We often think of “disruptive” as something that is troublesome and unsettling, but it also can mean innovative and groundbreaking. With each passing day, we integrate disruptive technologies into our lives–sometimes seamlessly, others times with great annoyance. But, could you really imagine your life without cell phones or the internet?

John Bowditch, director of Ohio University’s Game Research and Immersive Design (GRID) Lab, believes that augmented and virtual reality is that next disruptive technology.

In his Science Café, “Disrupting Reality: Immersive Media at Ohio University,” Bowditch, with the support of colleagues Eric Williams and Josh Antonuccio, will introduce the audience to augmented and virtual reality.  As part of the café, they will explore trends in disruptive technology and then encourage participants to try on the gear and experience these new realities for themselves. The event will be held at 5 p.m. on Wed., Feb. 15, in the Baker Center Front Room.

“When something becomes disruptive, the world will never be the same again,” Bowditch explained. “We are not only giving people the ability to try out experiences; we are creating the experiences.”

Science Cafés are part of Ohio University’s Café Series, Wednesdays at the Baker Center Front Room. The series provides a venue for students to informally share their interests during a conversational exchange with faculty presenters, staff and the Athens community. Free coffee is offered to the first 50 attendees, and participants who ask questions can win a free t-shirt.

The series is supported by the Ohio University Research Division and Sigma Xi.

Learn more! Watch the 1-minute Café Series video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8IBC6nS4Ag

For the schedule of fall semester speakers and access to livestreaming of the event, visithttp://www.ohio.edu/sciencecafe and  http://livestream.com/ohiocas.