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Summer Update.

Jul 19, ’09 10:05 AM

Now well into the summer months, I thought it best to provide an update on some of the things I’ve been thinking about.  At this stage, I feel that this blog has passed the “tipping point” (success vs. failure) and am excited to continue this intellectual and creative journey with you.

Concepts in Development

“Fog of War” – Application of this military concept to interpersonal relationships and work.

“Total Recall II” – Further exploration of the original TR concept including real-world support examples.

Untapped Information Sources

With everything going on, it’s difficult to take inventory of the “untapped” information sources at one’s disposal.  Here are a few that I need to spend more time investigating:

While these are mostly design focused, I will also be looking into other, more disparate information sources that have nothing to do with design, technology or anything else that I am directly interested in.  By opening the door to new ideas, my ability to develop new concepts will be that much greater through this cross-pollination.

New Books

Nonzero – The Logic of Human Destiny by Robert Wright

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Professional and Technical, Science

Product Description: In Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny, Wright asserts that, ever since the primordial ooze, life has followed a basic pattern. Organisms and human societies alike have grown more complex by mastering the challenges of internal cooperation. Wright’s narrative ranges from fossilized bacteria to vampire bats, from stone-age villages to the World Trade Organization, uncovering such surprises as the benefits of barbarian hordes and the useful stability of feudalism. Here is history endowed with moral significance–a way of looking at our biological and cultural evolution that suggests, refreshingly, that human morality has improved over time, and that our instinct to discover meaning may itself serve a higher purpose. Insightful, witty, profound, Nonzero offers breathtaking implications for what we believe and how we adapt to technology’s ongoing transformation of the world.

Other Ideas

Video: To supplement the pure textual version of BG, I have been thinking about employing a video or podcast component as well.  I think that will not only help broaden the discussion through other media outlets, but it will also help me in the long-run by conveying these thoughts in this manner (presentation style, etc.).  Leveraging Final Cut Studio, one outlet that I am seriously considering is Vimeo.

Illustrations: One of the ideas that I haven’t yet fully explored is a blog dedicated to sketches and illustrations.  As with this blog, I believe that utilizing a similar channel will help increase my overall focus in this area.

Creative Writing: At the end of this month, I will share some information about a new portal that will be focused exclusively on short stories and related fictional concepts.

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Total Recall and the “Recovery Model”

Jan 14, ’09 12:00 AM

In the movie Total Recall, Arnold Schwartznegger is faced with an interesting dilemma – he doesn’t know who he is.

“[…] While evading his assailants, he receives a phone call from someone claiming to be a former friend of his who had been asked to deliver a briefcase if he ever disappeared. The briefcase contains false IDs, money, weapons, devices, and a video player, containing a video disk he left to himself beforehand. Watching it, Quaid starts piecing together his past on Mars as a secret agent. […]” (Wikipedia, “Total Recall“)

When I saw the movie – now nineteen years ago! – I was intrigued with the concept of recording video for the sole purpose of watching it in the future.  It’s only recently where I’ve found a real purpose to employ this concept in real-life.

In the book “Blink“, Malcolm Gladwell focuses on the concept of “thin slicing” – gathering just enough data / information to accelerate decision-making, while still ensuring the decision is “sound”.

Interestingly enough, one of the examples presented in the text shows the downside of “thin slicing” – making rapid (but unconscious) decisions when faced with a life-threatening situation.  From the text:

“Our mind, faced with a life-threatening situation, drastically limits the range and amount of information that we have to deal with.  Sound and memory and broader social understanding are sacrificed in favor of heightened awareness of the threat directly in front of us.

“The optimal state of “arousal” – the range in which stress improves performance – is when our heart rate is between 115 and 145 beats per minute.  After 145, “bad things start to happen”.  Complex motor skills start to break down.  Doing something with one hand and not the other becomes very difficult.  At 175, we begin to see an absolute break-down of cognitive processing.”

From this excerpt alone, it would appear that making quality decisions in these types of situations is next to impossible.  Fortunately, with training and experience, we have the ability to improve our decision-making skills even when time is very limited.  From the text:

“Every moment – every blink – is composed of a series of discrete moving parts, and every one of those parts offers an opportunity for intervention, for reform, and for correction.”

What if, however, we took a reverse approach and conceptually accelerated time even further – i.e. providing a glimpse into the future?  This is where the Total Recall concept comes into play – i.e. recording video in the past for use in the future.

Let’s say that your house has been burglarized or that someone in your family has died unexpectedly.  In all likelihood, you are going to experience a sense of shock that such an event could happen.  The sheer disbelief may leave you somewhat paralyzed wondering what to do next.  Your ability to make effective decisions is going to be very poor.  Even if there are people there to help, you may find it difficult to comprehend what they are telling you.

One solution is to record instructions to yourself in advance of the actual event.

By accelerating time, you now have introduced a dimension of guidance that was previously unavailable.  You are, through the video, a digital representation into your subconscious.  By listening to the instructions presented in the video, you may be able to make better decisions to help you move forward and “survive” that particular event.  Providing guidance, encouragement and empathy in the video is also critical.

When you accelerate time, you have the power to develop effective “recovery models” to allow for enhanced decision-making in situations where one’s judgment and decision-making ability is impaired.

While the examples presented suggest the use of pre-recorded video for “life-altering” circumstances, this concept may also apply to situations where feelings of confidence loss or self-worth become at the forefront – the videos provide a temporary boost and represent perhaps the purest form of self-encouragement.

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