Optimum Conditions

What are the optimum conditions for invention? Is there even such thing as an optimum condition? Through a cross-species collaboration that brings together humans, microbes, plants, and technology to promote

Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s saper vedere (“knowing how to see”), participants will learn from nature’s genius. They will practice their observation skills and see how the natural world can inspire design, as it did with da Vinci, and dig deeper to see how biomimicry can lead to sustainable design.

Co-Creating Our Automotive Futures features a gallery of historical visions of urban futures, a co-creation space, and 3D-printed prototypes of future cars, as well as an interactive design environment.

Geodesic Radio invites you to help understand what happened in the future. Enter into a secret room where the mysterious Xavier has created crazy boards with clues from the year 2071. Pick up where he left off by constructing wild theories and hypotheses about a world turned upside down—boat people scavenging for plastic in the ocean, crowds cheering for albatross, protesters fighting the plastic economy. One ecologist’s legacy may tie it all together. Clues are scattered throughout the room, left where Xavier abandoned them. Contribute to the ever-evolving crazy board by stringing together the clues that build your image of the future.

Utopia — No Place is a digital theater performance that bursts the bounds of traditional theater to ask about our possible futures, seen from the perspective of scientists and inventors from different time periods. The performance is brought into being using mobile technologies, augmented reality, and virtual reality.

Braitenberg Acrobats will be observed as suspended animated lights that move around in 3D space. Observers may see a system that looks orderly and well-coordinated or chaotic, depending on the current state of the system. Observers may become a part of the system by attempting to focus light (from a phone or other light source) at the light sensors on the acrobats.

March 30 at 7:00 p.m. We are living in the most technologically advanced time in human history. Driven by a near-insatiable desire for invention, we are reprogramming biology, creating machines

How are new inventions classified? How do they make their way through the patent system? This interactive mural depicts the variety of categories used by the International Patent System and challenges visitors to discover pathways to making a new invention a reality.