technology

Art, theater and technology converge onstage in Sara Kraft's world premiere of Hyperreal. Sure, we all know that technology informs our lives, but Kraft delves deeper to see how it also forms our lives. Examine our world, where experiences are often technical instead of physical and question what that makes us. A fusion of text, song, sound, movement and live interactive video, Hyperreal blurs the lines between the tangible and virtual. Don't miss this live performance that the local artists is acclaimed for.

If reading an issue of Scientific American leaves you scratching your head, it's time to attend the monthly lecture series Ask a Scientist, where you can pick the brain of an expert in the field of smart. This month's topic is "Your Brain on Computers" and Brett Wingeier, Principal Biomedical Engineer at NeuroPace, will be on hand to answer all of your burning questions. Did you ever fantasize that the idea of a Bionic Man would one day be a reality?

Textiles and technology come together for this exhibit at the Museum of Craft and Folk Art. Open Source Embroidery showcases individual and collectively made artworks by artists, crafts people, computer programmers and html users which explore the relationship between craft and code, physical and digital space. The artworks experiment with interdisciplinary approaches to modifying patterns, the DIY culture of hacking and sampling in sound, GPS and mobile technologies.

Breaking news: SF's colorful Tenderloin district is about to get a much-needed facelift. Gray Area Foundation for the Arts [GAFFTA], a new nonprofit digital art and technology center, will officially open its doors on October 1. The state-of-the-art gallery space, studio facility and multimedia community center marks a milestone in the revitalization of the neighborhood into a vibrant art district, while also providing a production and exhibition center for the Bay Area digital and progressive arts communities.

Unleash your inner geek this weekend. RoboGames returns to Fort Mason Center for three days of mechanized mayhem. Contraptions compete for prizes and bragging rights in more than 70 categories. You'll find combat 'bots, walking humanoids, soccer automatons, metal masters of martial arts, alongside art robots, tiny featherweight 'bots and artificial dinosaurs.

Head to Zen Valley for talk of change over tea. Samovar Tea Lounge is launching a new six-part Tea Salon Series entitled "Coping With The New Economy." Moderated by Samovar owner Jesse Jacobs and events associate Jennifer Sauer, author of The Way to Tea: Your Adventure Guide to San Francisco Tea Culture, this intimate audience open-dialogue forum is meant to inspire and energize the community to respond optimistically to the rapidly changing social and economic climate.