I added the link to Michael Schmitz’s Human Computer interaction in Science Fiction Movies to my del.icio.us account a while ago when one of my students showed me the link. I then forgot to blog it.
It’s a pretty interesting account of the interaction (sorry..) between sci-fi and what actually exists or is invented as a result. But the best thing about the essay is that it digs up some really rubbish ideas and some films I had totally forgotten about too.
Johnny Mnemonic is one such criminal. Take a look at Keanu at work here:
But one other thing caught my eye - Schmitz goes right back to Fritz Lang’s Metropolis and reminds us of the sort of ‘clock’ interface that has lights around it.
The worker has to move the hands to the lights when they light up all day. That’s all he does. Doesn’t it remind you of responding to all those e-mails, IMs and SMS messages all day?