Technology, Reality, and Austin: A Photojournalism Project

How does technology shape our perception of reality?

10-14 March 2019
by Mikai Tilton

As technology advances exponentially, the way we interact with and perceive the world around
us is changed dramatically—here, different scenes of technological advancement in Austin are
highlighted to showcase some of the most drastic of these effects.

Empathy and technology, iPhone, Sony E-mount. 11 March 2019.

On the left, two people experience the fear, doubt, and restrictions that Juana, an 18-year-old
Argentinian girl encounters as she prepares for a blind date. Bound to her wheelchair both in
reality and also in the simulation, audiences directly experience the obstacles that come with
overcoming social prejudices as well as the physical challenges of trying to navigate a city.
(Metro Veinte: Cita Ciega)

On the right, a woman tries a simulated exercise machine that increases the user’s mobility and
enables them to experience moving and interacting with the world free from many actual
physical restrictions. (SXSW Trade Show Floor)
As Jamil Zaki, a leading researcher of human empathy explains, being put into someone’s actual
situation instead of trying to rationalize it as an outsider can increase the empathy we feel for
others by a significant amount. One study found that participants who viewed a scenario
(animated in virtual reality) of losing their job, getting evicted, living in their car, and then
sleeping on the street were far more likely to have higher levels of empathy for the homeless
population of their local areas than someone who hadn’t. Virtual and augmented reality can
directly change how we perceive and react to others around us, many have found, and many
developers seek to create softwares that draw audiences to strengthening the communities around
them.

Virtual reality in the classroom, iPhone. 13 March 2019.

Students at the Watershed School try virtual and augmented reality software at Austin Free-Net.
Austin Free-Net seeks to bring accessible technology to communities that may need it the most.
One of the program's areas of focus is with the homeless population of Austin, where they seek
to provide a sense of a control in the midst of extremely chaotic and harsh environments.

In the future, educators hope to use virtual reality systems to simulate more immersive history,
geography, and social studies classes. Virtual reality will enable students to view the effects of
some of history’s biggest events first-hand, seen in a program that seeks to literally “bring history
to life”—by reviving old war generals able to answer questions. The “TIME MACHINE” booth
on the SXSW Trade Show Floor hosted by NHK Enterprises revives historical scenes of famous
cities using artificial intelligence and old photographs, soon, students may be able to walk around
the scenes of events being taught in their history classes. Virtual reality goggles can also quickly
bring students to foreign places to marvel at geographic and man-made landmarks.

Cities, psychosis, and finding a cure, iPhone. 13-14 March 2019.

In Austin, skyscrapers holding residents, guests, and workspaces loom above and around
pedestrians. Since the early 1900s, strong links have been found between tall buildings, urban
environments, and an increased rate of psychosis. Broadly speaking, psychosis is categorized as
a heavily altered perception or loss of contact with reality—most often, this symptom is seen in
individuals with schizophrenia. Advancements in technology enable human civilizations to build
buildings higher and higher in hopes of becoming the country's most booming urban center—at
the cost of increasing the prevalence of schizophrenia in these urban areas. (x)

Tommy Moffat, a 17-year-old computer developer speaking at South by Southwest, explains that
the rate at which we are able to advance quantum computing is rising exponentially. This means
that in this new age of technology, quantum computing may soon be able to be applied to
pharmaceutical research and discovery to provide fast cures to a variety of mental and physical
illness—saving scientists and the public both decades and billions of dollars of research. In the
future, rates of psychosis may increase dramatically, but the pharmaceutical cure for many
mental illnesses may also be soon to arrive.

Virtual reality and a mission to Mars, iPhone. 11 March 2019.

Sitting in moving pods, exhibitors at the SXSW Virtual Reality Showcase experience traveling to
and being part of a society on Mars through this cutting edge “4D” experience hosted by Mars:
Home Planet. The simulation combines spatial sound, haptics, motion, and virtual reality goggles
for a fully immersive experience. Through this project, they hope to help popularize educational
storytelling of transportation and architecture. Mars: Home Planet is one of the most cutting
edge examples of what could soon be how we experience our favorite science fiction stories.
Shopping in the age of technology, Sony E-mount. 11 March 2019

A woman uses Lush’s new app to scan and identify different products. Branding themselves as
“not just a store, but a tech company,” Lush showcased their new effort to improve customer
experience and reduce their environmental impact at the South by Southwest Trade Show. A new
spotlight on user experience has spurred a push to provide the smoothest, fastest, and most
accessible customer experience among the tech companies of Austin. In the future, customers
can expect to have a streamlined and possibly human interaction free shopping experience,
something extremely different than how shopping is done now.