The Building New Realities Podcast buildingnewrealities

In the latest episode of the Building New Realities podcast, Tim chats with Max Noir about her work with FXG and developing the immersive economy in developing countries.

In the latest episode of the Building New Realities podcast, Tim chats with Rupert Breheny about his work on Google Earth VR, his observations and lessons as a UX designer focussed on virtual reality and the future of immersive technology. They cover the power of VR to improve accessibility, digital anthropology and the importance of designing with a customer focus.
Guest Bio
Rupert is an experienced technology advocate and conference speaker, specialising in VR/AR and mobile ecommerce, particularly in the fashion vertical. He builds partnerships and wrangles technology to launch products that drive both business value and user delight.
Highlight 1 - Using VR to unite different generations00:09:34:15 - 00:10:57:02… I live in Zurich, Switzerland I’m quite enthusiastic about that too
Highlight 2 - Digital anthropology and the importance of face-to-face testing00:24:30:06 - 00:26:33:23… when I was a UX prototyper see it for yourself in person
Additional Resources
Rupert’s links
LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rupertbreheny
Applications mentioned:
Unseen Diplomacy:https://store.steampowered.com/app/429830/Unseen_Diplomacy/
RealityViewer: https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/4369155596472213/?locale=en_GB
Theories mentioned:
Imposter Syndromehttps://www.verywellmind.com/imposter-syndrome-and-social-anxiety-disorder-4156469#:~:text=Coping-,What%20Is%20Imposter%20Syndrome%3F,perfectionism%20and%20the%20social%20context.
 Simulation Theoryhttps://www.scientificamerican.com/article/do-we-live-in-a-simulation-chances-are-about-50-50/
Book Recommendations
Heaven and Hell, Aldous. Huxleyhttps://amzn.to/36WeTjy
The Three-Body Problem, Cixin Liuhttps://amzn.to/3OEICyk
Tower of Babylon by Ted Chianghttps://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/29864598-tower-of-babylon
Piranesi, Susanna Clarkehttps://www.waterstones.com/book/piranesi/susanna-clarke/9781526622433
Snow Crash: Neal Stephensonhttps://amzn.to/3vPhS5J
Fall of Hyperion, Dan Simmonshttps://amzn.to/37Gu2WB
Episode Transcript
00:00 - 00:49 Introduction00:50 - 01:29 Rupert explains what his role is at Google01:30 - 03:21 Rupert talks about his first experience with VR in the 80’s04:22 - 09:29 What does building new realities mean to you?09:30 - 12:44 Using VR to access the non-accessible.12:45 - 20:18  User Design for VR20:19 - 22:28 Observing and learning from how people react in VR22:29 - 23:54 Using novel mechanics and using the natural playfulness of VR to heighten immersion for users.23:55 - 30:33 Digital anthropology, face to face testing and customer focus30:34 - 33:54 Sacrificing aesthetics for performance in immersive design33:55 - 46:21 The future of social interaction and games in the metaverse46:22 - 48:51 What project has changed the way you approach design?48:52 - 01:01:08 Rupert’s future trends: Avatars, virtual clothing, architecture and NFTs.01:01:02 - 01:05:59 Gaining perspective and “opening your eyes”01:06:00 - 01:07:48 If you had $100m to spend on a social programme with no red tape, what would you do?01:07:49 - 01:12:00 Rupert’s favourite theories and book recommendations01:12:01 - 01:12:55 Closing comments 
Listen, rate, and subscribe!
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In today's episode, Tim speaks with Publius, the anonymous founder(s) of Beanstalk, a decentralized credit based stablecoin protocol uses a new and novel method of pegging their native currency $BEAN, to the value of $1. Together they discuss the purpose that stablecoins play in the cryptocurrency markets and what makes Beanstalk so innovative.
 
Beanstalk: https://bean.money/
Beanstalk Farms Twitter: https://twitter.com/BeanstalkFarms
Publius' Twitter: https://twitter.com/isthispublius
 
00:00: Introduction
01:06: What is the purpose of a stablecoin in the world of cyptocurrency? And what problem do they solve?
04:30: Collateral & Credit based stablecoins
07:00: The problem with collateral based stablecoins
08:00: How Beanstallk's credit based stablecoin works
10:05: The success of Tera Luna
11:15: Digging in on the volatility and cost of borrowing for stablecoins
15:40: What drew Publius into the world of finance
18:30: How do you explain DeFi to newcomers?
23:45: How can people engage with Beanstalk?
26:20: The mechanics of Beanstalk's borrowing
30:15: The Beanstalk DAO & How Beanstalk stablises the cost of BEAN to $1
36:00: Incentivising people to remain invested in Beanstalk
37:45: The journey for a first time user getting involved with Beanstalk
42:00: Clarifying terms and the user journey
43:30: What can I use Beans for?
48:00: The vision for Beanstalk's future
51:15: Where do you see the future of DeFi?
55:30: What does Publius think about NFTs?
57:00: What would Publius do with $100 million to spend on a social programme with no red tape?
 
Disclaimer: This podcast is for information purposes only. This should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.

In today's episode, Tim chats to Brenda Chen, a freelance Immersive Media Director and XR Artist. Brenda describes her previous jobs working on events for Justin Bieber and John Legend, as well as her thoughts and ideas about using XR as a tool for meditation.
Topics discussed in this episode:
• Background on Brenda [00:46 - 04:31] • What is Brenda excited about? [04:32 - 5:46] • Brenda's early steps [5:47 - 10:23] • The Metaverse [10:24 - 12:32] • Digital experiences [12:33 - 17:43] • Examples of immersive mental health apps [17:44 - 20:26] • Greatest technical challenges [20:27 - 22:21] • A project that changed Brenda's approach [22:22 - 28:16] • Brenda's opinion on NFTs [28:17 - 31:44] • Building new realities [31:45 - 33:00] • Social programs [33:01 - 34:28] • The creative scene in L.A. [34:29 - 36:02] Highlight sections • Brenda talks about learning to work under pressure [07:14 - 09:07] • Brenda talks about using to Metaverse to detox [15:25 - 17:15] • Brenda describes her immersive installation, Opal [22:30 - 25:14]

In today's episode, Tim chats to Emma Cooper, Project Lead at Cooperative Innovations Ltd. Together they discuss topics; the doughnut economy, The Museum of Plastic, and predictions for future technology.
 
Topics discussed in this episode:
• Background on Cooperative Innovations [00:29 - 09:43]
• What is the doughnut economy? [09:44 - 15:11]
• What is the focus of Cooperative Innovations? [15:12 - 18:32]
• How did Curators come about? [18:33 - 21:17]
• What does the metaverse mean to Emma? [21:18 - 31:16]
• A project that changed Emma's approach to her field [31:17 - 36:28]
• What is Emma curious about? [36:29 - 39:03]
• Building new realities [39:04 - 41:06]
• Social programs [41:07 - 42:21]
• Favourite theories [42:22 - 43:37]
• Book recommendations [43:38 - 44:16]
 
Highlight sections
• Emma Cooper explains the goal of The Museum of Plastic [07:33 - 09:43]
• Emma Cooper explains the unintended result of one of her projects [31:43 - 33:44]
• Emma Cooper talks about predictions for future technology [34:36 - 36:24]

In today's episode, Tim chats to Michael Quintana, Director of Innovation Solutions at Sony. Together they discuss the concept of 'highlight culture', and how VR can be used as a medium for discussion between individuals.
Topics discussed in this episode: • Michael's background [01:16 - 03:35]• Michael's first VR project [03:36 - 05:17]• What is Michael working on at Sony? [05:18 - 08:42]• The Metaverse and blockchain [08:43 - 13:04]• Highlight culture [13:05 - 17:37]• What does the Metaverse mean to Michael? [17:38 - 26:04]• NFTs [26:05 - 34:19]• The link between mental health and technology [34:20 - 35:54]• Michael's aspirations [35:55 - 40:00]• Technical challenges [40:01 - 42:42]• What is Michael curious about? [42:43 - 45:57]• Building new realities [45:58 - 50:42]• Social programs [50:43 - 53:44]• Favourite theories [53:45 - 55:37]• Book recommendations [55:38 - 57:57]• Michael's social media [57:58 - 58:59]
Highlight sections• Michael Quintana and Tim chat about 'highlight culture' [16:05 - 17:37]• Michael Quintana explains how VR can be used as a medium for conversation [46:55 - 49:14]• Michael Quintana and Tim chat about Solomon's Paradox [53:45 - 55:37]