Themes (326)
Find narratives by ethical themes or by technologies.
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- 11 min
- Kinolab
- 2015
During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Communication between Earth and space happens primarily through data streaming methods, such as video chats or satellite broadcasts. In the second part of this narrative, countries across the globe, specifically the U.S and China, work together to engineer a plan to get Mark Watney back on board the Hermes ship. While there are complications, Mark is eventually reunited with his crew.
- Kinolab
- 2015
Mars Rescue Part II: Global Alliances and Human Connection
During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Communication between Earth and space happens primarily through data streaming methods, such as video chats or satellite broadcasts. In the second part of this narrative, countries across the globe, specifically the U.S and China, work together to engineer a plan to get Mark Watney back on board the Hermes ship. While there are complications, Mark is eventually reunited with his crew.
Does space travel and exploration seem like a good use of scientific or technological capital? Is it too dangerous of a frontier to dispense so many technological resources on? How is the development of data streaming methods over long distances depicted positively here? How does technological innovation have the potential to spur global alliances? Is spending significant time and money on technology and innovation worthwhile if it leads to global cooperations?
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- 10 min
- Kinolab
- 2015
During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Communication between Earth and space happens primarily through data streaming methods, such as video chats or satellite broadcasts. With the launch of a spacecraft known as IRIS, Mark anticipates a delivery of food rations. However, he is unaware that the safety inspections have been bypassed, which results in the entire operation failing and the chances of his survival dramatically decreasing.
- Kinolab
- 2015
Mars Rescue Part I: Making Contact
During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Communication between Earth and space happens primarily through data streaming methods, such as video chats or satellite broadcasts. With the launch of a spacecraft known as IRIS, Mark anticipates a delivery of food rations. However, he is unaware that the safety inspections have been bypassed, which results in the entire operation failing and the chances of his survival dramatically decreasing.
Does space travel and exploration seem like a good use of scientific or technological capital? Is it too dangerous of a frontier to dispense so many technological resources on? How is the development of data streaming methods over long distances depicted positively here? How does technological innovation have the potential to spur global alliances?
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- 16 min
- Kinolab
- 2003
In a distant future, the majority of humanity has been wiped out, and most of the planet is flooded. ECOBAN is a city which runs on technological power, avoiding destruction and pollution by using a machine which converts pollutants into power. However, Marrians, who live on the exterior of the city in the destroyed world, are responsible for performing the labor to harvest these pollutants, without any of the benefits. Essentially, Ecoban keeps its technology to itself, not sharing it with the “contaminated” underclasses. Shua, a renegade Marrian hacker, attempts to shut down the DELOS system, the technology which powers Ecoban and has destroyed the surrounding environment entirely. He ultimately succeeds in his mission, breaking the DELOS system which gave Ecobans a privileged life and at last bringing back blue skies.
- Kinolab
- 2003
Technological Regulation of the Environment and Division
In a distant future, the majority of humanity has been wiped out, and most of the planet is flooded. ECOBAN is a city which runs on technological power, avoiding destruction and pollution by using a machine which converts pollutants into power. However, Marrians, who live on the exterior of the city in the destroyed world, are responsible for performing the labor to harvest these pollutants, without any of the benefits. Essentially, Ecoban keeps its technology to itself, not sharing it with the “contaminated” underclasses. Shua, a renegade Marrian hacker, attempts to shut down the DELOS system, the technology which powers Ecoban and has destroyed the surrounding environment entirely. He ultimately succeeds in his mission, breaking the DELOS system which gave Ecobans a privileged life and at last bringing back blue skies.
How can it be ensured that technology built with the aim to reverse climate change or otherwise aid the environment helps all people, and not just certain higher classes? How can governments or leaders support “Robin Hood” hackers who disrupt technology for a greater good? Who is responsible for bridging digital divides and bringing technological equality to disadvantaged communities, and how should this be approached? How should technology be created to be accessible to all communities?
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- 14 min
- Kinolab
- 2008
After his family home is destroyed and his father is killed, Memo must become a part of the global economy. He is expected to do this at the Sleep Dealer Factory, where citizens of Mexico who are implanted with “nodes” connect to a brain-computer interface which they use to remotely control robots in the United States. This was meant to be a solution to the “migrant problem” to the United States in this imagined future, allowing the United States to contract labor from immigrants without actually having people cross the border. However, the wages payed by the Sleep Dealers for the exhaustive labor are incredibly low, thus most laborers there live in unlivable conditions. The technology is shown to not only be exhausting due to the menial labor, but also dangerous if someone is connected during a short-circuit.
- Kinolab
- 2008
Networked Laborers and Remote Workforces
After his family home is destroyed and his father is killed, Memo must become a part of the global economy. He is expected to do this at the Sleep Dealer Factory, where citizens of Mexico who are implanted with “nodes” connect to a brain-computer interface which they use to remotely control robots in the United States. This was meant to be a solution to the “migrant problem” to the United States in this imagined future, allowing the United States to contract labor from immigrants without actually having people cross the border. However, the wages payed by the Sleep Dealers for the exhaustive labor are incredibly low, thus most laborers there live in unlivable conditions. The technology is shown to not only be exhausting due to the menial labor, but also dangerous if someone is connected during a short-circuit.
How could technology theoretically exacerbate the gross xenophobia displayed toward Mexican immigrants in the United States? How does automation lower the value of labor, causing harm to those communities who need jobs? How can automation and robots be used to avoid putting workers in dangerous scenarios? Could a system using the technologies displayed in this narrative ever be designed to be truly fair?
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- 13 min
- Kinolab
- 2020
George Almore is an engineer working with a company which hopes to achieve singularity with robots, making their artificial intelligence one step above real humans. In doing this, he works with three prototypes: J1, J2, and J3, each one more advanced than the last. Simultaneously, he plans to upload his dead wife’s consciousness into the J3 robot in order to extend her life. The narrative begins with him explaining his goal to J3 as he has this robot go through taste and emotion tests. Eventually, J3 has evolved into a humanoid robot who takes on the traits of George’s wife, leaving the earlier two versions, who all have a sibling-like bond with each other, feeling neglected.
- Kinolab
- 2020
Prototypes, Evolution, and Replacement with Robots
George Almore is an engineer working with a company which hopes to achieve singularity with robots, making their artificial intelligence one step above real humans. In doing this, he works with three prototypes: J1, J2, and J3, each one more advanced than the last. Simultaneously, he plans to upload his dead wife’s consciousness into the J3 robot in order to extend her life. The narrative begins with him explaining his goal to J3 as he has this robot go through taste and emotion tests. Eventually, J3 has evolved into a humanoid robot who takes on the traits of George’s wife, leaving the earlier two versions, who all have a sibling-like bond with each other, feeling neglected.
Are taste and emotion examples of necessary elements of creating advanced AI? If so, why? What good does having these abilities serve in terms of the AI’s relationship to the human world? Is it right to transfer consciousness or elements of consciousness from a deceased person into one or several AI? In the AI, how much is too much similarity to a pre-existing person? Can total similarity ever be achieved, and how? Can advanced AI feel negative human emotions and face mental health problems such as depression? Is it ethical to program AI to feel such emotions, knowing the risks associated with them, including bonding with former or flawed prototypes of itself? If an AI kills itself, does the onus fall on the machine or the human creator?
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- 7 min
- Kinolab
- 2008
Under threat of eviction, Luz must find a quick way to make some money to pay rent. Thankfully, through the company TruNode, she can digitize her memories and sell them on the internet for anyone who may wish to access and stream them. While this seems convenient, the downsides are shown when the repository of her memories are used to help ruthless drone pilot Rudy Ramirez hunt down an innocent laborer who is a supposedly dangerous criminal. After Luz reveals this means of making money to Memo, the aforementioned innocent laborer, he is less than enthused with the system.
- Kinolab
- 2008
Selling Digitized Memories
Under threat of eviction, Luz must find a quick way to make some money to pay rent. Thankfully, through the company TruNode, she can digitize her memories and sell them on the internet for anyone who may wish to access and stream them. While this seems convenient, the downsides are shown when the repository of her memories are used to help ruthless drone pilot Rudy Ramirez hunt down an innocent laborer who is a supposedly dangerous criminal. After Luz reveals this means of making money to Memo, the aforementioned innocent laborer, he is less than enthused with the system.
How can the high cost of very personal data and digital memories be both empowering in the right circumstances and disempowering in the wrong ones? What if people were able to sell all of their personal data, as is shown here? Is the complete digitization of memory a positive concept or a negative one? How can data or memory be purchased for nefarious purposes? How can people be unintentionally harmed by this system? Can the emotions of memories ever be paired well with a digital interface?