3 IMAGINATIVE ARTIFACTS
The Veldt:
Mimesis momentum. Extended reality world with hologram view that can give you sequences of outcomes that can come from a particular decision and gives you pros and cons of a decision you have to make considering your personal characteristics like personality, preference, etc. Let’s imagine you have to choose a major, but you are contemplating between two or more options; this VR will show what your life will likely look like if you choose to be a doctor or a lawyer by visualization. Some people are prone to visual representation over story-oriented, but this way, you can not only see what your decision will look like in imitation environments but also situational interaction. It is inspired by “Portal 2.0” by Raven Kwok, one of the interactive art projects discussed previously where you could interact with the “wall”. The issues that arise from this artifact would be people relying on this device more than themselves and getting dependent.
The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas:
Walking ShOe. The artifact I am putting forward is a costume connected to your entire body, including the nerve system that can control your motion. The central part is the shoe you will wear, and the rest is wired to your body, including your hands, fingers, neck, and legs, to control your every movement. After programming the device to a certain amount of commands, like sitting all day with no ability to stand up or running errands all day without the ability to rest, it will seem like a torture device. However, the main goal of the artifact is to “shoew” the person the experience of the other. In our case, the life of the boy trapped in the basement. Without the ability to move or stand up, people who come to see him will get to experience him and come to the realisation of how horrible and disgusting their actions were, to find some humanity in them to finally understand their deed and, hopefully, set the child free. A similar technology that already exists in our world is the wearable device “gloves that play piano” by Thad Starner and Caitlyn Seim, George Tech researchers that have come up with the gloves that can work with the brain and transfer knowledge to human hands/fingers through vibrations which are also referred to as “passive haptic learning”. The interaction artifact’s main problem is its misusage for foul purposes.
The Plague:
Clonachine. The clonachine is basically a machine that makes an exact copy of yourself or anyone and anything. It is a straightforward artifact that has been exploited throughout sci-fi, and it has potential with the use of biology and science. Although it would be a fantastic and revolutionizing invention, it carries certain moral issues when it comes to making a living, breathing thing. Moreover, the most similar and, in my view, ultimate interactive project is “Dolly”, the first ever clone produced by Ian Wilmut. However, my suggestion is more of a lifeless/emotionless artifact that can replicate all human behaviour, almost like an AI with skin and bones. Perhaps, if cloning was a thing in the world of “the Plague”, maybe humankind could adapt their genes to resist the infection.