The Initiative for Indigenous Futures on Artificial Intelligence

From the sixth (and most recent) installment of NYU ITP’s academic journal Adjacent, entitled Old/New/Next, senior editor Gabriella Garcia’s essay “There Is No ‘Artificial’ Intelligence: A Conversation with the Initiative for Indigenous Futures” seeks answers to two questions: what makes something “artificial” and how do we determine “intelligence?” Garcia references the MUTEK Montreal electronic arts festival and a symposium by members of Initiative for Indigenous …

Svalbard’s “Doomsday” Seed Vault to Get a Snøhetta-Designed Welcome Center

Preserving some 986,243 seed species, in zero degrees Fahrenheit, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault protects the legacy of Earth’s fauna. For those who’ve long dreamed of seeing the site themselves, a visitor center known as The Arc is set to open in 2022. Design firm Snøhetta will lead, and their vision is two-fold. First, a mirrored, modernist main building (on a suspended timber frame, so …

Yaara Nusboim’s “Alma” Therapy Toys

Israeli designer Yaara Nusboim created these wooden therapy toys in collaboration with child psychologists for kids to work through various struggles (including trauma) during play therapy. This kind of treatment was developed by psychoanalyst Melanie Klein some 80 years ago, and encourages children to express themselves through play rather than conversation—offering a comfortable distance for them from whatever issue they are facing. Nusboim says, “The …