How can philosophy play a larger role in media experiences?
December 14, 2011
When I came across Ray Kurzweil’s The Singularity is Near, I began to understand the unlimited creative potential of the human species, to not just transcend our biological limitations by upgrading our biological software, but also to impregnate the universe with intelligence. The exponential growth curves of information technology spilling over into the domestication of biotechnology and nanotechnology coupled with the possibilities of artificial intelligence were dazzlingly seductive.
I couldn’t get enough, and often felt that these ideas were bigger than their usual dry, academic packaging. Where did aesthetic presentation fall into this? And so I decided to launch my own answer to this question. The Beginning of Infinity video, shown recently at The Economist World in 2012 Conference and The Singularity Summit, is part of a series of short form “ecstatic meditations” exploring this co-evolution of humans and technology that simultaneously epiphanizes and inspires.
In collaboration with NotThisBody, the goal was to animate and reverse engineer rapturous awe. Think of them as shots of philosophical espresso. I am inspired by techno-philosophers like Kevin Kelly, Steven Johnson, Ray Kurzweil, Bucky Fuller, Timothy Leary and many others. I also find the TED Conference to be endlessly fascinating. […]