Matthew Hockenberry

Visualizing the New York Times

:: “ Earlier this year, digital artist Jer Thorp used the New York Times Article Search API to create visual displays exploring the areas of focus and interconnection found in articles.  The Flickr sets posted by Thorp map changes in coverage over the course of time for narrow topics or keyword ...” Creative Synthesis Blog | Jun 30

Carnival of the Animals

:: “ Our perception of animals has changed dramatically over the last century.  The decline of agriculture and the expansion of the middle class have brought a view of animals that ranges from sentimental to anthropomorphic.  From one generation to the next in my own family, for example, my vegetarianis ...” Creative Synthesis Blog | Jun 23

Evolving Art

:: “To mark the bicentennial of Darwin’s birth and the sesquicentennial of On the Origin of Species, an exhibit opening today at Cambridge’s Fitzwilliam Museum explores the effects of his work on art in the latter half of the nineteenth century.  The exhibit, Endless Forms:  Darwin, ...” Creative Synthesis Blog | Jun 16

Finding the Rhyme in Education Policy

:: “In its search to bolster the faltering public school system, California has given new life to a quote attributed (with some variations) to Mark Twain:  “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” On 8 June, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger highlighted plans to transition th ...” Creative Synthesis Blog | Jun 9

A Self-Powered Sentinel

:: “Massachusetts-based Voltree Power is currently developing a network of sensor nodes that will monitor forest conditions and immediately alert users to wildfires. The system, the Early Wildfire Alert Network (EWAN), resembles other efforts to create decentralized monitoring networks. The network tr ...” Creative Synthesis Blog | Jun 2

Memorial Map

:: “Sean Askay, a geospatial content developer for Google Earth Outreach, created Map the Fallen as a tribute to US personnel who have died in Afghanistan and Iraq since October 2001.  The project plots each person’s location, date, and cause of death, and traces a line from this location to his o ...” Creative Synthesis Blog | May 25

Aging in Community

:: “A recent article by Christine Schneider explores the ways in which the intentional community Damanhur offers members a model of education and social life that synthesizes the experiences of multiple generations.  The group works to give the elderly active roles in the life of the community, encourag ...” Creative Synthesis Blog | May 18

The Food Web

:: “ Over the course of the summer, I’ll be working with Proboscis’s Diffusion project to help children understand the idea of food miles and other ecological and ethical issues related to food choices.  As part of Diffusion’s StoryCube system, the tentatively-tltled Food Web will allo ...” Creative Synthesis Blog | May 8

Method of Modern Love

:: “A project developed by Scottish think tank Distance Lab gives partners a tool for exploring art, intimacy, and the body’s relation to space.  The interactive installation Mutsugoto rigs participants with touch-sensitive rings keyed to cameras and projectors.  The movements of one partner&rsquo ...” Creative Synthesis Blog | Apr 28