Something wicked this way comes
The one about why we need to talk about new technology.
For there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.
William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act II Scene II
Two Shakespeare quotes1 and I haven’t even started writing anything.
As a wee personal update, I’ve been convalescing after surgery and they had me on decent pain medication. I’ve had this stuff before and there’s a very small window before my words fall down the stairs where I hit my Ballmer Peak for programming and creativity. It’s not quite enough time to get much done2, but it is enough to scribble notes for later. This is later.
The first episode of Marvel’s Secret Invasion was released a couple of weeks ago, and much of the chatter is about their opening titles. If you’ve explored AI-generated animation at all, elements of this style might look familiar to you, and Marvel confirmed that Method Studios, who worked on previous Marvel projects, did use AI to generate the sequence.
The premise of the series is that there is a secret invasion of a race of shape-shifting aliens. The titles fluidly morph one shape or character to another, lending to the themes of ‘Can you trust what you see and hear?’ and ‘What is or isn’t real?’. Using AI to generate this sequence when the machine learning has been seeded by other works plays into this subtext of origin and authenticity.
Very clever from an artistic sense, but in the current climate of discourse around the ethics of AI, and salient concerns over copyright and the risk of livelihoods being lost, it does seem to be a little bit on the nose.
That said, the discourse that comes from things like this is important. We need to have these conversations about new technology when we’re learning about how it works, its capabilities, and its potential. And these conversations need to be had not just by its creators, and its direct users, but all the way down the line to the end-users and consumers as well because it will invariably become a part of our society and we should all have some understanding of what we use or interact with directly or indirectly and an awareness of its impact.
When I say ‘technology’, I also don’t just mean the ticky-tacky computery, digital, algorithmy things, though that’s part of it. I mean technology in the broadest sense, as in the stuff that has been developed that is intended to make our lives easier than it was for the generations before us whether that’s an appliance we use in the kitchen, how our homes and businesses are built or powered, or how we get from A to B. We should be as curious about the mundane as we are about the fantastic.
Why? Because incomplete (mis)information creates space for fear-mongering. And we’ve seen where that gets us3.
So we need to talk about new technology. It needs to be explored and we need to be able to conceive the scope of it, both the good and the bad. We also need to bear in mind that no technology is inherently good or evil, it’s what we do with it.
One of the biggest examples of this is in the way we treat nuclear science. For most people, ‘nuclear’ has a negative connotation associated with it. People think of bombs and power plants (and related disasters), but they forget, or may not even be aware, that nuclear medicine has had a great impact on our society as well, giving us tools for diagnosis as well as treatment.
Fun fact, nuclear technology is also being used for space exploration. While solar cells are often used, there isn’t enough sunlight to power systems for deep space exploration, so nuclear power is an alternative that also requires less mass than solar cells. NASA and DARPA are also testing nuclear engines which can make for faster transit times, more efficient propulsion, science payload capacity, and power for instrumentation and systems. For those who have seen The Martian (2015) or read the book it was based on by Andy Weir, the RTG (Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator) mentioned is a real thing and you can read about the one used on Cassini here.
Recently, I also had a discussion about technology being used by police and intelligence services for surveillance and identification. Most of us know about DNA and fingerprint identification, but other biometrics are being used as well such as ear shape and gait analysis. This information can be used to identify persons of interest from surveillance images and video, but gait analysis specifically is also used by podiatrists to examine your biomechanics, and in clinical practice can help identify neurological or other conditions. To do this by eye requires training and experience, but technology can make this more accessible. Interestingly, Billy Connolly had his Parkinson’s diagnosis confirmed after a (surgeon) fan told him his gait showed signs of it and he should see a doctor.
On the topic of surveillance, there has been concern over drone technology being used by the military as well as individuals to record private citizens without their consent, but the same technology is also used for the Arts in film and television, televised sport, and is an increasingly popular medium for professional and hobbyist photographers. Costume and fashion historian Bernadette Banner even used a drone to take photos of herself in costume (YouTube @ 9’24”) without needing a helper (or a ladder). In a more ‘greater society’ application, drones in combination with AI and image detection are being used for monitoring shark activity to keep beach-goers more safe.
Also know that a lot of the technology around us now, being used to save our animals and oceans, or help communities in need had roots in the military or for warfare. For example, actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr and her collaborator George Anthiel developed a communication system designed to improve torpedo guidance systems. That technology was the precursor to modern wireless communication systems in use today. The Internet began as ARPANET, an idea developed by Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) during the Cold War. Sonobuoys, originally developed for anti-submarine warfare, have been modified to locate whale populations through whalesong.
So when met with new technology, you can (and should) approach with caution, but we shouldn’t let the capacity for something to be bad overwhelm its potential to do good as well. Remember that all this science and technology is here to help humanity and further our society, and the power to make sure it keeps heading in the right direction is in our hands. But it’ll only work if we all get involved.
STEAM Powered
Lots going on since my last musing, and STEAM Powered has been on an unplanned break while I’ve been recovering. Still, plenty of good stuff to be getting on with and there’s a little something for everyone.
Raksha Kumar is a an award-winning journalist with a focus on human rights issues and our conversation about the layered and complex sexism and caste issues in tech in India was enlightening.
Ari Krzyzek’s space is branding and we spoke about how your brand strategy is important not just for your business, but for your own personal journey as well.
Shamini Bundell is so many things, and blends her scientist and creative aspects into a life of film-making, journalism, science communication, performance… We get nerdy about Dungeons & Dragons and science.
Professor Moira Clay is a leader in health and medical research strategy and helps other leaders make an impact in these areas. We spoke about how comprehensive cancer care isn’t just about the treatment, it’s about the people and the community.
Lan Tran is a tech evangelist and beater of drums. Lan has had to reinvent herself over the course of her career and we talk about approaching reinvention with humility and the challenges and prospects of innovation.
Quite Interesting
Ever since I read Derek Guy’s (@dieworkwear) tweet thread about How to buy a good cashmere sweater and Dr Grace Peng’s (@gspeng) post about The planetary cost of cashmere, every time I see an ad for cheap cashmere I think of this.
Science and Chinese Somatization is an interesting piece by Shayla Love (@shayla__love) about the way that Chinese people express emotions and the differences between cultures in experiencing psychological and somatic or physiological symptoms.
Words for Skin Tone | How to Describe Skin Color by Tumblr blog Writing with Color is a great resource for writing racial, ethnic, and religious diversity. This post is specifically about skin tone and provides excellent coverage on range and nuance in using colour descriptively.
York groundsel blooms again in Britain’s first-ever de-extinction event is a nice bit of news about de-extincting a plant with seeds from the Millennium Seed Bank. We like seed banks. Will probably write about them later.
As we’re talking about AI, The Fanfic Sex Trope That Caught a Plundering AI Red-Handed. The headline already gives you a clue about what this is about, but this type of thing also raises concerns for the fanfic community about AIs appropriating the content of writers without their consent.
Thanks for reading, and see you next time!
Stay curious.
— Michele
Title citation: William Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act IV Scene I.
After some research, I have deemed this wholly inadvisable for editing STEAM Powered and The Rejection Economy. It is for the best.
Brex*cough*it. The Virus. 5G. He Who Has Been Indicted, etc.