Merry Christmas everyone!

STRP – The Conference for The Curious

The man and the machine are more and more connected though new apps and new devices. The behaviour and the way of thinking of a biological system needs to be translated in lines of code so that the quality of life of people is further increased. More and more biological data needs to be collected, processed, analysed and interpreted. This provides ample reason for STRP to focus on Senses & Sensors in the Biennial of 2017, where both scientists and local people are invited to indulge in their own sense of curiosity.

Video 1. Conference for The Curious – the presentation video created by OddOne for STRP and distributed on Vimeo

During the STRP Conference for The Curious : Senses & Sensors on 28 March 2017, high profile international speakers explored this theme from different perspectives. Artists and designers, writers and scientists, and nonetheless coders are gathered to show a glimpse on how are interpreted the complex processes through which the world around us is perceived both by human and machine. Together they outlined the contours of new developments in today’s sensory systems, and shared their thoughts on how this could influence us. The talk for each presenter was recorded and posted online through YouTube and it is accessible through the link attached to their individual name.

The moderator of the first part of the day is Isolde Hallensleben (NL), who is a main contributor to the development of the TU/e Innovation Space, a place for challenged-based, interdisciplinary and hands-on education.

Photo 1. Conference for The Curious – curiosity

The first presenter, Claire L. Evans (US), a musician and a writer, brings us to our attention that in science fiction music is shown as the universal language of communication, and it is a way to quantify and transmit the emotional and cultural impact of life.

Photo 2. Conference for The Curious – the presentations

The second presenter, Tobias Revell (UK) is an internationally-exhibited artist, designer and programme director for Graphic Design Communication at London College of Communication. He focuses on the interplay between mythology and contemporary technology.

Photo 3. Conference for The Curious – the human and the cup of tea

The third presenter, Tom Pursey (UK) is the co-founder and creative director of Flying Object, a London-based creative agency that developed the prize winning exhibition Tate Sensorium in 2015.

Photo 4. Conference for the Curious – let’s make sense of the future now

To Sissel Tolaas (NO), the fourth presenter, the nose knows a lot more than most of us know. After studying and working at the universities in Oslo, Warsaw, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Oxford and Princeton, Sissel works actively and focuses on the topic of smell, smell and language communication since 1990, within different sciences, fields of art and other disciplines. Sissel believes that smell is a crucial component to define, understand and move within a specific environment and now creates in the lab “the alphabet for the nose”.

Photo 5. Conference for The Curious – the workshops

The moderator for the second part of the day is Koert van Mensvoort, an artist and philosopher best known for his work on the philosophical concept of Next Nature. He introduces and moderates the highlight of the Conference for the Curious - the keynote by Kevin Kelly (US), the founding executive editor of Wired magazine, and the author of bestsellers such as What Technology Wants (2010) and The Inevitable(2016).

Video 2. Conference for The Curious – the program

The Conference for The Curious was the meeting place for 2 days with in-depth talks and interviews for creators and thinkers, do-ers and experts, who are shifting every day the borders of current knowledge within their field of expertise through novel techniques and devices.

STRP - Musical communication and cognitive behaviour

The ubiquity of music in everyday life, and the corresponding diversification of musical behaviour are the reasons why there it is an increased interest in studying the music psychology in the last 20 years. [Hargreaves, 2002]. The meaningful information that is shared through any form of communication may also be shared in a form of organised sounds that represents the music [Thaut, M, 2008]. I find it fascinating what a big influence music has in my everyday life. There are various philosophical questions regarding music. Does music represent humanity? How can music express emotions? How is music perceived emotionally by the listener?

Claire L. Evans, a musician and a writer, brings us to our attention, at the STRP festival, that in science fiction music is shown as the universal language of communication, and it is a way to quantify and transmit the emotional and cultural impact of life. Can music be produced in a way that does not represent a human culture? What musical segment can one send in space to represent the various cultural backgrounds present on Earth? Does music influence the emotional side of non-human, even animals? Which instruments should be used to create abstract music?

Video set. Conference for the curious - Claire L. Evans - The sound of post-human music

When we listen to music various parts of our brain are triggered. The auditory cortex perceives and analyses the sounds in the first stages of listening to sounds. The motor cortex and the cerebellum are working to create the movement in dancing, for foot tapping, and playing an instrument. The sensory cortex provides tactile feedback from playing an instrument and dancing. The visual cortex is triggered for reading the musical notes, for looking at a performer's movements in dancing. The hippocampus is responsible for the memory for music, for the musical experiences and for the context in which music is provided. The prefrontal cortex processes expectations for the musical play. The nucleus accumbens and the amygdala create the emotional reaction to the music. The corpus callosum connects the left and the right hemispheres of the brain.

Various studies showed interesting facts about the effect that music has on us. An individual, after listening to a piece of music charged with either positive or negative emotions, perceives a neutral face as either happy, after a positive piece of music, or sad, after a negative piece. A moderate intensity level for the ambient music may improve creativity. Our music choices may predict parts of our personality, like extraversion, self esteem, hard-working, the emotional stability. Music is a significant distraction while in traffic. Cyclists who listen to music require 7% less oxygen than the people who cycle in silence for the same route. Classical music may improve visual attention.

Music can stimulate complex processes in the brain and the progress achieved with the patient may be then transferred to non-musical methods for therapy. Rhythmic activities that involve the movement of the body proved to facilitate the early recovery for patients suffering from with stroke, for patients with the Parkinson's disease, cerebral palsy and with traumatic brain injury. The recovery of speech functions is also done quicker through music. Music may help rebuild the damaged brain pathways or even build new ones to restore the normal functionality of the human body.

References:

Thaut M. (2008) “Rhythm, Music, and the Brain: Scientific Foundations and Clinical Applications”

Hargreaves D.J., MacDonald R., and Miell D.E. (2005) “Musical communication”

STRP - the eye and optical instruments

We use the accessory visual structures every day, but not many think of studying the structure in fine detail. The eyes capture a lot of information, part of it is stored in the conscious part of our brain, and part remains in the subconscious. People study this part of the human anatomy and sensors are developed based on the findings provided by the research.

Figure 1 . The human iris, front view. Copyright (2008) Gray's Anatomy

When a collimated beam of light or laser passes through one or several apertures, or if it encounters an obstacle, it spreads out and, due to diffraction, various resulting patterns are captured on a circular canvas.

Figure 2 . The optical patterns on the semi-circular canvas

The polygonal mesh is the core tool to analyse both solid surfaces and for simulation of internal body parts.

Figure 3 . The polygonal mesh

The equivalent electrical circuit of the entire human body may be developed by putting together the equivalent electrical circuits of each of the body parts.Each part has different values for the resistance, capacitance and inductance. The physiology engine may be tested by switching on and off electrical circuits for various parts of the body.

Figure 4 . The equivalent electrical circuit for the entire human body

People, from young to old, have the opportunity to touch and experience the effects of the basic elements for high level research. I find it fascinating that people, in a nice sunny afternoon, can take their family out at this event and play with tools designed in a child-friendly manner, and probably without a full understanding of the science in the background, have access to knowledge that people in other countries, like me, only dream to see.

References :

Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice ( 2008 ), 40th edition, Churchill-Livingstone, Elsevier.

Happy New Year!

HAPPY RESEARCH and to all, a good day!

Twas The Night Before Christmas
(Chemistry Edition)
by Merrissa Sorrentino

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the lab
not a beaker was burning, nor lid left uncapped.
Our goggles were hung in the cupboard with care
in the hopes that St Mendeleev soon would be there.

The chemists were nestled, all snug in their coats
going over molecular formula notes.
The Professor in glasses reciting compounds
had just finished jotting the last of them down

when outside the door there arose such a clatter.
I sprang from my desk to see – what was the matter?
We raced down the hallway in a quantum-like flash
dodging the test tubes and measuring flasks.

The light of the fluorescent tubes up above
gave a lustre as bright as my chemical gloves
when what, to my wandering eyes, should appear
but a Chemist with Eight Elemental Reindeer!

Faster than light, these elements came.
He whistled and shouted and called them by name:

“Now Bismuth! Now Carbon! Now Krypton and Bromine!
On Copper! On Cobalt! On Xenon and Fluorine!"
From out of the hallway and into the class
they formed an unusual luminous gas.

Like heat that emerges within a reaction
their atoms were striving for more interaction.
So off with their lids, the elements flew
with a gift for the lab, and St Mendeleev too.

And then in a startle, I heard from the hall
the clinking of pipettes and glass-mixing rods.
As I drew in my head and was turning to look
St Dmitri appeared with his chemistry book.

He was dressed all in white, from his head to his foot
but his coat was all tarnished with ashes and soot.
With a bundle of research files flung on his back
he looked like a student who’s ready for class.

His eyes – how they peered – as he looked all around.
His cheeks – were as pink as a Lithium compound.
Through the beard on his chin, in Titanium white
the smirk on his face conveyed utter delight.

The stub of his pencil, he held in his hand
as a sign of a very intelligent man.
And with it, he granted us wisdom and knowledge
which quickly began to envelop the college.

He spoke of a dream where elements took structure
like a symphony of atoms, and he, the conductor.
When arranged on the table in front of us all
he gave us a wink, then was gone from the hall.

He went in a flash as he called for his Elements.
Away they all flew in a cloud of intelligence.
But I heard him yell out – before fading away …

“HAPPY RESEARCH and to all, a good day!”

STRP - ways to visualise biological data

STRP Biënnale, one of world's ten leading festivals on creative technology, incited the curiosity of 30 000 visitors over a period of 10 days this year. Both well recognised scientists and talented young makers present their work at this event. It offers the audience the chance to experiment various scientific themes and see the result immediately. I was part of the crew team this year.

Figure 1. Let's make sense of the future now

Man and machine are connected more and more by systems that translate the sensory information into digital command lines. The key to a successful connection between man and machine is the interaction method. Physics and engineering play an important role to design new and more efficient ways to translate for the machine what the body understands through biological pathways what the environment input states. The future of technology depends upon discovering new forms of interaction.

Video 1. STRP project documentation from Milan van Belle on Vimeo.

This subject is not easy for the audience to embrace. For this, a simple and very popular app (The Particle Party) was designed to track in real time, with dots, the movement of a person in front of a screen. The time allocated was short, and the trace is saved by the user as a photograph.

Figure 2. Celebrate our senses at the Particle Party

"We will keep adding new sensors and senses to the things we make. Of course, everything will get eyes (vision is almost free), and hearing, but one by one we can add superhuman senses such as GPS location sensing, heat detection, X-ray vision, diverse molecule sensitivity, or smell. These permit our creations to respond to us, to interact with us, and to adapt themselves to our uses. Interactivity, by definition, is two way, so this sensing elevates our interactions with technology."

( Kevin Kelly, 2016 )