I was struck during today’s presentation on “The Current State of Exhibit Media” at the AAM conference by some stunning videos from that National Palace Museum in Taiwan. Here are a couple samples below (I heard a translated version, and I think the first had to do with Buddhist text in the calligraphy as interpreted by a video artist. The second includes 3D characters that come to life from exhibits.) These are high-end...

Long ago (as in 15 or more years ago), Apple Multimedia Lab did an experiment where they gave a boy (11 years old?) in a forest in Brazil (I think) an audio recording device, and asked him to record every time he had a question during the course of the day. Then they compared it with the questions that a child here in the US recorded.  Very interesting… I remember the boy in Brazil (who lived in an interior region without much technology)...

Inspiring to see the Independent Lens episode on PBS focusing on the international model Sesame Workshop has developed. They go straight to the heart of it at Sesame, focusing on some of the most difficult  problems: HIV in South Africa, development in Bangladesh, conflict and community in Kosovo. And their model draws out local resources and solutions, reminding us of the depth of creativity found in people around the world. I was fortunate to...

We enjoyed attending the Seaconke Wampanoag tribal powwow in Rehoboth, MA recently. Sitting outside, listening to drums, watching the dancing, browsing craft booths – a good way to spend an afternoon and support tribal traditions. What especially struck me was the drumming for the “candy dance” for kids. We’re all familiar with the sound of American Indian drumming, with powerful cries set to a rhythmic drumbeat. But in the candy dance the...

I had trouble with my USB port on my laptop, so I called Dell’s tech support. After talking with two technicians with accents, it occurred to me: these guys are in India! I am talking to someone on the other side of the world. And when they put me on hold, I am holding (and holding and holding) a connection to the other side of the planet. When I traveled to India 15 years ago, I rented a bike and rode through some of the small villages around...