<nettime> FW: Nanocelebrities Dance on Head of Pin

[Bruce Sterling <bruces@well.com>]

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from: "futurefeedforward" <fff@futurefeedforward.com>
date: Sun, 13 Jan 2002 21:40:07 -0800
to: <bruces@well.com>
subject: Nanocelebrities Dance on Head of Pin

June 3, 2046

Nanocelebrities Dance on Head of Pin

CAMBRIDGE--Researchers at the MIT Media Lab announced Friday the successful
construction of a nano-scale "boy band" capable of performing complex,
synchronized dance routines on the head of a pin.  "Creating [the band] was
part of a larger, long-term effort here at the Lab to humanize nano-scale
user interfaces," notes Professor Ambrose Stone, director of the research
team.  "[The band] will act as goodwill ambassadors from the world of
ubiquitous [nano-electro-mechanical devices]."

    The band, known as "5-N-Love," consists of five autonomous, nanoscopic
animatrons, each equipped with full-range, posable bucky-ball-and-socket
joints, a quantum-computational "nervous system," and a signature hairstyle.
"Beau is the cute one," explains Professor Stone, "while Jack's a little
more mysterious, a little 'dangerous.'"

    Each of the "5" are driven by evolved personality algorithms maintained
on a portable server.  "The real challenge was to develop a wireless
technology that would enable nano-macro interactions," notes Stone.  "We
wanted fairly robust behavioral models, more robust than could be
accommodated in the boys themselves, so we had to devise a special
personality server to make sure that Steve could be consistently and
believably dreamy and that Jack would be complex enough to make it through
rehab if he needs to.  AI like that just can't be done on their scale, at
least not yet."

    The team, though, is careful to point out that the project isn't all
nuts-and-bolts.  "Sure, we're proud of the technical feat, but that's only
half of what we're doing," explains Ivan Sulk, leader of the team
responsible for designing the band's outfits and choreography.  "This is
also a feat of cultural engineering.  One of our goals, for example, is to
test the Skolm-Jennings Miniaturization-Affect hypothesis, which links
cuteness to miniaturization.  What we've done with 5-N-Love really lends
empirical support to their work because, well, Beau is just so damn cute.
We'll know for sure once we see how high they chart."

    On the strength of heavy rotation on two of the major-labels, the band's
first single "All your kisses are belong to us" seems to be doing quite well
during it's first week, charting within the top quintile of new releases.
"This isn't just about dancing and singing humanoid nanobots," exclaims
Professor Stone.  "This is about making nanobots cool and popular, about
giving them a familiar, human face that puts people at ease and gets them
excited for some good pop music."

    Performing on their pin-head stage during the shooting of their first
video, the band was relaxed and confident.  "Hey, we've got flash," noted
Steve.

    "Yeah, we sparkle," Beau joined in.

    Nick, modeled after the Lab's Director Emeritus Nicholas Negroponte, was
more circumspect.  "We've got a chance, but we're still atomic," opined the
sequin-panted tenor.  "If we put in some hard work, though, and have a
little bit of luck, we can be big, real big."

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