Enchanted Objects-Innovation, Design and The Future of Technology by David Rose (Review first 143 pages)
Enchanting everyday objects seemed like an idea so obvious, yet so unattainable before reading this book. A pill bottle that lights up to remind you to take your medicine, a giant screen in the window of the Microsoft office that points to the outside world reading any message that Microsoft wishes, robots that assist humans, wallets that get tighter the more you spend, specialized doorbells that ring to the tune of the family member coming home, and the list goes on. Enchanting everyday objects isn’t something that may happen in the future, David Rose makes it clear that this is the future.
In Part 2 Rose separates human drives into five different categories: omniscience (to know all), telepathy: human to human connection, safekeeping: protection from all harm, immortality: a long and quantified life, teleportation: friction free travel, and expression: the desire to create. First I will explain what I thought was interesting about each section, and then explain the thoughts and ideas that have arisen since this reading.
Omniscience is explained as the desire to have great knowledge. The product mentioned in this book that I can specifically recall regarding this is google glass. With google glass, humans have the capability to have any information that they need available to them in a small screen right above their eye. This could either bring people together, or apart depending on how it is crafted. If a person could customize their experience to whichever setting they choose, they may isolate themselves from the experience happening around them. If everyone is on the same page, experiencing and reading the same design in google glass, then their experiences would arguably be similar. The problem with google glass as of right now is that the screen is small, the glasses are not stylish, the glass is too thick, and the features aren’t that compelling. There is no virtual reality feature, and the words displayed above the eyes are distracting. It will be interesting to see how google glass improves over time to hopefully create the omniscience we all greatly desire.
Telepathy is the motivation to know the thoughts, behaviors, and motivations of other people. The problem with knowing others thoughts is that you get distracted by their distractions, and it’s way too much information to pay attention to or care about. With new technology such as the cloud, we now have the capability to know and store certain traits about a person without having to be a ‘mindreader.’ We then use this information to predict a humans behavior through technology. The most interesting product mentioned in this section related to omniscience, to me, was the orb. This orb is a physical manifestation of the enchanted crystal ball seen on so many movies and television shows used by psychics. The orb is particularly interesting to me because the thought of being able to look into an orb and get the answer to your questions with a visual representation that is every-changing is quite fascinating. The desire to know what other people are thinking, feeling and doing is coming to fruition through technology we are capable of creating today.
Safekeeping is important in today’s day and age because people are concerned about the what if’s. Driving in other countries such as Russia is very dangerous, so now all cars are required to have a dash-cam. The cameras in our phones are also little life savers when it comes to the unexpected- such as the Boston Marathon Bombing. These small gadgets end up being proof in circumstances where we would otherwise not expect it, and in this instance we don’t question our privacy rights. Safekeeping and gadgets go hand in hand. We now have the capability to video record every instance in real time, and having proof if something were to happen is an instance where privacy is not in question.
Immortality-a desire we have all probably thought about but have never achieved. With new technology coming out that helps our diets and nutrition, we could be on the way to achieving a much longer life expectancy. Kurtzweil predicts that by 2030 or so “we’ll be putting millions of tiny, single-purpose robots called nanobots inside our bodies to augment our immune system and wipe out disease. One scientist has already cured type 1 diabetes in rats with a blood cell size device. By 2015 kurtzweil says our entire body might be composed of nanobots and we will be completely disease free.” I wonder if everyone will have access to these types of devices or if it will be reserved for the super-wealthy. Other companies have created products that allow you to snap a picture of your food and get feedback from others on how many calories you are consuming. Sharing this type of information can help others get on the same diet and share meal-plans of the like.
Teleportation is amazing to think about. When thinking futuristic, and like David Rose mentions, many of us think of the jetsons. Rose mentions that the flying car in the jetsons has been attempted many times yet has always failed. There is a flying car on pre-order, and self driving cars available right now. He states that many cars have features that will allow them to park themselves so that you are able to go inside and get to that meeting important 7am meeting on time. I wonder if flying cars ever did exist, how would we be able to have lanes? How would we control “air traffic control” — Rose brings up a very important point. The enchanted objects we create can only work if the system that is surrounding it supports it.
Creativity is the last innate human desire. People want to create something, weather its a painting, drawing, music, sound, objects, food…the list goes on. Creativity is so important because it is a way to express yourself and what you believe in, how you see the world, and how you want others to see you.
Rose argues that the new technology will help bring people together, while many spectators argue that it pushes people away. I think there are obvious benefits and downfalls to each. I believe that texting one another pushes us apart, because we no longer have a chance to connect over the phone. We cannot hear ones inflections in their voice, the body language they use, tone of voice or eye contact. While we are eating dinner together at the table, we are all on our phones. We are connected with one another through technology, but not emotionally. These new objects could only drive us farther apart by creating a higher addiction to objects rather than human interaction. I am very concerned that by relying on these objects we could be so focused on our own experience rather than involving others in that experience. Not all enchanted objects are individualized, either. The idea of having a family doorbell, where the doorbell rings a customizable tone everytime someone gets home, that notifies everyone else when their home, could be beneficial. But then wouldn’t that take away from the thrilling experience you have a child getting home before your parents, being home alone, or defects that cause unnecessary fights on one’s whereabouts? Imagine being the first one home in a family of five, your sister sees that you’re home, so she rushes home to hang out with you and her friends. All you want to do is be alone after a long day at work. You don’t want to be bothered but know that everyone will know you are home-this could be something to think about in the future. In the telepathy section Rose mentions that “if we could know more about what’s going on with those we love, we could alter our behavior in response. We might be quicker to celebrate the highs and good times of our lives together, more ready to offer support and understanding during low mements and difficult times.” This could be true and absolutely life changing. It would be nice to feel more empathy towards people who are going through a hard time. On the downside, I think that if two people interact with the same type of mood, the empathy could be ignored or less cared about over time. If someone is a constant state of depression, talking to another person who is in a similar state of mind, they might avoid each other or not feel empathy because they know that they are going through the same type of situation.
When thinking about objects being enchanted, I got to thinking about everyday things that could be enchanted such as my dog leash. What a thought…a leash that could light up in the dark! What else could it do? Monitor by dogs health through body weight, size, and temperature? Would the dog leash read the temperature outside, be able to stop my dog if it wanders too far, keep it close to me, or warn when other dogs are around? It is interesting to think about everyday objects as being enchanted. If you think about it, anything can be enchanted these days! From shoes to watches, clothing to rings, jewelry, cars, coffee tables and windows- the options are endless..
