Rembrandt, Pr0n and Robot Monkeys: lessons from the present about flesh and technology.
I've put in an idea for a talk for OpenTech 2008. it goes like this:
- Who was Dr Von Tulp, and what can Rembrandt’s painting of him tell us about human-computer interaction?
- How is a week without the internet like loosing a leg?
- Why are the heady rushes of computer games and pornography the most compelling things on the internet?
We’re beginning to use machines as bodily prostheses almost without noticing. Touch interfaces, motion control, virtual worlds, mobile connectivity – all give us a delicious illusion of power over the physical.
We all know the man-machine stereotypes from countless Hollywood movies, but what should we geeks, tinkerers and creative technologists remember about the way our real-world bodies intersect with the imaginary spaces of computing and the internet as we shape the future of embodied interaction?
All these questions – and more! - glossed over as I attempt to draw lessons from art history, robotics and interface design in to one quick presentation – and all without sounding like a mad early 90s technohippy.
If you're interested in the subject matter, my research links are appearing at http://del.icio.us/mildlydiverting/embodiment