Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Re: [Yasmin_discussions] social simulation and the body politic

Anelia's thinking that "new media could not be a tool for increasing creativity", makes me wondering wether we should look at New Media as a new discovery or as a new added power to what we already have. For example, the telescope was invented already, but once an outer space (as Hubble) telescope was made possible, totally new images became in hands and some of these made the scientists requestion the current laws of physics. If knowledge is a goal for science, what would be the goal of art? Does New Media pushing the limits of creativity? If indeed new media did not invent speed or transformations… but could we consider that new media made new things possible by pushing the limits of the old/traditional media? As speed that made planes fly?

Ricardo

________________________________
From: "anelia@free.fr" <anelia@free.fr>
To: YASMIN DISCUSSIONS <yasmin_discussions@estia.media.uoa.gr>
Sent: Monday, April 6, 2009 3:30:20 PM
Subject: Re: [Yasmin_discussions] social simulation and the body politic

Dear all,

I would like to join this discussion, which is very interesting for me. I worked on those behavioural and creative problems some time ago and I found out that:
- increasing creativity comes mostly when we experience and intervene more and more into the mechanism of the new technology (the mobile phone beinig a new technology for example)(according to the Simmondon's theory)
- but experiencing art as a user or as a viewer is depending of our perceptive organs, these physiological inputs that are the eye, the ear, the nose, the skin, etc.
- and at that level remain some limits,
- and searching and searching how our perceptions have developed further the new media...., I didn't find a valuable answer. Because of the multimedia way of communicating messages, TV and computers can suggests some new way of perceiving the world. But that statement is also valuable for the theatre - there is a multimedia passed message. And it's not new. Maybe virtual environments can state there is a new way of perceiving the artwork. But, this approach is not new - in the 16th century existed some art caves creating very immersive experiences for their visitors. So are considered the prehistoric drawings if conditions of viewing are similar to those in the prehistoric times.
The issue of the global touch of information is interesting, but it's not new. Is't just amaisingly accelerated via the network.
At least, it seems it was proven, that boredom is very essential component for developing creativity. In that way, the zapping is anti-creative. By the way, the zapping is now considered as very bad thing for the baby and child psychic development, it seems it can create some pathologic behaviours.

Now, all these considerations touch to the individual level. I don't know how to consider the community level. But they are very linked, aren't they?

So, I think the new media could not be a tool for increasing creativity. And it seems to me that the acceleration of the information flux impoverishes my thinking. And that point is may be interesting for politics.

Anelia


----- Mail Original -----
De: "roger malina" <rmalina@alum.mit.edu>
À: "YASMIN DISCUSSIONS" <Yasmin_discussions@estia.media.uoa.gr>
Envoyé: Samedi 4 Avril 2009 23h05:08 GMT +01:00 Amsterdam / Berlin / Berne / Rome / Stockholm / Vienne
Objet: [Yasmin_discussions] social simulation and the body politic

ricardo, theresa et al

I am having some trouble connecting with our topic

NEW MEDIA: USER'S BEHAVIOUR, SOCIAL SYSTEMS, AND THE BODY POLITIC

It would help me if you could give me examples of art works that build
on new kinds of behaviour!
its a bit abstract to me and I am interested in good examples of new
media art projects that
really involve new kinds of user behaviour

I thought I would take this discussion in a different direction.

There is now a huge field of computer simulation of social behaviours,
for instance the work of
Axelrod:. I think there are a number of artists working also in the
field of social simulation systems=
( does anyone know of examples ?? )

there is the interesting simulation of wolf packs in a natural environment

http://www.wolfquest.org/

Learn about wolf ecology by living the life of a wild wolf in
Yellowstone National Park. Play alone or with friends in on-line
multiplayer missions, explore the wilderness, hunt elk, and encounter
stranger wolves in your quest to find a mate. Ultimately—in Episode 2,
coming in 2009—your success will depend on forming a family pack,
raising pups, and ensuring the survival of your pack.

I would be interested in knowing about the work of new media artists
using social simulation
software- it seems to me there are interested new areas to explore
connecting to the body politic

roger

here is some more info on axelrod


The Evolution of Cooperation generally refers to:

    * the study of how cooperation can emerge and persist (also known
as cooperation theory) as elucidated by application of game theory,
    * a 1981 paper by political scientist Robert Axelrod and
evolutionary biologist William Hamilton (Axelrod & Hamilton 1981) in
the scientific literature, or
    * a 1984 book[1] by Axelrod (Axelrod 1984) that expanded on the
paper and popularized the study.

This article is an introduction to how game theory and computer
modeling are illuminating certain aspects of moral and political
philosophy, particularly the role of individuals in groups, the
"biology of selfishness and altruism"[2], and how cooperation can be
evolutionarily advantageous.

Robert Axelrod (born 1943) is a Professor of Political Science and
Public Policy at the University of Michigan.

He is best known for his interdisciplinary work on the evolution of
cooperation, which has been cited in numerous articles. His current
research interests include complexity theory (especially agent-based
modeling), and international security.for "Behavioral Research
Relevant to the Prevention of Nuclear War".

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