Fiction Meets Tech

  People often dismiss computers as non-creative, arguing they only execute pre-programmed instructions from humans. Yet, modern computers are crafting novel art, literature, and music, often revealing solutions to problems we didn't know existed. Consider Chester Carlson, a physicist turned law student, who, while too poor to buy books, spent hours in libraries hand-copying texts. Frustrated by this laborious process and the limitations of existing duplicating machines, Carlson envisioned a simpler method. In 1938, in his modest New York City kitchen, Carlson devised an early photocopier using electrostatics and powders—despite the danger and primitive conditions. Lacking funds and wearing threadbare clothes, he struggled to convince over twenty companies, including IBM, of his invention’s potential; they failed to see the necessity for such a device. In 1946, John Dessauer of Haloid Company in Rochester took a chance on Carlson's concept. By 1956, they introduced the groundbr...

  Envision a scenario in which machines can generate innovative works of art and music, formulate scientific hypotheses, craft narratives, make strategic business decisions, deliver humorous anecdotes, or serve as a robot's central processing unit. How will this advancement impact the landscape of employment? Is it conceivable that a machine could be the recipient of the prestigious Turner Prize, Pulitzer Prize? Ian Goodfellow, a Google employee credited with inventing generative adversarial networks (GANs), asserts that machines can be creative. Gerfried Stocker, from Ars Electronica, proposes that utilizing machines to create art can facilitate communication and understanding with them. Blaise Agüera y Arcas, also from Google, controversially argues that there is a blurred line between human and machine involvement in art creation when using machines. Computers have already demonstrated their prowess in areas traditionally reserved for highly skilled individuals, surpassing human...

  The idea that there exists an unseen world, encompassing everything from spiritual realms to scientific concepts, has captivated human thought across various disciplines since ancient times. This unseen world has been expressed through various mediums: artists depict it through visual arts, musicians capture it in melodies, writers describe it in prose, and scientists delineate it through mathematical equations. The interplay between what is seen and unseen forms a central theme in Western culture, both in artistic expression and scientific exploration. The historical intertwining of art and science was particularly evident during the Renaissance, a period when distinctions between these fields blurred. In the fourteenth century, as the painter Giotto was pioneering the use of geometric planes to approach perspective in art, Nicole Oresme in France was developing graphical techniques to visually represent the dynamics of falling objects. This period culminated with Renaissance ma...

  Can art, science, and high-tech research mutually influence one another? Artists and researchers operate differently. Contemporary art frequently incorporates commentary, irony, and critique elements that are absent in traditional research. While scientists and technologists aim for objectivity, artists embrace their unique subjectivity as a key aspect of their work. Yet art, science, and technology have historically had a symbiotic relationship, each influencing the development and progress of the other. In the early days of photography, for instance, artists who were also skilled in chemistry and optics played crucial roles in advancing the medium. Their experiments were not just artistic but also technical, contributing to the evolution of photographic techniques. Similarly, the development of cinema, sound recording, and even electrical lighting involved artists who often acted as inventors and technicians. This crossover tradition has a deep historical root, stretching back ...

Computational creativity encompasses the various forms of art that have emerged through the use of advanced technological media since the late 1980s. Initially, these innovations included a variety of interfaces that allowed for a more immersive experience—such as visualization helmets, stereoscopic glasses, three-dimensional sound systems, data gloves, sensor-equipped clothing, and feedback devices. This period also saw significant advancements in Internet technology and communication, contributing to an evolving digital landscape. During this time, domains like computer graphics, computer animation, 3-D modeling, digital video, interactive multimedia, and Web art began to revolutionize the art world, and by the 1990s, these fields had become mainstream. The rapid development in this area means that what once was cutting-edge is now readily accessible. For instance, computer-generated visual effects that were once the domain of high-end artistic exploration have now been democratized ...

  In 1858, French physicist Joseph-Charles d’Almeida discovered that by shining light through two lanterns—one fitted with a red filter and the other with green—through images on glass slides, he could project a composite anaglyphic image onto a theater screen. Audiences wearing colored glasses could then view a three-dimensional image from any seat. Although d’Almeida was primarily an academic and not a promoter, his concept did not gain public attention until the 1890s when it was adopted by Alfred Molteni, a French optician and proprietor of a leading theater lighting manufacturer. Molteni enhanced d’Almeida's design by developing a single projector equipped with two colored lenses, which he named the biunial magic lantern. His 3-D slide shows captivated Parisian crowds, marking a significant advancement in the quest for immersive entertainment. Molteni's fusion of stereography with theatrical elements offered audiences a mesmerizing artificial reality, setting the stage for...

  In contemporary society, screens such as those used for films, videos, and computers, are central to both our work and leisure, profoundly influencing our sense of self. Historically, our identities might have been shaped by language or print-based culture, but today, screen-based interfaces fundamentally change how we interact and communicate, suggesting a transformation in our identities as noted by Vivian Sobchack. Despite their ubiquitous presence, screens possess a dual nature: they are both windows offering illusions and tangible objects that physically exist. Philosopher Stanley Cavell, writing in 1971 about cinema, insightfully described screens as barriers that simultaneously present a world and hide its reality, stating, "A screen is a barrier. It screens me from the world it holds—that is, screens its existence from me." This observation remains sharply relevant, not only for cinema but also for modern literature, highlighting the complex role screens play in sha...

  Western art has traditionally been shaped by metaphors such as windows, mirrors, and frames, which position the viewer as an outsider looking into a depicted world. These metaphors inherently limit the viewer to a singular, static perspective. Over time, innovations like film and video games have started to challenge these boundaries by offering multiple perspectives and dynamic experiences. However, even these mediums typically confine the viewer’s experience within a rectangular screen, maintaining a barrier between the viewer and the artwork. Technological advancements, especially in film and interactive media, have begun altering how perspectives are presented, allowing multiple successive viewpoints. Despite this progress, the rectangular screen remains a central element, dictating the terms of artistic engagement and maintaining a separation between the artwork and the viewer. The experience remains bounded, whether in gaming or other interactive forms. Virtual Reality (VR)...

  Augmented Reality (AR) is revolutionizing how we interact with art and narratives by moving beyond the traditional constraints of passive viewership. Instead of observing artworks from the outside, AR places the viewer inside the artwork itself, effectively dismantling the conventional boundaries defined by frames. This immersive approach allows participants to become part of the art, transforming their role from passive observers to active participants. The integration of AR technology means that artworks are no longer static; they are dynamic environments that respond to and engage with the viewer's actions. This technology enriches the viewer's experience by syncing the participant's physical actions and movements with a range of sensory inputs, including visual effects, sounds, and potentially even tactile feedback. This multisensory engagement deepens the connection between the artwork and the viewer, opening up new avenues for artistic expression and interpretatio...

  Virtual reality blurs the line between reality and illusion, enhancing our imagination and offering access to nearly any conceivable experience. These simulations are so immersive that the brain perceives them as real. While traditional media like films and video games present abstracted versions of reality, they impact us less significantly than direct experiences. However, virtual reality narrows this gap significantly, making mediated experiences almost as impactful as real ones. VR's psychological influence is unparalleled by any previous medium, with the potential to transform our lives profoundly. At the click of a button, you can switch from sitting in a chair to skydiving, exploring ancient ruins, or diving to the ocean floor. Soon, it will be possible to share these vivid experiences with others, whether they are close family and friends or new acquaintances worldwide. The concept of virtualization represents the process of moving from the concrete and specific, such as ...

Humans constantly use a blend of sensory information to understand and navigate their environment. This includes visual cues, sounds, and even psychological elements that together shape our perception of space. For instance, optical illusions such as the famous vase that also appears as two facing profiles challenge our interpretations of foreground and background. These illusions reveal that our brain does more than simply process visual inputs; it actively constructs an understanding of the entire scene. A historical example of this perceptual play is "trompe l'oeil," an artistic technique that uses hyper-realistic imagery to create the illusion of three-dimensional space on a flat surface. These paintings manipulate our visual perception to make us believe, even if momentarily, that what we're seeing has real depth. Upon closer inspection, however, we realize that these are indeed two-dimensional paintings crafted to trick our sense of depth. Similarly, the virtual...