The Technology behind Mainstream Headlines

Cambridge rowers, swimmers and punters regularly obtain serious infections from the river Cam's water. An information and research framework that targets the involved microbial culprits is still lacking. PuntSeq will provide an in-depth resolution of the Cam's microbial and pathogenic landscape by using the Oxford Nanopore MinION to sequence all DNA extracted from the river's water.

Computing that is socio-emotionally intelligent aims to equip devices, interfaces and robots with the means to interpret, understand, and respond to human nonverbal behaviour, personality, affect, moods and intentions. Progress in industry and developments in academia provide us a positive outlook, however the socio-emotional capabilities of current technology are still limited. This talk will present an overview of some of the works we have conducted in the areas of affective VR, public art, and human-robot interaction.

Skyrocketing prices and sensational media coverage have catapulted cryptoassets into the mainstream. All kinds of investors are flocking in and buying fractions of bitcoin, ether, monero and co., leading to valid concerns over the emergence of a bubble. But is there more to cryptoassets and the underlying networks than pure speculation and gambling? This talk will highlight the fundamental role that cryptoassets play in the functioning of these decentralised networks and show what they can be used for today.