Blog (June 2011)

27-6-11

Phil’s Findings #6: Multisensory Design

Last time I talked about the grand plan behind our work in sensoaesthetics, and how we would like to nurture a more collaborative relationship between materials science and materials-arts. What I provided was a general description, but I didn’t describe any applications. So what about it? Where can we go with this work? More

27-6-11

Bridging the Gaps workshop

On Friday, 24 June, King’s College London (KCL) staff members from some 15 departments took part in the Institute of Making’s introductory session for Bridging the Gaps, an EPSRC-funded initiative aimed at bridging the gaps between KCL’s internal communities through the topic of materials. The main focus of the session was to outline the opportunities available to internal staff and to begin gathering ideas and proposals for the Festival of Materials & Making, which will see KCL campuses celebrate the exciting activities around materials and making taking place at the College later this year. More

20-6-11

Phil’s Findings #5: What am I doing?

In my previous post I described some of the basic ideas of psychophysics, the science of the senses. This is going to form a core part of my work at the Institute of Making. However, I’m a physicist, and I work in an engineering department. So what’s the connection? More

13-6-11

Phil’s Findings #4: Psychophysics!

Since I started work at the Institute of Making I’ve had quite a few conversations along the lines of the following. I’ll be asked “So what are you studying now?”, to which I reply “Psychophysics”, and I almost always get an answer along the lines of “What on earth is that?”. More

07-6-11

Cheltenham Science Festival is on

It's awfully quiet in the office here today in London-town: that's because the Cheltenham Science Festival started today. This year's festival promises to be yet another memorable one, packed with stimulating talks and demonstrations on topics like chemistry and architecture, ocean acidification, and the science of cannabis. Experts like Brian Cox will also be giving a few (sold-out) talks. More

06-6-11

Phil’s Finding’s #3: Swimming through Syrup

During my research career, I’ve been lucky enough to work in a number of different areas and take on new projects. At the moment, I’m doing a lot of reading about psychophysics and statistics, both of which I haven’t studied in depth before. These are both fascinating areas, however a first look at the background material proved to be slightly baffling. More

02-6-11

Volunteer Researcher/Writer(s) Wanted

We are seeking materials enthusiasts from any background to partake in the important role of preparing the Materials Library (to be housed in the Institute of Making) for its public interface. More