Online RPG Funeral Gets Ambushed
Koert van MensvoortSince its launch in November 2004, World of Warcraft (Wow) has become the most widely played massively multiplayer online (MMO) game in the world. When a popular WoW player died …
Search results for Online
Online Ads in Offline Locations
Ruben BaartEver stood in front of a mountain and wondered which other mountains you might like after seeing this one? No? Well, it's what we do everyday. London-based artist duo Scott Kelly …
Online Oxygen
Koert van Mensvoort600 million people worldwide are beginning to see online access as an absolute necessity. From airports to living rooms to roof gardens to classrooms to city parks, People want …
Online gamers unmasked
Rolf CoppensPhotojournalist Robbie Cooper captured images of gamers and their real-life selves. Here are their stories. Bae plays a man because she thinks that male avatars have more …
The Dictionary of Online Behavior adds a virtual layer to your vocabulary
Ruben BaartTo some extent, it's a chicken-and-egg question: Are you unable to think about things you don't have words for, or do you lack words for them because you don't think about them? …
Mapping the Online World
Ingmar NieuweboerThe world looks quite different online, based on the country-code domains
Spy Agencies Infiltrate in Online Games
Koert van MensvoortFor NSA, spying on you isn't enough, they monitor your avatar too.
Map of Online Communities
Dr NaturalJust in case you hadn't seen this one . Informational spaces define physical spaces, rather than the other way around. The map is the territory? Let's just hope the territory can …
Drone Diver's License? Get it Online!
Alessia AndreottiThe online course to get your drone driver’s license for civil use.
MyWebwill.com – Serving your last online wishes
Koert van MensvoortWe live an increasing amount of our lives online, but what happens to our digital identity after we are gone? Until now our blogs, photos and social network accounts have lived …
Dad Hires Virtual Hitman to Kill Son's Online Avatars
Allison GuyA 23-year-old in China was recently puzzled why his online avatars were being killed off at disproportionate rates. After asking around, the young man eventually discovered that …
'e-End' means removing a person from online life
TeyoshWhen two people have a fight it is not really the end until it’s e-end. We finally have a chance to kick somebody out of our lives. People typically remove someone from friends or …
Solar-Powered Donkeys to Stay Online
Margherita OlivoTurkish shepherds are installing solar panels on their donkeys to stay connected.
'WFF' is a person who you encountered briefly, but stays in your online life forever
TeyoshBefore social networks, there were episodic characters in our lives - people we've only met once or twice, and we haven’t heard from since. Nowadays whoever, we once add a person …
Clickvalue is the subjective value of someone's online social media behavior
TeyoshAlthough all likes, shares, and retweets come from the same act of clicking, not all of them carry the same value. If you are in love, the most valuable like will be the one from …
'Overpresent' means to actively exist both offline and online
TeyoshPhysics teaches us that it is not possible to be present at two places at the same time. However, some users of social networks seriously challenge that fact. The amount of …
FRAP: Fear of a Recently Added Person
TeyoshDo you know that feeling when you add someone on your social media and you cannot help to think that, now that this person sees your profile, your posting will never be the same? …
China limits use of 'virtual' currencies
Dr NaturalBy DAVID BARBOZA SHANGHAI — China made public on Tuesday regulations aimed at cracking down on the use of virtual currencies amid worries that a huge underground economy was …
The next sexual revolution is going to be all about technology
Peter DiamandisSex is one of the most powerful, fundamental human drives. It’s caused wars, and built and destroyed kingdoms. It occupies a significant percentage of most people’s thoughts. As …
Have you thought about your social media death?
Freya HutchingsRecently, Twitter announced it would be clearing all inactive accounts in an effort to free up dormant usernames and prevent the risk of old accounts being hacked. The new policy …
Next Generation: Searching for Null Island with Deborah Mora
Ruben BaartThis story is part of Next Generation , a series in which we give young makers a platform to showcase their work. Your work here? Get in touch and plot your …
The sense of privacy
Marit BeerseHumans’ natural sense of privacy helps them regulate the boundaries of public and private, but fail when trying to identify privacy risks in the online world.
Is eSports really sport?
Jack CaulfieldeSports is the huge industry that’s growing up around competitive online gaming. Let’s take a look at how this cyberpunk sporting world came to be.
Father Hires Gamers to Virtually Kill His Son
Margherita OlivoThis father in China hired some professional gamers to find his son on online games and kill his avatar.
Rating the Reputation Economy
Lewis JustOur online reputation is becoming a valuable currency that is hard to earn and easy to lose.
Smell of Data Documentary on Nextnature.net
Ruben BaartThe Smell of Data documentary will make its online debut on nextnature.net.
'Thrillification' is thrill about getting notifications
TeyoshChecking for new notifications has become a habit that is hard to resist. For some users of social networks it is a kind of an impulse. When receiving and opening notifications, …
Managing the data deluge: Twitter as a tool for ecological research
Marianne MessinaAs early as 2009-10 , researchers were looking at Twitter data mining as a way to predict the incidence of flu. At the time, the H1N1 virus, or “swine flu,” had made the jump from …
How to play e-dead
TeyoshPlaying e-dead means to avoid being visibly active online because of not having answered to someone’s message or comment. This is a part of a social media code of conduct; if you …
Second life prostitute
Koert van MensvoortThe world's oldest profession has made quick inroads into virtual life. You can make a quick buck if you're willing to accept in-game money for sexual services -whether that's …
Games Become Jobs: Gold Farming in China
Koert van MensvoortChinese workers slaying monsters to earn gold for western consumers. It sounds surreal, but it is a far from virtual reality for the so-called 'gold farmers', who are working in …
Allergen Beagle – A Home Foodscanner
Koert van MensvoortNo shellfish, no peanuts, no soy, no milk, no eggs. An increasing number of people suffer from various food allergies, which force them to constantly scan food packages for …
Deliver us from Digital Bluntness
Stephen PerryPeoples attitudes online are wholly different from their behaviours in real life
Interview: Floris Kaayk, the Visionary Creative Mind Behind Human Birdwings
Alessia AndreottiFloris Kayak discusses online hoaxes and the future of technology.
Analogue vs Digital: Add to Shopping Cart
We don’t have to leave our homes to do groceries, buy new clothes, furniture, or anything. We can buy everything online!
The Coronation
Charles EisensteinFor years, normality has been stretched nearly to its breaking point, a rope pulled tighter and tighter, waiting for a nip of the black swan’s beak to snap it in two. Now that the …
Why screen games are still real play
Marcus CarterPlay is a core part of a healthy childhood , through which children develop social, communication, cognitive and physical skills. Children’s play adapts to its circumstances. …
Are we living in a superorganism?
Ruben BaartThe coverstory of Next Nature Magazine investigates how the rise of virtual influencers on social media reveals a superorganism.
Friending, Ancient or Otherwise
By ALEX WRIGHT, Published in NY Times December 2, 2007 The growing popularity of social networking sites like Facebook , MySpace and Second Life has thrust many of us into a new …
That Website Smells!
Jesper van den ToornDo you ever miss being able to smell the woods in an online travel journal? The odor of a new leather jacket in an online shop? Or perhaps you just couldn’t find the words in an …
Can This Virtual World Save the Real One?
Alessia AndreottiA Dutch artist designs a Utopian eco-socialist online society.
Disgusting, these Stingray Sneakers
Koert van MensvoortDutch NRC features a wonderful article today on our online film project The Rise & Fall of Rayfish Footwear.
The Monkey Named After a Website
Allison GuyThis Bolivian monkey's name is also an ad for online gambling.
Digital Native
NextNature.netDigital natives have trouble understanding life before 24/7 online connectivity.
Forget Google Street View, Here's Cat Street View
Wei Lun WangJapan city has launched an online street view map to introduce the view of the city by a cat's perspective.
MyWebwill Dead Before its Subscribers
Koert van MensvoortThe company MyWebwill helped you to manage your digital afterlife. Unfortunately for its subscribers the company itself has now deceased.
Who Owns the Map?
Ruben BaartIn their pursuit of mapping the physical world online, mapping services simultaneously shape our understanding of it too.
Photoshop Hacks Become In Real Life Art
Nadine RoestenburgUV Production House reflects on popular online platforms for maker culture.
The Modular Body
NextNature.netThe Modular Body is an online science fiction story by Floris Kaayk about the creation of OSCAR, a living organism built from human cells.
Helix, the App Store for Your Genome
Charlotte KuijpersStartup Helix launched an online hub where you can digitally explore your genetic code by downloading different apps on your computer or smartphone.
Intimate Technology S01E07: Our Selves
NextNature.netWe think of selfhood as residing in our everyday stream of consciousness. But could we possibly have a second digital self in our online behaviors? Watch episode 3 of our Intimate Technology series.
(Im)possible bodies: responsiblity and care in our cyborg future
Koert van MensvoortWhat does it mean to become a cyborg? Better yet, aren't we cyborgs already? What then, does it mean to have a body? Is a 'standard' desirable, what does that even mean, and what …
Next Generation: Speculating about the future with Deborah Rhyner
Ruben BaartThis story is part of Next Generation , a series in which we give young makers a platform to showcase their work. Your work here? Get in touch and plot your coordinates as we …
Swiping is the new touching
Nadine RoestenburgFrom all the memes that have reached me through my screen since the outbreak of the corona pandemic, there is one that perfectly reflects my thoughts in the beginning of March …
How technology keeps us connected
Britta de VriesAt this moment in time, many people are staying at home in order to flatten the curve . It is times like these that we realize how vital technology is to us and our societies. It …
Virtual makeup: maybe they're born with it, maybe it’s XR
Ruben BaartAs our reality exists increasingly within digital realms, our virtual world demands a virtual identity. Our work is hybrid, our social identity is online and our connection is …
COVID-19 is a virus, corona is a meme
Ruben BaartAs the viral pandemic continues to spread, so too does the world’s collective uncertainty. As a result, people are turning to media for some levity. And can you blame them. …
First Second Life Millionaire announced
Koert van MensvoortAnshe Chung is an avatar, or onscreen graphic character, created by a Chinese-born language teacher living near Frankfurt, Germany has proclaimed herself the first second life …
Meta meta reality
Rolf CoppensTringo is an online multiplayer game created by Nathan Keir (aka Kermitt Quirk) in December 2004 that runs inside the virtual reality platform Second Life. It is described as a …
Bacteria That Eat Waste & Shit Petrol
Koert van MensvoortEnergy problem? Why not genetically alter bacteria to have them provide 'renewable petroleum'. Crude oil is only a few molecular stages removed from the acids normally excreted by …
Just right for the garden: Mini-Cow
Koert van MensvoortRising supermarket prices are persuading hundreds of families to turn their back gardens into mini-ranches stocked with miniature cattle. For between £200 and £2,000, people can …
Second Skin Trailer
Arnoud van den HeuvelSecond Skin takes an intimate look at computer gamers whose lives have been transformed by the emerging genre of Massively Multiplayer Online games (MMOs). World of Warcraft, …
Virtual Transgender Suit
Koert van MensvoortA study by psychologists at Nottingham Trent University has found that 54 percent of all males and 68 percent of all females "gender swap" – or create online personas of their …
Sign Out Forever
Hendrik-Jan GrievinkAn earlier post on Next Nature learned that The Good People behind Webwill provide us with a service to extend our lives on social networks after our physical death. But what if …
Time Between Emergence and Design
carolinenevejanPreviously, experiences of time emerged from nature as given – offering seasons, the rhythm of humans, plants and animals. Nowadays, people integrate nature-time, body-time, inner-time, clock-time, and global 24/7 systems-time. Human beings, in past, current and next natures, have to deal with emergence and design of time in order to survive.
The Rise and Fall or Rayfish Footwear
Koert van MensvoortFor almost three years, we worked on a sneaker company that we knew would go bankrupt on the day it was founded. This is our coming out...
The Bottom-Up Bitcoin Revolution
Silvia CelibertiIn a recent feel-good article, WIRED wrote about a special group of homeless friends in Florida who, equipped with laptops, phones and free WiFi, manage to make ends meet making …
FarmVille Turns into Real-Life Agriculture
Julie ReindlA Japanese Start up brings Farmville back into real life by letting players grow physical food.
Here’s how the Dutch are embracing blockchain in the polder
Coen van de VenSmiling broadly and rattling with enthusiasm, the 33-year-old Rylana Doesburg shows off a QR-code on her phone: an angular pattern of black and white squares. “Thanks to this …
The return of Rayfish Footwear?
NextNature.netRayfish Footwear was a fictional company that offered personalized sneakers crafted from genetically modified stingray leather. This online science fiction story allowed customers …
A forcie is an involuntary selfie
TeyoshThere are many reasons why somebody doesn’t want to take a photo at a certain place in a certain moment or with a certain people and put it online. The reason might be anything …
How technology bridges the generational communication gap
Freya HutchingsEmoji, Skype, Selfies - can these communication technologies close the generation gap? In part, yes! Young people are teaching senior citizens how to use technology, and it’s …
Work with us!
Next Nature DevWe are a network of makers, thinkers, educators and supporters. With members in 44 countries, we are the international network for anyone interested in the debate on our future – …
Fake for real: Octopus lips
Freya HutchingsA recent lip filler trend blew up on social media. 'Devil lips' , or Octopus lips, have attracted divided opinion online. When the body modification hit Instagram, some spectators …
Metaverse: 5 things you need to know
Steve BenfordWhat is the metaverse and to what extent should we believe that the vision being presented to us is really going to be central to our daily lives?
Next nature disasters: the Facebook outage of 2021
Veronica FanzioWhere were you on the 4th October 2021? During the day that will be remembered for the Facebook outage, not everyone was equally impacted.
The prehistoric importance of trading technology
Nicholas R. LongrichThen, as now, one person could literally change the course of history, with nothing more than an idea.
From Megabytes to CO2
Marit BeerseThijs Biersteker has designed an art installation that shows the carbon dioxide emission of the internet.
Artvertising: pixel ads become physical
Koert van MensvoortIn the early days of digitalization many metaphors from the physical world were translated to the digital world; think desktop folders, trashcan and shopping cart. Now we have …
You only live Twice
Koert van MensvoortYes, I understand the media interest in Second Hype (Of course we don't take it serious as a virtual reality concept. Steering a mouse, sitting behind a flat screen, moving 3D …
Elephant sends sms messages to rangers
Niko VegtIn the Kenyan wildlife conservancy Ol Pejeta elephants are tagged with a GPS-triggered text messaging device. Before the elephants start raiding the nearby villagers' harvest they …
World of World of Warcraft (WOWOW)
Arnoud van den HeuvelVideogame players celebrated this week as a hotly anticipated sequel to the popular online video game World of Warcraft hit the shelves. The nine million gamers can now play a …
A Society of Simulations
Koert van MensvoortAn interviewer once asked Pablo Picasso why he paints such strange pictures instead of painting things the way they are. Picasso asks the man what he means. The man then takes out …
Breathe, Believe, Surf the Web
TimoA while ago a plan was proposed within the European Union to add a “Three Strikes, Out” law regarding to copyright infringement. After three accuses of copyright infringement by …
Clouding the brain
Ties van de WerffMan is a flexible species. We tend to adapt quite rapidly to new environments. But how fast can these adaptations turn to new evolutionary traits? For instance: to what extent is …
Douglas Coupland: A radical pessimist's guide to the next 10 years
Hendrik-Jan GrievinkDouglas Coupland is a writer and artist based in Vancouver. For the canadian newspaper Globe and Mail, he wrote The ‘radical pessimist's guide to the next 10 years’ a dystopian …
South Korea Rules 'Virtual' Money on Par With 'Real' Money
Koert van MensvoortOur regular readers know that whenever we write about money in these quarters, we always feel obliged to write the words 'virtual' and 'real' between brackets, as money is by …
Who wants to Bike on Bamboo?
Andrea ReidlCarbon fiber and aluminum are so 2009. This year's best bicycling model is made out of bamboo and hemp. A new generation of manufacturers are coming up with some of the most …
Virtual Offline Shopping
Marco van BeersAs the second most hardest working people on this planet, Koreans obviously dread their weekly shopping for groceries. It is therefore that Home Plus (Tesco in Europe) plastered …
Next What?
John ZerzanIn this essay, anti-civilization, anarchist philosopher John Zerzan critiques the concept of 'next nature.' He argues that rather than freeing us, our self-domestication through …
From Eco-Apartheid to Earth Democracy
Vandana ShivaDo humans exist merely to make money and use resources? Vandana Shiva believes humans have a higher purpose.
Out of Network
Santiago ZabalaArtist Filippo Minelli aims to point out the gap between the reality we still live in and the ephemeral world of technologies.
Six Tweet Under: Live Forever via Twitter
Hendrik-Jan GrievinkA new company analyzes your personality and writing style in order to keep producing tweets after you die.
Belief System Meets Operating System
Hendrik-Jan GrievinkThe façade of an Indian temple constructed from a large-scale print of a Facebook Wall.
Falling in Love According to Facebook
Alessia AndreottiFacebook data science analyzed what happens to our virtual life when we fall in love.
Analogue vs Digital: All Art in the World
NextNature.netVisit a couple of museums from all over the world in a single day. The world’s most famous paintings are just one click away.
Analogue vs Digital Memory Game
NextNature.netThe Analogue vs Digital Memory Game explores the different ways of seeing, thinking and experiencing across the digital divide.
72h Offline Challenge for Teenagers
Monika KozubAround 100 Polish teenagers aged between 12 and 18 agreed to withstand 72 hours totally offline: no phone, no computer, no TV. What were the results?
The First Beauty Contest Judged by AI
Ruben BaartThe first beauty contest judged by complex algorithms has sparked controversy after biased results.
Designed to Survive Our Roads
Ruben BaartA road safety campaign in the Australian state of Victoria exposed an educational, yet confronting picture to raise awareness to the vulnerable human body on the road.
The Digital Life Project
Alejandro AlvarezResearchers are creating accurate 3D models of living organisms to preserve the heritage of life on Earth.
Goodbye Password, Hello Selfie!
Margherita OlivoCompanies try a new, more secure payment system using selfies.
Racist Robots and Bloodthirsty Crowds
Daniel FragaIt took less than 24 hours for Twitter to corrupt an innocent AI bot and teach it morally repugnant things.
Your Teaching Assistant Is a Robot
Margherita OlivoJill Watson has been performing as teaching assistant for 5 months, but she is not a real person, and students didn't notice.
Digital Detox: Disconnect to Reconnect?
Nadine RoestenburgDo you feel information overloaded? Do you experience stress? Do you feel like you are addicted to your smartphone, laptop, or the Internet? Get yourself digital detoxed!
The return of direct democracy: Introducing a digital agora to the crypto-world
Koen WeselIn Ancient Greece the people were part of a direct-democracy, this means that they would directly vote for policies and laws. Nowadays, it seems as though this horizontal approach …
'Halfseen' means reading (the beginning of) a message without opening it
TeyoshThe appearance of “seen” has created a new phenomenon: opening messages partially, having a peek at the beginning of the message and assuming the rest so that the other person …
Why insects are not the new sushi
Jonas HousePeople across the world have been eating insects for thousands of years. We know that approximately 2,000 species are edible and that these insects are eaten in many different …
On inhumane technology
Jack CaulfieldStick-on shoes, wakeup lights, bionic limbs: these are examples of humane technology. But what exactly does this mean? It can best be explained in contrast with its opposite. …
(Un)postable: the (un)suitable qualities of social media posts
TeyoshWhen perceiving the world around us as a potential Instagram post, some thoughts, stories and situations can easily be packed into a tweet or a photo, while others are harder to …
How future fashion could help us cope with isolation
Ruben BaartToday we cannot meet, touch or hug our loved ones. And while we all like the feeling of the touch of another human being, physical contact does not just feel nice, it is crucial …
9 creatives in biotech you need to know right now
Ruben BaartThe field of biofabrication is still new to most people. As founder and CEO of Biofabricate, Suzanne Lee shared with us this exciting online event series Creatives in Biotech . If …
7 ways to connect with your loved ones
Ruben BaartDuring these challenging times, we have tried to find happy moments together where we could find them. From weekly Zoom lunches to having online wine tastings, still, it doesn't …
We are all parent Earth
Ruben BaartLast week I was strolling through the aisles of the supermarket when I heard a buzzing sound coming from my pocket. I looked up from my cart and saw it was a message from …
Beijing's dust storm: part human, part nature
Ruben BaartThe skies in Beijing turned orange recently, thanks to what was widely reported as a massive sandstorm . The problem, at least in terms of public health, is that it was not …
The next generation xenobots are here
Simon CoghlanIn 2020, scientists made global headlines by creating “ xenobots ” – tiny “ programmable ” living things made of several thousand frog stem cells. These pioneer xenobots could …
Artist refuses photography prize after admitting his image was AI-generated
Vanessa Bates RamirezA German artist refused a photography prize after admitting his image was AI-generated.
This vending machine gives out health advice in exchange for your personal data
Kelly van GemertYour biggest wealth is health, but what it the costs you your anonymity? This vending machine gives you nutritional advice based on the information you give it.
How to design a digital democracy
Rinie van Est10 design requirements to fully immerse ourselves into the 21st Century—in which technology makes our world richer, not poorer.
ABN Amro's virtual branch in Second Life
Dutch banking group ABN Amro has set up a virtual financial advice center in Second Life, the Internet-based role playing game. According to a Reuters report ( who recently opened …
Big Brother enters virtual world
Dr NaturalA version of the hit reality TV show Big Brother is to be staged in the online virtual world Second Life. Fifteen international Second Life residents will occupy a glass house on …
Biggest Visual Powershow: Photo report
The pictures of the Next Nature Biggest Visual Powershow , in Zollverein are now online! Powershowmaster Koert van Mensvoort and Claudia (most advanced robot in the world). …
Entryparadise
Written by Werner Lippert & Peter Wippermann, Curators of the Entryparadise exhibition (26/8 until 3/12, 2006, at Kohlenwäsche, Zollverein) Design is about to undergo a …
Playing Dreams
Rolf CoppensJayne Gackenbach, a professor of psychology and sociology at Grant MacEwan College, Canada has completed research which claims that video games alter the way the brain works. …
Scientists want to create human-cow hybrid
Koert van MensvoortScientists in the UK applied for permission to create part-cow, part-human embryos for research aimed at treating diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. The embryos created …
Sexual Behaviour Totems
Koert van MensvoortThese totems were developed by analyzing online pornography viewing habits. Custom software was written to sniff all incoming Web traffic at a discreet location, sorting packets …
Topic Flowers
Koert van MensvoortAn online application that generates artificial flowers from text . Type in any sentence you like and it is being transformed to a fake flower. via information aestethics
Anti-Protection Vest
Arnoud van den HeuvelLet us pretend you are a soldier and you are being sent to war. One of the first questions that should pop into mind: how will you prevent yourself from getting shot? Armor that …
Avatar machine
Rolf CoppensThe virtual communities created by online games have provided us with a new medium for social interaction and communication. Avatar Machine is a system which replicates the …
Ball of Being
Koert van MensvoortBall of Being is an online dance film featuring atoms, planets, footballs, globes, foam and molecules. It is uncertain whether we are entering a microscopic nanoworld, virtual …
Brain-computer interface for Second Life
Dr NaturalWhile recent developments in brain-computer interface (BCI) technology have given humans the power to mentally control computers, nobody has used the technology in conjunction …
Deep in the Forest : Owls, Logs and Noise
SaraStarting as noise makers, the owlproject work on different products which are deeply rooted in nature. And electronics.With their logs the owlproject travel around the world, …
First documentairy made inside Second Hype
Koert van MensvoortAfter the many documentaries and TV coverage on Second Hype, now the first documentary made inside Second Hype is here. My Second Life is a documentary about a man named Molotov …
Furry Display
Koert van MensvoortI applaud any new display technique that isn't emitting light. A recent patent application by Philips for a new type of screen based on "furry" pixels , or physical pixels made …
Information Decoration: Our Environment as an Information Carrier
Koert van MensvoortPicture this: it's 40,000 years ago, and you are an early Homo sapiens. You are standing on the savanna. Look around you. What do you see? No billboards, no traffic signs, no …
Not A Cornfield
Arnoud van den Heuvel"Not A Cornfield" is a project (2005) by Artist Lauren Bon. It's a living sculpture in the form of a field of corn east of Downtown Los Angeles. The site - historically a train …
Smiley Cushion
Hendrik-Jan GrievinkI don't know how it is with you, but to me sending smileys in emails or text messages always feels a bit primitive. It's not that I don't like the icons, I really do. I just don't …
The Seven Wonders of Nature
Hendrik-Jan GrievinkAfter setting up the biggest online voting poll ever for electing seven new wonders of the world, the swiss-canadian filmmaker Bernard Weber set up a new poll: the election of …
The Metaverse Roadmap
Koert van MensvoortIn ancient times heroes like Marco Polo and Christopher Columbus explored the unknown territories of the globe. Today world traveling has become a teenage tourist activity, but …
The Tissue Engineered Meat of Tomorrow
Koert van MensvoortThe meat in the supermarket is abstract, square and habitually made from wickedly manufactured animals. A friend once told me he only eats meat if he "can not recognize the animal …
Toys'R'Us
Hendrik-Jan GrievinkMarch 2007 gave birth to Knut, the übercute baby icebear in the Berlin Zoo. A unique event, since it was 30 years ago a baby icebear was born in the zoo. Within weeks, Knut has …
Fake for Real: A Memory Game about Reality
The Fake for Real Memory Game playfully visualizes the classical theme of Fake vs Real. Is everything that was once directly experienced, in our media society now replaced by …
If avatars could vote
Koert van MensvoortDemocratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has made a play for online gamers, placing in game campaign advertisements in a series of popular titles from video game giant …
Louis Vuitton VS Fake for Real
Koert van MensvoortThe Fake for Real Memory Game – consisting of 60 cards that playfully visualize the classical theme of fake and real in our society – has temporarily been taken offline due to …
Not just Second Life, but Multiple Lives
MTHow real is World of Warcraft? When lines get blurred and people voluntarily throw themselves in a state of digital schizophrenia; current values and norms change in ways …
Photoshop reporters in China
Koert van MensvoortChina's high-speed train from Qinghai to Xizang worried environmentalists well before its launch in July 2006. Concerns increased after a photograph of Tibetan wildlife near a …
Social Networking down to the Genetic Level
Koert van MensvoortIf you've ever wanted to know just exactly how much DNA you share with your ridiculously tall brother or doppelganger best friend, you'll soon be able to find out. 23andMe , a …
The copypaste Bird
Koert van MensvoortOne might think this video is just another witty flick made by some media artist. It is not. This is a real bird living in Southern Australia. In order to attract females, the …
Next Nature @ Volume Magazine
The latest issue of Volume magazine aims to re-investigate sustainability after zero. Originally a wacko, hippy-esque ideology, ‘sustainability’ - aka ‘eco-friendly’ or ‘green’ - …
OOMouse versus Magic Mouse
Arnoud van den HeuvelRecently were introduced, the OOMouse ... ...and the Magic Mouse . Both tools are developed to browse the ones and zeros more easily. It almost seems unfair to compare them, so I …
Sixth Sense
Koert van MensvoortAlthough this TED video has been all over the web and commented on this website already, it still deserves a separate post: Desigineers Pattie Maes and Pranav Mistry of the MIT …
The Internet Mapping Project
Arnoud van den HeuvelKevin Kelly -- senior maverick at Wired -- asks people how they see the internet and if they can, visualize it. Here is how: "The internet is vast. Bigger than a city, bigger than …
Tweets go Bubble
Arnoud van den HeuvelMinsh is an underwater 3D navigable world where each fish represents a Twitter user. The concept behind this world is that the social behaviour of fish will represent what people …
Virtual Money Is a Pleonasm
Koert van MensvoortHave you heard the buzz on virtual money in online games? Some years ago the first virtual millionaire was announced, yet there have also been reports on people being practically …
Your Grandparents Google
Koert van MensvoortYes Child. Back in the days, before computers existed, we Googled by postcard. Although it exists for less than 20 years, online search has become such a commonplace activity it …
Come See the Berg!
Koert van MensvoortSo you’ve seen the peak of the Mount Everest on tour ? Descended the bobsled ride of the Matterhorn in a Disneyland ? Think you’ve seen it all? Now come and see The Berg in …
ECO Currency – A Proposal to Balance Economical and Environmental Value
Koert van MensvoortImagine we would have an alternative monetary currency for environmental value. Would the rain forest still be destroyed if there existed an ECO–currency to express its value and …
Having Invented the Gods, Perhaps we can Turn into Them
Jason SilvaMy name is Jason Silva. I've spent the last 5 years hosting and producing a tv show on Al Gore's Emmy-winning Current TV network and I'm a fellow at the Hybrid Realities …
![Visual of MANKO & Plagiarism [#1]](https://nextnature.net/media/pages/magazine/story/2010/manko-plagiarism-1/b50dcc7ae7-1602632753/manco-530-868x486.jpg)
MANKO & Plagiarism [#1]
Aston RevolaIn this first review of the works of Manko, we'll discuss the complex sorts of plagiarism in Augmented Reality art that are typical for our contemporary art scene. This introduces …
Natural-Born Junkies
Orestis TsinalisHippopotamus: a 2,5cm-long tablet-shaped nonliving chewable animal, member of a multi-species flock known as the Animal Parade, which tastes like fruit and is found in little pill …
Norwegian boy saves sister from moose attack using world of warcraft skills
Koert van MensvoortHans Jørgen Olsen, a 12-year-old Norwegian boy, saved himself and his sister from a moose attack using skills he picked up playing the online role playing game World of Warcraft.. …
To Milk the Cows, Click here
Koert van MensvoortIn millions of offices and homes around the world, people are hard at work planting crops, feeding cattle and tilling their land. Welcome to Farmville , the digital rural world …
Virtual | Real pet
Minke KampmanIn the 70's we had the pet rocks that have gotten lost over the years in drawers and attics. The 90's gave us Tamagotchi's to look after, which we could reset if all else failed. …
Back to the Tribe
Koert van MensvoortTraditionally, technology is seen as a force that diminishes our instincts and puts us at a distance of nature. Increasingly however, we realize technology can also energize and …
BitFriday - First Crash for Digital Currency
Allison GuyOn June 10, the digital currency Bitcoin lost 30% of its value in a few hours, dropping from US $28.92 to $20.01 per coin. Bitcoins are a largely untraceable form of money, …
Browsing the Technological Sublime
Allison GuyIn this video, Geert Mul uses online photos to tap into the divine presence in image search #powershow http://bit.ly/uk79b0
City Planning with Bright Bacteria
Allison GuyRenegade architect and futurist Rachel Armstrong has proposed that our cities, currently constructed of dead trees, baked mud, and refined ore, need to be coated in a layer of …
Gamers Solve Enzyme Riddle
Natalie DixonIn a vivd example of the blur between culture and nature, players using an online game called Foldit have helped solve complex questions for researchers about enzyme models. The …
Games become punishment: Gold farming in prison
Allison GuyRemember the gold farmers in China who put in eye-straining hours to earn virtual money in World of Warcraft? Gold farming has now made the leap to the country's corrupt penal …
Next Nature Power Show 2011 Amsterdam
The Next Nature Power Show is an intellectual spectacle where artists, scientists, designers, filmmakers, architects and philosophers present their radical ideas, visionary …
Resizing Daddy
Allison GuyA little girl gets angry at her father, and uses her index finger and thumb to make a pinching motion . No, she's not trying to hurt him. She's using iPad sign language to say, "I …
One day left: Next Nature in Amsterdam
Buckle up for living architecture, lab grown meat, swallowable perfume, Facebook suicide, Gods browser and antidepressant yoghurt at the Next Nature powershow 2011.
Who Needs Real Humans? Not H&M
Allison GuyClothing giant H&M no longer uses real humans in its online catalog. The company has admitted that it pastes real models' heads on computer-generated bodies. At least there's …
#10: Enhance Human Experience, Don’t Replace it
NextNature.netPart 10 in the 11 part series Anthropomorphism and Design . The hidden danger with interactive products is that they will become so good at fulfilling our needs that they start to …
A Fake Sun for Your 25/7 Life
Allison GuyThe earth operates on a 24 hour cycle, and so do humans. For most of history, we didn't have much choice in the matter. However, in the absence of visual cues light sunlight, some …
A Winery in your Microwave
Hendrik-Jan GrievinkA delicious Montepulciano in only 6 seconds? This is now possible with the universal Nano wine. All you need is a microwave oven. In 5,64 seconds at 1000 watt you have a sublime …
Archaeologist Finds Ruins of 'Friendster'
Koert van MensvoortLast month internet archaeologist Dr Maxwell Fry stumbled upon the perfectly preserved ruins of an online community called 'Friendster'. Remember, that predecessor of Facebook, …
Meat, the Expectations
Koert van MensvoortAs the planet’s population speeds towards 9 billion, it’s becomes impossible to continue consuming meat like we do today. Will we all be eating rice and beans? Grasshoppers …
Mushrooms: The New Solution for our Plastic Problem?
Rens OverdijkYou cannot look around your local environment without seeing something made out of plastic. Almost all the stuff we buy is packaged in plastic. Since recycling packaging materials …
New Museum Preserves "Extinct" Noises
Allison GuyGrowing up, I had a cockatiel that could mimic the bleeping cacophony of a dial-up connection with dead accuracy. I never stopped to think that my bird (still alive) preserves a …
The Ecological Human
Rachel ArmstrongThe nature of humanity in the twenty-first century is, according to sociologist Steve Fuller, a ‘bipolar disorder’ beset with dualisms of identification such as divine/animal, …
LowLine Puts Park Beneath New York
Allison GuyDeep below bustling, noisy Delancy Street in Manhattan lies the Williamsburg Bridge Trolley Terminal, a building abandoned in 1948. This terminal is just one of many tunnels and …
Why It's Time to Calm Down about "Invasive" GM GloFish
Allison GuyIs the neon green tetra GloFish soon to be the florescent, transgenic terror of America's waterways? The internet hype machine has repeated ad infinitum the Washington Post's …
CAMOVER: Destroy All CCTV Cameras!
Silvia CelibertiEarn points in an online game by destroying real-life CCTVs.
Chinese Whisper Challenge Pits Man Against Machine
Jort BandEver played "telephone" or "chinese whispers" as a kid? Now, you can pit your speech recognition skills against a computer.
Did Forks Really Give Modern Humans an Overbite?
Allison GuyThe food writer Bee Wilson, author of Consider the Fork , has put forth a surprising theory about forks and teeth that has received widespread online coverage. According to …
Did Monogamy Make Us Human?
Allison GuyPair-bonding sets humans apart from our relatives. But where did it come from?
Filling Vacant Lots with Augmented Reality Grocery Stores
Allison GuyA Chinese company wants to transform vacant lots into virtual shopping centers.
First Monkey Named after a Website
Koert van MensvoortThe honor of naming this new monkey was auctioned off to raise funds. The monkey is now know as the Goldenpalace.com Titi.
From Street View Pics to Real-Life Ghosts
Alessia AndreottiThe pictures of Google Street View come to life.
Green Colors Make Food Seem Healthier
Allison GuyWhich candy bar you choose depends on the color of the packaging.
Hire a Hyperreal Girlfriend to Look Better on Facebook
Insoo HwangBaudrillard intersects with social media in the world of fake online girlfriends.
Roulette for Your Facebook Account
Hendrik-Jan GrievinkA new game lets you play chicken with your life on Facebook.
The Hedonometer Uses Social Media to Measure Global Happiness
Orfeas LyrasScientists are using Twitter, blogs, and news sites to categorize the global psyche.
A Brief History of Humankind
Koert van MensvoortHistorian Yuval Noah Harari takes us on a journey through the whole human history.
A Jewel That Stops You From Checking Your Phone
Rolf CoppensFor every smartphone user to recognize, is that merely the lighting of your screen, a vibration or ring distracts you from almost every activity. Even when you are spending time …
Faking a Holiday on Social Media
Alessia AndreottiDutch girl fakes an exotic holiday with the power of Photoshop and Facebook.
Get Infrared Sight with a Vitamine Diet
Julia WeberBio-hackers developed a protocol to augment human sight to see into the near infrared range.
Graffiti Drones
Robin BergmanLast month graffiti artist Katsu presented his graffiti drone called the ‘’spray copter’’.
Lonely Sculpture Your Next Tinder Match?
Koert van MensvoortTinder users beware: somewhere out there a mechanical finger is surfing the popular dating smartphone app. This could be your next match.
Professions Of The Future
Francesca BarchiesiAs technology evolves, what today seems like science fiction may be the job market of tomorrow: 11 professions of the future.
The Carnery - A Cultured Future with In Vitro Meat
NextNature.netIn vitro meat has the capacity to transform meat production as we know it, introducing an entirely new way of thinking about and interacting with food.
We Are Weaker Than Our Ancestors
Alessia AndreottiHuman fitness has decreased so significantly that even the strongest of us would consider ancient men to have a supernatural force.
Welcome in the Real Unreality
NextNature.netThis Sunday next nature maven Koert van Mensvoort is interviewed in what is arguably the finest show on Dutch television: VPRO Tegenlicht.
WikiGalaxy
Alessia AndreottiTurning 100,000 entries from the Wikipedia into a growing nebula of human knowledge.
Wow, Cool! A 3D model of the Save Icon!
Koert van MensvoortWhen a floppy disk becomes a 3D printed save icon.
3D Printed Fish Remove Toxins and Deliver Drugs
Alessia AndreottiResearchers from UC San Diego announced that they have developed 3D print tiny microrobots in the shape of fish able to detect and remove toxin from liquid.
Analogue vs Digital: Add, Browse, Destroy
NextNature.netJust like Lego, Minecraft is a game about breaking and placing blocks.
Analogue vs Digital: Information Storage
NextNature.netIn search for information people once used to go to libraries.
Bistro In Vitro to Be Launched
NextNature.netInspired by the award winning In Vitro Meat Cookbook , Next Nature Network and Submarine Channel present Bistro In Vitro : an online design fiction documentary about the future …
Gamers Stuck in Traffic Jam for Ten Minutes
Koert van MensvoortGames are typically played to escape our dull or stressful everyday reality, yet they are also made to become increasingly realistic.
GM Pigs for Animal-to-Human Organ Transplant
Alessia AndreottiScientists have been trying to develop GM pigs that could be used to solve the shortage of organs for transplant patients.
Military-Style Rehab for Internet Addicts
Alessia AndreottiInside the Chinese military-style rehab center for internet addicts.
Next Nature Night on Design & Evolution
NextNature.netNext Nature Night on Design & Evolution, Tuesday 30th June.
Order Anything with Amazon's Button
Yunus Emre DuyarAmazon introduced a new gadget, named Dash Button, that will help you order groceries automatically.
Poem Passes the Turing Test
Yunus Emre DuyarZackary Scholl developed a program to produce a poem that passed the Turing Test.
Puppy Delivery Drones
Yunus Emre Duyar3 Million Dogs released a funny video, which shows puppies delivered by drones.
Which Technologies will 2016 Bring?
Wei Lun WangThe new year is right around the corner, let’s forget about long-term future for a while to check out what new tech trends will hit it big in 2016. At the end of every year, …
Adblock Plus Now Sells Acceptable Ads
Ruben BaartAdblock Plus, world’s most popular ad-blocking tool, just announced they are launching an advertising service for “acceptable” ads.
Who Are These Trolls Invading China?
Margherita OlivoChina's government fabricates about 488 Million social media posts every year as a strategy to distract from critics to the regime.
The Biggest Impact on the Planet Comes from Household Consumption
Margherita OlivoNew study suggests that the real environmental problem is embodied in the things we buy.
Dessert Goals: Bistro In Vitro Ice Cream
NextNature.netIn the upcoming episode of Dutch youth education series Denktank (translated think tank) philosopher Stine Jensen and eight teenagers will explore the future of food and try our Bistro In Vitro ice cream.
Experience a Real Safari, Google-Style
Margherita OlivoGoogle launched the Mzansi Experience, a virtual tour to South Africa through Street View.
When FB Told Everyone They Were Dead
Ruben BaartDue to an algorithmic error, Facebook mistakenly "memorialized" vital user accounts with a banner announcing the user’s passing – turning their friend walls into memorial walls.
Fake-for-Real: Who Is Lil Miquela?
Ruben BaartThis Instagram model makes her fans wondering whether she is fake or real.
From Homo Sapiens to Homo Optimus
Ioana TomiciWe are entering an age of technological singularity, in which artificial intelligence and biological enhancement are combined in order to construct the next stages of human evolution.
How Data Reformed Politics
Ingmar NieuweboerBig data is reforming politics, but is it for the better?
In Defense of the Eggplant
Ruben BaartThe eggplant emoji became a political weapon and gain cult status being the forbidden fruit of the web.
Designer Dave Hakkens is putting plastic waste to better use
Ruben BaartWe recently handed this year’s ECO Coin Award to Dutch designer Dave Hakkens, founder of the Precious Plastic movement. With his open sourced recycling machines, he provides people around the world the knowledge to start recycling plastic locally.
Designer Govert Flint applies motion to everyday life
Ingmar NieuweboerInterview with Govert Flint, designer, architect and self-taught artist.
Interview: Leanne Wijnsma, Designer for the Instinct Who Uses Smell as Medium
Ruben BaartDutch experience designer Leanne Wijnsma designs for the human instinct and puts the sense of smell back to where it belongs, as modern hazards have shifted to the digital realm.
Meat the Future Exhibition
NextNature.netFrom October 11 to June 11 we will discuss the future of meat at Cube Deign Museum in Kerkrade (The Netherlands) with the exhibition Meat the Future.
Morality of an Autonomous Car
Monika KozubWhen an autonomous car has to make a decision, will self-interest or the public good predominate?
More Babies for Italy
Ruben BaartThe Italian government just launched a campaign to raise awareness for falling birthrates and encourage family planning.
Preventing Data Leaks with Smell
Ruben BaartThe Smell of Data alerts Internet users in any case of data leakage and communicates digital hazards by means of smell.
Rethinking 3D Printing for the Future
Nadine RoestenburgAdditivism is a movement that calls for radical rethinking of new technologies, such as 3D printing, the plastification of the world and our human position within it.
The Wordless Language
Margherita OlivoEmoji are taking our communication to a faster, simpler level.
Virtual Bedtime Stories
Ruben BaartSamsung just revealed the prototype version of Bedtime VR Stories, a technology that connects parents to their children in virtual reality, right before bedtime.
Virtual Reality Meditation
Ruben BaartSpiritual leader Deepak Chopra just unveiled a 20-minute therapy session inviting us to come back to the present moment through virtual reality.
Web Training Collar
Ruben BaartJasper van Loenen developed a wearable that sends a corrective electrostatic shock to its wearer when visiting an unprotected website.
What's Flying There? Coloring Book
NextNature.netWhat’s Flying There? is a coloring book that opens up new perspectives for drones applications in the human habitat.
2014 - Womb Transplant Baby Born
Elle Zhan WeiA Swedish woman who had her uterus removed due to cancer in her twenties gave birth to her own child as the world's first person to undergo a uterus transplant. And the donor? Her own mother.
3D Print Your Own Nefertiti Bust
Nadine RoestenburgAt the beginning of 2016, two artists made a 3D scan of the Nefertiti bust in the Neues Museum in Berlin and uploaded it to the Internet.
AI Defeats Human at Go
Ruben BaartGo world champion Ke Jie has lost two games of 'Go' against Google's DeepMind AI system AlphaGo.
What You Should Know About Artificial Intelligence Changing Jobs
Megan Ray NicholsIt should come as no surprise that artificial intelligence naturally extends into the way we work. Let's look at how AI changes the way we relate to work.
Antarctica Is Turning Green
Ruben BaartRising temperatures have boosted the growth rates of seasonal mosses on Antarctica, turning the continent green.
Tap Your Milk from a Cow Around the Corner
Ruben BaartTurning cows into walking vending machines for milk.
The Digital Mythology of... Super Mario
Daniel FragaMythology still surrounds us, we just relate to it differently. Games and movies have replaced pantheons and folk tales. Fairies and gnomes left the forests and the rivers and moved to virtual realities.
Ecosexuality: Make the Biosphere Your Lover
Ruben BaartEcosexuality reconceptualizes our perspective on the biosphere by having consensual experiences with it.
The Birth of a Digital Nation in Estonia
Daniel FragaDue to its digital citizenship program, something interesting is happening in Estonia. In July there were more new applications for e-citizenship than newborn babies. Are we …
Designer Anouk Wipprecht combines fashion with robotics
Alessia AndreottiWe met Anouk Wipprecht and talked about smart fabrics and accessories that can listen to our body, therapeutic fashion and the future of dressmaking.
Keeping Up with the Eagles: Birdwatching 2.0
Alessia AndreottiThis live stream video of a Bald Eagles family nesting in Florida has counted more than 72 million viewers.
The making of the Modular Body
Jack CaulfieldRemember the Modular Body? Curious about how OSCAR was really created or keen to know more about the project as a whole? Check out the making of videos!
A Robot Will Spark the Next Avant-Garde
Nadine Roestenburg “An illegal theme park exposing the ideology of the aesthetics of hacking”. “A hybrid drone targeting technological domination”. “A psychedelic fridge to raise doubt about fake …
Nomophobia: the Fear of Phonelessness
Jack CaulfieldNomophobia, no-mobile-phobia, is the fear of being separated from your smartphone.
Opening HUBOT at DDW
NextNature.netThe robots have arrived! Yesterday we celebrated the launch of HUBOT , job agency for people and robots at MediaMarkt , as part of the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven. Our virtual …
Plastic Exoskeletons for Turtles
Nadine RoestenburgAntonio Esparza designed the TurtleBag: a 3D printable exoskeleton to help turtles distinguish plastic bags from jellyfish and extend their lifespan.
Refreezing the Arctic
Ruben BaartA team of scientists developed a peculiar strategy to counter the Arctic ice melting.
Replacing Fireflies with Lasers
Alec SchellinxAfter mounting criticism from environmentalists, a firefly-themed park in China announced that the glowing bugs will be replaced by lasers.
Jobs for Caretakers - Robots at Work #1
Mathilde NakkenThis is post number one of our serie 'Robots at Work'. In this episode we present you five jobs for caretakers, the ones that work with their hearts.
Jobs for Entrepreneurs - Robots at Work #4
Mathilde NakkenThis is post number four of our serie 'Robots at Work'. In this episode we present you five jobs for entrepreneurs, the ones who love doing big business.
Sexy Cyborg Sports Her Prosthetic Limb
Koert van MensvoortThe Brazilian model Paola Antonini uses her Instagram to show off her prosthetic limb.
Shazam Your Plant Findings
Julie ReindlShazam for Plants app lets you catch around 400.000 plant species left on our planet through the lens of your smartphone.
The Posthuman Farm
Ruben BaartWu Tzu-ning presents a posthuman reality from genetic engineering to digital afterlife.
Transformative Appetite: Shape-Shifting Pasta
NextNature.netMIT Media Lab developed pasta programmed on a computer.
Adding a new dimension to marine restoration: 3D printing coral reefs
David KlingesThe local fishermen looked on skeptically. From the deck of a small motorboat, scuba divers grabbed odd chunks of ceramic – which could be described as rocky brains stuck on …
Should lab-grown meat be labelled as meat when it's available for sale?
Hope JohnsonAustralian regulators will soon be faced with a challenge: can animal flesh produced in a lab be called meat? Amid reports that lab-grown meat could be on sale this year, the US …
Struck by lightning: Shipping emissions double frequency of lightning storms
Jack CaulfieldThey say lightning never strikes twice, but it appears to be striking a lot more often in some areas of ocean than others. New research published in Geophysical Research Letters …
Welcome spring with this selection of NANO Supermarket products
NextNature.netWell, we finally made it. After a long, cold, dark winter, spring has officially started today. And guess what it's bringing with it? Nope, not spring flowers: Love flowers! …
The Story of Money: Bits
NextNature.netThe story of money: an accessible roadmap from prehistory to digital age, from cows to credit, from gold mining to bitcoin mining. The final episode: bits.
Face the future of intimacy with Kiiroo
Ruben BaartMeet the teledildonics, an ingenious species of bi-directionally controlled sextoys from the future, available today. These touch emulating vibrators find each other on social sex …
This tiny tooth sensor tracks what you eat, and it could help you be healthier
Vanessa Bates RamirezThe South Beach diet. The Atkins diet. Eating paleo. Cutting out gluten. Going vegan. The list of fad diets and health crazes goes on, yet health statistics in the US and around …
Welcome to the CRISPR baby world—here’s what you should know
Vanessa Bates RamirezLast week, the gene editing world was hit by news the equivalent of a nuclear bomb. In a video on YouTube , Dr. Jiankui He at Southern University of Science and Technology in …
AI creates images of food that doesn’t exist (yet)
Tristan GreeneA team of researchers from Tel-Aviv University developed a neural network capable of reading a recipe and generating an image of what the finished, cooked product would look like. …
How AI is reshaping electronic music
Linda ValentaThe idea that AI can compose electronic music may sound a little off to people. It raises essential questions about creativity as a product exclusive to humans: can an AI be …
Next Nature is hiring an army of bots
Next Nature DevAs we showed with HUBOT , we can use new technologies and robotics to make our work more enjoyable, interesting and humane. Aside from our speculative jobs, a lot of robotic …
Beyond biomimicry: a new urgency
William MyersDesigners face an unprecedented urgency to alter their methods and reprioritize their goals to address the accelerating degradation of the environment. This new …
Why digital detoxes are a solution looking for a problem
David EllisWith New Year’s resolutions in full swing, many people may have chosen to cut down on their tech use – or even give it up altogether. The growing popularity of such “digital …
Towards collective standpoints on the future of babymaking
Freya HutchingsFor the closing event of Reprodutopia , a true meeting of minds took place as we discussed the social implications surrounding the future of reproductive technologies. Multiple …
Why not all buildings have sustainable green roofs
Michael HardmanRooftops covered with grass, vegetable gardens and lush foliage are now a common sight in many cities around the world. More and more private companies and city authorities are …
How to biofabricate leather
Laura MuthLeather is one of the oldest and most versatile materials in the world. It’s a supple, tough, relatively strong and durable material and it’s relatively impermeable, yet …
Human-animal hybrids could be used for growing organs
Mackenzie GrahamAround the world thousands of people are on organ donor waiting lists. While some of those people will receive the organ transplants they need in time, the sad reality is that …
The Next Nature gift guide 2019
Next Nature DevWhether you're in need of a holiday gift for your techie spouse or tech-adverse grandpa, the truth is, your loved ones deserve better than a generic gift card. Now we understand …
3 ways Virtual Reality is revolutionizing teaching
John PickavanceYou’ve probably heard how Virtual Reality (VR) is going to change everything: the way we work, the way we live, the way we play. Still, for every truly transformative technology, …
AI Song Contest: the show must go on!
Ruben BaartThe spread of the coronavirus has led to the cancellation or postponement of many events around the globe. Luckily there are still events we can look forward to, such as the AI …
Hello, superorganism
Koert van MensvoortWhen I was a kid, my parents took me to the beach every summer. We’d swim in the ocean and play on our inflatable raft in the surf. When the tide was low, I’d build a sand castle …
Cyborg artist Moon Ribas feels earthquakes
Freya HutchingsImagine waking in the night, and feeling the vibrations of an earthquake on the other side of the world pulsing through your body. This is a reality for Catalan-born artist Moon …
Next Generation: Simulating textile ecosystems with Scarlett Yang
Ruben BaartThis story is part of Next Generation , a series in which we give young makers a platform to showcase their work. Your work here? Get in touch and plot your coordinates as we …
Design your Self!
Next Nature DevWho are you, who do you want to be, and what do you need to do to get there? We are constantly pushed to lead the perfect life. The media present us with a picture of an existence …
How rich people used to show off their wealth with pineapples and celery
Lauren Alex O HaganA stack of pancakes ladened with syrup, a frothy latte posed next to a white MacBook, a deep pan pizza oozing with cheese. Instagram has made “food porn” – images that portray …
Why superhuman technologies will affect us all
Ruben BaartWhen you look through a super-telescope, you can still see the planet Earth. Once called the blue planet, she now looks red and parched. We had no choice but to abandon her… On a …
Synthetic skin is bringing the sense of touch to VR
Britta de VriesCurrent social distancing measures are all about keeping a physical distance from each other in order to flatten the curve. But this does not mean we have to keep a distance from …
Next Generation: Moving towards the plastic human with Max Ahluwalia
Ruben BaartThis story is part of Next Generation , a series in which we give young makers a platform to showcase their work. Your work here? Get in touch and plot your …
This exhibition explores love in the internet age
Ruben BaartData Dating is an exhibition that explores what it means to find romance in the internet age. Love it or hate it, technology has transformed the way we date. So, how are digital …
Exploring the society of trees
Tracy MetzIn conversation with Canadian researcher Suzanne Simard, inventor of the Wood Wide Web.
It's been fifty years since we took the first full photo of Earth from space
Robert PooleThe image of the whole Earth as seen from space has become a symbol of the environmental movement. Time for an update?
How bacteria can recover precious metals from EV batteries
Sebastien FarnaudThere are more than 1.4 billion cars in the world today, and that number could double by 2036 . If all those cars burn petrol or diesel, the climate consequences will be dire. …
Can AI become addicted?
Thomas MoynihanIn 1953, a Harvard psychologist thought he discovered pleasure – accidentally – within the cranium of a rat. With an electrode inserted into a specific area of its brain, the rat …
Check your technoprivilege!
Hendrik-Jan GrievinkTechnology is not neutral; the same tech might empower some and disempower others. It is time to check our Technoprivilege, argues author Hendrik-Jan Grievink.
How cyborg soil reveals the secret microbial metropolis beneath our feet
Edith HammerDig a teaspoon into your nearest clump of soil, and what you’ll emerge with will contain more microorganisms than there are people on Earth. We know this from lab studies that …
How telecommunication cables could help detect earthquakes
MaithriAt the bottom of the Earth’s oceans lies an intricate network of over a million kilometres of fibre optic cables. These cables were laid on the seabed by telecommunication …
Evolving In Vitro with Yuval Yancovitch
Kelly van GemertWith 7.9 billion people and counting, the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations predicts that by 2050, food supply needs to grow by 70% in order to accommodate …
What will your future supermarket look like?
Ruben BaartWhat will the supermarket of the future look like? And what kind of food will you be able to buy there? That is what the Embassy of Food is researching. The production and …
Exploring speculative developments of reproductive technology
Next Nature DevWhat if women of childbearing age no longer had to interrupt their careers for a pregnancy? In Kuang-Yi Ku ’s project Grandmom Mom, we take a look into the future. In 2050, the …
How to turn your 3D printer into a food printer
Saumil VadodariaWhile the pandemic has restricted us from doing many activities we like, household hobbies such as DIY , baking and crafts have become more popular. Now there’s a way to combine …
The Institute of Digital Fashion explores what's next in the industry
Ruben BaartTrading animal skins for pixels, our digital selves call for a digital wardrobe. The Institute of Digital Fashion , led by CommuneEast founder Leanne Elliott Young and Digi-Gxl …
Can microbes communicate with alien species?
Ruben BaartAre we alone in the universe? The famous Seti (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) programme has been trying to answer this question since 1959. American astronomer Carl …
Why we need to get better at predicting space weather
Koert van MensvoortThe Sun is the most important source of energy for sustaining life on Earth, but it gives us a lot more than just light and heat. It also gives us solar storms.
How memes are evolving beyond the image
Chloë ArkenboutThe times where memes were geeky and funny, somewhat disturbing images have been over for years. Even a simple frog such as Pepe is not innocent anymore. Memes were hijacked by …
To save forests, researchers are hooking trees up to Twitter (again)
Ruben BaartIn July 2018, a century-old red oak went live on Twitter. The account @awitnesstree , tweeting from the Harvard Forest in Petersham, Massachusetts, introduces itself in its bio: …
Why urban gardens are crucial for conserving bees and butterflies
Ruben BaartAs humans have industrialised farming to feed a growing global population, pollinators – animals vital for plant reproduction – have seen their food supply decline. In the UK, …
Five things not to miss at Floriade
Veronica FanzioHere are 5 things you cannot miss at Floriade Expo 2022
Discovering AI generated species
Marit BeerseSofia Crespo and Feileacan McCormick have made an AI-generated endangered species installation on Times Square.
Billionaire space race: the ultimate symbol of capitalism's obsession with growth
Tim JacksonMars ain’t the kind of place to raise your kids, laments the Rocket Man in Elton John’s timeless classic. In fact, it’s cold as hell. But that doesn’t seem to worry a new …
The long history of the metaverse
Tom BoellstorffMany aspects of the current metaverse were already familiar 143 years ago.
Time gets bendy in Disney Pixar's new film
Marit BeerseSpoiler alert: this article explains a key plot point, but we don’t give away anything you won’t see in trailers. At the beginning of the new Disney Pixar film, Lightyear, Buzz …
Jurassic World scientists still haven’t learned
Ruben BaartJust because you can doesn’t mean you should – real-world genetic engineers can learn from the cautionary tale. “ Jurassic World: Dominion ” is hyperbolic Hollywood entertainment …
The carbon footprint of space tourism
Eloise MaraisThe commercial race to get tourists to space is heating up between Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson and former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. On Sunday 11 July, Branson ascended …
AI meal planner suggests humans to cook with human flesh and bleach
Kelly van GemertAI sure knows how to throw a banger of a dinner party. One that guests will never forget - or outlive. When New Zealand grocery store chain PAK’nSAVE introduced their new …
Next Generation: Going viral with lab-grown meat and Leyu Li
Kelly van GemertTo explore the public opinion towards cultured meat, speculative food designer Leyu Li created fictional influencer “Meaty Auntie” and turned to TikTok.
I'm not a robot: AI better at proving to be human than humans
Kelly van GemertResearchers at the University of California discovered that bots now excel at solving CAPTCHAs faster and more accurately than humans.
Enter the memesphere
Laura van den BrinkWhy memes might be the next tool to make sense of on our increasingly hybrid virtual and physical environment.
How to design your (home)office
Govert FlintDesigner Govert Flint proposes a new office concept, entirely based on movement and play.
Next Nature's must reads
Ruben BaartTen books that continue to inspire the next nature philosophy—gathered for you to read this summer.
Enter the symbiocene
Glenn AlbrechtWhat if we would use the idea of symbiosis as the basis for the next period of Earth’s history?
Building the farm of tomorrow
Kelly van GemertSeven examples of how design will help us built the farm of tomorrow.
How to teleport sushi
Selin KirSushi designed in Japan, printed in Texas. This might sound like a wild dream, but actually became a reality during interactive media festival South by Southwest (SXSW) that took …