Reality Quest

The meandering thoughts of a curious humanaut drifting minds, realities, and the delectable mélange of our gestalt sentient meat-space. <br/><br/><a href="https://brainsstew.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast">brainsstew.substack.com</a>

Ep17 | Bonus Thoughts On Thoughts - Sex Tech, Robots, and Identity

This conversation was originally intended for release prior to Ep15 w/ Ela Darling. Enjoy the extra episode!DISCLAIMER: This recording discusses many adult topics. Some of the links below lead to sites containing adult content.**Show Notes**- Excellent talk about latest Sex Tech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoDWCb3wAD4Teledildonics- https://www.lovense.com/cam-model- https://www.wearablex.com/pages/fundawear- https://virtualrealityreporter.com/your-guide-to-interactive-sex-toys-for-virtual-reality-porn/- Blade Runner 2049 scene reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuV2c-6js8wSocial XR intimacy- ViRo Club: https://viro.club/- Support them! https://www.patreon.com/ViRoClub- ProjektMelody virtual cam model: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/epgbz4/projekt-melody-hentai-anime-camgirl-chaturbate?utm_source=mbtwitter- Robot brothels: https://www.the-sun.com/lifestyle/tech/265842/what-is-a-robot-sex-doll-are-there-sex-robot-brothels-in-paris-and-italy-and-how-much-do-they-cost/vb- Gatebox: https://www.gatebox.ai/en/ —- Her (movie): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1798709/?ref_=nmawd_awd_1- Lars and the Real Girl (movie): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0805564/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0- Demolition Man (movie):** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106697/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0- 3D printed sex toys (one of many sources): http://makerlove.com/- ASMR "Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response" (one example of many): - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuV7lEo2U48- Vagina dentata myths: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/payq79/pussy-bites-back-vagina- -dentata-myths-from-around-the-world- OMG Yes study in women's pleasure + technique collection/app: https://www.omgyes.com/- Erotica and Pornography: https://www.philosophytalk.org/shows/erotic-vs-pornographic- Dan Savage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Savage- HUMP! Film Festival: https://humpfilmfest.com/- Illusory embodiment and gender swapping (The Machine to be Another/ BeAnotherLab): http://beanotherlab.org/home/work/tmtba/- Gender Roles Theory: https://search.proquest.com/openview/2a1538ddf042c4613c100a69881e1b26/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y- Being John Malkovich (movie): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120601/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0- Sense8 (tv show): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2431438/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1- Black Mirror - Striking Vipers https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/06/black-mirror-season-5-striking-vipers-review/590743/Advice On Parental ControlsIt seems like parental controls are lacking in general with XR but here are some suggestions that may help:App purchases require a credit card and/or a PIN- make sure the parent is in control of this.For any app you purchase, do some online research to understand if it is considered kid-friendly.An example of a helpful website: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/reviews/category/game/platform/oculus-quest-88292 .Make sure VR is always played in open visible areas in the house... You can look into "Mirroring" or "Casting" to ensure you can see what they see (e.g. https://www.oqplay.com/how-to/how-to-cast-your-oculus-quest-to-a-mobile-or-tv-display/).If you are using a headset that connects to a desktop - ensure there are parental controls on the internet or apps on the desktop like Steam - since that is where the headset is pulling content from.Just like video games, some VR apps/experiences have multi-player social interaction which opens the child up to cursing, harassment and other bad actor behavior. Approach this the same way you do with video games to protect the child. We suggest you also use this as an opportunity to help prepare them and coach them about/ through bullying as you need to do with uncontrollable social interactions at school or elsewhere.Share your feedback and feature requests with the XR companies through their websites or on social media in order to amplify the need for more integrated and reliable parental controls. Get full access to Brain Stew🥘 at brainsstew.substack.com/subscribe

05-11
03:16:17

Ep16 | Thoughts On Thoughts - Columbus, You Basic

Welcome back, intrepid explorers! We've come a long way together, and it feels like a good place to begin wrapping up this leg of our journey. We've spent a lot of time over the past year chasing down a myriad of "wonderful human beings", seen new friendships bloom, and learned far more than we ever could have hoped for along the way. A long voyage like this deserves time for respite and reflection, so this will be our final episode for this season of Reality Quest. While we can't make any promises as to what the next creative endeavor will be for us, one thing is certain; this won't be our last foray together.We're hoping you read the title for this episode and anticipate that this will be a more freeform discourse than usual. You'll just have to listen and see where all the Christopher Columbus shade is coming from. We've both had a lot on our minds over the past few weeks after tying up all those loose ends on our deep dive into XR intimacy and porn. By the end of this recording, we'll lay down a veritable smorgasbord of tasty tangents. We wade through the speculative worlds of interactive storytelling and gameplay, the colorful humans in the loop of every virtual creation, and share a healthy dose of reflection on our learnings thus far. We hope you'll enjoy listening to this final dialogue as much as we enjoyed making it. If you manage to finish this episode and are still hungry for more, keep an eye out for bonus content we'll be releasing soon. As always, thanks for listening to Reality Quest!**Show Notes**- Paul McCartney's "Scrambled Eggs" (performed by Paul McCartney & Jimmy Fallon): (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGtixkey4_U)- Billie Eilish on Howard Stern: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnTHwzCxxyA)- Bartle's Taxonomy of Player Types: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartle_taxonomy_of_player_types#cite_note-43)- Half-Life: Alyx (VR game): (https://www.half-life.com/en/alyx/)- Life is Strange (video game): (https://lifeisstrange.square-enix-games.com/en-us/games/life-is-strange)- Journey (video game): (https://thatgamecompany.com/journey/)- Hamlet on the Holodeck(book): (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014DXC05M/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1)- Christopher Columbus: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus)- Erik the Red: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_the_Red)- Leif Erikson: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leif_Erikson)- Gloomy Eyes* (VR game): (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1111620/Gloomy_Eyes/)- Warm Bodies (a zombie love story movie!): (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07s-cNFffDM)- Stephen King's *The Stand* (book): (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stand)- Sleep No More* (immersive theater show): (https://mckittrickhotel.com/sleep-no-more/)- Shelter 2 (bobcat video game): (https://youtu.be/Tk-1M1wNVDY)- Colors of Noise: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colors_of_noise)- Disoriental (book about Iranian Revolution): (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079P59631/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1)- Persepolis (graphic novel about Iranian Revolution): (https://www.amazon.com/Persepolis-Childhood-Pantheon-Graphic-Library/dp/037571457X) Get full access to Brain Stew🥘 at brainsstew.substack.com/subscribe

04-27
03:34:06

Reality Quest Ep15 | Virtual Intimacy, Pornography, & Sexuality with Ela Darling

*Disclaimer: We discuss some topics in this episode that may be considered explicit in nature or NSFW.*Welcome back to our comfy little corner of the metaverse! We're glad you're here and incredibly excited to finally release an episode on virtual intimacy and adult experiences in XR. Plans have been in the works to bring on the wonderful Ela Darling for quite some time to help us explore this particular niche. Since we couldn't fly to see her, we were finally compelled to get on a call together in this new fully-remote world.We approached this topic and conversation from an angle of curiosity, with a few questions in mind that we wanted to explore:- What is possible now and in the near future in the space of intimacy and adult content through virtual reality?- What are the unique challenges faced as well as lessons learned in designing and creating within this space?- How are people protecting ownership of their content and representation in the virtual domain?- How is this medium changing our perceptions of pornography and intimate connection?We wanted to get a better view of this evolving industry and understand it from the perspective of those working and innovating within it. Ela is a huge advocate for performers working within the industry and is also insatiably curious to find new ways to utilize technology to enhance these experiences. We swept through a range of topics with her, from her initial origins in the space to how she got involved in various forms of live camming, developing virtual avatars, and creating immersive filmed experiences.She's helped explore many of these domains first hand, and now spends much of her time helping teams like Viro Playspace to build evocative, fully-virtual experiences for people to explore and play. We had so much fun getting to know Ela and sharing in the many insights she has gathered over her past decade in the industry. We hope you enjoy this episode and learn something new, as we certainly did in our research and conversation. Thanks for listening!*Warning: contains links to adult content*- **Ela Tedx Talk:** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9HpC65Pfz4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9HpC65Pfz4)- **Vex Ruby:** [https://www.plexstorm.com/stream/vexruby](https://www.plexstorm.com/stream/vexruby)—- **ViRo Playspace:** [https://viro.club/](https://viro.club/)- ***"A Cam Life"* (documentary)**: [https://www.hulu.com/movie/a-cam-life-b9a69bd3-8ae5-41c8-8260-f505632826bb](https://www.hulu.com/movie/a-cam-life-b9a69bd3-8ae5-41c8-8260-f505632826bb)- **AVN Adult Entertainment Expo**: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AVN_Adult_Entertainment_Expo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AVN_Adult_Entertainment_Expo)- **Lovense** (teledildonics): [https://www.lovense.com/](https://www.lovense.com/)- **Silicon Valley Virtual Reality**: [https://www.svvr.com/](https://www.svvr.com/)- **Black Box Collection:** [https://blackboxvrxxx.com/](https://blackboxvrxxx.com/)- **Follow Ela:** - [https://www.instagram.com/eladarling/](https://www.instagram.com/eladarling/) - [https://twitter.com/eladarling?lang=en](https://twitter.com/eladarling?lang=en) Get full access to Brain Stew🥘 at brainsstew.substack.com/subscribe

04-14
02:01:18

RealityQuest Ep14 | Evocative Design with Miko Charbonneau & Mike Hines Part 2

Welcome to part two of our conversation with Miko & Mike! If you got here by accident and want to catch up, go back to episode 13 and catch us from the beginning.Otherwise, enjoy the episode!Show Notes (Full List at https://realityquestpodcast.com/)Miko Charbonneau:Follow Miko's latest lives treams and amazing work at:Twitch @DrMikachuhttp://www.prettysmartgames.com/http://www.driftervr.com/Follow Mike on Facebook or find his latest stunning creations at:http://www.luminousmachine.com/ Get full access to Brain Stew🥘 at brainsstew.substack.com/subscribe

03-16
01:31:57

RealityQuest Ep13 | Evocative Design with Miko Charbonneau & Mike Hines Part 1

Welcome back to another week with us, fellow mind-spelunkers! In many ways, this week is anything but the usual run of the mill.For one, this pair of episodes comes at a time when much of the world is fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. The reality of the situation only just began to sink in for many this past week in the United States.In light of the circumstances, we decided to break from our usual rhythms and record our intro and outros from a local cafe in Seattle. You'll hear a bit of the background din and conversation at the beginning and end of each episode. It's a small detail we hope will show that some normalcy had still been clinging on here in Seattle as people came out to grab a morning coffee and conversation with friends.As for the main event, we're excited to share with you our first group conversation episode. We brought in two lovely guests this time around to riff and waffle on the topics of storytelling and associated design challenges in the domain of immersive tech. Miko Charbonneau and Mike Hines join us to explore the space of possibilities, each bringing a wealth of knowledge gained through creating numerous games and interactive experiences both in XR and more traditional video games. They each brought their own unique energy to the conversation, and we are extremely happy with the results.We clearly had too much fun talking as a group, so you get the special treat of two episodes releasing this week. We just didn't want to keep you waiting this time for part two. You're welcome. :DDISCLAIMER: The situation since recording has evolved further as of this March 16th, and the now prescribed method to combat the COVID-19 outbreak here is to temporarily avoid all social gathering spaces and non-essential facilities (ie. Grocery stores, pharmacies). There are many ways to continue supporting local businesses without visiting directly, and we want to encourage any present listeners to heed the latest official guidance on curbing the spread of COVID-19.Show Notes (Full List at https://realityquestpodcast.com/)Follow Miko's latest livestreams and amazing work at:Twitch @DrMikachuhttp://www.prettysmartgames.com/http://www.driftervr.com/Follow Mike on Facebook or find his latest stunning creations at:http://www.luminousmachine.com/ Get full access to Brain Stew🥘 at brainsstew.substack.com/subscribe

03-16
02:48:33

Ep12 | Thoughts On Thoughts - What is the Value of XR?

Welcome back, spelunkers! This week is a real milestone for us, as we've now certainly passed the first year mark from the inception of Reality Quest as a shared collaboration. We both feel this episode is our most genuinely unadulterated Jay & Kelly conversation space yet. From the beginning of this endeavor, we strove to reach a comfortable recording headspace which could bring the listener as close to the dinner table as is possible, and this might be the closest to the real deal.With a few tangents as is natural, the premise of this conversation began with a question: What is the value of XR?We immediately had to dive deeper to find the roots of that inquiry. Why should it become widespread? What benefit does it have over other mediums for experience, and where does it differ? How should we be communicating that value to people outside of this nascent industry?We ended up starting from a clean slate, laying out some common language, and set upon the task of breaking it down piece by piece. We began forming a mental model of XR & content, then attempted to define some of the basic components of Storytelling & Gameplay. Ultimately, our stack of questions grew far higher than we started with, but with the modest reward of new lenses through which to examine XR and stories in general. The riddle is by no means solved in the end, but we'll continue this examination in future #ToTs episodes and with more guests to come. So sit back and enjoy a glass with us. Thanks for listening!Show Notes:- What is the "Doobly-Doo"? (https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=doobly-doo)- Bespoke Post (https://www.bespokepost.com/)- "Almost and Influencer" article (https://medium.com/swlh/almost-an-influencer-5a843c9a7af3)- "Meeting You" South Korean Documentary bringing the dead to life in VR (https://nypost.com/2020/02/12/south-korean-doc-used-vr-to-reunite-mother-with-deceased-daughter/)- "All Models are wrong, but some are useful" (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_models_are_wrong)- Psychological Human Needs (related to why people like games) (https://www.psychreg.org/why-people-play-video-games/)- Song: "Pixels" by Mimicking Birds (https://genius.com/Mimicking-birds-pixels-lyrics)- Half + Half VR game (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0gbYe0xW4s)- Language and Cave Art History - https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2018/02/acoustic-caves-rock-art-language-origin-spd/ - https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180221122923.htm - https://www.inverse.com/article/41517-cave-painting-human-language-evolution - http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/news/cave_art_paintings.php?id=Cave-art---the-origin-of-language- Dragons Love Tacos (https://www.amazon.com/Dragons-Love-Tacos-Adam-Rubin/dp/0803736800/ref=asc_df_0803736800/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312057607871&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10770875883659509884&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9033322&hvtargid=pla-432942759039&psc=1)- "The Art of Game Design" by Jesse Schell (https://www.amazon.com/Art-Game-Design-Lenses-Second/dp/0692288872/ref=asc_df_0692288872/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312089030079&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3414892178152377292&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9033322&hvtargid=pla-571795955657&psc=1)- How Games Move Us: - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWL1jeL0uBU - https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/how-games-move-us- Medium Article: "There is a second valley past the Uncanny Valley or How developing an AR horror game put me in the hospital" (https://medium.com/@bryanmitchell_67448/there-is-a-second-valley-past-the-uncanny-valley-22d2ea193e0)- "Understanding Comics" (https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Comics-Invisible-Scott-McCloud/dp/006097625X/ref=asc_df_006097625X/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=266182330298&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7668664535402043761&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9033322&hvtargid=pla-435178923051&psc=1) Get full access to Brain Stew🥘 at brainsstew.substack.com/subscribe

03-02
03:27:51

Reality Quest Ep11 | The Human in the Headset with Jude Dai

Welcome back for another guest episode! This week we share our conversation with Jude Dai; an XR entrepreneur and creator in search of the deepest experiences of life. She spends much of her free time wandering distant mountains, and her working hours toward her company, Immersive Square. We explored some interesting topics together; from the necessity of learning agility in nascent domains to spectrums of experience and the blue ocean strategy in product development. Demonstrated through her business, she has made it a personal mission to overcome some of the accessibility challenges associated with XR and bring immersive experiences to where people live.As usual, we had a lot of fun during this recording, in particular, because Jude is such a sage of wisdom both in life and business. She brings a spark of energy for exploration, so we hope you enjoy listening!If you want to find out more about Immersive Square or how you can help, check out https://www.immersivesquare.com/.Show Notes:Clouds over Sidra (Syrian refugee camp life 360 video): https://www.with.in/watch/clouds-over-sidra/Take Flight (360/VR fly around the NYC sky with celebrities): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0e0bsumM5YImmersive Square: https://www.immersivesquare.com/Blue Ocean Strategy: https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Ocean-Strategy-Uncontested-Competition/dp/1591396190The Void (example of “location-based” VR): https://www.thevoid.com/ILMx (Lucasfilm immersive entertainment studio): https://www.ilmxlab.com/Lantern Ensemble: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWvgk5bI6VlfjO_OR5qbtRgEminem at the Oscars: https://youtu.be/J8AGD_p8F6I Get full access to Brain Stew🥘 at brainsstew.substack.com/subscribe

02-17
02:22:34

Reality Quest Ep10 | Thoughts On Thoughts

This episode is a real treat, as it's the first time we sit down to record solo and meander as we see fit. If you enjoy a flowing conversation and tangents upon tangents, similar to our guest episodes, #ThoughtsOnThoughts episodes will be fun explorations with just us guiding you along the way.We start with a bit of reflection back on the past six months since recording episode 9 with Gwyn. The conversation centered heavily on Rec Room and similar social platforms, so we focused on what we had experienced since in the Metaverse. Topics galore insue, from Rec Room to the Magic School Bus, planetary emotions to spice girl tea parties, and everything in between. We finish out our day with a bit of projecting on the topics we'd like to explore more this year in the industry. If you'd like to influence where we end up next and who drops into our scrappy little studio for XR spelunkings in the future, go drop us a line and share your ideas or thoughts. We're charting our course for the episodes to come, so get involved and you could help shape the conversations to come.*Show Notes:*Minor planets: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minor_planetMagic School Bus Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaiOOSJon4MOculus Quest VR Headset: https://www.oculus.com/quest/?locale=en_USOculus "First Steps" (shooting rockets, dancing with robot, etc.): - the app - https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/1863547050392688/?locale=en_US; - Youtube recordings of the experience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQVl8Xly4r0Within: https://www.with.in/"Conscious Existence": https://www.with.in/watch/conscious-existenceSpyce Gurrl Teaparty: Coming SoonMotion Sickness:- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/22835165_Motion_sickness_An_evolutionary_hypothesis- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKhE3CMz7Sk"Minecraft": https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/"What Games Are Like For Someone Who Doesn't Play Games":- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax7f3JZJHSw- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_76lcBpDbvw&t=368s"Limbo": https://playdead.com/"Daytripper" graphic novel about an obituary copywriter: https://www.amazon.com/Daytripper-Gabriel-Ba/dp/1401229697/ref=asc_df_1401229697/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312140890976&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9143873307447304329&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9033322&hvtargid=aud-801381245258:pla-404766126479&psc=1"The Best We Could Do" graphic novel about Vietnam refugees: https://www.amazon.com/Best-We-Could-Do-Illustrated/dp/1419718770"Invisible Ink" book on writing (is it a warning or an encouragement?): https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Ink-Practical-Building-Resonate/dp/0998534471/ref=asc_df_0998534471/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312155960128&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2672678263031809406&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9033322&hvtargid=aud-801381245258:pla-420509734740&psc=1Youtube about habit themes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVGuFdX5guE&feature=youtu.beDance Central VR: https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/2453152771391571/?locale=en_USRec Room VR: https://recroom.com/rec-roomNotion Brain-Computer Interface Device: https://neurosity.co/Healium: https://www.tryhealium.com/ Get full access to Brain Stew🥘 at brainsstew.substack.com/subscribe

02-10
01:56:54

Reality Quest Ep9 | Forging Worlds with Gwyn Leece

This week, we pick up some of our threads from previous episodes on social VR, augmented reality, and the Metaverse. Gwyn Leece is our guide through the composition of virtual worlds seen through a Hololens and experienced from within a VR headset in Rec Room.Some of our previous episodes have covered more on the social interplay and experience of social platforms like AltSpace and RecRoom, but this time we dig a bit more into the composition and engineering of these platforms. Together we meander into everything from early childhood and video game culture to building worlds and cultivating virtual economies. Gwyn's broad experience in the design and development of interactive experiences across multiple types of immersive platforms brings a wealth of perspective and knowledge to the roundtable. It was so much fun sharing an evening conversation with Gwyn, and hopefully won't be her last appearance on the show. We hope you'll enjoy this episode as much as we did.If you want to hear more from Gwyn, you can follow her on Twitter @gwymff (https://twitter.com/gwymff).Show Notes- Nintendo Wii: One of the first widely successful motion-tracking game consoles(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii)- Kinect: XBOX Motion tracker(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinect)- Dance Central(https://www.dancecentral.com/)- Beat Saber(https://beatsaber.com/)- The acting troupe from RecRoom(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Seev70WSSk)- HoloTour(https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/holotour/9nblggh5pj87?activetab=pivot:overviewtab)- Berlin Blitz Experience(https://www.oculus.com/experiences/rift/2178820058825941/?locale=en_US)- "Strange Beasts"(https://vimeo.com/209070629) Get full access to Brain Stew🥘 at brainsstew.substack.com/subscribe

02-03
03:13:56

Reality Quest Ep8 | Welcome to the Metaverse with Michael Gourlay Part 2

The quest continues! We pick up where we left off last episode, part one of our journey with Michael Gourlay through augmented reality(AR). Our conversation this time wanders into a myriad of topics, from hyper-reality to Doghouse Leathers, umbrella beatings to consumer AR and sharing of virtual experiences. We explore the broad range of challenges around building a new medium that is available for more people to benefit and thrive in.In the second half of the episode, we take some time to backtrack again and reflect on some of the topics from our time with Mike. We revisit some fundamental concepts like hyperreality, Solipsism, and try to end with some ultimately positive outlooks on the future of mainstream XR.Let us know if you enjoy the latter half of these episodes, as this is our first "solo" experimentation where we riff on topics we're deeply intrigued or curious about. We enjoyed the format and plan to do more with it in episodes moving forward, so your feedback and ideas are appreciated. We'd love to hear YOUR thoughts on thoughts. ;DPART II - InterviewThe History of Umbrellas: https://www.thoughtco.com/who-invented-the-umbrella-1992592https://www.heddels.com/2018/09/taking-cover-the-long-history-of-the-umbrella/HYPER-REALITY video by Keiichi Matsuda: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJg02ivYzSsDoghouse Leathers: https://www.doghouseleathers.com/Oculus Quest headset: https://www.oculus.com/quest/?locale=en_USFRIENDS episode about altruism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DowJfUmlzeIThe Void (Location-Based VR): https://www.thevoid.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA9orxBRD0ARIsAK9JDxRsoJhC2veG37R_Yig_G0rIFi2ebSJgevIZ8g0eTw8hVdpOyYBn3-8aAmGiEALw_wcBAnnual Oculus Connect Conference: https://www.oculusconnect.com/Stack Overflow data website: https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2019PART II - Thoughts on thoughtsJean Baudrillard: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_BaudrillardRene Descartes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9_DescartesAltspace: https://altvr.com/Rec Room: https://recroom.com/rec-roomMozilla Hubs: https://hubs.mozilla.com/#/The Under Presents: https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/1917371471713228/?locale=en_USSleep No More: https://mckittrickhotel.com/sleep-no-more/Malcolm Gladwell Podcast: http://revisionisthistory.com/Lady Gaga interview with Oprah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzuBTC2kZ8oBlack Mirror Episode: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4538072/Mike's Fluids: http://www.mijagourlay.com/fluidAlso see: http://www.mijagourlay.com/ "Red Giant adopted my fluid model into their Trapcode Suite 15, Particular 4 and Form 4 products for Adobe After Effects." Get full access to Brain Stew🥘 at brainsstew.substack.com/subscribe

01-20
03:28:37

Reality Quest Ep7 | Welcome to the Metaverse with Michael Gourlay Part 1

Happy New Year, daring explorers! The year is 2020, the onset of a brave new decade. The next ten years will undoubtedly create new waves in the way we interact with the world around us. In light of these exciting times, we felt it a fitting moment to try changing up our formula a bit.This time around, Michael Gourlay enters the fold and shares his musings on life, AR and the Metaverse (from a giant beanbag, in a bathrobe, and with a cocktail in hand). An early leader of the HoloLens and Windows Mixed Reality teams at Microsoft, once a general manager of the Altspace VR team, now actively developing future platforms for augmented reality, he brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to this episode. We go spelunking into so many things, from screaming frogs to the Cold War, to tongue gloves and the ultimate composition and texture of the 'Metaverse'. Together we explore the world through the lens of augmented reality, uncovering an aspirational vision of a future freed from the information confines of our screens. He was a wonderful guest to have on our show and helped inspire a continuous stream of lively conversation. By the end, the hour was late, and we had far more questions and thoughts than when we started. We raced through so many different topics and domains that we decided to split our recording with Mike into two episodes, so part two will pick up where we left off in our next bi-weekly release. After stepping back from part one of our convo with Mike today, we've revisited the highlights in hopes of adding some helpful context and commentary for you on the juicy bits. We hope you enjoy this special retrospective episode and look forward to your feedback and thoughts, so please reach out with your ideas!If you want to hear more from Mike, you can find him on Twitter @MiJaGourlay. Get full access to Brain Stew🥘 at brainsstew.substack.com/subscribe

01-06
03:24:31

Reality Quest Ep6 | Building Pathways Together with Tim Cullings

Welcome back! Our guest this week is an accomplished Systems Engineer working in XR by day, and an avid community builder among the game development scene in Seattle. Tim Cullings is an active member of the Seattle Indies group and International Game Developers Association. He's also a passionate Karaoke aficionado. On his journey, he's experienced multiple companies grow from small teams into thousands strong, and has gained a wealth of wisdom from scaling up both systems and culture in those challenging environments. One of the things he's most passionate about is cultivating new members in the developer community, so we've shared some of the groups he helps run locally in Seattle. If you have ideas you'd like to make a reality, are curious about getting started with game development, or just looking for a supportive and active community to get involved in, check them out. If you don't live in Seattle, your best bet is to find a local chapter of the IGDA and go to a meetup.### Tim Cullings on Social Media[Twitter](https://twitter.com/timcullings)[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/tim.cullings)### Support or Join [International Game Developers Association - IGDA](https://www.igdaseattle.org/)[Seattle Indies](https://www.seattleindies.org/) Get full access to Brain Stew🥘 at brainsstew.substack.com/subscribe

12-09
01:27:26

Reality Quest Ep5 | Evolving Theatrical Dimensions with Kiira Benzing

We begin our week with Kiira Benzing, an award-winning avant-garde pioneer in virtual reality theater, immersive artistic expression, and mixed medium experiences. Coming from a background in traditional theater and filmmaking, Kiira was inspired to express in more than two dimensions when she was creating a traditional documentary and envisioned a better way to connect the audience to the story. Discovering XR could help her achieve her vision, in 2015 she dove into the industry head first and never looked back. In this episode, we get to hear all about Kiira's story, her wonderful and wildly successful experiments in VR, and some of her thoughts on how we can all work together to help the industry improve and expand its reach. She shares some important insights from her research in the use of avatars for acting as well as from her recently acclaimed projects ‘Loveseat’ and ‘Runnin’. Kiira is an amazing human, a generous soul, and an extremely talented multidimensional director whom you should be keeping track of. We can't wait to see what she does next!Ways to reach out:- doubleeye.co (her studio/ production company)- Insta: @doubleeye- Twitter: @DoubleEyeProArticles where you can learn more:- Alive in Plasticland https://medium.com/alive-in-plasticland- Birds Bees and Multiple Realities https://noproscenium.com/birds-and-bees-and-multiple-realities-loveseat-at-venice-vr-684c530c8ac7 Get full access to Brain Stew🥘 at brainsstew.substack.com/subscribe

11-25
02:05:41

Reality Quest Ep4 | Pervasive Play with Evie Powell

In this episode, we jump right into the "blender of life" with Evie Powell on building pervasive experiences that cross the traditional boundaries of screens and play in games. We dig into what it means to craft experiences that are more naturally intuitive. The conversation also focuses on measures we can take to help build a healthier future enhanced by technology that helps instead of hinders us.If you want to learn more about Evie and more of her amazing work, go check out her Twitter @parasiteEvie or her website https://www.vergeofbrilliance.com/ Get full access to Brain Stew🥘 at brainsstew.substack.com/subscribe

11-12
02:32:33

Reality Quest Ep3 | Life and Learning with Mat Chacon

This week, we kick back with Mat Chacon, the CEO & co-founder of the team behind Rumi, Doghead Simulations(https://www.dogheadsimulations.com/). During the conversation, we explore how VR is transforming and enabling new ways to learn together and from afar, as well as his visions of a life innately integrated with enhanced reality tech. We also veer off into lots of fun tangents on life and culture, so if you just wanna hear more of the XR-specifics, skim over the first half of the episode. Otherwise, site back and enjoy the ride!If you want to hear more from Mat on life and VR, you can find him as @TheVRCEO on Twitter. Get full access to Brain Stew🥘 at brainsstew.substack.com/subscribe

10-28
02:35:04

Reality Quest Ep2 | The Overview Effect with Tom Furness

This time we're joined by Tom Furness, the "grandfather" of VR. We begin our journey in the early days of space exploration amid a growing international arms race and the path which led him to create the first virtual interface for pilots. During our conversation, we explore how his experiences guided him in his lifelong mission to build a healthy foundation for the growth of XR into the future.You can find out more about Tom's latest endeavors or support his non-profit Virtual World Society(https://www.virtualworldsociety.org/) by signing up as an annual member or getting involved directly to help out. Get full access to Brain Stew🥘 at brainsstew.substack.com/subscribe

10-14
01:36:26

Reality Quest Ep1 | Creating Connection Through Virtual Reality with Katie Kelly

Our Journey begins! We take the red pill and wade deep into the waters of social experiences in virtual reality with help from our guest Katie Kelly, the Program Owner for AltspaceVR(https://altvr.com/) at Microsoft. Get full access to Brain Stew🥘 at brainsstew.substack.com/subscribe

09-30
01:23:40

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