Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 14, No. 365.
Centre for Computing in the Humanities, King's College London
<http://www.princeton.edu/~mccarty/humanist/>
<http://www.kcl.ac.uk/humanities/cch/humanist/>
[1] From: Arun-Kumar Tripathi <tripathi@statistik.uni- (13)
dortmund.de>
Subject: Ancient Voices in Cyberspace
[2] From: Arun-Kumar Tripathi <tripathi@statistik.uni- (56)
dortmund.de>
Subject: Contact Cultures of the Imagination gathering, pioneers of
artificial intelligence..
--[1]------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2000 09:57:39 +0100
From: Arun-Kumar Tripathi <tripathi@statistik.uni-dortmund.de>
Subject: Ancient Voices in Cyberspace
dear Humanists,
Patricia Search's multimedia installation Ancient Voices in
Cyberspace will be on view at the Amos Eno Gallery, 59 Franklin
Street, New York, NY from October 21 - November 8, 2000.
Ancient Voices in Cyberspace explores the aesthetics of
narrative, visual images, music, and action in primitive,
aboriginal cultures as a foundation for new perspectives in
human-computer interaction. The installation juxtaposes symbols,
poems, and music drawn from the oral traditions of aboriginal
cultures with the limitations of human-computer interaction.
Patricia Search has worked with computer graphics for over
fifteen years. Her most recent work includes multimedia
installations that are critical commentaries on the state of
human-computer interaction. The electronic environments in her
installations highlight the aesthetics of action, space, and time
in electronic communication.
GALLERY HOURS: Tuesday - Saturday, 11:00 am - 6 pm
<http://www.rpi.edu/~searcp/voices.html>
amoseno@bway.net
----
Best,
Arun
--[2]------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2000 09:58:49 +0100
From: Arun-Kumar Tripathi <tripathi@statistik.uni-dortmund.de>
Subject: Contact Cultures of the Imagination gathering, pioneers
of artificial intelligence..
Greetings scholars and researchers,
Some excerpts from the Wired Essay, "Imagining First Contact" written by
Leander Kahney..thought..might interest you..your comments are most
welcome!!
Every year a group of renowned scientists, writers, and artists gets
together to simulate space explorers and aliens meeting for the first
time.
At this year's Contact Cultures of the Imagination gathering, pioneers
of artificial intelligence suggest they may be able to contribute to
the conversation.
"We build ways of life, but very different ways of life," said Jim
Funaro, an anthropologist at Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz,
California, who dreamed up the conference in 1983 as a way to bring
together anthropologists and science fiction writers.
"Anthropologists study alien cultures and science fiction writers
create them," Funaro said.
The three-day gathering mixes lectures with role-playing thought
experiments to explore the not-so-distant prospect of contacting
intelligent alien beings.
This year's conference, which kicked off Friday at NASA's Ames
Research Center, also featured experts on artificial intelligence.
Two of the field's legendary pioneers, Marvin Minsky of MIT and John
Searle of the University of California at Berkeley, gave an overview
of AI to the eclectic group of alien hunters.
But the experts had little to offer on how AI could be used if ET were
to show up on Earth's doorstep today, only introducing the topic as a
subject for further study.
Chris McKay, an Ames astrobiologist, said AI eventually will assist in
the pursuit of aliens by telling scientists what kinds of things they
should be looking for, and then help them understand the life forms
when they find them.
However, McKay warned it's still in the very early stages of
development.
"We're just getting started," he said. "It's like Churchill said:
'We're not at the end. We're not at the beginning of the end. We're at
the end of the beginning.'"
Bill Clancey, an AI expert at Ames, said humans shouldn't expect to be
able to communicate with intelligent aliens since we haven't even made
much progress engaging with intelligent Earth species like dolphins
and whales.
The conference also features students from local high schools who will
join the scientists and writers in creating and acting out the alien
cultures they've dreamed up.
During the role-play, one team dreams up all the details of the alien
society, including its solar system, planet, the form the aliens take,
and their culture.
Another team plays members of a futuristic human society, often
members of an inter-planetary exploration team. Then the two act out
first contact.
Sometimes it's restrained, sometimes it's boisterous, and occasionally
it gets out of hand, attendees said.
For complete reading, please visit the below site at:
<http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,34722,00.html>
Thank you..
Sincerely
Arun Tripathi
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