Eating alone is something that I am very experienced with. I do not enjoy it, I despise it, and I would hope that by 2040 there would be options to make things easier. I speculate that in the year 2040, with the seamless integration of technology into people’s lives, it will be all too easy to rely on social media like apps to meet strangers or talk to friends through the digital space while eating alone. I speculate that in the year 2040, people will feel a longing for the physical. To remove oneself from the digital realm and situate solely in the physical space without digital distraction, is something that seems refreshing and wild even today. I speculate that by 2040, this would only be amplified tenfold.

Initially I wanted to create something subtle and useful, along the lines of the spoon concept presented during one of the initial lectures. I wanted to design a sort of flashing beacon you could use to tell people that you were open and willing for a chat in the public space. I thought that a sticky beacon you could attach to your bowl could be a good idea. Upon consultation with Kate, she opened my mind to the potential for playfulness and excitement in speculative prototype’s. In a future of technological innovation and environmental issues, an object that solves a problem in a playful, engaging and physical way will probably be a tantalising concept.

I sought to create a bowl that someone can use to grab people’s attention in a playful and engaging manor to signal that they are open to conversation.

I began by constructing prototypes with paper. All were focused around a bowl with something that could pop up and signal that you were open to conversation. Following the paper prototypes, I realised that I may as well use a real bowl because paper is never going to be a substitute for the real thing.

I initially experimented with placing a smaller bowl inside of a larger one. This excess space created in the interior provides room to conceal the added components the bowl needs for its dramatic signal. Although this works, I felt it was missing something, it was abit bare and not playful enough.

 

In searching for materials, I stumbled upon what is actually a sun visor. I picked it up because it looked futuristic but it became a solid part of my prototype. I went through a couple of iterations with this, and eventually settled with the final prototype. I went with the name “Converti-bowl” as the nature of the visor means it can be converted into 3 distinct modes each with their own specific function. The name also sounds like “Convertible” when pronounced which emphasises the playful nature of the product.

The first mode is to be used when eating alone and have no desire to attract attention.

 

Under the second mode, the UV visor can both signal that you want to be left alone, while also shielding your food from the harsh outdoor weather environment of 2040.

Under the third mode, or “Peacock” mode you can unveil your dramatic colours and signal to the world that you are open and ready for conversation. If you find a suitable partner, your bowl can simply be retracted down again to have a meal together.

The Converti-bowl therefore provides a physical disruption amidst a highly digital landscape.

References-

– All of the images are my own

Bill Ormonde was born in 1992, and although he is a similar age, he grew up in a different state of the country, therefore it is interesting to note the different ways in which individuals can engage with technology over a similar time period, and in particular during education.

When asked about how computers have changed over the course of his lifetime, he noted that “As a kid, computers were used sparingly in primary school as a tool for educational games. They seemed like an indulgence or something fun to do, rather than we were actually learning.” I found this to be an interesting point, as I have no awareness or knowledge of how kids are using technology in primary schools these days. Are they integrated more than when we were kids, and what purpose will computers in particular serve in the future for education in young learners?

This was compounded by the mention of the educational laptops that the NSW government rolled out when he was in high school. He mentioned that “using those in class wasn’t particularly educational, we were just constantly looking for ways to hack them and play games with them.” This highlights a viewpoint that computers and technology, atleast a couple of years ago, weren’t integrated very well into educational systems. My experience with these laptops was much the same.

When asked about his relationship with technology has changed over time, he mentions that “Although technology in general has gotten smaller, I’m not doing anything drastically different with computers than when I was a kid.” This is an interesting point, as when compared to the uses of computers when they were first introduced, the use of the traditional desktop computers and laptops hasn’t changed a great deal in the past 15-20 years.

When asked about where he sees the role of digital technology heading towards in 2040, he mirrors the common assumption that “there will be a continual reduction in size of devices” and further attempts to “streamline them into our lives”.  In regard to the role of the traditional computer “I’m not sure how that’s going to fare. The iMac is already very thin, not that this even matters when it’s on a desk… Portability from a laptop is nice, but I’m always going to want a big screen to do more intensive things with.”

Employing the method of backcasting, I thought it would be interesting to note the thoughts surrounding computers in education during the pre-1990’s and the evolution of the internet.

“An Apple IIe computer being used in a middle school classroom in 1984.”

Interestingly, the discussion is much the same as the concerns and issue’s that Bill experienced during his education. The role of computers in education in 1975 was discussed as “an emerging tech­nology with great promise for instruction. Now, however, it is recog­nized that achieving that promise will require time, considerable experi­mentation, and a great deal of research and development.” (Huxel, G 1975)

With Bill’s sentiments, and my own experiences of the role of technology in particularly early education, it seems like the 20-30 years between the 70’s and the early 2000’s wasn’t enough time to properly engage technology in education. With this rate of change, it is difficult to ascertain what the role of technology in education will be in the future 2040. Perhaps it will be not too different from today.

References-

HUXEL, G  “A STUDY OF THE FUTURE IMPLICATIONS OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY FOR HIGHER EDUCATION”. George Henry Huxel, The Florida State University, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 1975. 7526786.

Image-

https://timeline.com/apple-kids-cant-wait-2792d326aa31

https://hubpages.com/education/Advances-in-Technology-and-Its-Effects-on-Education

How will a shift in diets over the next decades affect food production induced climate change? Research has presented that the biggest driver of increased food demand into the future will be the diets of the worlds growing middle class. It’s estimated that from now to 2050, “40 percent of the world’s population—more than 3 billion people—will transition to a diet heavier in meat, eggs, and dairy. By mid-century, annual greenhouse gas emissions from food production and clearing of new land for agriculture will be 80 percent higher than in 2009. (Tilman, 2011) The effects of farming and food production on climate change is well studied and estimated to be responsible for “up to 30% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, about 70% of freshwater use, and occupies more than one-third of all potentially cultivatable land.” (Aleksandrowicz, 2016)

 

“We suggest that the observed relationships between per capita crop use and per capita real GDP (Fig. 1) provide a means of forecasting future crop demand.” (Tillman, 2011) 

In a world where the presence of veganism and vegetarianism is constantly growing, especially within the middle class, these statistics were surprising to me. However, it seems that the bulk of growth into middle class will be fuelled by increases in “rates for developing nations being greater than developed nations” (Tilman, 2011) But why them, does an increase in the world’s middle class signal an increase in need for meat, eggs and dairy?

“Since everyone must eat, what we eat becomes a most powerful symbol of who we are.” (Fox, 2014 p.2) Food is “a system of communication, a body of images, a protocol of usages, situations, and behaviour.” (Barthes, 1997) Food, then, becomes a powerful signal for the individual’s increase in social ranking.

“Foreign foods tend to be shunned by the working classes, but among the upper-middle and upper they become items of prestige.” (Fox, 2014 p.4) A case in point can be made for India, whose vegetarianism has been gradually becoming less strict over the past 30 years”(Khara, T), and will overtake China as the world’s most populous country by 2024. (Chamie, J) India is “rapidly changing from an agricultural society to an industrial economy with a surging urban population. This is driving the fastest-growing poultry market in the world, as cultural norms change and eating meat becomes a status symbol.” “Only about three in ten Indians now claim to be vegetarian, and a 2016 national survey found that more than half of people aged between 15 and 34 eat meat.” (Khara, T)

Therefore, with the most rapid growth in world population and GDP coming from developing nations whose population is growing in social ranking, it is only obvious that food is a key tool to signify these changes.

References-

Fox, 2014 “Food and Eating: An Anthropological Perspective” Robin Fox, SIRC: Social Issues Research Centre

Barthes, R 1997 “Toward a Psychosociology of Contemporary Food Consumption” Roland Barthes within “Food and culture : a reader”edited by Carole Counihan and Penny Van Esterik: New York : Routledge, 1997

Khara, T 2018 “The myth of a vegetarian India”. Tani Khara, September 11, 2018, The Conversation

Chamie, J  2017 “India’s Population: Becoming Number One” Joseph Chamie and Barry Mirkin, Thursday, August 10, 2017, YaleGlobal Online. https://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/indias-population-becoming-number-one

Aleksandrowicz, L 2016 “The Impacts of Dietary Change on Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Land Use, Water Use, and Health: A Systematic Review”

Tilman, D 2011 “Global food demand and the sustainable intensification of agriculture.”

 

When I think of the future, first and foremost I think of immense technological development, and further destruction of the natural environment. This has been fuelled largely by my long-time favourite movie, Blade Runner (1982). Blade Runner paints a dark and miserable future of technological and industrial excess amidst a highly polluted and segregated landscape.

Blade Runner (1982)

To a large extent, this dystopian outlook of the future for me still rings true. Despite modern efforts towards clean energy and reducing emissions, a major report on climate research conducted this year by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)posits that a limit on global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is needed, but that we are still not doing enough. It claims that the “promises made by countries to cut their emissions up to 2030 will not limit global warming to 1.5C even if action is massively scaled up after the end of the next decade… Reaching those levels will require rapid, far reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society.” (Cosoleto, 2018)

In a world where the president of the USA, one of the largest contributors of greenhouse gas emissions, actively denies so much as the existence of climate change, it is extremely hard to believe that these changes will come soon enough. Whenqueried about the recent IPCC report, Trump refuted and ignored it’s clear conclusion, stating that the USA “havescientists that disagree with human-caused global warming… You’d have to show me the mainstream scientists because they have a very big political agenda”. (Nuccitelli, 2018)

In addition to a depleted earth represented in Blade Runner, the film also makes reference to “off-world colonies”, which presumably the worlds rich have used to escape earth and find refuge on other planets. This future of leaving a depleted earth is one that I find very interesting, but am unsure of how realistic it is when considering how imminent of a threat that scientists convey global warming to be.

In particular relation to the focus of food in Lab A, the premise of the film Interstellar (2014) is that a plague has wiped out the worlds crops, leaving just corn as the only viable food source on earth. In response to this, and one which mirrors Blade Runner, space travellers are sent into the abyss in search of a new home for humanity off planet. The emphasis on food in the film is a poignant reminder of the impact of global warming and pollution from a standpoint that I don’t think the general public thinks of immediately when the issue of global warming is raised. Rather it is often the image of melting icebergs in Antarctica or flash floods that grab news headlines. Therefore this is an important film not only in relation to Lab A but as a grave reminder that without a healthy earth, it cannot provide food for its people.

Interstellar, 2014

In a world where Elon Musk is investing heavily in space travel while simultaneously contributing to global warming by producing consumer products in the form of electric vehicles and catapulting his car into space as a sort of sick joke, this pursuit for life beyond a depleted and disintegrated earth represented in Interstellar is one that seems to be active in development, however disturbing.

Elon Musk, SpaceX

The film interstellar also emphasises the importance of lab grown food which was researched within our future scenario. Our quadrant of extreme weather and high technology reinforced the need for food alternatives that can be developed in spite of unpredictable weather events produced by global warming into the future, as space travel and leaving our depleted planet might not be a realistic option. Despite this initial dire outlook, upon further research throughout these films, it is clear that the future is not fixed, but that many different futures are possible.

References-

Nuccitelli, D 2018 “Trump thinks scientists are split on climate change. So do most Americans”. The Guardian, 22^ndOctober 2018. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2018/oct/22/trump-thinks-scientists-are-split-on-climate-change-so-do-most-americans

Cosoleto, T 2018 “’We’re not on track’: Major climate change report pushes for 1.5C cap” Tara Cosoleto, 8^thOctober 2018, SBS News – https://www.sbs.com.au/news/we-re-not-on-track-major-climate-change-report-  pushes-for-1-5c-cap

Image-

https://variety.com/2017/film/columns/how-blade-runner-became-a-geek-metaphor-for-art-1202583468/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmz9lMP6aQU

https://www.businessinsider.com.au/spacex-rocket-record-50-launches-reliability-2018-3?r=US&IR=T

 

How will diets shift in the future in response to social and environmental change? Will this have a positive or negative effect?

The impact of Climate change can already be felt in the present, and will only increase in the future. The impact of world diet trends is directly relational to the proportion of animal consumption and therefore, the impact of agriculture on the environment.

The effects of farming and food production on climate change is well studied and estimated to be responsible for “up to 30% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, about 70% of freshwater use, and occupies more than one-third of all potentially cultivatable land.” (Aleksandrowicz, 2016) As society progresses, diets worldwide will change according to shifts in societal attitudes towards foods, changes in the environment due to climate change, and the progression of developing nations into prosperity.In regard to developed nations, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization have analysed the environmental impact of low impact “sustainable diets” that are proposed to lower the environmental footprint of food production.

Although the growing threat of overpopulation has been widely publicised, research has presented that the biggest driver of increased food demand will be the changing diets of the worlds growing middle class. From now to 2050, it’s estimated that 40 percent of the world’s population—more than 3 billion people—will transition to a diet heavier in meat, eggs, and dairy. (Tilman, 2011) By mid-century, annual greenhouse gas emissions from food production and clearing of new land for agriculture will be 80 percent higher than in 2009.

 

 

 

References-

Aleksandrowicz, L 2016 “The Impacts of Dietary Change on Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Land Use, Water Use, and Health: A Systematic Review”

Tilman, D 2011 “Global food demand and the sustainable intensification of agriculture.”

Cassidy, E 2013 “Redefining agricultural yields: from tonnes to people nourished per hectare.”