by Dot Cannon: Public Speaker & New-Media Reporter
Would you like to know more about the art of twenty-first century "cool stuff" that's changing our world? Such as: robots, space exploration, new media, wearable technology and other innovations that will be making people go, "Wow!" in the future? Along with the ways new technologies, new ways of thinking and new opportunities are influencing social change? Two Maverix® Multimedia presents Over Coffee®. Arts-oriented STEAM enthusiast Dot Cannon used to daydream through science class and dread math class. And now, she sees how both of these can be painless when applied to making wearables, programming robots, telling a spacecraft what to do or creating a VR entertainment experience. She and her interview guests will show you how the intersection of art and science can mean opportunities to express your creativity, find new resources for learning, and see what's coming next.
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April 21, 2025
Over Coffee® is on spring break. Please enjoy this reposting of one of our top episodes of 2024!"To be honest with you, I think that every day is an opportunity to learn something new," comments futurist and award-winning XR community leader Paige Dansinger (https://paigedansinger.com/).That curiosity, along with a sense of joy in discovering new creative technologies, allows her to empower others.A gifted artist, Paige has created more than 300 immersive worlds. She is the founder of Horizon Art Museum (https://paigedansinger.com/horizon-art-museum), and of Women in Horizon, in Meta Horizon (https://horizon.meta.com/?locale=en_US) Worlds.Among the multiple honors she's garnered for her work in the metaverse is her recognition by Meta as one of the Top 115 Global Community Leaders.In addition, she is the creator and Founding Director of Better World Museum (https://paigedansinger.com/better-world-museum-1), which is accessible in different versions on three virtual platforms: Meta Horizon, Roblox (https://www.roblox.com/) and Rec Room (https://recroom.com/).Participants in her XR worlds are encouraged to grow, and to explore their own creativity, by painting, building and adding their voices to items they've created. And if this sounds like a lot of fun, in the process--it absolutely is.And world building is only one of the ways she inspires fellow creatives in XR.The best kind of teacherPaige shares her expertise by teaching world building, as she continues on her personal learning journey. "One 30-minute building session with me will give you the roadblocks to feel that you have a foundation," she says.Ultimately, her virtual work is about humanity, as we use XR to grow together.Paige talked about her background, shared the story of creating the Better World Museum and the ways she uses virtual art to empower others, and offered a look at some of her favorite creative resources.
April 14, 2025
This post and podcast are for informational purposes only, and are not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional with any health-related questions.When was the last time you described microbiology as "fun"? Particularly if you were required to study it?MedMicroMaps (https://www.medmicromaps.com/) Founder/CEO Dr. Jane Harrington may well change your perspective."Biology is fascinating, if you get to play with it; if you get to see it in real time," she says.Science is a subject Dr. Jane has loved since she was a child. And her background in teaching microbiology at the university level, as well as visiting K-12 schools, she realized the challenge in sharing that passion with students."How can you learn something you can't see, and you can't touch it?" she asks.Microbiology gets playfulAccordingly, she has created a virtual-reality application, based n real science, that puts a "face" on a bacteria phage, allows visitors to touch microbes and learn more about them--and lets visitors solve a mystery!Best of all, her application includes customization to individual learner. Her mascot, Phage.i, is a bacteria phage which guides users through the experience. He's AI assisted, to begin at a learner's starting point--and he's designed to be fun.Phage.i, in fact, is a whimsical character with a high voice, which tends to take the "intimidation" factor out of learning microbiology. Dr. Jane says upon seeing him, most people comment on his "cuteness"!And of course, like any other game, accomplishing missions becomes gradually more challenging as people play. The first edition of the game, Dr. Jane says, will be for fun and for the general population. Then, in Spring of 2026, the enterprise version will be released, designed for use in schools, allowing for learning from the undergraduate to graduate level.Expanding the learning opportunitiesBut the game, the alpha version of which will be available free for Meta Quest in May, is only one aspect of the ways Dr. Jane's MedMicroMaps will be taking the "intimidaton" factor out of learning microbiology.Central to the system is the compass, which shows microbes in color in the various directions and allows learners to literally touch them in virtual reality, and identify them by color. With the visual elements of learning, especially with the colors in which the microbes are shown, tends to make learning about them almost intuitive.And Dr. Jane envisions her game and applications, including an augmented-reality phone app scheduled for release this fall, as being for everyone, as opposed to those interested in science and biology alone. Now, when she meets people to talk about what she's created, she distributes stickers and keychains, featuring Phage.i!"I will do anything, as an educator, to meet the learner where they are," she says.Dr. Jane talked about creating MedMicroMaps, explained how her game works and offered a closer look at her compass, designed to revolutionize the ways students learn about microbes!
April 7, 2025
"Oh man, we have so many cool things happening," says Las Vegas Science and Technology Festival (https://www.scifest.vegas/)Director Sarah Elliott.And all these cool things are fun, free and geared towards training students for careers of the future.Starting at 5:00 pm on Friday, April 25th, the Las Vegas Science and Technology Festival will host approximately 40 events, for the next nine days, throughout Southern Nevada.The Festival will include events to engage everyone's imagination.A STEAM cornucopiaArts-oriented visitors are certain to enjoy the crafts events happening at multiple libraries, and the STEAM "Family Fest" at the Neon Museum. "Outdoor Explorers Day", on Saturday, April 26th, will appeal to anyone who loves the rugged beauty of Nevada and learning about the history of the "Silver State". "Tall kids", over 21, will almost certainly find their creativity sparked by the opportunities to visit multiple locations on "Science is Everywhere Day", STEM Movie Nights, and National Space Day.And virtually everyone will enjoy the "Giant Expo" in which the Festival culminates, on Saturday, May 3rd!Not surprisingly, all these events these are popular. When we checked the website, many of them listed "Sold out" within the first few hours of registration becoming available.HOWEVER, waitlisting IS possible--and Sarah explained how to do that, if you see a specific event you'd like to attend currently booked to capacity. Meanwhile, be sure to RSVP for any events you'd like to attend which are currently still open.Sarah shared the excitement of festival preparations in her first year as Festival Director, offered a preview of some of the special events, and discussed the ways in which she'd most like to grow the Las Vegas Science and Technology Festival in the future.
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