If The Future Is Now, Where Are The Robots ?

When I was younger I dreamed of a time when I could roam around the moon in a buggy.
I'm sure I read somewhere (probably in  Look and Learn) that by the year 2010, robots would dominate the workplace, and automation would allow humans greater freedom and 'leisure' time.
Quality time, free from drudgery.
Hurrah, I thought.
The world will be such a great place when I grow up.

So...no flying cars either...

People, they lied.
THEY LIED.
Whoever they are (cue footage from Invasion of the Bodysnatchers).


Or perhaps they didn't lie, but are quietly making it happen, just very slowly...
Of course, the whole idea implies that there is cohesive global structure in place regarding work / life balance.
Which is a palpable nonsense.
Unless we really are the subjects of a New World Order ruling elite, who are probably alien lizards (cue footage from Invasion etc...)
So let's not go there...

Robotic Vacuum of the future (available now)

My point is that whilst we now have industrial mechanisation (certainly widespread in the automotive industry), where are the humans enjoying all those leisure pursuits instead of being engaged in dull, repetitive labour, hmm?
Are they writing blogs like this ?
Or watching endless videos of cats ?
Or logging into social media sites to see what everyone else is doing ?
Or having a life instead of writing blogs like this ?
You get my drift...


SPOILER ALERT: look at the diagram on the next link, or the following paragraph will be meaningless (more so than usual,anyway)...

Apparently the best countries for work / life balance  are Denmark,  Spain and the Netherlands, with Belgium and  Norway as close runners...
Unfortunately, I live in the U.K. which is number 23 on the list : all those other countries (often demonised in our tabloids) are ahead of us... the U.S.A . is even lower at 29 , with  Australia lurking down there, grafting away, and as for Japan :
Have a day off, guys !
Shocking stuff then.
Now don't forget this is a work/ life balance thing, so on the one hand you could say the hard working economies are in better shape than the others, but are they ?
Purely in terms of GDP, it seems to be the case - but then surely a better quality of life is an intangible variable which cannot be measured ?

Who are the OECD anyway ?
By the way, if you clicked that link, you got a scary looking energy statistic.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is based in France, has 2500 employees and has existed since 1961.
I got that from their home page.
They must have poor PA, because who ever heard of them ?
They certainly don't crop up in everyday conversation:
Did you see that awful statistic from the OECD ?
I know, terrible, isn't it.
Shouldn't be allowed
No, but then they are a neutral organisation who only exist to impart advice to businesses and governments based on ...
(Sounds of disgruntlement continue as our everyman stereotypes wander offstage)

My point is that regardless of work / life balance , we are sadly low on the domestic robotic front , unless you happen to own a Roomba™ , in which case, bully for you and all that, but I say where is all the leisure time we were promised ? 

Of Monks And Mindfulness

It's a strange world we inhabit now, where we can be so attuned to our inner selves.
Yet we're also in denial.
Science and the quest for factual evidence leaves many people disenfranchised and quite distant from their roots, both geographically and spiritually.
The other day, a friend posted a Guardian piece about a monk known as the 'happiest man in the world '.
The article talked of no possessions and being mindful and in the 'now' and all that populist stuff.
I read that the monk had created an app to teach meditation.
Despite my inner cynic, I found myself  thinking yes, here is a remedy for 21st Century anxiety and the relentless pace of modern life.
I clicked on the link, and was dismayed to find that the app was only for Apple phones (and ipad, natch ).
So much for global consciousness, I thought, my inner cynic rushing gleefully to the fore.

To me, this embodies the whole dilemma.
Spiritual longing married to material limitations.
Coupled with an over-riding sense that the spiritual is somehow wrong.

I cannot be a part of awakening consciousness as there is no empirical evidence for any such state 
Besides,  I don't subscribe to all things Apple.

Disenfranchised by my own thoughts based on an encounter with an online article.
In other words defeated by Maya, the veil of illusion .

Now, before I get deep and meaningless again, let me say this:

I am not a 'hater'- this is new-speak .

However,
I am cynical
I am bitter
I am twisted.

I put it down to my pragmatic, stoic Scots heritage, mixed with an everlasting horror at the excesses of the human race.
Possibly why I need to learn to meditate...
Because I'm also eternally hopeful.

Like supporters of the Scotland football team.
Or the England team...
...or any team you love who lose regularly but you always have hope.

I'm doing it again.
Losing focus.
'Switchbait' I think is what they call it
Switchbait is what is happening in my brain.
Neurons bored of a train of thought.
Looking for a shiny, new toy.

So yes, meditation would be good to learn.
But then I found myself meditating whilst ironing this morning.
That counts doesn't it ?
Hang on whilst I consult my guru...
Oh, I haven't got one.
It must be me.
Phew, glad that's sorted then.
Except, that makes me a Humanist.
And I hate labels...

Check Your Privilege At The Door

I was going to write a third and final piece about the long - running Richard Prince saga (to get up to speed please go back to my earlier blog, Bitch-Fest ) , but decided that it had devolved into the usual self-centred spectacle , with Doe Deere, The Suicide Girls, and others all claiming a piece of the media exposure, so I thought, why bother being part of that ?
The Suicide Girls angle is interesting because - do they intend to sell their original images with the amendments made by Mr Prince, thereby breaching the copyright of his intellectual property ?
Or will they just sell their original instagram photos, thereby breaching Instagrams rights ?
Which brought me to thinking the Big Question - Why ?

Suicide Girls join in the media feeding frenzy

WHY

This moment of existential self doubt was added to by then stumbling across a piece in my news feed regarding a separate issue (I include a link here) which is very dry, and the author debates the question of academics writing for free and asks whether they are, in fact, scabs:

'My use of the word “scab” is often met with a range of responses from irritation to blind fury.  Academics in particular, the sort who wax on about neoliberalism and its exploitation of labour, turn apoplectic as they insist that they’re not scabs but performing vital services by “choosing” to write for free.'

'But what is neoliberalism if not the rationalisation of capitalist exploitation under the rubric of “choice”? ' 

'what is neoliberalism', indeed.
The use of the word 'scabs' is highly emotive, given its previous use to describe those who cross picket lines in defiance of strike action and solidarity amongst workers.
For this reason it's a way of creating a sense of unity in a common cause.
It's also quite divisive in that it implies that anyone not following the authors reasoning is one of 'them', i.e. the 'enemy'.
The tone of the whole piece annoyed me, appealing to my sense of righteous indignation, and is indicative , in my opinion, of many of todays online problems.
It's a worthy read , as an example of the pretentious high-brow gibberish that gets bandied around.

Professor Brian Cox (yes. he of astronomy and previously D;Ream fame) said that part of the problem is the slew of self - published opinion pieces which could be mistaken for factual pieces.
This is almost tantamount to saying that the internet should be left to those who know best, thanks.
The next question is who knows best ?
Could it possibly be no-one, really ?

Let me take a deep breath, and stand back a little from the edge of this existential abyss.

1977 Primitive Blog...

As a disillusioned youth , I was inspired by the D.I.Y. ethos enshrined in punk / new wave, where many would attend gigs and scrawl reviews on paper which would then be xeroxed, stapled and sold for pennies  at gigs, or in record shops (remember those?).
The idea was that this was a form of empowerment, making a mark and taking control of a piece of media, rather than being told who to like and what bands to follow by 'the man' and his running - dog lackeys with their nepotistic promotion of mediocrity.
The downside of this of course, was that it was driven by a desire to stand out from a sea of faceless people, and fanzines were usually released without fanfare or a marketing budget: therefore making no money, or even losing money was considered par for the course, and a small price to pay for editorial freedom.

So here we are in the online world of the internet with its great levelling technology, where everyone can use the tools available to reach out and communicate for fun or learning or profit, or just to escape the humdrum workaday world - yet even here we encounter reactionaries masquerading as our superiors.

What I object to is the elitist agenda pushed by self-righteous types who flaunt their privilege by attempting to tell everyone else what not to do; i.e. unpaid writing !

What is missing here is the 'freedom of choice' option.

Don't get me wrong - I'd love to be paid for my rambling words.
What I'm saying is it happens regardless.
I feel compelled to write / create.
It's in the blood.
Therapy, if you like.

Looking back over this piece, I realise it's a bit divisive in the old 'us and them' way, and I apologise, but terms of reference are hard to come by these days without offending some poor flower...



Please note that the opinions expressed in this blog are purely my own, and in no way are they sponsored or solicited by paying causes.

Fuck 'em.

If a Rip - Off Rips Off a Rip - Off, is it a Rip - Off, or a valid Statement ?

Bricks are not works of art. Bricks are Bricks. You can build walls with them or chuck them through jeweller's windows, but you cannot stack them two deep and call it sculpture.
Keith Waterhouse, Daily Mirror, 19 Feb 1976.

Controversy in 1976...

The debate on the worthiness of the art of Mr Richard Prince continues, gathering media momentum, much like a snowball rolling down a hill.
The debate is polarising opinion, with many feeling that whilst he is indeed re-appropriating (without requesting permission ) the art of others, he is doing just enough transformative stuff to claim 'fair use'.

Andy Warhol controversy in 1962...

Some are pointing out the similarities with the Warhol soup cans , whilst others are bemoaning the misappropriation of Intellectual Properties (the original photographic images on Instagram.)
Meanwhile, images are being sold for around $ 90,000 and Mr Prince is no doubt weeping at his appalling lack of originality all the way to the bank.

It has been pointed out that on a purely technical basis, the reprinting of such images on a large scale would require some serious technical ability (think of the pixellation !).
Is it a post modern comment on the state of the Art world itself ?
If so, then technically Gagossian Galleries are to blame for first mounting the exhibition, having deemed it worthy of attention .
Then the issue falls to the first person who decided that $ 90,000 was a worthy price for an 'original'.

The issue is further clouded by the modern desire for visual affirmation - the online seflie thing that says hey, world, I'm here! 
I'm sure that many of those whose Instagram pics have been appropriated are not too upset - after all, the images were made public on social media, so another way to look at it is to question the strange invocation of privacy laws in such a global public location.

Pic by Doe Deere...controversial, too

My personal feelings are that it is further evidence of the commodification of Art, in which artificially inflated prices are achieved by media controversy - the very value of the art is directly proportional to the shock horror outrage , which is usually expressed in emotive tabloid terms- 'Children are dying of hunger, but some tosser just paid silly money for a Xerox of a Polaroid !'*


From the exhibitions of bricks in the Tate, to Tracey Emins unmade bed, the level of media hysteria seems to influence the perceived monetary value of the work.
I've put the word 'perceived' in italics because it really is about perception as opposed to nuts and bolts reality (ie cost of the materials used, time taken by the artist,etc.)

The artist Carl Andre whose piece 'Equivalent VIII' caused the British tabloids to explode with indignation way back in 1976 (see the opening quote), later denounced Conceptualism as 'humbug'.

STOP PRESS : in news just in , no less than the 'Suicide girls' are joining in, moving from victim status to 'Yes, please' - they are selling their own prints for $90,  as opposed to $90,000...so the whole thing seems to be descending into a post - modern free for all...can't beat 'em ?
Join 'em !

 I have spent more than enough time on the (non) - issue, but I hope you've enjoyed the pieces...

Equivalent VIII  pic from D. Telegraph

* Obviously both Xerox and Polaroid are brand names, so I should have said:
 '...a photocopy of an instant photograph'...

Bitch - Fest : or, When is a Rip-Off Not a Rip-Off ?

I recently wrote about  modern self referential pop-culture which seems to be obsessing with its own past whilst producing nothing genuinely 'new', and was therefore like a snake eating its own tail.
This analogy popped up in my news feed with the fact that a man called Richard Prince had mounted an exhibition of other peoples Instagram images which he then claimed as his own 'Art' through fair use or suchlike. A swift internet search revealed that Mr Prince has indeed procured the work of others and thereby incurred the wrath of the internet and its vocal denizens (never knowingly backwards in coming forwards).

Self-portrait of Mr Prince

I was shocked and (ahem) amused by the outpouring of vitriol ('... has redefined the concept of authorship') aimed in his general direction. No doubt he has ruffled many feathers, and it seems typical of our 21st century world that many attempt to ride the coat-tails of fame by seconding the talents and creations of others.

I have old college friends who have been royally ripped off by fellow students with no scruples , at least two big names (in the fields of fashion and photography, oddly enough) who were accused of plagiarism on an industrial scale - but this is not the place to air such grievances - as I said it's a cultural thing, and always has been, certainly in the creative field.
It's only now that the Internet allows for a full and utterly explicit discourse in real time on such matters.
The voyeuristic thrill from these dramas is like a little fly - on -the - wall peek into another life - a virtual reality show where dirty laundry is aired openly and with much vitriol on both sides.

I'm in two minds about providing links here, as the pages seem to be getting a fair amount of malicious spam, which may sadly interfere with any viewers attempts to examine and consider whether Mr Prince really is a shifty character deserving of such flaming, or whether he is innocent, a special artistic 'snowflake' whose gentle sensibilities have been grossly maligned by online trolls - or whether he is somewhere between the two , and loves the publicity...
The reason I'm dwelling on this is because of the punchline:

This is probably defamation

One of the 'unfortunates' featured in his exhibition of appropriated Instagram images is Doe Deere , (alias Xenia, alias Thunderwear, alias numerous online identities), who seems to have forged a career of her own from plagiarism in the field of fashion and accessories.
Her story is splashed across numerous web pages and is subject to a thorough trashing.
She is quite vocal in her own defence, to the point of name - calling and denouncing her own customer / fan base - at least, she appears to be - or are duplicitous agents of chaos attempting to undermine her integrity ?

It's all very confusing, and mired in the fog of an online war, it's difficult to separate fact from fiction.

Mr Prince has ripped off unwitting users of Instagram, and one of the victims is allegedly ripping off unwitting fashionistas .

So there we have it - the online world of self-serving media is indeed devouring its own tail.
The cycle continues, and in the race to the bottom, these two seem to be streets ahead.
Excepting one thing:
Their plight has spilled over from the world of U.S. Art/Fashion, and is now global, thereby guaranteeing continued interest and the fame associated with the exposure of their names.
So regardless of the validity of their artistic enterprises, they both win by default.

At least they get their 'fifteen minutes of fame' as described by Andy Warhol.



STOP PRESS : Latest news is that one of the instagram photos has sold for $90,000.

Momentous Moments

Today I had a moment of clarity: an awakening from the 'normal' semi-conscious state , which I tend to favour.
I found myself researching Metal Hydrogen, and wondered - as you do - about the presence of such a rarity (only formed at a ridiculous pressure, such as found on Jupiter).
The point is that it could effectively be a rocket fuel, enabling deep space travel with relatively few problems.

The other excitement at the moment is the EM Drive.
Essentially, in the best romantic traditions, it's the story of the lone inventor, eccentric but dedicated, tinkering with seemingly impossible inventions in the garden shed.
Something I identified with since childhood- although my world was dominated by fictional inventors such as Professor Branestawm, and my personal hands - on abilities are akin to someone grappling with the finer points of cross-stitch , whilst wearing boxing gloves.
And reading the pattern upside down.
In an unknown language.

In this case, however, the inventor is the very real Robert Shawyer, who established Satellite Propulsion Research in 2000 to accomodate his single minded pursuit of an elusive goal.

A drive which uses the very fabric of space itself as propulsion material.

We live in an age of show and tell, where self - proclaimed experts refuse to acknowledge ability unless it is brought forth and waved beneath their collective noses (or at least posted on You Toob).
Understandable up to a point, but then there is the criticism borne of petty jealousy, the 'expert' who will never be satisfied with mere evidence because, well, why would anyone spend so much time being dedicated to an idea which is so empirically wrong?

Unshakable Conviction ?
Blind faith ?
Naivety ?

Until that moment when results indicate that the concept has shifted from 'impossible' to 'improbable'. which is science-speak for 'maybe'.

This has happened to the EM Drive.

To further enhance the mystery, NASA have gone public denying that they are working on 'warp drive' technology.

A nation of Trekkies are distraught.

Yet, wait ! 

Even here, there is hope - after all , the mooted EM drive is not  'warp' drive technology.

And NASA did not mention the EM drive...

Momentous moments often occur when no-one is really looking.

Killer Robots

 I wanted to refer to a particular robot as an android the other day, but I didn't - because of potential confusion in the reader with a slew of mobile phone technology, as the word is now synonomous with open o.s. on cellphones which are not made by a certain company.
Android is often used in place of 'robot'.
The word 'robot' was first used in the play R.U.R. in 1921 by Czech writer Karel Capek.

Robot rebellion in a production of Rossums Universal Robots

The three laws of robotics were created in 1942 by sci-fi author Isaac Asimov, and
they basically laid a foundation for peaceful interaction between robots and humans,
but now we have phrases which are almost duplicitous, and don't tell us the reality : for instance a new phrase is Lethal Autonomous Weapons System , referring to robot soldiers in battle.

For a second I thought I was living in a blockbuster Hollywood sci - fi , in which the phrase "I'll be back" assumes global significance.
But it's real.
Killer robots are real. 

Well, real enough to lead to a series of ongoing ethical debates and even a campaign.
The debate hinges on whether robots should ignore the 'prime directive' and be allowed to kill humans at all.
The question is a deeply moral one,  affecting the issue of free will / artificial intelligence.
Let me take a step back :

We are actually debating whether we should allow robots which we have created, to kill us.

One of the most frightening questions posed in a multitude of  fictions is suddenly real.
The only good thing is - hey, it's a first world problem- no battlefield here !
Phew, huh ?

We've all heard of and gotten used to the idea of drones being used in battle zones as delivery systems for death.
You could almost say that we're blasé about them.
Drones allegedly first came into use during the war in the Balkans, but have since been used in Iraq, Afghanistan, and to a lesser degree, Pakistan.
They're always somewhere over there, far away.
Which makes it somehow removed;
abstract even
But no less true:
Battles are being waged quietly
and death is being delivered
By silent little drones with lethal cargos.

                                 

Image of Mars (blue areas are sand dunes apparently)

The flipside of that coin is the image I saw the other day (included here), which resonated deeply in a similar but good way - the photo taken by the Mars Reconnaisance Orbiter of  the rover 'Curiosity' on  the lower slopes of Mount Sharp.

Slightly enlarged view- the blob in the square is Curiosity

Whilst not a stunning image, it is immensely powerful - a photograph taken by a  man - made satellite of a man-made robotic explorer , examining a planet where no human has ever set foot.

That blew my tiny mind.
The future is now.
It's truly amazing what we can achieve.
Let's just ease off on the death thing, right ?





p.s. photos used are property of ESA and the RUR photo, unsure of provenance. Educational purposes...