[The University of California San Francisco reports on a program of research investigating the potential benefits of immersive media and presence to improve memory in older adults. See the original story for three different images and a looping video. –Matthew] [Image: Game movement was effected by a participant’s ambulation, which was co-registered into the game map from ankle-mounted tracking sensors. Source: Figure 2B from the Scientific Reports article] Playing Virtual Reality Video Game May Boost Seniors’ Memory By Emily Hayes March 22, 2021 A decline in memory is a harsh reality for some people as they age and may even…

[All of the news stories about William Shatner teaming with the company StoryFile to create a version of himself that future generations can interact with are based on the company’s press release below via GlobeNewswire (which for some reason doesn’t mention its work with astronauts, Civil Rights leaders and Holocaust survivors – see the StoryFile website for more details). Here’s how the company promotes their service: “StoryFile uses a mobile native cloud-based AI-driven conversational video technology. THIS is what differentiates StoryFile from everything else! Have you ever interacted with a life-sized hologram of an astronaut and asked him what it’s…

[As all the coverage including this Scientific American story makes clear, IBM’s newest AI isn’t as persuasive as the best human debaters, but it’s getting close (and represents a big step toward effective medium-as-social-actor presence). ExtremeTech notes that “The question of who wins a debate will always be subjective, and humans still clearly outperform IBM’s Project Debater. For now, we’re still a long way from Data — but we’ve come a long way from Eliza, too.” See the original Scientific American story for a different image and watch the nearly one hour debate video on YouTube. The Jerusalem Post provides…

[This and the two related Brain Awareness Week stories from Cleveland.com it mentions describe the evolution of technologies that together enhance presence and help neurosurgeons obtain greater success in locating the source of brain conditions and practicing for and performing surgeries that help improve and save patients’ lives. See the original version of the story for a second image. –Matthew] [Image: MetroHealth neurosurgeon Dr. Deven Reddy uses a virtual reality system developed by the Chicago company ImmersiveTouch to view and work on a virtual model of a patient’s brain to prepare for a complex surgery. Credit: Evan MacDonald, cleveland.com] Virtual…

[I’ve always been particularly interested in the ‘big questions’ presence raises; this story from Inverse describes an intriguing new study that suggests even today’s immersive media can be used to evoke a sense or emotion philosophers and other scholars have labelled the sublime, and that presence plays a role. See the original story for a third image and see coverage in The Academic Times for more details and comments from the first author, including this: “’Nature and art are equally god at evoking or bringing about the experience of the sublime,’” [first author] Clewis told The Academic Times. ‘But [in…

[This BBC News story describes how and why many contemporary artists are using augmented reality to let viewers experience their creations in their own homes (and elsewhere) during the pandemic; see the original story for 10 more images of the virtual works and a video. –Matthew] Augmented reality art: Where your home becomes the gallery By Anna Bailey, Reporter, The Cultural Frontline, BBC World Service 23 February 2021 Ever dreamed of hanging artworks by leading artists around your home? Well now you can for free, thanks to augmented reality or AR as it is known. Images such as Olafur Eliasson’s…