The Ludic Loop

Humans. Behaviour. Art. Addiction. Persuasion.

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La Línea Roja by Nicolas Rivals

A red line woven over a journey through Spain, to connect Man with nature

https://www.behance.net/gallery/45400361/La-Linea-Roja

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“We are on the edge of change comparable to the rise of human life on Earth”

- Vernor Vinge

Why exponential increases in computing power mean we could be on the brink of an incomprehensible god-like AI:

http://waitbutwhy.com/2015/01/artificial-intelligence-revolution-1.html

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Population through incarceration

Noam Chomsky

Why are so many Americans in prison? 

In 2008 the US had around 25% of the world's 9.8 million prisoners, with approximately one in every 31 adults (7.3 million) behind bars or being monitored (probation and parole).

The war on drugs is only partly to blame. Even when the percentage of drug offenders among the state prison population was at its peak, about four out of every five people were there for non-drug offences.

A new theory suggests it’s more to do with hard-line attitudes and political independence of the District Attorney:

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/crime/2015/02/mass_incarceration_a_provocative_new_theory_for_why_so_many_americans_are.html

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Engineering addiction

Technology built for slot machines has found admirers in Silicon Valley

Consider the sort of behavioural data that can be collected by a slot machine. Imagine what happens when data from a network of 1000s of machines is used to optimise play for maximum addiction.