About this blog
If, as predicted by Ray Kurzweil and others, most interpersonal interactions will by mid-century occur in virtual environments, we need to understand the psychological and cultural implications for education, business, governance, and for society overall.Taking its title from the J.G. Ballard novel of that name, the Unlimited Dream Company is an in-world research and discussion group for those interested in the ways in which technology shapes psychology in virtual worlds--and, in particular, those who believe that immersive 3D worlds have become a medium par excellence for thought experiment and personal transformation, whether intended by its 'residents' or not.
You are encouraged to read the introductory statement and About page before reading individual articles.
This blog was launched on 28th December 2010.
Monthly Archives: May 2011
VEHICLEISTS VERSUS ARCHITECTURALISTS: AN ALLEGORY
‘VEHICLEISTS VERSUS ARCHITECTURALISTS’: AN ALLEGORY. When I read Henrick Bennetson’s essay ‘augmentation versus immersion’, I started playing around in my mind with an allegorical tale, involving two schools of thought developing around Legos. Imagine there was a group of people … Continue reading
FACEBOOK FAKE? OR FACEBOOK FICTION?
According to Wagner James Au, Facebook has deleted hundreds of his friends’ accounts. What all these deleted accounts have in common, apparently, is that they are Facebook accounts of avatars, rather than human beings. I say ‘apparently’ because Au wrote … Continue reading
Will you be my friend?
Still very busy in my real working life, I’ve no time to write a long piece, so the following should be read as perhaps no more than a footnote to an earlier post on online friendships. Less than 24 hours … Continue reading
Augmentationism, Immersionism, and other theological dilemmas
The Lord’s Prayer I first heard the Second Life Lord’s Prayer in probably early-to-mid 2008 somewhere in, if my memory serves me well, the steampunk sims of Caledon. I was at that time curious as to why it was Philip … Continue reading
OBSOLETING THE UPLOAD DILEMMA
INTRODUCTION “Who are you”? is a question we like to ask on this blog. It also happens to be a question transhumanists like to explore. Nowhere is this more apparent than in discussions surrounding the concept of ‘mind uploading’. For … Continue reading
The Unlimited Dream Company 