calacademy

ROBOTS! I'm going to make some friends on February 23 (No, literally.)

Tosh and I will be standing next to some robots we've made, who will in turn present their skills to the world, at Nightlife at the California Academy of Sciences on February 23. Expect some underwater research vessels, and autonomous battle-bot-protester with realtime crowd-analysis and targetting, and something that'll react to precisely how drunk you don't know you are.

Come have a drink and enjoy lively debate with some new robot friends.

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jonbritton's blog

Educator's Extravaganza, and Electronics for Educators

This week, November 5th, I'll be working with Tosh Chiang to lead two workshops at the California Academy of Sciences' Educator's Extravaganza, highlighting interesting ways educators can employ electronics, engineering and applied science to engage students in their classrooms and lecture halls. This full-day event is free to teachers, and has received a tremendous response already. Please RSVP, and expect to be sent home with some interesting toys!

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jonbritton's blog

Human-Computer Interactivity and Engineering the Cyberpunk Future

On November 3rd, I'll be taking part in a series of IGNITE talks, presenting, "Human-Computer Interactivity and Engineering the Cyberpunk Future. The synopsis: Poking keyboards and wiggling mice was fine for its time, but the future of Human-Computer Interaction will enhance lives invisibly and tangibly. Highlighting a variety of sensors already in Academy exhibits, and previews of some that will control next year’s, Jon Britton will examine the weird and frequently unnatural relationships between people and data. "

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Morrison Planetarium in Wired

The Morrison Planetarium is featured in Wired Magazine, here:
http://www.wired.com/video/planetarium-tech-beyond-the-infinite/1813637559.

It's an interesting video despite the introductory line, "Wired.com goes into the bowels of The California Science Academy to see how it works."

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calacademy

jonbritton's blog

Journey to the Stars Now Playing at the Morrison

The Morrison Planetarium at the California Academy of Sciences has changed its daily presentation from the (hugely successful, ahem) Fragile Planet, to a show co-produced with the Rose Center at the American Museum of Natural History, entitled, Journey to the Stars. It is adapted to contain local, San Francisco imagery and include a live presentation by an astronomer, and I'm credited as Production Engineer.

Fragile Planet will still be shown at the Academy's Nightlife program on Thursday evenings.

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AstroViz Workshop

I'll be presenting "The Technology of Science Visualization at the California Academy of Sciences " at the Astronomy Visualization Workshop, hosted by the California Academy of Sciences. I'll attempt to cover the Morrison fulldome planetarium, the Dolby 3D stereoscopic / 2K theater of the Hearst Forum, the renderfarm and workstation environment of science visualization, and our plans for future experimentation.

Notes and details of our infrastructure and capabilities are available upon request.

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jonbritton's blog

Greatest Geek Jobs Interview in MaximumPC Magazine

I'm interviewed for my work on and in the Morrison Planetarium at the California Academy of Sciences in this month's print issue of Maximum PC Magazine. Norman Chan did an incredible job, even making it sound as though I wasn't completely out of it, despite my disheveled, overcaffeinated inarticulacy and complete lack of preparation (evidenced in the full page, "high times" photo.) No small feat -- great work!

I am currently the Senior Systems Engineer of the Morrison Planetarium and (digital) Exhibits, and credited as Production Engineer (pdf) for the Academy's inaugural presentation, Fragile Planet.

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