“Communion and Cargo Cults” presented by Brown
Symposium:
Session Title:
- Facets of Electronic Art
Presentation Title:
- Communion and Cargo Cults
Presenter(s):
Venue(s):
Abstract:
The countries of the first world discuss the inappropriate introduction of technology within the third world. One illustration are the Cargo Cults developed in the South Pacific as a result of insensitive exploration and exploitation. Nevertheless the first world remains largely unaware of the inappropriateness of the ultra-rapid development and introduction of information technology within their own culture. The development of high bandwidth human computer interaction via virtual interfaces will lead to intimate symbiosis between human consciousness and artificial intelligence.
One possible consequence of this is a new religion based on the current grassroots belief in technology epitomized by the popularity of subjects like Chaos Theory. Tightly coupled human computer symbiosis promises an electronic communion for this new religion and the possibility of a new hi-tech cargo cult that, unlike it predecessors, actually delivers the goods.
