10/20/2003: Tholos project
 

http://cellar.org/2003/tholos.jpg

My greatest fascination in life is the clash of society and technology, and how technology is changing how we live with each other and how it brings us together.

Here's a concept that really represents all that in a big way. It's called the Tholos, named after an ancient Roman structure.

It's just in the concept phase now, but it could happen. It's a round building, 10 feet high and 23 feet wide. On the building is a high-res display and there are directional microphones and speakers all around. Each Tholos is networked to a remote identical Tholos in a different location, and everything that happens at the remote Tholos is displayed in real time at the local one.

So the London Tholos would be connected to the Vienna Tholos, and you in London could actually walk up to people in Vienna and speak with them directly and semi-privately.

http://cellar.org/2003/tholos2.jpg

It's to be advertising-supported, and the people behind it are looking to expand the idea to many other locations as well.

It's meant to be an attraction, not a tool to accomplish things; on the other hand, who knows what this sort of thing could generate?

I want one! Unfortunately they're about L1.4M ($2.5 M).

full story

project website

Will it translate?
 

Most Austrians speak German. That's gonna make meaningful communication tough.


OTOH, most of the people who walk up to this thing and try to use it will probably be American tourists, so maybe it's OK :-)

How long do you think it would be before the first long-distance public mooning took place?

That'd be a sweet piece of international Tunick art.

Well that's the thing; of course the designers envision all kind of highbrow uses like sharing art and culture. How long before the most common phrase going across the wires is "show us yer tits!"

Tell me that isn't what the guy in the second picture is saying. And that's from the official website.

You can bet that if they put one in Baghdad, there will terroristic threats shouted to wherever the other end is.

All in all, even with the obvious opportunity for international immaturity and crudeness, how can this be anything other than good? Face to face across space is a cool thing, and sure to inspire some interesting forms of communication between people otherwise removed from one another.

I think it is great. Who do I talk to about getting one in KC?

Since it is supported by advertising, I would like to offer the first promotional idea:

http://www.outlawslegal.com/evil/bartbutt.gif

"This "pressed ham" brought to you by Hormel."

Won't somebody PLEASE think of the children?

The phenomenon of "show us yer tits!" <i>is</i> culture. And if tits aren't art, I don't know what is.

This thing seems really cool:cool:, but for some reason I get the "Big Brother is watching you" feeling from it. Probably just my paranoia or quilty conscious kicking in.:p

There are already too blamed many people I have to look at every day - why would I want to look at a bunch more just because they are a long way away?

Its probably located in a public space to generate public acceptance, but I can see it evolving into a smaller unit for turbo-charged corporate video conferencing and who knows, eventually maybe even for home use.
Very cool conceptually.

I've read that many quilters are extremely nervous about this.

Are you on cheap crack again Dave? Or are your eagle eyes just playing tricks on you again? Damn that q looks like a g to me:p .

I don't get it. Do you make quilts?