Science 'Sixth Sense' Wow, must see this!

[Andy44]

I am continually amazed at the technological advances during my lifetime. The funny thing is, when I was very young I knew there would be advances, but I expected to see spaceships and robots and flying cars, because that's what sci fi was all about. This kind of internet/web/networking/cellphone stuff was not what I expected, and it just keeps getting more amazing.

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/pattie_maes_demos_the_sixth_sense.html

 

[Donamy]

I sometimes wonder if it's better or just making us more dependent on gagets, I mean, do we really need a device to help us choose which toilet paper to buy ?

 

[tblaxland]

Awesome! The word-cloud-on-chest application looked pretty cool from a technology point of view, but I am not sure I would like to have one appear on my chest. It is a little too much like having your mind read...

 

[BHawthorne]

rotflmol, yes I need a gadget to help pick out green toilet paper. Her example is cracking me up. :rofl:

Here is my huge problem in all of this, who implements and regulates the data? There is a hell of a lot of money in it for someone and that someone will have a ton of control. Say they push certain brands out of the system for not bowing to their license fees or they stack the data towards a certain brand because they pay for more marketing presence. I don't like the potential abuse that could come out of this system.

On the other hand, I do like the wearable tech, just not what they were using it for.

I get an incredibly bad "big brother" vibe off of this tech though. Wearable tech that can pick up most senses that are on everyone.

 

[EJ316]

Yeah I think apart from the obvious negative results that could come from that shopping function, the rest of it is excellent. If there were some way to ensure that fairness was used then I'm sure it would be very popular.

 

[Andy44]

Well, humans spontaneously organize, just like the internet before this No one organizatin controls the data flowing around the net, it's a truly free, almost anarchic system, and it hasn't killed us yet. So I wouldn't panic. The important thing is probably to make sure no one body controls it.

 

[BHawthorne]

Well, humans spontaneously organize, just like the internet before this No one organizatin controls the data flowing around the net, it's a truly free, almost anarchic system, and it hasn't killed us yet. So I wouldn't panic. The important thing is probably to make sure no one body controls it.

So, in the case of walking into the grocery store, does the store chain maintain the data, does the company the item comes from maintain the data, or does some altruistic third party with magical pockets of money to afford running it control it? We're subject to a new form of selective marketing opacity in this scenario. It just is marketed in a new medium through this hardware. The more marketing evolves with technology the more it stays the same. There will be a want to put a positive light on their products and unless there is FDA type guidelines for it, there will be abuse.

 

[n122vu]

In this specific example though, the selection was made based on criteria the user entered, not based on advertising or brand favoritism from the store. That criteria could be things such as "under a certain price" or "doesn't contain bleach," etc. But I see the potential for widespread abuse as has been highlighted. In addition, annoyances such as popups, spam, identity theft, are all bound to find their way into this system just as they have the Internet. Imagine you pick up that package of toilet paper, get a green light based on your criteria, then get a popup for megatoiletpaper.com wanting you to claim your 12 free rolls...

 

[pete.dakota]

Kind of reminds me of the Ghost Implants concept from a book called Stealing Light.

"Machine-Heads" are people whom have chips installed into their brains: able to detect what you're looking at, what you're hearing, what you're thinking; they then pull relevant information off of the internet and install it directly into your memories.

There's one chapter at the beginning of the book when the main character simply looks up at a night sky, and instantly knows how far away all the stars she's seeing are, how many planets orbit them, where they are in their life-cycle etc.

 

[Donamy]

Kind of reminds me of the Ghost Implants concept from a book called Stealing Light.

"Machine-Heads" are people whom have chips installed into their brains: able to detect what you're looking at, what you're hearing, what you're thinking; they then pull relevant information off of the internet and install it directly into your memories.

There's one chapter at the beginning of the book when the main character simply looks up at a night sky, and instantly knows how far away all the stars she's seeing are, how many planets orbit them, where they are in their life-cycle etc.

And who is going to check, that the info is indeed correct?

 

[Hielor]

And who is going to check, that the info is indeed correct?

I'd treat it like any other quick source of information: Useful to know immediately, but you should not make any major decisions based on it until you have verification.

 

[Donamy]

I'd treat it like any other quick source of information: Useful to know immediately, but you should not make any major decisions based on it until you have verification.

I was talking about the book he read. If it's in your thoughts, how would you know to question it ?

 

[pete.dakota]

And who is going to check, that the info is indeed correct?

The narrator often explains the surge of information being overwhelming for a few seconds, then the brain sorts through it and makes sense of it all. It is implied that you know when the Ghost Machines are telling you what you didn't already know.