Blog, Computational Arts-based Research,

why spoil things by the use of  this word in this context?

PigeonBlog’s birds had the potential to test these interpellation models.
“interpellation
noun
a procedure in some legislative bodies of asking a government official to explain an act or policy, sometimes leading, in parliamentary government, to a vote of confidence or a change of government.”
Yes, this is an academic text but I have encountered too many of these ‘rare’ words that do nothing to help the reader. The first reading, Complex Ubiquity-Effects by Ulrik Ekman was even more densly packed with ‘difficult/unnecessary’ words.  How many times do you have to see the word “qua” – The ablative female? The formal style of writing is used to eliminate ambiguity in the meaning of the text, it is a pity the side-effect of this discipline is to increase the difficulty in deciphering and aiding comprehension.
This comes from our second reading this week, chapter 21 of

Tactical Biopolitics Art, Activism, and Technoscience, “Reaching the Limit When Art Becomes Science” by Beatriz da Costa ; much easier to ‘read’ and more accessible.

Not only the language she uses (apart from interpellation), but also the project “PigeonBlog” she describes was fascinating.

The use of pigeons carrying sensors at 300 ft (hard to access this altitude in any event): “The pigeon “backpack” developed for this project consisted of a combined GPS (latitude, longitude, altitude)/GSM (cell phone tower  communication) unit and corresponding antennas, a dual automotive CO/NOx pollution sensor, a temperature sensor, a subscribes identity module (SIM) card interface, a microcontroller, and standard supporting elec-tronic components.”

Da Costa reflects on the reaction to this project, which she states that it  became widely reported. What struck me as significant was her original strategic aim; “in situating itself between the academy and nonexpert participants” this pigeon project carries with it huge potential for other investigations, not confined to simply using pigeons with tech in order to survey pollution levels, but for many other projects, as signposted by the title of the book: Tactical Biopolitics Art, Activism, and Technoscience, “Reaching the Limit When Art Becomes Science.
The first reading, The introduction to Complex Ubiquity-Effects by Ulrik Ekman; very dense and powerful assembly of examples as to how the ‘third wave of computing’ is already underway – I have not read any of the essays in this book yet but Ekman has described the effects and change the explosion in use of RFIDs, multiple sensors, small portable devices, wearables, portable computing, data flows etc.. are changing how we experience the world. The lovely introduction I will include here… if only the text was more accessible!
“Prelude
  • Three tourists stop in front of a boom coming down at the entrance to a nature reserve, reading on the little display on the boom that the maximum number of people permitted in the reserve has been reached at this point in time, this close to the breeding season.
  • A series of digital signposts and the GPS in the car lead the driver and his family down a set of side streets due to road repair and construction.
  • A media art installation embedded in the city square has dynamic and interactive video portraits appear on the ground in front of busy passers-by and makes them stop, play, and wonder how they were followed and picked out beforehand.
  • Every once in a while a 17-year-old son gets irritated at having to use his mother’s computer on the Internet—because he is quite frequently asked to consider buying new candles, bathrobes, bras, and women’s magazines.
  • An academic who gets home after a long day at work only vaguely notices that the lighting in the smart home is subdued a bit, the vacuum cleaner stops, and a string quartet replaces the pop songs from yesterday.”
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