Sample Collaborative Project #2 (Group 1A)

How do today's technological advances affect our perception of reality? And is technology taking over the reality we live in?

Technology is becoming a more and more dominant force in the shaping of our lives nowadays. All throughout history it can been seen how technology has changed the very way humans see the world and interact with each other. The world used to be an incomprehensibly massive place, but with the birth of planes, trains, and automobiles it's become minute. In fact, now with the internet, the world is continuing to become smaller and smaller, and it almost seems like one day it might disappear completely, perhaps in a similar manner as in The Matrix. Much like in The Matrix, we now have two worlds to deal with, the real world and the virtual world. This, of course, is brought on by computers. Since computers are becoming almost a "bare necessity," it is easy to see Slouka's point in his belief that "it is possible to see an attack on reality as human beings have always known it" (97). In a sense, the computer is overtaking reality and the perception of reality because it is almost impossible to live in 2000 without a computer; therefore, we are beginning to see the computer and the virtual world as reality. But what is “reality” anyway? “Reality” is merely a perception of the mind, but we will use it to allude to the physical world. Technology is not only having an affect on our mental world, but our physical as well. Much like in the world of Johnny Mnemonic, we now have the ability to use artificial body parts, which can even enhance and surpass the physical ability of the human component. In this way, technology makes humans look weak by comparison. Technology gives humans the ability to do things that they would not normally be able to do, dementing our view of physical realities. "Unreality increases with speed," was an observation made by Mark Slouka in his essay "The Road to Unreality," and with technology comes speed (96). So, from this it can be inferred that with technology, comes unreality. What technology is doing, is dwindling the importance of the physical world (aka, “reality”). People don’t have to worry about getting their leg cut off when it can be replaced with a more powerful robotic one. People can disconnect themselves from reality by absorbing themselves into online chat rooms in relationships with other minds. Children are even weaned on altered realities from a young age with video games, movies, and now the internet. It is clear that as technology advances, the physical world withdrawals. We define the world by how our minds perceive things, and if our minds can exist without the body, then so be it, technology will lead us to a new perception of reality. This is the direction things are moving towards, and therefore, technology is taking over the reality we live in.

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Slouka, Mark. "The Road to Unreality". Boston: Allyn and Bacon. 95-102.

Mark Slouka's article deals with the concept that technology is causing a loss of reality for some people. He discusses the consequences for advances, such as, loss of personal communication, the taking over of computers, and a general loss of reality. He critisizes the people who want to make the "real world" on the computer, people "who believe that the future of mankind is not RL (real life) but in some form of VR (virtual reality)" (101). He also states that people need to be more aware of the consequences of these new technologies. Through out his article, Slouka shows concern for the possibility of losing touch with reality by becoming too involved with the virtual life that computers will be able to create, "I believe that tampering with things in life(our sense of reality, for example, or individual identity) is not to be undertaken lightly" (101).

Krauthammer, Charles. "Restoration, Reality and Christopher Reeve". Time.com. VOL. 155 No. 6, 14 February 2000. www.time.com/time/magazine/articles/0,3266,38805,00.html

The article, "Restoration, Reality and Christopher Reeve" by Charles Krauthammer, deals with the Super Bowl commercial that had Christopher Reeve walking. The ad is highly controversial, especially to Mr. Krauthammer; he also, like Mr. Reeve, has had a deblitating accident putting him in a wheelchair. His arguement against the commercial is that is it providing a false sense of hope and reality for other people with spinal cord injuries in wheelchairs. He claims, being a doctor, that people need to realize that a cure is possible but not likely for many years. He states that Mr. Reeve is living in a fantasy world, "If he need that to get through his day, who am I to disabuse him of his fantasies?" and says that Mr. Reeve's view is using "reality as a psychological crutch" to help him get through. Mr. Krauthammer also disagrees with the commercial because it makes younger, injured people's reality a false one. Just when they should be dealing with and coming to terms with their injuries, he comes in a gives them false hope and deters them from coping. Mr. Krauthammer is not saying not to have hope, but he wants people to have a grasp on reality and to cope with their injuries and make the best of their lives. -Courtney Bradley

Bookman, Jay "Klones made of software coding haunt the future." Atlanta Journal Constitution 10 April 2000: 18.

In this article, Jay talks about how people are interaction with Klones. People today are starting to accept these Klones as real people. One example he gives the example of Eve. It is a computer generated Klone, which is a host for a Web site, that interacts with people. He goes on to make the point that just like people who watch TV people suspend their disbelief and reality and tend to treat these Klones as real people. Even though the people that are interacting with the Klone know they are just code and wire, they choose to accept it as real and talk with it socially. This ease and acceptance for social interaction comes from the Klones sense of intelligence.

Bookman, Jay "Being Steve Man: Cyberwear pioneer alters his reality." Atlanta Journal Constitution 10 April 2000: 12.

This selection talks about Steve Mann who has invented a device that he can manipulate his perception of the real world. He worked at MIT from 1994 to 1996 developing the software. Now this device has been updated to look like sunglasses. These glasses, that he now wears everyday, can manipulate what he sees in the real world. What he now sees is a virtual image that is projected from a computer directly onto his retinas. With these glasses he has now become a cyborg. These glasses also have the ability to take things out that Steve sees as offensive or adds pleasant images into his world like a waterfall. With this new technology he has blurred the lines between what is real and what he perceives as real. Even though he sees the world he can manipulate it to his liking. -Adam Ogley

Taylor/Redmond, Chris. "Game Wars." _Time Magazine_. 20 March 2000 Vol.155 No. 11. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/articles/0,3266,40734,00.html

Today, video games play a large and growing part in the entertainment world. Video games take their players into a virtual realm where humans have superpowers, like machines. As technology is rapidly advancing, the digital video game world is also. Currently, there is a war going on. This war is not a real war as in the sense that people are fighting, but it is a game war. Microsoft is competing against Sony and Nintendo in hopes to control the new game consoles. The three top producers are racing against technology in efforts to produce the top game console with the speediest memory and hard drive. Technology obviously plays a large part in society because three major companies are competing to control the virtual game world, which is affecting the perception of reality because games are not real. Until someone wins, which is unlikely because each company will continue to make their console faster with more options, work will not cease.

Taylor, Chris. "Behind The Hack Attack." _Time Magazine_. 21 February 2000 Vol. 155 No. 7 Special Issue Visions 21. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/articles/0,3266,39177,00.html

In the real world, burglars break into private homes, cars, office buildings, and steal from grocery stores, malls, and banks; however, in the virtual world, which is slowly becoming what the present generations see as a part of the real world, hackers hack into the Web in order to cause breakdowns of companies or personal computers. In February 2000, three to six hackers attacked Yahoo and its Internet service provider, Global Crossing. The attackers flooded the gateway of Yahoo with enough puzzling information to cause “the digital equivalent of a nervous breakdown.” The attack that was taking place is known as a denial-of-service attack (DOS). In this circumstance, Yahoo was unable to respond to its customers because at once there were “millions of phantoms users screaming Yes, I heard you!” These users clogged up the system because they had no real return address. This attack was ten times as large as any attack ever recorded, and could happen again. The attacks are easy to set up because the software and information needed is open to the public and uploading codes does not take too much effort. If something is not done to stop the attacks, a small group of humans may harm the virtual world in the form of a terrorist strike or possibly an “electronic Pearl Harbor.” -Lindsay Davenport

Dixon, Patrick Dr. "1 hour lecture." http://www.globalchange.com/main.htm 1999.

This website is all about the future. The of the webpage is Tomorrow's News Today. On this page you will find an one hour lecture given by Dr. Patrick Dixon, along with articles about prototypes of some high technology advancements. The webpage also includes articles of what is expected to come in the future. The webpage has articles about the faults of technology. An example is the myth about celluar phones causing brain cancer. There is an article on the webpage about the study of cellular phones. The page containes many other articles about the stock market, politics, and it also has articles from previous dates.

Human Interface Technology Laboratory. http://www.hitl.washington.edu/projects/wearables/papers-wearables.html 1998

This website has many articles on research done using the benefit of technology. There are articles on virtual learning environments, which they would like to use for kids who can not go to school due to money problems, hospitilization, and other illnesses. There is an article with research trying to discover if it is possible to solve phobias using virtual reality. This site shows the positive effects of technology advances. It is also showing how technology is being used to become reality to the point where it will be a necessity. -Peter Jones

Golumbia, David. “Hypercaptial.” Online Posting. Post Modern Culture. Issue 7.1. Popular Culture. April 15, 2000. http://www.mindspring.com/~dgolumbi/docs/hycap/hypercapital.html

Golumbia’s essay examines the relationship between the Web and American Capitalist Economy. He stresses the idea that information is an all-important aspect of the internet and our economy. He also describes the dream of “total information access” where information can be obtained without problem. He says the paradigm of information being hard to find has changed and “If one multiplies the very idea of archived and indexed information both with the rapidly multiplying archives and indexes themselves, and with the logarithmically expanding capacity of computer hardware and software to store and to access information, one has a sense of the scale and force of the liberal dream of total access to information, only better than before: at one's fingertips, even in one's own home--even in everyone's home.”

Lorek, Laura. “Net Trends Shaping the Way We do Business.” Online Posting. Sun-Sentinel. 24 Sept. 99 April 15, 2000. http://www.sun-sentinel.com

This article addresses the three ways that internet technology is shaping business. It examines, briefly, the trends “apps on tap,” e-services and dynamic brokers. Computer applications available on the web, or “apps on tap” are a more efficient way that companies can manage software. They no longer have to spend large amounts of money on software and hardware, with “apps on tap” companies can rent the application from a service provider. Electronic services are “any asset that is made available via the Web that drives new revenue streams and creates new efficiencies.” Also, the importance of a broker to provide information on companies has increased due to greater commerce on the web. -Chandrea Dungy

Knapp, Don. “Cybersex may become a virtual reality.” Online Posting. CNN. 18 Nov. 95 http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9511/virtual_sex/index.html

This article discusses a glove that is used to manipulate a computer or machine that has lead to a new form of possible “cybersex.” The designers have made a whole suit that can simulate the feeling of touch and say that it would be possible to link up with someone else in such a suit and have virtual sex. One of the creators of this admits that it “sounds really bad,” but points out that it doesn’t involve pregnancies or abortions. This is a blatant example of how technology is taking over reality. This is taking what is probably the most intimate physical human experience and putting it on a computer and sharing it with the world. While there may be some valid positives to this (no unwanted babies/diseases etc), the fact remains that this is yet another step towards eliminating the reality of the physical world.

Lockridge, Rick. “Hospitals try VR techniques for pain management.” Online Posting. CNN. 21 May 99 http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9905/21/t_t/pain.managment/

This article outlines a system developed to help recuperating patients deal with pain. The system consists of a virtual reality helmet and some sort of real physical stimulus. For example, the patient can be watching a candy bar dance around in virtual space, whilst eating a candy bar at the same, and while all of this is going on, they are receiving their treatment at the same time. The system engages the patient’s brain enough that they do not focus on the pain and do not experience it to the same degree. This is a clear assault on reality as the goal is to push the patient as far out of reality as possible so that they won’t feel the pain. This is yet another example of how technology is taking over reality and diminishing the importance of the physical world. -Andy Doherty

Bookman, Jay. The evolution of e-man. Atlanta Journal-Constitution. March 19, 2000. News A15.

I was reading an interesting story in the Atlanta Journal Constitution titled The evolution of e-man, by Jay Bookman. He is explaining that "in a cyborg, computer hardware has become so much a part of a human being that it creates a new species- part machine, part human- with impressive new powers." The changes in reality that we are witnessing are improving our complete way of life. In exchange for becoming a "cyborg" a person is capable of using limbs or other parts of his or her body that were damaged. In a sense, our reality is being altered that we are now able to re-construct ourselves. Jay Bookman expresses that technology "will also transform the relationship between human beings and computers."

Bookman, Jay. Paralyzed man is now able to walk with the aid of a computer chip. Atlanta Journal-Constitution. March 21, 2000.

Technology is inescapable and surrounds each of us daily. Advances in the elimination of human disabilities are occurring daily. A man, paralyzed from the waist down, is now able to walk again with the help of a computer chip inserted into his brain. Marc Merger's reality was quickly altered when he found out that there was hope for him to walk again. The doctor says "we are trying to reproduce what happens in the brain.with electrodes to nerves and muscles." Technology has advanced immensely, but it is not taking over the reality that we live in. It changes the reality that we are used to, but it hasn't taken over our reality. It is merely improving it. -Amanda Cable

GROUP WORK

Being that this is the second time around, our group had a much easier time figuring out how to organize our project. We all sent one person (Andy) our ideas and annotations; he put it together and sent us the final outcome to see if the other group members had any suggestions and comments. We met in palace once out of class to determine how to distribute the workload and once in class to find a topic we all agree on. Our group worked really well together and this time it was easier to figure out the details.