Data — tumor.
The project; Data — tumor, is a fictional story about what communication might look like in the future. Written language no longer predominates. The future has a more natural and more personal way of communicating; the exchange of bacteria.
The start of this project was launched by a question; ‘What if there was no written language?’. The goal of it was; to critically look at, and question our current way of life and communication, and give a radical answer to this. Based on existing scientific research, my fellow students and friends Bas van der Burgh, Dennis Wuisman, Joost Roelen and I fantasized about new possibilities and what these would mean for our society.
We answered with a fictional story based on three scientific findings.
Harvard scientists encode a movie in bacterial DNA.
Left: Original image, Right: Image reconstructed from bacteria.
Bacterial storage.
Bacteria are used by animals to spread and obtain certain information.
Hyenas for example use this way of communication to share information about their health, status and sex. Bacteria will soon also integrate, more then before, in our daily lives. Scientist developed a new way of data storage. 1 gram of bacteria has a storage capacity of 900 TB.
The printable organ.
Printable organs become more and more real to us. Research is currently being conducted on artificial heart, kidney, and liver structures as well as other major organs. A prediction is made that we can grow our own organs within the next 5 years.
Brain mapping and stimulation.
The Brain Dictionary translates brain activity / waves into words or image. At the moment scientist using this technique, could tell you almost exactly what you have been dreaming off.
Next to that, there also research been done on stimulating brain activity in order to learn quicker. In a test they were able to teach someone to shoot bow on a professional level, in under 3 hours. They were able to do this by stimulating the same regions in the brain that become active by a professional bow shooter just before a perfect shot is fired.
These findings came to getter in a ‘Date — Tumor’. A mass produced positive swelling, that can easily be implanted in the human body. Based in the neck and connected to the brainstem, which is connected to all parts of the brain and body. The ideal place for a data-transfer centre. There, it develops into a centre that is able to engulf and cast out the bacteria of choice.
With this our lives are approaching a pleasant twist. One that will change our lifestyle in a very favourable way. Our ways of sharing and consumption of date will take an enormous acceleration. Difficult skills like speaking a language or operating a helicopter take minutes rather then months or years. Learning, or more so, knowing because of others experience rather then reading endless texts.
For the first time in history it is possible to exchange true emotion and memories. Therefore we’ll experience true empathy. Generation gaps close and different cultures will grow towards each other.
Impersonal communication like emails will make place for real life social interaction, so that we can pursue this to confluence in the most human way.
