Exchanges at the Frontier, and in Pret

Illuminating day. Breakfast was a bagel and creamcheese and blueberry jam (yes) with EMIP. Discussion topics covered: list making and Kenneth Gangemi (see below, from OLT); a “tired and emotional” Private Eye; scaring children with silence; synthesiser fantasies from Tomita.

Then, the Ever Wonderous Julia Bailey provided one with a ticket to the most excellent Wellcome Collection for Exchanges at the Frontier. This was preempted by an egg sandwich and white, “black americano”, where the Ever Resourceful Julia Bailey saved my dissertation from the festering pile of mumble it had become. Preliminary question and points of action –

How effective / What is the effectiveness … of a scientific theory communicated to a (scientifically uneducated audience?) when it is translated using either analogical / metaphorical language or a visual interpretation?

This allows several rational points that I can actually move forward on and bring together the contradictory, directionless statements, which is my first draft, into a dissertation. Worthy.

Research: News Broadcasts, documentaries, science journals, UBU, TED, YouTube etc and find examples of effective and non-effective communicative devices of scientific theory (not fact)

Also find examples of artists or illustrators that specifically work with theory. Think Klein Bottles vs. Mobius Strip. And beloved diagrams.

Also, popular texts: Of Space, Time and Other Things; A Brief History of Time; Geometry, Relativity and the Fourth Dimension.(supreme cover shows hypercube, below)

Talk by Seth Shostak, Senior Astronomer at the SETI Institute. Completely credible (yes, that’s him). Absolutly believe in Aliens now. He was very funny and presented many excellent analogies for the people of lesser intellect. Like when asked why we havn’t been contacted yet : If you think of the universe as your ‘backyard’ and you don’t see a grizzly bear hanging out on your patio, it doesn’t mean there aren’t any bears in the rest of North America. I believe.

Interesting points, audience questions and quotes from names I couldn’t catch –

We’ve been looking, we’ve been listening and all we’ve heard is the sound of silence.

Silence is not significant.

What is the religious fallout of a break in The Silence?

All things must tell EMIP re: scaring children with silence. Radio show.

The listening dishes are beautiful. As is all scientific scaffold-related equipment. Worthy of it’s own post.

Good day.

Paper Cinema

Nic Beard came in to speak about The Paper Cinema and to show us his moleskine’s I think. Very interested in his processes and projections – specifically the multi-layered dimensions he can achieve. Illustration’s are also excellent.

Have me-mailed him to propose some magic lantern collaboration effect thing whilst he has residency at the BAC, which sound positive. More when I’ve thought about it and been to see him (beginning of Nov. preliminarily)

He actually has a beard, meant to ask him if it was a self-fulfilling prophecy or whether he changed his name but instead we talked about Judge Dread and Batman.

Mae Jemison

She-Star Sailor, Mae Jemison speaks about the importance of Art and Science being taught together.

TED TALK