ART 73

NeuroMancer | What is the Matrix?

2004-12-14T17:11:00.000-08:00

Research

The concept and name of "the matrix" originated earlier in the 1976 story, "The Deadly Assassin," on the British sci-fi series Doctor Who.

Although Gibson used the word " cyberspace " first time in his story " Burning Chrome " already in 1982, in Neuromancer he presented the whole idea of a global information network called the Matrix.

Explanation of the word "neuromancer"

The word " neuromancer " itself consists of 2 compounds:

'neuro'
stands for nerves and artificial intelligence

'mancer'
stands for a (white) magician and romance. It also stands for Case as a computer "hacker" who disrupts the social order much like an evil magician) by throwing virus programs into society, thus causing chaos in the world.
ibson further complicates the question of gender by calling the sum total of cyberspace "the matrix." The word matrix derives from the Latin for "womb," which in turn derives from the Latin for "mother." So while it is true that only males have access to cyberspace, it is equally true that what they have access to is a female region. Add to this that console jockeys employ the sexual metaphor of "jacking in" when they speak of entering the matrix, and one soon realizes Gibson is not so much underscoring discrete genders as he is the search for a union of opposites. The male principle (Case, the computer cowboy, the mind) strives to join with the female principle (Molly, the cyberspace matrix, the body) in order to attain a sense of completeness. Case not only penetrates Molly sexually, but also merges with her by means of the simstim unit attached to his cyberspace deck. The couple performs most efficiently and successfully at the moment of fusion. Separated,they become vulnerable.

Gibson presented the idea of a global information network called the Matrix, and the term cyberspace, a virtual reality simulation with a direct neural feedback. The main character in Neuromancer ,Maelcum is from Zion. Maelcum is a big, "all natural" man that wouldn't enter the matrix, much like Tank and Dozer. This book coined the term “jack in” and associated terms to refer to using a computer network. Neuromancer 's matrix is 'real', for example, if you died in it you died in real life. One character, "Dixie Flatline," died and his persona was recorded into a "construct" and used by the main character of the book as a guide. Neuromancer 's electrodes were hooked up to the humans forehead to 'jack in', much like the plug into the brain in the Matrix. Users of Neuromancer 's matrix would strap themselves into their chair, so that they wouldn't move around too much while they were jacked in. Neuromancer" the A.I. Wintermute was controlling the lives of a few of the characters via interacting with

their electonic appliances, and they didn't really know it. Maelcum flys a "tug" space-vessel, a weaponless carrier vessel much like the Neb in the Matrix.

Links

http://www.cafezeitgeist.com/neuromancer.html

http://www.mysteryguide.com/bkGibsonNeuromancer.html

It is clear that the author plays with the way people think and leaves people to believe whatever they want to believe as far as the Matrix. I believe that the Matrix is a state of mind, is an imaginary world or kind of like a third dimension which resembles the world in a very surrealist or strange way. I also know is addictive because Case becomes addicted to the mental landscape of the matrix and it's also enjoyable because it is compared to an orgasm in Part II.

I Voted

2004-12-14T17:10:00.000-08:00

I voted, republicans suck.

StartUp.com

2004-12-10T17:14:00.000-08:00

Back in 98’ one of my high school teachers told me, that half of all the luxury cars nationwide; were being sold her in the bay area. Just an interesting stat fact.

Startup.com is one the best documentaries I have ever seen, It seems almost impossible that the actual footage begins the same night one of the founders of Govworks.com quits his job to start his new business project. After I did some research on line, I found out that the producer of Startup.com is a former MTV producer who has a very good friendship with one of the founders. That explains why the camera crew had accesses to very intimate moments during the entire documentary, in both founder’s personal and romantic lifes. It is really interesting to get a sense of how rich people start their fortunes, yet it is more interesting to see them loose it all. One thing that really surprises me is that the two guys that started the company looked and acted, pretty much like an average person.
The documentary has all the qualities of a Hollywood movie. It bigins with a conflict, then it has a climax and of course and tragix ending. It begins showing the trouble the founders were having in the initial stages of the companies planning. Then things started making a surprisingly turn when investors started to show interest in the idea of having a website that would let users interact with government’s related transactions. That’s how the Govworks.com begins its journey in the unexplored multi-billionaire field. The company showed a great momentum and the actual numbers of employees grew rapidly. But then like many other startups, Govworks.com lost pretty much everything; probably due to the conflict that was generated between the two friends, who had started the company. Or probably the fact that someone broke-in the CEO’s office and took confidential information.

The film was also inspirational, because it shows how almost anyone that desires to fulfill a dream can do so. It just takes courage and the will to accomplish it.

Global Positioning System

2004-12-08T17:38:00.000-08:00

GPS (Global Positioning System) is a satellite based navigation system made up of a network of 24 satellites that orbit the earth. This technology is very reliable and works under all types of weather conditions, 24 hours a day, virtually anywhere around the globe. GPS was originally designed for military purposes but fortunately, in 1980 the government made the system available for ordinary people. GPS is absolutely free, and there are no subscription fees or setup charges, according to www.gpsworld.com “a new market research study predicts that the global GPS market will rise above $22 billion by 2008, driven by new applications and led in part by demand for timing devices.” It is not expensive to use the system, simple receivers can be bought online for approximately $200, more complex receivers can cost up to $3000 depending on the capabilities and features.
The 24 satellites that make up the GPS space segment are orbiting the earth about 12,000 miles above us. They are constantly moving, making two complete orbits in less than 24 hours. These satellites are traveling at speeds of roughly 7,000 miles an hour and are powered by solar energy. They have backup batteries onboard to keep them running in the event of a solar eclipse, when there's no solar power, small rocket boosters on each satellite keep them flying in the correct path. Each satellite is built to last about 10 years. Replacements are constantly being built and launched into orbit, a GPS satellite weighs approximately 2,000 pounds and is about 17 feet across with the solar panels extended.
The first GPS satellite was launched in 1978. A full constellation of 24 satellites was achieved in 1994. It is fairly easy to understand how GPS works, though the technology itself is very complex. First, the receiver sends a signal to several satellites, once the satellite processes the signal and calculates the user's exact location, it sends back the signal to the receiver. Basically, the GPS receiver compares the time a signal was transmitted by a satellite with the time it was received. Moreover, the time difference tells the GPS receiver how far away the satellite is, with distance measurements from a few more satellites, the receiver can determine the user's position and display it on the user’s electronic device. According to gpsworld.com “A GPS receiver must be locked on to the signal of at least three satellites to calculate a 2D position (latitude and longitude) and track movement. With four or more satellites in view, the receiver can determine the user's 3D position (latitude, longitude and altitude). Once the user's position has been determined, the GPS unit can calculate other information, such as speed, bearing, track, trip distance, distance to destination, sunrise and sunset time and more.” Overall GPS receivers are extremely accurate, thanks to their parallel multi-channel design. Certain atmospheric factors and other sources of error can affect the accuracy. Most GPS receivers are accurate to within 15 meters on average.
This technology is being used in a wide range of industries, including: communications, military, automobile and aviation. Not only that artist use GPS as amedium to create complex new media projects. The tracking system is also popular among hikers, hunters, snowmobilers, mountain bikers, and cross-country skiers, just to name a few. Yet, the most popular use of GPS is in the automobile industry. The technology is known as: “automatic vehicle location”. This new technology is now available in most luxury cars and SUV’s, it provides the driver with features such as: driving directions, city maps and estimated time of arrivals. “Equipment for automotive and asset tracking will account for nearly half of the global GPS market from year-end 2004 and will continue to see gains through 2008, (gpsworld.com). GPS is also radically changing the way blind people navigate. Early this year a new device called “Probes” was released by Spain’s National Organization for the Blind, “It weighs less than one kilogram (about 2 pounds), comes with a Braille keyboard and a voice synthesizer, and taps the global positioning satellite system to provide verbal directions. Added software and a database of city maps give immediate feedback about the users' surroundings.” (wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,59174,00.html). The primary function of Probes is to serve the blind with a complementary instrument to get around, besides the traditional instruments that already exist, such as the blind cane or guide dog. With this device the blind are able to get to a specific location, it provides verbal directions, it guides them to their destination or give immediate feedback on their surroundings.
Furthermore, “The Degree Confluence Project “ is another scientific endeavor that is taking place in the GPS world, this is a website or database that started by Alex Jarrett in 1996. “The goal of the project is to visit each of the latitude and longitude integer degree intersections in the world, and to take pictures at each location. The pictures, with a narrative describing the adventures it took to get there have to be posted on the website, creating an organized sampling of the world. Another goal is to document the changes at these locations over time” (confluence.com). There is a confluence within 49 miles (79 km) of you if you're on the surface of Earth. Project coordinators estimate that about 3,000 confluence points the intersection of whole-number latitude and longitude lines have been visited, out of a total of 16,000 global confluence points located on land and meet the goal of the project. If one includes intersections of latitude and longitude lines at sea, about 64,000 confluences exist worldwide. But, Degree Confluence isn't collecting pictures from mid-ocean or confluence points close to the poles, where longitude lines can be as little as a few meters apart, so most confluences at sea an close to the poles have been discounted.
More than 4400 GPS travelers have participated since the projects began, covering nearly all the easily accessible points in the United States and Western Europe. The project itself might never be finished due to the inaccessibility of many confluences, such the ones in countries in war, in places where weather conditions are extremely harsh or in restricted areas where cameras and other electronic devices are not permitted.
In recent years GPS has become a popular medium for new media artists. These artists are taking GPS to a whole new level with the development and experimentation of complex and creative projects. As a consequence a very unusual type of art is being created. For example, in the U.K. artist use GPS technology to make large scale drawings of animals and objects, measuring up to 5-6 Kilometers. “In essence GPS Drawing is about recording lines using someone’s journey as a mark making medium. The Gallery now contains drawings made over land, on water, and in the air. There are also GPS maps and experiments along with contributions from around the globe.” (gpsdrawings.com). The drawings are first planned out on a map and then an individual follows the path decided, using a bike a car or simply by walking.
“Impressing Velocity” is another artistic project that uses GPS as a medium. Masaki Fujihata a new media artist is the author of this art piece; he uses complex algorithms to distort rendered images of mountains using velocity. “The algorithm abducts the process which our brains are processing normally in the situation of accelerating the speed. It will be a visualization of the impression of speed.” (http://www.c3.hu/~masaki/proposal/index.html). The concept of the project is incredibly interesting yet, the final output of the project is even more interesting. The project itself is a series of images that are visually very attractive. In Fujihata’s website the process which takes to produce the a final images is briefly explained, "GPS was used with laptop computer for collecting 3 dimensional data path which was generated corresponding to our climbing up and down Mt.Fuji. These 3 dimensional data were used to calculate the velocity in each part of the path and corresponding to the velocity data, the form of a cross-section of the Mt.Fuji was distorted. High velocity will shrink that cross-section data, and in the other hand,low velocity will expand the form of that section, because low velocity shows that the person is tired. The state of zero velocity, when we have a rest, will make an explosion form of Mt.Fuji” (http://www.c3.hu/~masaki/proposal/index.html).
GPS has become a great tool for all kinds of people, ranging from the blind to scientists, from generals to digital media artists. As the technology became more accurate and less expensive people have found endless uses for GPS. It has proven to be one of the technological breakthroughs of the 20th century. More uses are yet to be found so it obvious that its capabilities and uses are only limited by the users imagination.

igscb.jpl.nasa.gov/
http://www.garmin.com/aboutGPS/

http://www.gpsworld.com/gpsworld/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=26655
http://www.gpsworld.com/gpsworld/article/articleList.jsp?categoryId=277

Teleprecense

2004-12-08T17:08:00.000-08:00

One of the most important uses of “telepresence” is in the medical field. This new technology has been a success since it was first introduced to the world of medicine. With the help of computer and robotic technology, surgeons can remotely perform a surgery miles away apart from the patient’s location. This is just the beginning of really promising technology. With the ever developing computer technology, it won't be long to see the emergence of effective high resolution 3D display , low-cost devices. Together with the improved medical telepresence technique, surgeons will be able to have a sense of being within the interior of the heart, eyes and other internal organs . Furthermore, it may be possible, by using microrobots not larger than a human cell, to perform surgery of incredible delicacy. With further extension of the idea, medical telepresence can allow experts in a field to actually go inside and walk through the internal structure under consideration so as to have a much better idea of it; therefore, enhancing effective discussion.
Telepresence is also playing an important role in the art, primarily with new media artists; who utilize the technology as a tool of experimentation.
While I was doing my research for telepresence I came across an Installation that joel did in collaboration with Steve a while back. I went ahead made it part of my blog. I was impress by this project. It was wel done and the fact that it was done in 97' makes it even more interesting.

This is the artist statement:

Telepresent Surveillance is an evolving artwork/research project incorporating autonomous robot surveillance probes and the internet. The intent of this project is to characterize a form of media experience derived from the activities of intelligent machine agents designed to enable telepresent viewing.

Programmed movement behaviors for each robot are activated by human presence within their defined and shared proximity's. Each robot is equipped with a custom engineered infrared/sonar tracking system for location and tracking of surveillance targets. Robot movement behavior is highly conditional and predictable only at the systems level. As each robot identifies and seeks a target it must simultaneously adjust to changes in the environment (no targets, movement of target, entry of new targets or added targets) which directly influence the actual movements. The robots must also avoid obstacles and adjust to architectural constraints presented by the site. Movement behaviors are designed to uniquely characterize the individual personality of the machine agent.

Each robot supports a miniature CCD camera and wireless microwave transmitter. Video output from the perspective orientation of each robot is displayed on monitors and is continuously digitally sampled, tagged and sequenced. The image files are then accessed by a remote host server located at the CADRE Institute in San Jose California. Image files are updated on the Website for telepresent viewing (http://surveil.sjsu.edu), while Quicktime digital movies are generated and chronologically cataloged. The Website also contains technical and descriptive information and contains a historical archive of a previous exhibition.

link;
http://surveil.sjsu.edu/

AI

2004-11-06T15:10:00.000-08:00

The robotic technology and AI that is currently being used does not resemble the technology that we see in Hollywood movies. The AI in today’s real world is actually more practical. AI is currently being used in a variety of industries. The automotive, military, gaming are just a few. The technology is still considered to be its infancy. It will take many years to develop a fully independent robot that can function on its own. Yet, it seems that the technology is breaking more and more ground each day. A couple of years back, an IBM computer was able to defeat the world’s chess champion the computer was able to look at 200 million positions per second. Speech recognition, which is also considered AI, has reached a practical level for limited purposes. Many companies have now switched to speech recognition, instead of the touch-tone phone automated systems. Even though, the SR is now able to process words, many companies preferred to use touch-tone systems for after hours. Artificial Intelligence is becoming more relevant to our lives everyday for many reasons. Computers are wonderful tools, they are able to do math faster and more accurately than we can, they help us to communicate, they even help us organize our businesses and lives. Panasonic recently developed a vacuum-cleaning robot for household use through an innovative autonomous control system that uses a wide array of sensors, which allows the robot to roam around a room, detect dust particles, and ensure its safety. The new prototype not only vacuums a room autonomously, but also efficiently, providing for less laborious housework and an easier life style. While vacuum cleaning robots have been developed in the past, previous models have not been able to efficiently cover an entire room, thereby leaving behind much dirt and grime. Previous models had also not been able to completely avoid dangerous areas. These new vacuum cleaning robot operates by optimizing its movements in compliance to the shape of the room, the type of floor and the amount of dust. The robot operates in a crossover pattern, moving vertically then horizontally around a room avoiding any obstacles in the process. The various sensors allow for the robot to operate automatically and safely while constantly sensing its surroundings. What's best is that the vacuum cleaning robot is as powerful in picking up dust as regular vacuum cleaners.
The new vacuum-cleaning robot can operate for 55 minutes on one charge, slightly more than conventional cordless vacuum cleaners.
There is also a great interest in New Media artists who are combining AI technology with art. One of the few artists ever to have become deeply involved in AI is Cohen In more than two decades AARON has produced many thousands of drawings, to a few dozen of which Cohen has added color. The goal of his current research by far the most difficult to date, he says is to have AARON do its own coloring. This phase of the project is now well under way.

Links

http://www.ai.mit.edu/
http://www.a-i.com/
http://ai-depot.com/Main.html
http://crca.ucsd.edu/~hcohen/

Biometrics

2004-10-22T23:36:00.000-07:00

I found great interest in Biometrics also and this what I’ve found so far.

According to www.biometricslibrary.com biometrics is, “a measurable, physical characteristic or personal behavioral trait used to recognize the identity, or verify the claimed identity, of an enrollee.” This type of technology has been available and used for more than a century. Fingerprints for example, have been used in law enforcement agencies for decades. “In 1893, the Home Ministry
Office, UK, accepted that no two individuals have the same fingerprints. Soon after this discovery, many major law enforcement departments embraced the idea of first ‘booking’ the fingerprints of criminals, so that their records are readily available and later using leftover fingerprint smudges (latents), they could determine the identity of criminals” (http://bias.csr.unibo.it/maltoni/handbook/chapter_1.pdf) It’s been only in recent years that biometrics technology has been taken to a whole new level, by experimenting with other physiological features such as; hand form, iris, retina, facial geometry, vein structure, odor, DNA, etc.
When people think about biometrics, they usually think of it as a Hollywood futuristic films, but the truth of the matter is that biometrics is becoming more affordable than ever. This means that more and more companies are investing money in order to keep up with security standards. Jon Surmacz says that “the worldwide biometrics technology market reached $118.8 million in 2000, and will increase over the next five years at a compound annual growth rate of 50 percent”.(http://www.darwinmag.com/read/machineshop/column.html?ArticleID=306) Furthermore, with the proliferation of the internet and with the widely daily usage of technology; such as computers and cellular phones, “personal identification has taken the form of secret passwords and PINs” (http://www.bromba.com/faq/Biometrie). Companies are now looking for more effective ways of confirming an individual’s identity since memory is not the most reliable method, due to the fact that people tend to forget passwords. Moreover, it’s said that an average person is required to remember about 20 to 30 passwords so this even makes matters worse, not to mention that they have to be changed every 3 months in order to fight against computer hackers. A solution to this could be biometrics technology. For example, a company could implement a system where employees could use fingerprint recognition devices in order to grant access to computers or networks. The device would most likely consist of a digital fingerprint reading device that would be attached to the computer or perhaps the keyboard. The user would then make a fingerprint impression on the device, the scanned sample would then be “verified” or “identified” depending of the system settings.
“In an identification , the recorded biometric feature is compared to all biometric data saved in a system. If there is a match, the identification is successful, and the corresponding user name or user ID may be processed subsequently. In a verification , the user enters her/his identity into the system (e.g., via a keypad or card), then a biometric feature is scanned. The biometric trait must only be compared to the one previously saved reference feature corresponding to the ID. If a match occurs, verification is successful.” (http://www.bromba.com/faq/biofaqe.htm#Biometrie)
This type of technology method is actually been used in many high-tech companies nowadays to control access to restricted areas in buildings rather than using traditional key and badge systems. Banks could also look into the technology to replace cards and PINs at ATMs. Biometrics could be a very efficient way of verifying an online purchases and payments, or it could even take over the job of time clocks in factories. Even though, it obvious that there are millions of reasons why biometrics should be implemented in many fields, factors such as; “performance over time, comfort, accuracy, availability and cost” (http://www.bromba.com/faq/Biometrie)Should be taken in consideration, because it could affect the functionality of the technology.

http://www.bromba.com/faq/biofaqe.htm#Biometrie

http://stat.tamu.edu/Biometrics/

http://biometrics.cse.msu.edu/whats_new.html

http://www.darwinmaßg.com/learn/curve/column.html?ArticleID=160

http://bias.csr.unibo.it/maltoni/handbook/

http://www.biometricslibrary.com/

http://filebox.vt.edu/users/teastman/pages/otherlinks.htm

http://www.darwinmag.com/read/machineshop/column.html?ArticleID=306

Blade Runner

2004-10-22T01:11:00.000-07:00

The idea of robots is not new, for many years humans have imagined intelligent mechanized devices that perform humanlike tasks in literature as well as in film. “The acclaimed Czech playwright, Karel Capek, made famous the word “robot”, the Czech word for forced labor or serf. Capek introduced the word in his play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots”. (http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa032197.htm) The plot was simple, man makes robot then robot kills man. Many movies that followed continued to show robots as harmful and as killer machines. In the futuristic film of “Blade Runner” released in the 80’s, androids (human replicants) achieved a mental and physical level, beyond human capabilities “Replicants are physically stronger than humans, this is proven numerous times throughout the film. More intelligent? Roy Batty, an average Nexus-6 Replicant, beats Eldon Tyrell, a (human) genius, handily at chess”. (http://www.popsubculture.com/pop/bio_project/audio/benefit.wav). Furthermore, replicants were even able to develop their own thoughts and feelings after the fourth year of existence. Yet, other movies, such as the 1977 hit, Star Wars, showed "C3PO" and "R2D2" as really smart but also as good robots.
Moreover, science fiction author Isaac Asimov is often given credit for being the first person to use the term robotics, in a short story composed in the 1940s. In the story, Asimov suggested three principles to guide the behavior of robots and smart machines.
“1. A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm, unless this would violate a higher order law
2. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would confict with a higher order law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with a higher order law.” (http://www.frc.ri.cmu.edu/robotics-faq/1.html)
The reality is that, fully functioning androids are many years away due to the many problems that have to be solved first. However, real working sophisticated robots are in use today and are changing the way many industries operate. Robot are virtually being used everywhere. The fields in which robotics are being use range from the entertainment industry to car manufacturing and from the from the toy industry to medicine. For example, Sony one of the leading electronic appliances manufactures released AIBO in 1999, a robotic pet that is merely used for entertainment purposes. The pet features learning capabilities and a full range of commands the let the owner interact with it, as if it was a real pet. The pet is having great acceptance in Japan, this is probably due to the facts that Japan is a crowed country; therefore space for a real pet is sometimes not available.
Other fields are also utilizing robots to take over tasks that are dangerous for a human. These robots do not resemble the robot that we see in movies. They are more of industrial manipulators and are really computer controlled arms and hands. The type of jobs that these robots are doing, range from deactivating bombs to spying enemy territory. “On August 19, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) reported that the U.S. House of Representatives '04 budget would pump $126 billion into federal research, $8.4 billion over '03—90 percent of that increase is specifically earmarked for the Defense and Homeland Security departments. Moreover, with that many dollars chasing (and tempting) researchers in fields like robotics and nanotechnology, the perception is that it's almost impossible to forgo military support and still remain competitive” (http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0337/baard.php). It is true that robots can cause unemployment by replacing human workers, but robots also create jobs: robot technicians, salesmen, engineers, programmers and supervisors.

Links

http://www.machinebrain.com/Fighting_Robots/Military_Robots/

http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0337/baard.php

http://inventors.about.com/cs/historyrobots/

http://news.com.com/2100-1040_3-225664.html?tag=st_rn

http://robots.net/

http://www.popsubculture.com/pop/bio_project/audio/benefit.wav

Human Cloning

2004-10-22T01:10:00.000-07:00

I found human cloning as a mind-blowing topic. So I went ahead and did some research regarding cloning and this is what I found.
In recent years the medical field has evolved rapidly creating cures for virtually any illness and other medical breakthroughs are also very astonishing. First, with the discovery of infection after the civil war, then with the first heart transplant nearly 30 years ago, also with first in-vitro fertilization baby born in 1978. More recently with the birth of the first cloned sheep. In 1997 a Scottish research team of scientist worked together for many months on a cloning project. After 277 attempts, the scientists successfully cloned the first sheep, called “Dolly.” Cloning is a bizarre thought, but it becomes even worse thought when humans are the ones being cloned. After the announcement of the first coned sheep went public, the news were literally every where. Today human cloning is currently one of the hottest topics being discussed all over the world raising: ethical, legal, medical and social questions.
Before discussing human cloning in depth, the process it takes to create an exact clone should be understood. The process is not as complex as many would think. The process consists of: the implantation of a non-sexual (i.e., hair cell or skin cell) into a recipient egg whose nucleus has been extracted. The egg is later treated with an electrical charge, which causes the resulting cell to divide as if conception was occurring. After the cell has divided itself into several parts it will contain the exact genetic information of the non-sexual cell. Finally, the resulting cell is then implanted in the uterus of a surrogate mother resulting in a pregnancy. In fact, cloning a human is not far from reality,
“ Success in copying monkey embryos in an Oregon Primate Center shows that our nearest biological kin can be cloned”(Caplan 34). Yet, the greatest challenge scientists would face in human cloning, are the success rates, which are not favorable. It took hundreds of attempts for the Scottish scientist to clone Dolly; the majority of the embryos died during the transferring of genes or when they were electrical charged. The ones that survived developed into abnormal fetuses. “ Recent study of mammalian cloning also suggests that a number of defects of the egg do not manifest until later in life of the resulting clone” (McGee)
Currently there is a race to be the first to successfully clone a human being. Today countries, such as: Great Britain, Scotland, Canada, South Korea and The United States are racing to be the first. Some of these countries have considerable advantage over the U.S. due to the liberalism of their governments. “Britain’s House of Lords voted overwhelmingly to permit the cloning and maintenance of human embryos up to14 days old for purpose of medical experimentation” (Smith). On the contrary, in the US there are now several states that oppose human cloning and have already banned the procedure. “Republican senator Jane Nelson has introduced a bill in Austin that would impose a fine of as much as $1 million for researchers who use cloning technology to initiate pregnancy in humans” (Gibbs). This explains why most of the research is being done secretly in countries where human cloning is viewed as unethical and immoralAt the moment American public is not ready to digest the thought of cloning. In a survey conducted by TIME/CNN 90 percent of the respondents thought of human cloning as unethical or immoral. Indeed there is a reason for the public to be concerned. Today the technology is not quite at a point where experiments on human cloning should be taking place. Even though there has been five years of experimenting with mammals the outcomes of cloning are not yet fully understood. The failure rate is still very high “98 percent of the embryos never implant or die off during gestation or soon after birth” (Gibbs). Recent studies show that Dolly the sheep aged rapidly and died prematurely. It is very likely that the affect human clones would be the same. Furthermore, biotechnology is a threat to the natural reproduction of humans by scientists creating different life forms. Scientists have already put to use some cloning techniques by adding genetic material from a jelly fish to a cloned monkey embryo, making a monkey that now glows in the dark. In addition, there are scientists in the biotechnological world who support the idea of creating “chimeras” part human and part animal. “ Not to long ago Australian scientists announced they had created a ‘pig-man’ through cloning techniques, and allowed the hybrid to develop for more than two weeks before destroying it” (Smith). It is clear that cloning can take the wrong path when scientists are cloning to see how far they can get or just for pure curiosity. It is also clear that reproductive cloning should be regulated and boundaries should be applied to control biotechnology. If we are to consider human cloning, this is obviously not the way to do so. Human cloning should be treated as a very dangerous and delicate issue.
The Catholic Church is one of major opponents of human cloning; The Vatican long ago rejected any type of research dealing with human embryos. “The church believes that the soul is created at the moment of conception, and that the embryo is worthy of protection” (Gibbs). The church also believes each embryo is a human being. One of the arguments religious opponents present: is that it will take hundreds of lives only in the attempt to clone a human. If it took 104 attempts before the first IVF baby was born, how many lives will take after the birth of the first cloned baby?
On the other hand, proponents argue that cloning a human is not as bad as sounds. There are many reasons why we should consider cloning, perhaps for therapeutic purposes. Advanced Cell Technology (a biotechnological company) has also claimed to have successfully cloned a human embryo. However, ACT has other type of cloning in mind. “ The company has created clones for research into how it might produce stem cells for therapeutic purposes, and has no intention of allowing any of the embryos to be implanted into a woman’s womb to create a pregnancy” (Kahn). If experiments on human embryos progress. It is possible that one-day embryonic stem cells can eventually be turned into every kind of tissue, including brain, muscle, nerve and blood. These cells could serve as body’s self-repair kits, providing cures for Parkinson’s, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and paralysis. This could be one of the reasons why human cloning should be allowed and supported. Therapeutic cloning could be the end for other bioethical issues such as organ transplant.

Here is a picture of the most famous sheep ever.

Links
http://www.humancloning.org/

http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~jones/tmp352/projects98/group1/how.html

http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/cloning.shtml

What is art | technology | science?

2004-10-22T01:09:00.000-07:00

According to Stephen Wilson, Science is “an attempt to understand how and why phenomena occur; focus on the ‘natural’ world; a belief in empirical information; a value placed upon objectivity, which is sought through detailed specifications of operations that guide observation; the codification into laws or principles; and the continuous testing and refinement of hypothesis.” We humans have always been curious about the things surrounding us; as a consequence, since early in human history we have been exploring the universe, earth, and our own bodies. As curious beings, we are always trying to make sense of how and why phenomena occur. Early in history, Greeks came come up with theories but were never proven. It was only after the Renaissance when science was initiated; basically it is a formal way of exploring phenomena. Scientist now had to study the natural world through: objectivity, observation, identification, description, and investigation.
Technology is how we people modify the natural world to suit our own purposes; basically any thing outside our bodies that is not naturally made could be considered technology. According to the Wilson “technology is seen as ‘knowing how,’ while science is seen as ‘knowing why’”. Telephones, cars, computers, and guns are all example of technological devices.
Art has always been a difficult concept to define; I would define art as: the act of representing people, things, feelings, experiences and concepts. Art has not always been what we think of it today. An object that is considered to be art today may not have been considered art when it was first made, nor the person who made it was regarded as an artist. Art is relatively a modern term. The idea of an object being a "work of art" emerged, together with the concept of the artist, in the 15th and 16th centuries during the Renaissance, the word “art” emerged consisting of activities such as: painting, sculpture, and architecture. Poetry and literature were later accepted as works of art. Today that trend continues in the art world, with the acceptance of new forms and types of art. Yet, there is a clear categorization of art types. For example, High-art compared to Low-art or Fine art compared to Popular art.
Surprisingly, art and science have qualities in common; For example, both of them are used as a tool to experiment and to learn more about the world and our own mind and body. Yet science and art exploration are done in a very distinct way. Artists portray their ideas in a very subjective manner, the exploration is flexible; artist can convey their own thoughts in a work of art, whatever he or she might think is important can be included; whereas, Scientist have to go through a very strict and objective process before communicating an idea or hypothesis. Once the hypothesis has been expressed it has to be proven, most of times using mathematicsas a tool to do so.

Information Arts | Chapter 1

2004-10-22T01:08:00.000-07:00

The first chapter of Stephen Wilson�s book was really interesting in general; it laid down very unusual thoughts and concepts that common people usually don�t think about. For instance, the origin of science and technology, how in one point in history, science and art were one discipline. Later during the Renaissance branches of different studies developed. Science and art took their own separate paths. He also gives a definition for science, technology, and art. He briefly explains that technology is seen as knowing �how,� while science is seen as knowing �why�. He also explains, how the two are supportive and necessary to each other. Moreover, he comments that art presented in his book is mostly the art that has gone through radical changes and experimentation over the last century; the same art which has been controversial due the inability to assimilate it as art. Yet, the main focus on this chapter is the introduction of the idea of art influenced by technology and science. Wilson makes clear that �Information art generally focuses on art that addresses research activity emerging in the last seven years�. Even new digital art, such as: multimedia and 3-d animation are no longer considered experimental work in information arts. This is true, because all art eventually becomes available to common people and then it is use by millions of people around the world, rather than by a few experimentalists in its fist stage. This concept is similar to the underground music concept. Underground music can only be given this name, while the music is unpopular. Basically it remains underground only when its been listen by a few people, but once it becomes commercialized it losses the privilege of been called underground music. The idea of techno-scientific art can really develop into a great outcome, but for me is not really clear what is intended with this kind of art. For example, when experimenting with techno-scientific art should one be focusing more on the aesthetics or on the functionality of the piece? The idea of techno-scientific art is not completely accepted in neither the arts or in science, but possibly directed more towards art. I think that new media is more of an art with technological and scientific experimentation rather that science with art experimentation

Steve Dietz

2004-10-07T23:39:00.000-07:00

Steve Dietz is the founding Director of New Media Initiatives at the Walker Art Center, where he is also responsible for the programming of the online Gallery 9 and co-initiated the Integrated Arts Information Access project (IAIA).

He was formerly the head of publications and new media initiatives at the National Museum of American Art, where he established one of the earliest and most extensive museum Web sites. He co-produced the CD-ROM "National Museum of American Art," which won the first prize in Arts and Culture at the 1997 international MILIA festival.

He is the principal of YProductions, which works with museums to architect digitally-based cultural programming. He is currently on the board of the Museum Computer Network (MCN) and is a past member of the executive committee of the coalition for the Computer Interchange of Museum Information (CIMI) and project coordinator for NMAA's participation in the Museum Educational Site Licensing Project (MESL).

Dietz has organized and curated new media exhibitions, including Beyond
Interface: net art and Art on the Net (1998); Shock of the View:
Artists, Audiences, and Museums in the Digital Age (1999); Digital
Documentary: The Need to Know and the Urge to Show (1999);
Cybermuseology for the Museo de Monterrey (1999); Art Entertainment
Network (2000); Outsourcing Control? The Audience As Artist for the Open
Source Lounge" at Medi@terra (2000); Telematic Connections: The Virtual
Embrace (2001-02); a nationally traveling exhibition;
Open_Source_Art_Hack (2002), with Jenny Marketou, at the New Museum, New
York City; Translocations (2003), part of " How Latitudes Become Forms "
at the Walker Art Center; State of the Art: Maps, Games, Stories, and
Algorithms from Minnesota at the Carleton Art Gallery (2003); and Pretty
Good Access (2004), with Anthony Kiendl and Sarah Cook, Walter Philips
Gallery, Banff Center for the Arts.

Dietz speaks and writes extensively about new media, and his interviews
and writings have appeared in Parkett, Artforum, Flash Art, Design
Quarterly, Spectra, Afterimage, Art in America, Museum News, BlackFlash,
Public Art Review and Intelligent Agent. He is currently Dayton Hudson
Distinguished Visiting Teacher/Artist in the Media Studies at Carleton
College, Northfield, Minnesota.

Links
www.conceptlab.com/interviews/ hertz_dietz_blackflash_19-3.pdf

www.immersence.com/publications/SDietz-TenDreams-N.html

www.voyd.com/ttlg/textual/dietz.htm

www.informatik.uni-trier.de/ ~ley/db/indices/a-tree/d/Dietz:Steve.html

www.voyd.com/ttlg/textual/dietz.htm