CTRl + ALT: The Podcast

CTRL+ALT is a podcast hosted by students in our Master of Art and Design program here at NC State. They investigate the evolution of technology, media, and society, questioning how our past, present, and speculative futures influence the creative process and its potential outcomes.

Season 01: 2019-2020

Episode 01: The Future of Narrative

Narratives are a part of the human experience. Since the beginning of human societies people have always sought to narrate their own personal imaginations and occurrences in the world around them. Thus, it comes as no surprise that narratives, even to this day, mirror concepts and characteristics that are associated with Western and Eastern cultural themes.

In this episode we discuss Dorthy’s yellow brick journey (The Wizard of Oz) to Aang’s frog collecting quest (Avatar The Last Airbender) to investigate the differences and similarities between Western and Eastern storytelling.

Co-Hosts: Darrien Bailey, Melissa Van Deventer, Fernando Goyet, Jaekwon Parker

Case Studies: Garden of Words (2013), Wizard of Oz (1939), Avatar the Last AirBender (Season 1, Episode 13) 2005

Episode 02: Past, Present, and Future of Human Computer Interaction

“We like to believe that Man is in some subtle way superior to the rest of creation. It is best if he can be shown to be necessarily superior, for then there is no danger of him losing his commanding position.” -Alan Turing

In this episode, we investigate the past, present, and future of Human-Computer Interaction. What are the precedents that shaped the “desktop metaphor” that is so prevalent in personal computing, and how is this changing as devices become smaller and smaller? What role does science fiction play in the evolution of new technologies? And, what are the ethical ramifications of ubiquitous computing and artificial intelligence? We will attempt to explore the human aspect of Human-Computer Interaction, and ask whether–in the end–the future of this relationship will be decided by humans or by the computers we’ve brought to life.

Co-Hosts: Najla Bulous, Webb Hinton, Cassandra Ortiz, Russell Pinkston, Kulsum Tasnif

Case Studies: The Influence of Science Fiction, The Interface, Human Enhancement, Artificial Intelligence

Episode 3: The Future of Reality

As we increasingly move into augmented, virtual and mixed reality spaces and experiences, how does that affect how we understand and interact with each other in the real world?

Host: Katie Rant

Episode 4: From VR to Virtual Reality Education

Art + Design Graduate Student Kulsum Tasnif talks with a local North Carolina Doctor about how she is using and thinking about VR for high intensive simulations in the field of medicine—the benefits and the limitations.

Host: Kulsum Tasnif

Season 02: 2020-2021

Episode 1: Games and Narrative: From D + D to Indie Games

How do the different media in which we’re playing video games impact the types of stories that we’re experiencing, what we’re learning and how we’re engaging with the game and with each other?

Hosts: Gil Sibrian, Lydia Granholm, Jeff Rigall, Vaikunth Rhagavan

Episode 2: Artificial Intelligence: Dystopian Future or Great Hope?

What is the future of AI and how will it impact our future lives? How does it affect our agency, authorship, creativity?

Hosts: Adam Dehus, Erin Willet, Chris Lambert, Gabrielle Edwards