Towards a cyber ecology

This essay traces how designers are facilitating an extraordinary, double convergence between the natural and artificial worlds. After centuries of conflict, the reality of the Anthropocene and the urgency of climate change demand that we work at the intersection of our environment and our creations...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Carlo Ratti, Daniele Belleri
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Palermo University Press 2020-12-01
Series:Agathón
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.agathon.it/agathon/article/view/198
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author Carlo Ratti
Daniele Belleri
author_facet Carlo Ratti
Daniele Belleri
author_sort Carlo Ratti
collection DOAJ
description This essay traces how designers are facilitating an extraordinary, double convergence between the natural and artificial worlds. After centuries of conflict, the reality of the Anthropocene and the urgency of climate change demand that we work at the intersection of our environment and our creations. Additionally, the birth of digital technologies and the Internet of Things could give us the tools to manage this interface. The first side of the coin – making the natural world into an artificially-enhanced ‘cyborg’ – has already gained momentum and cultural purchase. The other path – animating the artificial world to make it work in harmony with nature and living things – is a place where we have only just begun to take our first steps. In the design practice CRA – Carlo Ratti Associati’s firsthand work with exhibitions and experiments across the globe, often developed in collaboration with Italo Rota, we have explored two main strategies: animating the artificial with distributed computing or literally incorporating natural elements in design. Our theories are coming from our daily practice, which in turn demands new political, ecological, and evolutionary frameworks to understand the task before us.
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spelling doaj.art-2eb942a30e564ce588cec73b166a95b22022-12-21T21:32:51ZengPalermo University PressAgathón2464-93092532-683X2020-12-01881910.19229/2464-9309/812020198Towards a cyber ecologyCarlo Ratti0Daniele Belleri1Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge (USA)CRA – Carlo Ratti AssociatiThis essay traces how designers are facilitating an extraordinary, double convergence between the natural and artificial worlds. After centuries of conflict, the reality of the Anthropocene and the urgency of climate change demand that we work at the intersection of our environment and our creations. Additionally, the birth of digital technologies and the Internet of Things could give us the tools to manage this interface. The first side of the coin – making the natural world into an artificially-enhanced ‘cyborg’ – has already gained momentum and cultural purchase. The other path – animating the artificial world to make it work in harmony with nature and living things – is a place where we have only just begun to take our first steps. In the design practice CRA – Carlo Ratti Associati’s firsthand work with exhibitions and experiments across the globe, often developed in collaboration with Italo Rota, we have explored two main strategies: animating the artificial with distributed computing or literally incorporating natural elements in design. Our theories are coming from our daily practice, which in turn demands new political, ecological, and evolutionary frameworks to understand the task before us.https://www.agathon.it/agathon/article/view/198biophiliaartificialinternet of thingsanthropocenecarlo ratti associati
spellingShingle Carlo Ratti
Daniele Belleri
Towards a cyber ecology
Agathón
biophilia
artificial
internet of things
anthropocene
carlo ratti associati
title Towards a cyber ecology
title_full Towards a cyber ecology
title_fullStr Towards a cyber ecology
title_full_unstemmed Towards a cyber ecology
title_short Towards a cyber ecology
title_sort towards a cyber ecology
topic biophilia
artificial
internet of things
anthropocene
carlo ratti associati
url https://www.agathon.it/agathon/article/view/198
work_keys_str_mv AT carloratti towardsacyberecology
AT danielebelleri towardsacyberecology