I saw some design fiction films at at the SF Critical Design and Imagined Futures meetup. I'm wondering, have any SudoRoom filmmakers or others at the Omni created any design fiction films? It would be cool to show films with: - worker collectives - a world where people barter/contribute through time banks instead of heavily capitalist systems - a kind of imaginary world where there is affordable housing provided for all and people do not face eviction / housing shortages and live in yurts If we have a party maybe it would be cool to try to do a design fiction film with one of these speculative idealized futures. =D https://www.media.mit.edu/research/groups/design-fiction Sparking imagination and discussion about the social, cultural, and ethical implications of new technologies through design and storytelling. Sample Projects - - Im)possible Baby Ai Hasegawa, Sputniko! and Asako Makimura Delivering a baby from same-sex parents is not a sci-fi dream anymore–recent developments in genetics and stem cell research have made this dream much closer to reality. Is creating a baby from same-sex parents the right thing to do? Who has the right to decide this, and how? This project explores the bioethics of producing babies for same-sex couples. In the first phase, DNA data will be simulated to visualize the "potential baby." The project will then explore creating partial organs of the "potential baby" over the next few years. You have the right to know, think, and raise your voice about whether this dream becomes a reality–not just the authorities and researchers. view site <http://aihasegawa.info/?works=impossible-baby> - CremateBot: Transform, Reborn, Free Sputniko! and Dan Chen CremateBot is an apparatus that takes in human-body samples—such as fingernails, hair, or dead skin—and turns them into ashes through the cremation process. The process of converting human remains to ashes becomes a critical experience for observers, causing witnesses to question their sense of existence and physical self through the conversion process. CremateBot transforms our physical self and celebrates our rebirth through self-regeneration. The transformation and rebirth open our imagination to go beyond our physical self and cross the span of time. Similar to Theseus' paradox, the dead human cells—which at one point were considered part of our physical selves and helped to define our sense of existence—are continually replaced with newly generated cells. With recent advancements in implants, biomechatronics, and bioengineered organs, how we define ourselves is increasingly blurred. view site <http://www.pixedge.com/crematebot> - Crowbot Jenny Sputniko! (Hiromi Ozaki) Crowbot Jenny, inspired by Donna Haraway’s philosophical memoir When Species Meet (2007), is a solitary girl who, despite her generation’s tendency toward communication overload, has trouble relating to her peers. In fact, Crowbot Jenny prefers to talk with animals and develops the Crowbot, an instrument that replicates a range of crow calls, to commune with her army of birds. Sputniko! talked with various crow specialists from University of Cambridge (UK), University of Utsunomiya (Japan), and University of Tokyo (Japan) who also provided her with sample crow calls—such as "Hello," "I'm in danger," "I love you!" or "Where is my Child!?"—which she installed inside Crowbot. ============================= Romy Ilano romy(a)snowyla.com