reflection
In the continuation of the Tech Track we started in term 1, we continued this term with “Exploring technologies - Collective intelligence”.
We discussed different approaches of technology as something not only to solve problems but also as a cultural expression or as a mean to trigger conversations about a problem. Taking different approaches toward technology resonates a lot with me as I am currently working on the concept of low tech and how we can have more agency in the way we use our everyday devices, how they are powered, how they are built, how they work.
It was very inspiring to go through the references shared during the sessions. I will share here a few of them that I liked.
Tech criticism
I started investigating about the authors of “The critical engineering manifesto” for example and liked some of the projects shared by Julian Oliver. One of them was the Pink Cell Tower, an Extroverted Infrastructure , *“Solar-powered and open source, Pink Cell Tower demonstrates that infrastructure for calls and texts can not only be truly free, but publicly owned and operated with no dependence on statecraft nor corporations.” (
see here).
It reminds me what are doing with Slow Lab powering speakers and a stereo system with solar panels mounted on homemade wood stands. The idea behind it was also to show how we can have autonomy in the way we use energy and see solar panels in a more playful way than what we usually see.
I also liked his Harvest project where wind energy used to mine cryptocurrency to fund climate research (
here). I wondered if we could do a similar intervention by “slow minting” NFTs generating the needed energy with the bike generator that we built to make the impact of minting tangible.
The concept of technorealism made me very curious and I feel like I want to bring this critical view of technology to my projects (I will not add the link here this time! - I just read “The Problem with Hypertext” by David Shenk). Not looking down at old technologies is part of my research and projects this year and I think technorealism can nourrish my reflection about it.
Tangible web
I am interested in how not to lose ancient knowledge through generations. If everything we create is now stored online, what perenity does this content have? What creative solutions should we come up with to make sure it lasts? (if it needs to)
The words we use to refer to the online world are hidding the impact on the physical world it actually has. The main example of that is the cloud which us the impression of lightness and something almost magical while it requires huge infrastructures all around the world to store and transport information. What new words, new narrative do we need to have a better understanding of the impact of tech?