VRChat: Getting Ready for IMMERSIVE X 2026
The Future Human: How Embodiment and Remote Presence Are Shaping the Next Generation of Virtual Worlds
What happens when our sense of self extends beyond the biological body? Neuroscientist Dr. Amir Jahanian Najafabadi investigates how the brain and bodily self adapt when our actions and presence extend into avatars, virtual environments, tools and remotely controlled systems. His research explores embodied cognition and the plasticity of body, space and time perception – from […]
Rabbit Holes, Red Pills, and Headsets: A Pop History of Virtual Worlds
What do Alice’s rabbit hole, the red pill and a VR headset have in common? They all invite us to leave one reality behind and step into another. From Alice in Wonderland to Snow Crash, The Matrix and eXistenZ to today’s social virtual worlds, Christopher Werth traces how popular culture has imagined virtual realities long […]
The Invisible Dimension of XR: How Immersive Audio Creates Presence, Emotion and Believable Worlds
What makes a virtual world feel real – even before we consciously notice why? Sound is one of the most powerful yet often overlooked dimensions of immersive experiences. Whether in virtual worlds or physical spaces, spatial audio can give environments scale and depth, direct our attention, trigger emotion and create the subtle acoustic cues that […]
The Bodies We Choose: Exploring Identity, Intimacy and Sexuality in Social XR
What happens to relationships in virtual spaces when we shine a spotlight on what is often hidden — and engage our imagination? The freedom to explore gender, different bodies and sexuality in VRChat can feel almost limitless. Creative communities are constantly finding new ways to experience belonging through technology. How do we create safety in […]
The Overview Effect: Empowering Youth to Reimagine Our Future
The Metaverse Music Scene: How Live Music Is Creating New Communities in Social VR
Inside “Project Lost Worlds – Journey to Erios”: Imagining and Experiencing Hopeful Futures in XR
What does it take to build a cinematic journey to another living world? Join Fins aboard the UNISA Astoria for a guided artist talk inside Project: Lost Worlds – Journey to Erios, a cinematic VRChat experience about humanity’s first journey to another living world. The session explores the creative process behind building immersive worlds in […]
Building Sustainable Ecosystems: How Platforms Can Become Safe Harbors for XR Creators
What does it take for a virtual-world platform to become more than a piece of technology and instead provide a sustainable home for the creators and communities building within it? Mélodie Mousset, Co-Founder & CEO of PatchXR, Yewnix, Project Leadership at BasisVR, Charlene Nichols, CEO & Founder of The Omniverse City, and Jay Pilipovich, Lead […]