Thanks to the national SeaPerch program, K-12​ students across the country are  developing key skills such as teamwork and creative problem solving by building their own underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs). Each year, the Office of Naval Research and The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers puts thousands of ROV kits into schools and enables underwater obstacle courses as a means to engage students in the foundations of innovation: technology, math, and science. Students then compete for spots at the National Challenge, which will be hosted by the LSU College of Human Science and Education in May 2016. And on March 5, TEDxLSU attendees will get an exclusive sneak peek so be sure you stop by to ask these ROV builders "why?"  

Art of the app is a gallery show about the creative potential of mobile applications curated by Louisiana State University Digital Art faculty and graduate students. In a world with more mobile devices than people, mobile apps have not only become a means of communicating and sharing information but also a widespread medium for artistic expression. In addition to allowing for the rapid consumption of static works, apps are uniquely capable of enabling new forms of interactive, participatory, and generative art. Through the fusion of art and code, artists utilize an array of sensors and inputs such as GPS, accelerometers, cameras, touch screen, and wifi to bridge vast interconnected networks and individual experience.

Works chosen for the show include applications that push the boundaries of electronic art, music, design, and literature on platforms such as Apple iOS, Google Android, and the mobile web. The show is a feature of the TEDxLSU 2016 event which will be held in the LSU Union Art Gallery on March 5.  Select pieces of “Art of the app” resonate with this year’s TEDxLSU theme of how questioning is at the heart of learning and understanding and how asking “why” sparks change in our community and our world.