Helping kids who play computer games to be active #CSIRO #kids #geekgirl

CSIRO has developed computer software that aims to encourage children to be more active when playing computer games.

Designed as an add-on to popular computer games that do not ordinarily encourage physical activity, it works by exploiting the children’s desire to win.

Through the Preventative Health Flagship, CSIRO experts in information and communication technologies (ICT) took a game that is usually played sitting down and devised a way for them to earn extra points if they jump up and down.

Dr Shlomo Berkovsky and his team developed the concept using the open source game Neverball, where players have a certain amount of time to guide a ball through a maze, and shortened the time.

“The only way an average player can complete the maze and go on to the next level of the game is by getting up and jumping around. Every jump earns a second of game time,” Dr Berkovsky said.

Modified and unmodified versions of the game were tested on 270 primary school children in Hobart, Tasmania. Those playing the modified game jumped an average of 257 times in the 20 minutes they spent playing the game.

Dr Berkovsky said the trials showed children playing modified games spent 25 per cent of their gaming time being active, whereas those playing unmodified games were active for just 3 per cent of the time.

“The children enjoyed playing the modified game as much if not more than the unmodified version and their parents were particularly pleased with how much exercise they seemed to be getting,” he said.

CSIRO’s approach can be applied to any game where there’s a parameter that can be measured, like time, and which it makes sense to reward, in the context of the game.

The work recently won the research and development (R&D) category of the 2010 Tasmanian iAwards, sponsored by the Australian Information Industry Association.

Source: CSIRO

Patchworked first solo #Melbourne show for Nicole Tattersall #animalrights #WSPA #geekgirl

At Large Gallery are proud to present “Patchworked”,  the first ever Melbourne solo exhibition by Nicole Tattersall. Opens Friday 17th  run until Thursday 30th September, 2010.

“Patchworked” is heavily influenced by the art and craft techniques of times gone by, Australia and a recent trip to Germany. Incorporating these factors with her passion for animal rights and the encouragement of using ones imagination. Working with more illustrative styles both in 2D and 3D formats, has allowed Nicole to get a little darker.

In the exhibition there are 3 illustrations, reflecting upon WSPA’s (World Society for the Protection of Animals) campaign against the live export of sheep.  These illustrations have been designed to be a conversation starter about the topic. Much like most of works planned for “Patchworked”.

Patchworked – Solo Show
At Large Gallery
208 High St, Northcote, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Exhibition Opening: Friday 17 September 2010, 6pm – 9pm
Exhibition: Friday 17 September – Thursday 30 September 2010

Website: www.atlargegallery.com or www.nicoletattersall.blogspot.com

The Shocking Film Night! Disability Culture is out of the box… #Melbourne #geekgirl

August 26 · 6:00pm – 8:30pm
Location Ground floor, Ross House, 247 Flinders Lane Melbourne
Australia
 
Wesabi presents two films to provoke the historical/hysterical version of people with a disability:
Disability Culture Rap: http://is.gd/e9tze
Braindamadj’d: http://braind.apartment11.tv/

Also a fabulous raffle of original artwork by Wesabi’s award-winning artists.
…
Gold coin donation. Food and drink available at small cost.

For more info or to RSVP, email wesabi.group@gmail.com or phone (03) 9639-6856

This is a fundraising and hair-raising event for Wesabi, a self-advocacy and peer support group for people with an Acquired Brain Injury. Brain Injury Awareness Week is Aug 16-22, 2010.

Beyond the Frame – introducing Fulldome #Melbourne #Planetarium #geekgirl

MELBOURNE – INDUSTRY SCREENING

The emergence of ‘destination cinema’ and the proliferation of large-format screens in public spaces present a challenge – and opportunity – to filmmakers working in traditional screen formats. At the very least a new cinematic language is required, one that takes account of the audience’s very different experience of stories presented on large-format, ‘frameless’, screens.

Fulldome is such a format, presenting large-scale immersive experiences on hemispherical screens. However, unless you have the chance to experience this for yourself, it’s almost impossible to grasp its immersive power and story-telling potential.

Where: Melbourne Planetarium @ Scienceworks, 2 Booker Street Spotswood, VIC 3015.
When: 4pm – 5pm, Monday 9 August 2010.
What: Beyond the Frame – FREE admission, but bookings are ESSENTIAL to wlawrance@museum.vic.gov.au

For other cities check out ANAT listings

Gerry Gafney reviews the recently launched #Melbourne #bicycle share scheme #geekgirl

Recently Melbourne launched a bicycle share scheme. The uptake so far has been low. There have been suggestions that this is due, at least in part, to the launch taking place in winter.

However, an important factor is that in Australia it is mandatory to wear a helmet when cycling, and the scheme does not provide helmets. The first photograph contains, to my mind, both question and answer. The tag is “Short trip? Why not take a bike?”. At the bottom right is a “safety first” image of an encased head, showing precisely why it is inconvenient to take a bike for that short trip.

I don’t want to join the debate about whether bicycle helmets should be mandatory, but for those not familiar with the debate, it can be summarised as follows:

Advocates of mandated helmets state that individual cyclists are offered some protection in the event of an accident. Opponents point out that cycling rates go down when helmets are made compulsory, that accident rates increase when cyclist numbers decrease (essentially because more cyclists leads to better awareness among drivers as well as better socialised behaviour by cyclists themselves), and that significant health benefits to society are accordingly sacrificed when fewer people ride. At the end of the page there are some links you might want to follow, but let me warn you in advance that the topic is muddy, and that there is considerable vehemence on each side.

In any case, I was in Melbourne for a day to listen to Mikael Colville-Andersen, a Danish film-maker and photographer who runs an extremely popular cycling blog called Copenhagenize, and whom I interviewed recently for the User Experience podcast. He was in Melbourne as part of Victoria’s “State of Design” festival.

More:  Short trip? Why not take a bike?

An overview of robots in art #geekgirl

senster3

Senster – a website devoted to Edward Ihnatowicz, cybernetic sculptor.
Also loving this site!!! – Interactive Architecture

The Marxist Matrix – How to make sense of all those dreams-within-dreams in Inception.

The Marxist Matrix
How to make sense of all those dreams-within-dreams in Inception.
By Jonah Weiner for Slate

About halfway through Inception, Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Arthur lifts an assault rifle and tries, unsuccessfully, to take out a group of attackers firing on him from a nearby rooftop. Arthur’s teammate Eames nudges him to one side and tells him, with an audible smirk, “You mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling.” He produces an enormous grenade launcher, takes aim, and gets the job done. As with many moments in Christopher Nolan’s new blockbuster, this one requires some parsing. It seems that Eames conjures up his gargantuan gun on the spot, at his whim.

Editor’s note: As I’m off to see Inception this w/knd I steeled myself from reading more…

Source: Slate

Crap at My Parents House #fun #geekgirl

Crap at My Parents House

The goal of Crap At My Parents House is to pay homage to all of the weird crap that everyone’s parents have. Please help in this project by submitting anything you deem funny, weird, odd, unique, strange, absurd, ridiculous or just plain terrifying.

http://crapatmyparentshouse.com/

Some people are gay. Get over it!

Gaydalf?

Symposium on #Body, #Art, #Bioethics – #Perth

The Body, Art and Bioethics is a symposium exploring the culture and ethics of the use and ownership of living material, from the cell to the whole body, in art, science, law and philosophy. Speakers include Dr Catherine Waldby (University of Sydney), Elizabeth Costello (writer), Dr Ethan Blue (UWA), Kathy High (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute), Dr Ionat Zurr (UWA), Dr Stuart Hodgetts (UWA), Oron Catts (Director SymbioticA).

Friday 6 August, 2010. $110 (including GST) registration. Students and unwaged free.

For more info email, sym@symbiotica.uwa.edu.au
Or visit, http://www.bodyartbioethics.symbiotica.uwa.edu.au/#