Enchanted Objects: A Response
It was during my first day of graduate school that I heard about the book Enchanted Objects: Innovation, Design, and The Future of Technology by David Rose. As someone who doesn’t consider herself well-versed in the future of technology, I’d never heard the term “enchanted objects”. The technological advances that have come about in the past 10 years have been, quite literally, life changing. When I first went away to college in 2009, an Ethernet cable was on the list of things I was required to have. I had a Motorola phone, with no internet connection. My car and laptop both had disk drives. Unfortunately, I have come to rely on things like my smartphone which keeps me connected 24/7, and WiFi which allows me to stay connected from almost anywhere. In the last couple of years, however, I found myself craving a screenless life more and more. I read paperback books, rather than buying a Kindle. I purchased an Apple Watch for the sole purpose of breaking away from my iPhone, in hopes that I would spend less time mindlessly scrolling. As I’ve grown older, I’ve become disenchanted with this overwhelming sense of always being connected, and how normal it is today. So, after reading Parts 1 and 2 of Enchanted Objects and how everyday objects can use technology without becoming all-consuming, I was intrigued.
Summary
Part 1 of Enchanted Objects breaks technology down into “four futures”: Terminal World (pixelated screens), Prosthetics (wearable technology), Animism (robots), and Enchanted Objects (ordinary objects made extraordinary). Terminal World, or what our current world aligns with, suggests that powerhouse companies like Apple and Samsung will continue to produce screen-technology until most surfaces are covered. A statement that summed up today’s societal morals for me was: “Screens will continue to spread like wildfire across the landscape and into neighborhoods and places that were previously screen-free, funding largely by advertisers and sponsors seeking new ways to channel messages to affect buying habits and drive cost savings by encouraging certain types of behavior.” Prosthetics, or wearable tech, is described as a technology type that takes our humanity into account by amplifying our bodies. Rose tests out Google Glass, and his take on this AR product is actually just another screen, mentioning that modern technology still has a ways to go to get completely natural-feeling experiences in AR. Animism, or social robots, are technological devices built in our likeness. Rose mentions Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics, forming relationships with AI, and the problem with creating human-like machines. Enchanted Objects, ordinary objects that are enhanced with modern technology, are described as “the real world manifestation of fabled desires”. This category has captivated Rose, and he states that “the enchanted objects that succeed will be the ones that carry on the traditions and promises of the objects of our age-old fantasies, the ones that connect with and and satisfy our human desires.”
Part 2 of Enchanted Objects discusses “Six Human Drives” that influence technological advancements: Omniscience, Telepathy, Safekeeping, Immortality, Teleportation, and Expression. Each section gives real-world and fictional product examples that fit each drive.
Drive #1: Omniscience, or the desire to know all, mentions Wonder Woman’s lasso of truth. We all have a desire to know the truth. Rose discusses the Ambient Orb, a sphere that displays appealing information to the user, as a real-world example of a product that he created in the realm of omniscience. He mentions how it is neutral in appearance and only requires a glance to use.
Drive #2: Telepathy, or the desire to connect with thoughts and feelings of others, is a common desire. X-Men is mentioned, and while Professor Xavier is unable to physically move, his tremendous cognitive power makes up for this. Modern day advances such as FaceTime and Smart Watches are now mimicking fictional tech from old-time comics and spy movies, minus the eavesdropping, invasive properties. Rose created the Google Latitude Doorbell, which lets you know when your family members are approaching home. It also gives clues to their emotional state.
Drive #3: Safekeeping, or the desire to be protected from harm, discusses devices designed to harm others before they can harm us, and how modern day technology can keep us safe without doing harm through accountability. Rose mentions the Boston Marathon bombings back in 2013, and how much of the information collected was via surveillance cameras in the area. He advocates for security products that can anticipate their need, such as Lockitron which ensures that you lock your door, and Tile which makes it easy to find your missing keys.
Drive #4: Immortality, or the desire to be healthy, strong and fully capable, comes from all human’s innate fear of death. Many books and movies feature devices or themes of immortality, even though most people do not genuinely desire to be immortal. Rose mentions the desire to lose weight and monitor our health. HAPIfork is a product that encourages the user to eat slower and, therefore, less by monitoring how many “fork servings” you take. His creation, GlowCap, makes it easier for people to remember to take their medications.
Drive #5: Teleportation, or the desire to be transported easily, stems back thousands of years to Greek mythology. We all have a desire to be able to snap our fingers and go elsewhere. Rose mentions Google working on a self-driving car, which would turn driving into a similar experience to riding on a train.
Reaction
After reading Parts 1 and 2 of this book, I realized I was able to make connections to modern day movies when thinking about each of the four futures, just as Rose did. When thinking about Terminal World, Prosthetics and Animism, movies like Blade Runner 2049, Edge of Tomorrow, I Robot and Wall-E came to mind. Each of these movies prominently features an overbuilt future with highly advanced technology. In Blade Runner 2049, the director makes a point of showing ads for companies like Atari and Panasonic in a futuristic version of LA that has been dominated by screens and consumerism (i.e. Terminal World). Edge of Tomorrow is a movie based around fighting alien invaders with the help of prosthetic suits that enhance our human abilities (i.e. Prosthetics). I, Robot shows the fictional, yet highly feared, outcome of creating Artificial Intelligence so advanced that becomes self aware (i.e. Animism). Wall-E, while an incredibly sweet love story between two robots, makes a prediction in which all three of these “futures” intertwine: earth is no longer habitable due to consumerist waste, humans are addicted to screens, and are no longer mobile without the use of prosthetic chairs. Enchanted Objects was the one future that I connected to movies without dystopian backdrops. As Rose mentions, Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter both feature enchanted objects, such as Sting and the Deathly Hallows. While these objects are created with “magic”, they do not influence or disrupt their environments. Just as Rose’s creations do, they mean to serve a single purpose for the user, and make the user’s life easier in a natural and human-like way.
I think back to what I mentioned before, how I crave an existence where technology has less of an influence on my daily life. I am part of the group of people who grew up when technology was just becoming available to everyday consumers; I was born before the internet was widely available in every home, and my childhood was largely screen-free. Now, in my late-20’s, I have daily interactions with younger people who have only ever owned a smartphone. I see parents shoving iPads in their small children’s hands. In this short period of time, the way people interact with the world has drastically changed. Simple human interactions, such as asking someone the time, have been eliminated from our daily lives. Too many people are bewitched by their screens to look up at the world around them. I feel thankful that I still remember the days before all-consuming technology. As someone who has let screens dominate their life for a long time, I have taken a step back to reevaluate my relationship with technology.
Thinking about the six drives that influence our technological advancements, I have fallen in love with the idea of non-invasive technology. One of the most powerful statements I read was when Rose states, “I believe that enchanted objects — with their persistent presence and lightweight background communication — will have a different and positive effect… We will take a step closer to each other rather than be pushed further apart.” As a grad student who is looking to make a positive change on the technological world, I feel that the concept of enchanted objects is the healthy balance society needs. We all want things like physical protection, mind-reading abilities, and instant connection with loved ones. With the creation of more background technology that allows us to live like actual humans, rather than technology that consumes us, we will be able to enhance our personal connections rather than replace them.
