[The “five questions” profile of philosophy professor and department chair Erick José Ramirez at Santa Clara University in California demonstrates some of the many important intersections of presence and philosophy. See the original version for a second image and follow the links within and at the end of the profile for more information. –Matthew] Five questions with … Erick José Ramirez A window into how scholarship at SCU connects academic excellence with a commitment to the common good. By Lisa RobinsonSeptember 25, 2025 Five Questions With … is a series of profiles that invites professors to share insights into their…

[The story below from Wayne State University describes a study that uses virtual reality and presence to first investigate “physiological, mental and emotional responses to social challenges to identify patterns of fear learning and threat perception that could be modified” and then develop a “low-cost, VR-based intervention … to help teens build social skills in a safe and realistic environment.” For more information about the project, follow the links at the end of the story and visit the website of the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute at Wayne State. –Matthew] [Image: Participants experience potentially stressful situations through virtual reality as physiological…

[Projects that use presence-evoking technologies to help people envision the long-term damaging impacts of climate change aren’t new, but the collaborative project reported in this story from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources also helps people develop and envision potential solutions that adapt to the climate change impacts. –Matthew] [Image: Point Lookout State Park Complex Manager Dawn Letts tries out one of the University of Maryland virtual reality projects for Point Lookout. Credit: Photo by Catherine Madsen/UMD Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability] Using Virtual Reality, Students Help Visualize Climate Change Solutions at Point Lookout State Park University of Maryland…

[In this essay from The Conversation, Indiana University professor of Human-Centered Computing Ekaterina Muravevskaia describes her all-too-timely work addressing the “promise and challenge” of using presence-evoking technologies to help children learn the and practice empathy. See the original version of the essay for a second image and a video (also available on YouTube). –Matthew] [Image: Technology can be isolating, but it can also help kids learn emotional connection. Credit: Dusan Stankovic/E+ via Getty Images] How VR and AI could help the next generation grow kinder and more connected By Ekaterina Muravevskaia, Assistant Professor of Human-Centered Computing, Indiana UniversityOctober 2, 2025…

[The insights and predictions of experts who have long and deep experience in any field are often extremely interesting and valuable. For example, here’s a short summary of the perspectives on XR from virtual and extended reality expert Bob Stone by the publisher of XR Today. –Matthew] From NASA to the Metaverse – and Why Professor Bob Stone Still Isn’t Impressed Bob Stone reflects on the rollercoaster evolution of XR – hype, heritage, and hard truths. By Rob Scott, PublisherOctober 2, 2025 In 1987, standing on solid ground at NASA Ames, Bob Stone felt his stomach churn as he ascended…

[The just-released next generation of OpenAI’s Sora software is said to represent a leap forward in the ability of AI to quickly, easily and inexpensively create realistic videos. The story below from Technology Magazine provides the key details. Most press coverage notes both the promise and peril of the newly-capable presence-evoking technology. For example, Katie Notopoulos writes this in Business Insider: “In the last few years, I’ve used generative AI apps, like ChatGPT, in lots of ways — most of which aren’t particularly exciting or interesting. Things like basic searches or work productivity stuff. AI feels like a useful tool, but…

[The short news story below from North Carolina State University describes a new study that assessed and compared the impacts of using a voice-only or embodied AI-based agent that guides computer science programming students through a series of learning tasks in a virtual reality environment. The paper is scheduled to be presented on a panel titled “Human-AI Collaborative Programming” at the 2025 IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing (VL/HCC) and is available via ResearchGate. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Julien Tromeur] ‘Embodied’ AI in Virtual Reality Improve Programming Student Confidence By Matt ShipmanOctober 1, 2025 Researchers have found that giving…

[In this compelling essay from The Conversation, a professor of Heritage and Digital Humanities at the University of Essex describes four ways presence-evoking virtual reality can help people and their communities heal after natural (and potentially other) disasters. The conclusions are based on research (see the link to a June 2025 article in the International Journal of Heritage Studies); note especially the important insights the researchers gained from the experience in the last two paragraphs below. See the original version of the essay for two more pictures and two videos. –Matthew] [Image: Amatrice in central Italy was badly damaged by…

[A new artificially intelligent ‘actress’ and the goals of the company that created her are generating new controversy in the creative industries. The story below from Variety describes the situation; more details follow in an excerpt from coverage in Deadline. For more details about the controversy and backtracking by the company, see a story in /Film with a critical assessment – that story concludes with this: “AI image generation technology has created a sizable investment bubble, and studios still seem to be going ham with it, even as the public increasingly hates it. When the bubble bursts, Tilly will die.…

[The author of this essay from Forbes argues that, ironically, presence-evoking technologies are a potential solution to negative impacts of recent trends in technology use and other aspects of modern life on the communication skills of young people. Follow the Bodyswaps link and visit Cortney Hardin’s website for more information. –Matthew] [Image: Argentina, Buenos Aires, Starbucks Coffee, barista making drinks. Credit: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images] Can Artificial Intelligence And Virtual Reality Cure The Gen Z Stare? By Cortney Harding, an expert in VR, AI, and the future of workSeptember 8, 2025 If you’ve spent any time on…

[An AI-powered interactive hologram of Stan Lee (1922-2018), revered “comic book writer, editor, publisher and producer” “best known for his work with Marvel Comics,“ will be present at this year’s Los Angeles Comic Con to have conversations with attendees and (as Design TAXI reports in the short story below), “make impromptu appearances throughout the convention…, from introducing panels to surprising fans on the floor.” The plan has the support of Lee’s estate, but some fans and technology writers are critical. A writer at The Gamer is particularly adamant: “If ‘hey, this is the devil’s work’ isn’t compelling to you, at…

[Multiple forms of presence are involved in a new, real-life version of the 2011 film Real Steal, with human players in virtual reality (and with the help of AI) controlling humanoid robots fighting each other in a boxing ring. One person involved in creating the events says this in the news report below from KGO in San Francisco: “Robots are obviously insanely hard to do and VR is insanely hard to do… If you get them both right, what you get is this ability to feel like you are the robot.” Coverage in Unilad Tech concludes with this assessment: “It…