[This story from The Debrief expands on a press release from Edith Cowan University about a new study demonstrating advantages of interacting with an avatar rather than a nonmediated therapist; note the proposed explanations for the key finding in the indented paragraph before the “OUTLOOK…” heading. –Matthew] [Image: Source: Edith Cowan University] MANY PREFER VR TO IN-PERSON THERAPY, NEW RESEARCH SHOWS By Raquel Santos February 15, 2022 Is the idea of openly speaking in front of a therapist too intimidating for you? New research says that you’re not alone in this… and that many people feel more comfortable speaking to…

[The Brookings Institution is a Washington, D.C. “nonprofit public policy organization” whose mission is “to conduct in-depth research that leads to new ideas for solving problems facing society at the local, national and global level.” Below is the first part of an extensive new Brookings policy brief on the promise and peril of the application of presence-evoking technologies of the ‘metaverse’ in education. See the original, unabridged version on the Brookings website and/or download it in pdf format. –Matthew] A whole new world: Education meets the metaverse By Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Jennifer M. Zosh, Helen Shwe Hadani, Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, Kevin Clark,…

[This story from USA Today makes clear that the latest version of a hologram concert is much more elaborate and compelling than a stage with a translucent projected image and soundtrack of a musical artist who has died. See the original story for a 30 second video and a large photo gallery. For more information see the BASE Hologram website and for information and tickets see the WhitneyHouston.com website. –Matthew] Whitney Houston died 10 years ago, but her legacy and voice live on in Vegas hologram show By Melissa Ruggieri February 11, 2022 “Good evening, everyone, and welcome. There’s going…

[To raise awareness about the climate crisis, Greenpeace installed a large ‘Ice Portal’ in London’s Trafalgar Square, “bringing the remote and fragile Antarctic straight into the heart of a bustling city over 8,000 miles away.” Press coverage of the effort drew on this press release; follow the link under “NOTES” for a three-minute video and a large photo gallery. –Matthew] “It’s like looking through a window” – Giant portal to the Antarctic appears in London Greenpeace International 24 January 2022 London, UK – In a world-first, a towering portal has appeared in London’s iconic Trafalgar Square bringing the Antarctic to…

[Despite its current limitation, technology expert Charlie Fink is very impressed with the recently introduced Cisco Webex augmented reality holograms, as he reports in this story from Forbes. See the original version for two videos and two different images, and a related Forbes story about how McLaren Racing is using the technology “for a competitive edge in car design.” Fast Company’s first-person story about Cisco’s announcement of the technology last October clearly identifies the company’s goal: “Microsoft developed the ability to render a company’s product within the HoloLens; Cisco aims to add to the experience by making the people seem…

[Presence experiences need not match our experiences in the ‘real’ world (i.e., the mediated stimuli need not be perceptually or socially realistic), as demonstrated by the walk-through kaleidoscope described in this story from New Atlas. See the original version for a second image and a 1:27 minute video. DesignTAXI’s coverage (drawing on a press release) adds this: “The result appeared way more expansive than the space allowed, presenting solutions that can be replicated in areas beyond the realms of art. ‘Our kaleidoscope is meant to represent how a simple and considered design, when supported with a material that can scale…

[This Ars Technica report describes a new feature in Meta’s virtual worlds designed to maintain personal space among user avatars and prevent the longstanding problems of harassment and assaults in virtual settings. The story, which includes a second image and a 6:37 minute video, provides important context but only briefly mentions a specific recent groping incident experienced by Meta beta tester Nina Jane Patel, Co-founder and VP of Metaverse Research – Kabuni; she wrote a thoughtful Medium post about her experience and its relevance to bigger issues including the role of presence. See also coverage from CNBC TV18. –Matthew] Meta…

[This ‘Perspective’ column from The Washington Post, which includes insights from a recent study by and an interview with our colleague Jeremy Bailenson, describes a parent’s experiences with virtual reality and presence. For more on the topic see the December 2021 CNN story “In VR, there are no rules, so parents are making up their own,” which includes this: “While casting [an option that lets you see what the VR headset-wearer is doing in real time on a smartphone or other flat screen] and limiting types of content kids can access may help adults track what their children are doing,…

[This commentary from MediaPost argues that while the current discussion of and investment in the technologies of a metaverse may be overly optimistic, they mark an important – and presence-related – change in the relationship between humans and technology. For a primer on the metaverse concept, history and possible future, see the new CNET article “The metaverse is just getting started: Here’s what you need to know.” –Matthew] [Image: Source: CNET] COMMENTARY Don’t Be Too Quick To Dismiss The Metaverse By Gord Hotchkiss, Featured Contributor February 1, 2022 According to my fellow Media Insider Maarten Albarda, the metaverse is just…

[The pandemic has increased the value of the social and spatial presence evoked by religious activities in virtual environments, as reported in this Associated Press story in Japan Today. See the original version for a photo gallery containing eight more images. –Matthew] [Image: Pastor D.J. Soto, the lead pastor of VR Church, delivers a sermon in his home in Fredericksburg, Virginia, on January 23. Credit: AP] Faith in the metaverse: A VR quest for community, fellowship By Luis Andres Henao February 3, 2022 Under quarantine for COVID-19 exposure, Garret Bernal and his family missed a recent Sunday church service. So…

[This story from KBTX describes the use of VR and presence to increase safety for construction workers. See the original story for a 1:06 minute video report as well as Texas A&M Today for more on Namgyun Kim and the three-minute thesis competition he won, a poster presented at the 2021 Associated Schools of Construction Annual International Conference, and articles in Advanced Engineering Informatics and the Journal of Construction Engineering and Management. A report from the Texas A&M School of Architecture includes this: “Similar to how a child is more careful to not touch a stove after burning their hand,…

[This first-person report from CNBC suggests that the experience of professional basketball games via social VR is increasingly, if not fully, effective at evoking both spatial and social presence. See the original story for four more images; for more about upcoming games and other events see the Oculus blog. –Matthew] Here’s what it’s like watching an NBA game courtside — in the metaverse By Jabari Young January 15, 2022 Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka popped up from the team bench, and before I knew it, he was blocking my view. Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle was close enough for…