Back in the 1990´s virtual reality goggles were all the rage. Predictions were back then that by 2010 we´d all be so addicted to the virtual world that most of us would not want to spend time in the real world. Ah… the irony, lucky for us some predictions don´t pan out.
I have been spending some time reading up on various scenarios proposed by futurists around the world – and most predictions support the fact that within the next 20-40 years we will build machines with a greater intelligence than humans. The well known American futurist Ray Kurzweil proposes the concept of the “Singularity”, which stipulates that we cannot predict a future beyond the point where machines become more intelligent than humans. He also argues that by the late 2020´s most of humanity will have some kind of computer technology implanted in their brains to enhance our cognitive capabilites.
It´s an incredibly interesting (and pretty scary) topic and I´ll keep posting more about this. In the meanwhile I found the next best thing to virtual reality… Mapping. It´s a new technique that uses powerful projections and laser pointers to “project” what is essentially an optical illusion on top of real world buildings. What´s amazing is the level of (virtual) realism that can be achieved… See for yourself. This show that was put together back in October for the 600 anniversary of one of Prague´s most well known landmarks. Respect to the guys who put this togeher!
The 600 Years from the macula on Vimeo.
