Where Am I? …Help? (Plus 4 thoughts on where AR/VR is heading)

Where Am I? …Help? (Plus 4 thoughts on where AR/VR is heading)

The voice asked me if I needed help. I was lost.

I had been watching astronauts emerge from the International Space Station to perform tasks in space as if I were somehow clinging to the exterior of the ISS enjoying a 360-degree view of outer space.

A new voice – not an astronaut’s voice – but a kind, concerned voice in another space (not outer space) informed me that I was about to be rebooted.

This wasn’t a sci-fi film, it was during a storytelling experience through a malfunctioning Oculus VR headset in Montreal.

Sharing more about this misadventure and some musings on the current state of AR and VR in addition to its role in storytelling in my latest Substack, newsletter, out now: robynmetcalfe.substack.com/subscribe

Butterflies and Ants and Bees (Oh My): Museum stories from NYC

Butterflies and Ants and Bees (Oh My): Museum stories from NYC

How does one float like a butterfly, think like a bee? 

Leading with questions recently sparked my curiosity during my visit to the American Natural History Museum in NYC – some more serious than others. 🙂

Filled with truly fascinating dioramas, exhibits, and experiences (such as “Ant-o-vision,” where you “see” through the eyes as an ant would), all leading with questions.

This method of experience- and discussion-based learning is both fun and educational. As I continue my role as the Director at the UT Nutrition Institute, leading with questions to communicate science and stories will be a cornerstone for the projects and curriculum we create.

Sharing (much) more about the unique experiences in the museum we came across, plus some musings on AI,  in my latest Substack newsletter!

Read it here: robynmetcalfe.substack.com/subscribe

Risking Burning Down the House for an Experiment

Risking Burning Down the House for an Experiment

I unexpectedly found myself in a personal experiment on my recent trip to Copenhagen: eating breakfast by candlelight.

What a contrast to my usual jumping out of bed at 5am, turning on every lamp and spotlight I find on my way to the kitchen.

In this moment of slowing down and seeing the world a little more clearly – or differently – I rediscovered the benefits of how this feels.

And also posed the question…how are our technological advancements truly serving us? Can we take a step back from time to time to appreciate the wonders of science, and the nostalgic wonders in the past?

Exploring this further in my latest Substack newsletter, out today: robynmetcalfe.substack.com/subscribe

My husband tried to impress me by inventing Ethernet 50 years ago

My husband tried to impress me by inventing Ethernet 50 years ago

Bob is a scientist, a computer scientist. He views the world as an engineer, examining how things work.

I’m a historian, deep into the liberal arts, and thrive on storytelling and the examination of why things happen, not so much how.

So how do we make the irrational rational through online connection and storytelling?

Exploring this further in my latest Substack newsletter, out today: robynmetcalfe.substack.com/subscribe

On a Piece of Chalk

On a Piece of Chalk

As some of you may know, for the past two years I’ve been working on my memoir. I work with a writing coach and last week she asked me to write about my office.

Could it be that my office could tell me more about me than any of the memories of my past?

I began working from one corner and slowly worked my way around the room, clockwise.  

Counting my books, one shelf at a time, I discovered that my office contains over 2,000 books. I knew I had a book problem, but now I could quantify it. 🙂

My books are coming in handy for a project that I’m working on at The University of Texas at Austin (UT) –

As we develop our Science Storytelling Studio with the UT Nutrition Institute, we are coming up with ways to tell stories through a single lens.

One book I own is a fantastic example of this.

Sharing more about this in my latest Substack newsletter: robynmetcalfe.substack.com/subscribe

Did century-old sci-fi predict the future?

Did century-old sci-fi predict the future?

You may not expect a book from the 1800s to be the most riveting “beach read” during my vacation to the Caribbean over the holiday break. Neither did I.

What I discovered while reading The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells, a short sci-fi novel from 1897, is how science-fiction writers tell stories that question how we perceive our world now and how it might look in the future.

Can we learn about science from fiction? What do you notice by comparing science fiction written today with 19th century “scientific romances?”

Even back in the 1800s society was already questioning and pushing back science: does technology support and improve society, or does it hurt us? What do you think?

Exploring this topic on my Substack newsletter, out now: robynmetcalfe.substack.com/subscribe