[As explained in this story from Northwestern University, virtual reality goggles evoke more effective presence illusions for mice as they do for humans, creating new opportunities for neurological research. The original version of the story includes a second picture; for more information and images as well as videos, see the new publication in Neuron. –Matthew] [Image: A view through the new miniaturized goggles, which can accurately simulate natural environments. Credit: Dom Pinke] Immersive VR goggles for mice unlock new potential for brain science Goggles enabled researchers to study responses to overhead threats for first time By Amanda Morris December 8,…

[If you’ll be in London before April 21, 2024, you may want to visit the presence-evoking immersive experience described in this review from The Guardian (see the original version for two more images). The writer gives it only three of five stars, but that’s related to content choices rather than the form of the presentation. Other coverage of “The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks” adds interesting presence-related details. This is from AP News: “It’s a high-tech blend of archive film footage, drawings, animation and digitally remastered photographs — but not, Hanks stresses, any computer-generated images. ‘Every photograph, every image…

[In a recent keynote address, MIT Professor and author Sherry Turkle described the dangers of the “artificial intimacy” provided by AI-based chatbots, not just to individual users but to societies. This report on what she said is from The Harvard Gazette. –Matthew] [Image: Professor Sherry Turkle giving the keynote at Conference on AI & Democracy. Credit: Kris Snibbe/Harvard Staff Photographer] Why virtual isn’t actual, especially when it comes to friends Tech, society expert Turkle warns growing number of chatbots for companionship isn’t good for individuals, or democracy By Liz Mineo, Harvard Staff Writer December 5, 2023 It can help clean…

[As this story in Freethink explains, a new study in the journal Psychological Science demonstrates that not only are we bad at telling the difference between pictures of real vs. AI-generated faces, the more confident we are in our choice, the more likely we’re wrong. And there are important differences in the results when the faces are of people with different racial backgrounds. –Matthew] [Image: Figure 3 from Miller et al. “Faces judged most often as (a) human and (b) AI. The stimulus type (AI or human; male or female), the stimulus ID (Nightingale & Farid, 2022), and the percentage…

[A new fluid-based mechanism for the design of haptic gloves that enhance presence by adding the sense of touch in virtual reality is described in this story from Fast Company; see the original version for three different still images, four animated images, and the 3:06 minute video mentioned (also available on YouTube). –Matthew] [Image: Source: Fluid Reality, Inc.] This groundbreaking tech could finally bring a sense of touch to virtual reality A wireless glove overcomes the clunk and bulk of haptic technology. By Nate Berg November 8, 2023 In virtual reality there is much to be seen, but most of…

[At the end of a farewell concert tour, the band Kiss dramatically revealed that digital avatars will perform in its place for “eternity.” Here’s coverage from The Verge with excerpts from AP and Guitar.com. See the original stories for more pictures and videos, and to watch a two minute announcement video also available on YouTube. –Matthew] Kiss debuts ‘immortal’ digital avatars and plans to go ‘fully virtual’ At its final show in Madison Square Garden, Kiss revealed ageless digital avatars that will go on to represent the band in entertainment. By Wes Davis, a weekend editor who covers the latest…