Essay

My essay is in GoogleDocs. I have created a public link to it - you can access from the links on the sidebar.
It is indeed facinating, how radical ideas and contradicting debates on this topic can be.

Yesterday I had chance to watch one video relating to the topic and it has again raised some questions regarding to technology and power. Will try to up-date on my ponderings during the holidays.

Wish a beautiful and sunny winter day to everyone :)

Pranav Mistry: The thrilling potential of 'SixthSense' technology

Presentation of Pranav Mistry, who was working on a project of designing SixtSense device.

Another innovative approach which will have triggering impact on future technology.

Collective Intelligence: A Civilisation

By Pierre Lévy
Translated by Colin Bell

Lévy chooses positive interpretation and imagination as his methods and methodology. It is a fancy approach to the topic when contracicted to the usual methods supported by scientifical revelations, as to make facts more credible. For a young researcher it is a true challenge to unheed such precautions and suspiscions when faced with yet another unfamilar topic.
The writing is translated text from P.Lévy's inauguration speech at the opening of a digital art centre in Seoul, Korea (Bell, 2001 notes). Lévy takes his stance by relying on "poetic imagination" rather than "scientific prediction" (Bell, 2001). Lévy considers imagination (especially collective imagination) responsible for creating the reality as thoughts, words and deeds are the ones that are accountable for the power of perception and freedom of the choices we have. "When we exercise our freedom, and our poetic freedom amongst other things, we necessarily evaluate the alternatives before making a choice. However, in doing this, creative imagination summons a world yet to come rather than reinforcing negative stereotypes, prolonging conflicts or entrenching differences" (Bell, 2001).

Lévy describes the internet as reavealing the true process of evolution, mankind's aspiration towards freedom (Bell, 2001). In his opinion chaos dominates the cyberspace just as it does in the contemporary world, and therefore it is up to us, how it is going to develop. He states that we are at the point of change, and to choose for freedom we should move towards the collective intelligence. He sees future where "omnivision will replace television" (Bell, 2001) - the amount of questions and tensity of gaze will reveal infinite amount of new details which in turn will contribute to collective knowledge. In Lévy's view world and all living will become more and more alive, intelligent and interconnected (Bell, 2001), which will lead to new forms of cooperation  (people will learn more about creative collaboration and collective intelligence). Lévy attempts to convice that contaporary world should take the responsibility for future, in his words "we are in position to invent a new human reality"(Bell, 2001). He covers the central issues in contemporary world and sees their solutions in cyber world. When reading his ideas on democracy, information, arts and evolution one can understand how all these are interrelated in both worlds and can play significant role in forming our "intellectual climate" (Bell, 2001).

In conlcusion I would say that it is challenging and interesting reading, the ideas carried by positive complex of all possibilities are heeding, and give somewhat essense of this visionary future. Many of the facts, unfamiliar with the background, arise more questions with the interest in the topic discussed. It is a work of imagination to another imagination and as a complex of pieces from different thoughts and imaginations thus proves to be the work of a collective imagination.

Natural-born cyborgs: minds, technologies, and the future of human intelligence

Book by Andy Clark

This reading is a real challenge to the average understanding of the relationship between human and technology. In his introduction to the writing, A. Clark successfully draws the picture of human as a "natural-born cyborg" (Clark, 2003, pp. 3-5, Introduction). His examples varing from the mobile-phone extended arm to the human-machine hybrids are illustrating the proposed ideas clearly and surely add interesting aspects to the analyses.

Clark takes to the center of his analyses every-day tools and activities which interrelate minds and worlds to eachother (Clark, 2003, pp. 5-6). He points out that what differentiates human from all other living species in the world is his ability of having "extended mental life" (Clark, 2003, p. 7) with the help of "tool-based extensions" (Clark, 2003, p.10).

I find that he approaches to the concept of cyborg from very humanly position. With his words: "For we shall be cyborgs not in the merely superficial sense of combining flesh and wires but in the more profound sense of being human-technology symbionts: thinking and reasoning systems whose minds and selves are spread accross the biological brain and nonbiological circuitry." (cit. Clark, 2003, p. 3) This nicely posed sentence pretty much draws the borderline to the definition of cyborgs used in the book but also expands the more known concept of it.

Interesting is to follow how he introduces the facts and smoothly combines every-day stories, such as ride to work, with the exclusive examples, such as the case of Professor Warwick's. Based on the introduction and first chapter I would say it is interesting and surely must read writing.

Artificial Intelligence and The Many Faces of Reason

Paper by Andy Clark

The Core idea of the writing is trying to analyze how is rationing mechanically possible. A. Clark suggests that we are in the crucial place where the Artificial Intelligence and Philosophy of Mind meet, thus we lack terms on which to understand one to facilitate the other.

Analyses of the "reason governed behaviour" have showed that it is possible to create connections which would be mechanically explainable as the operation of appropriate computational processes on symbols (p.4). Thus "rationality without representation" proves to be too abstract for a system to coordinate the activity with the distal and the non-existent (p.10).

One reason for the difference is that "rational behaviour is, in some sense, behaviour that is guided by, or sensitive to, reason"(cit. p. 10). For human reason if deeply interwoven with human emotion (p. 11). This is is considered one of the major challenges for the next generation of Artificial Intelligence models, as emotions can be contradicting the reason (p. 11).

Similar defects in reasoning could be attributed to the absence of somatic cues, which results in inability to have the on-the-spot unconscious negative responses" (p. 13). Another source of complications is the "global properties of belief systems" (Fodor in p. 14) when Artificial Intelligence is confronting various forms of more globally sensitive inference (p. 14). Fodor's "pessimistic scenario" questioning the future of the global cognitive processes is also introduced and confronted with authors' ideas. For analysing the information over-load theory Clark also explains the problem of using information (especially routing and searching) and suggests that the advancements with the innovative "second-order search" could bring some potential solutions making more steps computationally tractable (p. 16).

His conclusions are that it is not yet clear "how is rationality mechanically possible", research should reveal what one needs to explain in order to understand. In his view, "the solution can itself be seen as a special instance of a fast and frugal heuristic: a cheap procedure that replaces global content-based search with something else" (cit. p.17).

Overall there are many aspects to consider when one tries to analyse the reason and sometimes what is considered humane is not  pure reasoning but rather the mistakes that take place in our reasoning. Not always do people do what they desire, nor choose for the things that would be "the best" or just follow their simple intuitions of logic.

Cyborgs and Space

Article by Manfred E. Clynes and Nathan S. Kline

The paper discusses the evolutionary aspect of alterations on humans and the availability for taking such challenges. As Clynes and Kline put it "altering man's bodily functions to meet the requirements of extraterrestrial environments would be more logical than providing an earthly environment for him in space." The discussion is based on space travels and the technological and spiritual requirements it sets for human adaption to the environment. They suggest that artifact-organism systems which would extend man's unconscious self-regulatory controls are one possibility for that.

Organisms are constructed to be self-regulating and bodily-environments are stable to maintain that balance. Humans have learned how to control some of the environments in which human naturally cannot survive and offered solutions with the help of technology. Same way we are faced with the challenge to adapt with the environment outside this planet.

Clynes and Kline suggest that there are devices which are neccessary for creating self-regulatory manmachine system, that they call "cyborg". In their opinion cyborg would be one way to improve human with different self-regulating systems which would take effect using bodily functions in ways similar to yoga or perhaps hypnosis, to help to adapt human body to different environments.

The article explains that such systems should be without consciousness in order to cooperate with the body's own autonomous homeostatic controls" (cit. Clyne and Klein, 1960) and "function as self-regulatory control function of the organism to adapt it to new environments" (cit. Clyne and Klein, 1960) so man does not have to control and regulate everything to take care of his bodily functions and survival but can concentrate on discovering, sensing and feeling (Clyne and Klein, 1960).

The article gives solution to the list of different psycho-physiological problems, such as wakefullness, radiation effects, metabolic problems, hypothermic problems, oxygenenization and carbon dioxide removal,  fluid intake and out-put,  enzyme systems, vestibular functions, cardiovascular control, muscular maintenance, perceptual problems, pressure, variations in external temperature, gravitation, magnetic fields, sensory inuariance and action deprivation, psychoses, limbo. The authors have brought out that there are many other problems, medical to pharmaceutical, but these discussed in the paper should give "the indication as to what the Cyborg can mean in terms of space travel" (cit. Clyne and Klein, 1960).

In conclusion, the reading was offering intersting discoveries and proved yet again that the limitations to the evolution are somewhat in our hands. Curiosity in the infinite possibilities leads the reasearches in these areas and limitations are not only physical but many are also mental. I find this article rather inspirating and surely it has showed me some new directions for future studies.

Intellectuals & Power: A conversation between Michel Foucault and Gilles Deleuze

It was especially interesting to follow the discussion of Foucault and Deleuze with their up-to-date problem in hand. Their discussion brings Intellectuals and power on the scene, contradicted and faced in multiple aspects through society and politics. 

Foucault and Deleuze both agree that the meanings of theory and intelligents have drastically changed to meet the needs of the society (pp.1-6). The discussion starts with the relationship between theory and practice, where in creation of knowledge all theories have to pass certain  obstacles, and practices are needed to confront the obstacles. (Deleuze p. 1). In Deleuze's words there is a system within a multiplicity of parts that are both theoretical and practical. Within that the meaning of theorizing intellectual changes, he is no longer a representing or representative consciousness but becomes multiplicity (Deleuze p.1). Foucault brings this same intellectual to face the politics. Where the power and politics come in, intellectuals have contradicting roles: one is producing or imposing the recognized ideology and other is revealing the partial truth, the latter one slowly rejected by the authorities (Foucault pp.1-2). This is where the turning point comes; masses do not need intellectuals any more, they have access to knowledge, they can know and express themselves and in such system intellectuals become the agents of the system of power (Foucault p. 2). This in turn is where the nature of theory comes out and therefore intellectuals role is to oppose the power (p.2) that turns him into his "object and instrument in the sphere of "knowledge", "truth", "consciousness" and "discourse"" (p.2 ). Therefore theory becomes the struggle aimed at revealing and undermining the power (Foucault p. 2). In Deleuze's addition "theory is  enmeshed in a particular point, we realise that it will never possess the slightest practical importance unless it can erupt in a totally different area" (cit. Deleuze p.2). Theory is an instrument for multiplication (p.2) and reality is what actually happens not the information carried and imposed by the power (Deleuze p. 4). They reach to the conclusion that "relationship between desire, power and interest is more complex" (p. 5) and there are always struggles as to whose interests will be in execution. And every revolutionary act is this way linked to the "workers'struggle" (p.6).

In my opinion this discussion clearly illustrates the significance and formation of the collective knowledge and accounts for the credibility of theories today. Many aspects of the discussion draw examples from various social problems and it again shows that everything is interrelated. For finding the truth one has to look far beyond the facts and revelations considering the suggested lines of power.

Cyborg Urbanization: Complexity and Monstrosity in the Contemporary City

Article by Matthew Gandy in International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, March 2005.

The paper begins with the introduction to the notion of Cyborgs, as it is visioned trough media, then opposed by the theoretical approach opening new possibilities. The idea of cyborg relates to different concepts, among which one of the wast size is cyberspace, in text "urban city" consisting of series of interconnected life-support systems (p.28). The connectivity within and between the systems extends throgh urban space and produce a "multi-layered structure of extraordinary complexity and utility" (p.28).

Gandy analyzes the nature of urban city based on various theories. He reveals the differences of approches derived from various aspects. "Organicist emphasis on the city as an integrated body with identifiable organs...has been displaced by the idea of urban space as a prosthetic extension to the human body" (cit. p.29).  It is considered more of a hybridized concept of space as a "system of technological devices that enhances human productive and imaginative capabilities" (p. 29). What we find is blurring of boundaries between, so far considered sepparate, mind and body (p. 29).

Gandy visualizes different aspects and levels compromised in the questinons of biological organisms, mechanical and urban city, and reveals the interconnections and links on various levels. He concludes that these sepparations that we have made will become hard to prove within this interconnected system (p.42). For the future he sees the challenges to cease control over certain areas, in his words "the cyberslums of the future will be the living embodiment of the contradictions inherent in a technologically rather than politically driven strategy for the creation of more socially inclusive cities" (cit. p.42).

In conclusion, the reading is interesting as it draws examples from different levels and seeks for support from variety of theories. The analyses that underline the discussion are based on global variety of research and opinion, which give intresting nyances to the topic.  Gandy successfully reasons the connectedness of the systems and expands the notion of cyborg from that of an organism to the entity.

The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction

Article by Walter Benjamin (1936) transcribed by A.Blunden 1998.


The article covers the developmental tendencies of art, its concepts changing from creativity, genius, eternal value and mystery to those of mass-serving and formulation of "revolutionary demands in the politics of art" (p.2). The significant changes can be attributed to the advancement and new discoveries related to technology.

Mechanical reproduction brings new impacts to the meaning and interpretation of art. Such as photography which "frees the hand of the most important artistic functions" (p.2) and accelerated the process of pictorial reproduction to keep pace with speech (p.3). Photography helps to capture images that escape the naked eye and make it possible to place the copy of the original into "situations which would be out of reach for the original itself" (p.4).


"The authenticity of a thing is the essence of all that is transmissible from its beginning, ranging from its substantive duration to its testimony to the history which it has experienced" (p.4), where each object of art has its aura. The historical circumstances determine the medium for organizing the human sense perception and these changes are the medium of social transformations (p. 5). The process of reality adjusting to the masses and masses to reality is of unlimited scope (p.5).

Works of art are received and valued based on their cult and exhibition values. When originally artistic production is that of ceremonial objects destined to serve in a cult then today the work of art has absolute emphasis in its exhibition value (p. 7). This shifts the reality of the production where there is illusionary nature of movie as a result of cutting (p. 12). But for the reality presented by film is incomparably more significant than that of a painter, as it offers an aspect of reality which is free of all equipment (p. 13). Camera also reveals the unconscious optics that remain invisible to the naked eye (p.15). Thus the aura of technology facilitated production is fading to the background putting the public in the role of the unconscious critic (p.17). And mass directs the traditional behaviour towards works of art to a new form, where quality has replaced the quantity (p. 16). It is a commonplace that masses look for distraction but art asks for concentration (p. 17).

In conclusion there are various aspects that determine the meaning and popularity of a work of art. Where masses decide for the paths there the work of are is less concentrated and not total one as it composes of multiple particles separated and joined to each other offering a new representation to the reality.

Comments on the group activity: Searching for Wifi HotSpots in Tallinn

I think it is not such an extreme task to do and if proper tools in hand could prove to be rather interesting activity. Instead it proved to be abit complicated task for rather big group, without the certain plan of action or destinations, poor means of transportation, lack in time and no proper tools for the action. So it goes why I decided to go for searching in internet instead.

There are rather many small coffee shops, restaurants, hotels, etc. with free Wifi access in Tallinn (especially in Old Town). Also when to walk into City Hall or other public agencies and offices, it is possible to find Wifi signal, that is usually set up for visitors. Suprisingly there is Wifi available in some long-distance buses, e.g. I had this freedom during my bus-trip to Türi.

Just to get overview of the current situation I Googled on wifi in Tallinn, and found one nice page which gives pretty detailed idea of the places, locations, information on prices, comments and is illustrated with some of the photos as well. There are various lists with different locations in Tallinn and all over Estonia all put on one map. The map gives option to select area and then it is easy to find access to all the places around.

Art

Art from code - Generator.x http://www.generatorx.no/

Media and Society: Assignment

Collect examples of Internet or mobile based activism, political movements, protests etc. with a sentence or two of the context using internet searches to a collaborative.
Describe also the medium applied.

The Feminist Movement, Jeremiah project

This is a one-man maintained? community? webpage. Somewhat gave the image of anti-feminist movement? e.g. quote from the site : "The spirit of radical feminism is the spirit of witchcraft and rebellion, the spirit manifested in Jezebel."

Human Rights Movement in Japan, Arudou Debito

Communitu created and maintained webpage for foreigners in Japan on discriminative and other issues, supports the exchange of ideas and comments. E.g. opinions on the article Yomiuri Shinbun, (Sept-23-06) Govt to have employers
report info on foreign employees

Facebook poll on Obama ‘assassination’ probed, Associated Press

Is implying on the poll on Facebook for expression
opinion on the topic of assassination.

Rep. Franks still wants Obama's 'long form' birth certificate, Politico

Raising political issues through online discussions.

A Global Wake-up Call, mobileactive.org

Using a mobile phone to give feedback to government on climate-change issues.

Backstory: Congolese radio show gives war victims a voice, Stephanie Hanes

Radio which uses its show time to give voice to victims

...

Communities and Location - comments

Questions from the class:

How do they relate to each other?

Communities and location can be related to each other directly or indirectly.
Directly would mean that the community has chosen a place, virtual and real where they meet or communicate to eachother.

Do places unite people or are people associated to the place? What location means to community, what binds these together?

I think communities and locations are in direct connection. Communities form on the set of shared features, which can be knowledge, skills, goals, etc. These features used to be local. You cannot assume knowledge in sailing from a country boy in India or knowledge in computers from a rural village in Africa.

With globalization and development on technology and sharing knowledge things like that have spread around. One can no more assume that the people who know certain things are tied to certain place. But on the other hand it is rather expected that these groups would like to share a location and would like to connect to each other. As the skills that one possesses are entitled to access to the possibilities of accessing and communicating it to others.

Society

Understanding the Current Moment in History http://www.indra.com/transform/dlc/rapids/p1main.html 

Group work: Bike trails

Bike trails

Idea:
Webpage for biker community in Estonia.

Purpose:
To connect bikers, give opportunities to share bike trails, trip ideas, maps, photos, etc.

Target audience:
It is helpful for these who are interested in biking.
Average user would be interested in using bike for outside activities, trips or tours in nature and has access to bike trails or roads either in city or country side.

Features:
User profiles - users can join, secure their profile with password, connect with other users, share photos and information (can use their already created profiles and openIDs)
Community - discussions, events, etc
Map adding, editing, sharing (based on GoogleMaps)
Interactive maps (with illustations of scenery, hot spots, bike rentals, bike shops, train stations, etc)
Photo adding, naming, sharing, removing
Bike site (bike parts, fixing, designing, driving rules, bike ettiquette, etc.)

Links for ideas:
Baltic Cycle (bike trails in baltic)
City Bike (biking in Tallinn)
Green Map (maps)
Bikely (bike paths)
Map of cycling tracks in Tallinn
Cycling routes in Montana

"Who Controls the Internet?"

Do you know?
Have you ever thought about it before?

Such a topic for discussion have chosen Jack Goldsmith and Tim Wu.

"The volume of electronic communications crossing territorial boundaries is just too great in relation to the resources available to government authorities" (cit. of David Post, J.Goldsmith and T,Wu, pg. 2). This pretty much gives frames for the discussion.

The first chapter of the book tries to introduce the reader to stages in the development of internet. The first communities rabelling against territorial rule to create free cyber space, a story of Yahoo, its trial for a free space that doesn't bend under any authority and then transformed into a technology that facilitates the enforcement of territorial laws and political influences.

I think the ideas presented are not really new, but there are aspects that are important. Politics play significant role and they cannot be sepparated from daily life. When someone wants to move out to a cyber space then they have to have acceptance from the authorities also. But it is fair to suggest that such experiments are a way to test the system and offer solution that could be internationally acceptable.

The examples in the book illustarte the problems of powerless world clearly.
Not everyone have the same idea of the ideal space. People who like to take control over the situations or want to try their power on others, etc. can bring their realities in the middle of all that too.

In conclusion I think the first chapter of the book tries to familiarize the reader to the issues over the real and cyber-space and to ponder over what are the goods and odds of the imaginary reality.

Tries to be the beginning

Here I am. Have the book, and yet haven't had more than just 10 minutes for the reading.
Time balance - yes, it is important, but to stick up at 2:30 am and try to see the letters on pages when the head pretends to be asleep, is truly a challenge in itself. But what to do, work has to go first.
Compromised this time. Let the reading be for tomorrow.
My sincere sorry to them who expected to comment on the readings.

BUT, I got a glimpse of the issue discussed in the book and it seems to arise with interest.
The main idea the authors are trying to convey was to show the limitations or disillusions of the idea of freedom in the world created on internet.

I have some rough expectations for the reading while regarding to titles perhaps and some illustrations or charts in the book. Most probably I will like the political aspect of it and the examples brought to illustrate the messages.

But lets read and see :)

Hello!

Nice to meet you all.