Enchanted Objects by David Rose: Part I & Part II
Ordinary things made extraordinary.
David Rose has an incredible goal: to strategically design and develop products that are engaging and essential, that resonate with the latent needs of those who use them, and that create an emotional connection with people. This. Blows. My. Mind.
Welcome to the age of enchanted objects.
The thing that pulled my heart strings the most about this book (so far) is Rose’s love for his grandfather. In his prologue, Rose looks back on his grandfather’s basement workshop full of countless tools all used for very particular tasks. “Grandfather’s tools were constructed and used with a respect for human capabilities and preferences. They were, in a word, enchanting.”
Pop Rose died of a heart attack just after his sixty-second birthday. Although David and his grandfather never met, David questions if there would have been a solution for him. If Pop Rose was able to take his medication properly, would he have lived a fuller and longer life? Maybe an app would have helped. But, “would he have been able to find the tiny icon on the screen and use it to log his behavior?” No, probably not. But, what if there had been a magical pill bottle? That’s where GlowCap comes in. This pill bottle has a special glowing cap that uses AT&T’s cellular network to provide text message reminders, weekly reports, and automated refills to medicine takers.
I love that David’s fondness for his grandfather prompted his devotion to enchanted things. If we can re-imagine fantasies like flying carpets and talking mirrors, maybe we can somehow make them a reality.
PART I — FOUR FUTURES
TERMINAL WORLD: glass slabs and painted pixels
PROSTHETICS: superhuman selves
ANIMISM: swarms of social robots
ENCHANTED OBJECTS: ordinary objects made extraordinary
The domination of glass slabs made me think that humans are too into technology that doesn’t really do a lot for us. “It does not fulfill a deep fundamental human desire in an enchanting way.”
Prosthetics sound great…and maybe a little creepy! But isn’t all good technology a little creepy? Prosthetics amplify our bodies but may or may not become part of us, “so much so that it is us.” However, Rose brought up a good point: empathy. What if we could spend time literally walking in someone else’s shoes? Interesting.
Another crazy thought: living forever. By 2045, Dmitry Itskov wants to create a “mass production of lifelike, low-cost avatars that can be uploaded with the contents of a human brain, complete with all the particulars of consciousness and personality.” So you’re saying in less then 30 years, we might actually be living in a Westworld reality? Yup, sounds a little out there; but also intriguing. I’m excited to see if we’ll be frolicking in fields with robots by the time we’re our parents age.
A key component of a successful enchanted object is adaptability: modular architecture. Enchanted objects are astounding in themselves, but what if they can be updated and upgraded? I think that might make it an extraordinary enchanted object.
PART II — SIX HUMAN DRIVES
Omniscience, telepathy, safekeeping, immortality, teleportation, and expression.
What drives us as humans? Knowing all, human-to-human connections, protection from all harm, a long and quantified life, friction-free travel, and the desire to create. That all sounds pretty great to me.
This book really makes you think! The experiences that enchant us reach into our hearts and souls. So, does that mean this book is enchanted if it pulled on my heartstrings? I think yes.
