Derek,
I agree with you. We put meaning on things; the meaning isn't in the
thing itself.
I would note that SF authors (like Benford) have been using this idea
for decades: whenever they deal with the far future or alien cultures,
there's always (in good SF, at least) a sense in which the human
"explorers" (or whatever) embed meaning into alien things that the
aliens themselves don't see and usually never even considered.
The SF of Iain M Banks is a great example of modern SF in which
meaning and context are both fundamental. See
http://www.iain-banks.net/ for more info.
Cheers.
Fil
On 27 March 2011 13:26, Derek B. Miller <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Dear all,
>
> Thank you very much for the material, including files that were attached in direct notes to me.
>
> Any project can, of course, be a catalyst for many conversations. My own interest, for the moment, is less on the question of theme (waste disposal) or imagining possible futures. Rather, there is a discussion afoot about the ability of objects to "communicate."
>
> I believe they cannot once we strip away the very sets of premises, practices and meanings we attribute to the objects in our discourse. I am therefore one unconvinced that a "speed bump speaks" or that "morality is embedded in objects."
>
> I think this project (though I have still not read the material sent to me, so I'll hedge here) is a fascinating one that challenges the very presumption that we can "embed" meaning in objects rather than create objects of meaning as instances in a discourse.
>
> It also forces one to reconsider archeology. If objects could speak (metaphorically) and their moral implications were embedded in them, we'd be looking at quite a different field of study there.
>
> So I'm interested in reflecting on this project in light of that claim.
>
> And I haven't done it yet. This is where the internet militates against reflection and thought …
>
> Thank you so much for your collective memory, which is powerful!
>
> (and where the internet is a joy of joys).
>
> Derek
> _________________
> Dr. Derek B. Miller
> Director
>
> The Policy Lab
> 321 Columbus Ave.
> Seventh Floor of the Electric Carriage House
> Boston, MA 02116
> United States of America
>
> Phone
> +1 617 440 4409
> Twitter
> @Policylabtweets
> Web
> www.thepolicylab.org
>
> On Sunday, March 27, 2011 at 6:41 PM, Filippo A. Salustri wrote:
>> The URL for the Sebeok report is
>> http://www.osti.gov/bridge/product.biblio.jsp?osti_id=6705990
>> Cheers.
>> Fil
>>
>> On 27 March 2011 10:04, Harold Nelson <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> > Hi Derek
>> >
>> > I first came across this article many years ago which led to my giving the challenge to design students in different countries (architects to HCI) over the past few decades. The technical report is:
>> >
>> > Communication Measures to Bridge Ten Millennia, Thomas A. Sebeok of Research Center for Language and Semiotic Studies, Indiana University
>> > Prepared for Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation, Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus OH, April 1984
>> > BMI/ONWI-532
>> > Distribution Category UC-70
>> >
>> > I would ask the students to do a timeline covering the past ten millennia before thinking about how to imagine the next ten. Reactions and responses from the students have covered a broad spectrum over the years.
>> >
>> > Regards
>> >
>> > Harold
>> > [...]
>>
>>
>> --
>> Filippo A. Salustri, Ph.D., P.Eng.
>> Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
>> Ryerson University
>> 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON
>> M5B 2K3, Canada
>> Tel: 416/979-5000 ext 7749
>> Fax: 416/979-5265
>> Email: [log in to unmask]
>> http://deseng.ryerson.ca/~fil/
>>
>
--
Filippo A. Salustri, Ph.D., P.Eng.
Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Ryerson University
350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON
M5B 2K3, Canada
Tel: 416/979-5000 ext 7749
Fax: 416/979-5265
Email: [log in to unmask]
http://deseng.ryerson.ca/~fil/
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