N°091 - Imagine As Hard As Philip K. Dick with Tobias Revell

Tobias and I have a tidy morning/evening conversation that revolves around the impact of Philip K. Dick's science fiction, particularly how his imaginative devices influence modern technological narratives. We talk about the ways he refers to and anticipates AI and other artifacts, of course there's a deep dive into the significance of the Minority Report's gestural interface created for the 2001 film adaptation, and how it has influenced real-world technological advancements. What prompted this discussion was the recent release of the book Towards the Realm of Materiality: Designing Philip K. Dick's Non-Existing Technologies and Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, the PKD book from an "adjacent now." The question I have is this: what methods can be adopted in order to operationalize these science fiction themes into practical realities, with the aim of constructing a more habitable world using advanced design and speculative concepts. Please consider supporting the podcast and joining the Near Future Laboratory community over on Patreon! Exploring AI Imaginaries and Future Speculations In this episode, we discuss the continuation of the AI magazine project and the upcoming season of the Super Seminar series. And then we jump into discussing the book in which Tobias has an essay about the philosophy and conceptualization of technology in Philip K. Dick's works, particularly focusing on the adaptive nature of everyday technology. We get into the production design and cultural impact of the 2001 film "Minority Report", based on the 1956 (!) PKD novella of the same name, emphasizing how media can shape and influence technological advancements. 00:00 Introduction and Recap 01:53 Discussion on AI and Philip K. Dick 05:17 Minority Report and Technological Vernacular 11:25 Speculative Design and Future Technologies 16:44 Cultural Impact and Future Visions 25:03 Breeze Punk and Green Transition