Author Archives: Rachel Smith

Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World as a Celebration of the Unconscious Mind

Posted on November 18, 2015 by Rachel Smith

In Murakami’s novel, two concepts of mind, the conscious mind and the unconscious mind, are juxtaposed as different worlds in the main character’s plane of existence.  In Hard-Boiled Wonderland, the protagonist’s work environment, big data rules every aspect of life. … Continue reading →

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Animal Robots as Pet Therapy

Posted on November 9, 2015 by Rachel Smith

http://www.parorobots.com/ For this contextualization post, I have found an article that presents a positive avenue for robotics in animals: pet therapy.  A fuzzy white mechanical baby harp seal, PARO is far from the uncanny and takes pet therapy to places … Continue reading →

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The Singularity

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Rachel Smith

http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2014/feb/28/are-we-already-living-in-the-technological-singularity   A time in which scientific progress engenders a new race of beings that outpaces humans intellectually is completely realistic and conceivable for the future.  The projected rate of scientific progress is an exponential graph; the dramatic up-shoot in … Continue reading →

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The Boat Scene

Posted on October 22, 2015 by Rachel Smith

I would like to comment on Kusanagi’s speculation on her own sense of self in the boat scene (my rental of the movie expired, so I cannot use a time code).  A fascinating principle she elucidates here is the absolutism … Continue reading →

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Second Life

Posted on October 21, 2015 by Rachel Smith

Second Life, for me, was disappointing.  Although there were opportunities for modifying the appearance of characters, there were not many creative or representative options.  What if I wanted to create a character that was short or had a larger frame? … Continue reading →

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Hyperrealism in Perception

Posted on October 5, 2015 by Rachel Smith

The human mind is incredibly biased in the way it perceives what we would constitute as “truth” or “reality”.  Accounts of even the most mundane events can sound noticeably varied when described by different individuals.  Consider, for example, the sky. … Continue reading →

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Implications of Setting in Neuromancer

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Rachel Smith

Neuromancer (just like Blade Runner and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep) takes place in a setting that includes both an arsenal of advanced technology and a pervading sense of urban decay.  On one hand, the contrast between the two– … Continue reading →

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Contextualization Link

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Rachel Smith

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150806144425.htm This article explains the current project underway to get robots to organize themselves as small groups to accomplish tasks.  This requires a new level of communication that might stem out of self awareness or at the very least, Darwinian … Continue reading →

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Superficiality as a Cause for Dehumanization

Posted on September 2, 2015 by Rachel Smith

When Frankenstein creates his monster, he is stricken by the creature’s unpalatable features, immediately experiencing ultimate signs of emotional defeat including guilt, shame, and fear.  He quickly becomes disillusioned with himself and leaves the ideals of curiosity and wonder that … Continue reading →

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