Neurally Diverse [342]

Moments from EMF Camp...

Where to start?

How about hello, how you doing?

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#TheAction

Electromagnetic field (EMF Camp) is a camping festival with a power grid, no end of networked comms, high-speed internet access and a variety of temporary ‘villages’ containing, geeks nerds and specialists. The festival happens every two years and began 10 years ago in 2012.

My first experience of EMF Camp was in 2014. Even though I’d only scraped the surface, I felt at home with the wellie-wearing seasoned festival-goers, the tweedy academics in networked hats, the hackers, makers, roboticists, artists, jobbing programmers and old-skool nerds. All ages from only just old enough to walk, up to part machine. All welcoming, friendly and approachable.

I was hooked from then and biannually have returned. 2016, 2018, (2020 was cancelled due to the pandemic) and now 2022. It’s hard to recap all that you can experience because it’s impossible to know everything that’s going on. Between the camping villages, workshops, talks, pop-ups, installations, autonomous robots, sculptures and bar chat, the digitally infused culture permeates everything you can see, hear, touch and feel. The DNA hasn’t changed over the years. It does feel bigger though.

I took my lad there for the first time this year and he was gobsmacked from the moment we walked through the gate. It was so good to share this place with him and see it through fresh eyes. I cannot imagine who I would be today if we had places like this when I was a child.

In the day the festival is one place, and in the night it is another. The Null Sector’s alternate reality never fails to amaze and inspire me and was my lads favourite space.

EMF, one of the fundamental forces of nature. And EMFcamp the same. The talks, the workshops, the art, the people, the constant surprises and ongoing inspiration. I have a lot of love for this amazing place Jonty, the team, and volunteers have created.

It’s certainly one of those ‘you had to be there places’. And I was. And I will continue to be so for as long as I can.

As I write this, EMF 2022 is finishing for this year. All going to plan it will return in another two. I know it will be even more evolved and once again ready to change lives.

It sold out this year and I’m pretty sure it will sell out next time round. I’ll of course give you a heads up when tickets go on sale but please don’t tell anyone else about it. There are plenty of other festivals in the world. And as open and welcoming this one is to all, I can’t help but think that those that find it need to find it through serendipitous, magical and meaningful ways.

So for now, let’s keep this one to ourselves. ;-)

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#ThePictures

The EMF promo video from four years ago.

Here is the EMF Camp YouTube channel.

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Not watched much video this week but how Norway killed the electric car was interesting.

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#TheWords

Eleven ways of smelling a tree.

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What the Vai script reveals about the evolution of writing.

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On the blessed purpose of the women who worked with medieval manuscripts.

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#TheSound

It’s Audio Blogger’s Month. Check out the hashtag #AudioMo on Twitter.

Here are my contributions so far. Day 01 / Day 02 / Day 03 / Day 4

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#TheConsumed

My family make fun of me because when faced with an array of ice cream flavours, I nearly always choose vanilla.

Sometimes if there is something I have never tried before I will go for that. But it’s rare there is a considered new flavour on offer unless someone is trying to be different for the sake of it.

If there is clotted cream ice cream with or without vanilla I might also go for that. But real home made clotted cream ice cream is rare. So vanilla is the go to for me.

Why?

I’ve been around for a fair few years and no matter where I am in the world I will try the ice cream. Even in the middle of a town with sporadic electricity and the ice cream has suspicious crystals all over it. As a result I feel I’ve sampled most of the mainstream flavours on offer and although a well made kulfi in India comes close, there is little to beat the easy win of a decent vanilla ice cream.

I’m not taking vanilla essence. Or the non plant stuff that comes out of beavers bits. I’m talking about the stuff from a pod. Vanilla is the second most expensive spice after saffron. There are over 100 species and I don’t think there is anything vanilla about vanilla.

Christian Payne @Documentally

Best ice cream flavour out of these?

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I’d quite like to try a carrot dog.

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A flashback to a thing I consumed 12 years ago…

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#TheThings

I really loved this geodesic dome made from Ikea bed slats.

Should you want to build your own there are instructions here.

I also loved this little procedural music generator that would ‘change its tune’ depending on which grid reference it was located in. It was fun watching people moving it around the festival.

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#TheWeb

• The MIT Center for Collective Intelligence explores how people and computers can be connected so that — collectively — they act more intelligently than any person, group, or computer has ever done before.

• Have you added yourself to the Documentally community map?

• Thanks to Giles for sending me this insane visualisation of all the stuff flying around planet Earth. If I was some intelligent extra terrestrial flying through the galaxy I’d stay on till the next junction and avoid this place like the plague. Just like I do when passing Telford services.

• Netflix password sharing fee does not seem to be working.

• Love this thread as to whether or not you will receive food at someones house across Europe.

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#TheEnd

Thanks for reading.

If you are able to, please subscribe. If not and you still want access to the archive and podcast etc please let me know.

Next week I’ll mostly be working outside and preparing for another overseas trip.

You know where to find me.

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"If we put the kettle on three phase, it'll boil faster right?" ~ Someone at EMFcamp

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Turn it off and on again.

See you out there.

Over…