The Man Machine: Science and Art Cabaret Features Robot Demos, Conversations on Invention and Humanity

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Artists, scientists and the public are invited to attend "The Man Machine," an evening of robot-centric entertainment and learning at the Buffalo Museum of Science starting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 13.

The theme for the night is invention and humanity.

Presented by the University at Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences, Hallwalls and the Buffalo Museum of Science, "The Man Machine" is part of the university's Science and Art Cabaret series.

Admission to the cabaret is free and will feature music by Robot Rock Band and discussions on the intersection between art and scientific innovation. While the cabaret begins at 7, the doors will open at 6 p.m. for those interested in $2 tours of the museum's "Leonardo da Vinci: Machines in Motion" exhibit and free robotics demonstrations by the UB robotics team.

The event complements the museum's da Vinci exhibit, which showcases 40 machines based on the Renaissance painter, sculptor, musician, architect, engineer and anatomist's visionary designs.

"The Science and Art Cabaret is designed to take science out of the lab and put it into a more audience-friendly setting," said UB associate professor in physics, Will Kinney, the cosmologist who co-organized the event. "The idea is to explore common themes between science and the humanities in an entertaining way. It's a cross-section of people that show up, all the way from senior citizens to children to lots of scientists and artists. The crowd is extremely diverse."

The line-up for "The Man Machine" includes:

* Robotics demonstrations by the UB robotics team;

* A conversation with creative minds Bill Sack and J.T. Rinker (also a UB composer), who will hold forth on the topic of "Robots in the Mist: Generating and Organizing Variety in the Arts with Microprocessors and Artificial Neurons";

* A conversation with artist Joan Linder on "Stripped Bare," a drawing series produced on location at UB's gross anatomy lab;

* A conversation with John Grehan, the museum's director of science and research, who will talk about the common nature of advancements in science and innovation, using da Vinci as an example of how far-reaching ideas and prolific works effect centuries of new discovery and innovation;

* A concert appearance by the Robot Rock Band, whose songs are composed and titled at run time by a non-deterministic probability-driven rock engine.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.