Week 8 - Lecture Summary

Virtual philosophy & Virtual Reality


The Matrix is an interesting concept; machines take over, and leaves the human race in the dark about what is real and what is illusion. How far is this from our current reality? Maybe we wouldn't even care if the machines took over. Major developments of technology have clearly changed the economy of our planet and a jump from literary age to screen age and virtual rationality have happened. It has been said that this is as a significant shift for human history as the change from oral to literal culture more than 2000 years ago.

Names like Guy Debord, Jean Baudrillard and William Gibson are all thinkers coming to terms with a new way of looking at the world where the line between reality and fiction is extremely blurry - almost non-existent. The heritage left behind by great minds such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle were all different takes on reality and rationality which had their effects on how we live life as we know it. Pure rationality of this literary age has brought us to a place with too much political power and a science unaware of its own limitations. This has resulted in a world with population explosion, environmental crisis and nuclear Armageddon. However, the fact that it is the literary and mathematical culture creating this new technology and the culture that will supersede it, is far more ironic.



Cortesian Dualism (split between mind and body) is now becoming concrete in the world of technology. In this created space the cyberbody is immortal, while the animating soul outside the body is mortal, hence a complete reversal of current understanding that body is mortal and soul is immortal. Margaret Wertheim remarked that a return to the belief that humans do have an material body and this immortal soul, is present.

The telegraph, radios, cinemas and television are all examples of forerunners to this Virtual Reality. From electric impulses to dots and dashes; from electromagnetic radiation in radios to filtering light onto photoelectric surfaces (TV). These are all significant processes in our technological world, in addition we have the virtual language; The past years have produced a new audio-visual language, and we are developing ways of reading it. A few examples is shot sizes (e.g. BCU, LS & MLS), SFX (sound effects) and music.

A powerful force in developing technology is Virtual Reality also known as Artificial Reality or Virtuality). A system created by mathematical models and computer programs that allows people to move and interact in computer-simulated surroundings. VR works in the way that users experience "real-life" scenes through devices such as goggles, headphones and bodysuits which creates a feeling of being immersed in the simulated world. Convergence of technology used in computer games and simulation animation.

There are several types of virtual realities; Desktop VR involves 3D simulation on screen and is controlled by mouse or joystick and creates the sensation of moving through an environment. The next level is by using goggles with two screens and controllers such as datagloves or wands, you'll experience Immerson VR. Finally, by wearing polarised eyewear with high resolution stereo images, Projection VR sends you into extended space.

Further, there are four different elements of VR;

1. Vision; Key issues while working on the best ways of creating an impression of a substantial world involves:

• Convergence: Visual illusion that two parallell lines moving away from each other appear to move closer together.
• Depth of field: Illusion that generates distance in a still image with the help of gradiations in tone (light & colour).
  
• Parallax: Apparent displacement of an object when viewed from two different positions.
  
• Resolution/Acuity: Clarity or fineness of detail when producing an image.

2. Sound; Through stereosound, binaural headphones one can create 3D sound.

3. Touch; The four types of sensations include tactile (skin), force feedback (muscles, joints, tendons), motion (platforms) and manipulation (psychological).

4. Taste & Smell; not fully developed due to hygiene and technical problems.

Problems that must be acknowledged with VR are for instance lag time, addiction, simulation sickness, headaches, brainwashing and effects from exposure to intense violence and pornography. Taking these limitations into consideration, VR can be applied in several areas such as military training, entertainment, weather simulation, architecture and surgery.