Seeing Leon's idea for a suburban zip-up black-suit made me realize (once again) how media-focused my ideas are. His was clearly personal, about our society, about himself. My ideas examine media and its impact on society, but are never personal. I'm not currently focusing on my sister's death, or the places I have lived, or on my past anorexia, but on an aspect of wireless communication. I focus on visualizing the invisible data that flows around us, and trying to imagine what it would be like if this invisible data was intertwined with the invisible data we already trade with plants by breathing. Its not personal, its more fanciful than important, and when I saw Leon's idea I felt like it was a lesser idea for that. I talk about making technological work accessible to the massers, and then choose an incredibly abstract and technology-focused concept.

Still, I find the infobreath idea exciting, especially if I can eventually flesh it out into an experiential theysaysmall world, but should think more about personal ideas I can spin into creations: life as an outsider is the only one that comes immediately to mind, the freedom a psuedo-life abroad gives me. On the other hand, focusing on the media is essential at these nascent stages of development.

In Lisa's presentation the concept of "More random" came up. Can something be "more random" than something else? In this relativist world of grey areas, random is the one absolute. It either is or is not. This guy evidently feels randomness can increase, but then, he is using Genesis to explain away evolution.

Hmm, but what of outliers? A neat y=mx+b that begins to splinter into a non-pattern as more data points turn out not to align so nicely? Is that graph getting more random?

I am not going to answer that; instead I'll point you to these videos of Brian Greene on Quantum Mechanics.

Teri and Bo brought up some great thoughts on the perennial new versus good question: Make the familiar seem new. Bring a new context that can allow reflection; don't just add on novelty like a feature or decoration.

Space imposes its relativity of spacetime. Hmm?

And Peter rocked the house with his kooky contraptions and cheesecake mugging. Can't say exactly why. Not deep or anything; just immediately enticing. And evidently so immediately enticing that Teri suggested he tone down the concept angle.

Rachelle introduced us to saints, including St. Catherine of Bologna, who said:

Although Catherine of Bologna was very strict with herself, she did not demand that the other sisters match her standards. There were three practical rules that she gave them: 1. Always speak well of people. 2. Practice humility constantly. 3. Never meddle in the business of others.