Zoning (a) the transition between levels in video games (b) the transition to a trance-like state (c) land use regulation Grinding (a) intense physical contact between surfaces (b) process of material removal in which a wheel composed of many hard abrasive grits wears away a softer material (c) learning by repetition

050505 is the fifth in an algorithmically timed series of conferences on emerging themes in New Media organized at UC Berkeley by the Center for New Media. The purpose of the 050505 conference is to explore the transitions users make when they switch from one mode of media interaction to another. The applause before a concert, the opening sequence of a movie, the ring tone of a cell phone, the login for an online game; all are transitions from one mode of interaction to another.

050505 > Zoning and Grinding > New Transitions brings together New Media scholars, researchers and developers to discuss transitions between different modes of interaction. What do we hold on to, what do we let go of, how do we transform in interactions with different technologies? How do transitions frame a space of interaction? How can we design transitions, both technically and culturally, to translate our bodies into new spheres of interaction?

Applause before a concert marks the presence and enthusiasm of the audience, but also calibrates the ear to the concert space. An opening sequence adapts the senses to the film, and attempts to establish a mood which prepares viewers for optimal cinematic experiences. The ubiquitous ring of cell phones prepares us to talk to people who are not present, and the login helps us break the ice between us and our computers. Novel spheres of interaction, such as genetic engineering, nanotechnology, and networking, require more complex transitions, in which interfaces adapt to us and we adapt to them. Many of these high-tech transitions are not yet formalized as a part of our culture, and we are in a unique time and place to define these transitions before they confine us.

On May 5, 2005, scholars, researchers and developers are invited to the New Media Commons at UC Berkeley's Moffitt Library to discuss the phenomenon of transition, to better understand the parameters that define successful or disastrous transitions. Our day-long conference is organized in four sections, Tuning In, Zoning Out, Breaking Up, and Letting Go. Each section includes 4-7 short 12-minute presentations and a wildly interdisciplinary discussion to follow. Presenters include New Media artists, practitioners, scholars and theorists from the Bay Area and beyond. The conference is free and open to the registered public. To register for 050505, please send your name, your email and your favorite transition to Selina Lam (selinalam at berkeley dot edu). To propose a presentation for 050505, please send your name, email presentation title, preferred section and an abstract of 250 words to Meredith Hoy (dragngrl at berkeley dot edu). The deadline for proposals is March 15, 2005.