Friday, September 11, 2009

Friday TED Talk: JoAnn Kuchera-Morin and the Amazing AlloSphere

I do not wish to detract from all the visual and written memorials of this day which are ubiquitous on the Web (be sure to check out this one, however, about another attack on this day 2000 years ago that is probably the main reason you are reading this post in English, and not in some Romance language). As a respite from all the Twin Towers imagery, let me introduce you to the wonders of the AlloSphere, a three-story anechoic sound and projection chamber connected to a supercomputer at the University of Santa Barbara in California. ("Allo-", from the Greek word for "other", is a combining prefix used to denote "something different, a variation from the normal; from outside".)

JoAnn Kuchera-Morin is a composer who also makes use of computers and mathematics, and combines her skills in working with a team that programs the stunning visual displays and aural effects shown in the following video. Using the technology of the AlloSphere, one can literally navigate the convolutions of the human brain as it processes information, or descend to the level of a single atom as it vibrates and throws off photons:







There is more information about JoAnn Kuchera-Morin here, and this is her Webpage. A high-res version of her talk may be watched here, and the talk may be downloaded in that and other formats from this page.

1 comment:

  1. Far out. I still prefer a good old mathematical equation to all the graphic arts. One question, do they sell popcorn with the show?

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