Saturday, March 20, 2010
Email from Anne
This is the email I received back from Anne Galloway
Hi Meredith,
So sorry for the delayed response but your emails went straight into my junk folder and I didn't see them until right now!
The Spanish word I mentioned is "nervio" - I did a quick search and found this interesting link:
http://www.lizettegreco.com/roberto/nervio.html
As for understanding bodies, you might start with these books:
"The Body: The Key Concepts" by Lisa Blackman
"Divine Hunger: Cannibalism as a Cultural System" Peggy Reeves Sanday (ed.)
"Beyond the body proper: reading the anthropology of material life," Margaret Lock and Judith Farquhar (eds.)
"The Anthropology of Cannibalism" Laurence Goldman (ed.)
Also, go to the librarian and ask how to place an interloans request for a book called "Inca Cosmology and the Human Body" by Constance Classen, University of Utah Press, 1993.
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Anne
I'll look into this over the next few days. Scott you said you were keen to do this too?
Are we still keen for Nervio for a name??? (after researching it properly and confirming that it actually means what we think it does)
I'm also doing some filming with ice this weekend. Will post on vimeo and send you the link.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Group Meeting
Hiring a candyfloss machine?
Kev knows someone who working with food and chemical reactions etc. going to look into that.
How do we really show intimacy. Ross said the contact in our images was the strong point.
Looking over requirements for next submission.
Material experiments - looking at using ice, jelly, crystals. Things that shift and change.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Where to from here...
I think we need to be more brutal in how we say it. We are talking about honesty, and can get away wit the taboo. Work with intimacy. Be provocative with image and language. We just need to say "we need good food and good sex"
From here we probably need to split. Research, and Visual. Anne talked about what parts of the body can give you what etc. We also need to look at the film. I think film is where we are going to end up, we need really strong visual material.
Anyway...
Beer time.
time management calendar
Presentation tomorrow
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Reviewed Philosophy
Every human has an architecture that looks after the physical body while the individual is virtually conscious. Our architecture will provide the necessities of our survival. While we are in the virtual world, our architecture produces growth. When we come back to the physical, we share this growth with others, and vice versa, through taste. The taste of this growth is based on our mental state in the virtual world. Sharing growth with each other provides a snapshot of who people are, a reflection of their self. Communication and understanding then becomes our sustenance. We survive off what others produce through the nature of their existence.
Natural selection is the driver of evolution, however in a world where humanity faces few individual environmental threats, sexual selection; or the criteria through which a species chooses a reproductive partner, is what shapes the future of that species. To keep our species sexual selection a natural process, humans must continue to reproduce physically, even though it is possible for us to do so virtually. This is because the virtual world will always be an easy medium through which to deceive. In 2090, humanity will rely heavily on taste to choose a sexual partner. An individuals taste communicates their emotions and experiences, and gives an over all sense of who they are. This can be shared with family and friends, and more widely in the community.
Humans will live biologically and in ways that are sustainable in 2090. We will have developed an eco system of our own that does not negatively impact those already contributed to by others that share our planet. Our sense of physical community will have changed exponentially since the early twenty-first centaury. Our architecture is capable of movement at a walking pace, while our conscious mind is experiencing the virtual. This keeps the body fit and capable, and gives a means of travel that effects the environment to the same capacity as a hunter gatherer culture.
Humans form communities of physical bodies. These are similar to, and as varied in size as the communities and cities of the early twenty-first century. Humans are born into a specific community, but may choose to move within this community, or to a new once several times in their lifetime. It is the decision of the individual to move communities, and if so, how frequently. Many humans, however, appreciate the fact that their communities are reasonably static as a contrast to their fast paced virtual existence.
Critique
This project possibly needed the supporting verbal presentations to obtain a full understanding.
The way Alms departs from the Dolphins is in the discussion of intimacy. The Dolphins asked: “How does intimacy translate into a virtual context?” Whilst we might ask “How does intimacy remain honest in coexisting virtual and physical contexts?”
The Dolphins state:
“As we are unconscious, away in our own dream world far away, our bodies seem to come alive and move in strange and unexplainable ways. It’s important to know if we can harness or even learn from what our bodies do while we are in an unresponsive state. The importance here is not to look at our mental selves, but to look at our physical body and the states and shapes it takes while our minds are not there to control it.”
We find this to be an interesting starting point for thinking about how our virtual and physical consciousnesses might communicate with one another. We propose that even in a deep sleep our minds are still subconsciously aware of our physical presence. Whilst we mentally traverse the digital world we are not completely detached from our physical bodies, the movement of our physical self is directly tied to the consciousness of our virtual being.
The architecture that we grow will need to cope with many factors while our minds are virtually conscious: protection, nutrition, warmth and community being the basis of these. However this is not to say our architecture must always be a completely encapsulating form. To live in a truly balanced manner with the physical world our architecture must be fully integrated into the natural environment. This can offer protection and sustenance as is needed, and change with environmental conditions as required.
We further explore the Dolphins statement that “Distance and proximity are collapsed by technology.” We do agree with this statement, the idea of a completely intangible world would remove nearly all difficulty in achieving anything. This means we can return to the physical world to lead a Hadza-like lifestyle where social interaction and creation take the majority of our time.
critique of architecture
Pores on the body release silk genes that quickly solidify in response to frequencies emitted by the body. This material forms threads from our pores and then weaves together to form a structure.
The structure communicates the mind-state through the thread and the movements the body make while virtual.
We believe that communication can be enriched by translating our virtual experiences and state of mind into another medium that can be shared with others.
The dolphins believe their architecture was designed to complement nature. The form is not rigid and does not control the space, rather it grows on the landscape available.
We see the potential to not only avoid intruding on nature but also to contribute to nature through using our bodies in a productive way.
biological architecture 3d printing
Live cells jetted with electric fields
Jan 11, 2006
A team of biophysicists in the UK has used a form of ink-jet printing to create "jets" of living cells for the first time. Suwan Jayasinghe of University College London and colleagues at Kings College London say their technique, which does not destroy the cells, could be used to grow biological tissue or even human organs. The technique involves jetting biological cells from a needle at fields of up to 30 kilovolts (Biotechnology Journal 1 86).
Most people use ink-jet printers to print documents and pictures -- a technique that involves squeezing tiny droplets of coloured ink from a nozzle. However, the technology is increasingly being used to create small volumes of liquid for a range of applications in electronics and medicine. For example, it has been used to create 2D and 3D patterns of living cells by squeezing a solution containing the cells from a needle using piezoelectric crystals. However, the method is limited by the diameter of the needle, which controls the size of the cell droplet. As a result, it cannot produce droplets smaller than about 100 microns, which means that "small" biological structures with fine features are difficult to make.
The new technique developed by the London researchers overcomes this problem. Known as "electrohydrodynamic jetting", it involves passing a liquid suspension of live human cells through a stainless-steel needle with a diameter of 500 microns at a controlled flow rate. A voltage of up to 30kV is applied between the needle and an electrode, which charges the liquid. After leaving the needle, the external electric field turns the liquid into a jet that becomes unstable and disperses into a myriad of droplets.
The advantage of this method compared to conventional ink-jet technology is that it can create droplets as small as just a few microns across from needles with diameters as large as hundreds of microns. Until now, however, researchers were unsure if the high voltages required for this technique would damage living cells. Jayasinghe and co-workers have demonstrated that cells can be processed at electric fields as high as 30 kilovolts without being harmed.
The technique may have huge potential for patterning predetermined 2D and 3D biological architectures, such as tissues and organs, at the micron and nanometre scales says Jayasinghe -- a feat currently impossible using other jet-based methods.
will work on it whn all the others are together.
‘The Dolphins’ chose to use a style of presentation that doesn’t do any harm to the project although it doesn’t do any favours either.
The Dolphins went for an extremely spaced out approach with only a few if not one point of interest on each page. There are many pages throughout the workbook have only one quote or similar on them and although they look nice when used occasionally, every second page is too much. It spaces out the information and adds un-needed pauses in the presentations flow. I got bored going through the presentation due to this fact.
The use of red dots is a predominant theme throughout the Dolphins presentation. They are rather bland although the vibrant colour scheme of red / magenta helps to contrast with the background. I don’t really understand where the dots come from; they seem almost a random occurrence.
The simple use of text on top of coloured boxes works well because it keeps the titles/sections easy to read and the presentation crisp.
Most of the pictures were well thought out, composed shots. Some of them came out blurry and out of focus but the overall quality of them is high. The bed shots could have had a bit more effort put into them in the sense of lighting and colour. The use of the whole page pictures credits the presentation because it keeps with the spaced out theme and makes the photos easier to view.
Alms - an intro
Alms:
80 years from now sustenance and the communication of ones' self become synonymous.
Our bodies grow food as a reflection of the emotional and mental states which make up our personality and the process of sharing ones food with another person has become a meaningful dialogue of expression and emotion through the "taste" of personality.
As our thoughts constantly shift and morph, so too does the food we produce. Our diet becomes a dynamic representation of the community we are involved in.
I have also thought of a couple of questions:
how fast does this food grow?
how long are we digital (so when we come back to the physical we have food to eat)
can we survive of our own food alone (or do we need a balanced diet of mixed personalities? :P )
Website Critique
The Dolphins website is a simple page which consists of a link to their blog and their workbook. Their presentation video takes up 3/4's of the available space and is intended as the dominant attraction for all users visiting the site.
There is no content on the actual website, save for the video on the front page. The workbook leads to a PDF document containing all of their work and the link to their development blog appears to be offline, so viewing their work history is impossible.
The predominantly red theme of the website is similar to the designs found in the workbook, though the use of random red circles and splotches on the lower half of the page seems random and unnecessary.
This website could have been integrated into the final presentation of this group's work a lot more, and feels almost like an afterthought in order to deliver their other more important elements; the workbook and video presentation.
I believe that we can use this website as an example of what to stay away from. Excessive minimalism is not a good approach to take when you have a large idea you want to impress on a person as soon as view the page.
It is far more practical and inventive if we integrate our final expressions and products into elements of the website, using it as the medium for viewing, rather than a hub leading to external and disjointed media.
Philosophy
In 2090, most of humanities conscious living will be experienced virtually. The virtual world will be a means through which to satisfy our wants and desires, however the physical world will still be paramount to our existence as a species, particularly for nutrition and reproductive purposes. In an age where data and information is infinite, and infinitely available and communicated, humanities attention shifts to relationships and interaction; and communication of understanding and experience.
Every human has an architecture that looks after the physical body while the individual is virtually conscious. Our architecture makes sure we have what we need to survive. While we are in the virtual world, our architecture produces growth. When we come back to the physical, we share this growth with others, and vice versa, through taste. The taste of this growth is based on our mental state in the virtual world. Sharing growth with each other provides a snapshot of who people are, a reflection of self. Communication and understanding then becomes our sustenance. We survive off what others produce through the nature of their existence.
Natural selection is the driver of evolution, however in a world where humanity faces few individual environmental threats, sexual selection; or the criteria through which a species chooses a reproductive partner, is what shapes the future of that species. To keep our species sexual selection a natural process, humans must continue to reproduce physically, even though it is possible for us to do so virtually. This is because the virtual world will always be an easy medium through which to deceive. In 2090, humanity will rely heavily on taste to choose a sexual partner. An individuals taste communicates their emotions and experiences, and gives an over all sense of who they are. This can be shared with family and friends, and more widely in the community.
Humans will live biologically and in ways that are sustainable in 2090. We will have developed an eco system of our own that does not negatively impact those already contributed to by others that share our planet. Our sense of physical community will have changed exponentially since the early twenty-first centaury. Our architecture is capable of movement at a walking pace, while our conscious mind is experiencing the virtual. This keeps the body fit and capable, and gives a means of travel that effects the environment to the same capacity as a hunter gatherer culture.
Humans form communities of physical bodies. These are similar to, and as varied in size as the communities and cities of the early twenty-first century. Humans are born into a specific community, but may choose to move within this community, or to a new once several times in their lifetime. It is the decision of the individual to move communities, and if so, how frequently. Many humans, however, appreciate the fact that their communities are reasonably static as a contrast to their fast paced virtual existence.
Friday, March 12, 2010
The Dolphins video critique
Critique of Workbook.
Takes almost 20 pages to actually say anything.
Colour of images vs colour patterns of text.
No clear structure to the book.
Series of images, but no over all theme.
I’m not really sure what half of it was about.
It seemed more like a diary then a workbook.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
presentation
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Group Meeting 11/3
Taste, growth, communication, share,
Communication is our sustenance. we survive off what others emotions produce. We are conscious and aware of sustaining ourselves resourcefully. The fact that this growth can sustain us, and that it communicates who we are is of equal importance. The reason to share is about honest reproduction, and through this, the advancement of the human species according to Darwins theories.
Group Roles: We Object!
Numbers:
Meredith 021846077
Ben 0212459005
Scott 0210451171 / 0272878281
Kev 0220439937
Byron 02102539424
Cam 02102232413
Ron 0274959577
MEETINGS: 12:30 Friday and 12 midday Sunday
For Monday
Name and short philosophy - ben
Critique
- Philosophy - scott
- Architecture - kev
- Web base - byron
- Presentation - ron
- Workbook - medi
- Film - cam
Media to use + rational - medi + kev
expansion on architecture, the output (models and material experiments + algae) - ron + cam + kev
Visual experiences - ben + byron
Time management - kev + scott
Architecture can walk while we live virtually? **discussion** sleep walking. We decide we can allow for movement while we are living consciously, at a walking speed. Exactly who what where etc is yet to be expanded.
Personality is relative to a flavor. There is more then good and bad.
Ross wants contrast between the physical and virtual. What happens if you fall in love virtually, and have to travel immense distance to 'taste' them. "diluted cannibalism"
Move through from the unreasonable to the reasonable.
