Episode 130 - Marientina Gotsis - USC Creative Media & Behavioral Health Center

Like Chris, Marientina Gotsis spent her childhood in Greece, growing up on a very limited TV diet of imported American shows and old movies. And, like Chris, Marientina has a strong interest in virtual reality, and how computer-generated experiences can help us experience the real world.

Coming from an artistic background, Marientina worked on the University of Illinois' CAVE (Cave Automatic Virtual Environment) in the mid-90s, a 3D-projected space which could simulate environments, and served as a precursor to modern VR. As tech got smaller and smarter, Marientina created a game-based experience to help people understand cognitive development, and used VR to treat ADHD and physical therapy

Marientina is a fascinating interviewee who has a sound theoretical understanding of VR and gaming, and how they can be used as real-world therapies. It's an engaging discussion which covers everything from depictions of genocide in videogames, to the sky in different cities, to the perfect movie for 3D.