Over Coffee® | Stories And Resources From The Intersection Of Art And Science | Exploring How To Make Steam Work For You

Due to a family emergency, we will be posting our regularly-scheduled Over Coffee® episode later this week. Meanwhile, please enjoy this reposting of one of our all-time-favorite episodes! Imagine that you're at work. You're performing a routine task with technology. Suddenly, everything stops working. And your co-workers all come out and ask, "What did you do?" That's bad enough. But now--imagine that this happens to you aboard the International Space Station. And it's up to you to fix everything. Otherwise, your life--and those of your team--will be at risk. That's what happened to NASA Astronaut and retired U.S. Army Colonel Douglas H. Wheelock. When this happened, during Doug's time as a flight engineer for Expedition 24, and commander of Expedition 25, he was no stranger to troubleshooting in space. Doug Wheelock at Space Apps Pasadena, 2016. Serving as a flight mission specialist on STS-120, the space shuttle’s 23rd mission to the International Space Station During that

An Over Coffee® special-edition podcast! For San Jose's Tech Interactive Museum, this summer will be especially exciting--and interactive. That's because Summer 2022 marks the first summer their "Solve for Earth" exhibit is open! "The Tech" has always been highly interactive. Visitors can assemble robots, get hands-on in maker workshops and conduct chemistry experiments. And these are just three features of the museum with the mission of "inspiring the innovator in everyone". But "Solve for Earth" takes that interactivity and innovation several steps further. The exhibit encompasses 5,000 square feet, took five years to build--and will be constantly evolving. That's because "Solve for Earth" challenges visitors to problem solve a current issue: climate change. In other words, it asks each visitor to take action after going through the various displays. But don't expect to be lectured. This exhibit is designed to be fun! And it's going to spark a lot of new ideas. "

An Over Coffee® special presentation As we celebrate Mother's Day 2022, Over Coffee® would like to salute three amazing innovators--who are also moms. Coding, XR and fun STEM advocate, TEDx speaker and TechPlayzone Founder/CEO Deshjuana Bagley (upper left) is a computer scientist. And her sons' interest in robotics would ultimately give her the inspiration for her Tampa Bay area-based educational program. With TechPlayzone, Desh teaches students robotics, coding and immersive technology. Many of her classes happen in the metaverse--and if they sound like a lot of fun, that's the idea! Often, Desh says, her young robotics enthusiasts think they're just having fun, creating robots and building their own worlds in the metaverse. But they're learning an invaluable skill--how to create, rather than consume, technology. An engineer's unique journey Engineer, venture capitalist and community leader Noramay Cadena (center) has a unique story. When she attended MIT, Noramay took her

Imagine the following scenario. You're designing a virtual reality experience. Your work needs to be top-notch, transcendent and inspiring. You're creating it to make a huge difference in someone's life, amid stressful circumstances. And your project must be ready for viewing, ten weeks from today. That's exactly what multiple award-winning new-media artist and VR evangelist Teri Yarbrow has been doing, with her "VR for Good" class at Savannah College of Art and Design. Working in collaboration with Hospice of Savannah, Teri and her students design virtual reality experiences for patients in both hospice and palliative care. Teri is the founder and creative director of MagikaVRX in Savannah, as well as the co-founder and creative director of design company Magika. She is also Professor of Digital Media and Immersive Reality at SCAD. And observations from her immersive-media students were the genesis of her "VR for Good" class, which Teri implemented in 2020. And they did it all in Z

For educator, STEM advocate, entrepreneur and TechPlayzone Founder/CEO Deshjuana Bagley, innovation started with a question. "How can I help my sons see that science, technology, engineering and math relate to their lives--and are really cool?" Desh, a computer scientist, began researching. Ultimately, her answer culminated in the 2005 opening of her Tampa Bay-based educational program. But maybe "educational program" doesn't quite do it justice. TechPlayzone offers young students workshops in robotics, coding, engineering and design skills. Staffers either bring equipment to onsite locations to conduct classes, according to TechPlayzone's website, or teach in virtual space. This past December, TechPlayzone hosted a three-day "Winter Tech Camp" in virtual reality. Students, from second to sixth grade, built their own virtual worlds. And as an educator, Desh is making technology less intimidating for everyone. Among her many roles is that of Director at State College of Florida

(Photo courtesy of Dr. Colleen Bielitz, and used with permission.) Everyone needs to have a voice in XR, says futurist Dr. Colleen Bielitz. And that's exactly what her work is all about. Colleen is Associate Vice-President of Strategic Initiatives and Outreach at Southern Connecticut State University. Her additional professional credentials include: entrepreneur, blue economy pioneer, tech evangelist,, and XR researcher. Among her innovations is Project Blue, an initiative towards creating a tech transfer, innovation hub and Blue Economy research in New Haven, Connecticut. Another of Colleen's projects: the upcoming launch of I Am XR. I Am XR's mission: representation for all, in the metaverse. And Colleen, who recently became Co-Chair of the VRARA Education Committee, is also on the board of XR Women--the global collective of women in augmented and virtual reality. Colleen discussed the areas in which she'd like to expand education and VR for good in the future, offered some favo

Over Coffee® is on Easter-week hiatus. Please enjoy this reposting of one of our top episodes, so far, of 2022! "We could probably go to Mars." At the start of his teaching career, Javier Montiel made that statement. His goal was to create space science lessons to spark his students' interest. But he had no idea he was embarking on a career odyssey. Today, Javier is a multiple-award-winning global educator who designs lessons for NASA. A bilingual education professional, he is the Co-Founder of Houston-based International Aerospace Academy. His mission is to empower students--and communities--through world-class hands-on experiences. And the students he inspires include those in Texas’ Brazosport Independent School District. where he teaches, in Latin America, and worldwide. Virtual reality, XR and 3D printing are just three of the means Javier uses to engage students in learning. Inspired by Artemis In 2021, Javier and his International Aerospace Academy team implemented

How would you describe the person you are? And how do you "reflect" your personality, digitally? Those are the questions which Minneapolis-based immersive art experience "Quantum Mirror" explores. Quantum Mirror, an interactive art installation, by new-media artist Adrian Stein, is a complex infinity room which has been described as "mind-bending". It explores the ways we express aspects of ourselves while asking: where does the line blur, between us, as humans, and our technology? Thought-provoking, transcendent and "trippy" are all adjectives which visitors have used to describe it. And Matt Foreman might describe Quantum Mirror as "creatively inspiring". Matt is the Lead Developer at REM5 Virtual Reality Lab and REM5 Studios--Minneapolis' premier virtual reality lab and event space. REM5 specializes in introducing newcomers to virtual reality, as well as utilizing VR to revolutionize education. Once he saw Adrian's work, he knew he wanted to create virtual-reality content, to accom

(Photo courtesy of Aditya Vishwanath, and used with permission.) How magical can a science class be? Inspirit VR Co-founder/CEO Aditya Vishwanath might answer, "Infinitely". Aditya and his team at his Palo Alto-based software company are currently in the midst of building a metaverse. But not just any metaverse--their creation will be a hands-on educational tool, for K through 12 students. Students will get to explore and discover science concepts by interacting with a 3D model of a heart. Or going inside a plant to experience photosynthesis. Or watch DNA replication occurring, with a little hands-on "help" in a 3D animation. And--they're all available for teachers, students and anyone learning STEM to use--free. As work continues on Inspirit's soon-to-be-launched educational metaverse, Aditya would like to request collaborators. Currently, he'd like to connect with science teachers who might like to share their expertise by creating content. But Aditya says he'd also welcome the o

The following post and podcast are for informational purposes only, and are not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional with any medical questions. (Photograph courtesy of Dr. Yune Lee, and used with permission.) What's your all-time favorite song? Is there a piece of music that takes you back to a different time and place? And is there a band whose latest release you'd never miss? And, could all of the above have a beneficial effect on your brain? Particularly in the areas of speech and language? Cognitive neuroscientist (and musician!) Dr. Yune Lee and his team are researching that question. Among the areas they're exploring: the connection between rhythm and language, how music may help patients with Parkinson's disease, and the possibility that Alzheimer's patients may benefit from music therapy. Dr. Lee is both an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Dallas' School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, and the Director of the university's S

This post and podcast, and Two Maverix® Multimedia, are not, in any way, shape or form, affiliated with, nor endorsed by, NASA. (We just consider growing crops in space one of the coolest science applications we've seen!) (Image courtesy of NASA, and used with permission.) When most of us garden, we don't have to deal with zero gravity. Nor do we have to think about space dust--or sunsets every ninety minutes. (Image courtesy of NASA, and used with permission.) But these factors add up to interesting challenges for space scientists Dr. Gioia Massa and Matt Romeyn. As NASA Project Scientists at Kennedy Space Center, Matt and Gioia are involved in researching and developing ways to grow fresh crops aboard the International Space Station. Gioia, as we discussed in a 2018 episode, served as NASA's science team lead in developing the first fresh food production system for the ISS. This 2014 project culminated in the first edible crops aboard the ISS: red romaine lettuce, which the astrona

National Robotics Week is happening next month--and you're invited! Virtual and onsite events are happening in all fifty states. Free, downloadable resources are available. And if you'd like to host an event of your own--you certainly can! And as iRobot STEM Program Manager Lisa Freed says, these events are for everyone. In 2010. the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution, which officially designated the second full week of April National Robotics Week. National Robotics Week has a twofold mission: both to inspire students to pursue robotics and STEM-related careers, and to allow participants of all ages to celebrate the excitement of robotics. In other words, everybody's welcome. And getting involved, is all about what you love. As you'll hear in our interview, robotics involves art, writing and numerous other skills, including public speaking. Would you like another cool, robotic resource? iRobot, which is the founder and organizer of National Robotics Week, is the creator

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. "It's all about the patients," says pioneering psychologist/neuropsychologist Dr. Albert "Skip" Rizzo. He's discussing his use of medical virtual reality in clinical psychology. And for him, it all started in the 1990s, with an observation he made while watching one of his patients absorbed in a popular game. Fast-forward to today. With numerous awards for his groundbreaking work, Dr. Rizzo, or Skip, as he prefers to be called, is the Director of Medical Virtual Reality at the University of Southern California's Institute for Creative Technologies. He also serves as Research Professor and Scientist for both USC's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and their School of Gerontology. A range of applications Among the applications he has created is BraveMind: a VR-based exposure therapy program for

Over Coffee® is on holiday-weekend hiatus. Please enjoy this reposting of one of our top episodes of 2021, and join us again next week for another new conversation on innovation, creativity and making a difference! (Photograph courtesy of Cooper and O'Hara Photography, and used with permission.) This post and podcast are for informational purposes only, and are not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional with any medical questions. What are the challenges involved in staying healthy, when your workday occurs in zero gravity? And when radiation exposure and space dust are valid concerns? That's the focus of Dr. Shawna Pandya's career. As a physician, Dr. Pandya wears multiple "hats". In addition to being Vice-President of Immersive Medicine at Sasketchewan-based virtual-reality pioneer Luxsonic Technologies Inc., she is a citizen-scientist astronaut with Boulder, Colorado-based Project PoSSUM. This 501c nonprofit uses astronautics to study the role of our upper

This post and podcast episode are for informational purposes only, and are not intended as medical advice.  Please contact a healthcare professional with any health-related questions. Our Over Coffee® Valentine special will be posted later this week! Meanwhile, as Cedars-Sinai prepares for their annual "Virtual Medicine" conference in March 2022, here is our earlier interview with conference founder Dr. Brennan Spiegel, on his book, "VRx: How Virtual Therapeutics Will Revolutionize Medicine". In March, 2018, we watched history being made in Los Angeles. Medical professionals from thirteen countries had come to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for the world's first "Virtual Medicine" conference. An incredible two days followed. Led by Cedars-Sinai Director of Health Services Research Dr. Brennan Spiegel, a series of medical professionals took the stage for presentations on pain management, therapy and preventive medicine--using virtual real

Get ready - the Anaheim Ducks are set up to S.C.O.R.E. another goal! And this one's going to be a "win" for thousands of students. On March 2nd, the Ducks will host their all-virtual "First Flight Field Trip". This is a free event, available to classrooms worldwide. Jason Cooper, Manager of Fan Development Marketing for the Anaheim Ducks, says that, like previous onsite events such as "Light the Lamp", this presentation will be "as interactive as possible". Themed "Cool As Ice", the program will take third- to sixth-grade students through what science principles mean to the Ducks, when they're talking about the thermodynamics of ice. What makes the ice good for skating? How can they tell? And how can the students experience these principles at home? Jason says the Ducks are offering free resources--a workbook and a kit--for educators who register by January 31st. Here's the link. BUT--if you don't get to sign up for the resources by that deadline--you're still welcome to have your

For WasteShark creator Richard Hardiman, pure chance led to an exciting idea. Richard, who is the founder and CEO of Netherlands-based startup RanMarine Technology, didn't set out to create an autonomous robot that cleans pollution from the sea. But while having a cup of coffee at a waterfront cafe, he saw something that started him thinking about solving a problem. And the steps he took, in bringing the world's first autonomous aquadrone, called the WasteShark, from concept to reality, can serve as a guideline for anyone with a creative idea. The WasteShark, designed in the shape of a whale shark, operates like a vacuum--removing plastic pollutants from waterways. It can also remove biomass, such as algae. And in the process, it can transmit data about the body of water in which it's operating. At CES® 2022, in Las Vegas in January, the WasteShark won a CES® Innovation Award in the "Drones and Unmanned Systems" category. And as the world focuses on addressing the problem of climate chang

For global educator/innovator Javier Montiel, space science, VR and XR are implements of outreach. As a bilingual instruction designer, Javier creates lessons for NASA--and for students worldwide. He has garnered a number of awards for his work as an educational innovator, which has included providing professional development sessions to fellow educators, on technology. In addition, he has introduced numerous initiatives to make hands-on, real-world-skill education available to underrepresented students, as well as for his classes at Texas' Brazosport Independent School District. As the Co-Founder of Houston-based International Aerospace Academy, his mission is to empower both students and communities through world-class educational experiences, involving hands-on learning. Just one of the initiatives Javier and his team have recently implemented, is the NASA SPARX Program. Forging a new path - internationally In November, 2021, International Aerospace Academy and nonprofit Aviation Yout

In honor of CES® 2021, which has just concluded in Las Vegas, here is one of our all-time top interviews from Eureka Park® 2020. Great virtual show, CES®, and we hope to see you in person very soon! Ben Resnick displays Bzigo at Eureka Park® during CES® 2020, Las Vegas. What if you could use artificial intelligence to find and kill mosquitoes? With Israel-based startup Bzigo, that's no longer a hypothetical question. When we met Bzigo Product Manager Ben Resnick in the Eureka Park® area of CES®2020, his company was just introducing their prototype. This year, we attended CES® virtually. But according to their website, Bzigo was back at Eureka Park®. And despite the pandemic, they remain on track to deliver their new devices, with plans to roll out their first models later in 2022. So, what does Bzigo do? It pinpoints a mosquito's location, showing you on your cell phone where the insect has landed. Then, the accompanying device allows you to "zap" that mosquito. This could litera

Over Coffee®is on holiday hiatus. Happy New Year, and please enjoy this reposting of one of our top episodes of 2022. What if you're hosting a virtual event this year? A meeting, workshop, or other gathering--even a virtual party? Sean Specie, of Atlanta-based Elevate Experiences, can tell you how to make it a great one. At Elevate Experiences, Sean wears multiple hats. He is their Chief Strategy Officer, Event Planner, Event Producer and Emcee. Needless to say, he excels at creating a great time for virtual participants, as he involves them in online, hybrid or even onsite events. Originally, Sean says, Elevate Experience was not a virtual-events company. And to this day, their "custom experience creation" services still include hosting in-person events. But like many other organizations, they've had to re-imagine their original business plan, due to the pandemic. And in the process, Sean has been able to put his event expertise to work--and grow creatively in that area, to the