[In a new NSF-funded project based on his earlier “Scale Worlds,” a professor at North Carolina State University is working with colleagues to use presence-evoking virtual reality to help students better understand the huge distances involved in astrophysics. See a September 2022 ISPR Presence News post for more context on the earlier project and visit the Scale Worlds Public Resources website for more information and free versions of the Scale Worlds educational materials. (See also the website of the India-based company Astroverse that “bring[s] space closer to people through STEM education, immersive astrotourism, and hands-on exploration.”) –Matthew] Associate Professor Cesar…

[In this well-argued essay from Adweek, marketing professor and brand consultant Mark Ritson writes that “the monochrome disparity of real and artificial ended around 2024, a gradient that runs from a bit of noise reduction at one end to a creature imagined and drawn entirely by machine at the other.” He’s referring to advertising messages, but the phenomenon certainly extends to other genres. And although he doesn’t refer to presence directly, his observations imply that presence experiences, in which consumers overlook at least some aspects of the role of technology, are becoming ubiquitous. The 7:18 minute film “Christian Dior’s Night…

[If you are or will be in the San Francisco Bay Area before the end of March 2027, you might want to visit the Computer History Museum in Mountain View for an exhibit about the evolution of presence-evoking technologies. Details are in this blog post from Meta, one of the sponsors. Excerpts of news coverage from KION and the Los Altos Town Crier follow below. More information is available from the Museum’s Exhibit page and a press release via GlobeNewswire.  –Matthew] A New Museum Exhibition Shows The Evolution of Interactive Wearable Technology October 21, 2026 Interactive extended reality technology is…

[New Atlas has this detailed report on a new technology that relays odors across the internet, which would be useful for a variety of applications. In an email to CNET, the lead author of a report on the technology in the journal Science Advances wrote this: “One exciting potential application is remote scent sharing. For example, imagine enjoying a delicious meal and being able to share its aroma with a friend or family member who lives far away. This could add a whole new dimension to long-distance communication and make remote interactions more immersive.” See the original version of the…

[Here’s a description from VIVE Arts of a presence-evoking virtual reality concert experience currently in London but on an international tour. See the original description for more images and details. Following below are selected excerpts from reviews in the Guardian, the London Evening Standard, and the New York Times. There’s also a 7:54 minute Behind the Scenes video on YouTube. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: VIVE Arts and Atlas V] Playing with Fire: An Immersive Odyssey with Yuja Wang September 8, 2026 to January 2, 2026 at Southbank Centre, London [more venues below] In the virtual presence of renowned pianist Yuja Wang,…

[This story from Drexel University in Philadelphia describes the use of two presence-evoking technologies for both education and research in the context of the textile and fashion industry, a project “at the intersection of real-time technology, immersive storytelling, and experiential learning.” Note the explicit and implicit references to presence in the story and the several comments from students. See the original version of the story for two more images. –Matthew] From Classroom to Factory Floor: How Immersive VR Technology is Transforming Textile Education Drexel University’s Immersive Philadelphia Textile Trail Delivers Real-World Learning Through Dual-Platform VR and LED Wall Technology October…

[As with so many presence-evoking (and of course other) technologies, a Microsoft patent application for AI-based editing of what people appear to say and how they say it in live video and augmented reality, and likely other formats, has both positive and negative implications. The story below from Futurism describes the patent and implications. Coverage in Tech Times notes that the patent application was filed in April 2025 and that: “Microsoft has previously explored related technology. Its VASA-1 research project, published in April 2024, demonstrated AI-generated talking-face videos using a still image and an audio recording. That research was separate…

[In the latest study to explore the relationship between presence and dreaming (i.e., experiences with and without mediation by technology), neuroscientists in Italy have used virtual reality simulations of “bizarre situations” that trigger reality testing to train study participants to use that skill for lucid dreaming, in which the dreamer controls the dreamed events. The story is from Live Science, where the original includes a second image and links to related stories. See also the ISPR Presence News posts “Scientists used virtual reality to alter people’s lucid dreams in mindboggling feat” (August 2025) and “AI device for lucid dreaming will…

[Google Beam technology, which evokes high levels of presence during 3D video calls, is being used to bring US military families together. As reported in the story below from Interesting Engineering, the effort is a partnership between Google and the USO (United Services Organization), and a four-part video docuseries on the project is now available. See the original version of the story (or YouTube) for a 1:55 minute video that introduces the docuseries, and see Google’s Beam website for more information and the docuseries episodes. –Matthew] [Image: Soldier connecting with his family] Google Beam to connect deployed US troops with…

[This story from the United States Air More Material Command describes another valuable application of presence-evoking virtual reality: Training the people who paint military aircraft. See the original version of the story for a second image. See also the new related story (with video) from aviation manufacturer Boeing titled “Virtual reality makes aerospace painting safer.” –Matthew] [Image: Wyatt Strickland, 402nd Aircraft Maintenance Group Virtual Reality paint instructor, organizes the equipment in the virtual reality lab at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, Sept. 10, 2026. The bays were designed as exact replicas of the paint hangars used within the Warner Robins…

[Some context for today’s pre-Halloween post: In Lombard and Jones (2015) we identified types of presence referenced in published works, including one we labelled “parapresence,” in which “the aspect of the phenomenon that is of primary interest is related to social entities (human, electronic and otherwise), specifically their perceived physical presence in one’s environment when they are not, and could not logically be, present.” Here are some sample definitions: The story below from IFL Science describes what might be another example of parapresence. See the original version for some related videos. For a related story, see “I See Dead People”…

[An assistant professor of gaming at Kennesaw State University in Georgia (US) has a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to investigate how we can use personalized, AI agent guided, multisensory VR experiences in STEM (chemistry and computer science) courses to “help learners maintain attention, improve motor skill, and enhance learning in immersive virtual laboratories.” See the project’s NSF page and Professor Jung’s LinkedIn page for more details. –Matthew] [Source: LinkedIn] Kennesaw State researcher explores virtual reality to improve student engagement in STEM By Raynard ChurchwellOctober 26, 2026 KENNESAW, Ga. – A Kennesaw State University researcher is exploring how virtual reality…