User:Jasper van Loenen/grad/thesis outline

From XPUB & Lens-Based wiki

When new technology becomes available to the public, there are always some people afraid of it. When trains were introduced it was said it would scare the cattle, leading to sour milk[1],<another example> and if god had wanted us to fly, he would have given us wings, so we wouldn't have to build these dangerous airplanes. But as time goes by we get used to the changes and the improvements they bring to our lives. Sure, cars can still be dangerous and accidents do happen, but by now we can’t imagine a world - let alone function - without them.

From the first mechanical devices during the industrial revolution, to the new weapons and computers during the cold war, to now, this fear of new technology is still here. So what is the current object of this fear and how does is compare to previous fears? And is this a valid fear?

<better transition>With the community and the possibilities of their tools growing, the maker scene is part of the current fear of new things. The possibilities of a 3D printer for instance have evolved quite a bit from just being able to print simple plastic objects. Pushing their tools to the next level, there are for instance makers who have used their printers to create - parts of - working guns and rifles[2]. In most countries, you are not allowed to purchase a gun without a permit, which is - supposed to be - not very easy to obtain. But buying or building your own 3D printer is very easy and can be done for a relatively small amount of money. It is even often provocatively said that in a few years time everyone of us will have a 3D printer on our kitchen table at home.[3] Will that mean that it is just a matter of time before every terrorist will have access to a whole range of deadly weapons - remember the scene from the Matrix[4] where Neo and Trinity are in between rows and rows of guns, able to pick whatever weapon they want? - or will we just be able to fix that broken clamp that holds the shower-head?

Another popular area for this fear is that of AUVs (unmanned aerial vehicles). Where radio controlled (RC) helicopters and planes used to be expensive and hard to control, the newer and more versatile multirotors (helicopters with multiple rotors, like quadcopters with four or hexacopters with six rotors) are inexpensive and easy to control - some can even be flown using your mobile phone or tablet or can follow a pre-programmed path using GPS. And while these small devices are flown by hobbyists who just use them for recreational purposes, or by companies that take aerial photos or inspect tall structures, the public often compares these small UAVs with the larger ones (the 'drones') used by the military and are afraid that terrorists will get their hands on them, using them as flying weapons.

<concusion to the introduction>

<maybe not part of the introduction>That these devices can possibly carry a weapon is not the only reason people fear them. Fear of flying objects is something that has its roots deep in the human instincts. People have always been both fascinated by - and scared of - flying things. We are stuck to the grounds, practically living in two dimensions and are not comfortable with the third. Just think of a pigeon flying closely over your head while walking down the street. For us, flying things are unpredictable and frightening.

  1. ↑ Oprichting NS vandaag exact 175 jaar geleden, 8 August 2012, http://www.ns.nl/over-ns/nieuwscentrum/nieuwsberichten/2012/8/oprichting-ns-vandaag-exact-175-jaar-geleden.html
  2. ↑ The world’s first 3D-printed gun, Sebastian Anthony, Extreme Tech, http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/142265-the-first-open-source-3d-printed-gun, July 26, 2012
  3. ↑ Ieder zijn eigen fabriek (2012), Koen Haegens, Groene Amsterdammer, nummer 39
  4. ↑ The Matrix (1999) Andy and Lana Wachowski, Warner Bros. Pictures


  • Cars / trains: fear of accidents
  • Missiles / Cold war etc: fear of (global) war
  • 3D prints / drones: fear of precision attacks - attacks in urban areas

Themes:

  • New technology and people being afraid of it
  • Maker scene and it’s community getting access to this technology
  • Sharing the techniques and outcomes with others
  • Connected to practical project through:
    • Maker scene
    • flying objects
    • Positive uses of new tech
  • References are to be found in
    • Historical situations, such as the introduction of the automobile
    • Literature / film (Frankenstein, metropolis)

Bibliography

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