Visions of a Semantic Molecular Future 2001-01-17 Update

Cambridge Spook Molecules (David Murray-Rust)

Inspired by William Gibson’s Spook Country David has created a virtual artistic landscape (Locative media) over Cambridge. 3-dimensional molecules have been created and magnified to the same scale as buildings. They have then been “placed” over places in Cambridge which might have some historical or humorous reference. Thus “caffeine” has been placed over the Old Computer Laboratory which had the first webcam of the departmental coffee pot.

The system uses Layar (http://www.layar.com/) to manage the knowledge base. This allows modern GPS+compass enabled phones to locate the virtual information. Anyone with a sufficiently compliant phone can do this

• Download the Layar app (either app store or android marketplace)
• Start it
• Go to either "Layers" or "Mine", and look for the "Cambridge Molecules" layer.
• Have fun!

Then move your phone around till you see the molecules. If it works for you, show a neighbour how to do it. How many molecules can you find?

Beyond The PDF (Anita de Waard)

Anita de Waard and Phil Bourne are running a meeting in San Diego immediately after this on “Beyond the PDF” – PMR, Cameron Neylon, Alex Wade and others are going. The meeting aims to explore … “better integration between the research paper and research data is imperative”. Anita offered to provide a virtual lecture for VSMF but hard as we tried we could not fit the technology, timescale and timing together. The offer is much appreciated.

Streaming, Tweets and Timing for VSMF

The meeting is being streamed with both audio and video. We are VERY grateful for Julian and Steve from the University Computing Service for some days of preparation. This is ambitious – combining the streams has put a load on the humans and machines. This is an alpha test, and it will be exciting if it all works throughout the day.

If you are listening remotely the details will be given on the main PMR web page – http://www-pmr.ch.cam.ac.uk/. We intend to give a status report as to whether the streaming is working. Some presenters, especially Henry Rzepa, prefer to disseminate their own material and will not be streamed. The streaming involves several conversions all of which degrade the signal so that text is often unreadable on the streamed version. However the static presentation should all be available and remote viewers should be able to display those and listen to the audio.

The hashtag is #pmrsymp and there will be a twitterfall in the lecture room, so that comments from inside and outside will be displayed.

We intend to allow 5 minutes for each 2 questions. The more time the speaker leaves the more questions there can be. If the speaker fills their time there can be no questions. The timing is very tight as a lot has been fitted in. Please help by returning absolutely promptly from coffee or lunch. Chairs have been asked to make sure presentations do not overrun.

The timing in the PMR sessions – 15 minutes a.m. and 30 minutes p.m. involve 15 speakers and are timed to the second. Please do not interrupt or ask questions during or at the end of these sessions. There will be a long period for discussion after the last PMR session.

Wireless

All delegates should have a login to the University wi-fi (Lapwing). Please be moderately considerate with bandwidth (e.g. do not recompile your maven libraries throughout the day). We want lots of comment, but be responsible in what you tweet.

Hackfest

This was a great success with 16 people over two days. Results will be shown briefly in the final session and more leisurely and in-depth at the reception. Successes include:

• Molecular gestures
• Intelligent labcoat

More Thanks

We add thanks to NIH for financial support. To Susan and Emma for managing the event. Bobby and the Centre for initiating and sponsoring. EPSRC for financial assistance through PIA grant. Julian and Steve for recording/streaming. Many members of the group for help.

Followup

We plan an in-depth meeting in March/April which will explore the mechanics of creating semantic chemistry.

Presenters at 1630

[David Murray-Rust cannot be physically present]

PMR -> Hannah Barjat -> PMR -> Lezan Hawizy -> PMR -> Sam Adams -> PMR -> Ben O’Steen -> PMR -> Nick England -> PMR -> Jenny Molloy -> PMR