life of the human body through biophysical sensing.

By capturing physiological signals such as brainwaves (EEG), heart rhythms (ECG), and muscle activity (EMG), the exhibition reveals the hidden languages of the body — not as metaphor, but as material, as data, as expression.

Body Electric features contributions from York University faculty, students, and international collaborators. The exhibition builds a living bridge between the past and the present, connecting analogue pioneers with today’s generative futures, and invites us to look into the future with an open and curious mind.

..

Biophysical Movement and Emotion as Computational Interfaces (bioMECI) Workshop 
Charles Street Video, 76 Geary Ave, Toronto
Free with registration (same workshop both days):

Workshop 1: December 13th, 10am–6pm register at:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1934433134579

[or]

Workshop 2: December 14th, 10am–6pm register at:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1941956487129

This Workshop is a collaborative workshop centred on biophysical data, computational art, and performance. At the centre of this workshop is the biophysical sensing toolkit, called The Source (www.biomeci.com). The Source is a wearable device solution for full-spectrum biophysical sensing that integrates with commonly used software platforms, enabling its use in the maker and arts communities. Data gathered from The Source is analyzed using hardware and software tools that interface with popular platforms such as Arduino, Max/MSP, SuperCollider, Ableton Live, TouchDesigner, and Processing. The Source provides real-time access to signals from the brain, heart, muscles, skin and eyes and more. This modular system empowers artists to create responsive artworks that engage directly with the body’s inner states.

…

Here’s more about the exhibition and performances, from the Charles Street Video project webpage,

Inspired by Walt Whitman’s visionary poem “I Sing the Body Electric,” this exhibition …

Electricity governs life on Earth at every scale, from small molecular organisms to sophisticated evolved beings. In the human body, in particular, electricity presents itself as the firing of neurons, the pulse of the heart, the conductivity of the skin, and the flux of emotional states. This exhibition foregrounds electricity not only as a force of animation, but as a creative medium — a raw, natural element that artists can sense, shape, and translate. The electric medium is further carried into the technological domain as a means of instrumentation and expression of gathered data from the human body. Through interactive installations, performances, and sonic-visual systems, Body Electric invites audiences to witness how the body thinks, feels, and reacts beneath the surface. What emerges is a portrait of the human not as a fixed entity, but as an ever-changing field of affective and electrical relations.

…

About the artists

The programme will feature a series of interactive installations, including body-physiology sensing chairs originally conceptualized by artist Alan Macy, a retrospective of the work of artist, composer, and scholar David Rosenboom, and installations by artists from York University’s nD::StudioLab (https://www.ndstudiolab.com/), including Ilze Briede [Kavi], Kwame Kyei-Boateng, Kyle Duffield, Mark-David Hosale, Hrysovalanti Maheras, and Nava Waxman.

It will also include live performances, among them

a new work by composer Gene Coleman with violinist Amy Hillis from York’s Music Department;

a performance by The Global Organoid Orchestra (GOO); and a set by the live-coding collective The Endemics.

The Global Organoid Orchestra (GOO) includes:
*Mark-David Hosale and Ilze Briede [Kavi] in Toronto;
*Diarmid Flatley, Marcos Novak, Iason Paterakis, and Nefeli Manoudaki in Santa Barbara;
*and collaborators at the Kosik Neurobiology Lab, UC Santa Barbara (Ken Kosik, Director),
*along with Tjitse van der Molen and Eve Bodnia.

The Endemics consists of
*Ilze Briede [Kavi] and
*Hrysovalanti Maheras.

bioMECI: Biophysical Movement and Emotion as Computational Interface

You can find out more about bioMECI here and about the Body Electric’s bioMECI workshops here.

$150,000 awarded to innovative projects in BC (Canada) schools courtesy of the 2025 Cmolik–SFU (Simon Fraser University) grant program

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Nice to get some good news; this comes from Simon Fraser University (SFU; Vancouver, British Columbia), from an October 22, 2025 news release (also on EurekAlert),

Tens of thousands of B.C. public school students are embarking on new tech-based projects thanks to $150,000 from Simon Fraser University aimed at transforming classroom experience.

The 2025 Cmolik–SFU Grant Program supports classroom, school, and district-based science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) projects. Administered by Simon Fraser University’s Faculty of Education through the Cmolik Endowment Fund, the program empowers educators to design initiatives that build critical thinking skills, foster curiosity, and create equitable opportunities for students from kindergarten to Grade 12. 

“The Cmolik–SFU Grant Program has the potential to strengthen the educational experiences and learning outcomes for generations of students, and we are excited to see such an enthusiastic response from education communities across B.C.,” says Dan Laitsch, dean of education at SFU. “We deeply appreciate the transformational financial support we have received from Ellen and Russ Cmolik.”

In Coquitlam, the Expanding Equitable Access to Robotics in Middle Schools project received $25,000 to scale a pilot MakeX robotics program to all 14 middle schools, reaching 7,500 students annually and promoting gender equity in STEM [science, technology, engineering, mathematics] education.

“Our goal is to democratize access to robotics education,” said Dave Sands, principal of technology implementation with the Coquitlam school district. “We hope to spark interest in girls—an underrepresented group in robotics—and promote overall equity in STEAM [science, technology, engineering, art + design, mathematics] education to prepare all students for future tech-driven careers.”

North Vancouver also received $25,000 for the Robotics for All: Building STEM Pathways through Teamwork, Coding, and Competition project, which will expand robotics clubs to all 26 elementary schools, pairing students with mentors and culminating in a district-wide robotics competition.

Ten more school districts received $10,000 grants for projects ranging from digital storytelling and Indigenous education to makerspaces and virtual reality:

  • SD27 – Cariboo-Chilcotin (Tatla Lake Elementary and Junior Secondary) 
    Voices of the Valley: A Rural Youth Digital Newspaper project will engage students as journalists, editors, and designers to collaboratively publish multimedia newspapers using Canva, storytelling, and digital media tools.
  • SD33 – Chilliwack (Promontory Heights Elementary) 
    Building Future Innovators Through Hands-on, High-tech Learning expands the school’s Makerspace with robotics kits, engineering tools, and STEM challenges.  
  • SD37 – Delta (Hawthorne Elementary) 
    Stories the Land Remembers and Tells Today will create a video-based curriculum that follows Indigenous hunting journeys, blending biology, culture, and reconciliation lessons for use across K–12 classrooms.
  • SD39 – Vancouver (J.W. Sexsmith Elementary) 
    The Maker Mindset: Empowering Young Designers Through Applied Design, Skills, and Technologies (ADST) will embed design thinking and ADST kits—including robotics, sewing, and cardboard engineering—into K–7 classrooms.
  • SD41 – Burnaby (South Slope/BC School for the Deaf and Cameron Elementary) 
    Digital Storytelling in the Library Learning Commons will transform libraries into storytelling hubs, where tools like Book Creator and stop-motion animation will be used to create multimodal stories by K-12 students.
  • SD51 – Boundary (Greenwood Elementary) 
    3D Printing and Laser Cutting Lab will expand access to modern design tools, enabling students across the district to learn digital modeling, prototyping, and hands-on problem-solving through 3D printer, Tinkercad, Canva, and LightBurn.
  • SD61 – Greater Victoria (Cedar Hill Middle School) 
    Landing Stories, A Digital Witness will engage 6–8 grade students in creating digital storytelling through film, audio, and photography to document Indigenous land-based learning, guided by Indigenous Education leaders.
  • SD72 – Campbell River (Penfield Elementary) 
    Our Stories, Our Strength: A Journey of Healing and Reconciliation will give students opportunities to co-create bilingual (English and a local Indigenous language) picture books and a collaborative mural using Book-Creator, Canva and Office 365.
  • SD81 – Fort Nelson (Fort Nelson Secondary School) 
    VR Learning Lab will introduce Class VR technology to provide immersive experiences across subjects, enabling students in this remote community to virtually explore museums, and historic landmarks.
  • SD85 – Vancouver Island North (Sea View Elementary) 
    Create Lab: A Student Innovation and Storytelling Studio will establish weekly Innovation Blocks where students design STEAM projects, experiment in a makerspace, and create podcasts, videos, and prototypes that blend technology with literacy.

Very exciting to see!

CHI (computer-human interface) 2025 spotlights KAIST’s pioneering VR/AR precision technology tool & a VR choreography tool

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The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) presented two research projects at the CHI (Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems) April 25 to May 1, 2025. A May 13, 2025 KAIST press release (also on EurekAlert but published May 15, 2025) describes the accomplishments, Note 1: VR is virtual reality and AR is augmented reality; Note 2: Embedded images have been omitted; Note 3: Additional citation information has been added (set off by square brackets) to the press release; Note 4: Both papers (as cited in the press release) are open access on the ACM website,

Accurate pointing in virtual spaces is essential for seamless interaction. If pointing is not precise, selecting the desired object becomes challenging, breaking user immersion and reducing overall experience quality. KAIST researchers have developed a technology that offers a vivid, lifelike experience in virtual space, alongside a new tool that assists choreographers throughout the creative process.

KAIST (President Kwang-Hyung Lee) announced on May 13th that a research team led by Professor Sang Ho Yoon of the Graduate School of Culture Technology, in collaboration with Professor Yang Zhang of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), has developed the ‘T2IRay’ technology and the ‘ChoreoCraft’ platform, which enables choreographers to work more freely and creatively in virtual reality. These technologies received two Honorable Mention awards, recognizing the top 5% of papers, at CHI 2025*, the best international conference in the field of human-computer interaction, hosted by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) from April 25 to May 1 [2025].

…

T2IRay: Enabling Virtual Input with Precision

T2IRay introduces a novel input method that allows for precise object pointing in virtual environments by expanding traditional thumb-to-index gestures. This approach overcomes previous limitations, such as interruptions or reduced accuracy due to changes in hand position or orientation.

The technology uses a local coordinate system based on finger relationships, ensuring continuous input even as hand positions shift. It accurately captures subtle thumb movements within this coordinate system, integrating natural head movements to allow fluid, intuitive control across a wide range.

…

< Figure 1. T2IRay framework utilizing the delicate movements of the thumb and index fingers for AR/VR pointing >

Professor Sang Ho Yoon explained, “T2IRay can significantly enhance the user experience in AR/VR by enabling smooth, stable control even when the user’s hands are in motion.”

This study, led by first author Jina Kim, was supported by the Excellent New Researcher Support Project of the National Research Foundation of Korea under the Ministry of Science and ICT, as well as the University ICT Research Center (ITRC) Support Project of the Institute of Information and Communications Technology Planning and Evaluation (IITP).

▴ Paper title: T2IRay: Design of Thumb-to-Index Based Indirect Pointing for Continuous and Robust AR/VR Input [by Jina Kim, Yang Zhang, Sang Ho Yoon. CHI ’25: Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Article No.: 1059, Pages 1 – 21 https://doi.org/10.1145/3706598.3714220 Published: 25 April 2025]
▴ Paper link: https://doi.org/10.1145/3706598.3713442
▴ T2IRay demo video: https://youtu.be/ElJlcJbkJPY

ChoreoCraft: Creativity Support through VR for Choreographers

In addition, Professor Yoon’s team developed ‘ChoreoCraft,’ a virtual reality tool designed to support choreographers by addressing the unique challenges they face, such as memorizing complex movements, overcoming creative blocks, and managing subjective feedback.

ChoreoCraft reduces reliance on memory by allowing choreographers to save and refine movements directly within a VR space, using a motion-capture avatar for real-time interaction. It also enhances creativity by suggesting movements that naturally fit with prior choreography and musical elements. Furthermore, the system provides quantitative feedback by analyzing kinematic factors like motion stability and engagement, helping choreographers make data-driven creative decisions.

…

< Figure 2. ChoreoCraft’s approaches to encourage creative process >

Professor Yoon noted, “ChoreoCraft is a tool designed to address the core challenges faced by choreographers, enhancing both creativity and efficiency. In user tests with professional choreographers, it received high marks for its ability to spark creative ideas and provide valuable quantitative feedback.”

This research was conducted in collaboration with doctoral candidate Kyungeun Jung and master’s candidate Hyunyoung Han, alongside the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) and One Million Co., Ltd. [1MILLION DANCE STUDIO?] (CEO Hye-rang Kim [aka, Lia Kim?]), with support from the Cultural and Arts Immersive Service Development Project by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

▴ Paper title: ChoreoCraft: In-situ Crafting of Choreography in Virtual Reality through Creativity Support Tools by Jina Kim, Yang Zhang, Sang Ho Yoon. CHI ’25: Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Article No.: 854, Pages 1 – 16 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3706598.3713442 Published: 25 April 2025
▴ Paper link: https://doi.org/10.1145/3706598.3714220
▴ ChoreoCraft demo video: https://youtu.be/Ms1fwiSBjjw

*CHI (Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems): The premier international conference on human-computer interaction, organized by the ACM, was held this year from April 25 to May 1, 2025.

I did a little more digging with regard to Lia Kim (Hye-rang Kim) and found this précis from her profile on thefamouspeople.com,

Lia Kim is a Korean hip-hop dancer and choreographer. Her incredible choreography routines display a unique combination of street funk and urban hip-hop. She is best known for her intricate finger-tutting skills. Lia is the CEO of the Seoul-based ‘1Million Dance Studio.’ The studio is a melting pot of various dance forms from around the world and is a place where students connect with one another through the joy of dancing. Since Lia is a professional choreographer, she majorly focuses on detailing and technicality. This makes her dance routines an artwork. Lia has performed at several national and international events and has judged a few dance reality shows, too. She has choreographed a number of concerts and events and has also created dance routines for a number of celebrities.

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1Million Dance Studio can be found here.

Help maintain cognitive and memory functions with virtual reality (VR) game which integrates smell

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I always enjoy a research story involving the sense of smell (olfaction); the most recent ones here being an April 22, 2025 posting (also from the Institute of Science Tokyo) “Fragrance design using deep neural networks (DNNs)” and an April 17, 2025 posting “Olfactory ethics.” There’s also this ‘golden oldie’ from May 22, 2017 “Preserving heritage smells (scents).” Now, the sense of smell enters virtual reality.

Caption: Olfactory VR offers the potential for cognitive rehabilitation and dementia preventation [sic] in aging populations Credit: Institute of Science Tokyo

An April 30, 2025 Institute of Science Tokyo press release (also on EurekAlerrt) describes some of the latest investigation into the sense of smell, Note: A link has been removed,

As the global population ages, supporting older adults in maintaining their cognitive and memory functions has become a pressing concern. The United Nations estimates that by the 2070s, there will be over 2.2 billion people aged 65 or older, surpassing the global number of children under 18. This demographic shift is especially pronounced in Japan, the fastest-aging country, where 28.7% of the population is 65 or older.

One promising strategy to counter cognitive decline is through olfactory stimulation—engaging the sense of smell. Smell signals travel directly to brain regions involved in memory and emotion. Building on this knowledge, a joint research team from Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo), University of the Arts London, Bunkyo Gakuin University, and Hosei University, Japan, has developed the world’s first cognitive training method for older adults by combining olfactory stimulation with virtual reality (VR). The study was published in Volume 15 of the journal Scientific Reports on March 28, 2025.

“VR provides a promising platform to simulate sensory conditions in a controlled yet engaging manner. By combining goal-oriented tasks with real-time feedback, our VR-based olfactory training approach can increase cognitive engagement and maximize its therapeutic impact,” says Professor Takamichi Nakamoto from Science Tokyo.

The method involves an olfactory display that emits specific scents during immersive VR gameplay, activating memory- and emotion-related brain regions. In the activity, participants are asked to memorize and later match scents within a virtual environment. The experience begins in a virtual landscape. Using a VR controller, participants interact with a scent source represented by a stone statue. When touched, the statue releases a specific scent, accompanied by a white vapor cloud as a visual cue to reinforce memory.

Participants then explore the virtual landscape to locate a scent source. As they move through the landscape, the olfactory display emits subtle traces of the scent to guide them to the location. Upon reaching the odor source, shown as a stone lantern, they encounter three colored vapor clouds, each emitting a different scent. Their task is to compare the smells and identify the one that matches the original scent they memorized.

“The smell memory phase strengthens odor recognition and memory encoding by linking the olfactory stimulus with a visual cue. The navigation phase challenges players to integrate spatial navigation with odor recognition while retaining memory of the initial scent. The final odor comparison phase engages olfactory discrimination and working memory retrieval, reinforcing cognitive function,” explains Nakamoto.

The activity led to noticeable cognitive improvements in 30 older adults aged 63 to 90. After just 20 minutes of playing the VR game, participants showed improvements in visuospatial rotation and memory. Visuospatial processing and cognitive function were assessed through different tasks. In the Hiragana Rotation Task, where they had to decide if rotated Japanese characters matched the original, scores improved from 19–82 to 29–85. In a word-based spatial memory recall task, where participants memorized word positions in a grid, scores rose from 0­–15 to 3–15. These improvements were validated through statistical analysis.

With continued research and development toward more affordable olfactory displays or alternate scent delivery methods, olfactory-based VR activities could become an accessible and engaging tool for supporting mental health in older adults.

About Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo)

Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo) was established on October 1, 2024, following the merger between Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) and Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech), with the mission of “Advancing science and human wellbeing to create value for and with society.”

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

Exploring the effects of olfactory VR on visuospatial memory and cognitive processing in older adults by Ryota Sunami, Takamichi Nakamoto, Nathan Cohen, Takefumi Kobayashi & Kohsuke Yamamoto . Scientific Reports volume 15, Article number: 10805 (2025) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-94693-9 Published: 28 March 2025

This paper is open access.