Ellerbee Becket Optimal Healing Environments Lecture Series

The Minneapolis office of the architecture firm Ellerbe Becket and the Center for Spirituality and Healing at the University of Minnesota have teamed up to host a lecture series on healing spaces -- Ellerbee Becket Optimal Healing Environments Lecture Series. Geared towards architecture students and professionals as well as health professionals, the lecture series is intended to address the creation of optimal spaces for healing. The first lecture was given by Dr. Eve Edelstein in May 2008. A video of her presentation titled "Creating Healing Spaces: Neuroscience and Architecture" can be seen on the Center's website. The next lecture is scheduled for October and will feature Craig Zimring from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

The Center has hosted an impressive list of speakers including Dr. Richard Davidson ("Buddha's Brain"), Dr. Esther Sternberg ("Brain Immune Interactions"), and Dr. Matthieu Ricard ("Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain: Cultivating Inner Conditions for Genuine Happiness"). Their presentations are also available online along with other resources -- here.

Paralyzed man takes a walk in virtual world

As a follow-up to my post on Spatial Cognition in Virtual Worlds, researchers at Keio University have enabled a paralyzed man to control an avatar in the 3D virtual world of Second Life using a brain-computer interface (BCI). Three electrodes mounted on headgear monitor brain waves presumably from motor cortex, which is the area of the brain that is involved in the control of movement and is located close to the surface of the skull. The data is analysed, interpreted by computer algorithms, and then converted into real time movement of the avatar.

The implications of this proof-of-concept study in paralysis patients is great. A BCI application such as this one could be used in therapy, rehabilitation, and training interventions, which in turn could greatly improve the quality of life for these patients.

AFP (Agence France-Presse) -- Paralysed man takes a walk in virtual world

Pink Tentacle -- Brain-computer interface for Second Life

New World Notes -- The Second Life of the Mind: The story behind the brain-to-SL interface

Inquiry By Design: A Blog

I recently came across a blog by Molly Yee at the University of Minnesota called Inquiry by Design. The name and premise of the blog is inspired by John Zeisel's book of the same name (incidentally an updated and revised version of Zeisel's book came out in 2006 with a chapter on neuroscience and architecture).

'Inquiry By Design' is characterized by the notion of asking, examining, investigating, questioning and therefore learning through design. It involves observing behavior, interviewing, analyzing... effective researching to enhance design. Research doesn't have to be scientific, just exloratory [sic]. How can we make design better? By learning from what has already been accomplished, by measuring the qualities and analyzing impact. That is 'Inquiry By Design'. -- Molly Yee, "Inquiry By Design"

While it looks like Yee's blog is no longer active, there are several posts that are promising starts to addressing the thesis of her blog. It appears as if her blog is in response to a class assignment in that the posts seem to have a forced direction. But all in all it is more theoretical and asks more questions than it answers.