iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

Big news this month: @setiinstitute.bsky.social launched two new projects! We announced six phenomenal artists nominated for the Planetary Futures public art residency, and Cosmic Chronicles, a new literary prize for emerging writers and poets. More in our newsletter: www.seti.org/news/seti-ai...

A collage of images, featuring a radio telescope, a portrait of an artist, a microorganism with many tentacles, and an abstract illustration of planets.

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

Great @setiinstitute.bsky.social article about how the creation of bioart can help to visualize biogenesis, the study of the origin of life. Read about how artist Jennifer Willet brought the scientific work of Drake Award winners David Deamer and John Baross to life: www.seti.org/news/dreams-...

The artwork "Dreams of Biogenesis" by Jennifer Willet, collage, 2025.
This work is a riot of colours. A graphic depiction of cell division spirals outward from a central point in the composition, set on a background of rays mostly in pale blue, teal, and turquoise. Illustrations of deep-sea creatures, corals, and extremophiles provide red and orange accents. In the far background, barely visible in the joyous cacophony of colours, a volcano and a depp-sea vent are visible.

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

Just launched: @setiinstitute.bsky.social's Planetary Futures, a public art residency that explores planetary science, with a focus on climate research. Six nominees have been invited to submit a project proposal for the SETI AIR Planetary Futures residency: www.seti.org/news/seti-in...

A graphic of overlapping red an blue-striped spheres floating on a a starfield

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

Two powerful solo shows by indigenous women right now at the National Gallery of Canada: Nadia Myre and Skawennati. Reflecting on colonial pasts and projecting into Indigenous Futures. Poignant, lyrical, funny, and uplifting.

Nadia Myre
A page of Canada’s Indian act, red and white beads replacing the typed text.

A view of one of the exhibition rooms featuring Nadia Myre’s work. A canoe, made of half metal and half wood, sits in the centre of the room. Three large circular photographs of beads at the back wall looks like galaxies.

Bettina, wearing headphones, stands in front of a flatscreen watching Skawennati’s video work They Sustain Us. In the background are mannequins wearing costumes of the virtual characters in the video.

Bettina walks up the stairs to the first floor in the National Gallery of Canada. The photo emphasizes the dramatic architecture of the stairs, walls, and coloured ceiling, with Bettina in the centre of the vanishing lines.

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Reposted by Bettina Forget

SETI Institute @setiinstitute.bsky.social · 04/07/2025

In this edition of SETI AIR News, we feature Julie-Michèle Morin, one of our Cosmic Consciousness Residency recipients, whose technofeminist research into robotics and theatre challenges conventional narratives around machines and performance. 🧪 👩‍🔬 🐡

Collage of different pictures featuring an artist in an orange touque, a window display of books, an open doorway, an empty easel, the cover of an album entitled "Beneath the Silence of Space: A Sonified Journey" by Cosmic Connect, the movie poster for "Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa" on Netflix, and a painting of a woman in front of a wall sitting on the edge of a pool.

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

Looking forward to my chat with artist Jennifer Willet about the wonderful animated collage she created that illustrates two opposing theories of biogenesis. How does life begin? Join me for the next SETI Live this Thursday, July 3, 2025, at 2:30PT / 5:30 ET www.youtube.com/live/z0Qb62g...

youtube.com

Dreams of Biogenesis: A Conversation with Artist Jennifer Willet

How does life begin? This intriguing question touches on science, philosophy, and the imagination. Artist and INCUBATOR Art Lab Director Jennifer Willet created an artwork that visualizes the theories...

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

This is a fantastic opportunity for writers and poets interested in the questions of life, intelligence, and consciousness. Deadline is September 1st, so you can get some writing done over the summer.

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 07/05/2025

My friend's mom (and my "quasi-adoptive mom") Helen is running a half-marathon to raise funds for a senior's home. 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️ Helen is 85 years old - and just unstoppable! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️ If you'd like to support her cause, here's the link: shorturl.at/GOgPe She started running marathons - and winning medals - at age 70

shorturl.at

Helen's fundraiser for Perley HealthFoundation

Help Helen McGurrin raise money to support Perley and Rideau Veterans Health Center Foundation

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 03/05/2025

My first Jane’s Walk! And I got roped in to marshal the crowd. What a wonderful way to honour visionary activist Jane Jacobs, whose ideas about urban planning, liveable cities, and “third spaces” shaped much of contemporary design and architecture. #janeswalk

Photo of Bettina Forget holding a Jane’s Walk flag, Ottawa’s National Gallery and Louise Bourgeois’ sculpture Maman in the background.

Photo of a group of about 40 people in front of Ottawa’s National Gallery, gathering below Louise Bourgeois’ sculpture Maman.

Photo of a small group of people gathering in front of a sculpture in Ottawa’s National Arts Centre. A young woman is holding a Jane’s Walk flag.

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 22/04/2025

Look what I found during my stop-over in Toronto: Kim’s Convenience! This is the location where the TV series was filmed. Of course, I went in and bought a few things. Sadly, Mr Kim was not behind the counter. Oh well. Ok, see you!

Photo of the facade of a convenience store. The sign reads Kim’s Convenience, 7 Days a Week.

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 19/04/2025

Every Easter, I make a card and treats for my neighbours in the building, typically with a nod to current events. This year, it’s Elbows Up Bunny. Chocolate eggs are a decent antidote to news-induced nihilism. #HappyEaster

Photo of a table covered with small brown paper bags. On the front of each bag a card is attached with red and white striped ribbon. The card has a cartoon rabbit on it wearing a red shirt that says “Elbows Up” in white letters.

A card with a cartoon rabbit on it wearing a red shirt that says “Elbows Up” in white letters.

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

Words of wisdom spotted on a parking meter

Photo taken on a sidewalk, with a parking meter in the foreground that has a sticker on it. The sticker reads: Creativity is not a to do list. Creativity is a wild god.

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

Billionaires in Space! Loving my new t-shirt. I've been a fan of Icelandic cartoonist Hugleikur Dagsson ever since I spent a month in Olafsfjordir for an art residency. His humor is pretty dark, and I find myself laughing despite my better judgment...

Photo of a woman (that's me) in a blank leather jacket wearing a lilac coloured t-shirt. The cartoon on the t-shirt shows a black line drawing of four rotund men in tophats tied to a giant firecracker with a lit fuse. The hand-lettering at the bottom of the drawing reads "Billionaires in Space"

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

Congratulations, Domenica! The Beyond Silos STEAM Education residency is now officially launched. This residency aims to disrupt disciplinary silos and create meaningful learning situations that foster innovation, risk-taking, and creative problem solving. #STEAMEducation #ArtEd #sciart

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 08/03/2025

Happy International Women's Day! A few years ago, I got a guided tour of the Women’s Library of the London School of Economics. The curator showed me original banners from the Suffragette movement, dating back to 1907 - 1917, that women carried during the Women’s marches.

Suffragette banner dedicated to author Jane Austen. The name Jane Austen is on the top of the banner in capital letters, her dates 1775 - 1817 below. An icon of an open book and a writing quill are at the bottom. The banner is about 1m x 2m, coral red and beige striped fabric, with a gold fringe at the bottom.

Suffragette banner dedicated to astronomer and mathematician Mary Somerville. Her name is printed in white capital letters on a dark blue background. In the center of the image is the icon of a golden armillary sphere. Her dates, 1780 - 1872, are at the bottom of the banner.

Suffragette banner dedicated to doctor Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to earn a medical degree in the USA. The name, Elizabeth Blackwell MD, and her birthdate, 1849, are stitched in large gold capital letters onto an olive-green silk fabric. At the bottom of the banner is an icon of a chalice with a snake wound around its stem.

Suffragette banner dedicated to astronomer Caroline Herschel. Visible in the photo is her name, embroidered in capital letters, onto a striped white and core background. Just visible below is a depiction of a circular star chart.

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

Phenomenal set by the Thievery Corporation last night in Montreal. They are on tour - my recommendation is to grab tickets if they show anywhere near you! Also loved Flamingosis' opening set, especially the (all too brief) dance number he threw in. thieverycorporation.com/tour/

Photo of the interior of a music theatre, focusing on the stage. An upside-down US flag is projected behind the band. Three guitarists and two percussionists are seated in a semi-circle on the stage.

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

Goodbye Audible, Hello Libro.fm! I love supporting local bookstores, and @dandq.bsky.social is one of my faves. Should have made the switch earlier... And to mark the occasion, I left a snarky comment on Audible's feedback page. For what good it'll do. But hey, I feel better. Take that, #tariffs.

Screenshot from Audible's "Let us know why you canceled" page. I ticked "other reason" and wrote "Mr. Trump's appalling 25% tariffs on Canada and his "51st state" annexation threats. I'm boycotting all US goods and services.

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

A special treat at Montreal’s Nuit Blanche: a free Philip Glass concert by the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal. My friends had their young kids with them, and they were absolutely hypnotized. What a fantastic way to introduce contemporary classical music to new audiences. #Montreal #Canada

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

It’s “tire” time: pour maple syrup onto fresh snow, let it solidify a bit, and then roll it up to make an extremely deciduous snack! One of the highlights of last night’s Nuit Blanche in Montreal. The sugar rush helped me fight the cold while partying outside in winter at -15*C 🍭❄️🍭❄️🍭❄️ #Canada

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

Such a great conversation with Martin! My favourite remark of his was “Consciousness is a spectrum.” This was in relation to AI and the bilateral analysis between him and ChatGPT.

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

Looking forward to my chat with artist and psychoanalyst Martin Wilner at today's SETI Live. Martin invited @setiinstitute.bsky.social scientists to send him daily messages, which he turned into drawings. Martin even put AI "on the couch" for analysis. Join us: www.youtube.com/live/sZMC4m0...

youtube.com

Space is the Case: A Conversation with SETI Artist in Residence Martin Wilner

YouTube video by SETI Institute

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

Just installed Flashes and I'm conflicted: should I connect it to my existing Bluesky account or set up a new one? What are your thoughts?

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

Reading the news, I often feel overwhelmed by frustration and disbelief, and I wonder what I can possibly do to stem the tide of awfulness. Right now, my small contribution is to buy Canadian. It's actually super easy to find local products, and I'm not spending more. US groceries are canceled.

A selection of Canadian groceries, including dairy (Beatrice, Astro, Lactania), apples, celery, cucumber, raw sugar (Sunbec), herb tea (Celestial Seasonings), dried split peas (Clic), mayonnaise (Artisan), peanut butter (Nurture), chocolate spread (Allo Simone), and ham (Les Fermes Valens)

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 22/02/2025

Your moment of Zen. Lovely little Moon game right now if you click on this month's Google Doodle.

Screenshot of the February 2025 Google Doodle showing a cartoon-style illustration of a Moon face in gold and dark blue tones

Screenshot of the Google Moonphase game, showing playing cards featuring different Moon phases.

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

Please pick up after yourselves. Thanks.

Cartoon by S. Gross. Black line art on white paper. A giant hand, covered in a transparent plastic bag, is reaching down from the sky to pick up a Nazi who is also reaching down, hand covered in a transparent plastic bag, to pick up his dog's turd.

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 15/02/2025

Happy Flag Day! I painted this maple leaf after I broke my wrist a couple of years ago and started practicing to paint with my left hand (that’s a sketch of my X-ray on the right). It was soon healed and good as new. Just a speed bump. A reminder that we can get through anything. Stay strong! 🍁🍁🍁

Two pages of a sketch book. On the left, a painting of a maple leaf in red with orange, yellow, and green accents, on the right a painting of an x-ray of a broken wrist in bright blue and white.

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Reposted by Bettina Forget

Phil Plait @philplait.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

Roses are red, But that's not quite true, They absorb every wavelength of the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, *Except* for that hue.

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

My prediction: the animals at San Antonio Zoo will be absolutely stuffed this Valentine's Day. Love this fundraiser idea! (Also, I have a few names in mind...)

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 05/02/2025

But, of course, women were allowed to pose in the nude…

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

Trade war stressing you out? “51st Cherished State” joke wearing thin? Here’s a little something to cheer you up. Ms Fluffypants when she was 12 weeks old, toying with her first chew stick.

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

“Trump never wanted to be president, he wanted to be king. If we believe he is already king and he already has that power, then it becomes likelier that we will let him govern as king. Don’t believe him. Trump is acting like a king because he is too weak to govern like a president.” Ezra Klein

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

Snapped this with my phone. What a lovely sight!

A very thin crescent Moon with Venus sparkling just above it in the early evening sky

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

DEI policies promote excellence. They guard against inherent prejudices that cause highly competent people of colour, LGBTQ folks, women, and the differently-abled being overlooked and excluded from well deserved opportunities.

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Reposted by Bettina Forget

Maureen Johnson @maureenjohnsonbooks.com · 30/01/2025

ME: *sits at desk and works* Just focus. Just focus. Don't look around. Do NOT look around. THE NEWS:

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

“We are caught in our own creation: the industrial, technological sublime.” Wonderful (if somewhat rambling) talk by artist Edward Burtynsky yesterday at Concordia University. His epic photographs capture humanity’s intervention in nature: both beauty and tragic destruction.

Edward Burtynsky and a moderator on the stage. Above the two is a projection of one of Burtynsky’s images, capturing the spiral drill marks in a mine tunnel.

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

Okay - done. My Twitter/X account has been scraped clean, save for my one "viral" post from 2020, a data visualization illustrating red vs blue states voting in the US. Deleted all likes, whom I follow, and replies while I was at it. And changed my Twitter username to bettinaforget.bsky.social 😏

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

How do you imagine the perfect future? Theatre Mitu's "Utopian Hotline" collected moving, funny, & thoughtful answers. Visit their virtual archive as an adorable robot floating past tiny phone booths and listen to the recordings. Magical & inspiring 🌟 utopianhotline.com/archive

Computer-generated image showing a boxy robot standing in front of a phone booth. More phonebooth are spaced out at equal distances reaching to the far horizon. The sky is brooding, with black and blue clouds and a clear blue sky at the horizon.

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

Is the Moon a "Man's World"? @drspacejunk.bsky.social proposes six feminist perspectives that allows us to re-imagine/re-image the Moon. (Thanks for the shout-out to Women With Impact!)

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

Looking forward to speaking at the Canadian Space Conference about the intersection of art, science, and space exploration! Get ready to hear about aliens, Moon craters named after women, and how fusing art and science leads to new ideas and insights. Tickets at csc.seds.ca#book-tickets

Portrait photo of Bettina Forget. Colours: blue, grey, mauve.

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 29/12/2024

Art is irrepressible, even in countries with autocratic regimes. In Communist era Poland, modernist abstraction was unacceptable. In response, artists circulated postcards of fashion models bearing modernist designs. Polish artist Paulina Olowska’s paining celebrates this creative subversion.

Paining of a young blond woman wearing a sweater with an abstract design consisting of squares and rectangles. The design’s colours are dark red, dusty pink, caramel, dark brown, and beige.

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Bettina Forget @bettinaforget.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

Discovering extraordinary species on our own planet really messes with your perception of what's "normal." Like the lifespan of this glass sponge, which can get thousands of years old. Reminds me of Rachel Sussman's wonderful project "The Oldest Living Things in the World" www.rachelsussman.com/oltw

rachelsussman.com

The Oldest Living Things in the World — ⟜ R a c h e l ⋅ S u s s m a n ⤀

Since 2004 artist Rachel Sussman has been researching, working with biologists, and traveling the world to photograph continuously living organisms 2,000 years old and older:  The Oldest Living...

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Reposted by Bettina Forget

SETI Institute @setiinstitute.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

buff.ly/4gILDLn This year has been a milestone for the SETI AIR program, with three of our five new residencies successfully launched. In September, we announced the winners of the Cosmic Consciousness Literary Arts Residency, and today, we’re thrilled to welcome Laurent Grasso... 🐡

seti.org

SETI AIR Newsletter - December 2024

*/ /*-->*/ Greetings

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Reposted by Bettina Forget

Gregory Betts @whatisapoem.bsky.social · 17/12/2024

Three works by Laurent Grasso from his OttO exhibition (2018), shot in Yuendumu, Australia. Congratulations on becoming the new SETI Institute AiR resident in Algorithmic Imaginings Art. "artists, create interesting ways of seeing the world" @setiinstitute.bsky.social @bettinaforget.bsky.social

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