Inspired by the topics ‘big data’ and ‘human technology interactions’, as a group we envisioned a future scenario for the year 2050.
We took our initial inspiration from a speculative fictional television series, Black Mirror (2011) (IMDB 2015), with dark, satirical themes revolving around an apocalyptic modern society that reveals the dark side of technology and human co-existence.
With this theme in mind we fashioned our own microchip designed to alter human emotions. The Emotional Balancing Unit (E.B.U), were implanted in the frontal lobe of the brain and designed filter its emotional output. The E.B.U eliminates the flow of negative emotions that inhibit your ability to think positively and work efficiently, therefore increasing overall human productivity. By January 2017, the government had imposed compulsory E.B.U implantations in all newborns and by 2048, 80% of the world population had the implant.
Fast forward to the year 2050, hackers had discovered a way to infiltrate the E.B.U’s and reverse its effects, causing worldwide anarchy, as those who had the implant were now highly unstable, unpredictable and dangerous.
Psychologist Daniel Kahneman, notes that the way that humans process and remember information, make decisions and solve problems, ‘cognitive biases’, are not always helpful in achieving the best result, yet are the most practical for time and energy expenditure and considered ‘good enough’ to survive. Human emotions have evolved to be our most valuable survival tools. “Hot” emotions, e.g. surprise and disgust, are experienced instantaneously and powerfully. These emotions signal an imminent threat to our initiating urgent action in response increasing our chance of survival. (Dr. J Taylor 2012).
As those who had the implant no longer had the ability to regulate between their emotions and were constantly experiencing emotions within the ‘hot’ spectrum survival is considered paramount.
As a group we decided that rather than focusing on producing a prototype of the E.B.U itself, we would explore the effects it had on the world after the hacking had occurred.
We came up with the idea of creating a character profile, describing how a person that had received the E.B.U implantation, in this case Pedro Gonzales, would live their day-to-day life, aiding his survival.
Design Academy Eindoven graduate Marie-Elsa Batteux Flahault created an ‘apocalypse survival coat’ incorporating floatation devices, signalling flags and weapons. Batteux Flahault designed this suit in response to a discussion she had with a group of ‘preppers’ preparing themselves for the end of the world, “I was exploring the end-of-the-world fever that expended with the 2012 Mayan prediction… I was interested in their approach that is more pragmatic than the religious fanaticism.” (D Howarth 2014).
Marie-Elsa Batteux Flahault’s ‘Apocalypse Survival Coat’
(D Howarth 2014).
She utilised ‘life-saving features’ into a pale camouflage jacket that could assist the wearer in times of catastrophe. A visor and mask protect the eyes and respiratory system, sections of the jacket inflate to create flotation devices, a blade in the sleeve that can be used as a weapon and pockets in the lining that store food and water. Batteux Flahault notes that more survival tools can be added to jacket and that it designed to be a functional garment (D Howarth 2014).
For our speculative object we also decided to create a ‘survival suit’ designed for Pedro, to assist him in his own survival. We began with a jacket and a pair of jeans, we then sewed multiple pairs of pockets, belt loops, ‘D rings’ and back straps to the garments. Like Batteux Flahult’s survival coat, the idea was that our suit would be purely functional and self-sustaining, everything had a purpose and a function; to hold/carry everyday survival items that Pedro had found/stolen along the way e.g. rope, lighters, sewing equipment, a sleeping bag etc.
Our garment was designed to be ever evolving and provide a supportive and innovative piece of hand made technology, that would function in the future we predicted.
References:
IMDB, 2015, Black Mirror (2011-), viewed October 29 2015,
< http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2085059/>
Taylor, Dr. Jim 2012, Psychology: Is Our Survival Instinct Failing Us?, viewed October 29 2015,
< http://www.drjimtaylor.com/3.0/psychology-is-our-survival-instinct-failing-us/>
Howarth, Dan. De Zeen Magazine, 2014, Jacket to help prepare for the end of the world’, viewed October 29 2015,
Nicole Jedelsky
group4thefuture 