* TYM
Possible futures of self-improvement
the problem
We analyzed the ongoing trend of self-improvement, the rise of technology, as well as the competition in the day-to-day lives in the society, and how it affects people. The conclusion: the continous pressure of self-improvement leads in extreme cases to an addiciton, while abandoning every facette of the human existence that is not devoted to challenging the status quo.
We analyzed the ongoing trend of self-improvement, the rise of technology, as well as the competition in the day-to-day lives in the society, and how it affects people. The conclusion: the continous pressure of self-improvement leads in extreme cases to an addiciton, while abandoning every facette of the human existence that is not devoted to challenging the status quo.
our approach
In order to critique the relentless self-improvement pressure, we created a ficitve company that sells products in a dystopian future szenario, which is driven by self imrpovement: Society embraces epigenetic stimulation as a means to achieve peak performance and well-being, bypassing natural limitations. Individuals undergo routine epigenetic enhancements, altering their biological systems to meet ever-increasing standards of productivity, intelligence, and health.
My parts included: Scenrio Building, Concept, Posters
In order to critique the relentless self-improvement pressure, we created a ficitve company that sells products in a dystopian future szenario, which is driven by self imrpovement: Society embraces epigenetic stimulation as a means to achieve peak performance and well-being, bypassing natural limitations. Individuals undergo routine epigenetic enhancements, altering their biological systems to meet ever-increasing standards of productivity, intelligence, and health.
My parts included: Scenrio Building, Concept, Posters
*Scenario building
topics
It’s basically not possible to work out a future scenario without defining its surrounding. So in the first step of Scenario-Building we wrote down the topics we want to deal with in this project.
It’s basically not possible to work out a future scenario without defining its surrounding. So in the first step of Scenario-Building we wrote down the topics we want to deal with in this project.
the story
We translated the topics from the first paper
into a future story. In this story the competition,
or meritocrazy in the society will go to
the next level. This goes along with technological
progress, addiction and pushing the
borders of humanity with self-enhancement.
We translated the topics from the first paper
into a future story. In this story the competition,
or meritocrazy in the society will go to
the next level. This goes along with technological
progress, addiction and pushing the
borders of humanity with self-enhancement.
sparks
On this page we collected aspects we want to
communicate with our project. They are called
sparks because they are the kind of topics
we want to talk about, and our project is the
key to open this conversation.
On this page we collected aspects we want to
communicate with our project. They are called
sparks because they are the kind of topics
we want to talk about, and our project is the
key to open this conversation.
signals
The signals are the key-results of the analysis
of nowadays. It allows us to spot tendencies
in the society - that gives an authentic background
for our future prognosis / story. So in
our analysis we saw that nowadays is already
a lot about being better then others, or diff erent.
Our generation is full of social media,
drug consumption is getting more, while
working more is also a trend.
The signals are the key-results of the analysis
of nowadays. It allows us to spot tendencies
in the society - that gives an authentic background
for our future prognosis / story. So in
our analysis we saw that nowadays is already
a lot about being better then others, or diff erent.
Our generation is full of social media,
drug consumption is getting more, while
working more is also a trend.
social
In social aspects we think that the tendencies
we already saw will lead to a lot of negative
social aspects in future. Bigger getting gaps
in society, because the ego gets more important,
community gets kind of lost. And
because the community feeling will decease,
more people feel lonely, what also leads to
lowering self esteem in many people.
In social aspects we think that the tendencies
we already saw will lead to a lot of negative
social aspects in future. Bigger getting gaps
in society, because the ego gets more important,
community gets kind of lost. And
because the community feeling will decease,
more people feel lonely, what also leads to
lowering self esteem in many people.
political
We thought about how the political future
looks like in our scenario with people making
them selfs better with our product. In this
case we as company, who are making people
better, more eff icient, we would become really
powerful. The politics would have to change
to deal with these kind of modified people.
Without new regulations people would be
forced to use our product to be able to compete
with other humans.
We thought about how the political future
looks like in our scenario with people making
them selfs better with our product. In this
case we as company, who are making people
better, more eff icient, we would become really
powerful. The politics would have to change
to deal with these kind of modified people.
Without new regulations people would be
forced to use our product to be able to compete
with other humans.
future history
We figured out the history of the future. This
means you define time ranges, and what kind
of type ( collapse, growth, etc.) this time range
will be. So we decided for a positive start
of the future history, that ends aft er two generations
in a collaps in society. This means
we are working on a dystopian project.
We figured out the history of the future. This
means you define time ranges, and what kind
of type ( collapse, growth, etc.) this time range
will be. So we decided for a positive start
of the future history, that ends aft er two generations
in a collaps in society. This means
we are working on a dystopian project.
future citizens
To get enough empathy for the future, we
need to figure out what kind of humans live
in our future scenario. If we know the future
people, we know what artefacts they could
use in the future.
To get enough empathy for the future, we
need to figure out what kind of humans live
in our future scenario. If we know the future
people, we know what artefacts they could
use in the future.
the core
The Heart of our Project, the main-message
behind every step. In our case its: „We are giving
away the Humanity for Technology“.
This means that future people ( if they go
with our products ) give away all their natural
feelings, emotions, and body reactions in order
to improve self enhacement, with technology.
So in fact, they are giving away humanity
for technology. So now at this point
we defined the Scenario: It plays in a dystopian
Future. We will provide products that
boost self-enhancement with artificial Hormones.
This will end up in Addiction, and
emotional neutralness.
The Heart of our Project, the main-message
behind every step. In our case its: „We are giving
away the Humanity for Technology“.
This means that future people ( if they go
with our products ) give away all their natural
feelings, emotions, and body reactions in order
to improve self enhacement, with technology.
So in fact, they are giving away humanity
for technology. So now at this point
we defined the Scenario: It plays in a dystopian
Future. We will provide products that
boost self-enhancement with artificial Hormones.
This will end up in Addiction, and
emotional neutralness.
*Research
Extract of the brochure
The most time of the Project we spent on
researching the whole Topic, to make it reasonable.
We researched the following Topics:
- Emotions
- Emotional Intelligence
- How hormones aff ect Emotions
- How the body produces hormones
- How hormones work
- Anatomy of the endocrine system
- Brain, neural- and nervsystem
- Direct neural Interfaces
- Floating Tanks
- How the Enviroment stimulates Emotions
- How sense stimulation works
-Epigenetics
In conclusion after research we could tell
that: Artificial Hormones, are a real thing, stimulating
the body in order to produce explicit hormones is also reasonable. Combined with our Scenario, we
were ready to start a fictional company with
Prototypes on a proven background.
researching the whole Topic, to make it reasonable.
We researched the following Topics:
- Emotions
- Emotional Intelligence
- How hormones aff ect Emotions
- How the body produces hormones
- How hormones work
- Anatomy of the endocrine system
- Brain, neural- and nervsystem
- Direct neural Interfaces
- Floating Tanks
- How the Enviroment stimulates Emotions
- How sense stimulation works
-Epigenetics
In conclusion after research we could tell
that: Artificial Hormones, are a real thing, stimulating
the body in order to produce explicit hormones is also reasonable. Combined with our Scenario, we
were ready to start a fictional company with
Prototypes on a proven background.
*Exhibition concept
set up
For the exhibition we decided to present our
Project as a Timeline: With the starting Issue
2020 as Video that leads you to our Product.
Followed by the first Generation of our Prototypes
2030. Then the final Stage 2050. And in
2070 we show a Video again, what happened
to the Customers. Sadly, due to copyright reasons, the videos cant be shown on the website.
The first video showed a reflection of negative emotions, that result out of the existing meritocracy. With this, people can connect, and emphasize.
The second video, then after the usage of the products, showed strong improvement-addicts, who are just a working, empty shell, of a person. They improved so much, that the human factor is gone.
For the exhibition we decided to present our
Project as a Timeline: With the starting Issue
2020 as Video that leads you to our Product.
Followed by the first Generation of our Prototypes
2030. Then the final Stage 2050. And in
2070 we show a Video again, what happened
to the Customers. Sadly, due to copyright reasons, the videos cant be shown on the website.
The first video showed a reflection of negative emotions, that result out of the existing meritocracy. With this, people can connect, and emphasize.
The second video, then after the usage of the products, showed strong improvement-addicts, who are just a working, empty shell, of a person. They improved so much, that the human factor is gone.
*Future artefacts
first and second stage
Alpha, Beta and Cita are the first generation products, their role will play in the year around 2030. Goal behind those, was a slow accession process for the users. As the company provides self improvement through stimulation by artifical hormones, the first generation products should remind the users of things they are already used to.
The second stage, Delta in 2050, is more of a product on its own. Users are already familiar with the service of the indivudal stimulants, but they want to improve even more - now they are ready for a full mind-body program.
Alpha, Beta and Cita are the first generation products, their role will play in the year around 2030. Goal behind those, was a slow accession process for the users. As the company provides self improvement through stimulation by artifical hormones, the first generation products should remind the users of things they are already used to.
The second stage, Delta in 2050, is more of a product on its own. Users are already familiar with the service of the indivudal stimulants, but they want to improve even more - now they are ready for a full mind-body program.
alpha
With the interface, the user is able to spot mental or physical deficits, and is able to define strategic stimuli in order to balance their deficits, and further optimize their self.
With the interface, the user is able to spot mental or physical deficits, and is able to define strategic stimuli in order to balance their deficits, and further optimize their self.
beta
Audiowaves are already a common way to enhance emotions or cognitive abilities. Because humans are already familiar with the medium, beta takes care as a trustworthy cogintitve stimuli.
Audiowaves are already a common way to enhance emotions or cognitive abilities. Because humans are already familiar with the medium, beta takes care as a trustworthy cogintitve stimuli.
cita
Through skin contact with micro dispenseries on the plate and the fog, which comes out of the box, there is the first contaxt with external, aritifical hormones. This artefact marks the transition into the second stage.
Through skin contact with micro dispenseries on the plate and the fog, which comes out of the box, there is the first contaxt with external, aritifical hormones. This artefact marks the transition into the second stage.
delta / second stage
The core innovation of the delta pod lies in its ability to stimulate human epigenetics. Surrounding the user are discreet, high-tech dispensers that release a controlled mix of artificial hormones and biochemical agents into the pod's atmosphere. These agents are designed to mimic and enhance natural processes, promoting optimal gene expression related to stress resilience, cognitive function, physical performance, and overall well-being.
This artifact represents a future where technology and biology are intertwined in the pursuit of self-optimization. It challenges the ethical boundaries of human enhancement, raising questions about the potential consequences of such interventions. By pushing the limits of what is possible with epigenetic manipulation, the Self-Optimization Pod serves as a provocative exploration of how far humanity might go in the quest for perfection.
The core innovation of the delta pod lies in its ability to stimulate human epigenetics. Surrounding the user are discreet, high-tech dispensers that release a controlled mix of artificial hormones and biochemical agents into the pod's atmosphere. These agents are designed to mimic and enhance natural processes, promoting optimal gene expression related to stress resilience, cognitive function, physical performance, and overall well-being.
This artifact represents a future where technology and biology are intertwined in the pursuit of self-optimization. It challenges the ethical boundaries of human enhancement, raising questions about the potential consequences of such interventions. By pushing the limits of what is possible with epigenetic manipulation, the Self-Optimization Pod serves as a provocative exploration of how far humanity might go in the quest for perfection.
*Contracts & Brochures
who is ready?
To receive a feedback of how authentic our
project was, we decided to print out small
contracts for people, to see if the would join
us. They will be available aswell as small brochures
wich provide all the background information
about hormones. Maybe our dystopian
future is closer then we think.
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To receive a feedback of how authentic our
project was, we decided to print out small
contracts for people, to see if the would join
us. They will be available aswell as small brochures
wich provide all the background information
about hormones. Maybe our dystopian
future is closer then we think.
Click through the brochure
*Info
4th semester / Invention 2
Project has been accompanied by:
Maik Groß
Luca Stetter
Project has been accompanied by:
Maik Groß
Luca Stetter
Team consisted of:
Carolina Artavia
Robin Bork
Beatriz Vargas
Simon Widmann
Carolina Artavia
Robin Bork
Beatriz Vargas
Simon Widmann
Robin David Bork
© 2024