News/Research

BCNM around the Web October 2019

16 Oct, 2019

BCNM around the Web October 2019

Here's the recap of all our amazing BCNM community has been up to from the web!

Ken Goldberg recently presented his paper on 'Robo-Exoticism: Art, History, and Our All Too Human Machines' at the International Symposium on Robotics Research (ISSR) in Hanoi, Vietnam. Additionally, Goldberg also spoke at the General Robotics, Automation, Sensing & Perception (GRASP) Lab's 40th anniversary celebration at the Unniversity of Pennsylvania in which GRASP alumni and members came together "to network, reminisce and have the opportunity to listen to an amazing speaker line-up comprised of fellow GRASP alumni currently in academia, industry and government selected from each of the decades." He also was mentioned in a Forbes article about human technology.

"Professor Ken Goldberg, the Chair in Engineering of UC Berkeley, has defined this separation of responsibilities well:

'The things that computers are best at calculation, precision, and objectivity, are distinct from the qualities that belong primarily to humans—purpose, passion, and understanding.'"

Read the article here.

Koci Hernandez wrote the foreword for 'The Disarray," a photo book by photographer Olga Karlovac available here!

From the foreword:

You’re about to embark upon a fantastic journey. It’s one of boundless time and space and it’s compressed with the pages of the book you now hold. I only wish I could experience again, for the first time, the disarray — visual poetry as a masterwork.

Alum Trevor Paglen gave an Artist Keynote speech on October 4th at FotoFocus' "AutoUpdate," a photography & technology symposium held at the Carnegie in Covington, Kentucky.

From FotoFocus' executive director, Mary Ellen Goeke:

Our bi-annual symposium is renowned for bringing internationally celebrated artists and speakers like Trevor Paglen to the Cincinnati region. This year, we’re pleased to introduce a parallel exhibition for local and regional artists, showing our commitment to engaging with the community and creating new opportunities for local artists...

Alum danah boyd recently gave the Keynote speech on 'Vulnerabilities: How Social Media and Data Infrastructure are Exploited for Fun, Profit, and Politics' at Technology & Justice 2019, a series that "focuses on the ethics of technological adoption and adaptations, inviting technologists, academics, activists, and artists to examine issues from algorithmic decision-making in the criminal justice system to the near constant surveillance of our actions to the future of work in an automated world" at Haverford College.

On October 22nd, Alum Jen Schradie will be holding a discussion and book signing for her new book, The Revolution That Wasn’t: How Digital Activism Favors Conservatives with Brooke Foucault Welles at NULab for Texts, Maps, and Networks, Northeastern University.

From the b2o book review by Zachary Loeb:

As an account of left-wing and right-wing activists, Schradie’s book is a worthwhile consideration of the ways that various activists use these tools. Yet where this, altogether excellent, work really stands out is in the ways in which it highlights the politics that are embedded and reified by high-tech tools.

Read the whole book review here!

Additionally, on September 26th, Schradie spoke at the Day of France at Harvard University, an annual event to "celebrate the strong ties between France and Harvard University and foster exchanges between different institutions and high-level researchers..."

Alum Tiffany Ng was quoted by media organization WHYY on the topic of carillon.

From the article:

Tiffany Ng, who teaches at the University of Michigan in one of the country’s few carillon graduate programs, said people started to tune the bells the way they would other instruments by the 18th century.

Read the whole article here!

Alum Ritwik Banerji recently performed in jazz festival Whatyouwill 8: An Improvised Experience in Columbus, Ohio. The festival also showcased Banerji's sound installation titled 'Yago the Maxinean’s Spiritual Arts of Motion-in-Stillness.'

On October 10th, Alum Bo Ruberg gave a keynote speech titled "Diversity and Esports: Video Game Culture, Collegiate Play, and Live Streaming" at the second annual Esports Conference (ESC 2019) at the University of California, Irvine.

Alum Jane McGonigal will be speaking as the featured speaker of the inaugural Pensacola Mini Maker Faire in Pensacola, Florida hosted by the University of West Florida (UWF) Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering.

From the article:

There are currently more than 200 Maker Faires around the world that promote innovation and creativity within communities. After an increased interest from both UWF mechanical engineering and art students, the process of bringing the Maker Faire to Pensacola began. The Pensacola Mini Maker Faire encourages hands-on activities for all ages to explore art, science, engineering, crafting and more.

Read the whole article here!