Convergence Initiative

Passionate about science and art? Join the Convergence Initiative as a volunteer! Help us bridge neuroscience and the arts through events, social media, podcasts, and more. Let’s make science accessible and inspiring together. Apply now! Link for the sign-up form: https://lnkd.in/giEKkmiB   #SciArt #Volunteer #ConvergenceInitiative

Passionné par la science et l'art ? Rejoignez l'initiative Convergence en tant que bénévole ! Aidez-nous à jeter un pont entre les neurosciences et les arts par le biais d'événements, de médias sociaux, de podcasts, etc. Ensemble, rendons la science accessible et inspirante. Postulez dès maintenant! Voici le lien pour le formulaire d'inscription: https://lnkd.in/giEKkmiB #SciArt #Bénévole #InitiativeConvergence

What would your brain sound like if you could listen to it? Watch this video to learn about how researchers have converted brainwaves to sound and created a “brain piano”. https://lnkd.in/gUNUB7CJ You can access the brain piano here to create your own music with the sound of the brain: https://lnkd.in/gzzJ5zjp

Quel serait le son de votre cerveau si vous pouviez l’écouter ? Regardez cette vidéo pour découvrir comment des chercheurs ont converti des ondes cérébrales en sons et créé un « piano cérébral »: https://lnkd.in/gnkYtG4c . Vous pouvez accéder au piano cérébral ici pour créer votre propre musique avec le son du cerveau : https://lnkd.in/gzzJ5zjp

Concordia Faculty of Fine Arts Special interdisciplinary 3-credits course Convergence I & II: Arts+Neuroscience+Society. 16 weeks distributed over 2 semesters. This interdisciplinary course invites Master's & PhD students of Concordia University Science programs, the McGill University Integrated Program in Neuroscience (IPN), the RI-MUHC Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience program (BRaIN) and any science graduate student of Quebec Universities in Montreal to creatively explore the intersection of arts, neuroscience, and society, and how these domains shape the understandings of ourselves and others. (Neuro)science students work with Concordia Fine Arts students within the Convergence Initiative to create self-directed, collaborative projects which converge scientific and artistic research. The course combines lectures, debates, site visits, and independent study to encourage all participants to understand and discover territories outside their scientific and artistic comfort zones. The course promotes both intimate and large group discussions, as well as expressing science and arts knowledge through production, representations, and outcomes like a final public exhibition of artworks elaborated during the course and a public art-science symposium. This 3-credit course is open to Concordia Science students, McGill IPN Master's & PhD Students, BRaIN Program graduate students and trainees, and any science graduate students of Quebec Universities in Montreal More information and registration at: Concordia: designandcomputationarts@concordia.ca McGill: ipn@mcgill.ca Other universities: Bureau de Coopération interuniversitaire (BCI) Requirements: 1. You must submit a letter of interest. 2. Have the written permission of your supervisor. 3. Registration process via BCI for students outside Concordia University in Quebec.

New Blog Post!  Check out the latest post on the convergence website, highlighting the "Your Brain on Music" event, a great example of the convergence of art, science and society. Link: https://lnkd.in/gKMkZQDZ

Nouvel article de blog !  Découvrez le dernier article publié sur le site web de convergence, qui met en lumière l'événement « Your Brain on Music », un excellent exemple de la convergence entre l'art, la science et la société. Lien : https://lnkd.in/gXg7AuaC

Presenting "Genesis" from Convergence 2024! The Art: Multiple handles, branching, twists and turns…all come together to form an abstract take on a teapot. This design stands out from its traditional form, encapsulating the artists’ desire to showcase neurodivergence. Specifically, the artists aimed to create an idiosyncratic piece by imposing abstract design on a common object. In doing so, they invite the viewer to question what is considered "normal" and "functional". As the observer integrates this teapot with their senses, they are prompted to reflect on systemic issues - that such an art piece exemplifies - whose consequences further alienate the wonderfully unique minds of individuals deemed ‘neurodivergent’. The Science: An unconventional teapot is complexified to resemble the complexity of the brain. This analogy introduces us to the concept of neurogenesis—the formation of new neurons important for learning, memory, cognition, and mood. We also explore the effects of diseases that influence this process, such as Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC). Neurogenesis implies that our brains are malleable; at birth, we have a neuronal ‘blank slate’, and through experiences both internal and external, neural circuits are carved out and fine-tuned. These processes rest on a fine equilibrium, and disease or injury can have dramatic consequences. Studies of TSC suggest a catastrophic domino effect; seemingly singular impairments of the TSC1/2 genes affect other critical processes in the brain, resulting in a cascade effect that impairs regular neuronal functioning. Thus, this scientific inquiry aims to examine the interacting effects of genetic and metabolic factors on overall brain networks.

En vedette de l'exposition Convergence 2024, c'est "Genesis"! L'art: De multiples poignées, des ramifications, des torsions et des virages… tout se réunit pour former une prise abstraite sur une théière. Cette conception se démarque de sa forme traditionnelle et illustre  le désir des artistes de mettre en valeur la neurodivergence. Plus précisément, les artistes ont cherché à créer une pièce originale en imposant un design abstrait sur un objet commun. Ce faisant, ils invitent le spectateur à remettre en question ce qui est considéré comme « normal » et « fonctionnel ». À mesure que l’observateur intègre cette théière à ses sens, il est amené à réfléchir à des questions systémiques - qu’une telle œuvre d’art illustre - dont les conséquences aliènent davantage l’esprit merveilleusement unique des personnes jugées « neurodivergentes ». La Science: Une théière non conventionnelle est complexifiée pour ressembler à la complexité du cerveau. Cette analogie nous introduit au concept de neurogenèse, la formation de nouveaux neurones importants pour l’apprentissage, la mémoire, la cognition et l’humeur. Nous explorons également les effets des maladies qui influencent ce processus, comme le complexe de sclérose tubéreuse (TSC). L’importance de la neurogenèse implique que notre cerveau est malléable; à la naissance, nous avons une « ardoise blanche » neuronale, et grâce à des expériences internes et externes, les circuits neuronaux sont découpés et affinés. Ces processus reposent sur un équilibre fin, et toute insulte physiopathologique peut avoir des conséquences dramatiques. L’implication de TSC suggère un effet domino catastrophique; des déficiences apparemment singulières des gènes TSC1/2 atteignent des régulateurs critiques des voies métaboliques, entraînant un effet de cascade qui altère le fonctionnement neuronal régulier. Ainsi, cette enquête scientifique vise à examiner les effets d’interaction des facteurs génétiques et métaboliques sur les réseaux cérébraux globaux.

Presenting Symphenia from Convergence 2024! The Art: Symphenia is an interactive experience harnessing computational, sculptural and electronic art to represent the neuroscience of perception. It consists of a custom-built LED panel diffused by fabric and animated by viewer interaction using real-time body recognition. At rest, the panel displays color patterns driven by chaotic algorithms, echoing unstimulated neural activity. As a viewer enters the frame, they will see the color patterns evolve into organized motifs around their silhouette. Through an interplay between instantaneous and sustained immersive interaction, Symphenia seeks to bathe the audience in a colorful world fostering reflection on neuroscience. The Science: It is easy to assume that what we see reflects reality. However, our brain is in fact constantly using our memories, knowledge, and beliefs to refine the information received by our eyes and to create our own individual perceptual world. While it is hard to know to what extent our fellow humans perceive the world similarly to us, it is even harder to imagine what a different species’ perceptual world might look like. Symphenia uses its own rules to offer a glimpse into what perception could be for a differently wired, non-human brain.