[node-l] Bio Play at Dana Centre, Tues 28th Oct, 7-8.30pm

[andy at materialbeliefs.com]

hi,

discuss bioengineering & design collaborations at Dana on Tuesday 28th  
with 'Carnivorous Domestic Entertainment Robots' and 'Bonsai cells'

Please forward to friends and colleagues, the event is free but  
booking is recommended...

bests,
Tobie & Andy

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Bio Play
Tuesday 28 October 2008 19:00 - 20:30
free booking call 020 7942 4040
or e-mail tickets at danacentre.org.uk
http://www.danacentre.org.uk/events/2008/10/28/446

Material Beliefs blur the boundaries between material culture and  
bioengineering research, designing speculative products that embody  
emerging technologies.

How can playfulness expand horizons in bioengineering? What happens  
when we open up laboratories to the whim of undefined ends,  
exploration and wonder? By expanding current laboratory research  
through speculative designs, Material Beliefs aim to create prototypes  
that redraw the intersection between science, engineering and design  
and lead to new realms of thought.
'Bonsai Cells' explores how the shape, network and colour of stem  
cells contribute to their efficiency in regeneration and distinguish  
them from diseased cells. What are the benefits and dangers of  
designers engaging with medical science? Explore your own reaction to  
a future of control and manipulation of cell patterns and shapes.

Share a room with the 'Carnivorous Domestic Entertainment Robots' and  
their creators. These robots are devices for utility, drama and  
entertainment, existing in a similar way to an exotic pet such as a  
snake or a lizard. How should we react to robots that prey on living  
creatures and is there an appropriate response to a contrived  
life-and-death scenario? How should we regard the distinction between  
function and spectacle?

Discuss these intriguing projects and question the novel  
collaborations that conceived them.

Speakers
Bonsai Cells
Susana Soares, Goldsmiths, University of London
Dr Julie Daniels and Anna Harris, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology
Carnivorous Domestic Entertainment Robots
James Auger, Jimmy Loizeau and Aleksandar Zivanovic, Goldsmiths,  
University of London

Facilitator: Laura Sillars, Head of Programmes, Foundation for Art and  
Creative Technology

===================
Andy Robinson
Project Manager
Material Beliefs
www.materialbeliefs.com

Interaction Research Studio
Department of Design
Goldsmiths, University of London
New Cross
London SE14 6NW

t. 07969 409133
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