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	Mine-Control is an artistic endeavor of Zachary Booth Simpson with contributions from many of his friends. We create interactive installation artwork with natural and scientific themes for museums, hospitals, and many other venues around the world. At Mine-Control, we believe that art can be both playful and thought-provoking. Using unique technologies incorporating the entire body, a broad knowledge of science, and a long history of game development, we turn viewers into participants and teach them something along the way. Learn more in a video interview with Zack. *Contact Business Manager Nana Wallace:* Address: 2301 Ray Drive, Burlingame CA 94010 Phone: (650) 697-7334 Email: info AT mine-control.com
	Upcoming Installations Austin City Hall Austin, TX Feb 2008 - Feb 2009
	*Birthday* Children jump over each other to be the first to pop the letter balloons that spell out a customizable Happy Birthday message. OK, great art it's not, but when you're 4 yeas old at a children's museum birthday party and hopped up on cupcakes, it's pure fun! [Learn more & download video]
	*Comet* Participants launch comets into a model of the inner solar system and watch as fly through complicated, hypnotic orbits -- with the occasional satisfying crash into a planet! [Learn more & download video]
	*Pond* A pond of fish that are eat plants. When you walk up, there are few plants because the fish keep the population low. When you enter, the fish swarm playfull with you but ignore the plants thus the plant population swells thus demonstrating that a counter-intuitive result of ecosystem disruption is not the destruction of a species but rather a bloom. [Learn more & download video]
	*Crystal* Water molecules form a crystal when your hand creates a nucleation point. Part of the Molecule Series. [Learn more & download video]
	*RNA Folding* A cartoon simulation of an RNA molecule floats on a rear-project screen. Participants use their hands to pull the linear polymer apart and watch as it folds back again into its native conformation. RNA is perhaps the most important molecule of life as it can carry information and also act as a catalyst. See for yourself the thermodynamics of how life began! Part of the molecule series. [Learn more & download video]
	*Salt Freakout* A simulation of a salt crystal is shown. When participants wave their arms they heat up the solution causing the crystal to dissolve. Let the solution cool and the atoms will precipitate back out of solution again. [Learn more & download video]
	*Laser Go* Play the ancient board game of Go using laser points while lounging on the couch! [Learn more & download video]
	*Moderation* This work draws its inspiration from Princess Mononoke by the legendary anime director Hayao Miyazaki. Participants step through a shallow stream and their presence triggers a magical flowering of life. They must tread with care though, for as the title implies, over aggressive demands on the environment have unintended consequences. [Learn more & download video]
	Calder Using new infrared sensing technology on a rear-projected screen, participants simply draw a Calder-like mobile by touching the canvas. When they hold a beam, the mobile comes alive, moving around in 3D with realistic physics. Experience Calder mobiles the way Calder meant you too: by playing with them! [Learn more & download video]
	Mondriaan With the same technology and in the same spirit as the Calder piece, this work permits participants to simply sketch out and edit compositions in the style of the great abstractionist Piet Mondrian. Create your own composition in 10 seconds! [Learn more & download video]
	Interference As participants place their hands on the canvas, light emanates in the direction their hand is facing. When a second hand is placed, the light beams interfere with one another creating brilliant and beautiful interference patterns. The simulation is actually an accurate scientific visualization of radio-frequency interferometry, and by the time one has played with it for a few minutes one can't help but intuit the meaning and beauty of Euler's equation even if one has never heard of it! [Learn more & download video]

	Shadow with Adam Frank Eyebeam Artists in Residence, New York A disembodied shadow wanders around alone in a corner. When the participant enters, the figure reacts by running away. Aggressively chasing the figure leads only to his fear and escape. When the participants stay still the figure gains trust and steps closer, finally engaging in an embrace. [Learn more & download video]
	Double Dutch Jump Rope Laser pointers are used in tandem to swing a jump rope in order to hit patterned targets. Coordinating your actions with a partner is an exercise in mind merging! [Learn mode & download video]

	Marble Marshal Can you marshal the group of red and blue marbles into two distinct groups? It's harder than it looks because the marbles tend to stick together. You'll probably have to use your whole body and have some help. Before long it might seem like you are playing a game of twister. Even if you don't want to play the game, you might end up transfixed by the beautiful marbles. [Learn more & download video]
	Molecular Bubbles with Brian Sharp An impossible fluid reacts to your shadow forming long polymer chains and loops. Although exotic, the action of the bubbles is surprisingly intuitive. Connect the chains to the color generators and brilliant colors emerge from diffusion. Want a challenge? Try building concentric rings like this: [Learn more & download video]
	Fractal Zoom Fractal Zoom allows participants to explore the Mandelbrot set. By forming a loop with their fingers, they are able to create a kind of magic magnifying glass with which they can zoom into any part of the set. In the top corner, the scale factor is related in familiar dimensions; before long they have zoomed-in such that the original image is bigger than an a football field, then a city block, Manhattan, Connecticut, etc. until within a few minutes they have reached the size of the solar system. In this subtle way, the participants learn about the power of exponential growth while being fascinated by the complex beauty of this fractal. [Learn more & download video]

	Mariposa A swarm of butterflies circles as if looking for something. When your shadow enters nothing appears to happen at first; eventually, if you remain very still, you gain their trust and they begin to land on your hand or shoulder to rest. If you make a sudden movement they will scatter as even the slightest twitch sends them into a panic. This piece was featured as a Christmas fantasy gift in the 2003 Neiman Marcus catalog. [Learn more & download video]
	Fire with Jim Greer The screen is blank white until you move in front of it, when trails of swirling flame then follow you. The effect is both gentle and violent. Mostly soothing, a little scary. [Learn more & download video]
	Reflecting Pool In an alcove, water flows into a pool surrounded by plants. The water trickles down the wall and ripples in the pool. You reach to touch the water, and it flows around your shadow. Many people are surprised when they touch the water and discover that is is dry. [Learn more & download video]
	Flower Garden A diversity of flowers bump and bustle as if the wall were the surface of a pond. Over time they fade and die, unless you encourage them with light... a flashlight hangs from the ceiling for this purpose. Give a flower enough light and it will burst into children flowers. Most of these children will be similar, but not identical, to the parent; others will be wild mutants. Over time, the garden grows and adapts to your taste and mood. (Note that the background patterns on these web pages are all created using this algorithm.) [Learn more & download video]
	Light Smoke A swirl of smoke swirls around your flashlight beam like insects around a light or maybe like a galactic star cluster around a black hole. Create interstellar dust clouds and mix them up in a blender. [Learn more & download video]
	"Save The Baby?" "Save the Baby?" appears to be a large-scale video game, however, the audience must discover the objective on their own, and as they do, there are some important surprises! The piece forces the participants to question why and how they choose to solve problems -- in games and real life. [Learn more & download video]
	La Navaja en el Ojo We have at times used our interactive systems in large-scale theatrical productions such as the Valencia's Biannual of Art and Fashion. [Learn more & download video]
	Sand with Ken Demarest A stream of liquid sand flows from above and reacts with your shadow as if it were solid. Its hypnotic motion conjures childhood feelings of playing with water or building wet sandcastles. Like making shadow puppets, you can easily construct concave structures with your hands to catch the sand and then you can pour it from hand to hand or maybe into your friend's mouth. Play with it long enough and you might discover some of its many secrets. (Hint: Makes reference to "The Rainbow Goblins" by Ul De Rico.) [Learn more & download video]
	Swarm A swarm of creatures scoots about, schooling like fish or bustling like ants, depending on their mood. As your shadow enters, the creatures rush towards you and hide inside your shadow. You move and reveal them behind you, crowded together and squirming like insects. If you are like most people, you at first have a visceral feeling of being attacked by bugs and maybe you pull away. As you get used to them, you might enjoy the feeling of grooving with this band of critters. If you pay attention, you may discover that, whether you like it or not, you are an integral part of their ecosystem. [Learn more & download video]
	(c) 2008 Mine-Control, Inc.