I am in Boston today for something quite unique and exciting.The amazing experiences connected to STC! continue to unfold. And being invited to MIT to participate in the project presentation of MIT’s Media Lab grad student Mat Laibowitz is perhaps one of the most amazing. Believe it or not, Mat is using Save the Cat! as one of the foundations for his doctoral thesis and I was fortunate enough to be invited to sit on the panel to hear his initial thesis defense. And wow! I was impressed. What Mat and others are working on in connection to how humans perceive story is truly mind-blowing.Mat’s theory about narrative will be tested through a fascinating social experiment. It will involve tracking a subject’s reactions to every day situations and recording them, essentially fitting scenes from the subject’s real life into the basic story structure outlined in the BS2, the 15 beats I have used to describe what ever good story should contain.

Yes, it’s true! Cat! has been MIT-approved and fitted with little Cat! brain sensors to show how storytelling is vital to our lives. And it will begin to touch on a subject that I have been thinking for a long time is directly related — are we writing our own life stories? And if not, who is? This is just a brief insight into both Mat’s project and the remarkable work being done at the MIT Media Lab. I also got to meet fellow panel members including the brilliant Prof. Alex Pentland, Dr. Joseph Paradiso (google these gentleman for a peek into some of the work they have done in this field), and writer and NPR luminary David Rakoff, whose book Don’t Get Too Comfortable and work on “This American Life” are so wonderful.

I want to thank MIT for flying me out to Boston and being such great hosts. Just being invited to participate and to see Cat! used in this way made for one of those out-of-body experiences where I realize the amazing turns life offers when we say Yes! to the universe.

p.s. I will be on Gil Whiteley’s Denver radio show this Saturday from 6 – 7 pm p.s.t. and you are all welcome to participate by listening in on the Internet at www.710KNUS.com

. Feel free to call in and say hi! to me and Gil while we discuss the latest in movies and a little about my new book.