- LEarninG and tHinkinG witH tHinGs (^) | 137
But...
What if physical objects could reshape themselves in the same way that
pixels do? What if one device, or really a blob of beads, could reshape
into a nearly infinitesimal number of things? What if the distinctions
between bits and atoms become nearly indistinguishable? Can we have
physical interactions that can also dynamically change form to be 1 , 000
different things? Or, at a minimum, can the interface do more than
resemble buttons; perhaps it could shape itself into the buttons and
switches of last century and then flatten out again into some new form.
How does the role of interaction designer change when you’re interface
is a sculpted, changing thing? So long as we’re looking out into possi-
ble futures, this kind of thinking isn’t implausible, and should set some
direction.
Nothing New Under the Sun
While much of this looks to a future in which physical and digital con-
verge, there is one profession that has been exploring this intersection
for some time now: museums.
Museums are amazing incubators for what’s next in technology. These
learning environments have to engage visitors through visuals, inter-
actions, stories, and other means, which often leads to (at least in the
modern museum) spaces that are both tangible and take advantage of
digital interactions. The self-directed pace that visitors move through
an exhibit pressures all museum designers to create experiences that
are both informative and entertaining. And, many artists and technol-
ogist are eager to, within the stated goals of an exhibit, try new things.
Take for example the Te Papa Tongarewa museum, in Wellington, New
Zealand. Because New Zealand is an island formed from the collision
of two tectonic plates, you can expect volcanoes, earthquakes, and all
things geothermal to get some attention. As visitors move about the
space, they are invited to learn about various topics in some amazing
and inventive ways. When it comes to discussions of mass and den-
sity, there are three bowling ball–sized rocks ready for you to lift; they
are all the same in size, but the weight varies greatly. When learning
about tectonic shifts, you turn a crank that then displaces two halves of
a map (along with sound effects), effectively demonstrating what has
happened to New Zealand over thousands of years, and what is likely
to happen in the future. Visitors are encouraged to step into a house in
nandana
(Nandana)
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