Lessons in instrument design from Star Trek
Sci-fi interfaces
by Christopher Noessel
1M ago
by S. Astrid Bin  Editor’s Note: Longtime fans of this site may be familiar with its “tag line,” “Stop watching sci-fi. Start using it.” So I was thrilled when a friend told me they had seen Astrid present how she had made an instrument from a Star Trek episode real! Please welcome Astrid as she tells us about the journey and lessons learned from making something from a favorite sci-fi show real. —Christopher I’ve been watching Star Trek for as long as I can remember. Though it’s always been in the air of culture, it wasn’t until March 2020—when we were all stuck at home with Netflix and ..read more
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Observations and Reflections
Sci-fi interfaces
by scifihughf
3M ago
So what is a 3D interface? These examples, although fictional, demonstrate that “3D” can be used in different ways. In Jurassic Park and Hackers, 3D graphics are used to create a richer display with more information density, though it is not photorealistic. The Jurassic Park file browser is primarily a symbolic 2D representation of the file system hierarchy, projected onto a perspective ground plane to make more elements visible at once. The third dimension is used to indicate the number of sub elements or their size. In Hackers, the City of Text towers most likely represent the actual content ..read more
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Hackers (1995)
Sci-fi interfaces
by scifihughf
3M ago
Our third film is from 1995, directed by Iain Softley. Hackers is about a group of teenage computer hackers, of the ethical / playful type who are driven by curiosity and cause no harm — well, not to anyone who doesn’t deserve it. One of these hackers breaks into the “Gibson” computer system of a high profile company and partially downloads what he thinks is an unimportant file as proof of his success. However this file is actually a disguised worm program, created by the company’s own chief of computer security to defraud the company of millions of dollars. The security chief tries to frame t ..read more
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Disclosure (1994)
Sci-fi interfaces
by scifihughf
4M ago
Our next 3D file browsing system is from the 1994 film Disclosure. Thanks to site reader Patrick H Lauke for the suggestion. Like Jurassic Park, Disclosure is based on a Michael Crichton novel, although this time without any dinosaurs. (Would-be scriptwriters should compare the relative success of these two films when planning a study program.) The plot of the film is corporate infighting within Digicom, manufacturer of high tech CD-ROM drives—it was the 1990s—and also virtual reality systems. Tom Sanders, executive in charge of the CD-ROM production line, is being set up to take the blame for ..read more
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Jurassic Park (1993)
Sci-fi interfaces
by scifihughf
4M ago
Our first example is a single scene from Jurassic Park, set entirely in the control room of Isla Nublar. Apologies in advance for repeating some material already covered by the book and website, but it is necessary to focus on the aspects that are of interest to this study. Drs. Sattler and Grant enter the control room along with Lex and Tim. Jurassic Park (1993) The eponymous Jurassic Park is heavily automated, with the entire park designed to be controlled from the computer systems in this room. Villainous computer system designer Nedry took advantage of this to shut down systems across the ..read more
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Real World 3D Filing Systems
Sci-fi interfaces
by scifihughf
4M ago
It helps to ground our critique if we consider speculative interfaces in light of real-world interfaces that support similar goals, so let’s look at some. The two dimensional desktop metaphor developed at Xerox PARC in the 1970s and still present on personal computers today was explicitly based on the real world of offices, with desktops, sheets of paper, folders, and even trashcans. What familiar three dimensional storage systems in the real world could we use as a basis for comparison and inspiration? The desktop GUI. Photo credit: Xerox PARC At the small scale are kitchens and garages, whic ..read more
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Browsing Files in 3D
Sci-fi interfaces
by scifihughf
4M ago
What’s this all about? The origin story here is that I wanted to review Hackers, a film I enjoy and Chris describes as “awesome/ly bad”. However, Hackers isn’t science fiction. Well, I could argue that it is set in an alternate reality where computer hackers are all physically attractive with fashionable tastes in music and clothing, but that isn’t enough. The film was set firmly in the present day (of 1995) and while the possibilities of computer hacking may be exaggerated for dramatic purposes, all the computers themselves are quite conventional for the time. (And therefore appear quaint and ..read more
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Hellraiser (2022)
Sci-fi interfaces
by Christopher Noessel
5M ago
Hey readers. It’s been a while. There are reasons, but let’s move on. The title card for Hellraiser (2022) Some Halloween years ago, I made a shout out on social media for examples of interfaces in horror movies. (Other than The Cabin in the Woods and Ghostbusters, that is, since I’ve already reviewed those.) I like Halloween and it seems like a way to celebrate the season, even as it takes us out of the stricter realm of sci-fi. There weren’t a lot of candidates. There were horror films, even classic ones, with some technology in it. Androids here, high-tech weapons and torture devices there ..read more
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Fritz 2023 Nominees
Sci-fi interfaces
by Christopher Noessel
1y ago
It’s that time of year, when we look back at the sci-fi movies of the prior year to consider the challenges of on-screen interfaces and decide who did it best. I admit a bit of frustration with the sci-fi movies in 2022. Many just didn’t need interfaces to tell their stories. Just no name a few that come to mind: Everything Everywhere All at Once, Prey, Nope, Slash/Back, Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes, Next Exit. And many that did had interfaces that were just displays—and it’s hard to gauge the design if no character is using it. Of the rest, many looked very, very similar to stuff we’d seen ..read more
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Report Card: Soylent Green (1973)
Sci-fi interfaces
by Christopher Noessel
1y ago
Read all the Soylent Greens posts in chronological order. Soylent Green left a huge mark on popular culture. It’s entirely possible I’m skewed by my nerd circle of friends but I’d wager every single one of them know the phrase “It’s made of people!” even if they couldn’t name the source. Heck, it was parodied on The Simpsons, which is its own mark of cultural currency. If you couldn’t tell by my tone in the reviews (and I was not hiding it) while I appreciate the film, I can’t say I like it. Our protagonist is a wretched bully, though Heston plays him as a hero; the worldbuilding is inconsis ..read more
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