The recursive loop in work

Posted by Manuel on February 15th, 2012 - Follow me on Twitter and Google+

In nature information and support are the same. We see beauty and romantic landscapes in a forest or a tree. But a tree is a tree, it’s the story and the support.

A rock or a plant are just two entities of organized data. The rock is random chaotic amount of atoms, its functionality is basic. The plant is organized. Its fractal computing functions are way more complex than the rock. It breathes, it transforms molecules and data in other forms of molecules and data. The plant is auto-optimized, it grows and changes its data arrangement and its computing functions by itself.

Like nature’s super-computer we want to harness this power of data arrangement. Technology evolves until we reach this nature-like feeling, until our content is delivered in the most natural way. That’s why the content and the support are slowly merging. Art is not so much about the message but how the message is conveyed and how the platform resonates with the message.

James Cameron movies are great examples. His success is not random. He understands that the story and the technology have come to a resonance. Aliens was one of the last movie to use complex mechanical puppets and almost no CGI – the end scene is a battle between a super-mechanical tool and the alien. Abyss is underwater and was about pushing forward this water-like CGI technology. Avatar is about entering another world in another skin and was also about immersing the viewer into a never seen before 3D cinematography.

There is this idea of recursivity. This is the path that brings the content and the platform together. How can the content enhance the platform? How can the platform enhance the content? How can my work enhance my work?

It’s recursive, like fractal patterns in nature. Most of my work becomes shaping my work, creating functions that will allow me to create functions, etc… And it’s not only the work of a developer. Any work can be optimized. It seems natural after all: we live experiences that open possibilities and make us grow to live other experiences. There is no reason to think of our work as being a linear list of tasks. It’s more. Find how to optimize your work and concentrate on that. The rest will follow.

What is the recursive loop in your work?

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  • Mitchell Roth

    Very insightful commentary! I have worked with children with autism for over 10 years now, and even today they still continue to teach me that the way we view the world is very personal and not black and white as I imagine is the default conclusion for most people is, i.e. the way I see the world is the way the next person sees it as well. Since there is limited of verbal communication between the child and me, it takes a genuine mental effort to gain a correct understanding of their wants and needs and perspective. I suppose the loop would be continually getting a quicker and more thorough understanding of the individuals actions. I imagine it would be the same loop for any work  involving two or more individuals.

  • http://twitter.com/Rogue_Priest Drew Jacob

    I don’t view trees or nature as data. Yes they follow natural laws to end up in an organized way. But data implies information. I think none of it is information on its own, it only becomes information when subjectively viewed by human brains (or other animals).

    The difference between data and matter is significant to me. I have friends who claim consciousness has been explained because the basics of data processing in the brain have been explained. But all we’ve explained is the structure of electrical impulses rubbing together in a big meat bath. How the heck that becomes subjective experience is, to me, a different issue.