The fifth issue of nomad addresses “the human aspect” in the development of our time. The human race is the greatest influencing factor on our planet, with an impact that is changing the very role of humanity itself. In this context, artist Edward Burtynsky documents the ways in which humans are re-forming, and deforming, the earth. What does it mean to be human if intimacy can be provided by robots? A question explored by interactive designer Dan Chen with his responsive machines. The global digital transformation determines the routes travelled by information, but also the pathways of our feelings; multimedia artist Cécile B. Evans explores the economic value of emotions. How will we feed ourselves in the future? Hervé This introduces Note by Note, the successor to molecular cuisine. Will the concepts of interior and exterior still have a place in the future, or will simply being take centre stage? Japanese architect Junya Ishigami abandons boundaries in architecture to focus on the existence of humanity in the here and now.