As a co-host of the Discovery Channel Canada series Breaking Point, Jonathan Tippett and his team test a variety of different objects to determine what it takes for each to fail, or reach its breaking point.  This gives them the knowledge to engineer a way to make the objects stronger.

Tippett, who is also an artist and mechanical engineer, will discuss how these and other themes apply to everyday life in his lecture, “Expanding the Human Experience Through Machines,” on Wednesday, Nov. 17.  The presentation is at 7:30 p.m. in Davidson Auditorium in the School of Management at The University of Texas at Dallas.

Tippett creates kinetic sculptures, which explore the relationships between humans, machines, energy, power and physical skill.  He has worked in the fields of marine hydraulics, fuel cells and medical devices over the last 10 years.

In 2006 he was one of four engineers who designed and built The Mondo Spider, a 1,600-pound rideable, mechanical sculpture which has since attained an international profile in the art and engineering communities.  He is continuing this exploration with his next piece, Prosthesis, which is a 16.5-foot tall, 4,400-pound, four-legged wearable walking machine, slated for completion in 2012.

This event is part of UT Dallas’ “Incite Your Curiosity: Exploring Human Enhancement” lectures, presented by the Center for Values in Medicine, Science and Technology. The lecture is free and open to the public.