Telekinetic Spaces

From India to the Planet Mars: A Study of a Case of Somnambulism with Glossolalia by Theodore Flournoy Professor of Psychology at The University of Geneva depicts a number of cases of spiritualist interest, including the account of Mlle. Smith who "really possesses the faculty of telekinesis - the ability to move ponderable objects situated at a distance, without contact and contrary to known natural laws" (1900: 5). Flourney attributed these phenemona to Martians and 'Hindoo fakirs', and as this image shows saw a link between the magically charged environments of India and Mars. Undoubtedly stunts that fascinated credulous spectators were composed of complex strategies and devices to make things appear to move. Yet, oddly enough the idea of telekinesis is now emerging as a technical possibility without arcane assistance.

MRI technologies combined with wirelessness and other brain interfaces present the possibility of environments actually controllable by the mind.

How would it work? New research at Washington University published in Journal of Neural Engineering demonstrates implants on the brain that allow the control of mice controllers (PC World 10 April 2011).Furthermore, the technical aspects of so-called 'mind controlled environments' are already being imagined for 2020 and beyond in gaming (Tech Radar 29 January 2010). Thoughts would be detected and translated into digital code by special interfaces that are bound to become more common and cheaper. Also, mind-controlled exo-skeletons are in development that amount to the same thing as mentally controlled remote objects (Wired 23 April 2010). Also, toys like Mindflex are already available in stores. It seems inevitable that public spaces, which already contain sensors and motion detectors, some even wireless enabled, will become thought-controllable.

What would they look like? Augmented technologies are already being integrated into many small technologies like spectacles and contact lenses. It could be imagined that a brain interface might sit inside a cap or hat of some kind and link to a wireless enabled 'personal server' such as a smart phone. Technologies like the Emotiv Brain Interface certainly are consumer-ready.

What would the travel implications be? The social aspects of mass telekinesis are much more of a challenge to forecast. Infrastructures that interact with large numbers of people would face new demands including the dislocation of proximity to control. For example, queue-jumping would take on new dimensions of complexity as objects like doors, lifts, and gates could potentially be accessed by multiple users from a much further distance.

Communication from a distance is already possible therefore it is not hard to imagine 'invisible' and hands-free conversations through thoughts. But telekinetic communication between people and objects might enhance and improve the control of vehicles, transactions and payments, as well as more ambitious uses including the control of doors and even perhaps traffic flows or bicycle lanes. Even autonomously powered objects might appear to defy physics, floating to their users via invisible thought commands.Blue sky social shifts could include the neglect and perhaps redundancy of speech in favour of thoughts as daily tasks are routinized via telekinesis to privilege this form of activity. Telekinetic environments are augmented reality 2.0 and the tools already exist in principle for this to happen.

Nano-Fibres from Fruit = Pineapple Cars?

Engadget reports on research presented by Dr Alcides Leão from Brazil to the 241st National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) that nano-fibres could be made from fruit 30 March 2011. The new textile would be 30% lighter than carbon fibres, which are currently being used in a range of transport vehicle designs from car bodies to bicycle frames and protective clothing. The nano-fibres have the strength of kevlar and could be used in a wide range of consumer products.

Reaching the Limits of the Web: The Travel Impacts

The Internet protocol version 4 (IPv4) is the enduring system of addresses used to identify and connect devices within the Internet. However, there is concern by many leading experts that the number of IP addresses supported by the IPv4 system is becoming exhausted. When the Internet was conceived it was assumed that 4.3 billion IP addresses would be a sufficient number to meet the needs of the Internet. But given the continued proliferation of devices connected to the Internet, the pool of IPv4 addresses could reach its limit by November 2011 (BBC, 13/01/11).

An alternative Internet protocol has been developed, the Internet protocol version 6 (IPv6). This protocol has the capacity for 340 undecillion (340 followed by 36 zeros) IP addresses (Star Telegram, 4/02/11). Having a vast number of IP addresses at our disposal will mean many more everyday devices, at home and at work, can have their own unique IP address resulting in a much more secure, robust and effective connection and communication within an ever diffuse web (see IPv6.com). Such developments could have a massive impact on social and business practices that could change our current travel patterns significantly.

However, before we begin to speculate on how enhanced communication between devices can shape practices and travel, there are number of pressing technical challenges to implementing IPv6 on a global scale that could have more impending impacts on travel demand. Importantly, many devices, such as older modems and network cards, were not designed to read IPv6. There is a danger that large parts of the Internet will become incompatible with each other and therefore cause widespread communications disruptions. This challenge could be overcome by a global scale switch or re-configuration of all devices and websites from IPv4 to IPv6, although the practical complications of implementing a switch on this scale make it an unlikely option. It is much more likely that the switch will be chaotic and piecemeal (BBC, 11/11/10).

Global scale Internet disruptions could have a large, if short term, impact on travel demand. The Internet, after all, is fast becoming an essential part of the social and business practices which underpin travel demand. For example, how might important documents be sent if there is a disruption to email services? It is probable that important documents would be sent physically and thus increase demand for postal services in the short term, a service that relies on the movement of bodies and objects through physical space. How might business to business online communications systems cope with Internet disruption? If disruptions persisted, a real possibility according to Internet pioneer Vint Serf (BBC, 11/11/10), companies may change their procurement strategies, vertically integrating supply chains to become more resilient. Such developments could substantially alter the travel landscape within and between countries.