MEFT 3102

Here is a great and short summary of some of the issues from Franciso Varela’s perspective – “Why the mind is not in the head”.

And for those interested there are some great blogs/podcasts out there on the mind, the brain, psychology and technology. I think the best podcast is Australia’s own All in the Mind. You can download it from the ABC.

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Here are two interfaces you might be interested. One is somewhat literallly an inter-face … the interactive version of the Radiohead “data aesthetic” video that is discussed by Mitchell Whitelaw on his blog.The other interface involves touching plants to engage with data. This is Augmented Ecologies , A Kinesthetic User Experience.

Here’s a video of the interface in action. It uses Max/MSP (for those who are interested).

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For those interested in following up the topic of the cyborg, there’s a great new issue of the journal Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences on precisely this topic, with contributions from Andy Clark, the always interesting John Protevi and Casper Bruun Jensen and many others. You can access the articles through the library site. Go to the catalogue, type in “phenomenology” and “cognitive sciences” and click the button underneath that says “journals”. The journal title will come up, and you should be able to get electronic access once you put in your student number and password.

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“Transhumanism” refers to the belief that technology will help us transcend the limits of the human to become perfect (and perhaps immortal) beings. There’s an interesting series of discussions of transhumanism here, by the like of prominent thinkers such as N. Katherine Hayles, Jean-Pierre Dupuy, Andrew Pickering and Don Ihde.

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There are information sessions for people interested in the Honours year in the School. There is more information here.

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A robot that responds to affection has been developed in the UK. Meanwhile, Christian Nold is looking at interesting ways of mapping cities.

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The two textbooks – the Tofts and the Clark – have both arrived in the bookshop. You need to get them now, because there are sections from both that you need to read for Week 2′s tutorials.

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Information from Careers at UNSW for those interested ..

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Careers and Employment

Looking for Vacation and/or Internship employment? This Expo is open to all non-final year students from all Faculties.

For further information please contact Register at: www.careers.unsw.edu.au on (02) 9385 5423 or visit http://www.careers.unsw.edu.au/
http://www.unsw.edu.au/events/db/2008/07/career.html

UNSW Volunteer Work Expo

Careers and Employment

The purpose of the Volunteer Work Expo is to bring not-for-profit organisations and students together through presentations, panel discussions and company displays.

For further information please contact Registration: www.careers.unsw.edu.au on (02) 9385 5423 or visit http://www.careers.unsw.edu.au/
http://www.unsw.edu.au/events/db/2008/07/volunteer.html

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Just some quick links to get you going on this, consider the following interfaces. They are all poised to make a considerable change in everyday experience.

Jeff Han (Multi-touch)

Fingertapps (the multi-touch company)

and of course the iPod touch/iPhone

One of my favourites – brain ball ..

EEG interfaces, as below, or here – the neural impulse activator …

or consider this rather interesting and beautifully simple project ..

or consider the history of the iPod and the Walkman that came before it …

one of the experts on this, Michael Bull, interviewed by Wired.

a criticism of the Walkman versus the Ghetto Blaster ..

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