[New research described in this story from Nautilus demonstrates how “reality and imagination are completely intermixed in our brain which means that the separation between our inner world and the outside world is not as clear as we might like to think.” As technology-mediated experiences become increasingly similar to experiences of either the external or internal world, the potential for further blurring seems likely to increase. See the original story for a second image and reader comments. –Matthew]

[Image: One shade of gray: Our knowledge about how shadows influence color makes the B square look lighter than the A square, when in fact they are the same shade. More information: Wikipedia]

The Fine Line Between Reality and Imaginary

We do not see things as they are. We see them as we are.

By Nadine Dijkstra
July 28, 2021

We all live in two worlds: a world outside of ourselves containing things that others can also see and hear and touch, and a world inside consisting of our thoughts and imaginations, which only exist in our own mind.… read more. “The fine line between reality and imaginary”

[With continuing unease about returning to in -person learning during a pandemic, a Business Wire press release from a new partnership between a university and technology companies announces “one of the first virtual reality campuses” in the US, using “[a]dvancements in hardware and 5G networks… to power more immersive and engaging learning experiences for students in ways we never imagined.” Coverage in ZDNet comments that:

“A big part of this story concerns access. Tuition at in-person colleges and universities is rising… At the same time, competition for seats is rampant. Virtual campuses may be an answer to both problems — but only if the scheme proves capable of offering a valuable education.”

–Matthew]

Fisk University, HTC VIVE, T-Mobile and VictoryXR Launch 5G-Powered VR Human Cadaver Lab

Top ranked HBCU unveils one of the first virtual reality campuses in the nation bringing students the benefits of both virtual and in-person learning

August 03, 2021

NASHVILLE, Tenn.–(… read more. “Fisk University launches virtual campus with 5G-powered VR cadaver lab”

[In this intriguing post from The Splintered Mind blog, University of California, Riverside philosophy professor Eric Schwitzgebel combines the facts that especially with the pandemic people are increasingly interacting via technology and that deepfake technologies are creating increasingly convincing simulacra of people to present a thought experiment about how we may come to experience and think about the medium-as-social-actor presence of a person after their death. See the original post for a video, links to related posts, and thoughtful reader comments and author responses. –Matthew]

[Image: A simulated version of a person who has died appears on a laptop screen in a scene from the Black Mirror episode “Be Right Back.” Source: InternetLab]

Speaking with the Living, Speaking with the Dead, and Maybe Not Caring Which Is Which

By Eric Schwitzgebel
July 28, 2021

Since the pandemic began, I’ve been meeting people, apart from my family, mainly through Zoom.… read more. “Speaking with the living, speaking with the dead, and maybe not caring which is which”

[The story from Canada’s The Globe and Mail describes how a projection mapped art installation on the underside of a Vancouver bridge has been transformed into a free public virtual reality experience following an interruption by the pandemic. For more information, images and videos, see the project’s website and the Canada Wild Productions site. A review of the original 2017 installation from Vancouver Is Awesome describes it this way:

“Uninterrupted

Swim with the salmon with Nettie Wild’s stunning film

Sous le pont / Cambie Bridge / Salmon are dancing / Salmon are dancing.

Your heart will dance, too, as the concrete underside of the bridge is transformed into a huge canvas for the story of B.C. salmon returning to the river of their birth to spawn.

Award-winning filmmaker Nettie Wild created and directs this spectacular cinematic art installation with images that include salmon the size of orcas swimming directly into the camera; swaying underwater grasses; golden leaves glittering in the autumn sun; and ruby-red salmon roe with tiny embryos inside drifting lazily in the current.… read more. “Vancouver cinematic outdoor art installation ‘Uninterrupted’ returns for new VR show”

[Smartphone companies including Oppo are working to successfully hide the forward-facing (“selfie” camera) behind the display screen, with the latest advances reported in this story from Engadget. Beyond the aesthetic and immersive effect of having the image occupy the entire screen, the advances hold the prospect of solving the eye-contact problem in video collaboration, enabling users to look directly at each other. See the original version of the story for more images including the sample photo mentioned. –Matthew]

Oppo’s latest under-screen camera may finally be capable of good photos

The company’s third-gen camera setup benefits from some AI trickery and high-precision OLED manufacturing.

By R. Lai
August 4, 2021

Until recently, there was only one smartphone on the market equipped with an under-screen camera: last year’s ZTE Axon 20 5G. Other players such as Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi had also been testing this futuristic tech, but given the subpar image quality back then, it’s no wonder that phone makers largely stuck with punch-hole cameras for selfies.… read more. “Under-screen camera technology advances; will it solve the eye contact problem?”