Plastic Bodies and Bicentennial Man

“The Rise of Cultural Bodies” (2008), written by Ollivier Dyens examines the concept of plastic bodies. A plastic body is a being that has been separated from its biological origins or natural state (p. 58). The plastic body relies little on biological parts and can easily be reproduced (p. 58). Dyens provides the example of a clone to represent the concept, which is grown and literally "a being made of plastic" (p. 58). As stated many times throughout my blog, we are constantly surround by technology as we use it to live our lives, work and engage with others. We have discussed multiple examples of humans incorporating machines into their body, but what about a cyborg transforming into a human? If a machine became more human like, would this then make it a legitimate human? What defines a human then?

This week’s reading reminded me of the 1999 film, Bicentennial Man (Christopher Columbus) because it illustrates ideas from the reading, but from the perspective of the machine as it follows one robot’s journey to become a human man. The film represents a machine's evolvement to a plastic body. Andrew an android used as an appliance in the family home tries to become part of the biological realm throughout the film. He inhabits “a world that is exclusive, personal, and without ties to our organic world” (p. 60). However, Andrew attempts throughout the film to create emotional ties to humans, and become part of the exclusive human world. As a robot he is far from humanity, but as the film progresses he develops emotions and creativity, typically traits allocated to humans. At the end of the film, Andrew's plastic body wins over a court ruling to be labelled a human, however I wonder if one day we will be comfortable with interchanging labels like in the film, calling humans cyborgs or machines humans. The end alludes to the idea we all are machines, as Portia, Andrew’s wife, has to be unplugged at the end of the film to die just like Andrew. The film represents the idea that we will go beyond what the body is, and look at humans as defined as thinking entities with emotions and creativity, be it in mechanical or biological bodies.

We seem to be increasingly comfortable with acknowledging the notion that we are all somewhat cyborgs, however the idea of machines becoming humans is an uncomfortable idea that has not been at the forefront of discussion. Bicentennial Man represents the imitation of the human and as Dyens asks, “is one a human being if one is a perfect imitation of it? Is one a human being if one is, or becomes, a living and breathing simulacrum?” (p. 60). So, I conclude that Andrew is a simulacrum, an imitation of a human being, who has created his own body and system to look like a human (p. 63). The film raises interesting questions about the definition of what a human is. As in the clip below, Andrew asks a man what makes them different if a human uses prosthetic organs as he does? The answer is they both have plastic bodies, bodies that exist outside the biological world (p. 58). As more and more people develop plastic bodies, bodies that no one else has experience before, they will open up the definitions of what a human being can be.

Check out the following links

Bicentennial Man Clip- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnKFEOCO4T8&feature=related

Ending of Bicentennial Man- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDcDxteH_oY&feature=related

Fashion for the Future

In this technologically driven society it is difficult to separate oneself from technology. As we are always connected to cell phones and Ipods, it becomes almost impossible “to locate ‘being’ outside of technology” (p. 284). Jaimie Smith-Windsor investigates this notion in her article, “A Breached Boundary” (2008), where she discusses her daughter, Quinn, who was born three and a half months premature and was placed in an incubator. Smith-Windsor describes this as a “posthuman, cyborg moment” as her daughter became a cyborg, part human and part machine during her time in the hospital (p. 278). It seems these “cyborg moments” are becoming more common in society (p. 278). It is necessary to briefly discuss how technology is creating these cyborg moments apart from health examples. This is apparent in fashion designer, Hussein Chalayan’s work as he combines fashion with technology.

Fashion is a realm always looking towards what is next, and designer, Hussein Chalayan, known for his intellectual and futuristic fashion shows, has breached the boundaries of what is fashion by incorporating technology into his clothes. From the hats that double as table lamps, the automatic rising hemlines to crystals embedded with lasers on clothing, Chalayan never fails to think outside the box. For Chalayan’s 2007 fall/winter collection, he created a set of video dresses. The dress was created from 15 000 LED lights that form changing video patterns across the dress. This combination of fashion and technology showcases the fusion of machine and body. Furthermore, fashion is often used as an identity tool. Here technology is used as an external device to represent identity as the dress has the ability to change patterns and colour of dress.

The video dresses do not quite make women cyborgs yet; it is merely an example of a “cyborg moment” (p. 278). This is because some argue that fashion is part of the creation of identity, thus wearing a Chalayan video dress makes them part machine and part human. By wearing technology on the body people are participating in their own cyborg moments. Like Quinn, whose body was altered for the machines that kept her alive, Chalayan’s video dresses redesign the body and mask the body (p. 280). It is no longer about the physical body, it is about the technology worn and the body becomes distorted. Chalayan’s work humanizes technology; it allows people to accept how it can be a part of fashion. This may be a movement towards a cyborg lifestyle, where we dress our bodies in technology and the physical body is breached and distorted by technology. There always will be an interface between technology and humans; this is merely another way it is entering our lives. It seems as technology enters realms that do not necessarily call for its need, like fashion, “being” outside of technology will become virtually impossible (p. 284).

Check out the following links:

Hussein Chalayan Website- http://www.husseinchalayan.com/

Fashion Television Clip on Chalayan’s Work- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCJVtAWzLic

Is everyone a cyborg now?

Donna Haraway’s “A Manifesto for Cyborgs: Science, Technology, and Socialist Feminism in the 1980s” is a dense and confusing piece of feminist work, however it is undeniable influential in the realm of digital cultural studies. According to Haraway, a cyborg is “a cybernetic organism, a hybrid of machine and organism, a creature of social reality as well as a creature of fiction” (p. 28). For Haraway the cyborg represents the idea of otherness; it is a symbol for the changing structure of identity. Technology challenges identity because “it is not clear who makes and who is made in the relation between human and machine” (p. 36). Haraway argues there is no longer a separation between machine and organism, and consequently, the relationship and connection to our technological tools is heightened (p. 36). However, according to Haraway these connections with technology are unnecessary as technologies are merely “prosthetic devices, intimate components, friendly selves” (p. 36). I agree with Haraway that the relationship to technology has been heightened because the boundaries between machines and organisms have become blurred. People are constantly connected to technology. This can be further discussed by looking at information appliances.

Discussed briefly in this week’s class were information appliances, which are invisible technologies that have become so overused that they are taken for granted. This leads to the notion that everyone is ultimately shifting between their biological and non-biological parts, stemming the idea that everyone is born a cyborg. From cell phones and iPods always in hand to laptops being toted around all over campus, people work with their biological and technological parts simultaneously. In my previous post, “My Modified Body”, I discussed my relationship with my insulin pump and sensor. My pump can also be described as an information appliance. This is because I do take these pieces of technology for granted everyday. The idea of taking a needle in the middle of class, instead of pressing a button is completely foreign to me. I no longer notice and think about the critical impact this small piece of technology is having on my life. I can no longer imagine or differentiate my body without the pump, I have grown a heightened connection to the pump as my physical body works with my technological parts. I have this connection because this technology has made my life better, even though it is simply a prosthetic device. So, does this connection between our biological and non-biological parts mark our bodies as something different, as living cyborgs?

The concept of information appliances argues the notion that we are cyborgs because we have a heightened relationship with technology that often goes unnoticed. Wearing my insulin pump does mark me as different as it is not a highly known piece of technology and acts as an open invitation for people to ask me questions. In this technologically driven society it is acceptable for me to wear my insulin pump on the outside of my clothing as it often passes as a mp3 player or beeper. It is not much different from someone who wears their cellphone on their pants. However, I like all people still have the option to disconnect from digital technology and am not yet quite "a hybrid of machine and organism" (p. 28). My insulin pump may be part of my identity, but there is still a separation between my body and technology. The notion that someone who uses a cellphone is a cyborg is not quite evolving into part human, part machine as one disconnects from this technology several times a day. This is why technology challenges identity and it is difficult to define people as cyborgs already because we can no longer define what we are and what technology makes us into. Does technology make us, or do we make technology? I do not think cyborgs have become a part of social reality yet, they are still "a creature of fiction" that will continue to be worked towards in the future (p. 28).

Has videogame violence already gone too far?

Since videogames launched onto the market a great deal of fear has surrounded the consequences of what violent games can do to its players and what the repercussions will be of this play. From first-person shooter games to games like Grand Theft Auto, many videogames now feature disturbing violence. Many videogames and issues surrounding gaming have crossed over into cinema; an example of this is seen in Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor’s Gamer (2009).

Gamer follows death row inmate, Kable, who decides to take part in the slayers game where inmates are given a chance to compete in 30 battles for their release from prison. These slayers are implanted with nano cell technology that allows for remote access functioning. This remote access functioning allows for other humans to control the slayers and play them as they are set in a type of large-scale videogame setting. Keeping with the course's theme, Gamer demonstrates similar concepts raised in cyberculture works, specifically the issue of materiality. Like eXistenZ, (David Cronenberg, 1999) Gamer “offers no escape from materiality: the gaming system merges with the players’ nervous systems” (Hotchkiss, p. 24). This is because technology is implanted into the brain of slayers, fusing their body with the gaming environment. The slayer is a "voluntarily mutated cyborg" (Hotchkiss, p. 26). Their body becomes part of the videogame world. The object of the game is to compete in a sort of war setting, and to kill or be killed and arrive safely at the checkpoint to continue onto the next battle. Gamer is a great example of videogame violence blending with reality, however it seems recent years have also witnessed the gaming industry take the concept of play and violence too far into reality.

On October 31^st 2007, the videogame Manhunt 2 was released onto the market, however the public had already heard a great deal about the game as it was scrutinized by media outlets prior to its release. The game grew such media attention because months before its release it was banned in Britain. The Britain Classification Body banned the game because

Manhunt 2 is distinguishable from recent high-end video games by its unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone in an overall game context, which constantly encourages visceral killing with exceptionally little alleviation or distancing. There is sustained and cumulative casual sadism in the way in which these killings are committed, and encouraged, in the game. (Parfitt, B., 2007, para. 4).

The video game is the sequel to Manhunt, a game released in 2003. Manhunt 2 allows the gamer to be an escapee of a mental institution who embarks on a killing spree. The game was released on playstation and Wii, but it was the Wii version of the game that had many in shock. Wii asks the player to physically act out the motions of killing someone in the game. It is the player who must create the physical motion of stabbing someone with their Wii controller. The idea of creating the motion of killing had many question whether this was an acceptable game to be on the market because it offers a gamer an opportunity to simulate murder.

As disturbing as this game is, it does raise the question of what is acceptable gaming? Are first-person shooter games ok because players are not actually doing the motions of killing as the Wii game console asks the player? The media attention surrounding Manhunt 2 may just be the “great ambivalence over the transformation of human experience” (Hotchkiss, p. 18). It seems it was the fear of technology and the unknown that made so many panic over the videogame. It seems the closer we get to realistic technological experiences, the more disturbed audiences get, like the Uncanny Valley theory discussed last week in relation to Final Fantasy. Gamer and Manhunt 2 show the great possibilities of the gaming world, however Manhunt 2 illustrates that a more realistic aspect added to the gaming world, creating the motions of killing as opposed to pressing a button, will disrupt people’s acceptance of a game. Getting too real is going too far. Spectators are over saturated with disturbing violent media. Because of this many spectators are now desensitized to gruesome violence. Spectators would not consume violent media if they did not enjoy the spectacle and pleasure received from participating in these games. Manhunt 2 is merely the evolution of gaming, but it is necessary to keep in mind how far the gaming industry is willing to go to shock and keep gamers playing.

Check out the following links for information about Manhunt 2:

CBS Evening News YouTube clip discussing Manhunt 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ExNxpob-_A&feature=related

BBC News Article- “Manhunt 2 release saga continues” http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7209766.stm

MCV Article- “BBFC rejects Manhunt 2”

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/27545/BBFC-rejects-Manhunt-2

The Uncanny and Creepy in "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within"

The Uncanny Valley represents the feeling of awkwardness and discomfort that human viewers get when they look at progressively realistic virtual humans. One can see concepts related to the Uncanny Valley at work in Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (Sakaguchi & Sakakibara, 2001). This is because Final Fantasy demonstrates an attempt at photorealism. Photorealism is an attempt to reproduce indexicality by way of non-photographic means. This attempt to simulate the indexical in digital media often falls short, where viewers get that sense of the Uncanny Valley, as photoreal virtual humans are distracting. This type of hyperreal animation is an attempt to emulate the idea of eventually replacing live action cinema. Some viewers may be astonished by how real these characters look, even Aki Ross cannot believe she is real as in the opening sequence Aki Ross wakes from her dream and touches her face like she cannot even believe she is real. It is a like a dream becoming reality in cinema, actors and locations are almost disposable now. However, I argue that Final Fantasy is like one long video game introduction. Final Fantasy attempt’s to create realistic simulations of humans merely turn out to be boring, eerie and awkward to watch. It is necessary to investigate how the idea of the Uncanny Valley applies to a viewer’s experience of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. This can be achieved by applying the four Uncanny Valley hypotheses to the film.

The first hypothesis deals with “considering the role of presence”. When viewing digital characters there is always an argument over how it is human versus how it is not human. By attempting to replicate a photoreal human Final Fantasy invites viewers to be consciously aware that these characters are not real. As a viewer I was constantly judging how the characters looked in the film and how they could and could not be compared to real people. I found what the characters lacked took me out of engaging and enjoying the film, but also I found the use of distinctive and well-known actors for character voices took me completely out of the film. Such as, Alec Baldwin for Gray, Ving Rhames for Ryan and Donald Sutherland for Dr. Sid. Alec Baldwin being in the body of a Ben Affleck look-alike drives the improbability of the characters further. All three actors have specific star personas and how they look plays into that persona, which I can not disregard while watching. Taking their voices and putting them in new virtual human bodies was jarring. This is not like animated films like Toy Story (John Lasseter, 1995), where Tom Hanks is the voice of a toy cowboy. These types of films combine live action and animation to create a film viewers can accept. I cannot accept this replication of live action cinema in Final Fantasy as it is still a realm of filmmaking with problems that need to be worked out.

The second hypothesis, “mismatch of cue realism”, means as technology allows for these seemingly realistic characters to be created, what often happens is their behaviour and movements fall short and are viewed as non realistic. While watching Final Fantasy I found myself staring at characters faces and was uncomfortable with their movements. For example, character’s words do not really match up with their mouths and when they speak it is awkward and takes away from any photoreal aspect they offer. Also, it seems a great deal of attention was paid to the way the characters look and less to the way they move. Movements seemed robotic, mechanical and stiff, while Aki’s hair moved effortlessly in the wind and Dr. Sid’s age spots were highlighted. These increasingly photoreal characters come with high expectations and when these expectations are not met or when something is “off” about these characters, viewers meet with the Uncanny Valley.

The third hypothesis, “cultural habitation”, deals with the concept that humans have become comfortable with film representations of humans. Humans no longer feel uncomfortable to look at a flat projection of themselves. This is no longer uncanny and the same may happen with digital avatars. I disagree that digital avatars will become accepted as flat projections of humans have. This is because filmed photographs still offer us the real while digital characters have no indexical connection to reality, it is a simulation of a human, and it should not be confused or accepted as a real human. While watching Final Fantasy I found the digital characters had a very limited range of expression, when characters were upset or happy it was difficult to read and seemed awkward, like the characters were trying to move their faces but could not quite do it. These digital characters may offer us realistic representations, but I think it will take more than getting used to to accept these avatars.

Finally and to be brief, the last hypothesis of the Uncanny Valley is “the contribution of the eyes”. Eyes are the signifier and recognition of life because they give perceptual shape to life forms. The characters’ eyes in Final Fantasy fail to communicate presence, as their eyes look dead. The characters seem to be missing the life that exudes from eyes, such as emotion and meaning and end up with these blank expressions on their faces. Digital characters are missing real life experience.

In conclusion, the Uncanny Valley hypotheses represent the problems inherent with attempting to create photoreal environments. In the case of Final Fantasy, viewers do not accept these simulations of humans because what separates them from humans is what they do not have. They have jarring movements, blank expressions and eyes, and their words do not match up with their mouths. It is awkward to watch and gives viewers an eerie feeling. Aki Ross looks lifelike, but is not living. Watching Final Fantasy is an invitation to scrutinize these characters, I do not find them uncomfortably real, I find them creepy looking and inhuman, yes a superior attempt to replicate humans, but only end up looking like unrealistic artificial virtual humans. For myself the entire notion of replacing real actors with digital actors makes me uncomfortable. The idea that spectators would rather watch a computer-based virtual human fall in love and fight battles is bizarre. If I want to have a digital character enter worlds human actors cannot I will play a videogame. These digital character driven films have a lot to build on if they want digital stars to be accepted in filmmaking and to viewers.

Light Graffiti and Augmented Reality

Our daily lives have become exceedingly reliant on technology, specifically the world of cyberspace as it is used for work, recreational purposes and the “real world”. Many examples of cyberpunk have looked at the notion of virtual reality and the possibilities of a world beyond the computer screen, however physical reality has increasingly become a space filled with electronic and visual information itself (p. 76). This augmented space seems more realistic than virtual reality because one can see it already at work. Examples are seen in urban architecture as Times Square in New York City is filled with video screens that display advertisements and information (p. 86). Also, on the Toronto subway platforms video screens have been installed that provide riders with information on weather, news, and the time until the next train. Augmented reality is a continually changing and evolving surface; because of this it is necessary to briefly discuss Lev Manovich’s definition of augmented space and an example of how computer technology is impacting physical space.

In Manovich’s article, “The Poetics of Augmented Space” (2003), he discusses the ways in which technology is altering physical space. According to Manovich, “computer and networked technology more actively enter our real physical spaces” (p. 76). The 1990s was a time concerned with the computer user entering virtual reality, but now the 2000s see a user who can interact with digital data in existing spaces (p. 76). Examples of technology that send and take data from physical space are cell phones, video surveillance cameras and video displays (p. 76). These technologies expand our experience of reality by providing information about the space around us. It is necessary to look at an example of how some artists are using technology in urban landscapes as a means of communication, which in turn develops the augmentation of reality.

At the beginning of October I had the opportunity to work with Awesome Indies, an urban arts festival for youth in the community of Hintonburg. Awesome Indies focused on bringing local artists together with youth. One of the participating artists was Graffiti Research Lab Canada (GRL) who created light graffiti on the walls of the Patrick John Mills Gallery. Through use of projectors, laser pointers and custom open sources software graffiti artists are able to create light graffiti on physical surfaces. GRL uses light graffiti as a means for urban communication (http://graffitiresearchlab.com). They use a laser to draw on a screen that is projected onto walls, buildings and other spots throughout urban landscapes. This blending of technology and physical space is a clear example of augmented reality. This is because GRL is adding digital information directly related to a physical space, whether they are commenting on the space or designing in relation to it (p. 79). Also, GRL artists “place layers of data over the physical space” (p. 78). This type of art alters the way we perceive physical reality and the way we interpret spaces. These artists provide a means of communicating to the masses in physical space in a non-traditional way and showcase how one can manipulate physical space to impact the ways in which people experience it.

Augmented space is becoming more of a reality as one can see increasingly data filled spaces. We live in spaces where we are constantly encountering computer technology that impacts our physical space and the way we experience it. We seem to be perceiving a heightened version of reality where technology that sends and receives data is expanding our knowledge about our physical space. It seems as physical space is increasingly filled with visual information, the look of a futuristic world may not be just an idea in cinema or cyberpunk, but a reality we encounter everyday.

Check out the following links:

http://www.awesomeindies.ca/?page_id=113

http://graffitiresearchlab.ca/

My Modified Body

Technology now acts as an extension of the body as society no longer works or lives without it. This reliance on technology has changed the way we work, communicate and live. Today work is highly reliant on technology as computers are essential for work in school, the “real world” and recreational purposes. It seems most school and “real world” work is done on computers, as it is where work is created, information is found and communication takes place. Technology liberates us from performing medial tasks, yet work is still frustrating. Work does not become easier as technology often creates more work and unforeseen problems. It is apparent how reliant we are on technology to work, but it is necessary to discuss how reliant we have become on technology to live our lives as the human body is increasingly intertwined with technology.

Mischa Peters article, “Exit Meat: Digital Bodies in a Virtual World”, examines the attitudes concerning “embodiment and subjectivity…on alternative brain-computer interfaces” and the idea that society is becoming posthuman (2003, p. 48). Humans and technology are blending together like never before as "brain-computer interfaces" have become a revolutionary practice for disabled individuals, as John Hockenberry discussed in his article, “The Next Brainiacs” (2001). Peters maps out four conceptual bodies: the natural body, the modified body, the enhanced body and the cyber body (p. 52). These bodies appear throughout cyberpunk novels and science articles that demonstrate issues of embodiment and subjectivity (p. 52). Particularly of concern is “the modified body” (p. 53). As Peters explains it is a body “that uses technology either as a necessity or as a commodity” (p. 53). It is useful to take a step back from the idea of where technology may take the human body in the future as cyberpunk displays and look at how technology is colliding with the human body now. I am an example of how technology is now blending with the human body and deal with issues related to embodiment, or as Peters may classify me as “ the modified body” (p. 53).

Four years ago I was diagnosed with type one diabetes. Type one diabetes is a chronic disease where an individual’s pancreas shuts down the production of insulin, the hormone needed to control the amount of glucose in blood. An individual with diabetes must properly manage their blood sugar levels and take insulin to avoid high blood sugar, which if exposed to over time can lead to health complications. I am fortunate enough to manage my disease with the use of an insulin pump and sensor. An insulin pump is a medical device connected to the body that constantly administers insulin into the body. Think external organ or artificial pancreas. The sensor, a continuous blood glucose monitor, is inserted into the skin by needle and leaves a tiny electrode under the skin that transmits wirelessly to the pump blood sugar readings. Advantages of the sensor include real-time blood sugar readings, alerting a user when they may have a high or low blood sugar reading. I no longer have to think about how I am feeling a sensor can tell me and I can then take the necessary precautions. This integration of technology and body creates an easier lifestyle that makes me forget my disease, but also a sign that my life is dependent on technology and has become intertwined with technology.

Society may constantly be connected to technology like cell phones and ipods, but I am literally always connected to technology and it has altered my relationship with technology. In terms of “the modified body” I do not willingly want to use an insulin pump or sensor, it is a necessity (p. 53). It is not part of me, but merely offers me something I need at a financial and physical price (p. 53). Financially because the insulin pump and sensor are very expensive, and also physically because there are still setbacks with the sensor. A common problem is the delay of the blood sugar reading, I commonly feel low before my insulin pump tells me, and consequently will tell me I am low when I am already combating the low. In terms of work my modified body may liberate me from medial tasks, but it does create more work. I had to take the time to learn how to use a new piece of technology, I have to interact with it regularly and I must change the supplies in order for it to work properly.

Technology has taken my natural body’s failing aspects and enabled me to live a healthier lifestlye (p. 53). I have fully embraced and incorporated my life with technology; my insulin pump and sensor are now an integral part of my identity. It is a part of myself that I like and dislike simultaneously. I like that it keeps me healthy, but I dislike that it is now part of my body image that I need to work around. "The body and its marker", diabetes, are combined parts of my identity now (p. 54). I do not remember what I did before my insulin pump and find it extremely odd when I do not have it on. It is there and I no longer notice it, like someone who wears glasses does not notice they are wearing glasses. The insulin pump and sensor has made my life easier, affecting the way I live my life and work. I can only imagine the day where an insulin pump is not worn externally but internally, where I do not have to press any buttons or change any batteries. A day where I do not have to think about giving myself insulin, but my body will know, a possible brain-computer interface for the diabetic.