Events with Webcast

Coping with information overload is a major challenge of the 21st century. Huge volumes and varieties of multilingual data must be processed to extract salient information. We have previously reported on research for how to automatically characterize large volumes of streaming content.

The capacity to transform is a trait of all living organisms. In his talk, Chuck Hoberman will demonstrate how designed objects can behave like organisms, transforming their size and shape in a complete, continuous manner. Hoberman will speak about his theory of transformability, and describe his work in deployable shelters, consumer products and medical instruments.

Bart Hopkin will talk about musical instruments and sound, with the following question as a starting point: to what extent do musicians—composers, improvisers, and instrument makers—seek mastery and control over the sounds they produce; or, conversely, to what extent do they knock about in a world of existing sound possibilities, making the most of what they happen to find?

On Tuesday, November 11, 2003, the Media Lab held "Benton Vision"—an event to celebrate Stephen A. Benton—Allen Professor of Media Arts and Sciences, and inventor of the white-light transmission, "rainbow" hologram—and the field of holography.