the power of algorithms

I recommend watching this. Twice. It's a fascinating observation on the power of algorithms and how these complex computer programs can determine espionage tactics, stock prices, movie scripts and architecture. Most fascinating the algorithms applied to culture such as the success and value of a movie before its even released enabled by an algorithm.

"We're writing things that we can no longer read and we've rendered something illegible and lost the sense of what's actually happening in this world we've made..."



This raises the question; is maths an art? One thing that has always fascinated me is the relationship between maths and art whether historically, culturally or cognitively.

Some of the greatest artists and architects in history certainly found their own algorithms to determine perfection (the Egyptian pyramids a fine example).



Now however these algorithms are increasingly complicated and applied to the intangible world of technological communication.

Facebook-algorithms change the way we organise our social life. Amazon-algorithms influence the way we spend our money. Google's search-algorithm decides, which content we view first (or at all) and Twitter's algorithms change the way we are informed about news. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Algorithms in hospitals change the way people are treated, path-finding algorithms change the way we plan our cities and organise traffic. Scheduling algorithms influence which subjects your child will hear when it can concentrate the best, and which it will hear, when it can concentrate the worst (I'm guessing art ironically).

The opportunities are endless which is why to understand culture, we should try to understand the algorithmic confines in which they might be influenced.

learning from the masters

One day I hope all my dabbles will converge or at least make a little more sense to me. I doubt I'll have a Bill Gates moment where my calligraphy course will lead to creating differentiation in a market leading product that will subsequently make me billions (but here's to hoping). Anyway, amongst screen writing courses, mountain climbing, documentary making, visiting Shamans, a law degree, resin jewellery course and a black belt Vipassana meditation retreat; I've always maintained and pursued an interest in photography. I think this is mainly due to my being a closet creative without a canvas or perhaps looking for a story to tell... with limited barriers to entry.

Following my second photography course last night I have delved further in to the theory and practice of good photo composition and understanding the symbiotic relationship between aperture, shutter speed and depth of field (the 'Exposure Triangle'). I'll spare the details.

What I love about photography is the planned spontaneity involved and the longevity of a beautiful moment captured. It can tell so many stories and hold meaning in so many different ways. A person who did this very well was Henri Cartier-Bresson. Here is some of his inspiring work (to classical music no less).

make a bad situation less volatile

There are a lot of things to be unhappy about in London right now, amongst a backdrop of media drownings, a struggling economy and police saying to their bellies "you're under a vest" (that was a bad joke wasn't it?) there are people who are losing their jobs, their homes and change is one thing they can be certain of.

One individual in particular is willing to look on the brighter side of a bad situation. @fern_tastic from W+K London lost her job. Rather than hiding in a cupboard and smudging mascara down her face, she decided to share a rap about redundancy to encourage her co-workers to be optimistic too.

How refreshing. Although little did she know that one of the meanies from Campaign Mag would try to rain on her parade (its one thing to pass judgement on a shit campaign and another to do so to an individual who has just lost her job and is trying to keep a smile on her face and those around her).

Their comments that it was "possibly the worst white, middle-class... embarrassingly girly rap"clearly missing the point (a concern in itself) did more to embarrass themselves than Miss Fernie T as she promptly responded inviting the challenge and remaining positively optimistic.

Go Fern! I think we all could learn from Miss Trelfa.

Full disclosure: Fern is one of my favourite people in this world.

evoking an emotional response

Alfred Hitchcock explains how to inject emotional tension into a scene. A great way of explaining how to bring a story to life by bringing your audience on the journey i.e. story-telling is more than providing the knowledge, its about creating emotion...

greenpeace's rebellion

It's fascinating, and well worth taking a look at the breadth of this as a campaign Greenpeace campaign. It much more than just a couple of very nicely done videos: 

The integrated campaign includes a Poster Takeover and street stunt in London City.
Poster takeover + street stunt in Old Street, London.

Users are rewarded for signing up and passing on the campaign on their website . In their VW Report  reveals that while VW claim to be Green and efficient, they have failed to deliver on their promises, even with the technical capabilities to do so and the bulk of the VW fleet continue to be amongst the most polluting in Europe.



"Despite the green image it likes to portray, VW is at the heart of a group of companies lobbying against new laws which we need to cut CO2 emissions, reduce our oil use and protect places like the Arctic from climate change." Greenpeace explain, "Only a rebellion can stop them – a mass of people from all across the globe –demanding that they change. We need you to be part of that rebellion."

Politicians across Europe are currently debating whether to raise our target for CO2 cuts from 20 to 30% (based on 1990 levels) by 2020. It’s such a necessary increase that many people and organisations - from the UK government to Google, from Ikea to Unilever - agree that we should do it.

But not Volkswagen. Along with spending millions on groups lobbying against the 30 per cent target, VW is also opposing new fuel efficiency targets. These would cut CO2 emissions, save drivers money and reduce our dependence on oil... 


Hence, Greenpeace are stepping in with their latest campaign.