HOW FABRIC CHANGED SOCIETY -FUTURE NARRATIVE- -BY ARJUN ASSA-
How fortunate are we all to be clothed in the darkness of our nakedness? Being able to protect our shamelessness with thousands of delicately woven strands, we are able to walk among others in our warm shells.
Our ancestors had to either kill, enslave, segregate or fight for skin to cover their skin and over time they learnt that violence and control was not the answer and had to find other ways to cover their skins without polluting their souls.
The year is 2041, the world has been repairing itself since the discovery of smart fabrics 25 years ago. Having lived through the early a period of the 21st Century, humanity has been realizing and understanding itself through random periods of trial and error.
At first Digital technology was a discovery for our kind and over time it became an extension of our mental and physical persona. Some were using it for the betterment of mankind whilst others were stuck in its perversion and addiction. This was a new realm we had stumbled onto, embracing a culture that was helpful yet harmful to us.
Then there were the others, I would not like to refer them as the unfortunate, but the resilient ones. Having been victims of society and constrained by political systems throughout the globe, some categorized them as homeless, refugees, in debt or of low class. Their salvation came through the epitome of this period which was the discovery of the smart fabric technology, developed by the University of Nottingham Trent, the technology was developed through the ancient Japanese art of origami folding where scientist’s experimented folding electro-active materials on a microscopic level and realized that the frictional process allowed them to tap into electrical and magnetic energy on a micro scale which on macro scale allowed someone to control the material in whatever way they wanted.
The discovery was put to the test, through various forms of research and development the scientists were able to make the technology work with leap motion and also self fold form to a certain shape based on a set of algorithms from a computing device. The verdict was that the only material that could be used for this kind of technology was certain fibres from fabrics and glass.
The rush had begun, with people trying to invest into glass and fabrics which was of no abundance, the technology was readily available for anyone and everyone. A piece of fabric that could transform at the wave of a hand but yet limited by its structural folding form it could only function as a form of storage, clothing or housing tent.
The products that were developed out of this technology turned out to be interactive in the sense that it was like wearing or having an object that smartly interacted with your surroundings. If you were either lost or needed some form of help the people around you were able to understand your situation and be of service.
This was an opportunity for mankind to reinvent itself into a functionally sustainable society, the resilient ones who had been accepting the old ways of society were introduced with a technology that could help them elevate themselves from their past, they were able to use the smart fabric to house their skin and explain their situation to society through a social tool.
As people in the modern society interacted with the resilient ones, a timeless culture was being awakened where the both sides began realizing the dynamics involved in each other’s lives, the door for clarity was opened and this allowed them to realize their common role in society which was being resourceful to their surroundings. They realized that the skin they look after will be the skin that will make them glow.
`������1�E�
