Digital Smells like Revolution.

This weeks readings have got me excited ... and scared. The singularity approaches. That was all I could think while doing my work for this weeks seminar. Self replicating machines? Digitizing smell? Tranduction of energy? WHOA! Let's slow down here. I'm going to be living a a computer before I know it.

Despite my terror, or maybe because of the terror, I was fascinated by this weeks readings. What really got me was when Turkel advocated that we stop thinking of digitization in terms of immateriality and to instead think of it in terms of transduction of energy. It really did make me think of the singularity. I wonder if I'll see human minds merging with computers in my lifetime?

It kinda reminded me of this clip I happened upon a few weeks ago. In it scientists are recreating mental images by scanning people's brains.

I liked the concept of playing to learn as was laid out by Turkel and Elliot. We really have become dependent on text. And while I don't necessarily think this is terrible (we all know how to interact with it and what to expect.) I don't think that our predisposition towards text should limit us. Of course this is tough in the university setting which is based around age old practices and standards, but this needs to change. And digital humanities are evidence that it IS changing. By playing with history whether it's in simulations, through recreation of artefacts, by reconstructing historical expirements and smells or by mapping, we are able to develop new questions and approach history from new perspectives. Not to mention that we are often struck with our most profound and insightful thoughts when we aren't looking for them.

For some reason I don't really have any problems with the concepts put forward this week. That seems strange to me. I think I must be missing something! As Turkel had mentioned in his blog we can't predict the future, so we don't know how this self replicating technology will play out for the humanities, or society in general... although I s'pose society in general is a concern for humanists. Hopefully something will come up in our discussions. I wouldn't want to be wholeheartedly onboard with something.

Maybe I don't have a problem with the concepts this weeks because self replicating machines allow for wealth without money and the means of production will finally rest in the hands of the everyman! Down with capitalism, save the environment! RepRaps for all!!