Making the Perfect Pop Star

This is Eguchi Aimi, the newest member of the Japanese girl group, AKB48. Admired for her beauty and perfect vocals, the 16-year-old from Saitama appeared in candy commercials and the June 13 issue of Weekly Playboy magazine as the "Ultimate Love Bomb." Then fanatic followers of the band noticed an eerie quality to her in videos and commercials such as this one:

Glico the candy company finally fessed up that she is not a real person at all, but a computer generated image produced from facial features of AKB48's other band members. The notion of a manufactured pop star is not a new one. But in this case, the music machine is putting out a personality who has the ability to never age, grow fat or tire of the limelight. She already appeared in Weekly Playboy, we wonder how far would they have taken this?

You, Me and We Screens at The Future is Now

The British love our sad clones. 

After a great screening at Sci-Fi London, we've been invited to screen at The Future is Now, May 13 in London. The event takes place on a rooftop and features art, live performances, docs, music and animation. Organizers describe it as:

Exploring current events, with a nod to the past, and our hearts to the future this event aims to create a tangible sense of a malleable era- a festival to the future in the making. Using technology, film, sound and performance this event will celebrate the unknown next moment in it’s full possible glory.

There are few experiences like watching your film outside under the stars, we sooo wish we could be there. Special thanks to Julian Triandafyllou for reaching out to us.

You, Me and We Heads to Sci-Fi-London

Just been informed that my short film, You, Me and We has been selected for the 10th annual Sci-Fi London Film Festival! Now in its 10th year, Sci-Fi London is a real celebration of science in films. I'm told that it is normal to see grown men dressed like Storm Troopers at these screenings. It's a thrill to have YMW included and I'm excited to know how this audience will receive this little, quiet movie about human clones in group therapy. 

You, Me and We is screening as part of Shorts Programme 2 at the Apollo Cinema Picadilly Circus:

Tue 26th Apr, 6:30PM

We're also told it will it play before one of the feature films, but they haven't told us which one yet. Check it out if you are in London next week and let us know what you think.

The Avengers are Transhumans!

We're talking about Iron Man, The Hulk, Thor, Captain America and more. Superheroes and Transhumans.

That's what blogger Kyle Munkittrick examines for Discover Magazine in "Let the Avengers Help You Understand Transhumanism." 

Now, in the case of the Avengers, I don’t mean that they each represent a kind of enhancement, like cognitive enhancing pharmaceuticals or genetic engineering for athleticism. I am talking about the mindset people have around enhancement. Will transhumanism make people into monsters or Gods? Is science on the right track or out of control? The Avengers represent how you think enhancement works. Not only that, each Avenger symbolizes the hopes, fears, and problems enhancement may have. Whatever your dreams or nightmares about enhancement are, at least one member of Marvel’s wonder team has got you covered

It's a fun piece looking at human enhancement from multiple perspectives and also makes the point that science is not inherently evil, but the people behind it can be.

Spomenik Means Memorial

Whoa.

Melancholic, beautiful and at times alien, these amazing pictures are by photographer Jen Kempenaers, who trekked through the former Yugoslavia to document Communist memorials. These structures sit as relics from a bygone era yet beckon to a utopian future. In his book Spomenik: The End of History, Kempenaers' striking photography transports us to this world and fills us with wonder.

All photos © Jan Kempenaers, from the book Spomenik: The End of History

See more here.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

CARL <3's ANN

"This is a love story. And, oddly enough, it starts with an interstellar space mission and a golden record."

 

From Radiolab: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123534818                              

 

Time Magazine Covers the Singularity

What has been the basis of much sci-fi is now the focus of the latest Time Magazine as an imminent event:

2045: The Year Man Becomes Immortal

Written by Lev Grossman, the article profiles Ray Kurzweil and examines this critical point in the near future when computers surpass human intelligence. During research for Things We've Made it has become more and more clear that this is very real and on the minds of more people than you would think in the general public. Transhumans, technoprogressives - already there have been movements, organizations, even trade shows for over a decade to embrace this crossroads. To some this is scary, to others it's an opportunity to maximize human potential. Both sides of the debate can agree that the singularity is polarizing, mysterious and it will be here within many of our lifetimes.