Thought Experiment
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"A thought experiment courtesy of the Stoics. If you are tired of everything you possess, imagine that you have lost all these things" - Jenny Offill
"A curious though experiment.... Nietzche's message to us was to live life in such a way that we would be willing to repeat the same life eternally." Irwin D. Yalom
Assigned
EXPOSITION: Thought experiments are basically devices of the imagination. The common goal of a thought experiment is to explore the potential consequences of the principle in question.
One example of a thought experiment in literary form is "Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions," where a protagonist from a two-dimensional world visits visits a one-dimensional world, and then is visited by a three-dimensional being.
ACTION: Arrive to the second week of class with documentation of your thought experiment. This can be as a diagram, a written story, a video, or if you are already versed in working with XR technologies, and AR or VR work. If you have conducted a thought experiment before you can share that one, if not create something within the limits of a week long assignment. These are micro-assignments. I am not looking for polished works, or ideas for solving a problem. Each of your micro-assignments should be posing questions and exploratory and "sketch-based" in nature.
Some possible prompts for your thought experiment:
Creating a narrative from the perspective of one of your technologies or personal items. For example your wacom tablet or your TV. Example: ""
Examine a technology or experience (the internet, flying) and imagine how the experience could be different. This can be different as a user experience or the actual product, device or machine could be designed differently. Example:
Look at a task or activity in your life that feels very complex. Imagine a simplified version. Example:
Think about an item that you take for granted, but have no idea from what it is made and how it works. Try to describe (without looking up information about it) how it works. Examples: "" and the
Imagine a relationship with another person, via technology, where the scenario of likes and social engagement have physical world (grounded reality) positive or negative implications. Example: , or other Black Mirror episodes
Similar to above, look at virtual data accumulation and how it can be manifest in a physical experience. Examples: and
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Come up with a thought experiment entirely unrelated to any of the former prompts I have suggested.
Be prepared to PRESENT for a maximum of 5 minutes about the work you are sharing. This means you need to have your thoughts formulated, so that you can speak clearly and concisely about your thought experiment. UPLOAD all of your materials for this assignment into your class google drive folder.