There are many flavours of science communication. The question is, what do you want to do? I’ve met people who describe science through dance, whether a traditional ceilidh or more interpretive. I’ve worked with artists using textiles, or sound and vision. Filmmakers are all over the shop, and everybody has a particular style; it’s hard to pick a favourite, but some people you should look at include Steve Mould, Epic Spaceman, Huw James, and the amazing Michelle Dickenson. Even I’ve had to develop skills in filmmaking; they are pretty essential in this age.
Continue reading “World Book Day 2025”Conversations About Ghosts
I’ve recently been chatting with a journalist, Geoffrey Bunting, about the topic of ghost-hunting technology. It was triggered by him working on a piece marking the 15th anniversary of the Xbox Kinect, something I’ve posted about on this site. While exploring the technical aspects, limitations, and weaknesses of the hardware, the ‘afterlife’ of the project as a SLS system for use by ghost-hunters is what has brought him to me, although many others could have discussed it in far finer detail than I could. For me, this developed into an opportunity to explain a little more about WHY I wrote a science show about ghost-hunting. That’s what this post documents. (UPDATE: The Guardian article was published 3rd Mar ’25, and The Verge article was published on 30th March.)
Continue reading “Conversations About Ghosts”Let’s Talk Tech – 5) ‘The SLS Camera’
Structured Light Scanners, or ‘SLS’ are something you may have seen ghost hunters use when looking for the ‘physical embodiment of spirits’. While they command a high price on the internet, the chances are, you can pick up the important pieces from eBay or a local charity shop for not much outlay. You just need to know what to look for, and how to hook up them up with the right software. You’ll be surprised just how easy this is. Firstly, what do we mean by ‘structured light’?
Continue reading “Let’s Talk Tech – 5) ‘The SLS Camera’”