The Observatory and Rover Podcast

EP03: Normcore is The Helvetica of Fashion

We’ve all read articles and scientific papers about how social media and its recommendation algorithms, fuelled by the blue-chip economy, are eroding our sense of self and ability to think critically. Instead of making us more intelligent and creative in the long run, it might be slowly turning us into mindless cogs or living robots, only functioning to lubricate the economic machine. And I agree that this grim future could become a reality if we’re careless about how we moderate our relationships with these artificial cognitive systems. However, on the other end of the spectrum, something bright actually happened in my opinion. It’s the way we dress ourselves as a general public. We’ve become more aware and educated about how to style ourselves, even though it may seem boring, mundane, and homogeneous most of the time. Did the power of social media and its algorithms elevate the status of boring fashion and mass public aesthetic knowledge? Read more: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theobservatoryandrover.substack.com [https://theobservatoryandrover.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

EP02: The End of Me-Time, Rest & Idleness in The 15 Minutes City

When death knocked at the door of humanity in 2020, it marked the centennial anniversary since the last global pandemic. Yet, COVID-19 did not spell humanity's demise. Instead, it transformed how we view the purpose of waking life beyond the commandments of globalized Protestant work ethics. The 21st century lifestyle as we knew it evolved beyond merely winning the financialized rat race of neoliberal capitalism—it expanded into the ideals of living a worthwhile life. We no longer want to simply work to live or live to work; we desire both aspects to be more fluid and under our control. This shift incidentally propelled the 5-minute, 15-minute, and 20-minute city to become popular planning concepts. We embraced these models because we believed they offered pathways to a worthwhile life—one where we could regain control over our lifestyle. But can we address the paradox of chrono-urbanism in late-capitalist society and the Anthropocene?Read Full Article: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theobservatoryandrover.substack.com [https://theobservatoryandrover.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

EP01: Brain-rot in the Platform Kingdom

Hey guys, this is the first episode and a preview to my podcast series. The podcast series will be based on the articles and reflections I wrote. The goal for the podcast is to provide a new mode of participation. Of course, what you will be hearing is not my own voice but my Artificial Intelligence buddies (powered by Google). I will be playing a role as a creator, writer, and producer while my AI buddies will be my co-hosts who will interpret my writing as a source for conversation. 🔮 About a month ago, Google announced the re-entry of AI-powered XR smart glasses, and just a few days ago, Snap revealed plans to release the 6th generation of SNAP Spectacles. 🥽 Apple’s Liquid Glass UX launch also hinted at their move to fuse virtual spaces with our physical atmosphere, extending social reality beyond physical space and joining the race to bring AI-powered chatbots to life. 🌐 While our connection to real-time knowledge and data will be amplified, these developments remind me of my dissertation days, where I questioned what our world might become when reality is no longer separate but wrapped in real-time commercialized and spatialized virtual spaces. 🤔 Today, we discuss “brain rot” due to our heightened addiction to dopamine rushes from social applications and smart devices—what will happen when virtual worlds are woven into the physical fabric? 🧠 We have more information available today thanks to PageRank algorithms, OpenAI, and beyond. But information is just information—without cognitive processing, it serves no purpose. ✨ So I’m sharing my thoughts and 2020 writing (original titled: Thought instruments) with the world, and you’ll discover why I write stories.🤖 As we sleep with intellectual machines, we need to relearn ways to think.🌟 And if we are lucky, it will be the new renaissance of humanity. But we have to act now. Read Article: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theobservatoryandrover.substack.com [https://theobservatoryandrover.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]