Dr. Kate Stone has spent the last decade on a journey of discovery from the world of science to creative design. Her focus on moving electrons eventually led to the creation of her groundbreaking company, Novalia, where she has developed a new technology platform to create products that are a delightful blend of being magical, old fashioned and futuristic.  Dr. Stone believes the future will look more like the past than the present due to our natural mix of nostalgia and futuristic stargazing. At Novalia, she and her team use ordinary printing presses to manufacture interactive electronics, which combine touch-sensitive ink technology and printed circuits into unique and cost-effective products. Most recently she and her team have created experiences for large brands as part of advertising campaigns, working with Pizza Hut, McDonalds, Bud Light, Hershey’s and IKEA.  They are presently working on a children’s toy called Touchscape: a board game-like surface that connects to Amazon’s Alexa.

Dr. Stone is from the UK, however she now lives in Woodstock, New York and has a degree in electronics from Salford University and PhD in physics from Cambridge University but believes the most useful things she learnt in life were discovered during her travels through Australia and Asia and in particular working on a sheep farm in the Australian outback. Stone sees herself as a “creative scientist,” blending art and science to create startling fusions of new and old technology. In addition to her work with Novalia, Stone is a member of the Editors Code of Practice committee. Dr. Stone asks us to consider: what future world do we want build to live in? What is our mind? Do we need technology at all? How can we build resilience into our everyday life?

How to Watch

All speaker series events will be webcast on Fridays at 8 pm EST at http://pennystampsevents.org and at https://www.dptv.org/programs/arts-culture/penny-stamps-series/ starting Friday, September 18. You can also watch the talks and join the conversation on the Penny Stamps Series Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/PennyStampsSeries/.

Notice of uncensored content

In accordance with the University of Michigan’s Standard Practice Guidelines on “Freedom of Speech and Artistic Expression,” the Penny Stamps Speaker Series does not censor our speakers or their content. The content provided is intended for adult audiences and does not reflect the views of the University of Michigan or Detroit Public Television.