Do you watch Netflix in VR on a virtual couch? Would you? This week Rob and Christen talk about personal VR experiences, the Reality-Virtuality continuum, and imagine what’s next for VR. Are we moving rapidly toward a world where VR is pervasive, like the Metaverse in Neil Stephenson’s Snow Crash, or will VR development continue to creep forward with application primarily in the entertainment space?
The reality-virtuality continuum, pictured below, describes immersive experiences from reality, virtuality, and mediality.
The video below contains a good explanation, by Steven Bradford, who introduces these concepts of a universe of mixed realities.
Early virtual reality
- Plato’s cave? (what do you think – too loose of an interpretation of VR?)
- Pygmalion’s Spectacles, Stanley Weinbaum
- The Grandfather of VR, Thomas Furness (1966 flight simulator)
- The Father of VR, Jaron Lanier
Formative pop culture VR
- Snowcrash, Neil Stevenson (1992)
- Until the End of the World (1991)
- Surrogates (2009)
- Daybreakers (the vampire movie, 2009) These vampires able to drive around in the daytime because of technology in their vehicles that replaces windows with display screens. Is this VR? AR? What do you think?
Things That Blow Our Minds
Rob notices a QR code on the back of his fortune cookie and his world crumbles as he realizes that fortune cookie fortunes have been monetized.
Christen discovers Alice Potts’ research on crystals grown from human sweat and her pieces are beautiful. The Material Matters podcast interview with her can be found on Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Finally, Christen has sweaty fingers, and so do you.