Message-Id: <3.0.3.32.19980326213549.0079b8d0@pop.netaddress.com>
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 1998 21:35:49 +0100
To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
From: Josip Pajk <j.p.pajk@usa.net>
Subject: Virtual? reality
In-Reply-To: <v03102804b14028c8c150@[194.109.13.153]>
>This may be off the mark altogether, but Virtual Reality originally had
>very little to do with computers. The term comes from research into remote
>control in hazardous situations - done in the early eighties - which
>yielded a quite surprizing result, namely that if two or three senses are
>"fooled" simultaneously, our mind is tricked into believing we are actually
>at the remote site, even though we "know" that's not really the case.
>
>Ton
>
Remote control also relies on substantial real machinery needed for the
transmission of real environmental data to the control post for "fooling"
the senses of the operator. This data also can be produced "from scratches"
by a computer program simulating visual, audio and even motion effects
(accelerations) like in those "space" simulators that on fairs scares
people for five minutes, and they pay for it (I was realy scared but my
3-year old daughter was not).
I`m not arguing with the possibility of "fooling" the senses (feelings) of
people, but I do not see anything "virtual" in it. It is as much virtual as
when someone cries when reading a book or watching a movie.
When you address something as "virtual reality" you presume that in this
reality you will find a refrigerator with a virtual coke to ease your
?virtual? thirstiness.
"Virtual reality" is an excellent example of our present "engineering"
capabilities. We manage to produce something that only looks like something
else but is "good enough" for us for assigning to it a big name like "Yes,
this is it. This is Virtual Reality".
Josip
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