Author: Matthew Lombard

Study: Immersive experiences may influence votes more than facts do

Published:

July 28, 2025

[This Psychology Today summary of a new study by researchers in Switzerland touches on many of the things about presence and its promise and peril that I find interesting and important. Note the indirect references to several different types or dimensions of presence (e.g., as described in the ISPR definition), and the discussion of the potential of presence-evoking experiential media to both provide compelling entertainment and education but also to ethically or unethically persuade and manipulate, in this case in the increasingly fraught area of politics. –Matthew] [Image: Source: University of Zurich, Department of Geography blog post “#110: I see…
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Call: 19th International Conference on e-Learning & Innovative Pedagogies

Published:

July 25, 2025

Call for Papers: Nineteenth International Conference on e-Learning & Innovative PedagogiesSpecial Focus: Human-Centered AI TransformationsApril 16-17, 2026University of the Aegean, Rhodes, Greece and Onlinehttps://ubi-learn.com/2026-conference/call-for-papers Deadline for Regular Proposals: January 16, 2026Deadline for Late Proposals: March 16, 2026 The e-Learning & Innovative Pedagogies Research Network is brought together around a common concern for new technologies in learning and an interest to explore possibilities for innovative pedagogies. We seek to build an epistemic community where we can make linkages across disciplinary geographic and cultural boundaries. As a Research Network we are defined by our scope and concerns and motivated to build strategies…
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Into the mystery: How virtual reality is reimagining Catholic evangelization

Published:

July 25, 2025

[Here’s a story from The Catholic Weekly about a new virtual reality experience created by the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, Australia to use spatial and social presence to introduce young people to the life and faith of Carlo Acutis, the “first millennial saint.” See the original version of the story for three more images and a 1:58 minute video (also available on YouTube); more coverage is available from Aleteia. –Matthew] [Image: Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP and Fr Benjamin Saliba trying out the Carlo Acutis VR experience. Credit: Giovanni Portelli Photography] Into the mystery: How virtual reality is reimagining Catholic evangelisation…
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Call: “Nature in Virtual Worlds: Digital Environmental Humanities” issue of [sic]

Published:

July 24, 2025

Call for Papers: Nature in Virtual Worlds: Digital Environmental Humanities[sic] Journal – a journal of literature, culture and literary translationhttps://www.sic-journal.org/Journal/CFPNext Editors:Suzana Marjanić, Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Research, Zagreb, suzana@ief.hrGoran Đurđević, Ph.D. student, University of Zadar and CEO, Global Education Platypus, goran.djurdjevich@gmail.com Deadline for submissions: September 1, 2025 The field of Digital Environmental Humanities (DEH) is rapidly expanding, exploring the intersections of technology, ecology, and human experience in virtual and digital spaces. As concerns over environmental degradation grow, the role of digital technologies in shaping our understanding of nature has never been more critical. This special issue of SIC Journal…
Read more: Call: “Nature in Virtual Worlds: Digital Environmental Humanities” issue of [sic]
More teens say they’re using AI for friendship. Here’s why researchers are concerned

Published:

July 24, 2025

[This CBS story uses the results of a new study by the nonprofit group Common Sense Media and several additional interviews to describe important trends in how young people use and are affected by AI companions that evoke medium-as-social-actor presence. See the original version of the story for a 4:11 minute video report, and see the Common Sense website for the organization’s press release and to read and download the report. –Matthew] More teens say they’re using AI for friendship. Here’s why researchers are concerned CBS/APJuly 23, 2025 No question is too small when Kayla Chege, a high school student…
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Call: “Aesthetic Strategies for Purpose-Driven Play” issue of the International Journal of Film and Media Arts

Published:

July 23, 2025

Call for Papers: Aesthetic Strategies for Purpose-Driven PlayFor the International Journal of Film and Media Arts (Vol. 11 No. 2, 2026)https://revistas.ulusofona.pt/index.php/ijfma/announcement/view/239 Deadline for submissions: February 2, 2026 The application of digital play has extended beyond mere entertainment. The experiential attributes that make games engaging, such as feedback loops, embodied interactions, audio-visual cues, and narrative structures, are now being utilized to train surgeons, encourage climate action, support language learning, and tailor wellness interventions. However, the aesthetic aspects of these interactions are frequently regarded as superficial enhancements rather than fundamental components that drive engagement, learning, and adaptive intelligence. This special issue invites…
Read more: Call: “Aesthetic Strategies for Purpose-Driven Play” issue of the International Journal of Film and Media Arts
AI and management expert Jack Shaw on how extended reality will transform business operations

Published:

July 23, 2025

[In this abridged interview segment from Benzinga, an expert in artificial intelligence, business management and digital innovation provides some vivid examples of the applications of presence-evoking virtual and augmented reality (I particularly like the one about how the city of Austin, Texas is using VR to train people to use AMBUS (“ambulance bus”) vehicles), and then observes that current efforts to increase computing power and communication bandwidth for AI will also likely enable expanded use of extended reality in the years ahead. –Matthew] ‘The Metaverse Isn’t Just Sci-Fi’: Jack Shaw On How Extended Reality Will Transform Business Operations By Tabish…
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Call: “Surrealism and Arts-Based Research: Bridging the Imagination and Reality Divide” online conference

Published:

July 22, 2025

Call for Papers: Surrealism and Arts-Based Research: Bridging the Imagination and Reality DivideA Conference by The London Arts-Based Research CentreSeptember 8-9, 2025Onlinehttps://labrc.co.uk/2025/06/28/surrealism-2025 Deadline for submission of proposals [via form – see below]: August 4, 2025 André Breton, one of the founding figures of Surrealism, emphasizes the transformative and disruptive power of Surrealist art and thought in his famous quote: “Beauty will be convulsive, or it will not be at all.”And this is precisely what we are inviting you to explore with us! We are delighted to announce our forthcoming conference, Surrealism and Arts-Based Research: Bridging the Imagination and Reality Divide,…
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A first for Philly’s Portal: Chess players faced off from thousands of miles away

Published:

July 22, 2025

[One of these days I need to visit Philadelphia’s City Hall to experience the spatial and social presence provided by the Portal installation that connects people in different cities; this story from The Philadelphia Inquirer via MSN describes a novel use of multiple Portals for real-time international chess matches. See the original stories for four more images and see the Portals website for much more information. By the way, a February 2025 episode of the television series Elsbeth featured a fictional version of the Portal – see Screen Rant for details. –Matthew] [Image: The Vlaming and Van Voorn families stop…
Read more: A first for Philly’s Portal: Chess players faced off from thousands of miles away
Call: “Machines in Thoughts. Philosophy, History, and Epistemology of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence” issue of Cognitive Systems Research

Published:

July 21, 2025

Call for Papers: Machines in Thoughts. Philosophy, History, and Epistemology of Robotics and Artificial IntelligenceSpecial issue of Cognitive Systems Researchhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/special-issue/319725/machines-in-thoughts-philosophy-history-and-epistemology-of-robotics-and-artificial-intelligence Deadline for submissions: January 15, 2026 We find ourselves at a pivotal juncture in a world increasingly defined by the convergence of human intelligence and artificial counterparts. Yet, the historical evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics remains underexplored within contemporary philosophy and cognitive science. This lack of interest may be attributed to the tendency of these disciplines to focus on the future rather than the past, driven by a prevailing inclination toward the enhancement of technological efficacy. However, a…
Read more: Call: “Machines in Thoughts. Philosophy, History, and Epistemology of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence” issue of Cognitive Systems Research
AI is about to solve loneliness. That’s a problem

Published:

July 21, 2025

[This abridged version of a thoughtful and thought-provoking essay in the New Yorker considers both the important benefits and potential dangers of using artificial intelligence-based chatbots, and the medium-as-social-actor presence they evoke, to counteract loneliness. –Matthew] [Image: Illustration by Lourenço Providencia] A.I. Is About to Solve Loneliness. That’s a Problem The discomfort of loneliness shapes us in ways we don’t recognize—and we may not like what we become without it. By Paul BloomJuly 14, 2025 These days, everyone seems to have an opinion about A.I. companions. Last year, I found myself joining the debate, publishing a paper—co-written with two fellow…
Read more: AI is about to solve loneliness. That’s a problem
Call: AAMAS 2026, the 25th International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems

Published:

July 18, 2025

Call for Papers: The 25th International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems (AAMAS 2026)May 25-29, 2026Coral Beach Hotel & Resort, Paphos, Cyprushttps://cyprusconferences.org/aamas2026 Deadline for abstract submission: October 1, 2025Deadline for paper submission: October 8, 2025 We invite you to submit your best work in agents and multiagent systems to AAMAS 2026, the 25th International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems, to be held in Paphos, Cyprus in May 2026. All submissions will be rigorously peer-reviewed and evaluated on the basis of the overall quality of their technical contribution, taking into account criteria such as originality, significance, soundness, reproducibility,…
Read more: Call: AAMAS 2026, the 25th International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems

International Society
for Presence Research

Author: Matthew Lombard

Study: Immersive experiences may influence votes more than facts do

Call: 19th International Conference on e-Learning & Innovative Pedagogies

Into the mystery: How virtual reality is reimagining Catholic evangelization

Call: “Nature in Virtual Worlds: Digital Environmental Humanities” issue of [sic]

More teens say they’re using AI for friendship. Here’s why researchers are concerned

Call: “Aesthetic Strategies for Purpose-Driven Play” issue of the International Journal of Film and Media Arts

AI and management expert Jack Shaw on how extended reality will transform business operations

Call: “Surrealism and Arts-Based Research: Bridging the Imagination and Reality Divide” online conference

A first for Philly’s Portal: Chess players faced off from thousands of miles away

Call: “Machines in Thoughts. Philosophy, History, and Epistemology of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence” issue of Cognitive Systems Research

AI is about to solve loneliness. That’s a problem

Call: AAMAS 2026, the 25th International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems

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