Wednesday, July 5th, 2023

Threads by Meta

Threads. Did you know that 80 million users signed up in the first 48 hours of it being online?

If you are not yet aware, Threads just launched on July 5 (2023) and is an online social media and social networking service owned by American technology company Meta Platforms. Currently, they offer the platform via app download only.

Will I be downloading it? Nah. I’m probably at peek technological saturation and philosophizing over ice cream *in-person* about technological singularity. 🍦 🍦 🍦

Technological singularity—or simply the singularity—is a hypothetical future point in time at which technological growth becomes uncontrollable and irreversible, resulting in unforeseeable changes to human civilization.

How’s everyone else feeling out there re all of our current platforms, new algorithms, “pay to play” features, etc.?

“They’re not only the wealthiest corporations that have ever existed, but they’ve institutionalized a new form of profound inequality” in who controls information, Shoshana Zuboff, a privacy expert at Harvard, said. “Threads is simply another property in a global surveillance empire.”

Thursday, June 15th, 2023

BDC Summit 2023: The Future of Biotech

Students Envision the Future of Biotech at BDC Summit 2023, June 22-23

45 schools will present projects developed in collaboration with artists, designers, and biologists.

New York, NY, June 1, 2023 – On June 22-23, over 200 high school and university students from 30 countries will present their ideas and compete for the Glass Microbe at Biodesign Challenge Summit 2023. Their projects apply biotechnology to reshape architecture, food, fashion, health, materials, energy, and more.

Forty leading experts in academia, industry, and the arts will judge the projects and award prizes, including Outstanding Field Research, Outstanding Social Critique and our sponsored prize, the Science Sandbox Prize for Public Engagement.

Summit speakers include Amber Benezra, Harris Wang, and Kim Stanley Robinson, bestselling science fiction author and a “Hero of the Environment”, Time magazine. Speakers will give their talks on Wednesday, June 23rd and Thursday, June 24th. There will also be a live panel discussion on June 24th where audiences can directly engage with students, experts, and speakers as well as a performance by BDC community member, Pearlyn Lii.

“BDC is bringing a new generation of creators to biotech. Creators are not solely scientists but artists, designers, and people from diverse backgrounds who bring new perspectives to the technology,” says Daniel Grushkin, founder and Executive Director of Biodesign Challenge. “Our hope is that BDC generates fresh conversations about what we want from emerging technologies.”

Biodesign Challenge (BDC) is an international competition and education program that partners high school and university students with artists, designers, and scientists to imagine, create, and critique the future of biotechnology. During the academic year, students develop bold and feasible projects that use biotechnology to address pressing issues or to critique biotechnology’s impact on society.

Over the last seven years, BDC alumni have founded startups (raising $20M+ collectively), received patents, and won awards including the James Dyson Award, H&M Global Change Award, National Geographic Chasing Genius Award, LVMH Innovation Award, Prix Ars Electronica, among others. They have exhibited at museums and festivals, including the V&A, London Design Biennale, Gregg Museum, World Economic Forum, the Tech Museum, Dutch Design Week, MIT, and the United Nations.

Register to attend the BDC Summit

ABOUT BIODESIGN CHALLENGE SUMMIT 2023

Program agendas, speaker and judge bios, and sponsor information can be found on the Summit 2023 event page.

Project Presentations: June 22-23

Gallery Show: June 22
Awards Ceremony: June 23

MEDIA CONTACT: Daniel Grushkin, dgrushkin@biodesignchallenge.org

Friday, June 2nd, 2023

Game of Shrooms! 🍄

On June 10th 2023, mushrooms will invade the human space and not the other way around!

Have you ever participated in a seek and find art hunt?! On June 10th, a *GLOBAL ART HUNT* is taking place. The event is mushroom themed and is known as #gameofshrooms. It was started in 2019 by Attaboy.

To participate, you can be a maker of mushroom-themed artwork, hiding it all around the city you reside in, or solely a seeker of artwork. To find artwork, artists post clues on their social media accounts with hashtags, making it searchable by you.

This year, there are more people participating – both hiding and seeking – than ever before. I can say that as a maker of art, nothing has made me smile bigger than seeing complete strangers find and post my artwork they found hidden around the city. So, consider joining me tomorrow for the ANNUAL GAME OF SHROOMS GLOBAL ART HUNT. Get out in your city and find yourself some art! 🍄 🖼️

More info. here.

📸 above of two strangers last year who found my artwork hidden around St. Louis;
📸 below of me with one of my finds!

Thursday, May 11th, 2023

World on Fire

Have you heard Dolly Parton’s new single “World on Fire?” Released on May 11th, the song was inspired by current events, and she wrote it in hopes of motivating people to make a change for the better:

“This is a song I felt very inspired to write. I think it speaks about everything and to everyone this day and time […] I hope it is something that will touch you and maybe touch enough people to want to make a change for the better.”

I didn’t know about the song until today, and while it doesn’t necessarily tickle my brain musically, what I love most about it is the lyrics, with an emphasis on the ending chorus: “Still got time to turn it all around.”

May we all hang onto those words and keep on, keepin’ on.

You can Listen to “World on Fire” here.

Monday, May 8th, 2023

A Possible Cause: Progress & Promise for Parkinson’s

A new study centering on the gut microbiome holds potential answers to Parkinson’s Disease.

Researchers at the University of Helsinki have discovered a potential cause of Parkinson’s disease – certain strains of Desulfovibrio bacteria. The study enables the screening of the carriers of Desulfovibrio strains and the removal of the bacteria from the gut. Strains in patients with Parkinson’s disease cause aggregation of the α-synuclein protein in the intestine and later, the brain.

My uncle had Parkinson’s, and I know numerous people who live with the disease, but this revelatory discovery shines a light on possible treatment for people living with Parkinson’s!

Today, I would like to showcase the art/work of Clayton Petras, formerly featured in Issue #4 of E-Squared Magazine.

claytonpetras.com

“The task of a history of the represented body is to say what has not been shown, and to explain why it is absent.” – James Elkins

Utilizing old-world techniques as well as new, St. Louis-based artist Clayton Petras impresses upon us subjects of identity and disease. In his current body of work he generates a series that attempts to depict the terrifying but also beautiful effects of Parkinson’s disease on the human body.

Turning that which is physical into the visual with marks of detail and grace, Clayton Petras documents the process of neurodegeneration. In depicting the uncontrollable symptoms (tremors, stiffness, depression, mania, etc.) in the abstract with his imprinted marks combined with a societal understanding of disease and the body, he shows the chronological breakdown of mind and body. In his work, Petras addresses questions like, “How do we give identity to a disease that is difficult to diagnose or view on medical technology, currently cannot be cured or put in remission, and slowly changes the identity of the patient?” With his work, he is always looking for ways to visualize and document the degenerative mental disease and transform it into portrayals of the disease itself, its effects, and those it afflicts.

Through his statement-making large-scale prints, Clayton Petras reimagines illness and challenges our societal view of disease and the human body. Petras received a master of fine arts degree from Washington University, has received several awards for his work, and exhibits regularly.

Monday, May 1st, 2023

Celebrating the Sounds of Saturn with China Blue

China Blue was featured in Issue #3 | Man, Machine, & Power of E-Squared Magazine.

Don’t miss her upcoming solo exhibition celebrating the sounds she discovered for NASA in Saturn’s rings.

“Listening for the Unheard”

Opening: 5/13 4:00-7:00 PM

Exhibition: 5/13-6/18

11 Jane Street Art Gallery, Saugerties, NY

Saturday, April 15th, 2023

Pre-order Issue #6

I have been working hard on getting all of the content completed and input into the layout/publishing software. The current issue is near completion, and pre-orders for ISSUE #6 are now open! Recently, I also set up a new shop – placing orders should be much more streamlined.

ISSUE #6 is set to be released by this summer and is centered around the theme of Technosociety.

The issue features an interview with interaction designer and media artist WHITEVOID.
Front cover art is by artist Maarten Vanden Eynde.
Back cover art by multimedia artist Elaine Chao.

You can pre-order ISSUE #6 here.

Wednesday, March 1st, 2023

The Egyptian Ostraca & Taxes

Being that it is tax season, have you ever heard of ostraca?

Ostraca, also known as potsherds, are simply broken pieces of pottery that were used in recordkeeping. Limestone flakes and other thin stones were also commonly used.

What kinds of records were kept? Stories, letters, prescriptions, student exercises, receipts, and…debts. Yes, just like a modern-day bank ledger.

The first known system of taxation was in Ancient Egypt around 3000–2800 BC, and records indicate that the Pharaoh would conduct biennial tours of the kingdom, collecting tithes and recorded debts.

📸 of ostraca by Xocolatl

Friday, February 3rd, 2023

Your Community is Important…

Hey everyone! Over the last few months I have seen big accounts hacked, reputable pages completely taken over by spam, and an influx of ads (it now feels like every other post on Instagram).

A lot has been going on with social, and it’s time we start connecting with our communities outside of these platforms. While email may seem archaic, it’s been around for the longest, and we may come to rely on it. Cause, who knows how long these platforms will be around?*cough* Twitter.

The community you have built is important. Don’t lose it. I’m really pushing for connecting via email. It’s been around for a very long time. Register to your favorite artist and/or business newsletters. Or just connect the old fashioned way – offline!

📸 by Billy Brown

Wednesday, January 11th, 2023

Sound Science & Achieving Positive Change

Sound Science & Achieving Positive Change

What does it mean to be “scientifically sound?” It means denouncing pseudoscience and adhering to the requirements of best available science as defined in WAC 365-195-905 (5)(a) and (b) [https://bit.ly/31H0aCh].

OK, that is pretty “jargony.” Simply put, sound science implies that a set of data, facts, or conclusions of a scientific nature are supported by *studies that follow the high standards of the scientific method.*

The results of these studies generate facts and evidence used to inform public decision-making. But sound science alone will not achieve positive change. That is why science *must* be coupled with *effective communication.*

We are no longer in the age of doing “our job” as scientists by presenting the results of our “sound science.” No. 𝙄𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚 – 𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙨 – 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙯𝙚 𝙨𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 (𝙎𝙘𝙞𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢) 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙨𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩.

Our current system isolates the scientific community from the rest of the world, with no free exchange of ideas, leaving a major disparity in scientific literacy.

Even if you have no formal training in communications, I encourage you to start. Feel overwhelmed by that challenge? Maybe you can start, simply, by breaking down jargony words – like macrophage (large, eater) – to better explain their meaning and/or function.

Recently, I gave a talk about immune system cells for The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and I did just that. I did not use PowerPoint (yuck!), and I coupled the breakdown of words with striking visuals. What can I say, it was simple, impactful, and effective!

The future of science is effective communication, and it is through effective communication that we can:

✫ Share science with everyone

✫ Correct false beliefs

✫ Bridge gaps between worldviews

✫ Inform public decision-making

✫ Breakdown barriers and include more people

✫ Improve diversity, equity, and inclusion problems

#soundscience #scicomm #sciencecommunication #positivechange #communication #science #dei