A few weeks ago, I learned that the California Academy of Sciences had obtained a pair of Google Glass, Google’s early adopter attempt at creating augmented reality eyewear. Since I’ve done a lot of work and thinking in virtual and augmented reality before, I was pretty excited to get my hands on these glasses. My …
My colleagues in the Cal Academy's Digitization Team, Anne and Codie, have graciously scanned these beautiful images of coffee beans for me , using our fancy GigaMacro super high-resolution camera system (which I'm calling "Maggie" from now forward.) This was a test to show how the public can get a better understanding of the various …
One of the important responsibilities we have at the California Academy of Sciences is archiving the vast treasury of scientific specimens that we maintain, over 45 million specimens at last count. Much of those collections remain hidden behind well protected walls and shelves, inaccessible to the general public, and only available by special arrangement to …
On Saturday the California Academy of Sciences hosted a successful “nature hacking” playshop on Saturday with Mitch Altman (pictured above) of the SF hacker space Noisebridge! Fourteen awesome teens engaged in fun electronics hacking using the Arduino micro controller, LEDs, transistors, sensors, motors, and more. Mitch gave a quick and entertaining introduction to electronics and computing …
I've been working and playing in virtual worlds / virtual reality for a number of years. For a long time, virtual adventurers like me have fantasized about a future where everyone had access to "VR goggles" where you could escape into a simulated space from anywhere. These kinds of VR rigs were sorta cool, but …
Shooting is fun! Our TechTeens have been learning how to use professional DSLR cameras as part of their experiences at the Cal Academy this month. Our goal was for them to feel comfortable using higher-end cameras both for projects they are working on at the Academy and any future photography they may want to do …
I'm excited to share the news that the California Academy of Sciences has a acquired a state-of-the-art high resolution microscopic camera called the "Magnify2," created by the company GIGAMacro based in Napa, California. It looks, frankly, totally badass. The Magnify2 is billed as a "complete, high performance, precision robotic 3-axis linear motion control, image …
In the museum and informal science education field we often place ourselves in opposition to amusement parks and theme parks. My own museum’s ED has said to our staff, “we have no pirates” in our museum. From a certain perspective I think that makes sense. Amusement parks as private ventures have as their primary mandate …
Today was so strange I don’t even know where to start. I’m in Ivano-Frankivsk, a small city in Western Ukraine, where I was brought by the US Embassy to lead some trainings in digital media for local NGOs. I’ve done a few of these technology trainings for civil society organizations around the world, and had …