“Resistance is Futile”: Reading Science Fiction Alongside Ubiquitous Computing

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• Mark Blythe, University of York
• Thursday 07 August 2008, 11:00-12:30
• The Courtyard, William Gates Building.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Alan Blackwell.

We will be discussing a draft manuscript from Paul Dourish and Genevieve Bell that is currently under review.

The draft manuscript is temporarily online at: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~afb21/tmp/puc-scifi-draft.pdf

Draft abstract: Design-oriented research is an act of collective imagining – a way in which we work together to bring about a future that lies slightly out of our grasp. In this paper, we examine the collective imagining of ubiquitous computing by bringing it into alignment with a related phenomenon, science fiction, in particular as imagined by a series of shows that form part of the cultural backdrop for many members of the research community. A comparative reading of these fictional narratives highlights a series of themes that are also implicit in the research literature. We argue both that these themes are important considerations in the shaping of technological design, and that an attention to the tropes of popular culture holds methodological value for ubiquitous computing.

Rubric for the reading group: Everyone attending is expected to read the paper in advance. Please bring a copy with you, preferably annotated with interesting reflections. The format of discussion will be a brief invited introduction/critique by two members of the group, followed by general discussion and informal mixing.

This talk is part of the Crucible/Microsoft HCI Reading Group series.

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