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Speaking at World Science Festival

The World Science Festival was founded by Brian Greene to spark the public's interest in science. In his NYTimes Op-ed he writes:

I’ve spoken with so many people over the years whose encounters with science in school left them thinking of it as cold, distant and intimidating. ... We must embark on a cultural shift that places science in its rightful place alongside music, art and literature as an indispensable part of what makes life worth living.

This is remarkably similar to one of my objectives with the Electric Sheep, which is to provide an alternative to the conception of the machine as binary, hard, and mechanical. The Sheep show that the machine can be soft and subtle, like us. They show that math can be beautiful. The Electric Sheep don't just put science alongside art, but merge them, just like they merge man and machine.

So although I got into the game really late, as soon as I heard about the festival, I volunteered to contribute. Here's a gallery of the result: me speaking for a family audience. I have always known that kids liked the Electric Sheep but I don't have much experience presenting it to them, especially in a formal environment like this. Fortunately we had plenty of time and it went over quite well. Thanks to the organizers for inviting me to be part of the event, and to the kids for their enthusiasm and for sitting still for a really long time :). Posted by spot at May 31, 2008 08:06 PM