About
Jeff Watson is an artist, designer, and Assistant Professor of Interactive Media and Games at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts.
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Category Archives: Blog
Inscrutability and data visualization: the lost language of the khipu
While it has long been understood that the Inca khipu was an advanced thread/cord-based numerical accounting system, there are tantalizing shreds of evidence suggesting that it was much more — a singular kind of writing, capable of containing myth and … Continue reading
Posting Anonymously: The Talking Statues of Rome
Anonymity affords a kind of honesty and directness that isn’t always possible when people know who’s doing the talking. It’s important to find ways to break free of the tyranny of our real identities. For me, privacy is only a … Continue reading
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Tagged anonymity, congregation of wits, google, rome, talking statues
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Radiation cats and atomic priesthoods: the Human Interference Task Force
The question of how to mark the places where we store nuclear waste such that people in the distant future won’t do things like build towns or nurseries or farms on top or inside of them is one of my … Continue reading
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Tagged future, gregory benford, human interference task force, nuclear waste, time, transmedia, yucca mountain
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Revel: a geolocative app with an emphasis on play and public space – call for participation
PEG-LA co-conspirator Sarah Brin is one of the coordinators of Revel, “a public invitation to participate in fun, social, and adventurous challenges on streetcorners, in parks, and in all parts of town. [The Revel] iPhone app organizes missions by type … Continue reading
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Tagged cfp, challenges, groundcrew, participation, public space, revel, sarah brin
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Trionfi.com: a massive, rambling archive of playing and fortune cards
Trionfi.com has got to be one of the most confusing and messy websites on the whole internet. It’s also a pretty amazing archive of thousands of playing and fortune card scans dating back to the 14th century. If you can … Continue reading
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Tagged archives, card decks, cards, history, web design
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News canisters
Once upon a time, news was delivered by ship. It was a piece of cargo like any other. It took up space. It weighed something. Cape Race was a landfall beacon for ships from Europe travelling to US and Canadian … Continue reading
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Tagged cape race, ireland, materiality, newfoundland, news canisters, sneakernet, transatlantic communications cables, wireless telegraphy
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The Fluxus Performance Workbook
This collection (.pdf) of Fluxus “event scores” — instructions for performances, happenings, and interventions — is endlessly inspiring. I’m working on a (top secret) game right now that shares some of the same spirit… via @dinosaurrparty
Posted in Blog
Tagged collaborative production, event scores, fluxus, happenings, participation, sarah brin
3 Comments
John Maus – Believer (2011)
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Tagged analog vfx, believers, john maus, music
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