IDS 301 Blog

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Being More Chill With Cyborgs (mini analysis)

I’ve recently noticed that one of my favorite musical “Be More Chill” actually contains some cybernetics. Specifically the concept of Kubernetes and Gubernetes. 

The musical revolves around Jeremy Heere, a high school student who is often called a “loser.” Sick of being unpopular he decides to take a pill that contains a super computer known as a SQUIP. 

This relationship between Jeremy and the SQUIP is actually a cybernetic system. The components pf this system include the SQUIP and Jeremy. The function of the SQUIP is to tell Jeremy what to do in order to “be more chill.” Jeremy simply has to obey and execute the SQUIP’s instructions. The overall goal of this system is to make Jeremy popular.

It quickly becomes apparent that this system follows Gubernetes. At first, when Jeremy takes the SQUIP he tries to show autonomy in the situation, not initally following its instructions. However, Jeremy is swiftly told that “you can’t just listen. You have to obey.” Jeremy then willingly does whatever the SQUIP says, even “SQUIPing” the entire school in order to make Jeremy popular. Jeremy doe eventually end up resisting and gets rid of the governing super computer.

I personally find it interesting how these topics in class come up.

[danmonstersrobotscyborgs]

Started playing a new game

I recently started playing a Ratchet and Clack and already I’m seeing things discussed in class. I find it cool seeing how things from class are sneaking their way into real life things

[danmonstersrobotscyborgs]

The monstrous and HP Lovecraft

HP Lovecraft is one of my favorite authors. I enjoy reading his stories and thinking about the lore of each creature. One of my main goals I had was to figure out how the monstrous applies to Lovecraft. After some thinking, I believe that these creatures are monstrous due to a multitude of reasons, all of which end up transgressing boundaries of our system of order.

Things such as they’re appearance, unknown and grotesque faces that we can’t comprehend, they’re goals (for some beings) is to end humanity and out into complete chaos (dirt), and their overall existence. These creatures are ambiguous and unknown (like the honey example in Purity and Danger). 

As a result, due to their monstrous appearance, goal of ending systems of order, and their overall ambiguity, makes them monsters.

[danmonstersrobotscyborgs]

Cybernetic pondering

Recently I was thinking about cybernetics and rivalry between the autonomous Kubernetes, and the governing Gubernetes. Most cybernetic texts I have seen such as “The Matrix” and “Star Trek First Contact” tend to focus on Gubernetes than they do Kubernetes. Why is that? 

My answer to that question is that the fear of cybernetics is not only the destruction of the boundary between the human and the machine but also the fear that we may not be in control of ourselves within a system. To me, the perfect scene of Gubernetes is when the components of a cybernetic system aren't aware that they are being governed and controlled. This provides us with a  fear that right now, we are being controlled by something we aren't even aware of. Thinking that we are executing Kubernetes. Repressing the idea that we are actually following Gubernetes, but Gubernetes coming back to us as an uncanny fear.

[danmonstersrobotscyborgs]

Monstrous thinking

After class today I was thinking about monsters and how I’ve only talked about monsters a total of 1 time in this blog...THIS SHALL NOT STAND!!!

I’ve been recently going back to watching old 90′s anime. One of the shows I was reminiscing about was the show Digimon (shorthand for digital monsters). Despite these creatures being called monsters, I’m starting to think that perhaps the humans are considered to be monsters. We see the humans being thrusted into the digital world where a whole new system of order exists. However, upon closer analysis we can see the human characters transgressing the boundaries of this new world. Perhaps their called digital monsters because they don’t conform to our system of order. They are mostly mixes of animals and plants. However, in their world...perhaps we are the monsters?

[danmonstersrobotscyborgs]

Meme

I Don’t know. He has elements of both 

[danmonstersrobotscyborgs]

Star Fox 64 and it’s Cybernetic Systems (mini analysis)

Cyborgs are an example of a figure that tends to give people anxieties. The anxiety of cyborgs arises from the question of autonomy and control. In a cybernetic system, we wonder if we are even in control of ourselves. We wonder if the goals the system is trying to achieve are our own, or the goal of  some other component. As a result we feel a sense of anxiety with the concept of cyborgs and cybernetics in general. 

The concept of the cyborg and it’s associated anxieties appears in a multitude of media and texts. One such example is the Nintendo 64 game Star Fox 64. The main characters in this game can be considered autonomous cyborgs. However, Unbenounced to the main characters of the game, they are actually experiencing the same exact anxiety that arises as a result of cybernetics. 

In this game we control a team of space pilots who fly plane-like machines called “Arwings.”  Already, we see an example of a cybernetic system. The components being, the pilot, and the arwing. The function of the pilot is to control the arwing, and the function of the arwing is to simply fly. With these functions, this system can achieve the simple goal of getting from point A to point B. Making their operation of the arwing a cybernetic system.

These pilots also have mechanical parts surgically implanted into them. For example, their legs are actually robotic, extending the notion that the pilots are in fact cyborgs. The components being, their bodies and their robotic legs. The function of the body is to use their eyes as feedback mechanisms to sense the surrounding area and using the brain to communicate to the robotic legs to perform their function of motor skills. The goal being presented here, similar to the previously stated goal, is to go from point A to point B.

Despite the pilots being autonomous cyborgs, there exists one cybernetic system that inhibits their autonomy. Before the start of every mission you are ordered by a character named “General Pepper” to achieve specific goals in the selected stage. This interferes with the pilots autonomy, their kubernetes. This other part of a bigger cybernetic system governs the actions of the pilots. As a result, turning their autonomy of kubernetes, into the governing and controlling gubernetes. 

[danmonstersrobotscyborgs]

Dystopians and cybernetics

I was thinking about the material we did in class today. I was thinking and I believe that the dystopian worlds of 1984, The Giver, and so on could all be considered cybernetic systems. The higher ups (Big Brother), set the goals that characters (the functions) must follow. Through the use of propaganda (feedback), they follow big brother’s control without question. It appears that distopias follow the gubernetes side of cybernetics.

[danmonstersrobotscyborgs]

Night in the Woods, boundaries  and transgressions

I’ve been playing a game called Night in The Woods. It is honesty my favorite game of all time. It involves a character returning home from college and trying to readjust to the small town life. As a result, the character transgresses a lot of boundaries in throughout the small town and it eventually leads to an unraveling story and a cult even. I was wondering if the character if the character is monstrous in a way.

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The Desolate Hope

I recently started playing an old game called “The Desolate Hope.” The game involves the player trying to eliminate virus’ from various robots. The function that each robot has is interesting. One tries to emulate and understand human morals. One tries to rebuild humanity through experimentation, one tries to make humanity sustain life on a foreign planet, and the other one unleashes human creativity through the making of toys. It’s interesting to see each of the robots perspective’s on life.