Notes from the Friday 220618 worksession
Laura / Maria / Konstantin / Marije / Anja / Matthias / Fanny / Rebecca
Fanny is recording and reminds us that we have the question how to approach vibration technology in a non-corporeal manner. We phrased the question: What remains unthought? And how can we use this creatively (aesthetics) and critically (ethics).
Creativity in human beings needs 'something extra' > sense...
Too much creativity and only creativity, one loses touch (a sense).
Slow down in order to sense / touch
Is this like the making process?
Too many words? Work towards meaning / or what it does / what happens.
Phrase protocols?
Get access to felt experiences, rather than play with words.
Let's start with getting some heavy words out of the way.
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Maria
- Gabriel Tarde's Laws of Imitation
Computer modelling without statistics is impossible. Laure has been thinking of Tarde's alternative statistics.
When looking at trends (related to imitation) one can look at what's behind that. Rather than looking economically Tarde looks at the social desires that can exists in quantification.
Another type of the quatified self, instead of the self related to data, there may also be a desiring self, a creative self. Perhaps we can use this alternative version.
The way of using statistics with Tarde is unlimited, and as varied as there are desires.
There are, however, certain 'rules' one may also relate to doing statistics. Hence methods need to be verified. The data implies certain uses.
What is the wrong and the right in statistics?
In economics statistics aren't always solid. The models are based on the past, projected onto the future (or present). mechanics (?) = Gibbsean statistics
> Designing our own statistics - also see Bruno Latour
http://www.bruno-latour.fr/sites/default/files/116-CANDEA-TARDE-FR.pdf
E.g. dealing with non-normal data:
https://www.isixsigma.com/tools-templates/normality/dealing-non-normal-data-strategies-and-tools/
https://www.johndcook.com/blog/2010/08/11/what-distribution-does-my-data-have/
Rebecca's minilecture (separate upload - pdf: http://etherbox.local/etherdump/vibes-_Minilecture_Ageing.pdf
Having a fit body becomes an all encompasing system through which society is viewed, held accountable, and its norms come into being.
Non-fit bodies are then regarded as being abject and in some sense 'ouside' of society, not belonging.
Stephen Hawking makes an interesting example here, since his body is all but fit and able, yet without it, we wouldn't know about black holes and what be more that we know today. What is more, corporate industries feed off the social tendencies towards fitness, reinforce the tendency and - as is the case with Nike - equivilate it to success.
That is why it is interesting to try and move our thinking beyond representation, and see whether Gilles Deleuze can be of help:
“Representation has only a single centre, a unique and residing perspective, and in consequence a false depth. It mediates everything, but mobilizes and moves nothing.”
Gilles Deleuze 2004 [1968]: 67.
We are interested in movement, vibrations. flows, waves that enable our senses (of which thinking can be a part) to create depth, beyond superficial and common interpretations.
In addition, what Deleuze has to say about the body (after Spinoza) can be drawn into the story:
A human being should be defined “not by its forms, its organs, and its functions, and not as a subject either; you will define it by the affects of which it is capable.”
- Deleuze 1988: 122-128
As Internet activist Eli Pariser points out, the problem lies in the inductive, algorithmic method used to measure our online behaviour (2011a: 7). Based on algorithmic calculations all human actions are organised into predictable patterns, whereas the true revelations, adventures and ideas in life are often the result of unpredictable incidents. As Pariser phrases it by quoting from Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Notes from the Underground
Laura
Measurements are a reminder of scale? What are we looking for? Which data shifts the scale?
What is the measure of nothingness - Karen Barad
If we want to move beyond antropo-isms the question of scale is important.
Related to vibration?
The scale is to shift from frequencies that a regular (human) to a perception that is beyond human.
Which brings back the senses and 'enhancement' of them. This is what we could call 'Uncommon Enhancement'.
Changing thinking into doing. Theoretical background becomes practical examiniation.
Microscale seems interesting.
Use technology as protheses
Matthias
AI-box, the idea of having a general AI boxed in a computer. Not interacting with the world itself just through communication with people (and their computers). Question: Can it escape out of the box into the world? Interesting to use the techniques like pen&paper games.
Reminds us of Ex Machina (movie).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AI_box
https://xkcd.com/1450/
Enactment might work. What we create is going to be in a particular form, idea of compensation and performative element. Marije & roleplay. Main differences between human and AI are the senses (See Wikipedia on senses). The definitions of optimization play their part in different ways. Unsupervized AI? There no AI that can set its own goals. Which is part of singularity.
What we come up with in relation to self / quantification is going to be incomplete. Gaming, role play may enable us to connect the dots. As a tool to uncover how things work!
Konstantin
What do we do with this, idea of protocol: structure imposed / interaction and thinking through the tool. Protocol at the start, not rigid, but a starting point that leads to something. It is about going beyond automatism and perceptions we take for granted. Perhaps naming can later feed into the protocol. Affective qualities related to the companion.
Practical: observation method: observing intensive interactions. May need more to it, for it to move beyond representation. Connect odd things; sound, the protocol itself? The protocol feeds into to the observational method(s) and back again. In a network-like relation? Making things visible.
How do we bring things together to create depth, to move and mobilise?
How do we come up with the protocol? Time? It has to run fast / slow / movement as beyond representation?
Process without stuff? It is us playing around with things, we don't know what will happen. > Trying stuff out.
Protocol = agreement of how we start performing and/or observe later.
When we do the slow-down exercise, thereafter we bring the companions in. Bring things together for organisational means. We want more than a data-set. There has to be some strange statistics coming about.
The crystal in the contact mic is also a companion. They are able to create voltage.
Many protocols.
Konstantin's companion, the camera also has its own companions.
Fanny
More concretely want to record the voices of the participants in the group. Wanting to capture the vibration we emit and others receive. Then also queering it, distorting it.
Make the vibrations more performative. Use electro-acoustics to make haptic sounds
Companion = Com - panion: to come together to break bread. We breaking bread with entities that don't eat. We can break technology to create the new.
Breaking bread as symbolism, christian origine. Sharing life and beliefs, intuition, scale et cetera with technology. Teckne as art, technology as the organisation of art / skill. We want to disorganize the protocols the technologies imply at first sight. In order to become our companions they need to become disorganised and choatic.
In Spanish/catalan to share = compañera_o, partner/friend is compañero/a
Marije
Let's get hands-on. Created a open source lumo lift like (postire corrector)device (vibration). Explore the idea of using it differently. Measuring the posture of one, applying vibration to others. Play around with the interactions and possibilities.
Acceloromotors (spelling), comes from speed (movement!) and sensitive to gravity (pulls straight down). Marije shows graph; wow. Diffrent lines indicate (represent) positions, three axis.
Moving the signal, looking at 200 samples taken from 2 seconds of data. Reduces the chaos.
Another signal looks at the change / deviation. Created algorythm to induce vibration after calibration. Checks posture when still, not whilst moving. Hence has improved to Lumo device, in a few moments (morning).
There's an infosheet of the etherpad with data of the different types of vibration the motor can maken. Marije also created a tool for finding the different effects. And can change the effect through the tool as well,
Can make a sequence with 8 of these effects and incorporate delays.
Look into the naming of the different vibrations, and also the adjectives (sharp, smooth etc.).
Question of how to subvert/distort the data?
Above, using the vibration companions, tools and their character to play with and be creative.
Next step to create a wearable, so it becomes friendlier.
Anja
Wanted to bring own body into the play, project. Thinking about intensities to take it beyond a personal perspective. Difference and repetition at the same thing. In between, where do senses start and stop, where does the technological prostheses come in.
Thinking about exercises, tape and measurement system. Wanting to experiment. Bring in vibration trough bodies and voices.
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12:00
Let's move to slowing down and then see which words have settled, pop up and travel alongside our more practical and sensed examinations
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Fanny, has been working with a program called Ableton. It can change poor drumming into rhythmically sound drumming. She has been using it with our analogue (not so rhythmic) voices and forcing it into a strange 'improvement'..
Konstantin has been recording video and wonders how the sound will work with the video, since it needs to sync. Exchanging ideas and quantize models that distort the sounds.
Konstantin intuitively recorded Anja's relaxional body session in which vibrations and location (measurement) played a part. Fanny recorded this and wonders whether it was intrusive, which Anja affirms. Fanny remarks that the protocall of the Microphone that it needs to be close.
Sense, even plants have it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sense
Perhaps these notes can be a part as well. Rebecca will seek for some sentences we may select and use in relation to the video and sound.
IDEAS FOR EXPERIMENTS (after lunch/Saturday)
- recording posture of one, vibration feedback on the other
- talking to one, picking up the sound through the specific microphone of another person
- Protocol that creates temporary system that gives us inputs (sounds of other people and things) and examine & record (with one of the campanions) the (bodily) felt experiences.
Then look back and record those reactions.
- Make the kettle autonomous: making it into a kind of metronome since it reheats when it cools down to 60 degrees.
Perhaps using it as a timer, record its sounds. Play with timing by adding cold water.
Using the boiling of the kettle to interface with the users instead of the other way around.
- Play with the contact mic
13:00 LUNCH
17:40
Recapturing what we did today
Matthias
Kettle and interval - has a temperature sensor and a 'keep-warm' function once the temperature drops below 96 degrees it turns on again; sound under 100 degrees is more interesting. Fanny will try tomorrow with her recording program.
Created a device that can control e.g. light from a distance, through mobile phone. Bit hesitant towards using it with the kettle, since it is 220 V.
Marije may have a solution, using alu-foil. The device can perhaps be used to control the vibrating devices.
Anja
Curious about how we experienced the excercises, What did it bring, should be changed?
May help us to develop a protocol together, still we at times seem scattered and as such cannot find a protocol.
The slow-down should be part of the protocol, which is hard to do when recording.
We could do it again tomorrow morning to make sure we 'move' together. We could make the water kettle part of it; wear vibrating devices.
The excercise can be the protocol, having devices attached for longer amount of time.
Anja will prepare some things, which we can discuss and then decide how we come to a protocol.
Fanny
Asks about including the voice, she attended a workshop once in which the participants produced one tone together. One soundwave appears and starts merging and an extended body comes into being. It would be good to look for a smaller space.
Worked with a program that is all about norms (setting normal rythms for drummers) and put a rythm filter on it which tries to 'righten' the voice. As such combining order and chaos in quantizing her voice.
Creativity and sense (see this morning).
Konstantin
Tells about him and Anja wearing contact mics on their throat and communicating without making actual sounds.
Developing a protocol seemed a lot for one day, many interesting distractions.
Nice to continue experiments and aim for bringing them together.
Maria
Feels we've lost the element of control. As it is now, it is about our experiences mainly. The thread we talked about seems to have scattered into different directions. Perhaps we should get together again.
Feels like we've lost a thread. Thought 'protocol' was clear, but is unsure now.
Subject of discussion was wearables, virbrations / sounds / movement. How do we make sense of the experiments that we conducted today?
Had the impression that we were going to create new vibrations that are able to subvert powers of control. Including sound scapes / environments to subvert the norm. In addition, developing protocol was discussed.
Related to recording sound, can it be used to subvert control? Is there research into sounds and how people relate and how can one intervent?
Also related to video: how can we subvert the images?
And in relation to movement, dance. There are some studies / examples that deviate from the norm.
Replies
- We need some more structure, a fixed time frame. Maybe that helps to find a protocol.
- We did need to try things out also.
- We used the vibrating devices to communicate with and mix up the sensations in the other, may be a thread to start thought.
Ideas:
- Playing with 'ideal' posture, when there are four device wearing people 'deciding'. Also a form of quantization.
- Setting the vibration to a rythm, which need not be harmonious and can actually
- Research into adaptation to technology and our milieus in general (Maria will look into this and share) - Marije: for vibrating tool one says not too long and regulations are in effect.
- Perhaps a camera set-up with the contact mic (even though it is a little underwhelming). Should work with vibration motors though.
- Translating sound into vibrations
- In-depth concentrated interview about the experience of the vibration motor and it simpact.
- Awareness shifting through wearing device while doing the slowing down exercises.
- Protocol and respect towards device, wearer. Handshake / touch as a model of trust. Synchronizing
- Dementia cushion/pillow sharing tactile experiences across a distance.
- Haven't thought about re-enactment, can it feed into the exercises? How does it feel to be a smartphone. Develop an exercise for the waterkettle
PLAN:
Start with making a planning
health effects of vibration
from power tools : http://www.windturbinesyndrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/human-body-vibration-exposure-and-its-measurement.pdf
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/phys_agents/vibration/vibration_effects.html?wbdisable=true
whole body : https://www.witpress.com/Secure/elibrary/papers/EHR05/EHR05029FU.pdf
http://www.napitonline.com/downloads/CP%203%2007%20P%2022-23%20Health%20and%20Safety%20Vibration.pdf
phantom pocket vibration syndrome:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/rewired-the-psychology-technology/201305/phantom-pocket-vibration-syndrome
https://www.wired.com/2014/09/whats-phantom-cellphone-vibrations/
Marije
# Lumo Lift - app analysis
- the device 'learns' from the calibration moments over time.
- laying it flat on the table makes the device sleep (must be ultralow variation in movement)
- it sets a goal for how long to stay in the posture --- 50 minutes in the same posture!!! my body wants to move!!
- posture animation in the app! so cute!