Everything Bad...

Everything Bad is Good for You:
How Today’s Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter

Last week I read Steven Johnson’s, Everything Bad is Good for You. A couple of years late is better than never.

The basic premise, as the name would imply, is that video games, television and other consumptions of our mass media culture are not dumbing us down, but making us more intelligent. If you have any doubt, his arguments are very persuasive. He cites the perceived contradiction as being a general confusion between content and structure. Because someone finds the content of a movie, tv show, or video game to be base- full of sex and violence, and without social merit, one assumes that the media is therefore “dumb” or plays to the least common denominator, hence dumbing us down. Turning this conventional wisdom on its head, he convincingly argues that once content is disregarded, and we focus on structure, it is apparent that our entertainment is becoming much more complex. And not just more complex, but more complex in precisely the manner that forces us to give our brain’s pattern recognition muscle a workout (just the sort of problem solving logic that a standardized IQ test measures for). He then uses James Flynn’s research into rising IQ test scores to bolster his argument.

I’m not a serious gamer myself, but I can attest, from what gaming experience I do have, that the software that must be mastered in order to be proficient at any of the contemporary hit video games is astoundingly complex, and easily more mentally challenging than learning most mainstream business software applications (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, et al.).

At 238 pages, it is a quick read- I put in a leisurely day and a half, but it could easily be read in one day on a plane. I enjoyed the book, and I recommend it to all. It is both thoroughly researched, and yet easily accessible.

The paperback edition has an endorsement on the cover from Malcolm Gladwell, and if you like Mr. Gladwell’s work, this title should also be to your liking.

---

My most recent prior read was The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More by Chris Anderson, former Editor-in-Chief of WIRED magazine. My current read is also from another WIRED alumni, former Executive Editor, Kevin Kelly— his 1994 Out of Control: The New Biology of Machines, Social Systems, and the Economic World. At 13 years, it is still quite relevant, and all the more impressive, given the time of change, directly related to its subject matter, that has transpired in the interim since its original publishing. I may post more when I’ve finished the book.

---

Maybe I should add a recommended book list after my right column link list.

Tim Kaiser's gonkulations

Tim Kaiser makes custom audio components, of a sort, crafted with a vintage look. In a deliberate act of over-engineering, Tim crafts elaborate devices, usually musical effects modules, and righteously gonkulated noisemakers. Go to his website to learn more.

FotoWoosh your family album

While researching another story, I came across an item worthy of it’s own quick post. FotoWoosh is in an application that transforms your 2D photographs into relatively believable 3D models. It cannot let you see around corners, it can only work from the information that is actually there but, at least with their sample images, is able to do quite a lot with the 2D data that is seen. The software is in Alpha release, and you can sign up to be notified of the Beta release. It basically constructs a 3D model with a texture map, but the modeling/mapping is automated— the software apparently makes some intuitive calculations about the geometry of the environment in the photo, and then maps the image information onto it, so you can make slight perspective tilts on X, Y, and Z axis, within limited constraints, and zoom in, dependent upon the resolution of your starting image. It will be fascinated to see how well this does in real-world application. Kind of a one-trick-ponny gimmick, but a fun one.

Wessel Westerveld

I’ve been meaning to give Mr. Westerveld some ink (so to speak) for some time. Going by the pseudonym WEXEL, he makes spectacular devices, ingenious contraptions: A chorus from the clicks of mechanical projection devices, a music box that plays horns (shown at left). Then there is the SDSystem (Surroundings Defend System shown above)- a helmet with a very long visor, and built in headphones, the SDSystem allows the wearer to completely shut out all visual and auditory input from wherever they happen to find themselves. And you thought your iPod and dark sunglasses were enough to do the trick.

Though the link to his CV is currently a broken link, I don’t believe he has yet exhibited in the states. Lyons Wier • Ortt, Lehmann Maupin, anyone?

Must you have one?

Yes, that is exactly what you think it is. It’s Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Lightsaber (How do you know it’s Obi-Wan’s? Because it’s the blue one, silly.). Well, technically it’s not Obi-Wan’s actual Lightsaber, it is merely a “replica”. Every few months Master Replicas (who recently completed their merger with Corgi International Ltd.), has been releasing a new Lightsaber in their Force FX series of high-end replicas. Their site states that it:

Features enhanced glowing blue blade with realistic power-up and power-down light effects. The lighting effects are produced by a string of 64 super-bright LEDs that ignite sequentially inside the blade.

Features five motion sensor controlled sound effects recorded from the movie: power-up, idle hum, swing, clash, and power-down.

Blade has three built-in motion sensors for super sensitivity: 2 for detecting movement and 1 for detecting the impact of the blade.

MASSIVE DISCLAIMER: I swear, I am not one of those “Star Wars nerds” (I never even saw the last two movies.). I do realize that I have gone from a laser post to a lightsaber post in one swail foop, but this was entirely coincidental. This is a toy. The lasers are real. And besides, I stumbled across a link to these entirely by accident, while researching vintage Viewmasters (I know, I’m not helping my cause).

The shame, the shame.

Visible Beam Lasers

These lasers, available from the appropriately titled “Wicked Lasers”, have a visible beam and can shoot a visible straight line for 100 miles… not meters, miles.

Careful, these lasers can burn. If held stationary, they can melt a hole in a plastic bag, and will light a cigarette. Other than a note to wear eye protection, their real destructive power is actually pretty feather weight compared to anything Han Solo would strap to his hip. None the less, the strength of these lasers portents to where this technology may progress in the near future.

Jason Hackenwerth Exhibit

Jason Hackenwerth / “Liminal Space”

Jason brings balloon art to a higher level than ever before imagined. If not so whimsical, it would seem an insult to call it balloon art.

No stuffy establishment, the Lyons Wier • Ortt gallery, (formerly Lyons Wier gallery) can always be relied upon to bring New York some of the best in conceptual contemporary art, and their openings are always a fun event.

I highly recommend making it to this opening on February 15th. In fact, so you don’t forget, click here to email Michael Lyons Wier & Anna Ortt, and request to be added to their mailing list so you will receive a reminder.

The gallery is located at 511 West 25th Street, #205, in the Chelsea gallery district.

How to make a LEGO

If you were ever… oh, I don’t know, a kid once? This will blow your mind. Take an interactive tour of the LEGO factory, aided by pixel-art in isometric projection. You will not be disappointed. Go there now!

Courtesy of Pop+Co. game developers.