animation

Dr. Samantha Panther Observes: In a relatively short span of time, cumulative events have unfolded that led to the complete decimation of the Black Footed Ferret. This calamity would spread across North America, leading to the species being claimed as extinct. Not only reckless framing practices led to the species demise, disease plagues crossed over on ships in 1900 that quickly spread across the continent. This black death still remains a current threat to the recovery of the species.

Being primarily dependant on prairie dogs, the black footed ferret had their primary food source tilled under and poisoned over the past 100 years. Only 5% of North American prairie dog populations survive today. Prairie dogs are a keystone species essential not only to other animal species such as the Ferruginous hawk and the swift fox, active borrowing helps to aerate and fertilize soil promoting plant growth and diversity.

In 1981, a small population of 129 ferrets were discovered in Wyoming, and efforts have be made to reintroduce the species in regions they previously inhabited. As of this year, 2021, current number of black footed ferrets in the wild are estimated at 300. Conservation efforts are ongoing, with 200 ferrets reintroduced into the wild each year.

It is only through species diversity and climate management will ecosystems around the world thrive and return habitats to their natural order. Through educating children with real facts on the potential harm that humans pose on the natural world, we can hope to create a future planet that is livable for all animal species and humans.

#conservation #graphicdesign #explainervideo #illustration #diversity

Machine Learning to Animation

Machine learning is an evolving technology that is finding its way into all facets of business and society. Even though it is largely buried in technology and devices, it’s opening up efficiencies and discoveries that are leading the way in how most “humans” in modern society go about their daily lives. Most of the effort undertaken by machine learning artificially intelligent models happens in the digital realm outside the observation of the most technically literate. Born in a lab like a biotic microorganism, it is designed to learn and grow. All a.i. systems assembled today have limits; simple they are, directed to perform predictable tasks, but this is only the beginning.

The past while I have scaled the realm of machine learning, wrapping my ideals around the what if and what for of the technology as it’s potential extends to something else. Artificial Intelligence and machine learning is not a current creation; it’s been in development for twenty years. Only now has it grown to be adaptable and useful thanks to the massive quantity of data that is available and the tools to process it. As I continue down the path to build a story, I expect that there will be many more revelations to be had and revealed. The project Intelligent Machine, will be an immersive dome animation production that will explore a biotic data model and it’s journey to becoming sentient. As the writer and creator of the “GERI” model, working with the Alberta Machine Learning Institute, its’ my imperative to craft a life worth living as “GERI” charts a path through the history of the technology leading up to an uncertain outcome.