• View
• Print
• Recent Changes
• Login

Art/Science Collisions: Communicating with Data

Original Syllabus

H79.2486.1 Gretchen Gano Thur 6:30pm to 9:00pm in 442 Call# 71151

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Latest commentary and news

• A take on the Google Book Settlement
• Darwin and the Boundaries of Science Conference
• Images of carbon nanotubes in this month?s Technology Review Magazine
• Secret Science Club, Wed., March 18th
• Congressional briefing related to next week?s readings in ?designing for engagement?

a feed from the comments and news blog to post yourself, see login info here _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Contents:

• Facilitator
• Description
• Key Sites (events, del.icio.us site, readings, blog, flickr)
• Access Readings and class slides
• Core Project and salon descriptions including logistics and etiquette on interviewing
  • Salon 1: Sciences
  • Salon 2: Publics
  • Salon 3: Core (final) Project Presentations including component checklist!
• Assignments
  • HOW TO TURN THEM IN and a link to the coursework site
  • Assignment 1
  • Assignment 2
  • Assignment 3
  • Assignment 4
  • Assignment 5
  • Assignment 6
• Grading
• Class Meetings, Calendar and Reading Assignments
  • Class 1
  • Class 2
  • Class 3
  • Class 4
  • Class 5
  • Class 6
  • Class 7
  • Class 8
  • SPRING BREAK
  • Class 9
  • Class 10
  • Class 11
  • Class 12
  • Class 13
  • Class 14

Go to Class Work!!

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Facilitator

Some links to select projects:

• The Search for Life, Are We Alone? a show for the American Museum of Natural History's Hayden Planetarium Space Theater - the world's largest virtual reality simulator
• AMNH Science Bulletins
• New York State Grid presentation on Storage, Curation, and Preservation of Large Data Sets
• Research for the National Academies Report Facilitating Interdisciplinary Research

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Description

The aim of this course is to explore and draw inspiration from the scientific process, its representations, and data. What does it mean to use the “scientific method”? What is the purpose and value of data produced in experiments? How true are representations crafted with data, and who wants or needs to know about scientific results? What do we gain by incorporating scientific data or visualization into our own work? The course focuses on cases from emerging and converging scientific and technological fields: nano, info, & bio. The goal is to cultivate purposeful science communication and to encourage critical responses to scientific and technological practice in modern culture.

The class will focus on exploration and design considerations rather than technical production. Over the course of the class, each student focuses on a particular area of science and becomes familiar with its process, language, and data. To do this, we get some first hand experience unpacking particular visualizations, talking with scientists and students of scientific disciplines, and interviewing members of our potential audiences. Who produces and analyses data, what are they looking for in their results? Who else is interested in understanding data --in what setting, through what medium or interface? From these direct experiences, we propose our own art/science collisions: using artistic sensibilities and media tools to communicate about the scientific process, contextualize and annotate visualizations, and frame our chosen topic for particular audiences: museum-goers, policy makers, the disabled, teachers, adults, or children.

In periodic “science salons,” we discuss our chosen areas of science, associated datasets and visualizations, affiliated scientists, and potential audiences. We formulate our own approach to communicating information about science, data, and the topics these inform. Students fully-develop one idea as a media/ interactive presentation for the final project, incorporating scientific data and framing the presentation for a select audience and setting. ( Visualization )

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Key Sites (events, del.icio.us site, readings, blog, flickr)

• delicious tags for science events, colloquia, and calendars
• Weekly event feed from New York Academy of Science's Science and the City

• The Art Sci Collisions Blog, for occasional commentary, and, if you like, recording your event observations for assignment 4

• Flickr account for work images

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Access to Readings and class slides

The one required text is Carey, S. S. (2004). A beginner's guide to scientific method (3rd ed.). Belmont, CA: Thompson/Wadsworth.

*online folder for select electronic texts and class slides

• bibliography
• RSS version of the list

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Core Project and Salons

Description The central work of the course will be to conceptualize and prototype a project that communicates information using data in a select field. While there will be many inputs to the design process, this course focuses on 1) what data and visualizations mean in the context of the scientific practice 2) the potential audiences whose lives are dramatically affected by science and technology and 3) the settings, forms and interfaces which house and make accessible the visual representation of scientific data.

The format of the final project will vary based on your skill level, the select format, and setting. The instructor will provide specific guidelines for the final projects in class and will be available for one–on-one consultation as the project takes shape.

Work on the final project will occur iteratively during the length of the course. A core activity will be to identify and interview a scientist or student in your chosen field to learn about research processes in this area – you do not need to complete the interview before the February 21 science salon, but should be done before the final presentation. In addition, you should interview at least three members of your target audience by the April 10 Salon date. The instructor will provide additional guidance and assist with appropriate contacts based on your dataset selection. You should ask permission to document your interviews (audio or video). While this will not always be feasible, you may wish to use this media as a part of your final presentation. You can let them know that the recorded material is for your personal research for a class.

There will be 4-5 course sessions held in a salon format, where students will discuss components of the final project in process, give, and receive critiques on the project’s facets.

logistics and etiquette on interviewing:

• The set-up. To introduce yourself to your interviewees (be they expert/researchers or audience members), explain that you, a student, are doing background research in your select area of research/science and the data of interest, etc as a part of an NYU class focused on the intersection of art and science, specifically about data representation. You would like to set up an interview to talk about the context of the research, the data, and its visual representation. Their assistance will help you design your final class project. In the case of audience interviews, you have several questions about your topic that you would like to ask them. This would be a 1-2 hour commitment and you would like to record the interview in some way for personal research purposes, if possible (the audience interviews can be shorter). Depending on the willingness of your contact, you may arrange to spend more time collaborating. This will not always be possible/feasible or desireable.
• formal permission for interviews. If you intend to use portions of this interview in a finished piece that you plan to exhibit publicly, you will want to obtain more formal permission from your subjects using a signed release form, which establishes the understanding that the interviewee agrees to a recorded interview, and that you may use the footage or recording in your work. This also goes for if you are planning to write or publish something including any portion of the interview material.
• Be professional and respectful of your interviewee's time.
• Present a clear outline of what time will be required and what is proposed
• Follow up with formal thank yous, etc.
• Always give proper credit and attribution for contributors to your work. Conversely, protect the anonymity of any interviewee who wishes to remain anonymous

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Salons

March 5 SALON: Sciences

Preparation:

Please post your name and a short statement identifying (and providing a link where possible) to your topic/data source in the class work section of the wiki under “Salon 1”

To prepare for this salon, you should select and area of science, identify and familiarize yourself with a representative dataset and find examples of how scientists (and other specialists) have used that data to make visual representations. Your job is to understand

At the salon, you will make a presentation about what you have learned so far.

ASSIGNMENT

• In class, each of you will make a concept map to represent the information you derive from each presentation, we will go over how to do this
• OMIT THIS COMPONENT OF THE ASSIGNMENT -- as homework, you will write brief comments about your map and post the resulting images on flikr account for your fellow classmates
• Your assignment, due next week, 3/12, is to write a one-page self assessment based on the information covered in the salon -- what kinds of things did you learn about your area of science and the dataset to prepare for the salon? What do you still want to find out? How does this project connect for you to other interests, or not?

See wikipedia for a little introduction to concept mapping If you like this, here's some freeware set up for making them called Freemind

PLEASE POST YOUR MATERIALS< AND LATER A LINK TO YOUR CONCEPT MAPS AND YOUR SELF ASSESSMENT ON THE COURSE WORK PAGE _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

April 2 SALON: Publics Preparation: To be announced

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

April 30 Core project presentations

On this date, we will pull it all together to demonstrate and discuss the final projects. In addition to the final presentation each person should write an artist’s statement that introduces the final project, its core themes, and the process of making.

Core project component checklist

• Select and research area of science/expertise and dataset -- reviewed in salon 1:science
  • conduct interview about data content with an expert/scientist or student in the discipline (document with media where possible)
• define and research setting or place -- covered in class sessions on settings and forms
  • For example --art or science museum, school, Starbucks, your livingroom, WWW (situated where?), where else
• define audience -- reviewed in class 12: science and publics workshop day
  • conduct interviews with three representatives from this audience (document with media where possible)
• define and research two forms
  • develop a working prototype of one, and storyboard or present plans for the second. If there are two or more people in your group, you should prototype (make) both forms.

• Write an artist's statement - 1-2 pages (~400-800 words) - one statement for each person, please submitted at final salon
• develop 20-30 minute presentation for final salon days

Components of the final presentation should include, but are not limited to

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Assignments

For all assignments, please link to your media, or paste text into the wiki under the assignment number, and by your name on the course work site!!

Go to Class Work!!

In addition to the work to advance the design of the core project happening throughout the course, there will be regular readings and occasional assignments to enrich our class discussions and personal research.

Assignment 1: Events (assigned from day 1, due in class 7 on 3/5, the day of the science salon) Attend *at least* one science-related event in the course of the semester and record your impressions/thoughts about the session in 1-2 pages (~400-800 words). This is assigned starting now, due in class 7 (3/5). Is this an event which communicates science to a general audience, or a presentation to fellow experts? You can turn these in at any time – we might want to talk about a particular event in class as we go along.

You can either turn it in on paper, e-mail it as a file, OR blog it on the class blog

• The Art Sci Collisions Blog, for occasional commentary, and, if you like, recording your event observations for assignment 4

Assignment 2: Data Collections (assigned 1/22 - due 1/29) Tag at least 5 online "scientific" data sources (all disciplines welcome) into the course del.icio.us account http://del.icio.us/ITP_art_sci_09. These sites make accessible image/numeric or other data sources for a particular area of scientific research. Be prepared to introduce these in a group setting in the upcoming class, be able to talk briefly about the data collection. If you wish, you could identify alternate data sources such as print, other formats. This will form the basis of our “reference collection”. '''To keep track of who did what, add your name or initials as a tag! FOR ONE OF THE DATA COLLECTIONS - briefly research how that data is collected or simulated. Bring a visual representation of that process to class (a storyboard sketch) '''

Assignment 3: Position statement (assigned 1/29, due 2/5) Though we are early in the process of choosing a dataset/area of science and shaping a project, write a one or two page exploratory paper about a potential art/science collision project for this class. You can change you mind later, but

• 1)identify a discipline/area of science that you'd like to explore (one or more)
• 2)name 1-3 questions that you have about ideas, research, or activities in that practice
• 3)identify a potential data source or visual representation that might help you answer, illustrate or tackle your questions.
• 4)Characterize your position -- Right now, starting out, in your own opinion as an artist or designer what is your attitude towards this content area and its data? In other words, how might you treat this subject in your own work?

Assignment 4: Viz critique, part 1 (assigned 2/5, due 2/12) This assignment is associated with the two Tufte readings assigned this week.

• 1) Select a visual representation of data associated with the field or fields your wrote about in assignment 3 - this could be an image, it could be something physical (a portion of of a museum exhibit or installation), a video, etc.
• 2) Using the principles of analytical design framework outlined in Tufte's Beautiful Evidence book (see readings list), write a critique of your select representation
• 3) Provide links to both the visual (or and image or scan to show us what it is) and to your critique on the course work site by your name in assignment 4, part 1

we are going to talk about this in the next class

Assignment 4: Viz critique, part 2 (assigned 2/12, due 2/19) As media artists, a written critique alone likely does not satisfy! In the spirit of Tufte's re-do of the numerically modelled storm, for part 2 of assignment 4, produce an alternative version of the data/visual representation you critiqued last week. This could fix problems, enhance good qualities, extend this visual representation in some way, shape or form. This is a brief sketch -- use any tools that you like.

please document your enhancement digitally regardless of its format and link to this picture on the classwork page you can use the class flickr account to upload the digital picture

• Flickr account for work images

Assignment 5: Popularization (assigned 2/19, due 2/26) Identify and review 2 examples of popularization of information derived from the science research in your area. Be prepared to discuss distinct aspects of these in the next class. How do these representations square with your own explorations of the science?

To give me a record of what you looked at, post your name and give me a link, citation, or description in the course work wiki

Assignment 6: Sketch media enhancements for select nano communication materials (assigned 3/12, due 4/2)

Having played the DECIDE game, you have experienced one example of low-tech game design which tries to encourage group deliberation. For this assignment, set aside you core projects and design interactive media enhancements for either the DECIDE game, or one of the demonstration kits associated with the nisenet nanodays kit MAKE AND APPOINTMENT WITH ME TO ACCESS THE PHYSICAL KITS. You can build upon what's there, or completely change the activity or game's frame. Keep audience in mind. This is a design exercise.

please document your enhancement digitally regardless of its format and link to the classwork page

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Grading

• Class participation 20%
• Salon discussions 30%
• Assignments 20%
• Core project presentation 30%

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Class Meetings, Calendar and Reading Assignments

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Class 1 (1/22)

Introduction and Road Map: a course overview and intro to the scientific method see the "framing talks (class slides)" folder - slides are called "framing 1"

Movies I played this week, for the vimeo login, use "!interactive"

• clips from the space show on exoplanets
• Science Bulletins visualization of ozone over time

Reading:

• Carey, S. S. (2004). A beginner's guide to scientific method (3rd ed.). Belmont, CA: Thompson/Wadsworth. (Chapters 1&2) required text

Background

• There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom by Richard P. Feynman
• Leonardo article by James K. Gimzewski Nanotechnology The Endgame of Materialism see online readings folder for select electronic texts
• recent issue of Leonardo with special section on Nanotechnology, Nanoscale Science and Art - skim the special section

About Nanodays

• review NISE net website and description of nanodays events
• read the Nanodays Planning Guide

Assignments and activities:

• Start Assignment 1: Events
• Do Assignment 2: Data Collections

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Class 2 (1/29)

Science and its data see the "framing talks (class slides)" folder - slides are called "framing 2"

Reading:

• Carey, S. S. (2004). A beginner's guide to scientific method (3rd ed.). Belmont, CA: Thompson/Wadsworth. (Chapters 3&4) required text
• Adventures in Synthetic Biology

Assignments and activities:

• Assignment 2 DUE
• Do Assignment 3: position statement

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Class 3 (2/5)

Art/science collisions: bridging two cultures see the "framing talks (class slides)" folder - slides are called "framing 3"

Case: Synthatic Biology Guest - Luis Campos, Synthesizing the History of Synthetic Biology Drew University

supporting handouts distributed in class:

• core project checklist
• example release form in readings folder
• Kvale chapter on interviewing in readings folder

Reading:

• Tufte, E. R. (1997). Visual explanations: Images and quantities, evidence and narrative. Cheshire, Conn.:Graphics Press. Chapter 1 in readings folder
• Tufte, E. R. (2006). Beautiful Evidence. Cheshire, Conn.:Graphics Press. Chapter 5 in readings folder
• A study of the evolution of a numerically modeled severe storm. Retrieved 12/1/2007, 2007, from http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=87309.87314
  • file is called numeric_storm_technical_paper.pdf in readings folder
• Watch Study of a numerically modeled severe storm sample images. Retrieved 12/1/2007, 2007, from http://redrock.ncsa.uiuc.edu/image_89video.html
  • I DIGITIZED IT IN VIMEO - click here and use password !interactive

Assignments and activities:

• Assignment 3 DUE
• Do Assignment 4: viz critique, part 1

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Class 4 (2/12)

Principles of Visualization see the "framing talks (class slides)" folder - slides are called "framing 4"

Case: Numerically modeled severe storm

Reading:

• Seeman, Nadrian C. “Nanotechnology and the Double Helix”. Scientific American; Jun2004, Vol. 290 Issue 6, p64-75, 10p, 10 diagrams, 2c scanned article in reading folder
• Ned Seeman’s Lab at NYU
• watch and read Ned's video for science central on nanorobots
• Card, S. K., Mackinlay, J. D., & Shneiderman, B. (1999). Readings in information visualization: Using vision to think. San Francisco, Calif.: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers. (Chapter 1) scanned chapter in reading folder
• Williams, Linda, Adams, Wade (2007). Nanotechnology Demystified. McGraw-Hill Professional. (selections) read Chapter 3 and Chapter 5, located in reading folder

Assignments and activities:

• Assignment 4: part 1 DUE
• Do Assignment 4: viz critique, part 2

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Class 5 (2/19)

Principles of Visualization: pictures for science no slides this time, just discussion

Case: visualizing the nanoscale Guest -- Ned Seeman, NYU Chemistry

Reading:

National Science Board. "Science and Technology: Public Attitudes and Understanding." Chapter 7 in Science and Engineering Indicators 2008. Arlington, VA: National Science Foundation, 2008.

PEW/Internet and American Life Project study: The Internet as a Resource for News and Information about Science announcement> full report (selections - please read the Summary Findings and also part 2: Science Knowledge, Attitudes, and the Internet, but the whole thing is worth a scan)

Refer to National science foundation surveys of public understanding of science and technology, 1979-2001

Assignments and activities:

• Assignment 4: part 2 DUE
• DO Assignment 5

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Class 6 (2/26)

Publics and the broader impacts of science see the "framing talks (class slides)" folder - slides are called "framing 6"

Reading:

The End of Theory: The Data Deluge Makes the Scientific Method Obsolete by Chris Anderson in Wired

See wikipedia for a little introduction to concept mapping If you like this, here's some freeware set up for making them called Freemind

Assignments and activities:

• Discuss assignment 5, please put links in the "course work" part of the wiki for this one.
• Prepare for SALON SCIENCE...

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Class 7 (3/5)

SALON: Sciences please the the blog here for an update on next week's schedule to include the Games talk

Reading: National Citizens’ Technology Forum: Nanotechnologies and Human Enhancement http://cns.asu.edu/files/NCTFSummaryReportFinalFormat08.pdf

Nanoscale Informal Science Education Nanodays events/kits http://www.nisenet.org/ (review the site, what NISEnet is, and the catalog resources)

Review DECIDE materials

Assignments and activities:

• Assignment 1: events, DUE
• Salon assignment: Concept maps with formal written critiques
• Self-assessment

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Class 8 (3/12)

Case: Designing for engagement, an experiment

We will play the DECIDE GAME together

Readings:

• Fuller, R. B., & Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. World Resources Inventory. (1971). The world game:Integrative resource utilization planning tool. Carbondale, Ill.: World Resources Inventory, Southern Illinois University. (READ pages 17-40 and 104-140 Buckminster Fuller’s Presentation to U.S. Congressional Sub-Committee on World Game MARCH 4,1969 and world game scenarios and data handling techniques)
• VISUAL TECHNOLOGIES, COSMOGRAPHIES, AND OUR SENSE OF PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE by by Thomas Rockwell This article is in the readings folder
• see some background information on our virtual visitor for next class via skype:
  • David McConville, director, noospheric research division
  • and his company The Eluminati: Immersive Projection Design
  • WATCH the introductory video associated with the collaborative Geodome network
  • LISTEN to an interview with David and Bonnie DeVarco on Buckminster Fuller's Geoscope idea

Assignments and activities:

• DO assignment 6

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

INSERT SPRING BREAK HERE

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Class 9 (3/26)

Intro Forms and Interfaces: Introduction to Buckminster Fuller's Worldgame and Design Science principles

virtual guest

• David McConville, director, noospheric research division
• and his company The Eluminati: Immersive Projection Design

Reference videos we will watch:

• Buckminster Fuller Challenge introduction
• Impervious surfaces in Western North Carolina
• Water in Western Noth Carolina

Readings:

Assignments:

• continue with Assignment 6, due next week

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Class 10 (4/2)

SALON PUBLICS: nanodays event

The Coles Science Center and the Business and Government Documents Center at Bobst Library Present a Special Coles Science Salon in Conjunction with NanoDays™ 2009

Thursday, April 2nd @ 6:30pm (please RSVP below)

"Nanotech Products, Policy, and Perceptions: Or, Why Your Gym Socks Might Be A Pesticide"

by Evan Michelson, Ph.D. candidate Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, NYU

From sporting goods to cosmetics, clothing to dietary supplements, there are over 800 manufacturer-identified nanotechnology consumer products available on the market. Based upon analysis conducted at the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, Evan Michelson will address how these products are being commercialized, their impacts on the oversight system, and related trends in nanotechnology public awareness and perception. He will also discuss critical issues associated with the future of nanotechnology, including potential regulatory approaches, possibilities for public engagement, and ways to improve consumer confidence.

DATE: Thursday, April 2, 2009 TIME: 6:30-8:00pm PLACE: Avery Room, 2nd Floor, Bobst Library

• RSVP****

Go here: http://tinyurl.com/salon-rsvp

Refreshments will be served.

For more info on NanoDays™ 2009: http://www.nisenet.org/nanodays

Get Coles Science Center updates and info on its blog: http://blogs.nyu.edu/library/colessciencecenter/

Readings:

• check out AMNH Science Bulletins site
• read about AMNH science bulletins production and distribution model
• read recent article on Science Bulletins and how it is used by teachers
• review Science Bulletins Educators Guide

Assignment:

• Draft your final project proposal -- due next week CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON PROJECT COMPONENTS

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Class 11 (4/9)

Forms and Interfaces, continued see the "framing talks (class slides)" folder - slides are called "framing 12"

Case: Ozone data presentation for Science Bulletins at the American Museum of Natural History

Assignment:

• turn in your draft project proposals CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON PROJECT COMPONENTS
• complete your scientist and audience interviews and media capture for next week, we will compare and contrast this information next week in class

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Class 12 (4/16)

Science and Publics workshop day

Review scientist interviews and target audience interviews media together - compare and contrast

Assignment:

• Revise your project proposal CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON PROJECT COMPONENTS

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Class 13 (4/23)

Complexity/risk/uncertainty

Assignment:

• turn on final project proposal CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON PROJECT COMPONENTS

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Class 14 (4/30)

SALON: Core project final presentations