March 1, 2012

Google Logo Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm

Science at SXSW

By Christina Agapakis

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

This year will be my first time going to SXSW Interactive and I'm super excited. Here are a few of the science/tech/art panels that I'll be going to.

March 10:

  • Rethinking How to Communicate Science

    "Communicating about science requires balancing competing interests with conflicting evidence. The craft of science communication will evolve with new technology and the ways we decipher the political, social and economic context of available evidence will be increasingly critical."

  • Data Visualization and the Future of Research

    "This panel focuses on developments in data visualization strategies but will also covers the basics of data, some major issues with data analysis and data visualization, and prominent theories of visualization."

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

March 11:

  • Brain As Interface: Future of Bio-Computing

    "Computer interfaces are evolving rapidly...We'll take a brief look at the evolution of interfaces for a historical perspective, then discuss the potential and perils of biological computing."

  • The European Tech Art Scene

    "Share director Simona Lodi will show video work by Paolo Cirio, Liens Invisibles, Stelarc, Lia, and Lucas Bambozzi. Bruce Sterling and Jasmina Tesanovic will describe the work of judging tech art, and how a Texan and a Serbian gleefully participate in a European creative scene."

March 12:

  • Get Excited and Make Things with Science

    "Science should be disruptively accessible – empowering people from a variety of different backgrounds to explore, participate in, and build new ways of interacting with and contributing to science."

  • iPlant: Advanced Computing to Feed the World

    "This session will describe The iPlant Collaborative, a large-scale project bringing high-end computing, data, and software resources to bear on the grand challenges of plant biology."

And of course, my panel with Patrick Boyle, Daisy Ginsberg, and Jason Kelly! Designing Living Things on March 9th.

  • "Synthetic biology aims to re-engineer living cells to sustainably produce fuels, medicines, and materials. With the promise of a new industrial revolution on the horizon, understanding the language of biotechnology will be more crucial than ever. This panel features a new generation of leaders in biotechnology from industry, academia, art and design discussing the future of biology."

Christina Agapakis is a biologist, designer, and writer with an ecological and evolutionary approach to synthetic biology and biological engineering. Her PhD thesis projects at the Harvard Medical School include design of metabolic pathways in bacteria for hydrogen fuel production, personalized genetic engineering of plants, engineered photosynthetic endosymbiosis, and cheese smell-omics. With Oscillator and Icosahedron Labs she works towards envisioning the future of biological technologies and synthetic biology design.

More by Christina Agapakis

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American

Subscribe